Annual and Transition Report (foreign Private Issuer) (20-f)

A. Selected Financial Data

The following table presents the selected consolidated financial information for our company. The selected consolidated statements of operations data for the three years ended June 30, 2017, 2018 and 2019 and the consolidated balance sheet data as of June 30, 2018 and 2019 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements set forth in “Item 18 – Financial Statements”. The selected consolidated balance sheet data for the year ended June 30, 2016 have been derived from our audited consolidated balance sheet as of June 30, 2016, which is not included in this annual report. The selected consolidated statements of operations data for the year ended June 30, 2015 and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of June 30, 2015 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements for the years ended June 30, 2015, which are not included in this annual report. Our historical results do not necessarily indicate results expected for any future periods. The selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes and “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” below. Our audited consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP.

(All amounts in thousands of Renminbi, except Dividend per share in U.S. dollars and Shares outstanding)

Statement of operations data:

Balance sheet data:

B. Capitalization and Indebtedness

Not applicable by 20-F as an annual report.

C. Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

Not applicable by 20-F as an annual report.

D. Risk Factors

Investing in our ordinary shares involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to invest in our ordinary shares, you should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties described below. There may be other unknown or unpredictable economic, business, competitive, regulatory or other factors that could have material adverse effects on our future results. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, business prospects, financial condition or results of operations could be seriously harmed. This could cause the trading price of our ordinary shares to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment. Please also read carefully the section below entitled “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

Risks Related to Our Business

We operate in a very competitive industry and may not be able to maintain our revenues and profitability.

Since the 1990s, several international companies engaged in supplying integrated automation services for the petroleum extraction industry have been qualified in China. These competitors have significantly greater financial and marketing resources and name recognition than we have. In addition, at least five domestic private competitors also compete with us, and more competitors may enter the market as Chinese petroleum companies seek to reduce oil production costs and improve efficiencies. There can be no assurance that we will be able to compete effectively in our industry.

In addition, our competitors may introduce new systems. If these new systems are more attractive to customers than the systems we currently use or may develop, our customers may switch to our competitors’ services, and we may lose market share. We believe that competition may become more intense as more integrated automation service providers, including Chinese/foreign joint ventures, are qualified to conduct business. We cannot assure you that we will be able to compete successfully against any new or existing competitors, or against any new systems our competitors may implement. Any of these competitive factors could have a material adverse effect on our revenues and profitability.

We must continually research and develop new technologies and products to remain competitive.

Because our industry is so competitive, we will need to continually research, develop and refine new technologies and offer new products to compete effectively. Many factors may limit our ability to develop and refine new products, including the availability of funds to dedicate to this portion of our business and access to new products and technologies that we can incorporate into our products, as well as marketplace resistance to new products and technologies. We believe that the Domestic Companies (defined in the following paragraph) and our products are able to compete in the marketplace based upon, among other things, our intellectual property. We cannot assure investors that applications of our and the Domestic Companies’ technologies or those of third parties, if developed, will not be rendered superfluous or obsolete by research efforts and technological advances by others in these fields.

We control by contract the PRC companies of Beijing BHD Petroleum Technology Co., Ltd. (“BHD”) and Nanjing Recon Technology Co., Ltd. (“Nanjing Recon”), collectively, the Domestic Companies. As new technologies are developed, the Domestic Companies and we may need to adapt and change our products and services, our method of marketing or delivery or alter our current business in ways that may adversely affect revenue and our ability to achieve our proposed business goals. Accordingly, there is a risk that the Domestic Companies’ and our technology will not support a viable commercial enterprise.

Our financial performance is dependent upon the sale and implementation of petroleum mining and extraction software and hardware and related services, a single, concentrated group of products.

We derive substantially all of our revenues from the license and implementation of software applications and hardware innovations for the Chinese petroleum industry. The life cycle of our products and services is difficult to estimate due in large measure to the potential effect of new software and hardware applications and enhancements, including those we introduce, and the maturation in both the Chinese petroleum and software/hardware industries. If we are unable to continually improve our software and hardware to address the changing needs of the Chinese petroleum industry, we may experience a significant decline in the demand for the Domestic Companies’ and our products and services. In such a scenario, our revenues may significantly decline. 

As a technology-oriented business, our ability to operate profitably is directly related to our ability to develop and protect our proprietary technology.

We rely on a combination of trademark, trade secret, nondisclosure, copyright and patent law to protect the Domestic Companies’ and our software and hardware, which may afford only limited protection.

Although the Chinese government has issued Nanjing Recon over ten copyrights on software and Nanjing Recon and BHD over forty patents on products, we cannot guarantee that competitors will be unable to develop technologies that are similar or superior to the Domestic Companies’ and our technology. Despite our efforts to protect the Domestic Companies’ and our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties, including customers, may attempt to reverse engineer or copy aspects of the Domestic Companies’ and our products or to obtain and use information that the Domestic Companies and we regard as proprietary. Furthermore, our competitors may independently develop substantially equivalent or superior proprietary information and techniques, reverse engineer information and techniques, or otherwise gain access to our proprietary technology. In the future, we cannot guarantee that others will not use the Domestic Companies’ and our technology without proper authorization. In addition, under the Chinese intellectual property law, the 50-year protection period for software copyright and 10-year patent protection period are not subject to renewal upon expiration.

The Domestic Companies and we develop our software products on third-party middleware software programs that are licensed by our customers from third parties, generally on a non-exclusive basis. The termination of any such licenses, or the failure of the third-party licensors to adequately maintain or update their products, could result in delay in our ability to develop, market or ship certain of our products while we seek to implement technology offered by alternative sources. While it may be necessary or desirable in the future to obtain other licenses, there can be no assurance that they will be able to do so on commercially reasonable terms or at all.

In addition, the Domestic Companies and we may initiate claims or litigation against third parties for infringement of our proprietary rights or to establish the validity, scope or enforceability of our proprietary rights. Any such claims could be time consuming, result in costly litigation, cause product development or shipment delays or force the Domestic Companies or us to enter into royalty or license agreements rather than dispute the merits of such claims, thereby impairing our financial performance by requiring the Domestic Companies or us to pay additional royalties and/or license fees to third parties. There is always a risk that patents, if issued, may be subsequently invalidated, either in whole or in part and this could diminish or extinguish protection for any technology we may license. In addition, the laws of China may not protect proprietary rights to the same extent as U.S. law. Therefore, we may be unable to meaningfully protect our rights in trade secrets, technical know-how and other non-patented technology. Any failure to enforce or protect the Domestic Companies’ and our rights could cause us to lose the ability to exclude others from issuing technology to develop or sell competing products.

We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property, which could cause us to be less competitive and negatively impact our business.

We rely on trademark, patent and trade secret law, as well as confidentiality agreements with certain of our employees to protect our proprietary rights. The product patents owned by the Company are employee service patents invented by the Company’s key employees. We generally require the Domestic Companies’ and our employees, consultants, advisors and collaborators to execute appropriate confidentiality agreements with, as applicable, the respective Domestic Companies and the Company. These agreements typically provide that all material and confidential information developed or made known to the individual during the course of the individual’s relationship with the Company is owned by the Company and will be kept confidential and not disclosed to third parties except in specific circumstances. These agreements may be breached, and in some instances, we may not have an appropriate remedy available for breach of the agreements.

We may be accused of infringing the intellectual property rights of others.

In the future, the Domestic Companies and we may receive notices claiming that we are infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. We cannot guarantee that the Domestic Companies and we will not become the subject of infringement claims or legal proceedings by third parties with respect to the Domestic Companies’ and our current programs or future software developments. Our standard software license agreements contain an infringement indemnity clause under which we agree to indemnify and hold harmless our customers and business partners against liability and damages arising from claims of various copyright or other intellectual property infringement by our products. Neither the Domestic Companies nor we have been the subject of an intellectual property claim since our formation. 

Our software products may contain integration challenges, design defects or software errors that could be difficult to detect and correct.

Despite extensive testing, we may, from time to time, discover defects or errors in the Domestic Companies’ and our software only after use by a customer. We may also experience delays in shipment of our software during the period required to correct such errors. In addition, we may, from time to time, experience difficulties relating to the integration of the Domestic Companies’ and our software products with other hardware or software in the customer’s environment that are unrelated to defects in such software products. Such defects, errors or difficulties may cause future delays in product introductions and shipments, result in increased costs and diversion of development resources, require design modifications or impair customer satisfaction with the Domestic Companies’ and our software. Since these software products are used by our customers to perform mission-critical functions related to petroleum mining and extraction, design defects, software errors, misuse of these products, incorrect data from external sources or other potential problems within or out of our control that may arise from the use of the Domestic Companies’ and our products could result in financial or other damages to our customers. We do not maintain product liability insurance. Although our license agreements with customers contain provisions designed to limit our exposure to potential claims as well as any liabilities arising from such claims, such provisions may not effectively protect us against such claims and the liability and costs associated therewith. To the extent we are found liable in a product liability case, we could be required to pay substantial amount of damages to an injured customer, thereby impairing our financial condition.

We are dependent on the state of the PRC’s economy as the majority of our business is conducted in the PRC.

Currently, the majority of our business operations are conducted in the PRC, and most of our customers are also located in the PRC. Accordingly, any significant slowdown in the PRC economy may cause our customers to reduce expenditures or delay the building of new facilities or projects. This may in turn lead to a decline in the demand for our products and services. That would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our future success depends on our ability to help our customers find, develop and acquire petroleum reserves.

To remain competitive in our industry, our products must help our customers locate and develop or acquire new crude oil reserves to replace those depleted by production. Without successful exploration or acquisition activities, our customers’ reserves, production and revenues will decline rapidly. If the Domestic Companies’ and our technology is less well accepted for helping our customers locate additional reserves than our competitors’ technology, our customers may terminate their relationships with us, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and future growth prospects.

Our customers are companies engaged in the petroleum industry and the greater energy industry, and, consequently, our financial performance is dependent upon the economic conditions of those industries.

We have derived most of our revenues to date from providing integrated automation services to Chinese petroleum companies at oilfields within China and other energy industry companies in China. Our customers’ success is intrinsically linked to economic conditions in China and in the petroleum and energy industries in general and the volatility of prices of crude oil, refined oil products and coal chemical products in particular. Each of the petroleum industry and energy industry is subject to intense competitive pressures and is affected by overall economic conditions. Demand for our services could be harmed by volatility in those industries. There can be no assurance that we will be able to continue our historical revenue growth or sustain our profitability on a quarterly or annual basis or that our results of operations will not be adversely affected by continuing or future volatility in those industries.

Our revenues are highly dependent on a very limited number of customers, which subjects our business to high seasonality. Our contracts with such customers may be terminated at any time, materially and adversely affecting our business.

Historically, we derived the majority of our revenues from two customers, (i) China National Petroleum Corporation (“CNPC”) and (ii) China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (“Sinopec”). Since the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017, Sinopec accounted for less than 5% of our revenues.

We provide products and services to CNPC under a series of agreements, each of which is terminable without notice. We first began to provide services to CNPC in 2000. CNPC accounted for approximately 39%, 45%, and 72% of our revenues in the fiscal years ended June 30, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and any termination of our business relationships with CNPC would materially harm our operations.

In the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019, we had established a solid relationship with Shenhua Group Corporation Limited (“Shenhua Group”) and revenue from it in the fiscal year 2019 accounted for approximately 24% of our revenue. Any termination of our business relationships with CNPC, Shenhua Group or any other major client would materially harm our operations.

Because we derive such a high percentage of our revenues from CNPC and a few new clients, our revenue has been subject to high seasonality. We recognize revenue when it is realized and earned. We consider revenue realized or realizable and earned when (1) we have persuasive evidence of an arrangement, (2) delivery has occurred, (3) the sales price is fixed or determinable, and (4) collectability is reasonably assured. Because these matters depend on reaching agreements with these clients, revenue recognition occurs, to a large extent, on their schedule. Accordingly, revenue recognized in the first quarter is usually the smallest in proportion to that for the whole year, due to our clients’ budgeting and planning schedules. If these clients were to change its budgeting or planning schedule our high and low quarters could also shift. This seasonality limits our ability to make accurate long-term predictions about our performance and makes it difficult to compare our revenues across quarters.

Changes in environmental and regulatory factors may harm our business.

The oil drilling industry in China to date has not been subject to the type and scope of regulation seen in Europe and the United States. However, the Chinese government may implement new legislation or regulations or may enforce existing laws more stringently. Either of these scenarios may have a significant impact on our customers’ mining and extraction operations and may require us or our customers to significantly change operations or to incur substantial costs. We believe that the Domestic Companies’ and our operations in China are in compliance with China’s applicable legal and regulatory requirements. However, there can be no assurance that China’s central or local governments will not impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures.

Petroleum reserve degradation and depletion may reduce our customers’ and our profitability.

Our profitability depends substantially on our ability to help our customers exploit their oil reserves at competitive costs. Replacement reserves may not be available to our customers when required or, if available, may not be drilled at costs comparable to those characteristics of the depleting oilfield. The Domestic Companies’ and our technology may not enable our customers to accurately assess the geological characteristics of any new reserves, which may adversely affect their decision to use the Domestic Companies’ and our products in the future.

We are heavily dependent upon the services of experienced personnel who possess skills that are valuable in our industry, and we may have to actively compete for their services.

Our company is much smaller than our main foreign competitors, including Schlumberger Limited, Honeywell International, Emerson Process Management and Rockwell Automation, and we compete in large part on the basis of the quality of services we are able to provide our clients. As a result, we are heavily dependent upon our ability to attract, retain and motivate skilled personnel to serve our clients. Many of our personnel possess skills that would be valuable to all companies engaged in the integrated automation services industry. Consequently, we expect that we will have to actively compete for these employees. Some of our competitors may be able to pay our employees more than we are able to pay to retain them. Our ability to profitably operate is substantially dependent upon our ability to locate, hire, train and retain our personnel. There can be no assurance that we will be able to retain our current personnel, or that we will be able to attract or assimilate other personnel in the future. If we are unable to effectively obtain and maintain skilled personnel, the development and quality of our technological products and the effectiveness of installation and training could be materially impaired.

We are substantially dependent upon our key personnel, particularly Yin Shenping, our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Chen Guangqiang, our Chief Technology Officer and Ms. Liu Jia, our Chief Financial Officer.

Our performance is substantially dependent on the performance of our executive officers and key employees. In particular, we rely on the services of:

Each of these individuals would be difficult to replace. We do not have in place “key person” life insurance policies on any of our employees. The loss of the services of any of our executive officers or other key employees could substantially impair our ability to successfully development new systems and develop new programs and enhancements. In addition, we would need to spend considerable time and other resources to seek suitable replacements, which might detract from our efforts to develop our business.

Our business is capital intensive and our growth strategy may require additional capital, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all.

We may require additional cash resources due to changed business conditions, implementation of our growth strategy or potential investments or acquisitions we may pursue. To meet our capital needs, we may sell additional equity or debt securities or obtain additional credit facilities. The sale of additional equity securities or other securities convertible into such equity securities could result in dilution of your holdings. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could require us to agree to operating and financial covenants that would restrict our operations. Financing may not be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. Any failure by us to raise additional funds on terms favorable to us, or at all, could limit our ability to expand our business operations and could harm our overall business prospects.

We do not intend to pay dividends in the foreseeable future and there are certain restrictions on the payment of dividend under PRC laws.

We have not previously paid any cash dividends, and we do not anticipate paying any dividends on our ordinary shares. As we intend to remain in a growth mode, we intend to reinvest any profits in the foreseeable future to grow the business. We cannot assure you that our operations will continue to result in sufficient revenues to enable us to operate at profitable levels or to generate positive cash flows. Furthermore, there is no assurance our Board of Directors will declare dividends even if we are profitable. Dividend policy is subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on, among other things, our earnings, financial condition, capital requirements and other factors. If we determine to pay dividends on any of our ordinary shares in the future, we will be dependent, in large part, on receipt of funds from the Domestic Companies.

We are a holding company with no operations of our own and substantially all of our operations are conducted through Nanjing Recon and BHD, hereafter referred to as our Domestic Companies, which are established as variable interest entities (“VIEs”) under the laws of the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”). Our ability to pay dividends is dependent upon dividends and other distributions from the Domestic Companies. Chinese legal restrictions permit payment of dividends to us by our Domestic Companies only out of their respective accumulated net profits, if any, determined in accordance with Chinese accounting standards and regulations. Under Chinese law, our Domestic Companies are required to set aside a portion (at least 10%) of their after-tax net income (after discharging all cumulated loss), if any, each year for compulsory statutory reserve until the amount of the reserve reaches 50% of our Domestic Companies’ registered capital. These funds may be distributed to shareholders at the time of each Domestic Company’s wind up. Payments of dividends by Domestic Companies to us are also subject to restrictions including primarily the restriction that foreign invested enterprises may only buy, sell and/or remit foreign currencies at those banks authorized to conduct foreign exchange business after providing valid commercial documents. There are no such similar foreign exchange restrictions in the Cayman Islands.

Our certificates, permits, and license are subject to governmental control and renewal, and the failure to obtain renewal would cause all or part of our operations to be suspended and may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

We are subject to various PRC laws and regulations pertaining to automation services for the petroleum extraction industry. We have obtained certain certificates, permits, and licenses required for the operation of an automation services provider for the petroleum extraction industry and the manufacturing and distribution of software and hardware products in the PRC.

During the application or renewal process for our licenses and permits, we will be evaluated and re-evaluated by the appropriate governmental authorities and must comply with the prevailing standards and regulations, which may change from time to time. In the event that we are not able to obtain or renew the certificates, permits and licenses, all or part of our operations may be suspended by the government, which would have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. Furthermore, if escalating compliance costs associated with governmental standards and regulations restrict or prohibit any part of our operations, it may adversely affect our results of operations and profitability.

Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure

PRC laws and regulations governing our businesses and the validity of certain of our contractual arrangements are uncertain. In addition, changes in such PRC laws and regulations may materially and adversely affect our business.

There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the laws and regulations governing our business, and the enforcement and performance of our contractual arrangements with the Domestic Companies and their shareholders.

Recon Technology, Ltd (the “Company”), Recon Technology Co., Limited (“Recon HK”), Recon Investment Ltd. (“Recon IN”) and Recon Hengda Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (“Recon-BJ”) are considered foreign persons or foreign invested enterprises under PRC law. As a result, the Company, Recon-HK, Recon-IN and Recon-BJ are subject to PRC law limitations on foreign ownership of domestic companies. Although the primary business of the Domestic Companies falls within a category in which foreign investment is currently encouraged, the uncertainty of PRC regulations and governmental policies affecting foreign ownership may result in the Company being required to hold (or, conversely, being prohibited from holding), directly or indirectly, a given percentage of the Domestic Companies’ equity interests. Our contractual arrangements with the Domestic Companies and their shareholders, which allow us to substantially control the Domestic Companies through Recon-BJ, are governed by Chinese law. We cannot assure you, however, that we will be able to enforce these contracts. If we are unable to enforce these contracts, we could be required to deconsolidate such Domestic Company from our financial results.

In addition, Chinese laws and regulations limiting foreign ownership of domestic companies are relatively new and may be subject to change, and their official interpretation and enforcement may involve substantial uncertainty. The effectiveness of newly enacted laws, regulations or amendments may be delayed, resulting in detrimental reliance by foreign investors. New laws and regulations that affect existing and proposed future businesses may also be applied retroactively.

The PRC government has broad discretion in dealing with violations of laws and regulations, including levying fines, revoking business and other licenses and requiring actions necessary for compliance. In particular, licenses and permits issued or granted to us by relevant governmental bodies may be revoked at a later time by higher regulatory bodies. We cannot predict the effect of the interpretation of existing or new PRC laws or regulations on our businesses. We cannot assure you that our current ownership and operating structure would not be found in violation of any current or future PRC laws or regulations. As a result, we may be subject to sanctions, including fines, and could be required to restructure our operations or cease to provide certain services. Any of these or similar actions could significantly disrupt our business operations or restrict us from conducting a substantial portion of our business operations, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and future growth prospects.

Although we believe we comply and will continue to comply with current PRC regulations, we cannot assure you that the PRC government would agree that these operating arrangements comply with PRC licensing, registration or other regulatory requirements, with existing policies or with requirements or policies that may be adopted in the future. If the PRC government determines that we do not comply with applicable law, it could revoke our business and operating licenses, require us to discontinue or restrict our operations, restrict our right to collect revenues, require us to restructure our operations, impose additional conditions or requirements with which we may not be able to comply, impose restrictions on our business operations or on our customers, or take other regulatory or enforcement actions against us that could be harmful to our business. 

The PRC government may determine that the agreements we use to control the Domestic Companies are not in compliance with applicable PRC laws, rules and regulations and are therefore unenforceable.

In the PRC, foreign invested enterprises are forbidden or restricted to engage in certain specified businesses or industries which are sensitive to the economy. The Chinese government periodically revises its list of encouraged, permitted, restricted, and forbidden industries. As we intend to centralize our management and operation in the PRC without being restricted to conduct certain business activities which are important for our current or future business but are restricted or might be restricted in the future, we believe the agreements between Recon-BJ and the Domestic Companies will be essential for our business operation. In order for Recon-BJ to manage and operate our business through the Domestic Companies in the PRC, these agreements were entered into under which almost all the business activities of the Domestic Companies are managed and operated by Recon-BJ and almost all economic benefits and risks arising from the business of the Domestic Companies are transferred to Recon-BJ.

Risks are associated with our operations under the agreements with the Domestic Companies. If the PRC government determines that these agreements used to control the Domestic Companies are unenforceable as they circumvent the PRC restrictions relating to foreign investment restrictions, the relevant regulatory authorities would have broad discretion in dealing with such breach, including:

Any of these actions could have a material adverse impact on our business, future operating prospects, financial condition and results of operations.

Our contractual arrangements with the Domestic Companies and their respective shareholders may not be as effective in providing control over these entities as direct ownership.

We have no equity ownership interest in the Domestic Companies and rely on contractual arrangements to control and operate such businesses. These contractual arrangements may not be as effective in providing control over the Domestic Companies as direct ownership. For example, BHD could fail to take actions required for our business or fail to pay dividends to Recon-BJ despite its contractual obligation to do so. If the Domestic Companies fail to perform under their agreements with us, we may have to rely on legal remedies under PRC law, which may not be effective. In addition, we cannot assure you that any of the Domestic Companies’ shareholders would always act in our best interests.

Regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents may limit our ability to acquire PRC companies and could adversely affect our business.

In July 2014, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration Over the Overseas Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment by Domestic Residents Via Special Purpose Vehicles, or Circular 37, which replaced Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Corporate Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Offshore Special Purpose Vehicles, or Circular 75. Circular 37 requires PRC residents to register with local branches of SAFE in connection with their direct establishment or indirect control of an offshore entity, referred to in Circular 37 as a “special purpose vehicle” for the purpose of holding domestic or offshore assets or interests. Circular 37 further requires amendment to a PRC resident’s registration in the event of any significant changes with respect to the special purpose vehicle, such as an increase or decrease in the capital contributed by PRC individuals, share transfer or exchange, merger, division or other material event. Under these regulations, PRC residents’ failure to comply with specified registration procedures may result in restrictions being imposed on the foreign exchange activities of the relevant PRC entity, including the payment of dividends and other distributions to its offshore parent, as well as restrictions on capital inflows from the offshore entity to the PRC entity, including restrictions on its ability to contribute additional capital to its PRC subsidiaries. Further, failure to comply with the SAFE registration requirements could result in penalties under PRC law for evasion of foreign exchange regulations.

As Circular 37 is newly-issued, it is unclear how these regulations will be interpreted and implemented. In addition, different local SAFE branches may have different views and procedures as to the interpretation and implementation of the SAFE regulations, and it may be difficult for our ultimate shareholders or beneficial owners who are PRC residents to provide sufficient supporting documents required by the SAFE or to complete the required registration with the SAFE in a timely manner, or at all. Any failure by any of our shareholders who is a PRC resident, or is controlled by a PRC resident, to comply with relevant requirements under these regulations could subject us to fines or sanctions imposed by the PRC government, including restrictions on Recon-BJ’s ability to pay dividends or make distributions to us and on our ability to increase our investment in the Recon-BJ.

Under Circular 37, if a non-listed special purpose vehicle uses its own equity or share option to grant equity incentive awards to directors, supervisors, members of senior management or employees directly employed by a domestic enterprise that is directly or indirectly controlled by such special purpose vehicle, or with which such employee has established an employment relationship, any of such directors, supervisors, members of senior management or employees who is a PRC resident should, prior to exercising their rights, file an application with the SAFE for foreign exchange registration with respect to such special purpose vehicle. However, in practice, different local SAFE branches may have different views and procedures as to the interpretation and implementation of the SAFE regulations and, since Circular 37 was the first regulation to regulate the foreign exchange registration of a non-listed special purpose vehicle’s equity incentive granted to PRC residents, there remains uncertainty with respect to its implementation.

Our contractual arrangements with the Domestic Companies may result in adverse tax consequences to us.

As a result of our corporate structure and contractual arrangements between Recon-BJ and the Domestic Companies, we are effectively subject to several PRC taxes on both revenues generated by Recon-BJ’s operations in China and revenues derived from Recon-BJ’s contractual arrangements with the Domestic Companies. Moreover, we would be subject to adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities were to determine that the contracts between Recon-BJ and the Domestic Companies were not on an arm’s length basis and therefore constitute a favorable transfer pricing. As a result, the PRC tax authorities could request that we adjust our taxable income upward for PRC tax purposes. If the PRC tax authorities took such action, such authorities would be able to establish in its sole discretion the amount of tax payable by Recon-BJ, so we cannot predict the effect of such action on our company other than the likely effect that our profits would decrease. Such a pricing adjustment could adversely affect us by:

The principal shareholders of the Domestic Companies have potential conflicts of interest with us, which may adversely affect our business.

Yin Shenping, our Chief Executive Officer, and Chen Guangqiang, our Chief Technology Officer, are significant shareholders in our company. They are also the principal shareholders of each of the Domestic Companies and collectively control the Domestic Companies. Conflicts of interests between their duties to our company and the respective Domestic Companies may arise. For example, Mr. Yin and Mr. Chen could cause a Domestic Company to fail to take actions that are in the best interests of our Company or to fail to pay dividends to Recon-BJ despite its contractual obligation to do so if making such payment would harm the Domestic Company.

As Mr. Yin and Mr. Chen are also directors and executive officers of our company, they have duties of loyalty and care to us under Cayman Islands law when there are any potential conflicts of interests between our company and the Domestic Companies. Each of Mr. Yin and Mr. Chen has executed an irrevocable power of attorney to appoint the individual designated by us to be his attorney-in-fact to vote on his behalf on all matters related to the Domestic Companies requiring shareholder approval. We cannot assure you, however, that if conflicts of interest arise, they will act completely in our interests or that conflicts of interests will be resolved in our favor. In addition, Mr. Yin and Mr. Chen could violate their respective employment agreements with us or their legal duties by diverting business opportunities from us to others. If we cannot resolve any conflicts of interest between us and Mr. Yin and Mr. Chen, as applicable, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could result in the disruption of our business.

Any deterioration of the relationship between Recon-BJ and the Domestic Companies could materially and adversely affect the overall business operation of our company.

Our relationship with our Domestic Companies is governed by their agreements with Recon-BJ, which are intended to provide us, through our indirect ownership of Recon-BJ, with effective control over the business operations of our Domestic Companies. However, these agreements may not be effective in providing control over the applications for and maintenance of the licenses required for our business operations. Our Domestic Companies could violate these agreements, go bankrupt, suffer from difficulties in its business or otherwise become unable to perform its obligations under these agreements and, as a result, our operations, reputation, business and stock price could be severely harmed.

If Recon-BJ exercises its purchase option of the Domestic Companies’ equity pursuant to the Exclusive Equity Interest Purchase Agreement, payment of the purchase price could materially and adversely affect our financial position.

Under the Exclusive Equity Interest Purchase Agreement, Recon-BJ holds an option to purchase all or a portion of the equity of the Domestic Companies at a price, based on the capital paid in by the Domestic Company shareholders. If applicable PRC laws and regulations require an appraisal of the equity interest or provide other restriction on the purchase price, the purchase price shall be the lowest price permitted under the applicable PRC laws and regulations. As the Domestic Companies are already contractually controlled affiliates to our company, Recon-BJ’s purchase of the Domestic Companies’ equity would not bring immediate benefits to our company and the exercise of the option and payment of the purchase prices could adversely affect our financial position and available working capital.

Our classified board structure may prevent a change in our control.

Our board of directors is divided into three classes of directors. The current terms of the directors expire in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Directors of each class are chosen for three-year terms upon the expiration of their current terms, and each year one class of directors is elected by the shareholders. The staggered terms of our directors may reduce the possibility of a tender offer or an attempt at a change in control, even though a tender offer or change in control might be in the best interest of our shareholders.

Shareholder rights under Cayman Islands law may differ materially from shareholder rights in the United States, which could adversely affect the ability of us and our shareholders to protect our and their interests.

Our corporate affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, by the Companies Law (2013 Revision) and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders, and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law in the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from English common law, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority but are not binding on a court in the Cayman Islands. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and some states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate laws. Moreover, our company could be involved in a corporate combination in which dissenting shareholders would have no rights comparable to appraisal rights which would otherwise ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of United States corporations. However, Cayman Islands statutory law does provide a mechanism for a dissenting shareholder in a merger or consolidation to apply to the Grand Court for a determination of the fair value of the dissenter’s shares if it is not possible for the dissenter and the Company to agree a fair price within the time limits prescribed. Also, our Cayman Islands counsel is not aware of a significant number of reported derivative actions having been brought in Cayman Islands courts. Class actions are not recognized in the Cayman Islands, but groups of shareholders with identical interests may bring representative proceedings which are similar. Such actions are ordinarily available in respect of United States corporations in U.S. courts. Finally, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate shareholder derivative action before the federal courts of the United States. As a result, our public shareholders may face different considerations in protecting their interests in actions against the management, directors or our controlling shareholders than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a jurisdiction in the United States, and our ability to protect our interests may be limited if we are harmed in a manner that would otherwise enable us to sue in a United States federal court.

As we are a Cayman Islands company and most of our assets are outside the United States, it will be extremely difficult to acquire jurisdiction and enforce liabilities against us and our officers, directors and assets based in China.

We are a Cayman Islands exempt company, and our corporate affairs are governed by our Memorandum and Articles of Association and by the Cayman Islands Companies Law (2013 Revision) and other applicable Cayman Islands laws. Certain of our directors and officers reside outside of the United States. In addition, the Company’s assets will be located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible to effect service of process within the United States upon our directors or officers and our subsidiaries, or enforce against any of them court judgments obtained in United States’ courts, including judgments relating to United States federal securities laws. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands and of other offshore jurisdictions would recognize or enforce judgments of United States’ courts obtained against us predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state thereof on the grounds that such provisions are penal in nature, or be competent to hear original actions brought in the Cayman Islands or other offshore jurisdictions predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state thereof. Our Cayman Islands’ counsel has advised us that although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, the courts of the Cayman Islands will recognize and enforce a foreign judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction if such judgment is final, for a liquidated sum, provided it is not in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, is not inconsistent with a Cayman Islands’ judgment in respect of the same matters, and was not obtained in a manner which is contrary to the public policy of the Cayman Islands. A Cayman Islands court may stay proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere. Furthermore, because the majority of our assets are located in China, it would also be extremely difficult to access those assets to satisfy an award entered against us in United States court.

Risks Related to Doing Business in China

Adverse changes in China’s political, economic or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of China, which could reduce the demand for our products and materially adversely affect our competitive position.

We conduct substantially all of our operations and generate most of our revenues in China. Accordingly, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects are affected significantly by economic, political and legal developments in China. The PRC economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including:

While the PRC economy has grown significantly since the late 1970s, the growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. The PRC government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures benefit the overall PRC economy, but may also have a negative effect on our business. For example, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations that are applicable to us.

The PRC economy has been transitioning from a planned economy to a more market-oriented economy. The PRC government continues to exercise significant control over economic growth in China through the allocation of resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy and imposing policies that impact particular industries or companies in different ways.

Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could limit the legal protections available to you and us.

We conduct substantially all of our business through our operating subsidiary in the PRC, Recon-BJ, which is a wholly foreign owned enterprise in China. Recon-BJ is generally subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign invested enterprises in China and intellectual property protections. The PRC legal system is based on written statutes, and prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value. Since the late 1970s, a series of new PRC laws and regulations have significantly enhanced the protections afforded to intellectual property rights and various forms of foreign investments in China. However, since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involve uncertainties, which may limit legal protections available to you and us. In addition, any litigation in China may be protracted and result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.

We do not have business interruption, litigation or natural disaster insurance.

The insurance industry in China is still at an early stage of development. In particular PRC insurance companies offer limited business products. As a result, we do not have any business liability or disruption insurance coverage for our operations in China. Any business interruption, litigation or natural disaster may result in our business incurring substantial costs and the diversion of resources.

We may be subject to foreign exchange controls in the PRC.

Our PRC subsidiary and affiliates are subject to PRC rules and regulations on currency conversion. In the PRC, the State Administration for Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”) regulates the conversion of the RMB into foreign currencies. Currently, foreign investment enterprises (“FIEs”) are required to apply to SAFE for “Foreign Exchange Registration Certificate for FIEs.” Recon-BJ is an FIE. With such registration certifications (which need to be renewed annually), FIEs are allowed to open foreign currency accounts including the “recurrent account” and the “capital account.” Currently, conversion within the scope of the “recurrent account” can be effected without requiring the approval of SAFE. However, conversion of currency in the “capital account” (e.g. for capital items such as direct investments, loans, securities, etc.) still requires the approval of SAFE. Accordingly, compliance with SAFE requirements may limit how we are able to use our funds, in ways that we would not be limited if we operated in countries other than China.

Fluctuations in exchange rates could adversely affect the value of our securities.

Changes in the value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar and other foreign currencies are affected by, among other things, changes in China’s political and economic conditions. Any significant revaluation of the RMB may have a material adverse effect on the value of, and any dividends payable on our shares in U.S. dollar terms. For example, if we decide to convert our RMB into U.S. dollars for the purpose of paying dividends on our ordinary shares or for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the RMB would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us.

Since July 2005, the RMB is no longer pegged to the U.S. dollar. Although the People’s Bank of China regularly intervenes in the foreign exchange market to prevent significant short-term fluctuations in the exchange rate, the RMB may appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the medium to long term. Moreover, it is possible that in the future PRC authorities may lift restrictions on fluctuations in the RMB exchange rate and lessen intervention in the foreign exchange market.

Very limited hedging transactions are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. To date, we have not entered into any hedging transactions. We do not plan to enter into hedging transactions in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these transactions may be limited, and we may not be able to successfully hedge our exposure at all. In addition, our foreign currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert RMB into foreign currencies.

PRC regulations relating to the establishment of offshore special purpose vehicles by PRC residents, if applied to us, may subject our PRC resident shareholders to personal liability and limit our ability to acquire PRC companies or to inject capital into Recon-HK, Recon-IN and Recon-BJ, limit Recon-HK’s, Recon-IN’s and Recon-BJ’s ability to distribute profits to us or otherwise materially adversely affect us.

On October 21, 2005, SAFE issued a public notice, the Notice on Relevant Issues in the Foreign Exchange Control over Financing and Return Investment Through Special Purpose Companies by Residents Inside China, or the SAFE notice, which requires PRC residents, including both legal persons and natural persons, to register with the competent local SAFE branch before establishing or controlling any company outside of China, referred to as an “offshore special purpose company,” for the purpose of overseas equity financing involving onshore assets or equity interests held by them. In addition, any PRC resident that is the shareholder of an offshore special purpose company is required to amend its SAFE registration with the local SAFE branch with respect to that offshore special purpose company in connection with any increase or decrease of capital, transfer of shares, merger, division, equity investment or creation of any security interest over any assets located in China. Moreover, if the offshore special purpose company was established and owned the onshore assets or equity interests before November 1, 2005, a retroactive SAFE registration is required to have been completed before March 31, 2006. If any PRC shareholder of any offshore special purpose company fails to make the required SAFE registration and amendment, the PRC subsidiaries of that offshore special purpose company (Recon-HK, Recon-IN and Recon-BJ for our company) may be prohibited from distributing their profits and the proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation to the offshore special purpose company. Moreover, failure to comply with the SAFE registration and amendment requirements described above could result in liability under PRC laws for evasion of applicable foreign exchange restrictions.

Due to lack of official interpretation, some of the terms and provisions in the SAFE notice remain unclear and implementation by central SAFE and local SAFE branches of the SAFE notice has been inconsistent since its adoption. Because of uncertainty over how the SAFE notice will be interpreted and implemented, we cannot predict how it will affect our business operations or future strategies. For example, Recon-HK’s, Recon-IN’s, Recon-BJ’s and any prospective PRC subsidiaries’ ability to conduct foreign exchange activities, such as the remittance of dividends and foreign currency-denominated borrowings, may be subject to compliance with the SAFE notice by our company’s PRC resident beneficial holders. In addition, such PRC residents may not always be able to complete the necessary registration procedures required by the SAFE notice. We also have little control over either our present or prospective direct or indirect shareholders or the outcome of such registration procedures. A failure by our PRC resident beneficial holders or future PRC resident shareholders to comply with the SAFE notice, if SAFE requires it, could subject us to fines or legal sanctions, restrict our overseas or cross-border investment activities, limit our subsidiary’s ability to make distributions or pay dividends or affect our ownership structure, which could adversely affect our business and prospects.

Under the Enterprise Income Tax Law, we may be classified as a “Resident Enterprise” of China. Such classification will likely result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders.

China passed the Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law, and it is implementing rules, both of which became effective on January 1, 2008. Under the EIT Law, an enterprise established outside of China with “de facto management bodies” within China is considered a “resident enterprise,” meaning that it can be treated in a manner similar to a Chinese enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes. The implementing rules of the EIT Law define de facto management as “substantial and overall management and control over the production and operations, personnel, accounting, and properties” of the enterprise.

On April 22, 2009, the State Administration of Taxation of China, or the SAT, issued the Circular Concerning Relevant Issues Regarding Cognizance of Chinese Investment Controlled Enterprises Incorporated Offshore as Resident Enterprises pursuant to Criteria of de facto Management Bodies, or the SAT Notice 82, further interpreting the application of the EIT Law and its implementation to offshore entities controlled by a Chinese enterprise or enterprise group. Pursuant to the SAT Notice 82, an enterprise incorporated in an offshore jurisdiction and controlled by a Chinese enterprise or enterprise group will be classified as a “non-domestically incorporated resident enterprise” if (i) its senior management in charge of daily operations reside or perform their duties mainly in China; (ii) its financial or personnel decisions are made or approved by bodies or persons in China; (iii) its substantial assets and properties, accounting books, corporate stamps, board and shareholder minutes are kept in China; and (iv) at least half of its directors with voting rights or senior management often resident in China. After SAT Notice 82, the SAT issued a bulletin, known as SAT Bulletin 45, which took effect on September 1, 2011, to provide more guidance on the implementation of SAT Notice 82 and clarify the reporting and filing obligations of such “non-domestically incorporated resident enterprise.” SAT Bulletin 45 provides procedures and administrative details for the determination of resident status and administration on post-determination matters. On January 29, 2014, the SAT issued Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Recognizing Resident Enterprises Based on the Criteria of de facto Management Bodies, to further clarify the reporting and filing procedure for offshore entities controlled by a Chinese enterprise or enterprise group and recognized as a resident enterprise.

The determining criteria set forth in SAT Notice 82 and SAT Bulletin 45 may reflect the SAT’s general position on how the “de facto management body” test should be applied in determining the tax resident status of offshore enterprises, regardless of whether they are controlled by PRC enterprises, PRC enterprise groups or by PRC or foreign individuals. If the PRC tax authorities determine that Recon or its subsidiaries is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, a number of unfavorable PRC tax consequences could follow. First, we may be subject to the enterprise income tax at a rate of 25% on our worldwide taxable income as well as PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations. In our case, this would mean that income such as non-China source income would be subject to PRC enterprise income tax at a rate of 25%. Currently, we do not have any non-China source income, as we complete our sales, including export sales, in China. Second, under the EIT Law and its implementing rules, dividends paid to us from our PRC subsidiaries would be deemed as “qualified investment income between resident enterprises” and therefore qualify as “tax-exempt income” pursuant to the clause 26 of the EIT Law. Finally, it is possible that future guidance issued with respect to the new “resident enterprise” classification could result in a situation in which the dividends we pay with respect to our ordinary shares, or the gain our non-PRC stockholders may realize from the transfer of our ordinary shares, may be treated as PRC-sourced income and may therefore be subject to a 10% PRC withholding tax. If we are required under the EIT Law and its implementing regulations to withhold PRC income tax on dividends payable to our non-PRC stockholders, or if non-PRC stockholders are required to pay PRC income tax on gains on the transfer of their shares of ordinary shares, our business could be negatively impacted and the value of your investment may be materially reduced. Further, if we were treated as a “resident enterprise” by PRC tax authorities, we would be subject to taxation in both China and such countries in which we have taxable income, and our PRC tax may not be creditable against such other taxes.

PRC regulations and potential registration requirements relating to acquisitions of PRC companies by foreign entities may create regulatory uncertainties that could restrict or limit our ability to operate.

On August 8, 2006, six PRC regulatory agencies, including the PRC Ministry of Commerce (“MOC”), the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the State Administration of Taxation, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) and SAFE, jointly adopted the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, which came into effect on September 8, 2006 and was amended on June 22, 2009. The M&A Rules significantly revised China’s regulatory framework governing onshore-to-offshore restructurings and foreign acquisitions of domestic enterprises. These new rules signify greater PRC government attention to cross-border merger, acquisition and other investment activities, by confirming MOC as a key regulator for issues related to mergers and acquisitions in China and requiring MOC approval of a broad range of merger, acquisition and investment transactions. Further, the new rules establish reporting requirements for acquisition of control by foreigners of companies in key industries and reinforce the ability of the Chinese government to monitor and prohibit foreign control transactions in key industries.

Among other things, the M&A Rules include new provisions that purport to require that an offshore SPV, formed for listing purposes and controlled directly or indirectly by PRC companies or individuals must obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of such SPV’s securities on an overseas stock exchange. On September 21, 2006, the CSRC published on its official website procedures specifying documents and materials required to be submitted to it by SPVs seeking CSRC approval of their overseas listings. However, the application of this PRC regulation remains unclear with no consensus currently existing among the leading PRC law firms regarding the scope and applicability of the CSRC approval requirement.

If the PRC regulatory authorities take the view that the VIE Agreements constitute a reverse merger acquisition or round-trip investment in related party transactions without the approval of the national offices of MOC, they could invalidate the VIE Agreements. Additionally, the PRC regulatory authorities may take the view that any public offering plan will require the prior approval of CSRC. If we cannot obtain MOC or CSRC approval in case we are required to do so, our business and financial performance will be materially adversely affected. We may also face regulatory actions or other sanctions from the MOC or other PRC regulatory agencies. These regulatory agencies may impose fines and penalties on our operations in the PRC, limit our operating privileges in the PRC, delay or restrict the repatriation of the proceeds of this or any other offering into the PRC, or take other actions that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, reputation and prospects, as well as the trading price of our ordinary shares.

Also, if the CSRC later requires that we obtain its approval, we may be unable to obtain a waiver of the CSRC approval requirements, if and when procedures are established to obtain such a waiver. Any uncertainties and/or negative publicity regarding this CSRC approval requirement could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our ordinary shares.

PRC registration requirements for stock option plans of overseas publicly-listed companies may restrict our ability to adopt equity compensation plans for our directors and employees or otherwise limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to distribute profits to us.

In February 2012, SAFE promulgated the Notice on the Administration of Foreign Exchange Matters for Domestic Individuals Participating in the Stock Incentive Plans of Overseas Listed Companies, or the Stock Option Notice, which replaced the Application Procedures of Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Employee Stock Ownership Plans or Stock Option Plans of Overseas Publicly-Listed Companies issued by SAFE on March 28, 2007. Under the Stock Option Notice and other relevant rules and regulations, PRC residents who participate in stock incentive plan in an overseas publicly-listed company are required to register with SAFE or its local branches and complete certain other procedures. Participants of a stock incentive plan who are PRC residents must collectively retain a qualified PRC agent, which could be a PRC subsidiary of such overseas publicly listed company or another qualified institution selected by such PRC subsidiary, to conduct the SAFE registration and other procedures with respect to the stock incentive plan on behalf of its participants. Such participants must also collectively retain an overseas entrusted institution to handle matters in connection with their exercise of stock options, the purchase and sale of corresponding stocks or interests and fund transfers. In addition, the PRC agent is required to amend the SAFE registration with respect to the stock incentive plan if there is any material change to the stock incentive plan, the PRC agent or the overseas entrusted institution or other material changes. We and our PRC employees who have been granted stock options are subject to these regulations. Failure of our PRC stock option holders to complete their SAFE registrations may subject these PRC residents to fines and legal sanctions and may also limit our ability to compensate our employees and directors through equity compensation, limited our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to distribute dividends to us, or otherwise materially adversely affect our business.

The Chinese government could change its policies toward private enterprise or even nationalize or expropriate private enterprises, which could result in the total loss of our investment in that country.

Our business is subject to significant political and economic uncertainties and may be adversely affected by political, economic and social developments in China. Over the past several years, the Chinese government has pursued economic reform policies including the encouragement of private economic activity and greater economic decentralization. The Chinese government may not continue to pursue these policies or may significantly alter them to our detriment from time to time with little, if any, prior notice.

Changes in policies, laws and regulations or in their interpretation or the imposition of confiscatory taxation, restrictions on currency conversion, restrictions or prohibitions on dividend payments to shareholders, devaluations of currency or the nationalization or other expropriation of private enterprises could have a material adverse effect on our business. Nationalization or expropriation could even result in the total loss of our investment in China and in the total loss of your investment in us.

We may be unable to establish and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, and as a result we may be unable to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud.

The PRC historically has been deficient in western style management, governance and financial reporting concepts and practices, as well as in modern banking, and other control systems. Our current management has little experience with western style management, governance and financial reporting concepts and practices, and we may have difficulty in hiring and retaining a sufficient number of qualified employees to work in the PRC. As a result of these factors, and especially given that we are a publicly listed company in the U.S. and subject to regulation as such, we may experience difficulty in establishing management, governance, legal and financial controls, collecting financial data and preparing financial statements, books of account and corporate records and instituting business practices that meet western standards. We may have difficulty establishing adequate management, governance, legal and financial controls in the PRC. Therefore, we may, in turn, experience difficulties in implementing and maintaining adequate internal controls as required under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and other applicable laws, rules and regulations. This may result in significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in our internal controls which could impact the reliability of our financial statements and prevent us from complying with SEC rules and regulations and the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Any such deficiencies, weaknesses or lack of compliance could have a materially adverse effect on our business and the public announcement of such deficiencies could adversely impact our stock price.

Risks Related to Our Ordinary Shares

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act, and as such we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to United States domestic public companies.

Because we are a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act, we are exempt from certain provisions of the securities rules and regulations in the United States that are applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, including:

We are required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the end of each fiscal year. In addition, we intend to publish our results on a quarterly basis through press releases, distributed pursuant to the rules and regulations of the NASDAQ Capital Market. Press releases relating to financial results and material events are also furnished to the SEC on Form 6-K. However, the information we are required to file with or furnish to the SEC is less extensive and less timely compared to that required to be filed with the SEC by U.S. domestic issuers. As a result, you may not be afforded the same protections or information, which would be made available to you, were you investing in a U.S. domestic issuer. As a Cayman Islands company listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market, we are subject to the NASDAQ Capital Market corporate governance listing standards. However, NASDAQ Capital Market rules permit a foreign private issuer like us to follow the corporate governance practices of its home country. Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, may differ significantly from the NASDAQ Capital Market corporate governance listing standards. To the extent that we choose to utilize the home country exemption for corporate governance matters, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would under the NASDAQ Capital Market corporate governance listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers. We follow home country practice with respect to annual shareholders meetings

You may experience future dilution as a result of future equity offerings.

In order to raise additional capital, we may in the future offer additional ordinary shares or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our ordinary shares at prices that may not be the same as the price per share you paid. We may sell shares or other securities in any other offering at a price per share that is less than the price per share paid by existing investors, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to existing stockholders. The price per share at which we sell additional ordinary shares, or securities convertible or exchangeable into ordinary shares, in future transactions may be higher or lower than the price per share paid by existing investors.

We do not intend to pay dividends in the foreseeable future.

We have never paid cash dividends on our ordinary shares. We currently intend to retain our future earnings, if any, to finance the operation and growth of our business and currently do not plan to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

Future sales of a significant number of our ordinary shares in the public markets, or the perception that such sales could occur, could depress the market price of our ordinary shares.

Future sales of a substantial number of our ordinary shares in the public markets, or the perception that such sales could occur, could depress the market price of our ordinary shares and impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. If any existing shareholder or shareholders sell a substantial amount of our ordinary shares, the prevailing market price for our ordinary shares could be adversely affected. In addition, if we pay for our future acquisitions in whole or in part with additionally issued ordinary shares, your ownership interests in our company would be diluted and this, in turn, could have a material and adverse effect on the price of our ordinary shares.

We have received a notice of delisting from the Nasdaq Capital Market for failure to comply with Nasdaq’s minimum bid price requirement, and our shares may be delisted if we are unable to regain compliance with Nasdaq rules within the applicable grace periods.

On January 15, 2019, we received a notification letter (the “Notice”) from the NASDAQ Capital Market advising us that for 30 consecutive business days preceding the date of the Notice, the bid price of the Company’s ordinary shares had closed below the $1.00 per share minimum required for continued listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market pursuant to the NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 5550(a)(2) (the “Minimum Bid Price Rule”). The Company was provided 180 calendar days, or until July 15, 2019, to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Rule. The Company was unable to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Rule by July 15, 2019. On July 16, 2019, the NASDAQ granted us an additional 180 calendar days, or until January 13, 2020, to regain compliance with the $1.00 per share minimum required for continued listing on The NASDAQ pursuant to the Minimum Bid Price Rule.

There can be no guarantee that we will be able to regain compliance with the continued listing requirement of Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 5550(a)(2). If we do not regain compliance by January 13, 2020, Nasdaq will provide written notification to us that our ordinary shares may be delisted.

The market price for our securities may be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors.

The market price for our ordinary shares has been, and is likely to remain, volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to factors including the following:

We expect that any other securities of our Company are likely to be similarly volatile. In addition, the securities markets have from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are not related to the operating performance of particular companies. As a result, to the extent shareholders sell our securities in negative market fluctuation, they may not receive a price per share that is based solely upon our business performance. We cannot guarantee that shareholders will not lose some of their entire investment in our securities.