DUOT

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 29, 2022.

Registration No. 333-268638

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

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DUOS TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

7660 Centurion Parkway, Suite 100

Jacksonville, Florida 32256

(904) 652-1637

(Address and telephone number of registrant’s principal executive offices)

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Andrew W. Murphy

Chief Financial Officer

Duos Technologies Group, Inc.

7660 Centurion Parkway, Suite 100

Jacksonville, Florida 33256

(904) 652-1637

(Name, address. including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of agent for service)

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Copies to:

J. Thomas Cookson, Esq.
Shutts & Bowen LLP
200 South Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 4100
Miami, FL 33131

Tel. No.: (305) 358-6300
Fax No.: (305) 347-7767

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ☒

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

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

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(a) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SUCH SECTION 8(a), MAY DETERMINE.

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The selling stockholders may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell securities, and we are soliciting offers to buy these securities, in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

DUOS TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, INC.

902,002 Shares of Common Stock

433,000 Shares of Common Stock issuable upon Conversion
of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock

This prospectus relates to the offering and resale by the Selling Stockholders identified herein of up to 1,335,002 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of Duos Technologies Group, Inc. (the “Company”), of which 433,000 are issuable upon the conversion of shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Series D Preferred Stock”). On September 30, 2022, we sold to the Selling Stockholders in a private placement 818,335 shares of common stock and 999 shares of Series D Preferred Stock. On October 29, 2022, we sold to the Selling Stockholders in a private placement an additional 83,667 shares of common stock and 300 shares of Series D Preferred Stock This prospectus includes those 902,002 shares of common stock and the 433,000 shares of common stock receivable upon conversion of the Series D Preferred Stock.

The Selling Stockholders may from time to time sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of any or all of the securities in a number of different ways and at varying prices. See “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page 25 of this prospectus for more information.

We are not selling any shares of Common Stock in this offering, and we will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares by the Selling Stockholders.

Our Common Stock is currently quoted on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “DUOT.” On October 31, 2022, the closing price as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market was $3.25 per share. This price will fluctuate based on the demand for our Common Stock.

The Selling Stockholders may offer all or part of the shares for resale from time to time through public or private transactions, at either prevailing market prices or at privately negotiated prices.

This prospectus provides a general description of the securities being offered. You should read this prospectus and the registration statement of which it forms a part before you invest in any securities.

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 15 of this prospectus for a discussion of information that should be considered in connection with an investment in our securities.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is December __, 2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or the “Commission”). By using such registration statement, the Selling Stockholders may, from time to time, offer and sell shares of our common stock pursuant to this prospectus. It is important for you to read and consider all of our information contained in this prospectus before making any decision whether to invest in the common stock. You should also read and consider the information contained in the documents that we have incorporated by reference as described in “Where You Can Find Additional Information,” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference” in this prospectus.

We and the Selling Stockholders have not authorized anyone to give any information or to make any representations different from that which is contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus in connection with the offer made by this prospectus and, if given or made, such information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the Company or any Selling Stockholder. Neither the delivery of this prospectus nor any sale made hereunder and thereunder shall under any circumstances create an implication that there has been no change in the affairs of the Company since the date hereof. You should assume that information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front cover hereof. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date. This prospectus does not constitute an offer or solicitation by anyone in any state in which such offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.

Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to “Duos,” “the Company,” “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to Duos Technologies Group, Inc., a Florida corporation, and our wholly owned subsidiary, Duos Technologies, Inc.

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This summary highlights selected information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. While this summary highlights what we consider to be important information about us, you should carefully read this entire prospectus before investing in our common stock, especially the risks and other information we discuss under the headings “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes beginning on page F-1. Our fiscal year end is December 31 and our fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021 are sometimes referred to herein as fiscal years 2020 and 2021, respectively. Some of the statements made in this prospectus discuss future events and developments, including our future strategy and our ability to generate revenue, income, and cash flow. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” Unless otherwise indicated or the context requires otherwise, the words “we,” “us,” “our”, the “Company” or “our Company” or “Duos” refer to Duos Technologies Group, Inc., a Florida corporation, and our wholly owned subsidiary, Duos Technologies, Inc.

Except as otherwise indicated in this prospectus, all common stock and per share information and all exercise prices with respect to our warrants reflect, on a retroactive basis, a 1-for-14 reverse stock split of our common stock, which became effective January 17, 2020.

Our Corporate History

Information Systems Associates, Inc. (“ISA”) was incorporated in Florida on May 31, 1994. Our original business operations consisted of consulting services for asset management of large corporate data centers and the development and licensing of information technology (“IT”) asset management software. In late 2014, ISA entered negotiations with Duos Technologies, Inc. (“duostech™”) for the purposes of executing a merger between the two organizations (also known as a “reverse triangular merger”). Incorporated under the laws of Florida on November 30, 1990, duostech™ operated in various industry segments, specializing in the design, development and deployment of proprietary technology applications and turn-key engineered systems. This transaction was completed on April 1, 2015, whereby duostech™ became a wholly owned subsidiary of ISA. After the merger was completed, ISA changed its corporate name to Duos Technologies Group, Inc. The Company, based in Jacksonville, Florida, oversees its wholly owned subsidiary, duostech™ which employs approximately 77 people and is a technology company which designs, develops, deploys and operates intelligent technology solutions with a focus on software applications and artificial intelligence (“AI”). We believe we have a strong portfolio of intellectual property.

Overview

The Company, operating under its brand name duostech, designs, develops, deploys and operates intelligent technology solutions for inspecting and evaluating moving objects. Its technology focus is within the Vision Technology market sector and, more specifically, the Machine Vision subsector. Machine Vision companies provide imaging-based automatic inspection and analysis for process control for industry with potential expansion into other markets. Duos has developed key technologies over the past several years in software, industry specific hardware and artificial intelligence and has demonstrated industrial strength usability of its systems supporting rail, logistics and intermodal businesses that streamline operations, improve safety and reduce costs. Our employee team include engineering subject matter expertise in hardware, software, and information technology as well as industry specific applications of artificial intelligence also referred to as Expert Artificial Intelligence.

We are currently developing industry solutions for our target markets which will address rail, trucking, aviation and other vehicle-based processes. Our initial offering, the Railcar Inspection Portal (RIP), provides both freight and transit railroad customers and select government agencies the ability to conduct fully automated railcar inspections of trains while they are moving at full speed. The RIP utilizes a variety of sophisticated optical, laser and speed sensors to scan each passing railcar to create a high-resolution image-set of the top, sides and undercarriage. These images are then processed with our edge data center using AI algorithms to identify safety and security defects on each railcar. The algorithms are developed in conjunction with industrial application experts, in this case Railcar Mechanical Engineers, to provide specific guidance in the analysis (“human in the loop”). Within minutes of the railcar passing through the RIP, a detailed report is sent to the customer where they are able to action identified issues. This solution has the potential to transform the railroad industry by increasing safety, improving efficiency and reducing costs. The Company has already deployed this system with several Class 1 railroads and anticipates an increased demand from transit and other railroad customers along with selected government agencies that operate and/or manage rail traffic. The Company has deployed RIPs in Canada, Mexico and the United States and anticipates expanding this solution into Europe and Australia in coming years.

We have also developed the Automated Logistics Information System (ALIS) which automates gatehouse operations where transport trucks enter and exit large logistics and intermodal facilities. This solution incorporates a similar set of sensors, data processing and artificial intelligence to streamline the customer’s logistics transactions and tracking and can also automate the security and safety inspection if called for. We have deployed this system with one large North American retailer and we anticipate increased demand from other large retailers, railroad intermodal operators and select government agencies that manage logistics and border crossing points. We are evaluating other solutions for moving vehicles including aircraft, which could provide similar benefits in terms of safety and efficiency for required inspections as part of an operations process.

We have developed two proprietary solutions that operate our software and artificial intelligence. centraco^® is an Enterprise Information Management Software platform that consolidates data and events from multiple sources into a unified and distributive user interface. Customized to the end user’s Concept of Operations (CONOPS), it provides improved situational awareness and data visualization for operational objectives compared to traditional manual inspections. truevue360^™ is our fully integrated platform that we utilize to develop and deploy AI algorithms, including Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Object Detection and Deep Neural Network-based processing for real-time applications. As an adjunct to these two platforms, we have also developed two other concepts which integrate with:

These two concepts have been developed and enhanced beginning in June 2021 and are expected to open up other opportunities for the Company to provide revenue producing products and solutions with potentially high market acceptance.

In September 2021, the Company ended support of its IT Asset Management (ITAM) solution which cataloged results for data center asset inventory and audit services. We are currently evaluating using our current operations experience within “edge data centers” (as deployed for our Railcar Inspection Portal) to drive additional revenues within other markets requiring this type of solution although no specific offering has been developed at this time.

In 2022, we began to emerge from the significant challenges that were encountered as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic including changes and opportunities for our business that will be discussed in greater detail elsewhere in this prospectus. They include:

duostech™

Over the past 10 years, duostech™ has developed a series of industry specific technologies some of which are described below.

Railcar Inspection Portal (rip®)

Federal regulations require each railcar/train to be inspected for mechanical defects prior to leaving a rail yard. Founded in 1934, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) is responsible for setting the standards for the safety and productivity of the U.S./North American freight rail industry, and by extension, has established the inspection parameters for the rail industry’s rolling stock. Also known as the “Why Made” codes, the AAR established approximately 110 inspection points under its guidelines for mechanical inspections.

Under current practice, inspections are conducted manually, a very labor intensive and inefficient process that only covers a select number of inspection points and can take several hours per train. We believe our Railcar Inspection Portal has the potential to reduce this inspection to minutes while the train is moving at speed improving safety, reducing dwell time and optimizing maintenance.

Our system combines high-definition image and data capture technologies with our AI-based analytics applications that are typically installed on active tracks located between two rail yards. We inspect railcars traveling through our inspection portal at speeds of up to 70 mph and report mechanical anomalies detected by our system to the inbound train yard, well ahead of the train entering the yard.

As of the date of this prospectus, three Class 1 railroads are using our rip® technology with one of those railroads broadly deploying the technology across its network. The ultimate objective is to change inspection regulations that would allow replacement of the current manual inspection (in the yard) with our fully automated process.

Vehicle Undercarriage Examiner (vue®)

This system inspects the undercarriage of railcars (both freight and transit rail) traveling at speeds of up to 70 mph. We are currently developing an expanded version for higher speeds with additional sensor technologies. We are developing additional algorithms for an increasing number of automated detection of anomalies, which we believe once completed and successfully tested, may have a significant impact on our revenues.

Thermal Undercarriage Examiner (t-vue™)

The Company has developed and deployed a new thermal undercarriage examiner. The system uses high-speed thermal imaging technology to inspect the thermal signature of undercarriage components. Thermal monitoring of component heat signatures while underway will provide indications of the overall operating health of the railcars that are not possible to observe during static yard inspections.

Enterprise Command and Control Suite (centraco®)

This intelligent user interface is at the core of all our systems and enables end users to connect to an unlimited number of operational sites from one central interface: the centraco® Enterprise Command and Control Suite. A multi-layered command and control interface, it is designed to function as the central point and aggregator for information consolidation, connectivity and communications. The platform is browser based and agnostic to the interconnected sub-systems. It provides full integration for seamless user credentialing and performs the following major functions:

Automated Logistics Information Systems (alis™)

We have developed and deployed a proprietary intelligent system to automate security gate operations which, as of the date of this prospectus, is deployed at nine distribution centers owned and operated by a national retail chain. Using similar technology that is used in our Rail Inspection Portal, this solution automates the process of entering and exiting a large logistics or intermodal yard. This automates the logistics transaction, improves throughput and can also be used to automate security and maintenance screening/detection if desired by the customer.

Markets

We believe the opportunity for our Rail Inspection Portal business is substantial and is our number one priority at this time. As of the date of this prospectus, we are providing this solution to three of seven Class 1 railroad operators with 10 systems already deployed. Because of our early leadership position, we have been able to accumulate experience and intellectual property that we believe would be time consuming and expensive for a new competitor to replicate. Furthermore, we believe we have the ability to upgrade and scale our solutions with additional technologies in the future. At the same time, we recognize that the technology life cycle is fast and evolving. Potential competitors could move into this sector, and it is possible that some Class 1 railroads could develop their own solutions that limit our total addressable market.

Another technology that we are pursuing as our second priority is our Automated Logistics and Information Systems solution (alis™). Potential customers include commercial retail logistics and intermodal operators, Class 1 rail intermodal operators that are moving large amounts of automobiles, and U.S. Government agencies such as the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. As of the date of this prospectus, we currently have 20 production systems in use, but we believe the “greenfield” opportunity here to be substantial. We have identified over 900 lanes of traffic within nearly 300 facilities as potential business opportunities in the near-term.

Currently, we are focused on the North American market, but plan to expand globally in the future.

Patents and Trademarks

The Company holds a number of patents and trademarks for our technology solutions. We protect our intellectual property rights by relying on federal, state, and common law rights, as well as contractual restrictions. We control access to our proprietary technology by entering into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with all of our employees and contractors, and confidentiality agreements with third parties. We also actively engage in monitoring activities with respect to infringing uses of our intellectual property by third parties.

Specific Areas of Competition

One of our primary commercial goals is to develop innovative technology solutions and target potential “greenfield” market spaces in order to maximize our business footprint and give us the ability to help define the market parameters for the future.

With regards to our Railcar Inspection Portal, we believe that we are the most advanced technology currently focused on 360-degree inspections of railcars and have limited direct competition domestically or globally.  There are several companies that do provide visual and optical (laser) based imaging systems, but they are specifically designed to focus on a single aspect of a railcar whereas our latest RIP will identify 50+ inspection points on each car.  This is not to be confused with track inspection technologies, where we do not compete. We are not aware of any other company that creates images of the entire car from multiple perspectives and with many different inspection points.  Other companies that participate in the visual and optical (laser) based railcar inspection systems market include Trimble Rail Solutions/Beena Vision and KLD Labs, both primarily focused on wheel and brake inspections, and the Class 1 railroads themselves developing “in-house” solutions.

Our Automated Logistics Information System (ALIS) also represents an opportunity to expand into a mature market that we believe has a significant technology gap.  While most facilities, such as distribution centers, that process commercial trucks in and out have sophisticated software management applications for logistics control, they have most often not implemented an advanced gatehouse automation solution.  Historically, this category was referred to as “Automated Gate Systems” or AGS.  The purpose of AGS technology is to streamline entry in to and exit out of facilities.  The marketplace for this was mostly seaports and intermodal transfer facilities and was relatively expensive technology to deploy.  We identified a market gap with regards to distribution facilities that all currently utilize manual processes and heavy staffing to accomplish commercial truck entry and exit.  The barrier to entry for distribution centers was predominately “cost”, as well as the requirement for a different set of logistics management software and tools.  The current competition includes Nascent with a primary focus on seaports and intermodal transfer facilities.

Our Growth Strategy

Vision

The Company designs, develops, deploys and operates intelligent technology solutions for inspecting and evaluating moving objects. Its technology focus is within the Machine Vision market which offers imaging-based automatic inspection and analysis for process control for industry with potential expansion into other markets.

Objectives

Organic Growth

Our organic growth strategy is to continue our focus and prioritization in the rail, logistics and intermodal market space. In this regard, the Company has made significant changes in the senior management team over the last several years. In September 2020, the Company appointed Charles P. Ferry as its Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Ferry has significant experience successfully leading start-up and turn-around companies. In July 2021, Craig Nixon, a retired Army officer with 29 years’ service and extensive commercial engagements with a number of technology focused Fortune 500 companies, was appointed to the Board of Directors. In January 2022, we promoted Jeffrey Necciai to Chief Technology Officer to lead the Company’s technology development strategy.

The leadership team’s focus is to improve operational and technical execution which will in turn enable the commercial side of the business to expand RIP and ALIS delivery into existing customers. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to still be an issue through 2022, the Company’s primary customers have indicated readiness to order more equipment and services based upon the Company’s current performance. Additionally, the current effects of supply chain disruption and inflation are manifesting themselves through higher input pricing and some delays on being able to complete installations. The Company continues to assess the situation and put measures in place to pre-order equipment pending order confirmation and (in some cases) adjust pricing accordingly, although this is not assured and could result in lower margins in certain cases.

Additionally, our Chief Executive Officer has directed that the Company make engineering and software upgrades to the RIP to meet anticipated Federal Railroad Association (FRA) and Association of American Railroad (AAR) standards. Similar upgrades are also being developed to improve the ALIS system.

Manufacturing and Assembly

The Company designs and develops technology solutions using a combination of in-house fabrication, commercial off-the-shelf technology, and outsourced manufacturing. On-site installations are performed using a combination of in-house project managers and engineers and using third-party subcontractors as needed. Throughout the process of design, develop, deploy and operate, the Company maintains responsibility for all aspects. Our internal manufacturing operations consist primarily of materials procurement, assembly, testing and quality control by our engineers. If not manufactured internally, we use third-party manufacturing partners to produce our hardware related components and hardware products and we most often complete final assembly, testing and quality control processes for these components and products. Our manufacturing processes are based on standardization of components across product types, centralization of assembly and distribution centers, and a “build-to-order” methodology in which products generally are built only after customers have placed firm orders. For most of our hardware products, we have existing alternate sources of supply.

For 2022 and possibly beyond, we expect to face significant challenges with macro-economic impacts, specifically inflation and supply chain disruption. Although these started to be identified in late 2021, we believe they are manifesting themselves in ways that could hinder our business growth in the future. Specifically, the ability to source key components and certain implementation services will dictate just how quickly the Company can meet desired installation deadlines. In the industries in which we operate, the time from concept to contract can be substantial. Although we are now adapting to these challenges, previous bids that have been submitted could be challenging to execute within the financial framework and execution times originally envisaged. We continue to have dialogue with our customers regarding potential price increases and implementation delays, but we may suffer some economic impacts as a result of this. Revenue recognition could be delayed as result of these factors and profitability could be impacted due to higher costs for materials and other services. The Company will continue to monitor the situation and update shareholders as the situation unfolds.

Research and Development

The Company’s R&D and software development teams design and develop all systems and software applications with a combination of full-time in-house software engineers and outside contractors. Internal development allows us to maintain technical control over the design and development of our products. Rapid technological advances in hardware and software development, evolving standards in computer hardware and software technology, and changing customer requirements characterize the markets in which we compete. We plan to continue to dedicate significant resources to research and development efforts, including software development, to maintain and improve our current product and services offerings.

Government Regulations

The Company has worked with various agencies of the federal government for more than 10-years including the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”). When our solutions have been deployed into these agencies, they meet specific requirements for certification, safety and security that are stipulated in requirements and contract documents. The Company is currently competing for other government-related work and strictly follows the rules and regulations outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulations.

The Company’s primary customers are all governed by regulations related to the safe and effective transportation of goods, primarily by rail, but in future scenarios by Air, Road and Sea. While changes in the regulatory environment could impact the Company in future years, we review potential changes in the regulatory environment and maintain contact with key personnel at certain agencies including the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Transportation Safety Agency (TSA) as well as the DHS previously mentioned. We expect to develop similar relationships with governmental agencies in target market both in the US and internationally. At this time, we believe our offerings are complementary with the current and evolving standards and that we will adapt to any new regulations as they are promulgated.

Employees

We have a current staff of 77 employees of which 70 are full-time, the majority of which work in the Jacksonville area, none of which are subject to a collective bargaining agreement. We have not experienced any work stoppages and we consider our relationship with our employees to be good.

Our Risks and Challenges

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks summarized below. The risks are discussed more fully in the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus immediately following this prospectus summary. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:

Recent Developments

In February 2022, we completed an underwritten registered public offering of 1,325,000 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $4.00 per share resulting in net proceeds of $4,779,000 to the Company and completed an “over-allotment” offering of 198,750 shares of our common stock resulting in net proceeds of $739,350 to the Company.

In March 2022, a previously disclosed “notice of award” for a major national rail carrier was confirmed by receipt of a “notice to proceed”, directing the Company to begin implementation of a Rail Inspection Portal with an expected completion date in early 2023. The contract is initially worth approximately $9 million.

On September 30, 2022, we sold to the Selling Stockholders in a private placement 818,335 shares of common stock at a price of $3.00 a share and 999 shares of Series D Preferred Stock at a price of $1,000 a share, resulting in the gross amount raised of $3,454,003 and we accrued estimated offering costs of $260,816 as of September 30, 2022. Subsequently, we adjusted the estimated offering costs to the actual amount of $257,240.

On October 29, 2022, we sold to the Selling Stockholders in a private placement a further 83,667 shares of common stock at a price of $3.00 a share and a further 300 shares of Series D Preferred Stock at a price of $1,000 a share, resulting in the gross amount raised of $551,001 and recorded offering costs of $30,000.

On November 14, 2022, the Company announced the retirement of Adrian Goldfarb as Chief Financial Officer effective November 15, 2022. Mr. Goldfarb will remain as a strategic advisor to the Company, reporting to Charles Ferry, our Chief Executive Officer.

The Company also announced the appointment of Andrew W. Murphy as the new Chief Financial Officer effective November 15, 2022.  Mr. Murphy has served as Vice President, FP&A of the Company since November 2020, in which position he initially served on the commercial team to support new project bids while also further building out the Company’s corporate finance strategy.

Mr. Murphy, age 39, has over 16 years of progressive business experience in accounting and finance including nearly five years of public company experience for a London Stock Exchange-based company. He joined Duos Technologies, Inc. in 2020 where he served on the Commercial team to support new project bids while also building out the Finance function. Prior to joining Duos, from 2011 to 2020 Mr. Murphy held progressive senior Finance roles within APR Energy, a global fast-track power and asset management company formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). In these roles Mr. Murphy oversaw the pricing & risk management efforts for more than $800 million in new business and asset transactions across the globe. Additionally, he was also responsible for managing the FP&A function as well as supporting M&A activity and the investor relations function during APR Energy’s time on the LSE. Prior to his time with APR, Mr. Murphy served in corporate accounting roles within a Fortune 500 company as well as time working in public accounting with a focus on tax and business services.

Mr. Murphy graduated from Jacksonville University “cum laude” with a business degree in Accounting and later received his Master’s degree in Business Administration with a focus in Finance.

There are no family relationships between Mr. Murphy and any director or executive officer of the Company or its subsidiaries.  Mr. Murphy’s annual salary is $212,000. He is not a party to any employment agreement or other compensatory arrangement with the Company other than his eligibility for participation in such employee benefits as are provided by the Company to all employees.  There also are no transactions to which the Company is or was a participant in which Mr. Murphy has a material interest subject to disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.

Corporate Information

Our principal executive office is located at 7660 Centurion Parkway, Suite 100, Jacksonville, FL 32256. Our telephone number is (904) 296-2807. Our website address is www.duostechnologies.com. Information contained on our website is not a part of this prospectus, and the inclusion of our website address in this prospectus is an inactive textual reference only.

THE OFFERING

This prospectus relates to the offer and sale from time to time of up to 1,335,002 shares of our Common Stock by the Selling Stockholders, which includes up to 433,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Series D Preferred Stock and 902,002 shares of Common Stock issued to them in the private placement on September 30, 2022 and October 29, 2022. See “Selling Stockholders”.

Unless otherwise indicated in this prospectus, throughout this prospectus the number of shares of our common stock outstanding is based on 7,140,541 shares of our common stock outstanding as of November 8, 2022 and excludes the following:

SUMMARY OF CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

The following summary consolidated statement of operations data for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 and the summary balance sheet data as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. The summary consolidated statement of operations data for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 and the summary consolidated balance sheet data as of September 30, 2022 are derived from our unaudited consolidated financial statements that are included elsewhere in this prospectus. The historical financial data presented below is not necessarily indicative of our financial results in future periods, and the interim results are not necessarily indicative of our operating results to be expected for the full fiscal year ending December 31, 2022 or any other period. You should read the summary consolidated financial data in conjunction with those financial statements and the accompanying notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Our consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles, or U.S. GAAP. Our unaudited consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared on a basis consistent with our audited financial statements and include all adjustments, consisting of normal and recurring adjustments that we consider necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position and results of operations as of and for such periods.

DUOS TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

DUOS TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Continued)

DUOS TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (CONTINUED)

DUOS TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Unaudited)

DUOS TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves a great deal of risk. Careful consideration should be made of the following factors as well as other information included in this prospectus before deciding to purchase our securities. There are many risks that affect our business and results of operations, some of which are beyond our control. Our business, financial condition or operating results could be materially harmed by any of these risks. This could cause the trading price of our securities to decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks that we do not yet know of or that we currently think are immaterial may also affect our business and results of operations.

Risks Related to Our Company and Business

The nature of the technology management platforms utilized by us are complex and highly integrated, and if we fail to successfully manage releases or integrate new solutions, it could harm our revenues, operating income, and reputation.

The technology platforms developed and designed by us accommodate integrated applications that include our own developed technology and third-party technology, thereby substantially increasing their functionality.

Due to this complexity and the condensed development cycles under which we operate, we may experience errors in our software, corruption or loss of our data, or unexpected performance issues from time to time. For example, our solutions may face interoperability difficulties with software operating systems or programs being used by our customers, or new releases, upgrades, fixes or the integration of acquired technologies may have unanticipated consequences on the operation and performance of our other solutions. If we encounter integration challenges or discover errors in our solutions late in our development cycle, it may cause us to delay our launch dates. Any major integration or interoperability issues or launch delays could have a material adverse effect on our revenues, operating income and reputation.

We face risks related to the coronavirus (COVID-19 pandemic) which could significantly disrupt our research and development, operations, sales, and financial results.

Our business has been adversely impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to global macroeconomic effects, the COVID-19 pandemic and related adverse public health developments have caused disruption and/or delays to our operations and sales activities. Our third-party manufacturers and our customers have been disrupted by worker absenteeism, quarantines and restrictions on employees’ ability to work, office and factory closures, disruptions to ports and other shipping infrastructure, border closures, or other travel or health-related restrictions. Depending on the magnitude of such effects on our activities or the operations of our third-party manufacturers and third-party distributors, the supply of our products could be delayed, which could continue to adversely affect our business, operations and customer relationships. In addition, the pandemic or other disease outbreak have had and may continue to have over the longer term a material adverse effect on the economies and financial markets of many countries, resulting in an economic downturn that will affect demand for our products and services and impact our operating results. There can be no assurance that any decrease in sales resulting from the pandemic will be offset by increased sales in subsequent periods. Although the magnitude of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our business and operations remains uncertain, the continued spread of COVID-19 and the related public health measures and travel and business restrictions may adversely impact our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows. In addition, we have experienced and may in the future experience disruptions to our business operations resulting from quarantines, self-isolations, or other movement and restrictions on the ability of our employees to perform their jobs that may impact our ability to develop and design our products and services in a timely manner or meet required milestones or customer commitments.

We may be adversely affected by the effects of inflation and supply chain disruption

Our business operates in an environment of long bid to contract award cycles. Our customer’s bid requirements are such that firm pricing is expected on much or all of our proposal and as such we must commit to certain commercial terms and conditions such as pricing. In addition, the Company hires employees and contractors to perform most (if not all) of the work required to complete a contract. We are beginning to experience the impacts of inflation upon previously forecasted costs including employees that require higher salaries, contractors demanding higher prices for jobs and higher costs for materials necessary to complete contracts. While we endeavor to charge additional costs to our customers, in some cases this may not be possible contractually and as a result our profitability may suffer as a result. Although we anticipate these effects to be mitigated in the long term, we cannot be assured that this will be possible in all or any instances and as such our revenue, profitability and growth prospects may suffer as a result of this.

Current supply chain issues are extending deadlines for shipment of key components used in our technology systems. The effect of this may be to delay revenue recognition. We have also experienced and may in the future experience disruptions to our business operations resulting from lack of materials availability, delays in securing key components such as video cameras requiring certain computer chips, and other material and personnel shortages that may impact our ability to implement our products and services in a timely manner or meet required milestones or customer commitments.  In addition, higher costs for travel may adversely impact our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows.

Our products and services may fail to keep pace with rapidly changing technology and evolving industry standards.

The market in which we operate is characterized by rapid, and sometimes disruptive, technological developments, evolving industry standards, frequent new product introductions and enhancements and changes in customer requirements. In addition, both traditional and new competitors are investing heavily in our market areas and competing for customers. As next-generation video analytics technology continues to evolve, we must keep pace in order to maintain or expand our market position. We continue to introduce new product offerings focused on automating mechanical and security inspections in the rail, logistics, intermodal and government sectors as potential revenue drivers. If we are not able to successfully add staff resources with sufficient technical skills to develop and bring these new products to market in a timely manner, achieve market acceptance of our products and services or identify new market opportunities for our products and services, our business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

The market opportunity for our products and services may not develop in the ways that we anticipate.

The demand for our products and services could change quickly and in ways that we may not anticipate. Our operating results may be adversely affected if the market opportunity for our products and services does not develop in the ways that we anticipate or if other technologies become more accepted or standard in our industry or disrupt our technology platforms.

Our revenues are dependent on general economic conditions and the willingness of enterprises to invest in technology.

We believe that operators in the business sectors we are focused on continue to be cautious about sustained economic growth and seek to maintain or improve profitability through cost control and constrained spending. While our core technologies are designed to address cost reduction, other factors may cause companies to delay or cancel capital projects, including the implementation of our products and services. In addition, the business sectors in which we are focused are under financial pressure to reduce capital investment which may make it more difficult for us to close large contracts in the immediate future. We believe there is a growing market trend toward more customers exploring operating expense models as opposed to capital expense models for procuring technology. We believe the market trend toward operating expense models will continue as customers seek ways of reducing their overhead and other costs. All of the foregoing may result in continued pressure on our ability to increase our revenue and may potentially create competitive pricing pressures and price erosion. If these or other conditions limit our ability to grow revenue or cause our revenue to decline our operating results may be materially and adversely affected.

Some of our competitors are larger and have greater financial and other resources than we do.

Some of our product offerings compete and will compete with other similar products from our competitors. Recent merger and acquisition activity suggests that these competitive products could be marketed by well-established, successful companies that possess greater financial, marketing, distributional, personnel and other resources than we possess. In certain instances, competitors with greater financial resources also may be able to enter a market in direct competition with us offering attractive marketing tools to encourage the sale of products that compete with our products or present cost features that our target end users may find attractive.

We have a history of losses and our growth plans may lead to additional losses and negative operating cash flows in the future.

Our accumulated deficit was approximately $51 million and $45 million as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. Our operating losses may continue as we continue to expend resources to further develop and enhance our technology offering, to complete prototyping for proof-of-concept, obtain regulatory clearances or approvals as required, expand our business development activities and finance capabilities and conduct further research and development. We also expect to experience negative cash flow in the short term until our revenues and margins increase at a rate greater than our expenses, which may not occur.

We may be unable to protect our intellectual property, which could impair our competitive advantage, reduce our revenue, and increase our costs.

Our success and ability to compete depend in part on our ability to maintain the proprietary aspects of our technologies and products. We rely on a combination of trade secrets, patents, copyrights, trademarks, confidentiality agreements, and other contractual provisions to protect our intellectual property, but these measures may provide only limited protection. We customarily enter into written confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements with our employees, consultants, customers, manufacturers, and other recipients of information about our technologies and products and assignment of invention agreements with our employees and consultants. We may not always be able to enforce these agreements and may fail to enter into any such agreement in every instance when appropriate. We license from third-parties certain technology used in and for our products. These third-party licenses are granted with restrictions; therefore, such third-party technology may not remain available to us on terms beneficial to us. Our failure to enforce and protect our intellectual property rights or obtain from third parties the right to use necessary technology could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights as fully as do the laws of the United States.

Patents may not be issued from the patent applications that we have filed or may file in the future. Our issued patents may be challenged, invalidated, or circumvented, and claims of our patents may not be of sufficient scope or strength, or issued in the proper geographic regions, to provide meaningful protection or any commercial advantage. We have registered certain of our trademarks in the United States and other countries. We cannot assure you that we will obtain registrations of principal or other trademarks in key markets in the future. Failure to obtain registration could compromise our ability to protect fully our trademarks and brands and could increase the risk of challenge from third parties to our use of our trademarks and brands.

We may be required to incur substantial expenses and divert management attention and resources in defending intellectual property litigation against us.

We cannot be certain that our technologies and products do not and will not infringe on issued patents or other proprietary rights of others. While we are not currently subject to any infringement claim, any future claim, with or without merit, could result in significant litigation costs and diversion of resources, including the attention of management, and could require us to enter into royalty and licensing agreements, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business. We may not be able to obtain such licenses on commercially reasonable terms, if at all, or the terms of any offered licenses may be unacceptable to us. If forced to cease using such technology, we may be unable to develop or obtain alternate technology. Accordingly, an adverse determination in a judicial or administrative proceeding, or failure to obtain necessary licenses, could prevent us from manufacturing, using, or selling certain of our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition.

Furthermore, parties making such claims could secure a judgment awarding substantial damages, as well as injunctive or other equitable relief, which could effectively block our ability to make, use, or sell our products in the United States or abroad. Such a judgment could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition. In addition, we are obligated under certain agreements to indemnify the other party in connection with infringement by us of the proprietary rights of third parties. In the event that we are required to indemnify parties under these agreements, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We may incur substantial expenses and divert management resources in prosecuting others for their unauthorized use of our intellectual property rights.

Other companies, including our competitors, may develop technologies that are similar or superior to our technologies, duplicate our technologies, or design around our patents, and may have or obtain patents or other proprietary rights that would prevent, limit, or interfere with our ability to make, use, or sell our products. Although we do not have operations outside North America at this time, we may compete for contracts in other countries in the future. Effective intellectual property protection may be unavailable, or limited, in some foreign countries in which we may do business, such as China. Unauthorized parties may attempt to copy or otherwise use aspects of our technologies and products that we regard as proprietary. Our means of protecting our proprietary rights in the United States or abroad may not be adequate or competitors may independently develop similar technologies. If our intellectual property protection is insufficient to protect our intellectual property rights, we could face increased competition in the market for our technologies and products.

Should any of our competitors file patent applications or obtain patents that claim inventions also claimed by us, we may choose to participate in an interference proceeding to determine the right to a patent for these inventions, because our business would be harmed if we fail to enforce and protect our intellectual property rights. Even if the outcome is favorable, this proceeding could result in substantial cost to us and disrupt our business.

In the future, we also may need to file lawsuits to enforce our intellectual property rights, to protect our trade secrets, or to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others. This litigation, whether successful or unsuccessful, could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

If we are unable to apply technology effectively in driving value for our clients through technology-based solutions or gain internal efficiencies and effective internal controls through the application of technology and related tools, our operating results, client relationships, growth and compliance programs could be adversely affected.

Our future success depends, in part, on our ability to anticipate and respond effectively to the threat and opportunity presented by new technology disruption and developments. These may include new software applications or related services based on artificial intelligence, machine learning, or robotics. We may be exposed to competitive risks related to the adoption and application of new technologies by established market participants or new entrants, start-up companies and others. These new entrants are focused on using technology and innovation, including artificial intelligence to simplify and improve the client experience, increase efficiencies, alter business models and effect other potentially disruptive changes in the industries in which we operate. We must also develop and implement technology solutions and technical expertise among our employees that anticipate and keep pace with rapid and continuing changes in technology, industry standards, client preferences and internal control standards. We may not be successful in anticipating or responding to these developments on a timely and cost-effective basis and our ideas may not be accepted in the marketplace. Additionally, the effort to gain technological expertise and develop new technologies in our business requires us to incur significant expenses. If we cannot offer new technologies as quickly as our competitors, or if our competitors develop more cost-effective technologies or product offerings, we could experience a material adverse effect on our operating results, client relationships, growth and compliance programs.

We are dependent on information technology networks and systems to securely process, transmit and store electronic information and to communicate among our locations around the world and with our people, clients, partners and vendors. As the breadth and complexity of this infrastructure continues to grow, including as a result of the use of mobile technologies, social media and cloud-based services, the risk of security breaches and cyberattacks increases. Such breaches could lead to shutdowns or disruptions of or damage to our systems and those of our clients, alliance partners and vendors, and unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential information, including personal data. In the past, we have experienced data security breaches resulting from unauthorized access to our and our service providers’ systems, which to date have not had a material impact on our operations, however, there is no assurance that such impacts will not be material in the future.

In providing services and solutions to clients, we may be required to manage, utilize and store sensitive or confidential client data, possibly including personal data, and we anticipate these activities to increase, including through the use of artificial intelligence, the internet of things and analytics. Unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential client data, whether through systems failure, employee negligence, fraud, misappropriation, or other intentional or unintentional acts, could damage our reputation, could cause us to lose clients and could result in significant financial exposure. Similarly, unauthorized access to our or through our or our service providers’ information systems or those we develop for our clients, whether by our employees or third parties, including a cyberattack by computer programmers, hackers, members of organized crime and/or state-sponsored organizations, who continuously develop and deploy viruses, ransomware or other malicious software programs or social engineering attacks, could result in negative publicity, significant remediation costs, legal liability, damage to our reputation and government sanctions and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. Cybersecurity threats are constantly expanding and evolving, thereby increasing the difficulty of detecting and defending against them and maintaining effective security measures and protocols.

We depend on key personnel who would be difficult to replace, and our business plan will likely be harmed if we lose their services or cannot hire additional qualified personnel.

Our success depends substantially on the efforts and abilities of our senior management and certain key personnel. The competition for qualified management and key personnel, especially engineers, is intense. Although we maintain non-competition and non-disclosure covenants with all our key personnel, we do not have employment agreements with most of them. The loss of services of key employees, or the inability to hire, train, and retain key personnel, especially engineers and technical support personnel, could delay the development and sale of our products, disrupt our business, and interfere with our ability to execute our business plan.

Due to our dependence on a limited number of customers, we are subject to a concentration of credit risk.

For the year ended December 31, 2021, one customer accounted for 83% of revenues. For the year ended December 31, 2020, two customers accounted for 45% and 23% of revenues. For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, four customers accounted for 25%, 21%, 19% and 19% of revenues. In all cases, there are no minimum contract values stated. Each contract covers an agreement to deliver a rail inspection portal which, once accepted, must be paid in full, with 30% or more being due and payable prior to delivery. The balances of the contracts are for service and maintenance which is paid annually in advance with revenues recorded ratably over the contract period. Each of the customers referenced has the following termination provisions:

As of December 31, 2021, two customers accounted for 91% of our accounts receivable at 81% and 10%. In the case of insolvency by one of our significant customers, accounts receivable with respect to that customer might not be collectible, might not be fully collectible, or might be collectible over longer than normal terms, each of which could adversely affect our financial position. This concentration of credit risk makes us more vulnerable economically. The loss of any of these customers could materially reduce our revenues and net income, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

Our common stock is subject to market fluctuations.

Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “DUOT”. There is currently limited active trading in our common stock. There is a significant risk that our stock price may fluctuate in the future in response to any of the following factors, some of which are beyond our control:

You may experience dilution of your ownership interest due to future issuance of our securities.

We are in a capital-intensive business, and we may not have sufficient funds to finance the growth of our business or to support our projected capital expenditures. As a result, we may require additional funds from future equity or debt financings, including potential sales of preferred shares or convertible debt, to complete the development of new projects and pay the general and administrative costs of our business. We may in the future issue our previously authorized and unissued securities, resulting in the dilution of the ownership interests of holders of our common stock. We are currently authorized to issue 500,000,000 shares of common stock and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock. We may also issue additional shares of common stock or other securities that are convertible into or exercisable for common stock in future public offerings or private placements for capital raising purposes or for other business purposes. The future issuance of a substantial number of shares of common stock into the public market, or the perception that such issuance could occur, could adversely affect the prevailing market price of our common shares. A decline in the price of our common stock could make it more difficult to raise funds through future offerings of our common stock or securities convertible into common stock.

Our Board of Directors may issue and fix the terms of shares of our Preferred Stock without shareholder approval, which could adversely affect the voting power of holders of our common stock or any change in control of our Company.

Our Articles of Incorporation authorize the issuance of up to 10,000,000 shares of "blank check" preferred stock, with such designations, rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors. Our Board of Directors is empowered, without shareholder approval, to issue shares of preferred stock with dividend, liquidation, conversion, voting or other rights which could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of our common stock. In the event of such issuances, the preferred stock could be used, under certain circumstances, as a method of discouraging, delaying, or preventing a change in control of our Company. 

We do not expect to pay dividends and investors should not buy our common stock expecting to receive dividends.

We do not anticipate that we will declare or pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. Consequently, you will only realize an economic gain on your investment in our common stock if the price appreciates. You should not purchase our common stock expecting to receive cash dividends. Accordingly, our shareholders will not realize a return on their investment unless the trading price of our common stock appreciates, which is uncertain and unpredictable. In addition, because we do not pay dividends, we may have trouble raising additional funds which could affect our ability to expand our business operations.

Our operating results are likely to fluctuate from period to period.

We anticipate that there may be fluctuations in our future operating results. Potential causes of future fluctuations in our operating results may include:

We are subject to the Florida anti-takeover provisions, which may prevent you from exercising a vote on business combinations, mergers or otherwise.

As a Florida corporation, we are subject to certain anti-takeover provisions that apply to public corporations under Florida law. Pursuant to Section 607.0901 of the Florida Business Corporation Act, or the Florida Act, a publicly held Florida corporation, under certain circumstances, may not engage in a broad range of business combinations or other extraordinary corporate transactions with an interested shareholder without the approval of the holders of two-thirds of the voting shares of the corporation (excluding shares held by the interested shareholder).

An interested shareholder is defined as a person who together with affiliates and associates beneficially owns more than 15% of a corporation’s outstanding voting shares. We have not made an election in our amended Articles of Incorporation to opt out of Section 607.0901.

In addition, we are subject to Section 607.0902 of the Florida Act which prohibits the voting of shares in a publicly held Florida corporation that are acquired in a control-share acquisition unless (i) our Board of Directors approved such acquisition prior to its consummation or (ii) after such acquisition, in lieu of prior approval by our Board of Directors, the holders of a majority of the corporation’s voting shares, exclusive of shares owned by officers of the corporation, employee directors or the acquiring party, approve the granting of voting rights as to the shares acquired in the control-share acquisition. A control-share acquisition is defined as an acquisition that immediately thereafter entitles the acquiring party to 20% or more of the total voting power in an election of directors.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations or forecasts of future events. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and include statements regarding, among other things, our projected revenue growth and profitability, our growth strategies and opportunity, anticipated trends in our market and our anticipated needs for working capital. They are generally identifiable by use of the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “plans,” “potential,” “projects,” “continuing,” “ongoing,” “expects,” “management believes,” “we believe,” “we intend,” or “continue” or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. These statements may be found under the sections entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business,” as well as in this prospectus generally. In particular, these include statements relating to future actions, prospective products, market acceptance, future performance or results of current and anticipated products, sales efforts, expenses, and the outcome of contingencies such as legal proceedings and financial results.

Examples of forward-looking statements in this prospectus include, but are not limited to, our expectations regarding our business strategy, business prospects, operating results, operating expenses, working capital, liquidity and capital expenditure requirements. Important assumptions relating to the forward-looking statements include, among others, assumptions regarding demand for our products, the cost, terms and availability of components, pricing levels, the timing and cost of capital expenditures, competitive conditions and general economic conditions. These statements are based on our management’s expectations, beliefs and assumptions concerning future events affecting us, which in turn are based on currently available information. These assumptions could prove inaccurate. Although we believe that the estimates and projections reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, our expectations may prove to be incorrect.

Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results and events anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for us to predict all of those risks, nor can we assess the impact of all of those risks on our business or the extent to which any factor may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. The forward-looking statements in this prospectus are based on assumptions management believes are reasonable. However, due to the uncertainties associated with forward-looking statements, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. We cannot guarantee future results, performance or achievements. Indeed, it is likely that some of our assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Our actual results and financial position may vary from those projected or implied in the forward-looking statements and the variances may be material. Moreover, we do not assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of these forward-looking statements. Further, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and unless required by law, we expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to publicly update any of them in light of new information, future events, or otherwise.

USE OF PROCEEDS

We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of common stock by the Selling Stockholders. All of the net proceeds from the sale of our common stock will go to the Selling Stockholders as described below in the sections entitled “Selling Stockholders” and “Plan of Distribution”. We have agreed to bear the expenses relating to the registration of the common stock for the Selling Stockholders.

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

On September 30, 2022, the Company entered into a Security Purchase Agreement with certain Selling Stockholders, pursuant to which the Selling Stockholders purchased 818,335 shares of Common Stock and 999 shares of a newly authorized Series D Preferred Stock. The Company raised the gross amount of $3,454,003 and received net proceeds, after offering costs, of $3,196,763. The Series D Preferred Stock is convertible into Common Stock at $3.00 a share. If all of the shares of the Series D Preferred Stock are converted in full, the Company would issue 333,000 shares of Common Stock in addition to the 818,335 shares issued on September 30, 2022, for a total of 1,151,335 shares.

On October 29, 2022, the Company entered into an additional Security Purchase Agreement with certain Selling Stockholders, pursuant to which the Selling Stockholders purchased 83,667 shares of Common Stock and 300 shares of a newly authorized Series D Preferred Stock. The Company raised an additional gross amount of $551,001 with net proceeds of $521,001 after offering costs. The Series D Preferred Stock is convertible into Common Stock at $3.00 a share. If all the shares of the Series D Preferred Stock are converted in full, the Company would issue 433,000 shares of Common Stock in addition to the 818,335 shares issued on September 30, 2022, and 83,667 issued on October 29, 2022, for a total of 1,335,002 shares.

NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 5635(d), however, limits the number of shares of Common Stock (or securities that are convertible into Common Stock) issuable without shareholder approval in the case of private offerings of Common Stock at a price less than the Minimum Price (which is defined as the lower of (i) the closing price of the Common Stock immediately preceding the signing of the purchase agreement or (ii) the average closing price of the Common Stock for the five trading days immediately preceding the signing of the purchase agreement). A total of 902,002 shares of Common Stock were issued at a price of $3.00 a share and the conversion price of the Series D Preferred Stock also is $3.00, which, in each case, was less than the Minimum Price. As a result, the Company is required to obtain shareholder approval (the “Stockholder Approval”) to issue shares of Common Stock upon conversion of the Series D Preferred Stock. The terms of the Series D Preferred Stock provide that no shares may be converted into Common Stock until the Stockholder Approval is received.

The shares of common stock being offered by the Selling Stockholders are those issued to the Selling Stockholders on September 30, 2022 and October 29, 2022 and those issuable to the Selling Stockholders upon conversion of the Series D Preferred Stock. We are registering the shares of common stock in order to permit the Selling Stockholders to offer the shares for resale from time to time. Due to the ownership of the shares of Series D Preferred Stock, as well as ownership of common stock, and warrants, the Selling Stockholders collectively have had a material relationship with us within the past three years and hold the largest percentage ownership of the Company subject to certain limitations as described in the offering.

The table below lists the Selling Stockholders and other information regarding the beneficial ownership of the shares of Common Stock by each of the Selling Stockholders. The first column lists the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by each Selling Stockholder as of October 31, 2022, assuming receipt of the Stockholder Approval and conversion of the Series D Preferred Stock, as well as exercise of any warrants held by the Selling Stockholders on that date. The third column lists the shares of Common Stock being offered by this prospectus by the Selling Stockholders.

In accordance with the terms of a registration rights agreement with the Selling Stockholders, this prospectus generally covers the resale of the shares issued to them on September 30, 2022 and October 29, 2022 and the maximum number of shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the Series D Preferred Stock, determined as if the outstanding shares of Series D Preferred Stock were converted in full as of the trading day immediately preceding the applicable date of determination and subject to adjustment as provided in the registration rights agreement, without regard to any limitations on the conversion of the Series D Preferred Stock. The fourth column assumes the sale of all the shares offered by the Selling Stockholders pursuant to this prospectus.

Under the terms of the Series D Preferred Certificate of Designation, and certain previously held warrants, a Selling Stockholder may not exercise the warrants or convert the Series D Preferred Stock to the extent such exercise or conversion would cause such Selling Stockholder, together with its affiliates and attribution parties, to beneficially own a number of shares of common stock which would exceed 19.99% (or, in the case of Mr. Lytton as indicated below, 4.99% with regard to his shares of Series D Preferred Stock) of our then outstanding common stock following such exercise or conversion, excluding for purposes of such determination shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants which have not been exercised and shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the preferred stock which has not been converted. The number of shares in the second column does not reflect this limitation. The Selling Stockholders may sell all, some, or none of their shares in this offering. See “Plan of Distribution.”

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

Each Selling Stockholder of the securities and any of their pledgees, assignees and successors-in-interest may, from time to time, sell any or all of their securities covered hereby on the principal trading market or any other stock exchange, market or trading facility on which the securities are traded or in private transactions. These sales may be at fixed or negotiated prices. A Selling Stockholder may use any one or more of the following methods when selling securities:

The Selling Stockholders may also sell securities under Rule 144 or any other exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), if available, rather than under this prospectus. The Selling Stockholders have the sole and absolute discretion not to accept any purchase offer or make any sale of securities if they deem the purchase price to be unsatisfactory at any particular time.

Broker-dealers engaged by the Selling Stockholders may arrange for other brokers-dealers to participate in sales. Broker-dealers may receive commissions or discounts from the Selling Stockholders (or, if any broker-dealer acts as agent for the purchaser of securities, from the purchaser) in amounts to be negotiated, but, except as set forth in a supplement to this prospectus, in the case of an agency transaction not in excess of a customary brokerage commission in compliance with FINRA Rule 2440; and in the case of a principal transaction a markup or markdown in compliance with FINRA IM-2440.

In connection with the sale of the securities or interests therein, the Selling Stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the securities in the course of hedging the positions they assume. The Selling Stockholders may also sell securities short and deliver these securities to close out their short positions, or loan or pledge the securities to broker-dealers that in turn may sell these securities. The Selling Stockholders may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or create one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of securities offered by this prospectus, which securities such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).

The Selling Stockholders may from time-to-time pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of their securities to their broker-dealers under the margin provisions of customer agreements or to other parties to secure other obligations. If a Selling Stockholder defaults on a margin loan or other secured obligation, the broker-dealer or secured party may, from time to time, offer and sell the securities pledged or secured thereby pursuant to this prospectus. The Selling Stockholders and any other persons participating in the sale or distribution of the securities will be subject to applicable provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations thereunder, including, without limitation, Regulation M. These provisions may restrict certain activities of, and limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of the securities by, the Selling Stockholders or any other person, which limitations may affect the marketability of the securities.

The Selling Stockholders also may transfer the shares of our securities in other circumstances, in which case the transferees, pledgees or other successors-in-interest will be the selling beneficial owners for purposes of this prospectus.

A Selling Stockholder that is an entity may elect to make a pro rata in-kind distribution of securities to its members, partners or shareholders pursuant to the registration statement of which this prospectus is part by delivering a prospectus. To the extent that such members, partners or shareholders are not affiliates of ours, such members, partners or shareholders would thereby receive freely tradeable securities pursuant to the distribution through a registration statement.

The Selling Stockholders and any broker-dealers or agents that are involved in selling the securities may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. In such event, any commissions received by such broker-dealers or agents and any profit on the resale of the securities purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. Each Selling Stockholder has informed the Company that it does not have any written or oral agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the securities.

The Company is required to pay certain fees and expenses incurred by the Company incident to the registration of the securities. The Company has agreed to indemnify the Selling Stockholders against certain losses, claims, damages and liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

We agreed to keep this prospectus effective until the earlier of (i) the date on which the securities may be resold by the Selling Stockholders without registration and without regard to any volume or manner-of-sale limitations by reason of Rule 144, without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information under Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect or (ii) all of the securities have been sold pursuant to this prospectus or Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect. The resale securities will be sold only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers if required under applicable state securities laws. In addition, in certain states, the resale securities covered hereby may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available and is complied with.

Under applicable rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, any person engaged in the distribution of the resale securities may not simultaneously engage in market making activities with respect to the common stock for the applicable restricted period, as defined in Regulation M, prior to the commencement of the distribution. In addition, the Selling Stockholders will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including Regulation M, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of the common stock by the Selling Stockholders or any other person. We will make copies of this prospectus available to the Selling Stockholders and have informed them of the need to deliver a copy of this prospectus to each purchaser at or prior to the time of the sale (including by compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act).

MARKET FOR COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS

(a) Market Information

Our common stock is quoted on the Nasdaq Capital Markets (“Nasdaq”) under the trading symbol “DUOT”.

(b) Holders

As of October 31, 2022, there were approximately 290 holders of record of our common stock, and the closing price of our common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market on October 31, 2022 was $3.25 per share.

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company located at 1 State Street, 30th Floor, New York, NY 10004.

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

This Registration Statement on Form S-1 and other reports filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC (collectively, the “Filings”) contain or may contain forward-looking statements and information that are based upon beliefs of, and information currently available to, the Company’s management as well as estimates and assumptions made by Company’s management. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. When used in the Filings, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “future,” “intend,” “plan,” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions as they relate to the Company or the Company’s management identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current view of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors, including the risks relating to the Company’s business, industry, and the Company’s operations and results of operations. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ significantly from those anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended, or planned.

Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States, the Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.

Our financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). These accounting principles require us to make certain estimates, judgments and assumptions. We believe that the estimates, judgments and assumptions upon which we rely are reasonable based upon information available to us at the time that these estimates, judgments and assumptions are made. These estimates, judgments and assumptions can affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. Our financial statements would be affected to the extent there are material differences between these estimates and actual results. In many cases, the accounting treatment of a particular transaction is specifically dictated by GAAP and does not require management’s judgment in its application. There are also areas in which management’s judgment in selecting any available alternative would not produce a materially different result. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this Registration Statement on Form S-1.

Overview

We intend for this discussion to provide information that will assist in understanding our financial statements, the changes in certain key items in those financial statements, and the primary factors that accounted for those changes, as well as how certain accounting principles affect our financial statements.

Our Company

Information Systems Associates, Inc. (“ISA”) was incorporated in Florida on May 31, 1994. Our original business operations consisted of consulting services for asset management of large corporate data centers and the development and licensing of information technology (“IT”) asset management software. In late 2014, ISA entered negotiations with Duos Technologies, Inc. (“duostech™”) for the purposes of executing a merger between the two organizations (also known as a “reverse triangular merger”). Incorporated under the laws of Florida on November 30, 1990, duostech™ operated in various industry segments, specializing in the design, development and deployment of proprietary technology applications and turn-key engineered systems. This transaction was completed on April 1, 2015, whereby duostech™ became a wholly owned subsidiary of ISA. After the merger was completed, ISA changed its corporate name to Duos Technologies Group, Inc. The Company, based in Jacksonville, Florida, oversees its wholly owned subsidiary, duostech™ which employs approximately 77 people and is a technology integrator, software applications and artificial intelligence (“AI”) company with a strong portfolio of intellectual property. The Company’s headquarters are located at 7660 Centurion Parkway, Suite 100, Jacksonville, Florida 32256 and main telephone number is (904) 296-2807.

Plan of Operation

The Company’s growth strategy includes expansion of its technology base through organic development efforts, strategic partnerships, and strategic acquisitions where appropriate. The Company provides its broad range of technology solutions with an emphasis on mission critical security, mechanical inspection and operations within the rail transportation sector including both freight and passenger modes. The Company is also enhancing its offerings for automating gatehouse operations for commercial clients and offers professional and consulting services for large data centers.

Specifically, based upon the current and anticipated business growth, the Company is investing in resources to focus on execution within its target markets, including but not limited to rail, distribution centers and data center operations. We continue to evaluate key requirements within those markets and add development resources to allow us to compete for additional projects to drive additional revenue growth.

Prospects and Outlook

The Company’s focus is to improve operational and technical execution which, we believe, will in turn enable the commercial side of the business to expand RIP and ALIS delivery to existing customers and to expand and diversify our current customer base. Even though COVID-19 is expected to still be an issue during the remainder of 2022, the Company’s primary customers have indicated readiness to order more equipment and services should the Company execute as expected on key deliverables.

Additionally, the Company is making engineering and software upgrades to the RIP to meet anticipated Federal Railroad Association (FRA) and Association of American Railroad (AAR) standards. Similar upgrades are also being developed to improve the ALIS system. These upgrades will continue to be released throughout 2022 and are expected to drive revenue growth this year and beyond.

The Company is expanding its focus in the rail industry to encompass passenger transportation and was awarded a large, multi-year contract with a national rail carrier. The Company anticipates that it will manufacture two RIP solutions in 2022 and, along with a long-term services agreement, completing delivery during the second quarter of 2023.

Although the Company’s prospects and outlook are anticipated to be favorable for the remainder of 2022, investing in our securities involves risk and careful consideration should be made before deciding to purchase our securities. There are many risks that affect our business and results of operations, some of which are beyond our control and unexpected macro events can have a severe impact on the business. See “Risk Factors”.

Results of Operations

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the unaudited financial statements included in this prospectus.

Comparison for the Three Months Ended September 30, 2022 Compared to Three Months Ended September 30, 2021

The following table sets forth a summary of our unaudited Consolidated Statements of Operations and is used in the following discussions of our results of operations:

Revenues

The substantial increase in overall revenues for the quarter ended September 30, 2022 compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2021, is primarily related to the production and start of installation of new and upgraded RIPs which are recorded in the technology systems portion of our business. We expect this trend to continue for the rest of 2022 and into 2023, although supply chain issues continue to extend deadlines for shipment of key components used in our technology systems. While certain orders were delayed from 2021 into 2022, we remain encouraged by the breadth and scope of recent bids in which we have participated. Management cautions that because of the delays in anticipated start dates, certain installations may produce revenues towards the end of 2022, some of which may ultimately be recorded in 2023. Additionally, although the industries in which we operate are showing early signs of recovery from the delays as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, other macro-economic effects are anticipated to impact us, including inflation and the aforementioned supply chain issues. The effect of this will be to push some revenue recognition later into the fourth quarter of 2022 or into 2023. The effects of inflation are not quantifiable at the current time but are now evident in increased costs for materials and labor. These effects may result in higher costs for project implementation that cannot be partially or in some cases, wholly passed on to our customers and thus resulting in delaying our progress towards profitability.

We believe the Company’s capital structure allows us to weather unexpected delays without significant operational impact and enables us to pursue large projects requiring the ability to deploy major resources. It should be noted that the Company increased its liquidity in early 2022 to account for an increase in pre-contract procurement activities to avoid a slowdown in revenues caused by delays in receiving certain components. The Company continues to review operations during 2022 and adjust staffing in concert with the business demands with a particular focus on Artificial Intelligence research, development and production. Although the Company implemented a “rapid development” initiative in early 2021, which was intended to enable the Company to respond to market driven demand more quickly, this effort has been somewhat negated by ongoing supply chain issues. This effort was expected to shorten delivery times on major projects and result in significant revenue growth however, the previously discussed supply chain issues continue to slow the anticipated benefits at this time. The Company is monitoring the situation and continues to procure materials ahead of the formal contract award.

The growth of the services portion of revenues are driven by the successful completion of projects and represent services and support for those installations. The Company expects growth with new revenue from existing customers, including services revenue as the result of new maintenance contracts being established on installations coming on-line during 2022 and into 2023. The Company also anticipates renewals of existing and backlog contracts and a shift to the next generation of technology systems which are currently being installed.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues largely comprises equipment and labor necessary to support the implementation of new systems and support and maintenance of existing systems and software projects.

Cost of revenues on technology systems increased during the three months ended September 30, 2022 over the equivalent period in 2021, in a manner consistent with the increase in revenues and as a result of additional project works ongoing for the Company. In the third quarter of 2022, the Company was nearly complete in the manufacture and installation of two Rail Inspection Portals for its Class 1 customers and began to phase into the procurement and manufacture of two more expensive and more robust transit-oriented RIPs. By comparison, for the quarter ended September 2021, the Company had activity related to two site upgrades which had only begun to be manufactured thereby contributing to the increase in cost of revenues year-over-year. The Company also continues to face headwinds with supply disruption and costs. While we expect that macro-economic factors will continue to drive prices, the Company expects its structural realignment to eventually aid in lowering costs as a percentage of the overall system price going forward although inflation may impede this effort. As previously noted, the Company’s organization and related cost structure was realigned to provide the capability to manufacture, install and support multiple production systems simultaneously. In accordance with this shift in structure, certain staff were re-assigned or replaced, and new staff added in key areas, particularly engineering, software development and AI.

In conjunction with these organizational changes, increased costs are now being recognized against project and support revenues. While there is a continued focus on construction costs and savings through efficiency, the Company elected to expand its key employees in 2021 and early 2022 in anticipation of expected sales growth in technology systems and services which is now being realized. We also expect these changes to have a positive long-term impact as we believe they will enable the Company to deliver a higher number of systems in a given period, with a shorter period of implementation and with better quality and reliability, as operations become standardized in anticipation of expected higher demand for systems, particularly in the rail industry.

Cost of revenues on services and consulting increased in the three months ended September 30, 2022 compared to the prior year period with the change primarily driven by costs associated with one-time services completed in the third quarter of 2022 and follows a similar trend to the year-over-year change in services and consulting revenues for the third quarter. When comparing the third quarter of 2022 and the equivalent period in 2021, an overall positive trend on service and consulting revenue is expected to continue as the Company anticipates that an increasing amount of the revenue will be derived from recurring revenue and services and consulting follow a similar trend as the change in revenue. Costs of revenues on services and consulting are expected to increase in future years concurrent with the increase in revenues albeit at a slower rate. The Company focused on streamlining support operations in 2021, and despite the additional resources allocated to these activities in anticipation of higher recurring revenue in 2022 and beyond, we expect higher gross margins as the Company grows.

As discussed previously, the impact of inflation may negatively affect the costs of revenues such that we may experience higher costs for materials and labor, including higher employee and subcontractor costs that cannot be passed along in all cases. Management is continuing to monitor this situation and expects to take action as the full impact of these cost increases is understood. This may take the form of higher prices and continued evaluation of costs to attempt to reduce the overall costs to offset the additional expenses, although this is not assured.

Gross Margin

Gross margin showed a significant improvement for the third quarter of 2022 as compared to the same period in 2021. As noted above, the improvement in margin was a direct result of increased business activity the Company, recognized in the third quarter of 2022 related to the manufacturing and near completion of installation in the delivery of two Rail Inspection Portals and one-time major site services for one customer. The Company began to recognize revenue and profit on those activities in conformity with its revenue recognition policy. The recognition of the revenue and subsequent profit from these major projects yielded the higher gross margins of approximately 25% for the period. By comparison to the third quarter of 2021, the Company had only initiated procurement and some manufacturing for site upgrades for a customer and as a result recognized no profit on the works of approximately $1 million resulting in a dilutive, low margin for the period ended September 30, 2021 bolstered by the services and consulting gross margin for the quarter. It should be noted that when comparing the results between two periods, the stage of completion for manufacturing and installation can factor into those comparisons and should be taken into account when analyzing those periods.

Operating Expenses

Overall operating expenses during the three months ended September 30, 2022 were marginally higher compared to the equivalent period in 2021. The Company saw only slight decreases in cost for sales and marketing and research and development with a larger increase in general and administration costs during the same period for 2022 partially attributable to the Company’s new office space and non-cash compensation for staff. Overall, the Company continues to focus on stabilizing operating expenses while meeting the increased needs of our customers.

Loss from Operations

The loss from operations for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 was $1,869,018 and $2,446,493, respectively. The decrease in loss from operations was primarily the result of higher revenues recorded in the quarter resulting from increases in both our technology systems and services and consulting, slower growth in costs of those revenues and flat operating expenses.

Other Income/Expense

Other income for the three months ended September 30, 2022 was a negative $53,993 and $875 for the comparative period in 2021. Other expense for the three months ended September 30, 2022 was $2,057 and $4,819 for the comparative period in 2021.

Net Loss

The net loss for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 was $1,925,068 and $2,450,437, respectively. The 21% decrease in net loss was mostly attributed to the increase in revenues as described above along with slower growing expenses. Net loss per common share was $0.30 and $0.68 for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Comparison for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022 Compared to Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021

The following table sets forth a summary of our unaudited Consolidated Statements of Operations and is used in the following discussions of our results of operations:

Revenues

The increase in overall revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 is primarily related to the previously discussed start of production and new installations in the technology systems portion of our business and continuing increases in our services and consulting revenues. The third quarter of 2022 marked the near completion of two RIP’s as well as work towards a larger $8 million project to be delivered across 2022 and into 2023. The Company also recognized in the first half of 2022 a number of change orders tied to transit projects which were not present when compared to the same period in 2021.

We believe the Company’s capital structure allows us to weather unexpected delays without significant operational impact and enables us to pursue large projects requiring the ability to deploy major resources. As previously discussed, the Company increased its working capital in early 2022 to account for an increase in pre-contract procurement activities to avoid a slowdown in revenues caused by delays in receiving certain components.

The services portion of revenues is driven by the successful completion of projects and represents services and support for those installations. The Company expects growth with new revenue from existing customers, including services revenue as the result of new maintenance, artificial intelligence and subscription contracts being established on installations coming on-line during 2022. The Company also anticipates renewals of existing contracts and a shift to the next generation of technology systems which are currently being installed.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues largely comprises equipment, labor and overhead necessary to support the implementation of new systems and support and maintenance of existing systems.

Cost of revenues on technology systems increased during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 compared to the equivalent period in 2021, which is consistent with the change in revenue over the same period albeit cost of revenues grew at a slower rate. The higher level of cost was mainly due to higher costs related to higher revenues from two RIP projects as well as the larger transit-focused RIPs noted above. By comparison, the Company had a reduced level of activity for the same period in 2021 with cost of revenues on technology systems primarily driven by two site upgrades as well as delayed costs from 2020 projects. Additionally, through September 30, 2021 the Company had not fully recognized project costs nor progressed through manufacturing to the same levels it has for the first nine months of 2022. Across the year, the Company has continued to see impacts from supply chain disruptions and inflation on cost of revenues and worked to mitigate this where feasible.  Services and consulting costs rose for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 over the same period in 2021 in part due to one-time repairs and upgrade services to a number of customer systems and is offset by increased service and consulting revenue. While we expect that macro-economic factors will continue to drive prices, the Company expects its structural realignment to aid in lowering costs as a percentage of the overall system price going forward by leveraging internal skillsets rather than those of a third party some of which contribute to the increased services and consulting on a year-over-year comparison. As previously noted, the Company’s organization and related cost structure were realigned to provide the capability to manufacture, install and support multiple production systems simultaneously. In accordance with this shift in structure, certain staff were re-assigned or replaced, and new staff added in key areas, particularly engineering, software development and AI.

In conjunction with these organizational changes, increased costs are now being recognized against project and support revenues. While there is a continued focus on construction costs and savings through efficiency, the Company has elected to expand its key employees in 2021 and early 2022 in anticipation of expected sales growth in technology systems and services. We also expect these changes to have a positive long-term impact as we believe they will enable the Company to deliver a higher number of systems in a given period, with a shorter period of implementation and with better quality and reliability.

Cost of revenues on services and consulting increased in the nine months ended September 30, 2022 compared to the prior year period in-line with the increase in revenues from services and consulting for the current year period as compared to the prior year period. Cost of revenues on services and consulting grew at a lower rate than that of the service and consulting revenues with both changes largely driven by a one-time service event for one customer. This overall positive trend on service and consulting revenue is expected to continue as the Company continues to drive more recurring revenue. Costs of revenues on services and consulting are expected to increase in future periods but at a slower rate than revenue growth. The Company focused on streamlining support operations in 2021, and despite the additional resources allocated to these activities in anticipation of higher recurring revenue in 2022 and beyond, we expect higher gross margins as the Company grows.

As discussed previously, the impact of inflation may negatively affect the costs of revenues such that we may experience higher costs for materials and labor, including higher employee and subcontractor costs that cannot be passed along in all cases. Management is continuing to monitor this situation and expects to take action as the full impact of these cost increases is understood. This may take the form of higher prices and continued evaluation of costs to attempt to reduce the overall costs to offset the additional expenses, although this is not assured.

Gross Margin

As previously discussed, the Company has revamped its operations to support an anticipated increase in the number of new systems going forward. The resultant additional cost of revenues was covered by a greater increase in revenues during the first nine months of 2022. We continue to anticipate continued improvement in the overall gross margin for the full year of 2022, with much of the improvement beginning in the third quarter and carrying into the fourth quarter as a result of increased commercial and manufacturing activity. The improvement in gross margin for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 is a result of the Company’s efforts to deliver two Rail Inspection Portals to existing customers, which are now largely complete, and in accordance with the Company’s revenue recognition policy, have begun to recognize higher revenue and profit on these projects. Additionally, the Company has realized profits in the first half of 2022 related to change orders tied to a larger transit-oriented RIP project. By comparison to the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company had minimal project work with approximately $1 million of revenue recognized with no profit in-line with its revenue recognition policy as the Company was in the early stages of manufacturing and delivery of the projects and the profits were ultimately realized in the fourth quarter of 2021. This, in addition to some delayed costs for the completion of a 2020 project created a depressive effect on gross margins for the first nine months of 2021 especially when compared to the same period in 2022.

The Company continued to face challenges with inflation and supply chain disruption across the first nine months of 2022. Despite these challenges, the Company’s organizational changes noted above have helped to alleviate some of these challenges. However, management continues to monitor the impacts of inflation on the Company’s cost of revenues going forward and mitigate where possible in the form of higher system prices and evaluation of alternatives. As previously discussed, when comparing the results between two periods, the stage of completion for manufacturing and installation can factor into those comparisons and should be taken into account when analyzing the results for those periods.

Operating Expenses

Overall operating expenses during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 increased by 13% compared to the equivalent period in 2021. While sales and marketing were down slightly, research and development costs and general and administration costs increased by 11% and 17% respectively, although some of the increased administration costs were related to non-cash compensation for certain staff members and new office space. The overall increase in operating expenses is primarily related to the growing business and the effects of inflation on salaries and general overhead. At the current time, we continue to expect overall costs to grow due to macro-economic factors in addition to organic growth costs increasing related to the business. Where possible, the Company continues to focus on stabilizing operating expenses while meeting the increased needs of our customers.

Loss from Operations

The loss from operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 was $5,905,111 and $7,217,261, respectively. The decrease in losses from operations was primarily the result of higher revenues recorded in the period as a consequence of the start of new projects and receipt of materials for production and initiation of manufacturing and installation. A positive trend was the higher revenue recorded without a corresponding greater relative cost of sales even with higher costs of materials resulting from supply chain disruptions and inflation.

Other Income/Expense

Other expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $7,245 compared to other income of $1,407,921 in the comparative period of 2021. The change is primarily due to the one-time event of the PPP loan forgiveness recorded in the first quarter of 2021.

Net Loss

The net loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 was $5,912,356 and $5,809,340, respectively. The increase in net loss was mostly attributed to the lower revenues and higher costs in 2021 being offset by the one-time PPP loan forgiveness recorded in the first quarter of 2021 as other income. Net loss per common share was $1.01 and $1.63 for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of September 30, 2022, the Company has a working capital surplus of $2,723,497 as compared to a negative working capital of $651,381 as of December 31, 2021 and a net loss of $6,008,901 for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Cash Flows

The following table sets forth the major components of our statements of cash flows data for the periods presented:

Net cash used in operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 was $3,850,455 and $5,522,668, respectively. The decrease in net cash used in operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was the result of cash inflows from new projects offset by cash outflows to procure necessary materials and overall sales, general and administrative expenses. In addition, there are several changes in assets and liabilities compared to the previous period that decreased the use of cash in operations, notably the change in contract liabilities due to the timing of project invoicing milestones and cash receipts.

Net cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 was $416,517 and $310,776, respectively, representing an increase in the purchase of various fixed assets for computer equipment and product and software development.

Net cash provided by financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, and 2021 was $8,338,718 and $4,122,315, respectively. Cash flows provided by financing activities during the first nine months of 2022 were primarily attributable to net proceeds of approximately $8,500,000 from issuances of common stock and $999,000 from the issuance of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock. Cash flows from financing activities during the first nine months of 2021 were primarily attributable to the issuance of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock for $4,500,000.

During 2022, we funded our operations through the sale of our equity (or equity linked) securities, and through revenues generated and cash received from ongoing project execution, services, and associated maintenance revenues. As of November 8, 2022, we have cash on hand of approximately $4,500,000. We have approximately $165,500 in monthly lease and other mandatory payments, not including payroll and ordinary expenses which are due monthly.

On a long-term basis, our liquidity is dependent on continuation and expansion of operations and receipt of revenues. We believe our current capital and revenues are sufficient to fund such expansion and our operations over the next twelve months, although we are dependent on timely payments by our customers for projects and work in process. However, we expect such timely payments to continue. Material cash requirements will be satisfied within the normal course of business including substantial upfront payments from our customers prior to starting projects. In some limited cases, the Company may elect to purchase materials and supplies in advance of contract award but where there is a high probability of that award.

Demand for our products and services will be dependent on, among other things, market acceptance of our products and services, the technology market in general, and general economic conditions, which are cyclical in nature. Because a major portion of our activities is the receipt of revenues from the sales of our products and services, our business operations may continue to be challenged by our competitors and prolonged recession periods.

Liquidity

Under Accounting Standards Update, or ASU, 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements—Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40) (“ASC 205-40”), the Company has the responsibility to evaluate whether conditions and/or events raise substantial doubt about its ability to meet its future financial obligations as they become due within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. As required by ASC 205-40, this evaluation shall initially not take into consideration the potential mitigating effects of plans that have not been fully implemented as of the date the financial statements are issued. Management has assessed the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern in accordance with the requirement of ASC 205-40.

As reflected in the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements, the Company had a net loss of $5,912,356 for the nine months ended September 30, 2022. During the same period, net cash used in operating activities was $3,850,455. The working capital surplus and accumulated deficit as of September 30, 2022 were $2,723,497 and $51,409,407, respectively. In previous financial reports, the Company had raised substantial doubt about continuing as a going concern. This was principally due to a lack of working capital prior to an underwritten offering receiving net proceeds of approximately $5,500,000 from the successful sales of common stock which was completed during the first quarter of 2022 (the “Q1 2022 Offering”) followed by approximately $3,200,000 in net proceeds for a combination offering of common stock and Preferred Series D Convertible Stock (the “Q3 2022 Offering”).

As previously noted, in 2021, the Company raised $4,500,000 from existing shareholders through the issuance of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock.

Although additional investment is not assured, the Company is comfortable that it would be able to raise sufficient capital to support expanded operations based on the current increase in business activity. In the long run, the continuation of the Company as a going concern is dependent upon the ability of the Company to continue executing the plan described above, generate enough revenue, and eventually attain consistently profitable operations. Although the current global pandemic related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) has affected our operations, particularly in our supply chain, we now believe that this is expected to be an ongoing issue and our working capital assumptions reflect this new reality. In addition, inflationary pressures will cause some pressure on margins which the Company expects to offset by higher prices, although this is not assured. The Company also cannot currently quantify the uncertainty or impact related to the recession that has now been confirmed by broadly accepted economic standards and the effects on our customers in the coming quarters. We have analyzed our cash flow under “stress test” conditions and have determined that we have sufficient liquid assets on hand to maintain operations for at least twelve months from the date of this prospectus.

Management believes that, at this time, the conditions in our market space with ongoing contract delays, the consequent need to procure certain materials in advance of a binding contract and the additional time needed to execute on new contracts previously reported have put a strain on our cash reserves. However, recent events, including a $8,750,000 injection of funds from sales of securities, significant recent orders, and the overall stabilization of the business, indicate that there is not a substantial doubt for the Company to continue as a going concern for a period of twelve months from the date of this prospectus. We continue executing the plan to grow our business and achieve profitability without the requirement to raise additional capital for existing operations for 2022, although we may do so to fund selective opportunities that may arise. Management has extensively evaluated our requirements for the next twelve months from the date of this prospectus and has determined that the Company currently has sufficient cash to operate for at least that period.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

We have identified the accounting policies below as critical to our business operations and the understanding of our results of operations.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are stated at estimated net realizable value. Accounts receivable are comprised of balances due from customers net of estimated allowances for uncollectible accounts. In determining the collections on the account, historical trends are evaluated, and specific customer issues are reviewed to arrive at appropriate allowances. The Company reviews its accounts to estimate losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments. Any required allowance is based on specific analysis of past due accounts and also considers historical trends of write-offs. Past due status is based on how recently payments have been received from customers.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for employee stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718-10, “Share-Based Payment,” which requires the measurement and recognition of compensation expense for all share-based payment awards made to employees and directors including employee stock options, restricted stock units, and employee stock purchases based on estimated fair values.

Determining Fair Value Under ASC 718-10

The Company estimates the fair value of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes option-pricing formula. This fair value is then amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service periods of the awards, which is generally the vesting period. The Company’s determination of fair value using an option-pricing model is affected by the stock price as well as assumptions regarding a number of highly subjective variables.

The Company estimates volatility based upon the historical stock price of the Company and estimates the expected term for stock options using the simplified method for employees and directors and the contractual term for non-employees. The risk-free rate is determined based upon the prevailing rate of United States Treasury securities with similar maturities.

Revenue Recognition and Contract Accounting

The Company follows Accounting Standards Codification 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”), that affects the timing of when certain types of revenues will be recognized. The basic principles in ASC 606 include the following: a contract with a customer creates distinct contract assets and performance obligations, satisfaction of a performance obligation creates revenue, and a performance obligation is satisfied upon transfer of control to a good or service to a customer.

Revenue is recognized by evaluating our revenue contracts with customers based on the five-step model under ASC 606:

The Company generates revenue from four sources: (1) Technology Systems; (2) AI Technologies; (3) Technical Support and (4) Consulting Services.

Technology Systems

For revenues related to technology systems, the Company recognizes revenue over time using a cost-based input methodology in which significant judgment is required to estimate costs to complete projects. These estimated costs are then used to determine the progress towards contract completion and the corresponding amount of revenue to recognize.

Accordingly, the Company now bases its revenue recognition on ASC 606-10-25-27, where control of a good or service transfers over time if the entity’s performance does not create an asset with an alternative use to the entity and the entity has an enforceable right to payment for performance completed to date including a profit margin or reasonable return on capital. Control is deemed to pass to the customer instantaneously as the goods are manufactured and revenue is recognized accordingly.

In addition, the Company has adopted ASC 606-10-55-21 such that if the cost incurred is not proportionate to the progress in satisfying the performance obligation, we adjust the input method to recognize revenue only to the extent of the cost incurred. Therefore, the Company will recognize revenue at an equal amount to the cost of the goods to satisfy the performance obligation. To accurately reflect revenue recognition based on the input method, the Company has adopted the implementation guidance as set out in ASC-606-10-55-187 through 192.

Under this method, contract revenues are recognized over the performance period of the contract in direct proportion to the costs incurred. Costs include direct material, direct labor, subcontract labor and other allocable indirect costs. All un-allocable indirect costs and corporate general and administrative costs are also charged to the periods as incurred. Any recognized revenues that have not been billed to a customer are recorded as an asset in “contract assets”. Any billings of customers more than recognized revenues are recorded as a liability in “contract liabilities”. However, in the event a loss on a contract is foreseen, the Company will recognize the loss when such loss is determined.

Artificial Intelligence

The Company has revenue from applications that incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) in the form of predetermined algorithms which provide important operating information to the users of our systems. The revenue generated from these applications of AI consists of a fixed fee related to the design, development, testing and incorporation of new algorithms into the system, which is recognized as revenue at a point in time upon acceptance, as well as an annual application maintenance fee, which is recognized as revenue ratably over the contracted maintenance term.  

Technical Support

Technical support services are provided on both an as-needed and extended-term basis and may include providing both parts and labor. Maintenance and technical support provided outside of a maintenance contract are on an “as-requested” basis, and revenue is recognized over time as the services are provided. Revenue for maintenance and technical support provided on an extended-term basis is recognized over time ratably over the term of the contract.

Consulting Services

The Company’s consulting services business generates revenues under contracts with customers from four sources: (1) Professional Services (consulting and auditing); (2) Software licensing with optional hardware sales; (3) Customer service training and (4) Maintenance support.

Multiple Performance Obligations and Allocation of Transaction Price

Arrangements with customers may involve multiple performance obligations including project revenue and maintenance services in our Technology Systems business. Maintenance will occur after the project is completed and may be provided on an extended-term basis or on an as-needed basis. In our consulting services business, multiple performance obligations may include any of the above four sources. Training and maintenance on software products may occur after the software product sale while other services may occur before or after the software product sale and may not relate to the software product. Revenue recognition for a multiple performance obligations arrangement is as follows:

Each performance obligation is accounted for separately when each has value to the customer on a standalone basis and there is Company specific objective evidence of the selling price of each deliverable. For revenue arrangements with multiple deliverables, the Company allocates the total customer arrangement to the separate units of accounting based on their relative selling prices as determined by the price of the items when sold separately. Once the selling price is allocated, the revenue for each performance obligation is recognized using the applicable criteria under GAAP as discussed above for performance obligations sold in single performance obligation arrangements. A delivered item or items that do not qualify as a separate unit of accounting within the arrangement are combined with the other applicable undelivered items within the arrangement. The allocation of arrangement consideration and the recognition of revenue is then determined for those combined deliverables as a single unit of accounting. The Company sells its various services and software and hardware products at established prices on a standalone basis which provides Company specific objective evidence of selling price for purposes of performance obligations relative selling price allocation. The Company only sells maintenance services or spare parts based on its established rates after it has completed a system integration project for a customer. The customer is not required to purchase maintenance services. All elements in multiple performance obligations arrangements with Company customers qualify as separate units of account for revenue recognition purposes.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from these estimates. The most significant estimates in the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the allowance on accounts receivable, valuation of deferred tax assets, valuation of intangible and other long-lived assets, estimates of net contract revenues and the total estimated costs to determine progress towards contract completion, valuation of inventory, estimates of the valuation of right of use assets and corresponding lease liabilities, valuation of warrants issued with debt, and valuation of stock-based awards. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

Comparison for the Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2020

The following table sets forth a summary of our Consolidated Statements of Operations that is used in the following discussions of our results of operations:

Revenues

For the full year 2021, there was a 3% overall increase in revenues compared to 2020. The increase was driven by new revenues being recorded after lengthy delays in receiving “notices to proceed” for anticipated new contracts earlier in the year pushed delivery dates into the second half of 2021 and into 2022. There was a slight decrease in revenue from systems which was more than offset by a 15% increase in services revenue, most of which is recurring in nature. The Company is focusing on increasing its business from services and the increase is the result of new contracts for existing and new systems. This trend is expected to continue into 2022. While anticipated orders continue to be delayed, we are encouraged by the breadth and scope of recent bids in which we have participated, indicating an expected increase in orders in the early months of 2022. As previously discussed, management cautions that because of the delays in anticipated start dates, certain installations may produce revenues towards the end of 2022, some of which may ultimately be recorded in 2023. Additionally, although the industries in which we operate are showing early signs of recovery from the delays as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, other macro-economic effects are anticipated to impact us, including inflation and the current supply chain issues which are extending deadlines for shipment of key components used in our technology systems. The effect of this will be to push some revenue recognition later in the year or into 2023 as previously mentioned. The effects of inflation are not quantifiable at the current time but are beginning to be evident in increased costs for materials and labor and may result in higher costs for project implementation that cannot be wholly or even partially passed on to our customers and thus resulting in delaying our progress towards profitability.

The Company’s capital structure continues to allow us to weather the unexpected delays without significant operational impact and enables us to pursue large projects requiring the ability to deploy major resources. It should be noted that the Company recently increased its working capital to account for an increase in pre-contract procurement activities to avoid a slowdown in revenues caused by delays in receiving certain components. The Company undertook a major review of operations during 2021 and made significant changes in staffing including additional engineering staff and revamping its software development and Artificial Intelligence staffing. Although in early 2021 the Company implemented a “rapid development” initiative which was intended to be able to respond to market driven demand more quickly, this effort has been somewhat negated by ongoing supply chain issues. Where this effort has shortened delivery times on major projects and was expected to result in significant revenue growth in the last six months of the year and beyond, the previously discussed supply chain issues have not allowed the anticipated benefits to be realized at this time. The Company is monitoring the situation and is continuing to procure materials ahead of the contract award.

The Company also expects to continue its growth with new revenue from other existing customers which we expect to be coming on-line in the next several months. As previously noted, the slight decrease in technology systems revenues was offset by an increase in services revenue as the result of new maintenance contracts being established as well as renewals of existing contracts and a shift to the next generation of technology systems which are currently being installed. The services portion of revenues are driven by successful completion on projects and represent services and support for those installations. The Company expects to continue growth with new, long term recurring revenue from existing customers which will be coming on-line in the next several months.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues largely comprises equipment, labor and overhead necessary to support the implementation of new systems and support and maintenance of existing systems. Cost of revenues on technology systems increased during the period compared to the equivalent period in 2020 by a greater amount than the increase in revenues. The main reason for the continuing high level of cost is the result of additional work being necessary on certain of the Company’s installations to resolve newly identified quality issues which are now mostly resolved as well as higher costs of materials due to supply chain disruptions. There was also a significant increase in cost related to the new deployment of an undercarriage technology. Many of these costs were not envisioned by the original scope of work. However, the costs are expected to be much lower going forward as a percentage of the overall system price. As previously noted, the Company’s organization and related cost structure was realigned to give the capability to manufacture, install and support multiple production systems simultaneously. Prior to this realignment, the Company’s organization was focused on primarily research and development with implementation resources being allocated as necessary. In accordance with this shift in structure, certain staff were re-assigned or replaced, and new staff added in key areas, particularly software engineering, IT and AI.

In conjunction with this change, increased costs are now being recognized against project and support revenues with a similar reduction in costs previously recognized for research and development, engineering development and internal support. In concert with this, there is a continued focus on construction costs and savings through efficiency, but the Company has elected to expand its key employees in anticipation of expected sales growth in technology systems and services in 2022. As previously discussed in the first quarter of 2021, certain expenses related to installed equipment upgrades were greater than anticipated for a variety of reasons including cost overruns on the first installation of new technologies and certain implementation inefficiencies related to COVID-19 restrictions such as extended quarantines and additional contract staff necessary to complete projects on time. These changes had a negative impact on the gross margin (see below), but this is expected to be a short-term impact, offset by increases in revenue later in 2022. It is also expected to have positive long-term impact as the Company is prepared to deliver a higher number of systems in a given period, with a shorter time of implementation and with better quality and reliability as the operations become standardized in anticipation of expected higher demand for systems, particularly in the rail industry.

Cost of revenues increased on services and consulting versus the increase in revenues on services and consulting. The overall positive trend on service and consulting revenue is expected to continue as more of the Company’s business is from recurring revenue. Costs of service are expected to increase in future years but at a slower rate than revenue growth. The Company focused on streamlining support operations in 2021 and despite the additional resources allocated to these activities in anticipation of higher recurring revenue in 2022 and beyond we expect higher gross margins as the Company grows. As discussed previously, the impact of inflation may negatively affect the costs of revenues such that we may experience higher costs for materials and labor, including higher employee and sub-contractor costs that cannot be passed along in all cases. Management is continuing to monitor this situation and expects to take actions as the full impact of these cost increases is understood. This may take the form of higher prices and continued evaluation of costs to attempt to reduce the overall costs of a system to offset the additional expenses, although this is not assured.

Gross Margin

As previously discussed, the Company has revamped its operations to support an anticipated increase in the number of new systems going forward. The resultant additional cost of revenues, while somewhat offset by decreases in G&A expenses, was not covered by a comparable increase in revenues as of the third quarter 2021. However, there was an improvement in the fourth quarter of 2021 which is part of an overall improving trend in this area. The overall negative gross margin was $2,559,170 versus 2020 which was a positive $235,836. The small increase in year over year revenues, more than 50% of which came in the fourth quarter, is a positive trend. The main reason for the continuing high level of cost is the result of additional development work being necessary on certain of the Company’s more complex installations as well as higher costs of materials due to supply chain disruptions. There was also a significant increase in cost related to the new deployment of an undercarriage technology. Many of these costs were not envisioned by the original scope of work. These higher costs are anticipated to be offset by higher revenues in 2022 with the net result being a move to a positive gross margin as the business expands. In addition, we anticipate an improvement in the overall gross margin for the full year reporting in 2022, with much of the improvement coming in the second half of the year. As previously discussed, certain macro-economic factors including the current supply chain issues could delay that improvement into 2023.

Operating Expenses

Overall operating expenses were lower by 29% in 2021 offsetting some of the increased costs previously discussed. A 72% increase in sales and marketing costs was more than offset by a 44% decrease in overall administration costs. This decrease was partially due to the recording of our former Chief Executive Officer’s separation agreement during the same period in 2020 and other overall reductions in cost as part of the restructuring of the business. Additionally, certain costs to support the organization as it operated at that time were eliminated as an offset to the increases in operations staff as described previously.

Loss From Operations

The losses from operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were $7,456,951 and $6,634,428, respectively. The increase in losses from operations during the year was the result of mostly flat revenues, higher cost of sales related to the recent organizational changes and certain cost overruns on the initial deployment of some newly developed systems. The combination of these resulted in negative gross margin for the year, partially offset by lower total operating expenses. The Company previously expected to achieve profitability in the fourth quarter through improvements in gross margin from higher revenues and lower operating costs although the Company did not achieve breakeven as the result of unanticipated additional costs for implementations for certain new complex technologies being installed for the first time. Due to contract and manufacturing delays earlier in 2021, implementation was delayed until late in the year and took place in locations with harsh weather conditions requiring additional staffing. The Company is expecting improvements in operating margins in 2022 although it does not expect to breakeven on an operating basis until 2023 or thereafter depending upon the impacts of supply chain and inflation.

Interest Expense

Interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $20,268 and $150,137, respectively. The reduction in interest expense was primarily due to the Company’s equity financing actions in 2020 reducing or eliminating debt. This was partially offset by interest earned from substantial additional capital held in reserve (see Other Income).

Other Income

Other income for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $1,468,318 and $37,130, respectively. The increase is mainly due to the PPP loan forgiveness recorded in the first quarter of 2021.

Net Loss

The net loss for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $6,008,901 and $6,747,435, respectively. The decrease in net loss is primarily attributable to the effect of the PPP loan forgiveness offset by the increases in project expenses as previously described. Net loss per common share was $1.63 and $2.03 for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of December 31, 2021, the Company has a cash balance of $893,720.

The following table sets forth the major components of our statements of cash flows data for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

Net cash used in operating activities for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $6,579,378 and $4,231,439, respectively. The increase in net cash used in operations for the year ended December 31, 2021 was the result of higher expenditures related to current projects as previously discussed as well as expenditures related to future project execution in anticipation of new projects starting in the fourth quarter of 2021. In addition, there were several changes in assets and liabilities that increased the use of cash in operations, including charges related to the new building that the Company now occupies including a $600,000 security deposit. Notable changes included an increase in deferred revenue as the result of an increase in pre-paid service contracts offset by decreases in contract liabilities. Additionally, $1,410,270 in funding from the CARES Act PPP loan program plus deferred interest was forgiven. The Company accrued interest in the amount of $648 during 2021 and $10,577 during 2020. The effects of other changes were largely neutral.

Net cash used in investing activities for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $552,940 and $287,331, respectively. The Company continues to invest in computing and lab equipment as reflected in the increase in 2021.

Net cash provided in financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $4,056,938 and $8,431,621, respectively. Cash flows provided by financing activities during 2021 were primarily attributable to proceeds from the issuance of preferred stock to two shareholders in the amount of $4,500,000.

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have no off balance sheet contractual arrangements, as that term is defined in Item 303(a)(4) of Regulation S-K.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Revenue Recognition and Contract Accounting

The Company generates revenue from four sources: (1) Technology Systems; (2) AI Technology which is included in the consolidated statements of operations line-item Technology systems; (3) Technical Support; and (4) Consulting Services which is included in the consolidated statements of operations line-item Services and consulting.

Technology Systems

The Company constructs intelligent technology systems consisting of materials and labor under customer contracts. Revenues and related costs on technology systems revenue are recognized based on ASC 606-10-25-27, where control of a good or service transfers over time if the entity’s performance does not create an asset with an alternative use to the entity and the entity has an enforceable right to payment for performance completed to date including a profit margin or reasonable return on capital. Control is deemed to pass to the customer instantaneously as the goods are manufactured and revenue is recognized accordingly.

In addition, the Company has adopted ASC 606-10-55-21 such that if the cost incurred is not proportionate to the progress in satisfying the performance obligation, we adjust the input method to recognize revenue only to the extent of the cost incurred. Therefore, the Company will recognize revenue at an equal amount to the cost of the goods to satisfy the performance obligation.

Under this method, contract revenues are recognized over the performance period of the contract in direct proportion to the costs incurred. Costs include direct material, direct labor, subcontract labor and other allocable direct costs. All un-allocable indirect costs and corporate general and administrative costs are also charged to the periods as incurred. Any recognized revenues that have not been billed to a customer are recorded as an asset in “contract assets”. Any billings of customers more than recognized revenues are recorded as a liability in “contract liabilities”. However, in the event a loss on a contract is foreseen, the Company will recognize the loss when such loss is determined.

A contract is considered complete when all costs except insignificant items have been incurred and the installation is operating according to specifications or has been accepted by the customer.

The Company has contracts in various stages of completion. Such contracts require estimates to determine the appropriate cost and revenue recognition. Cost estimates are reviewed periodically on a contract-by-contract basis throughout the life of the contract such that adjustments to the profit resulting from revisions are made cumulative to the date of the revision. Significant management judgments and estimates, including the estimated costs to complete projects, must be made and used in connection with the revenue recognized in the accounting period. Current estimates may be revised as additional information becomes available.

Artificial Intelligence

The Company has revenue from applications that incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) in the form of predetermined algorithms which provide important operating information to the users of our systems. The revenue generated from these applications of AI consists of a fixed fee related to the design, development, testing and incorporation of new algorithms into the system, which is recognized as revenue at a point in time upon acceptance, as well as an annual application maintenance fee, which revenue is recognized ratably over the contracted maintenance term.

Technical Support

Maintenance and technical support services are provided on both an as-needed and extended-term basis and may include providing both parts and labor. Maintenance and technical support provided outside of a maintenance contract are on an as-requested basis, and revenue is recognized over time as the services are provided. Revenue for maintenance and technical support provided on an extended-term basis is recognized over time ratably over the term of the contract.

For sales arrangements that do not involve multiple performance obligations such as professional services, which are of short-term duration, revenues are recognized when services are completed.

Consulting Services

The Company’s consulting services business generates revenues under contracts with customers from three sources: (1) Professional Services (consulting and auditing); (2) Software licensing with optional hardware sales; and (3) Customer Service (training and maintenance support).

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are stated at estimated net realizable value. Accounts receivable are comprised of balances due from customers net of estimated allowances for uncollectible accounts. In determining the collections on the account, historical trends are evaluated, and specific customer issues are reviewed to arrive at appropriate allowances. The Company reviews its accounts to estimate losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments. Any required allowance is based on specific analysis of past due accounts and also considers historical trends of write-offs. Past due status is based on how recently payments have been received from customers.

Share-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for employee and non-employee stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718-10, “Share-Based Payment,” which requires the measurement and recognition of compensation expense for all share-based payment awards made to employees and directors including employee stock options, restricted stock units, and employee stock purchases based on estimated fair values.

Determining Fair Value Under ASC 718-10

The Company estimates the fair value of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes option-pricing formula. This fair value is then amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service periods of the awards, which is generally the vesting period. The Company’s determination of fair value using an option-pricing model is affected by the stock price as well as assumptions regarding a number of highly subjective variables.

The Company estimates volatility based upon the historical stock price of the Company and estimates the expected term for stock options using the simplified method for employees and directors and the contractual term for non-employees. The risk-free rate is determined based upon the prevailing rate of United States Treasury securities with similar maturities.

Long-Lived Assets

The Company evaluates the recoverability of its property, equipment, and other long-lived assets in accordance with FASB ASC 360-10-35-15 “Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets”, which requires recognition of impairment of long-lived assets in the event the net book value of such assets exceed the estimated future undiscounted cash flows attributable to such assets or the business to which such intangible assets relate. This guidance requires that long-lived assets and certain identifiable intangibles be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from these estimates. The most significant estimates in the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements include the allowance on accounts receivable, valuation of deferred tax assets, valuation of intangible and other long-lived assets, estimates of net contract revenues and the total estimated costs to determine progress towards contract completion, valuation of inventory, estimates of the valuation of right of use assets and corresponding lease liabilities, valuation of warrants issued with debt, and valuation of stock-based awards. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

BUSINESS

Our Corporate History

Information Systems Associates, Inc. (“ISA”) was incorporated in Florida on May 31, 1994. Our original business operations consisted of consulting services for asset management of large corporate data centers and the development and licensing of information technology (“IT”) asset management software. In late 2014, ISA entered negotiations with Duos Technologies, Inc. (“duostech™”) for the purposes of executing a merger between the two organizations (also known as a “reverse triangular merger”). Incorporated under the laws of Florida on November 30, 1990, duostech™ operated in various industry segments, specializing in the design, development and deployment of proprietary technology applications and turn-key engineered systems. This transaction was completed on April 1, 2015, whereby duostech™ became a wholly owned subsidiary of ISA. After the merger was completed, ISA changed its corporate name to Duos Technologies Group, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, “Duos,” “we,” “us” or the “Company”). The Company, based in Jacksonville, Florida, oversees its wholly owned subsidiary, duostech™ which employs approximately 77 people and is a technology company which designs, develops, deploys and operates intelligent technology solutions with a focus on software applications and AI. We believe we have a strong portfolio of intellectual property. The Company’s headquarters are located at 7660 Centurion Parkway, Suite 100, Jacksonville, Florida 32256 and main telephone number is (904) 296-2807.

Overview

The Company, operating under its brand name duostech, designs, develops, deploys and operates intelligent technology solutions for inspecting and evaluating moving objects. Its technology focus is within the Vision Technology market sector and, more specifically, the Machine Vision subsector. Machine Vision companies provide imaging-based automatic inspection and analysis for process control for industry with potential expansion into other markets. Duos has developed key technologies over the past several years in software, industry specific hardware and artificial intelligence and has demonstrated industrial strength usability of its systems supporting rail, logistics and intermodal businesses that streamline operations, improve safety and reduce costs. Our employee team include engineering subject matter expertise in hardware, software, and information technology as well as industry specific applications of artificial intelligence also referred to as Expert Artificial Intelligence.

Duos is currently developing industry solutions for its target markets which will address rail, trucking, aviation and other vehicle-based processes. Duos’ initial offering, the Railcar Inspection Portal (RIP), provides both freight and transit railroad customers and select government agencies the ability to conduct fully automated railcar inspections of trains while they are moving at full speed. The RIP utilizes a variety of sophisticated optical, laser and speed sensors to scan each passing railcar to create a high-resolution image-set of the top, sides and undercarriage. These images are then processed with our edge data center using AI algorithms to identify safety and security defects on each railcar. The algorithms are developed in conjunction with industrial application experts, in this case Railcar Mechanical Engineers, to provide specific guidance in the analysis (“human in the loop”). Within minutes of the railcar passing through the RIP, a detailed report is sent to the customer where they are able to action identified issues. This solution has the potential to transform the railroad industry by increasing safety, improving efficiency and reducing costs. The Company has already deployed this system with several Class 1 railroads and anticipates an increased demand from transit and other railroad customers along with selected government agencies that operate and/or manage rail traffic. The Company has deployed RIPs in Canada, Mexico and the United States and anticipates expanding this solution into Europe and Australia in coming years.

The Company has also developed the Automated Logistics Information System (ALIS) which automates gatehouse operations where transport trucks enter and exit large logistics and intermodal facilities. This solution incorporates a similar set of sensors, data processing and artificial intelligence to streamline the customer’s logistics transactions and tracking and can also automate the security and safety inspection if called for. The Company has already deployed this system with one large North American retailer and anticipates increased demand from other large retailers, railroad intermodal operators and select government agencies that manage logistics and border crossing points. The Company is evaluating other solutions for moving vehicles including aircraft, which could provide similar benefits in terms of safety and efficiency for required inspections as part of an operations process.

We have developed two proprietary solutions that operate our software and artificial intelligence. centraco^® is an Enterprise Information Management Software platform that consolidates data and events from multiple sources into a unified and distributive user interface. Customized to the end user’s Concept of Operations (CONOPS), it provides improved situational awareness and data visualization for operational objectives compared to traditional manual inspections. truevue360^™ is our fully integrated platform that we utilize to develop and deploy AI algorithms, including Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Object Detection and Deep Neural Network-based processing for real-time applications. As an adjunct to these two platforms, the Company also has developed two other concepts which integrate with:

These two concepts have been developed and enhanced beginning in June 2021 and are expected to open up other opportunities for the Company to provide revenue producing products and solutions with potentially high market acceptance.

In September 2021, the Company ended support of its IT Asset Management (ITAM) solution which cataloged results for data center asset inventory and audit services. We are currently evaluating using our current operations experience within “edge data centers” (as deployed for our Railcar Inspection Portal) to drive additional revenues within other markets requiring this type of solution although no specific offering has been developed at this time.

duostech®

Over the past 10 years, the Company has developed a series of industry specific technologies some of which are described below.

Railcar Inspection Portal (rip®)

Federal regulations require each railcar/train to be inspected for mechanical defects prior to leaving a rail yard. Founded in 1934, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) is responsible for setting the standards for the safety and productivity of the U.S./North American freight rail industry, and by extension, has established the inspection parameters for the rail industry’s rolling stock. Also known as the “Why Made” codes, the AAR established approximately 110 inspection points under its guidelines for mechanical inspections.

Under current practice, inspections are conducted manually, a very labor intensive and inefficient process that only covers a select number of inspection points and can take several hours per train. We believe our Railcar Inspection Portal has the potential to reduce this inspection to minutes while the train is moving at speed improving safety, reducing dwell time and optimizing maintenance.

Our system combines high-definition image and data capture technologies with our AI-based analytics applications that are typically installed on active tracks located between two rail yards. We inspect railcars traveling through our inspection portal at speeds of up to 70 mph and report mechanical anomalies detected by our system to the inbound train yard, well ahead of the train entering the yard.

Currently, three Class 1 railroads are using our rip® technology with one of those railroads broadly deploying the technology across its network. The ultimate objective is to change inspection regulations that would allow replacement of the current manual inspection (in the yard) with our fully automated process.

The following examples of automated detections are the result of the combination of our image capture technologies. Some of these mechanical defects, if unattended, could cause a derailment. Other examples of our AI-based detection applications include inspections at rail border crossings in support of the Customs and Border Protection Agency.

The Company continues to expand its detection capabilities through the development and integration of additional sensor technologies to include laser, infrared, thermal, sound and x-ray to process AI-based analytics of inspection points.

Vehicle Undercarriage Examiner (vue®)

A system that inspects the undercarriage of railcars (both freight and transit rail) traveling at speeds of up to 70 mph. We are currently developing an expanded version for higher speeds with additional sensor technologies. We are developing additional algorithms for an increasing number of automated detection of anomalies, which we believe once completed and successfully tested, may have a significant impact on our revenues.

Thermal Undercarriage Examiner (t-vue™)

The Company has developed and deployed a new thermal undercarriage examiner. The system uses high-speed thermal imaging technology to inspect the thermal signature of undercarriage components. Thermal monitoring of component heat signatures while underway will provide indications of the overall operating health of the railcars that are not possible to observe during static yard inspections.

Enterprise Command and Control Suite (centraco®)

This intelligent user interface is at the core of all our systems and enables end users to connect to an unlimited number of operational sites from one central interface, the centraco® Enterprise Command and Control Suite. A multi-layered command and control interface, it is designed to function as the central point and aggregator for information consolidation, connectivity and communications. The platform is browser based and agnostic to the interconnected sub-systems. It provides full integration for seamless user credentialing and performs the following major functions:

Automated Logistics Information Systems (alis™)

We have developed and deployed a proprietary intelligent system to automate security gate operations at nine distribution centers owned and operated by a national retail chain. Using similar technology that is used in our Rail Inspection Portal, this solution automates the process of entering and exiting a large logistics or intermodal yard. This automates the logistics transaction, improves throughput and can also be used to automate security and maintenance screening/detection if desired by the customer.

Markets

We believe the opportunity for our Rail Inspection Portal business is substantial and our number one priority at this time. We are currently providing this solution to three of seven Class 1 railroad operators with 10 systems already deployed. Because of our early leadership position, we have been able to accumulate experience and intellectual property that we believe would be time-consuming and expensive for a new competitor to replicate. Furthermore, we believe we have the ability to upgrade and scale our solutions with additional technologies in the future. We believe that the current market for our technologies is substantial. At the same time, we recognize that the technology life cycle is fast and evolving. Potential competitors could move into this sector, and it is possible that some Class 1 railroads could develop their own solutions that limit our total addressable market.

Another market we are pursuing as our second priority is using our Automated Logistics and Information Systems solution (alis™). Potential customers include commercial retail logistics and intermodal operators, Class 1 rail intermodal operators that are moving large amounts of automobiles, and U.S. Government agencies such as the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. Today, we currently have 20 production systems in use, but we believe the greenfield opportunity here to be substantial. We have identified over 900 lanes of traffic within nearly 300 facilities as potential business opportunities in the near term.

Currently, we are focused on the North American market, but plan to expand globally in the future.

Patents and Trademarks

The Company holds a number of patents and trademarks for our technology solutions. We protect our intellectual property rights by relying on federal, state, and common law rights, as well as contractual restrictions. We control access to our proprietary technology by entering into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with all of our employees and contractors, and confidentiality agreements with third parties. We also actively engage in monitoring activities with respect to infringing uses of our intellectual property by third parties.

Specific Areas of Competition

One of our primary commercial goals is to develop innovative technology solutions and target potential “greenfield” market spaces in order to maximize our business footprint and give us the ability to help define the market parameters for the future.

With regards to our Railcar Inspection Portal (RIP), we believe that we are the most advanced technology currently focused on 360-degree inspections of railcars and have limited direct competition domestically or globally.  There are several companies that do provide visual and optical (laser) based imaging systems, but they are specifically designed to focus on a single aspect of a railcar whereas our latest RIP will identify 50+ inspection points on each car.  This is not to be confused with track inspection technologies, where we do not compete. We are not aware of any other company that creates images of the entire car from multiple perspectives and with many different inspection points.  Other companies that participate in the visual and optical (laser) based railcar inspection systems market include Trimble Rail Solutions/Beena Vision and KLD Labs, both primarily focused on wheel and brake inspections and the Class 1 railroads themselves developing “in-house” solutions.

Our Automated Logistics Information System (ALIS) also represents an opportunity to expand into a mature market that we believe has a significant technology gap.  While most facilities, such as distribution centers, that process commercial trucks in and out have sophisticated software management applications for logistics control, they have most often not implemented an advanced gatehouse automation solution.  Historically, this category was referred to as “Automated Gate Systems” or AGS.  The purpose of AGS technology is to streamline entry into and exit out of facilities.  The marketplace for this was mostly seaports and intermodal transfer facilities and was relatively expensive technology to deploy.  We identified a market gap with regards to distribution facilities that all currently utilize manual processes and heavy staffing to accomplish commercial truck entry and exit. The barrier to entry for distribution centers was predominately “cost”, as well as the requirement for a different set of logistics management software and tools.  The current competition includes Nascent with a primary focus on seaports and intermodal transfer facilities.

Our Growth Strategy

Vision

The Company designs, develops, deploys and operates intelligent technology solutions for inspecting and evaluating moving objects. Its technology focus is within the Machine Vision market which offers imaging-based automatic inspection and analysis for process control for industry with potential expansion into other markets.

Objectives

Organic Growth

Our organic growth strategy is to continue our focus and prioritization in the rail, logistics and intermodal market space. In this regard, the Company has made significant changes in the senior management team over the last several years. In September 2020, the Company appointed Charles P. Ferry as its Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Ferry has significant experience successfully leading start-up and turn-around companies. In July 2021, Craig Nixon, a retired Army officer with 29 years’ service and extensive commercial engagements with a number of technology focused Fortune 500 companies was appointed to the Board of Directors. In January 2022, we promoted Jeffrey Necciai to Chief Technology Officer to lead the Company’s technology development strategy.

The new leadership team’s focus is to improve operational and technical execution which will in turn enable the commercial side of the business to expand RIP and ALIS delivery to existing customers. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to still be an issue during 2022, the Company’s primary customers have indicated readiness to order more equipment and services based upon the Company’s current performance. Additionally, the current effects of supply chain disruption and inflation are manifesting themselves through higher input pricing and some delays on being able to complete installations. The Company continues to assess the situation and put measures in place to pre-order equipment pending order confirmation and (in some cases) adjust pricing accordingly, although this is not assured and could result in lower margins in some cases.

Additionally, the CEO has directed that the Company make engineering and software upgrades to the RIP to meet anticipated Federal Railroad Association (FRA) and Association of American Railroad (AAR) standards. Similar upgrades are also being developed to improve the ALIS system.

Manufacturing and Assembly

The Company designs and develops technology solutions using a combination of in-house fabrication, commercial off-the-shelf technology, and outsourced manufacturing. On-site installations are performed using a combination of in-house project managers and engineers and using third-party subcontractors as needed. Throughout the process of design, develop, deploy and operate, the Company maintains responsibility for all aspects. Our internal manufacturing operations consist primarily of materials procurement, assembly, testing and quality control by our engineers. If not manufactured internally, we use third-party manufacturing partners to produce our hardware related components and hardware products and we most often complete final assembly, testing and quality control processes for these components and products. Our manufacturing processes are based on standardization of components across product types, centralization of assembly and distribution centers, and a “build-to-order” methodology in which products generally are built only after customers have placed firm orders. For most of our hardware products, we have existing alternate sources of supply.

For 2022 and possibly beyond, we expect to face significant challenges with macro-economic impacts, specifically inflation and supply chain disruption. Although these started to be identified in late 2021, we believe they are manifesting themselves in ways that could hinder our business growth in the future. Specifically, the ability to source key components and certain implementation services will dictate just how quickly the Company can meet desired installation deadlines. In the industries in which we operate, the time from concept to contract can be substantial. Although we are now adapting to these challenges, previous bids that have been submitted could be challenging to execute within the financial framework and execution times originally envisaged. We continue to have dialogue with our customers regarding potential price increases and implementation delays, but we may suffer some economic impacts as a result of this. Revenue recognition could be delayed as a result of these factors and profitability could be impacted due to higher costs for materials and other services. The Company will continue to monitor the situation and update shareholders as the situation unfolds.

Research and Development

The Company’s R&D and software development teams design and develop all systems and software applications with a combination of full-time in-house software engineers and outside contractors. Internal development allows us to maintain technical control over the design and development of our products. Rapid technological advances in hardware and software development, evolving standards in computer hardware and software technology, and changing customer requirements characterize the markets in which we compete. We plan to continue to dedicate significant resources to research and development efforts, including software development, to maintain and improve our current product and services offerings.

Government Regulations

The Company has worked with various agencies of the federal government for more than 10-years including the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”). When our solutions have been deployed into these agencies, they meet specific requirements for certification, safety and security that are stipulated in requirements and contract documents. The Company is currently competing for other government-related work and strictly follows the rules and regulations outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulations.

The Company’s primary customers are all governed by regulations related to the safe and effective transportation of goods, primarily by rail, but in future scenarios by Air, Road and Sea. While changes in the regulatory environment could impact the Company in future years, we review potential changes in the regulatory environment and maintain contact with key personnel at certain agencies including the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Transportation Safety Agency (TSA) as well as the DHS previously mentioned. We expect to develop similar relationships with governmental agencies in target markets both in the US and internationally. At this time, we believe our offerings are complementary with the current and evolving standards and that we will adapt to any new regulations as they are promulgated.

Employees

We have a current staff of 77 employees of which 70 are full-time, the majority of which work in the Jacksonville area, none of which are subject to a collective bargaining agreement. We have not experienced any work stoppages and we consider our relationship with our employees to be good.

Properties

On July 26, 2021, as amended on November 24, 2021, the Company entered into a new operating lease agreement for office and warehouse combination space of 40,000 square feet with the lease commencing on December 1, 2021 and ending June 30, 2032 This additional space allows for resource growth and engineering efforts for operations before deploying to the field. The rent for the first twelve months of the term will be calculated as rentable base space on 30,000 square feet. The rent is subject to an annual escalation of 2.5%, beginning December 1, 2022. The Company made a security deposit payment in the amount of $600,000 on July 26, 2021. The Company has applied the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02 Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”) in the fourth quarter of 2021.

The Company now has a total of office and warehouse space of 40,000 square feet.

Rental expense for the office lease during 2021 and 2020 was $414,085 and $279,975, respectively.

Legal Proceedings

From time to time, we may be involved in litigation relating to claims arising out of our operations in the normal course of business. We are currently not involved in any litigation that we believe could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or by any court, public board, government agency, self-regulatory organization or body pending or, to the knowledge of the executive officers of our Company or any of our subsidiaries, threatened against or affecting our Company, our common stock, any of our subsidiaries or our Company’s or our subsidiaries’ officers or directors in their capacities as such, in which an adverse decision could have a material adverse effect.

DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND KEY EMPLOYEES

The following is a list of our executive officers and directors. All directors serve one-year terms or until their successors are duly qualified and elected or his earlier resignation, removal or disqualification. The officers of the Company are elected by our Board of Directors.

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Charles P. Ferry, Chief Executive Officer, Director

Mr. Ferry was appointed Chief Executive Officer, effective September 1, 2020. Mr. Ferry was then elected as a member of our Board of Directors on November 19, 2020 by our shareholders. Mr. Ferry combines over three years of experience in the energy industry and seven years in the defense contracting industry following 26 years of active-duty service in the United States Army. Previously, Mr. Ferry had been involved in two companies in the defense industry holding positions including Director, Business Development and Operations, Vice President of Operations, and General Manager. From 2018 through 2020, Mr. Ferry was the Chief Executive Officer for APR Energy, a global fast-track power company. Prior to this, Mr. Ferry was the President and Chief Operating Officer of APR Energy from 2016 to 2018. From 2014 to 2016, Mr. Ferry was the General Manager for ARMA Global Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, a defense contracting company that delivered Information Technology engineering, services, and logistics. Mr. Ferry was the Vice President of ARMA Global Corporation from 2010 to 2014 before being acquired by General Dynamics. From 2009 to 2010, Mr. Ferry was the Director, Business Development and Operations at Lockheed-Martin. His leadership assignments in the U.S. Army include: Director, NORAD-NORTHCOM Current Operations, Infantry Battalion Task Force Commander, Joint Special Operations Task Force Commander, Regimental and Battalion Operations Officer, and Airborne Rifle Company Commander. His military leadership assignments include 48 months of combat in Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Mr. Ferry has an undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University.

Our Board of Directors believes Mr. Ferry brings significant commercial and operational experience to the Company and has shown demonstrable leadership skills as both a Military officer with a distinguished service record and in leading companies to profitable growth.

Andrew W. Murphy, Chief Financial Officer

On November 14, 2022, the Company announced the retirement of Adrian Goldfarb as Chief Financial Officer effective November 15, 2022. Mr. Goldfarb will remain as a strategic advisor to the Company, reporting to Charles Ferry, our Chief Executive Officer.

The Company also announced the appointment of Andrew W. Murphy as the new Chief Financial Officer effective November 15, 2022.  Mr. Murphy has served as Vice President, FP&A of the Company since November 2020, in which position he initially served on the commercial team to support new project bids while also further building out the Company’s corporate finance strategy.

Mr. Murphy, age 39, has over 16 years of progressive business experience in accounting and finance including nearly five years of public company experience for a London Stock Exchange-based company. He joined Duos Technologies, Inc. in 2020 where he served on the Commercial team to support new project bids while also building out the Finance function. Prior to joining Duos, from 2011 to 2020 Mr. Murphy held progressive senior Finance roles within APR Energy, a global fast-track power and asset management company formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). In these roles Mr. Murphy oversaw the pricing & risk management efforts for more than $800 million in new business and asset transactions across the globe. Additionally, he was also responsible for managing the FP&A function as well as supporting M&A activity and the investor relations function during APR Energy’s time on the LSE. Prior to his time with APR, Mr. Murphy served in corporate accounting roles within a Fortune 500 company as well as time working in public accounting with a focus on tax and business services.

Mr. Murphy graduated from Jacksonville University “cum laude” with a business degree in Accounting and later received his Master’s degree in Business Administration with a focus in Finance.

There are no family relationships between Mr. Murphy and any director or executive officer of the Company or its subsidiaries.  Mr. Murphy's annual salary is $212,000.  He is not a party to any employment agreement or other compensatory arrangement with the Company other than his eligibility for participation in such employee benefits as are provided by the Company to all employees.  There also are no transactions to which the Company is or was a participant in which Mr. Murphy has a material interest subject to disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.

Connie L. Weeks, Chief Accounting Officer

Ms. Weeks has been a key member of the Company for 35 years and now serves as Chief Accounting Officer with responsibility for all aspects of financial reporting, internal controls, and cash management.

Ms. Weeks has over 40 years of operational accounting experience and is responsible for overseeing and managing the day-to-day accounting and financial reporting, internal controls, and cash management. She has been a key member of the Duos team progressing from an assistant to the staff accountant and subsequently being promoted to roles with increasingly more responsibility including serving as Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller. In 2015, when the Company became public, Ms. Weeks continued to serve as VP of Finance, overseeing the audit process and interfacing with PCAOB auditors, managing the audit process. As the Company’s most senior female executive, Ms. Weeks is actively engaged with management and provides guidance on diversity matters and has also taken courses in Human Resources. Ms. Weeks attended Florida State College of Jacksonville where she majored in Accounting.

Kenneth Ehrman, Chairman

Mr. Ehrman joined our Board of Directors on January 31, 2019. He was elected as Chairman of the Board in November 2020 and is a member of the Audit, Compensation and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees. He currently serves as an independent consultant to several high-technology companies in supply chain/logistics and transportation. Mr. Ehrman advises technology companies focused on solutions for these industries and joins the Company with a strong background in technology. As an innovator in intelligent machine-to-machine (“M2M”) wireless technology and industrial applications of the Internet of Things (“IoT”), Mr. Ehrman has been awarded more than 20 patents in wireless communications, mobile data, asset tracking, power management, cargo and impact sensing, and connected car technology. Mr. Ehrman previously served as Chief Executive Officer of I.D. Systems, Inc. (“IDS”), a company he founded in 1993 as a Stanford University engineering student, pioneering the commercial use of radio frequency identification (“RFID”) technology for industrial asset management. Under Mr. Ehrman’s leadership, IDS began trading on the Nasdaq in 1999 and was named one of North America’s fastest growing technology companies by Deloitte in 2005, 2006, and 2012. During his tenure at IDS, Mr. Ehrman received multiple awards, including Deloitte Entrepreneur of the Year and Ground Support Worldwide Engineer/Innovator Leader. Mr. Ehrman resigned from I.D. Systems in November 2016. He also served on the Board of Directors of Financial Services, Inc. from 2012 to 2016 before it was successfully sold to a large financial software company.

Our Board of Directors believes that Mr. Ehrman’s management experience, engineering expertise and long history and familiarity with industries the Company currently operates in, makes him ideally qualified to help lead the Company towards continued growth.

Ned Mavrommatis, Director

Mr. Mavrommatis joined our Board of Directors on August 13, 2018 and serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Compensation Committee. Mr. Mavrommatis has served as Chief Financial Officer of PowerFleet, Inc. ("PowerFleet") since October 2019. PowerFleet is a global leader and provider of subscription-based wireless IoT and M2M solutions for securing, controlling, tracking, and managing high-value enterprise assets such as industrial trucks, tractor trailers, containers, cargo, and vehicles and truck fleets. From August 1999 until October 2019, he served as Chief Financial Officer of IDS. Mr. Mavrommatis serves on the Board of PowerFleets' wholly owned subsidiary PowerFleet Israel and is also the Managing Director of PowerFleets’ wholly owned subsidiaries, PowerFleet GmbH and PowerFleet Systems Ltd.

Mr. Mavrommatis received a Master of Business Administration in finance from New York University’s Leonard Stern School of Business and a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Bernard M. Baruch College, The City University of New York. Mr. Mavrommatis is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Our Board of Directors believes that Mr. Mavrommatis’ management experience, accounting expertise and long history and familiarity with industries the Company currently operates in, makes him ideally qualified to help lead the Company towards continued growth.

James Craig Nixon, Director

Mr. Nixon joined our Board of Directors on July 15, 2021 and serves as Chairman of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees. Brigadier General Craig Nixon (Ret.) is a combat decorated, special operations soldier. Over a 29-year Army career, Brigadier General Nixon served in a wide range of assignments including seven tours in special operations units including assignments as the Commander, 75th Ranger Regiment and Director of Operations for Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and US Special Operations Command. He is a combat decorated soldier whose awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, three Bronze Stars, and the Purple Heart.

After retiring from the Army in 2011, he was an original Partner at McChrystal Group, helped create a highly successful leadership consulting company and led their engagements with a number of technology focused Fortune 500 companies. In 2013 he became the Chief Executive Officer of ACADEMI and over three years through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions built Constellis Group, a global leader in security and training with over 10,000 employees in 30 countries. During his tenure Constellis tripled in revenue to over $1 billion annually and saw a fivefold increase in EBITDA. Mr. Nixon is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nixon Six Solutions from January 2016 until present, a consulting firm focusing on growth and market entry strategy, leadership, and mergers & acquisitions. He is on a number of government and technology boards and is also a frequent speaker on geopolitics, leadership, and veterans’ challenges.

Brigadier General Nixon is a graduate of Auburn University and has earned master’s degrees from the Command and Staff College and the Air War College. He is a decorated retired General Officer, successful entrepreneur, and passionate supporter of veteran non-profit organizations. He was selected for the Ranger Hall of Fame and Auburn University at Montgomery Top Fifty Alumni in 2017.

Our Board of Directors believes that Mr. Nixon’s extensive military and management experience and familiarity with technology industries make him ideally suited to help lead the Company towards excellence in operations and strategic planning.

Key Employees

Jeff Necciai, Chief Technology Officer, Operating Subsidiary Duos Technologies, Inc.

Mr. Necciai brings over 25 years of experience in designing, developing, and delivering value-driven technology solutions across a wide range of industries to Duos. Prior to joining Duos in January 2021, Jeff served as the Chief Technology Officer of NASCENT Technology, where he cultivated and led high-performing cross-functional product teams to develop and deliver comprehensive gate automation solutions to rail and maritime terminal customers. Jeff was responsible for the solution design and software architecture for many of the company's innovations, including an advanced OCR and imaging solution, proprietary point-to-point VoIP technology, an automated work queue management system, a line of integrated "smart" outdoor IP-based callboxes, and a comprehensive human-assisted security and surveillance platform. In 2001, Jeff co-founded and served as Lead Systems Architect for Solution Dynamics, which developed remote digital video surveillance products for institutional customers. Jeff is listed on several technology-based patents and has contributed articles for publications such as American Shipper, World Cargo News, and the Journal of Commerce. Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

Family Relationships

There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires the Company’s executive officers and directors, and persons who own more than 10% of the Company’s common stock, to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership on Forms 3, 4 and 5 with the SEC.

Based solely on the Company’s review of the copies of such Forms and written representations from certain reporting persons, the Company believes that all filings required to be made by the Company’s Section 16(a) reporting persons during the Company’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, were made on a timely basis.

Code of Ethics

The Company has adopted a Code of Ethics for adherence by its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to ensure honest and ethical conduct, full, fair and proper disclosure of financial information in the Company’s periodic reports filed pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations. Any person may obtain a copy of our Code of Ethics by mailing a request to the Company at 7660 Centurion Parkway, Suite 100, Jacksonville, Florida 33256.

Board Composition and Director Independence

Our Board of Directors currently consists of four members: Mr. Kenneth Ehrman, Mr. Charles P. Ferry, Mr. Ned Mavrommatis, and Mr. James Craig Nixon. The directors will serve until our next annual meeting and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. The Company defines “independent” as that term is defined in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(a)(2).

In making the determination of whether a member of the board is independent, our board considers, among other things, transactions and relationships between each director and his immediate family and the Company, including those reported under the caption “Related Party Transactions”. The purpose of this review is to determine whether any such relationships or transactions are material and, therefore, inconsistent with a determination that the directors are independent. Based on such review and its understanding of such relationships and transactions, our board affirmatively determined that Mr. Ehrman, Mr. Mavrommatis and Mr. Nixon are all qualified as independent and none of them have any material relationship with us that might interfere with his exercise of independent judgment.

Board Committees

Our Board of Directors has established an audit committee, a compensation committee and a corporate governance and nominating committee. Each committee has its own charter, which is available on our website at www.duostech.com. Each of the board committees has the composition and responsibilities described below.

Members will serve on these committees until their resignation or until otherwise determined by our Board of Directors.

Mr. Mavrommatis and Mr. Nixon both of whom are independent directors within the meaning of the Nasdaq’s listing rules, are the Chairman of the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee, respectively. Each of the independent members of our Board of Directors also serves on one or more committees as previously disclosed.

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee oversees our accounting and financial reporting processes and oversees the audit of our financial statements and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. The specific functions of this Committee include, but are not limited to:

Our board has determined that Mr. Mavrommatis is currently qualified as an “audit committee financial expert”, as such term is defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K. Mr. Mavrommatis serves as the Chairman of the Audit Committee.

Compensation Committee

The Committee’s compensation-related responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Mr. Nixon serves as the Chairman of the Compensation Committee.

Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee

The responsibilities of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee include:

Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings

To the best of our knowledge, none of our directors or executive officers has, during the past ten years:

Except as set forth in our discussion below in “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions,” none of our directors or executive officers has been involved in any transactions with us or any of our directors, executive officers, affiliates or associates which are required to be disclosed pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Commission.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The following table sets forth the total compensation received for services rendered in all capacities to our Company for the last two fiscal years, which was awarded to, earned by, or paid to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer (the “Named Executive Officers”).