PROSPECTUS
Filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4)
Registration No. 333-250120
Registration No. 333-253011
5,400,000 Shares
Common Stock
urban-gro, Inc.
This is a firm commitment public offering of 5,400,000 shares of
our common stock, $0.001 par value per share, at an offering price
of $10.00 per share.
Prior to this offering, shares of our common stock were quoted on
the OTC Markets Group, Inc. OTCQX Marketplace under the symbol
“UGRO.”
On February 9, 2021, the last reported sale price for our common
stock as reported on the OTCQX Marketplace was $50.00 per share.
Our common stock has recently experienced extreme price volatility.
On January 11, 2021, the last reported sale price was $10.50 per
share. From January 4, 2021 to February 9, 2021, sales of our
common stock have been effected at prices as low as $4.00 and as
high as $162.00. The high of $162.00 occurred on February 5, 2021,
when 63,318 shares were traded. The average daily trading volume
over the past twelve months is approximately 600 shares per day. We
have not experienced any material changes in our financial
condition or results of operations that explain such price
volatility or trading volume. The trading price of our common stock
has been, and may continue to be, subject to wide price
fluctuations in response to various factors, many of which are
beyond our control, including those described in “Risk Factors.”
The public offering price was determined through negotiation
between us and the representative of the underwriters in the
offering. We have received approval to list our common stock on the
Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “UGRO.”
We are an “emerging growth company” under the federal securities
laws and have elected to comply with certain reduced public company
reporting requirements.
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk.
See “Risk Factors” beginning
on page 8.
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.
|
|
Per Share |
|
|
Total |
|
Public offering price |
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
|
$ |
54,000,000 |
|
Underwriting
discounts and commissions(1) |
|
$ |
0.64 |
|
|
$ |
3,456,000 |
|
Proceeds to us,
before expenses |
|
$ |
9.36 |
|
|
$ |
50,544,000 |
|
(1) |
The underwriters will receive
compensation in addition to the discounts and commissions. The
registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, also
registers for sale warrants to purchase shares of common stock to
be issued to the representative of the underwriters. We have agreed
to issue the warrants to the representative of the underwriters as
a portion of the underwriting compensation payable to the
underwriters in connection with this offering. See “Underwriting” beginning on page 78
for a description of compensation payable to the underwriters. |
We have granted a 45-day option to the representative of the
underwriters to purchase up to 810,000 additional shares of common
stock solely to cover over-allotments, if any.
The underwriters expect to deliver the shares to purchasers on or
about February 17, 2021.
ThinkEquity
a division of Fordham Financial Management, Inc.
|
The date of this prospectus is February 11, 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
You should rely only on the information contained in this
prospectus or in any free writing prospectus that we may provide to
you in connection with this offering. Neither we nor any of the
underwriters has authorized anyone to provide you with information
different from, or in addition to, that contained in this
prospectus or in any such free writing prospectus. If anyone
provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should
not rely on it. We can provide no assurance as to the reliability
of any other information that others may give you. Neither we nor
any of the underwriters is making an offer to sell or seeking
offers to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where or to any
person to whom the offer or sale is not permitted. The information
in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front
cover of this prospectus, and the information in any free writing
prospectus that we may provide you in connection with this offering
is accurate only as of the date of such free writing prospectus.
Our business, financial condition, results of operations and
prospects may have changed since those dates.
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights information contained in greater detail
elsewhere in this prospectus and does not contain all of the
information that you should consider before deciding to invest in
our common stock. You should read the entire prospectus carefully,
including the “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis
of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our
consolidated financial statements and the related notes included in
this prospectus, before making an investment decision. Some of the
statements in this prospectus constitute forward-looking
statements. See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements.” Unless otherwise indicated in this prospectus,
“urban-gro,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to urban-gro, Inc. and,
where appropriate, its subsidiaries.
Our Company
urban-gro, Inc. is a leading engineering and design services
company focused on the sustainable commercial indoor horticulture
market. We engineer and design indoor controlled environment
agriculture (“CEA”) facilities and then integrate complex
environmental equipment systems into those facilities. CEA is a
market segment that is defined by type of facility, and has no
correlation to the industry; or more specifically the crop being
grown in the facility. The CEA segment is represented by any
horticultural facility that is fully self-contained, and has a
fully-controlled environment. There are three facility types that
meet these qualifications:
|
i. |
Indoor Facilities - new building; or the retrofit of an
existing building; |
|
ii. |
Vertical Farms – a building with a smaller footprint that is
built up vertically and we view this category as including modular
container farms; and |
|
iii. |
Greenhouses – traditional and made out of a variety of
translucent materials as to provide natural sunlight for the crop
being grown. |
While historically we have been focused on engineering, design, and
equipment integration into indoor facilities, of which some are
ultimately used for the cultivation of plant-based medicines, we
are planning to expand our reach within CEA across both facility
type and crop type. The term “plant-based medicines” includes (i) a
wide array of herbal supplements including but not limited to
curcumin, saffron extract and ginger, (ii) CBD based therapeutics,
(iii) cannabis based therapeutics and (iv) a host of medicines
derived from plants such as caffeine, menthol, foxglove and others.
We are focusing on expanding to the vertical farming CEA
sub-segment, which is ultimately and predominantly used for the
cultivation of a variety of crops including, but not limited to,
leafy greens, herbs, cucumbers, peppers and strawberries. As the
global horticulture market has become more focused on the safety of
the food supply chain, reducing emissions with current
transportation methods associated with these crops, and, growing
local, we are confident that the vertical farming CEA sub-segment
will represent a significant and increasing share of our revenue
and be a significant factor in our organic growth moving
forward.
Demand for Our Services
The world’s population is expected to grow from 8 billion in 2020
to almost 10 billion by 2050. It will become increasingly difficult
to satisfy the demand for food to serve this population growth in a
sustainable manner. Governments, farmers and corporate enterprises
are adopting new technologically advanced farming techniques to
meet demand and alleviate supply chain risk. CEA facilities
including aquaponics, aeroponics, hydroponics, new soil-based
farming and hybrid methods are emerging in urban and suburban
areas. This is driving demand for indoor farms across the globe
with the CEA market estimated to grow from $4 billion in 2020 to
$12.8 billion in 2026. Consequently, businesses such as urban-gro
that know how to design, supply, and service those indoor farms
will be in high demand.
Population growth and climate changes have created a surge in
sustainable farming from traditional outdoor operations to indoor
settings. Climate change is being blamed for lower production
yields, including the loss of arable land. The efficient management
of natural resources is further driving the growth of CEA
facilities.
There is strong demand for local and safe foods. 55% of the world’s
population currently lives in urban areas and this is expected to
increase to 68% by 2050. Producers of fruits, vegetables, and other
high-value crops are setting up production centers in urban areas
to target this opportunity. Further, a rise in emerging growing
residential areas increases demand for CEA producers. The safe
growing environment, conservation of water and available nutrients
are some of the many advantages of CEA facility derived
products.
As COVID-19 has recently shown in its disruption of global supply
chains, being able to efficiently and successfully grow food
year-round in areas close to existing populations and expected
population growth will allow for security in food supply that was
not possible before. Our deep bench of experience enables the
creation of facilities for cultivators within CEA to reach this
efficiency and success.
Our Competitive Strengths
Our custom-tailored approach to engineering design, equipment
sourcing, and the integration of complex equipment systems provides
a single point of accountability across all aspects of indoor
growing operations. We help our clients achieve operational
efficiency and economic advantages through a full spectrum of
solutions focused on facility optimization and environmental
health, which allows clients to manage their entire cultivation
lifecycle, establishing facilities that operate and perform at high
levels.
Our employees and the combination of their educational frameworks
with the practical application of their acquired industry knowledge
is our most valuable asset as an organization. Our team has
designed over 300 indoor CEA projects with the highest value
agriculture crop in the world and have developed unparalleled
know-how in creating an environment that is suited for the
complexities of indoor agriculture.
Our Growth Strategy
Our growth is being fueled by increased demand for sustainable CEA
facilities. The introduction of new technologies, improved farming
methods and a rise in entrepreneurship combined with corporate
emergence is driving organic growth. Acquisitions that complement
our platform should also be a factor contributing to growth.
As the demand for food produced from CEA facilities continues to
increase, we will market our services to these clients, hire
additional sales and support employees, and execute a focused
targeting of our services to this industry to capture significant
portions of this market. While we will continue to provide our
solutions to the plant-based medicine market that has been our
strength, we believe that the CEA market will represent a more
significant and increasing share of our revenue and be a
significant factor in our organic growth moving forward.
Complementary to the industry expansion for our organic growth, and
based on our initial success, we will continue to expand our
presence and reach within Europe. We plan on opening a headquarters
office in Europe, a market where we are seeing increased demands
for our expertise and solutions, and have already signed several
projects with European clients.
Another key area that will fuel sustained and strong growth for us
is in the introduction of new enhanced technology-focused equipment
and system solutions. Our experienced team of engineers and
scientists are continually vetting emerging horticulture equipment
solutions that may be of value to our clients. Further, and
focusing on our expanding service platform, we will continue to
build out our facility commissioning and staff training offerings.
Revolving around our deep acquired knowledge base of CEA, we will
grow through continued expansion of this services program and
further penetrate the market segments that we serve.
We have made investments in, and acquisitions of, companies that
are complementary to our offerings. We will look to continue to
grow in this way to meet the increasing demand for efficient and
successful CEA facilities. We will continue to pursue accretive and
synergetic acquisitions that utilize our core strengths to further
expand our reach into the horticulture and agriculture markets.
Recent Developments
Preliminary Financial Results for the Three Months and Year
Ended December 31, 2020 (preliminary and unaudited)
These operating results reflect our preliminary estimates with
respect to the results for the three months and year ended December
31, 2020, which are based on currently available information and
are subject to change. Our financial closing procedures for the
three months and year ended December 31, 2020 are not yet complete
and, as a result, our final results upon completion of our closing
procedures may vary from these preliminary estimates. These
preliminary estimates should not be viewed as a substitute for
interim financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP.
These preliminary operating results have been prepared by, and are
the responsibility of, our management. Our auditor, BF Borgers CPA
PC, has not audited, reviewed, compiled or applied agreed-upon
procedures with respect to these preliminary results. Accordingly,
BF Borgers CPA PC does not express an opinion or any other form of
assurance with respect thereto.
We expect our preliminary and unaudited revenue for the three
months ended December 31, 2020 to be between $9.0 million and $9.3
million, which would represent an increase of at least 26% from
revenue of $7.1 million reported for the three months ended
December 31, 2019. Preliminary and unaudited revenue for the year
ended December 31, 2020 is expected to be between $25.6 million and
$25.9 million, compared to $24.2 million reported for the year
ended December 31, 2019. This expected increase in revenue was
driven by an increase in the shipment of complex environmental
equipment systems and sales of other cultivation equipment
predominantly tied to design contracts signed. We are entering 2021
with in excess of $14.0 million of contractually committed orders
for environmental and cultivation equipment systems for which
revenue has not been recognized.
We expect our preliminary and unaudited net loss for the three
months ended December 31, 2020 to be between negative ($1.7)
million and negative ($1.4) million, which would represent an
improvement of at least $0.9 million from net loss of negative
($2.6) million reported for the three months ended December 31,
2019. This expected improvement in net loss is driven by reductions
in operating expenses and increased gross profit. Preliminary and
unaudited net loss for the year ended December 31, 2020 is expected
to be between negative ($5.7) million and negative ($5.4) million,
which would represent an improvement of at least $2.7 million from
net loss of negative ($8.4) million reported for the year ended
December 31, 2019. This expected improvement in net loss is driven
by a reduction in operating expenses.
In addition, we expect to achieve positive Adjusted EBITDA for the
three months ended December 31, 2020, with Adjusted EBITDA for the
year ended December 31, 2020 expected to be between negative ($0.9)
million and negative ($0.7) million, which would represent an
improvement of at least $2.3 million from Adjusted EBITDA of
negative ($3.3) million reported for the year ended December 31,
2019. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations—Non-GAAP Financial Measures”
for a discussion of how we calculate Adjusted EBITDA.
Risk Factors
An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk.
You should carefully consider the risks summarized below. These
risks are discussed more fully in the section titled “Risk Factors”
following this prospectus summary. These risks include, but are not
limited to, the following:
|
· |
the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and
operations; |
|
· |
our ability to generate revenues sufficient to achieve
profitability and positive cash flow; |
|
· |
competition in our industry and our ability to compete
effectively; |
|
· |
our ability to attract, recruit, retain and develop key
personnel and qualified employees; |
|
· |
risks related to laws, regulations and industry standards; |
|
· |
risks related to the cannabis industry; |
|
· |
reliance on significant clients and third-party suppliers; |
|
· |
the ability of our principal stockholders to significantly
influence or control matters requiring a stockholder vote; |
|
· |
our ability to successfully identify and complete acquisitions
and effectively integrate those acquisitions into our
operations; |
|
· |
our indebtedness and potential increases in our indebtedness;
and |
|
· |
the other factors described in “Risk Factors.” |
Our Corporate Information
We were originally formed on March 20, 2014, as a Colorado limited
liability company. In March 2017, we converted to a Colorado
corporation and exchanged shares of our common stock for every
member interest issued and outstanding on the date of conversion.
On October 29, 2020, we reincorporated as a Delaware corporation.
In June 2018, we formed urban-gro Canada Technologies, Inc. as a
wholly owned Canadian subsidiary, which we utilize for all our
Canadian sales operations. Effective March 7, 2019, we acquired
100% of the stock of Impact Engineering, Inc., a provider of MEP
engineering services. Our executive office is located at 1751
Panorama Point, Unit G, Lafayette, Colorado 80026, and our phone
number is (720) 390-3880. Our principal website address is
www.urban-gro.com. The information on any of our websites is deemed
not to be incorporated in this prospectus or to be part of this
prospectus.
1-for-6 Reverse Stock Split
On December 31, 2020, we effected a 1-for-6 reverse stock split
with respect to our common stock. Unless we indicate otherwise or
the context otherwise requires, all information in this prospectus
gives effect to this reverse stock split.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company
We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our
Business Startups Act of 2012, or JOBS Act. An emerging growth
company may take advantage of specified reduced reporting
requirements that are otherwise generally applicable to public
companies. As a result:
|
· |
we are required to have only two years of audited financial
statements and only two years of related selected financial data
and management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and
results of operation in this prospectus; |
|
· |
we are not required to comply with any requirement that may be
adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or the
PCAOB, regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to
the auditor’s report providing additional information about the
audit and financial statements (i.e., an auditor discussion
and analysis) compliance with new or revised accounting standards
until they are made applicable to private companies; |
|
· |
we are not required to engage an auditor attestation to report
on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to
Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; |
|
· |
we are not required to comply with certain disclosure
requirements related to executive compensation, such as the
requirement to disclose the correlation between executive
compensation and performance and the requirement to present a
comparison of our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation to our
median employee compensation; and |
|
· |
we are not required to submit certain executive compensation
matters to stockholder advisory votes, such as “say on pay,” “say
on frequency” and “say on golden parachute arrangements.” |
We may take advantage of these reduced reporting and other
requirements until December 31, 2023, or such earlier time that we
are no longer an emerging growth company. However, if certain
events occur before the end of that five-year period, including if
we have more than $1.07 billion in annual revenue, have more
than $700 million in market value of our common stock held by
non-affiliates, or issue more than $1.0 billion in
non-convertible debt over a three-year period, we will cease to be
an emerging growth company. We may choose to take advantage of some
but not all of these reduced reporting burdens. We have elected to
adopt the reduced requirements with respect to our financial
statements and the related selected financial data and Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations disclosure. Accordingly, the information that we provide
to stockholders may be different than the information you receive
from other public companies in which you hold stock.
THE
OFFERING
Common stock offered |
5,400,000 shares. |
|
|
Common stock to be outstanding after this offering |
10,112,047
shares (or
10,922,047 shares if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment
option in full). |
|
|
Over-allotment option |
We have granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up
to 810,000 additional shares of our common stock at the public
offering price to cover over-allotments, if any. |
|
|
Use of proceeds |
We estimate that the net proceeds to us from this offering will be
approximately $50.2 million, or approximately $57.8 million if the
underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full.
We intend to use the net proceeds of this offering to repay
outstanding indebtedness under our Credit Agreement, to expand in
the European CEA market and for general corporate purposes. See
“Use of Proceeds.”
|
|
|
Risk factors |
You should read the “Risk
Factors” section of this prospectus beginning on page 8 for a
discussion of factors to consider carefully before deciding to
invest in shares of our common stock. |
|
|
Nasdaq Capital Market symbol |
UGRO. |
|
|
Our shares of common stock outstanding after this offering is based
on 4,712,047 shares currently outstanding.
Unless we indicate otherwise or the context otherwise requires, all
information in this prospectus:
|
· |
assumes
no exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment
option; |
|
· |
assumes
no exercise of the representative’s warrants to be issued to the
representative of the underwriters in this offering; |
|
· |
excludes 246,666 shares issuable upon
conversion of Bridge Financing notes (see “Management’s Discussion
and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations—Recent Developments—Bridge Financing” for a discussion
of the Bridge Financing); |
|
· |
gives
effect to the 1-for-6 reverse stock split with respect to our
common stock, which took effect on December 31, 2020; |
|
· |
excludes
638,277 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of
outstanding exercisable options at a weighted exercise price of
$6.30 per share; |
|
· |
excludes
202,752 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of
outstanding warrants at a weighted exercise price of $13.28 per
share; and |
|
· |
excludes
39,482 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance pursuant
to our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan. |
Trademarks
This prospectus includes our service marks and trade names,
including “Soleil,” “Opti-Dura,” and “urban-gro,” which are
protected under applicable intellectual property laws and are our
property. This prospectus also contains trademarks, trade names and
service marks of other companies, which are the property of their
respective owners. Solely for convenience, trademarks, trade names
and service marks referred to in this prospectus may appear without
the ®, ™ or SM symbols, but those references are not intended to
indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest
extent permitted under applicable law, our rights or the right of
the applicable licensor to these trademarks, trade names and
service marks. We do not intend our use or display of other
parties’ trademarks, trade names or service marks to imply, and
such use or display should not be construed to imply, a
relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, these
other parties.
Market and Industry Data
Unless otherwise indicated, information contained in this
prospectus concerning our industry, competitive position and the
markets in which we operate is based on information from
independent industry and research organizations, other third-party
sources and management estimates. Management estimates are derived
from publicly available information released by independent
industry analysts and other third-party sources, as well as data
from our internal research, and are based on assumptions we made
upon reviewing such data, and our experience in, and knowledge of,
such industry and markets, which we believe to be reasonable. In
addition, projections, assumptions and estimates of the future
performance of the industry in which we operate and our future
performance are necessarily subject to uncertainty and risk due to
a variety of factors, including those described in “Risk Factors”
and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” These
and other factors could cause results to differ materially from
those expressed in the estimates made by the independent parties
and by us.
SUMMARY HISTORICAL CONSOLIDATED
FINANCIAL AND OTHER DATA
The following tables set forth our summary historical consolidated
financial data as of, and for the periods ended on, the dates
indicated.
The summary consolidated statements of operations data for the
years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 are derived from our audited
consolidated financial statements and notes that are included
elsewhere in this prospectus.
The summary consolidated statements of operations data for the
three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 and the
summary consolidated balance sheet data as of September 30, 2020
are derived from our unaudited interim consolidated financial
statements and notes that are included elsewhere in this
prospectus. We have prepared the unaudited consolidated financial
statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles (GAAP) and on the same basis as the audited consolidated
financial statements. Our historical results are not necessarily
indicative of our results in any future period and results from our
interim period may not necessarily be indicative of the results of
the entire year. Pro forma share and per share amounts presented
herein reflect the implementation of the 1-for-6 reverse stock
split as if it had occurred at the beginning of the earliest period
presented.
|
|
For the
Three Months Ended
|
|
|
For the
Three Months Ended
|
|
|
For the
Nine Months Ended
|
|
|
For the
Nine Months Ended
|
|
|
For the
Fiscal Year Ended
|
|
|
For the
Fiscal Year Ended
|
|
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
|
2020 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2018 |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
|
(Audited) |
|
|
(Audited) |
|
Statement of operations data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues |
|
$ |
8,359,422 |
|
|
$ |
5,583,064 |
|
|
$ |
16,625,688 |
|
|
$ |
17,056,737 |
|
|
$ |
24,189,803 |
|
|
$ |
20,050,776 |
|
Cost of revenues |
|
|
6,654,134 |
|
|
|
3,650,965 |
|
|
|
12,613,461 |
|
|
|
11,529,448 |
|
|
|
17,563,594 |
|
|
|
13,892,025 |
|
Gross Profit |
|
|
1,705,288 |
|
|
|
1,932,099 |
|
|
|
4,012,227 |
|
|
|
5,527,289 |
|
|
|
6,626,209 |
|
|
|
6,158,751 |
|
Operating expenses |
|
|
1,853,828 |
|
|
|
3,324,921 |
|
|
|
6,502,283 |
|
|
|
9,581,375 |
|
|
|
12,486,814 |
|
|
|
9,959,335 |
|
Income (loss) from operations |
|
|
(148,540 |
) |
|
|
(1,392,822 |
) |
|
|
(2,490,056 |
) |
|
|
(4,054,086 |
) |
|
|
(5,860,605 |
) |
|
|
(3,800,584 |
) |
Other non-operating income (expense) |
|
|
(545,741 |
) |
|
|
(1,416,708 |
) |
|
|
(1,469,826 |
) |
|
|
(1,665,318 |
) |
|
|
(2,489,968 |
) |
|
|
(95,289 |
) |
Net income (loss) |
|
$ |
(694,281 |
) |
|
$ |
(2,809,530 |
) |
|
$ |
(3,959,882 |
) |
|
$ |
(5,719,404 |
) |
|
$ |
(8,350,573 |
) |
|
$ |
(3,895,873 |
) |
Income (loss) per share, basic and
diluted |
|
$ |
(0.02 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.11 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.14 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.22 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.32 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.16 |
) |
Weighted average shares outstanding,
basic and diluted |
|
|
28,888,194 |
|
|
|
26,175,098 |
|
|
|
28,706,905 |
|
|
|
25,772,134 |
|
|
|
26,318,059 |
|
|
|
24,848,293 |
|
Pro forma income (loss) per share,
basic and diluted (unaudited) |
|
$ |
(0.12 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.66 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.84 |
) |
|
$ |
(1.32 |
) |
|
$ |
(1.92 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.96 |
) |
Pro forma weighted average shares
outstanding, basic and diluted (unaudited) |
|
|
4,814,699 |
|
|
|
4,362,516 |
|
|
|
4,784,484 |
|
|
|
4,295,356 |
|
|
|
4,386,343 |
|
|
|
4,141,382 |
|
|
|
Historical |
|
|
Pro Forma
As Adjusted (1)
|
|
|
|
As of |
|
|
As of |
|
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
|
2020 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
Balance sheet data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current assets |
|
$ |
4,586,195 |
|
|
$ |
54,680,195 |
|
Total assets |
|
|
7,550,138 |
|
|
|
57,644,138 |
|
Current liabilities |
|
|
9,419,327 |
|
|
|
8,419,327 |
|
Total liabilities |
|
|
14,254,085 |
|
|
|
14,104,085 |
|
Stockholders’ equity |
|
|
(6,703,947 |
) |
|
|
43,540,053 |
|
Total liabilities and stockholders’
equity |
|
$ |
7,550,138 |
|
|
$ |
57,644,138 |
|
(1) |
Gives
effect to Bridge Financing transactions subsequent to September 30,
2020, the issuance and sale by us in this offering of 5,400,000
shares of our common stock at the public offering price of $10.00
per share, after deducting the underwriting discounts and
commissions and estimated offering expenses that we expect to pay,
and the application of $1.0 million of the net proceeds from this
offering to repay outstanding indebtedness under our Credit
Agreement as described under “Use of Proceeds.” |
RISK
FACTORS
An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of
risk. You should carefully consider the following risks and all of
the other information contained in this prospectus before deciding
whether to invest in our common stock. If any of the following
risks are realized, our business, financial condition and results
of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In that
event, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you
could lose all or part of your investment in our common stock.
Additional risks of which we are not presently aware or that we
currently believe are immaterial may also harm our business and
results of operations. Some statements in this prospectus,
including such statements in the following risk factors, constitute
forward-looking statements. See the section entitled “Cautionary
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
Risks Related to Our Operations
The COVID-19 pandemic could continue to materially adversely
affect our business, financial condition, results of operations,
cash flows and day-to-day operations.
The outbreak of COVID-19, a novel strain of coronavirus first
identified in China, which has spread across the globe including
the U.S., has had an adverse impact on our operations and financial
condition. Most recently, the response to this coronavirus by
federal, state and local governments in the U.S. has resulted in
significant market and business disruptions across many industries
and affecting businesses of all sizes. This pandemic has also
caused significant stock market volatility and further tightened
capital access for most businesses. Given that the COVID-19
pandemic and its disruptions are of an unknown duration, they could
have an adverse effect on our liquidity and profitability.
As a result of these events, we assessed our near-term operations,
working capital, finances and capital formation opportunities, and
implemented, in late March 2020, a downsizing of our operations and
workforce to preserve cash resources and focus our operations on
client-centric sales and project management activities. The
duration and likelihood of success of this workforce reduction are
uncertain; however, we have since rehired several employees who
were impacted by the downsizing effort. If this downsizing effort
does not meet our expectations, or additional capital is not
available, we may not be able to continue our operations. The
pandemic and its effects resulted in temporary delays in our
projects, however, work on all such projects has resumed. Other
factors that will affect our ability to continue operations include
the market demand for our products and services, our ability to
service the needs of our clients and prospects with a reduced
workforce, potential contract cancellations, project scope
reductions and project delays, our ability to fulfill our current
backlog, management of our working capital, the availability of
cash to fund our operations, and the continuation of normal payment
terms and conditions for purchase of our products. In light of
these extenuating circumstances, there is no assurance that we will
be successful in growing and maintaining our business with our
clients. If our clients or prospects are unable to obtain project
financing and we are unable to increase revenues, or otherwise
generate cash flows from operations, we will not be able to
successfully execute on the various strategies and initiatives we
have set forth in this prospectus to grow our business.
The ultimate magnitude of COVID-19, including the extent of its
impact on our financial and operational results, which could be
material, will depend on the length of time that the pandemic
continues, its effect on the demand for our products and our supply
chain, the effect of governmental regulations imposed in response
to the pandemic, as well as uncertainty regarding all of the
foregoing. We cannot at this time predict the full impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic, but it could have a larger material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations
and cash flows beyond what is discussed within this prospectus.
We have a relatively limited history of operations, a history
of losses, and our future earnings, if any, and cash flows may be
volatile, resulting in uncertainty about our ability to service and
repay our debt when it comes due and uncertainty about our
prospects generally.
We were initially organized as a limited liability company in the
State of Colorado on March 20, 2014. In March 2017, we converted
into a corporation with the expectation of becoming a public
reporting, trading company.
Following is a summary of our recent historical operating
performance:
|
· |
During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, we generated
revenue of $16.6 million and incurred a net loss of $4.0
million. |
|
· |
During the year ended December 31, 2019, we generated revenue
of $24.2 million and incurred a net loss of $8.3 million. |
|
· |
During the year ended December 31, 2018, we generated revenue
of $20.1 million and incurred a net loss of $3.9 million. |
|
· |
During the year ended December 31, 2017, we generated revenue
of $12.3 million, and incurred a net loss of $2.6 million. |
Our lack of a significant history and the evolving nature of the
market in which we operate make it likely that there are risks
inherent to our business that are yet to be recognized by us or
others, or not fully appreciated, and that could result in us
suffering further losses. As a result of the foregoing, and
concerns regarding the economic impact from COVID-19, an investment
in our securities necessarily involves uncertainty about the
stability of our operating results, cash flows and, ultimately, our
ability to service and repay our debt and our prospects
generally.
We had negative cash flow for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2019 and for the nine months ended September 30,
2020.
We had negative operating cash flow of ($2.5) million for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 and ($3.0) million for the nine
months ended September 30, 2020. To the extent that we have
negative operating cash flow in future periods, we may need to
allocate a portion of our cash reserves to fund such negative cash
flow. We may also be required to raise additional funds through the
issuance of equity or debt securities. There can be no assurance
that we will be able to generate positive cash flow from our
operations, that additional capital or other types of financing
will be available when needed or that these financings will be on
terms favorable to us.
Our engineering and design services have been used and may
continue to be contracted for use in emerging industries that may
be subject to quickly changing and inconsistent laws, regulations,
practices and perceptions.
Although
the demand for our engineering and design services may be
negatively impacted depending on how laws, regulations,
administrative practices, judicial interpretations, and consumer
perceptions develop, we cannot reasonably predict the nature of
such developments or the effect, if any, that such developments
could have on our business. We will continue to encounter risks and
uncertainty relating to our operations that may be difficult to
overcome. To do so, we believe it will be important
to:
|
· |
Execute our business and marketing strategy successfully; |
|
· |
Increase and diversify our client base; |
|
· |
Extend our reach to include the global CEA marketplace; |
|
· |
Meet client demand with quality, timely services; |
|
· |
When appropriate, partner with affiliate marketing companies to
explore demand; |
|
· |
Leverage initial relationships with existing clients; |
|
· |
Enhance the solutions that we offer and focus on continually
improving customer service levels; and |
|
· |
Attract, hire, motivate and retain qualified personnel. |
Our business is focused on providing engineering design, and
equipment integration into facilities prior to the facility
becoming operational. We do not know for certain how much of our
revenues to date have been generated from clients in the legal
cannabis industry; however, we believe the majority of our revenues
to date have been generated from clients that operate in the legal
cannabis industry.
We are broadening our market reach beyond the legal cannabis
industry and are placing a substantial sales effort on expansion
into the rapidly growing non-cannabis CEA vertical farming segment.
However, on a historic basis, we believe our clients to whom we
provide facility engineering design and equipment integration prior
to the facility becoming operational have primarily been in the
legal cannabis industry. In addition to selling to these clients,
we also sell our equipment solutions to third parties, such as
general contractors, and other intermediaries, like equipment
leasing companies. While we do not know for certain how much of
these solutions are resold into the legal cannabis industry, we
believe that to date the majority of these solutions have been
resold into the legal cannabis industry.
Now that the non-cannabis CEA segment is gaining strong momentum,
and since most all of the equipment systems that we sell originate
in the general horticulture industry and are agnostic to the crop
grown in the facility, we believe that the proportion of
non-cannabis revenues will increase. However, we do not control to
who such third parties resell our solutions, and notwithstanding
our expansion plans, a decrease in demand in the legal cannabis
industry could have a material adverse effect on our revenues and
the success of our business.
The cannabis industry is an emerging industry and has only
been legalized in some states and remains illegal in others and
under U.S. federal law, making it difficult to accurately forecast
the demand for our solutions in this specific industry, and losing
clients from this industry may have a material adverse effect on
our revenues and the success of our business.
The cannabis industry is immature in the United States and has only
been legalized in some states and remains illegal in others and
under U.S. federal law, making it difficult to accurately predict
and forecast the demand for our solutions. If the U.S. Department
of Justice (“DOJ”) did take action against the cannabis industry,
those of our clients operating in the legal cannabis industry would
be lost to us.
To analyze this risk, we are relying heavily upon the various U.S.
federal governmental memos issued in the past (including the
memorandum issued by the DOJ on October 19, 2009, known as the
“Ogden Memorandum”, the memorandum issued by the DOJ on August 29,
2013, known as the “Cole Memorandum” and other guidance), to remain
acceptable to those state and federal entities that regulate,
enforce, or choose to defer enforcement of certain current
regulations regarding cannabis and that the U.S. federal government
will not change its attitude to those practitioners in the cannabis
industry as long as they comply with their state and local
jurisdictional rules and authorities.
The legal cannabis industry is not yet well-developed, and many
aspects of this industry’s development and evolution cannot be
accurately predicted, and therefore losing any clients may have a
material adverse effect on our business. While we have attempted to
identify our business risks in the legal cannabis industry, you
should carefully consider that there are other risks that cannot be
foreseen or are not described in this prospectus, which could
materially and adversely affect our business and financial
performance.
There is heightened scrutiny by Canadian regulatory
authorities related to the cannabis industry.
Our existing operations in the United States, and any future
operations or investments, may become the subject of heightened
scrutiny by regulators and other authorities in Canada. As a
result, we may be subject to significant direct and indirect
interaction with public officials. No assurance can be provided
that this heightened scrutiny will not in turn lead to the
imposition of certain restrictions on our ability to operate or
invest in the United States, in addition to those described
herein.
It had been reported in Canada that the Canadian Depository for
Securities Limited considered a policy shift that would see its
subsidiary, CDS, refuse to settle trades for cannabis issuers or
issuers with cannabis related activities that have investments in
the United States. CDS is Canada’s central securities depository,
clearing and settling trades in the Canadian equity, fixed income
and money markets. The TMX Group, the owner and operator of CDS,
subsequently issued a statement on August 17, 2017 reaffirming that
there is no CDS ban on the clearing of securities of issuers with
cannabis-related activities in the United States, despite media
reports to the contrary and that the TMX Group was working with
regulators to arrive at a solution that will clarify this matter,
which would be communicated at a later time. On February 8, 2018,
following discussions with the Canadian Securities Administrators
and recognized Canadian securities exchanges, the TMX Group
announced the signing of the TMX Memorandum of Understanding
(“MOU”) with Aequitas NEO Exchange Inc., the Canadian Securities
Exchange (“CSE”), the Toronto Stock Exchange, and the TSXV. The TMX
MOU outlines the parties’ understanding of Canada’s regulatory
framework applicable to the rules, procedures, and regulatory
oversight of the exchanges and CDS as it relates to issuers with
cannabis-related activities in the United States. The MOU confirms,
with respect to the clearing of listed securities, that CDS relies
on the exchanges to review the conduct of listed issuers. As a
result, there is no CDS ban on the clearing of securities of
issuers with cannabis-related activities in the United States.
However, there can be no guarantee that this approach to regulation
will continue in the future. If such a ban were to be implemented
at a time when our securities are listed on a stock exchange, it
would have a material adverse effect on the ability of holders of
our securities to make and settle trades. In particular, our
securities would become highly illiquid until an alternative was
implemented, and investors would have no ability to effect a trade
of our securities through the facilities of the CSE.
We may incur losses in the near future, which may impact our
ability to implement our business strategy and adversely affect our
financial condition.
While we have focused significantly on decreasing our operating
expenses by reducing variable expenses, employee count, and
marketing activities in order to become cash flow positive, such
decreases may adversely affect our operating results if we are
unable to support the business effectively. In turn, this would
have a negative impact on our financial condition and potentially
our share price.
We also cannot assure you that we will be profitable or generate
sufficient profits from operations in the future. If our revenues
do not grow or our gross margins deteriorate substantially, we are
likely to continue to experience losses in future periods.
Collectively, this may impact our ability to implement our business
strategy and adversely affect our financial condition. This
potentially would have a negative impact on our share price.
We may become subject to additional regulation of CEA
facilities.
Our engineering and design services are focused on facilities that
grow a wide variety of crops that are subject to regulation by the
United States Food and Drug Administration and other federal, state
or foreign agencies. Changes to any regulations and laws that could
complicate the engineering of these CEA facilities, such as waste
water treatment and electricity-related mandates, make it possible
that potential related enforcement could decrease the demand for
our services, and in turn negatively impact our revenues and
business opportunities.
Competition in our industry is intense.
There are many competitors in the horticulture industry, and in
particular the cannabis industry, including many who offer somewhat
categorically similar products and services as those offered by us.
There can be no guarantees that in the future other companies will
not enter this arena by developing products that are in direct
competition with us. We anticipate the presence as well as entry of
other companies in this market space and acknowledge that we may
not be able to establish, or if established to maintain, a
competitive advantage. Some of these companies may have longer
operating histories, greater name recognition, larger client bases
and significantly greater financial, technical, sales and marketing
resources. This may allow them to respond more quickly than us to
market opportunities. It may also allow them to devote greater
resources to the marketing, promotion and sale of their products
and/or services. These competitors may also adopt more aggressive
pricing policies and make more attractive offers to existing and
potential clients, employees, strategic partners, distribution
channels and advertisers. Increased competition is likely to result
in price reductions, reduced gross margins and a potential loss of
market share.
A drop in the retail price of cannabis products may
negatively impact our business.
The fluctuations in economic and market conditions that impact the
prices of commercially grown cannabis, such as increases in the
supply of cannabis and decreases in demand for cannabis, could have
a negative impact on our clients that are cannabis producers, and
therefore could negatively impact our business.
Our principal stockholders have the ability to significantly
influence or control matters requiring a stockholder vote and other
stockholders may not have the ability to influence corporate
transactions.
As of February 9, 2021, our principal stockholders own
approximately 55% of our outstanding common stock, and following
this offering, will own approximately 26% of our outstanding common
stock. As a result, they have the ability to significantly
influence the outcome of all matters requiring approval of our
stockholders, including the election of directors and approval of
significant corporate transactions.
We are highly dependent on our management team, and the loss
of our senior executive officers or other key employees could harm
our ability to implement our strategies, impair our relationships
with clients and adversely affect our business, results of
operations and growth prospects.
Our success depends, in large degree, on the skills of our
management team and our ability to retain, recruit and motivate key
officers and employees. Our active senior executive leadership
team, including Jonathan Nassar, Mark Doherty, Dan Droller, Brian
Zimmerman, and particularly Bradley Nattrass and Richard Akright,
have significant experience, and their knowledge and relationships
would be difficult to replace. Leadership changes will occur from
time to time, and we cannot predict whether significant
resignations will occur or whether we will be able to recruit
additional qualified personnel. Competition for senior executives
and skilled personnel in the horticulture industry is intense,
which means the cost of hiring, paying incentives and retaining
skilled personnel may continue to increase.
We need to continue to attract and retain key personnel and to
recruit qualified individuals to succeed existing key personnel to
ensure the continued growth and successful operation of our
business. In addition, as a provider of custom-tailored
horticulture solutions, we must attract and retain qualified
personnel to continue to grow our business, and competition for
such personnel can be intense. Our ability to effectively compete
for senior executives and other qualified personnel by offering
competitive compensation and benefit arrangements may be restricted
by cash flow and other operational restraints. The loss of the
services of any senior executive or other key personnel, or the
inability to recruit and retain qualified personnel in the future,
could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition or results of operations. In addition, to attract and
retain personnel with appropriate skills and knowledge to support
our business, we may offer a variety of benefits, which could
reduce our earnings or have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial condition or results of operations.
Our insurance may not adequately cover our operating
risk.
We have insurance to protect our assets, operations and employees.
While we believe our insurance coverage addresses all material
risks to which we are exposed and is adequate and customary in our
current state of operations, such insurance is subject to coverage
limits and exclusions and may not be available for the risks and
hazards to which we are exposed. In addition, no assurance can be
given that such insurance will be adequate to cover our liabilities
or will be generally available in the future or, if available, that
premiums will be commercially justifiable. If we were to incur
substantial liability and such damages were not covered by
insurance or were in excess of policy limits, or if we were to
incur such liability at a time when we are not able to obtain
liability insurance, our business, results of operations and
financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
We are dependent upon third-party suppliers of products we
sell.
We are dependent on outside vendors for the products we sell. For
the year ended December 31, 2019, two vendors, Argus Control
Systems Limited (“Argus”), a provider of automated control systems,
and Fluence Bioengineering, Inc. (“Fluence”), a provider of
lighting systems, were particularly important to our integrated
sales solutions. Sales of Fluence’s LED lighting systems accounted
for 25% of our consolidated revenue for the year ended December 31,
2019. We use Fluence LED systems in our designs and then sell them
to our clients as part of our overall package. While we believe
that there are sufficient sources of supply available, if the
third-party suppliers, such as Argus or Fluence, were to cease
production or otherwise fail to supply us with products in
sufficient quantities on a timely basis and we were unable to
contract on acceptable terms for these products with alternative
suppliers, our ability to sell these products would be materially
adversely affected. If a sole source supplier was to go out of
business, we may be unable to find a replacement for such source in
a timely manner or at all. If a sole source supplier were to be
acquired by a competitor, that competitor may elect not to sell to
us in the future. Any inability to secure required products or to
do so on appropriate terms could have a materially adverse impact
on the business, financial condition, results of operations or
prospects of urban-gro.
As indicated above, we continue to monitor the outbreak of the
COVID-19 coronavirus. Should the outbreak continue to become more
widespread, it could disrupt the businesses of our industry
partners and third-party suppliers, which, in turn, could impact
our ability to procure equipment and raw materials from them and
thereby negatively impact the business, financial condition,
results of operations or our prospects.
We have historically been dependent on a small number of
clients for a substantial portion of our revenue. If we fail to
retain or expand our client relationships, or if a significant
client were to terminate its relationship with us or reduce its
purchases, our revenue could decline significantly.
One client represented 26% of our total revenue for the nine months
ended September 30, 2020 and 51% of our total revenue for the three
months ended September 30, 2020. A different client represented 15%
of our total revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2019
and 17% of our total revenue for the three months ended September
30, 2019. A third client represented 21% of our total revenue for
the year ended December 31, 2019. A fourth client represented 14%
of our total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2018.
Substantially all of the revenue derived from each of these
separate clients were product sales. Although we have been able to
successfully generate substantial sales to different customers over
time, there can be no assurances that we will be able to continue
to do this in the future. Our operating results for the foreseeable
future could continue to depend on substantial sales to a small
number of clients. Our clients have no purchase commitments and may
cancel, change or delay purchases with little or no notice or
penalty. As a result of this, our revenue could fluctuate
materially and could be materially and disproportionately impacted
by purchasing decisions of any significant client. There can be no
assurances that clients who represented a substantial portion of
our historical revenue will continue to purchase products from us
in the future, which could cause our revenue to decline materially
and materially harm our financial condition and results of
operations. If we are unable to diversify our client base, we will
continue to be susceptible to risks associated with client
concentration.
Our business is dependent on our clients obtaining
appropriate licenses from various licensing agencies.
Our business is dependent on our clients obtaining appropriate
licenses from various licensing agencies. There can be no assurance
that any or all licenses necessary for our clients to operate their
businesses will be obtained, retained or renewed. If a licensing
body were to determine that one of our clients had violated
applicable rules and regulations, there is a risk the license
granted to that client could be revoked, which could adversely
affect future sales to that client and our operations. There can be
no assurance that our existing clients will be able to retain their
licenses going forward, or that new licenses will be granted to
existing and new market entrants.
Our contracts may not be legally enforceable in the United
States.
Many of our historic contracts, and those we may enter into in the
future, relate to services that are ancillary to the cannabis
industry and other activities that are not legal under U.S. federal
law and under some state laws. As a result, we may face
difficulties in enforcing our contracts in U.S. federal and certain
state courts.
System security risks, data protection breaches,
cyber-attacks and systems integration issues could disrupt our
internal operations or services provided to clients.
Experienced computer programmers and hackers may be able to
penetrate our network security and misappropriate or compromise our
confidential information or that of third parties, create system
disruptions or cause shutdowns. Computer programmers and hackers
also may be able to develop and deploy viruses, worms, and other
malicious software programs that attack or otherwise exploit any
security vulnerabilities of the products that we may sell in the
future. Such disruptions could adversely impact our ability to
fulfill orders and interrupt other processes. Delayed sales, lower
profits, or lost clients resulting from these disruptions could
adversely affect our financial results, stock price and
reputation.
We may be forced to litigate to defend our intellectual
property rights, or to defend against claims by third parties
against urban-gro relating to intellectual property
rights.
We may be forced to litigate to enforce or defend our intellectual
property rights, to protect our trade secrets or to determine the
validity and scope of other parties’ proprietary rights. Any such
litigation could be very costly and could distract our management
from focusing on operating our business. The existence and/or
outcome of any such litigation could harm our business.
Changes in accounting standards and subjective assumptions,
estimates and judgments by management related to complex accounting
matters could significantly affect our financial
results.
U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and related
pronouncements, implementation guidelines and interpretations with
regard to a wide variety of matters that are relevant to our
business, such as, but not limited to, revenue recognition,
stock-based compensation, trade promotions, and income taxes are
highly complex and involve many subjective assumptions, estimates
and judgments by our management. Changes to these rules or their
interpretation or changes in underlying assumptions, estimates or
judgments by our management could significantly change our reported
results.
Our ability to maintain our reputation is critical to the
success of our business, and the failure to do so may materially
adversely affect our business and the value of our common
stock.
Our reputation is a valuable component of our business. Threats to
our reputation can come from many sources, including adverse
sentiment about our industry generally, unethical practices,
employee misconduct, failure to deliver minimum standards of
service or quality, compliance deficiencies, and questionable or
fraudulent activities of our clients. Negative publicity regarding
our business, employees, or clients, with or without merit, may
result in the loss of clients, investors and employees, costly
litigation, a decline in revenues and increased governmental
regulation. If our reputation is negatively affected, by the
actions of our employees or otherwise, our business and, therefore,
our operating results and the value of our common stock may be
materially adversely affected.
We may not be able to successfully identify, consummate or
integrate acquisitions or to successfully manage the impacts of
such transactions on our operations.
Part of our business strategy includes pursuing synergistic
acquisitions. We have expanded, and plan to continue to expand, our
business by making strategic acquisitions and regularly seeking
suitable acquisition targets to enhance our growth. Material
acquisitions, dispositions and other strategic transactions involve
a number of risks, including: (i) the potential disruption of our
ongoing business; (ii) the distraction of management away from the
ongoing oversight of our existing business activities; (iii)
incurring additional indebtedness; (iv) the anticipated benefits
and cost savings of those transactions not being realized fully, or
at all, or taking longer to realize than anticipated; (v) an
increase in the scope and complexity of our operations; and (vi)
the loss or reduction of control over certain of our assets.
The pursuit of acquisitions may pose certain risks to us. We may
not be able to identify acquisition candidates that fit our
criteria for growth and profitability. Even if we are able to
identify such candidates, we may not be able to acquire them on
terms or financing satisfactory to us. We will incur expenses and
dedicate attention and resources associated with the review of
acquisition opportunities, whether or not we consummate such
acquisitions.
Additionally, even if we are able to acquire suitable targets on
agreeable terms, we may not be able to successfully integrate their
operations with ours. Achieving the anticipated benefits of any
acquisition will depend in significant part upon whether we
integrate such acquired businesses in an efficient and effective
manner. We may not be able to achieve the anticipated operating and
cost synergies or long-term strategic benefits of our acquisitions
within the anticipated timing or at all. The benefits from any
acquisition will be offset by the costs incurred in integrating the
businesses and operations. We may also assume liabilities in
connection with acquisitions to which we would not otherwise be
exposed. An inability to realize any or all of the anticipated
synergies or other benefits of an acquisition as well as any delays
that may be encountered in the integration process, which may delay
the timing of such synergies or other benefits, could have an
adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial
condition.
Our indebtedness could adversely affect our financial
condition and prevent us from fulfilling our debt service and other
obligations.
Our indebtedness could have significant effects on our business.
For example, it could:
|
· |
make it more difficult for us to satisfy our financial
obligations, including with respect to our indebtedness, and any
failure to comply with the obligations of any of our debt
agreements, including financial and other restrictive covenants,
could result in an event of default under the agreements governing
our indebtedness; |
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· |
increase our vulnerability to general adverse economic,
industry and competitive conditions; |
|
· |
limit our ability to borrow additional funds; and |
|
· |
limit our financial flexibility. |
Each of these factors may have a material and adverse effect on our
financial condition and viability. Our ability to make payments
with respect to our indebtedness and to satisfy any other debt
obligations will depend on our future operating performance, which
will be affected by prevailing economic conditions and financial,
business and other factors affecting us and our industry, many of
which are beyond our control.
Risks Related to the Cannabis Industry
As marijuana remains illegal under United States federal law,
it is possible that we may have to stop providing products and
services to companies who are engaged in marijuana cultivation and
other marijuana-related activities.
Marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I controlled
substance under the Controlled Substances Act and is illegal under
United States federal law. It is illegal under United States
federal law to grow, cultivate, sell or possess marijuana for any
purpose or to assist or conspire with those who do so.
Additionally, 21 U.S.C. 856 makes it illegal to “knowingly open,
lease, rent, use, or maintain any place, whether permanently or
temporarily, for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing, or
using any controlled substance.” Even in those states in which the
use of marijuana has been authorized under state law, its use
remains a violation of federal law. Since federal law criminalizing
the use of marijuana is not preempted by state laws that legalize
its use, strict enforcement of federal law regarding marijuana
would likely result in the inability of our clients that are
involved in the cannabis industry to proceed with their operations,
which would adversely affect our operations.
Our solutions are used by cannabis growers. While we are not
aware of any threatened or current federal or state law enforcement
actions against any supplier of equipment that might be used for
cannabis growing, law enforcement authorities, in their attempt to
regulate the illegal use of marijuana, may seek to bring an action
or actions against us under the Controlled Substances Act for
assisting or conspiring with persons engaged in the cultivation of
marijuana.
There is also a risk that our activities could be deemed to be
facilitating the selling or distribution of cannabis in violation
of the Controlled Substances Act. Although federal authorities have
not focused their resources on such tangential or secondary
violations of the Controlled Substances Act, nor have they
threatened to do so, with respect to the sale of equipment that
might be used by cannabis cultivators, or with respect to any
supplies marketed to participants in the medical and recreational
cannabis industry, if the federal government were to change its
practices, or were to expend its resources investigating and
prosecuting providers of equipment that could be usable by
participants in the medical or recreational cannabis industry, such
actions could have a materially adverse effect on our operations,
our clients that operate in the cannabis industry, or the sales of
our products and services.
As a company with clients operating in the cannabis industry,
we face many particular and evolving risks associated with that
industry, including uncertainty of United States federal
enforcement and the need to renew temporary safeguards.
On January 4, 2018, former Attorney General Sessions rescinded the
previously issued memoranda (known as the Cole Memorandum) from the
DOJ that had de-prioritized the enforcement of federal law against
marijuana users and businesses that comply with state marijuana
laws, adding uncertainty to the question of how the U.S. federal
government will choose to enforce federal laws regarding marijuana.
Former Attorney General Sessions issued a memorandum to all United
States Attorneys in which the DOJ affirmatively rescinded the
previous guidance as to marijuana enforcement, calling such
guidance “unnecessary.” This one-page memorandum was vague in
nature, stating that federal prosecutors should use established
principles in setting their law enforcement priorities. Under
previous administrations, the DOJ indicated that those users and
suppliers of medical marijuana who complied with state laws, which
required compliance with certain criteria, would not be prosecuted.
As a result, it is now unclear if the DOJ will seek to enforce the
Controlled Substances Act against those users and suppliers who
comply with state marijuana laws.
Despite Attorney General Sessions’ rescission of the Cole
Memorandum, the Department of the Treasury, Financial Crimes
Enforcement Network, has not rescinded the “FinCEN Memo” dated
February 14, 2014, which de-prioritizes enforcement of the Bank
Secrecy Act against financial institutions and marijuana related
businesses which utilize them. This memo appears to be a standalone
document and is presumptively still in effect. At any time,
however, the Department of the Treasury, Financial Crimes
Enforcement Network, could elect to rescind the FinCEN Memo. This
would make it more difficult for our clients and potential clients
to access the U.S. banking systems and conduct financial
transactions, which would adversely affect our operations.
In 2014, Congress passed a spending bill (“2015 Appropriations
Bill”) containing a provision (“Appropriations Rider”) blocking
federal funds and resources allocated under the 2015 Appropriations
Bill from being used to “prevent such States from implementing
their own State medical marijuana law.” The Appropriations Rider
seemed to have prohibited the federal government from interfering
with the ability of states to administer their medical marijuana
laws, although it did not codify federal protections for medical
marijuana patients and producers. Moreover, despite the
Appropriations Rider, the Justice Department maintains that it can
still prosecute violations of the federal marijuana ban and
continue cases already in the courts. Additionally, the
Appropriations Rider must be re-enacted every year. While it was
continued in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, and remains in
effect, continued re-authorization of the Appropriations Rider
cannot be guaranteed. If the Appropriation Rider is no longer in
effect, the risk of federal enforcement and override of state
marijuana laws would increase.
Further legislative development beneficial to our operations
is not guaranteed.
Among other things, the business of our clients in the cannabis
industry involves the cultivation, distribution, manufacture,
storage, transportation and/or sale of medical and adult use
cannabis products in compliance with applicable state law. The
success of our business with respect to these clients depends on
the continued development of the cannabis industry and the activity
of commercial business and government regulatory agencies within
the industry. The continued development of the cannabis industry is
dependent upon continued legislative and regulatory authorization
of cannabis at the state level and a continued laissez-faire
approach by federal enforcement agencies. Any number of factors
could slow or halt progress in this area. Further regulatory
progress beneficial to the industry cannot be assured. While there
may be ample public support for legislative action, numerous
factors impact the legislative and regulatory process, including
election results, scientific findings or general public events. Any
one of these factors could slow or halt progressive legislation
relating to cannabis and the current tolerance for the use of
cannabis by consumers, which could adversely affect our
operations.
The cannabis industry could face strong opposition from other
industries.
We believe that established businesses in other industries may have
a strong economic interest in opposing the development of the
cannabis industry. Cannabis may be seen by companies in other
industries as an attractive alternative to their products,
including recreational marijuana as an alternative to alcohol, and
medical marijuana as an alternative to various commercial
pharmaceuticals. Many industries that could view the emerging
cannabis industry as an economic threat are well established, with
vast economic and United States federal and state lobbying
resources. It is possible that companies within these industries
could use their resources to attempt to slow or reverse legislation
legalizing cannabis. Any inroads these companies make in halting or
impeding legislative initiatives that would be beneficial to the
cannabis industry could have a detrimental impact on our clients
and, in turn on our operations.
The legality of marijuana could be reversed in one or more
states.
The voters or legislatures of states in which marijuana has already
been legalized could potentially repeal applicable laws which
permit the operation of both medical and retail marijuana
businesses. These actions might force us to cease operations in one
or more states entirely.
Changing legislation and evolving interpretations of law,
which could negatively impact our clients and, in turn, our
operations.
Laws and regulations affecting the medical and adult-use marijuana
industry are constantly changing, which could detrimentally affect
our clients involved in that industry and, in turn, our operations.
Local, state and federal marijuana laws and regulations are often
broad in scope and subject to constant evolution and inconsistent
interpretations, which could require our clients and ourselves to
incur substantial costs associated with modification of operations
to ensure compliance. In addition, violations of these laws, or
allegations of such violations, could disrupt our clients’ business
and result in a material adverse effect on our operations. In
addition, it is possible that regulations may be enacted in the
future that will limit the amount of cannabis growth or related
products that our commercial clients are authorized to produce. We
cannot predict the nature of any future laws, regulations,
interpretations or applications, nor can it determine what effect
additional governmental regulations or administrative policies and
procedures, when and if promulgated, could have on our
operations.
Regulatory scrutiny of the cannabis industry may negatively
impact our ability to raise additional capital.
The business activities of certain of our clients rely on newly
established and/or developing laws and regulations in multiple
jurisdictions. These laws and regulations are rapidly evolving and
subject to change with minimal notice. Regulatory changes may
adversely affect our profitability or cause us to cease operations
entirely. The cannabis industry may come under the scrutiny or
further scrutiny by the United States Food and Drug Administration,
the SEC, the DOJ, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or
other federal, state or nongovernmental regulatory authorities or
self-regulatory organizations that supervise or regulate the
production, distribution, sale or use of cannabis for medical or
nonmedical purposes in the United States. It is impossible to
determine the extent of the impact of any new laws, regulations or
initiatives that may be proposed, or whether any proposals will
become law. The regulatory uncertainty surrounding the industry
that we service may adversely affect our business and operations,
including without limitation, the costs to remain compliant with
applicable laws and the impairment of our ability to raise
additional capital.
Banking regulations could limit access to banking
services.
Since the use of marijuana is illegal under federal law, federally
chartered banks will not accept deposit funds from businesses
involved with marijuana. Consequently, businesses involved in the
cannabis industry often have trouble finding a bank willing to
accept their business. The inability to open bank accounts may make
it difficult for our clients in the cannabis industry to operate
and their reliance on cash can result in a heightened risk of
theft, which could harm their businesses and, in turn, harm our
business. Additionally, some courts have denied marijuana-related
businesses bankruptcy protection, thus, making it very difficult
for lenders to recoup their investments, which may limit the
willingness of banks to lend to our clients and to us.
Risks Related to this Offering and Ownership of Our Common
Stock
An active, liquid trading market for our common stock does
not currently exist and may not develop after this offering, and as
a result, you may not be able to sell your common stock at or above
the public offering price, or at all.
Prior to this offering, shares of our common stock were quoted on
the OTC Markets Group, Inc. OTCQX Marketplace under the symbol
“UGRO.” Trading on the OTCQX marketplace has been infrequent and in
limited volume. Although we have received approval to list our
shares of common stock on Nasdaq in connection with this offering,
an active trading market for shares of our common stock may never
develop or be sustained following this offering. If an active
trading market does not develop, you may have difficulty selling
your shares of common stock at an attractive price, or at all. The
public offering price for our common stock was determined by
negotiations between us and the representative of the underwriters
and may not be indicative of prices that will prevail in the open
market following this offering. Consequently, you may not be able
to sell your common stock at or above the public offering price or
at any other price or at the time that you would like to sell. An
inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by
selling our common stock and may impair our ability to expand our
business by using our common stock as consideration in an
acquisition.
Our stock price could be extremely volatile and may decline
substantially from the public offering price. As a result, you may
not be able to resell your shares at or above the price you paid
for them.
Even if a trading market develops, the market price of our common
stock may be highly volatile and could be subject to wide
fluctuations. For example, between January 4, 2021 and February 9,
2021, the intra-day price of our common stock as quoted on the
OTCQX Marketplace has ranged from a low of $4.00 on February 4,
2021 to a high of $162.00 on February 5, 2021. Volatility in the
market price of our common stock, as well as general economic,
market or political conditions, may prevent you from being able to
sell your shares at or above the price you paid for your shares and
may otherwise negatively affect the liquidity of our common stock.
You may experience a decrease, which could be substantial, in the
value of your stock, including decreases unrelated to our operating
performance or prospects, and you could lose part or all of your
investment. The price of our common stock has been, and could
continue to be, subject to wide fluctuations in response to a
number of factors, including those described elsewhere in this
prospectus and others such as:
|
· |
the effect of the COVID-19
pandemic on our business and operations; |
|
· |
our ability to generate revenues
sufficient to achieve profitability and positive cash
flow; |
|
· |
competition in our industry and
our ability to compete effectively; |
|
· |
our ability to attract, recruit,
retain and develop key personnel and qualified
employees; |
|
· |
reliance on significant clients
and third-party suppliers; |
|
· |
the ability of our principal
stockholders to significantly influence or control matters
requiring a stockholder vote; |
|
· |
our ability to successfully
identify and complete acquisitions and effectively integrate those
acquisitions into our operations; |
|
· |
our indebtedness and potential
increases in our indebtedness; |
|
· |
our actual or anticipated
operating and financial results, including how those results vary
from the expectations of management, securities analysts and
investors; |
|
· |
changes in financial estimates or
publication of research reports and recommendations by financial
analysts or actions taken by rating agencies with respect to us or
other industry participants; |
|
· |
developments in our business or
operations or our industry sectors generally; |
|
· |
any future offerings by us of our
common stock; |
|
· |
any coordinated trading
activities or large derivative positions in our common stock, for
example, a “short squeeze” (a short squeeze occurs when a number of
investors take a short position in a stock and have to buy the
borrowed securities to close out the position at a time that other
short sellers of the same security also want to close out their
positions, resulting in a surge in stock prices, i.e., demand is
greater than supply for the stock sold short); |
|
· |
legislative or regulatory changes
affecting our industry generally or our business and operations
specifically; |
|
· |
the operating and stock price
performance of companies that investors consider to be comparable
to us; |
|
· |
announcements of strategic
developments, acquisitions, restructurings, dispositions,
financings and other material events by us or our
competitors; |
|
· |
expectations of (or actual)
equity dilution, including the actual or expected dilution to
various financial measures, including earnings per share, that may
be caused by this offering; |
|
· |
actions by our current
shareholders, including future sales of common shares by existing
shareholders, including our directors and executive
officers; |
|
· |
proposed or final regulatory
changes or developments; |
|
· |
anticipated or pending regulatory
investigations, proceedings, or litigation that may involve or
affect us; and |
|
· |
the other factors described in
“Risk Factors.” |
In response to any one or more of these events, the market price of
shares of our common stock could decrease significantly. In the
past, securities class action litigation has often been initiated
against companies following periods of volatility in their stock
price. This type of litigation could result in substantial costs
and divert our management’s attention and resources and could also
require us to make substantial payments to satisfy judgments or to
settle litigation.
You may be diluted by future issuances of preferred stock or
additional common stock in connection with our incentive plans,
acquisitions or otherwise; future sales of such shares in the
public market, or the expectations that such sales may occur, could
lower our stock price.
Our certificate of incorporation authorizes us to issue shares of
our common stock and options, rights, warrants and appreciation
rights relating to our common stock for the consideration and on
the terms and conditions established by our Board of Directors (the
“Board”) in its sole discretion. We could issue a significant
number of shares of common stock in the future in connection with
investments or acquisitions. Any of these issuances could dilute
our existing stockholders, and such dilution could be significant.
Moreover, such dilution could have a material adverse effect on the
market price for the shares of our common stock.
The future issuance of shares of preferred stock with voting rights
may adversely affect the voting power of the holders of shares of
our common stock, either by diluting the voting power of our common
stock if the preferred stock votes together with the common stock
as a single class, or by giving the holders of any such preferred
stock the right to block an action on which they have a separate
class vote, even if the action were approved by the holders of our
shares of our common stock.
The future issuance of shares of preferred stock with dividend or
conversion rights, liquidation preferences or other economic terms
favorable to the holders of preferred stock could adversely affect
the market price for our common stock by making an investment in
the common stock less attractive. For example, investors in the
common stock may not wish to purchase common stock at a price above
the conversion price of a series of convertible preferred stock
because the holders of the preferred stock would effectively be
entitled to purchase common stock at the lower conversion price,
causing economic dilution to the holders of common stock.
We are selling a substantial number of shares of our common
stock in this offering, which could cause the price of our common
stock to decline.
In this offering, we will sell up to 5,400,000 shares of common
stock (assuming no exercise by the underwriters of their
over-allotment option), representing approximately 115% of our
outstanding common stock as of February 4, 2021. Prior to this
offering, we had only approximately 89,000 shares of freely
tradable common stock. The recent price volatility of our common
stock may reflect that when so few freely tradable shares are
available, a small increase in demand can raise the price
significantly. This increase may pose risks for investors as the
available number of shares of freely trading common stock is
increasing by 6,067%, meaning that the supply is no longer
constrained and the trading price of the common stock on a liquid
exchange may be materially lower than our recent historical prices
or the offering price in this offering. This sale and any future
sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the
public market, or the perception that such sales may occur, could
adversely affect the price of our common stock. We cannot predict
the effect, if any, that market sales of those shares of common
stock or the availability of those shares of common stock for sale
will have on the market price of our common stock.
A significant portion of our total outstanding shares are
restricted from immediate resale but may be sold into the market in
the near future. This could cause the market price of our common
stock to drop significantly, even if our business is doing
well.
Subject to certain exceptions, without the prior written consent of
ThinkEquity, a division of Fordham Financial Management, Inc., as
representative of the underwriters, we, during the period ending 90
days after the date of this prospectus, and our officers and
directors and our 5% or greater stockholders, during the period
ending 180 days after the date of this prospectus, have agreed not
to or are otherwise restricted in their ability to: (1) offer,
sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make
any short sale or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or
indirectly, any shares of common stock or any securities
convertible into, exchangeable for or that represent the right to
receive shares of common stock; (2) file any registration statement
with the SEC relating to the offering of any shares of common stock
or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable
for common stock; or (3) enter into any swap or other arrangement
that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic
consequences of ownership of common stock, subject to certain
exceptions. ThinkEquity, in its sole discretion, may release the
common stock and other securities subject to the lock-up provisions
described above in whole or in part at any time with or without
notice. See “Underwriting.”
The market price of our common stock may decline significantly when
the restrictions on resale by our existing stockholders lapse. A
decline in the market price of our common stock might impede our
ability to raise capital through the issuance of additional shares
of common stock or other equity securities.
You will incur immediate dilution in the net tangible book
value of the shares you purchase in this offering.
The public offering price of our common stock is higher than the
net tangible book value per share of outstanding common stock prior
to completion of this offering. Based on our pro forma net tangible
book value as of September 30, 2020, giving effect to the 1-for-6
reverse stock split and Bridge Financing transactions subsequent to
September 30, 2020, and giving further effect to the issuance and
sale of 5,400,000 shares of common stock by us at the public
offering price of $10.00 per share and the use of $1.0 million of
the net offering proceeds to repay outstanding indebtedness under
our Credit Agreement, if you purchase our common stock in this
offering, you will suffer immediate dilution of approximately $5.78
per share in net tangible book value. Dilution is the amount by
which the offering price paid by purchasers of our common stock in
this offering will exceed the pro forma as adjusted net tangible
book value per share of our common stock upon completion of this
offering. If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase
additional shares, you will experience future dilution. A total of
39,482 shares of common stock have been reserved for future
issuance under our stock-based compensation plans, including our
2019 Equity Incentive Plan. You may experience additional dilution
upon future equity issuances or the exercise of stock options to
purchase common stock granted to our directors, officers and
employees under our current and future stock-based compensation
plans, including our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan.
We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common
stock in the foreseeable future.
We currently intend to retain our future earnings, if any, for the
foreseeable future, to repay indebtedness and to fund the
development and growth of our business. We do not intend to pay any
dividends to holders of our common stock in the foreseeable future.
Any decision to declare and pay dividends in the future will be
made at the discretion of our Board taking into account various
factors, including our business, operating results and financial
condition, current and anticipated cash needs, plans for expansion,
any legal or contractual limitations on our ability to pay
dividends under our loan agreements or otherwise. As a result, if
our Board does not declare and pay dividends, the capital
appreciation in the price of our common stock, if any, will be your
only source of gain on an investment in our common stock, and you
may have to sell some or all of your common stock to generate cash
flow from your investment.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or
reports about our business, or if they downgrade their
recommendations regarding our common stock, its trading price and
volume could decline.
We expect the trading market for our common stock to be influenced
by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts
publish about us, our business or our industry. As a new public
company, we do not currently have and may never obtain research
coverage by securities and industry analysts. If no securities or
industry analysts commence coverage of our company, the trading
price for our stock may be negatively impacted. If we obtain
securities or industry analyst coverage and if one or more of these
analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to publish reports
on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets,
which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to
decline and our common stock to be less liquid. Moreover, if one or
more of the analysts who cover us downgrades our stock or publishes
inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, or if our
results of operations do not meet their expectations, our stock
price could decline.
Taking advantage of the reduced disclosure requirements
applicable to “emerging growth companies” may make our common stock
less attractive to investors.
We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS
Act. An emerging growth company may take advantage of certain
reduced reporting and other requirements that are otherwise
generally applicable to public companies, as described above. We
currently intend to take advantage of each of these exemptions. We
have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period,
which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has
different application dates for public or private companies, we, as
an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard
at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard.
This may make a comparison of our financial statements with the
financial statements of a public company that is not an emerging
growth company, or the financial statements of an emerging growth
company that has opted out of using the extended transition period,
difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in
accounting standards used. We could be an emerging growth company
until December 31, 2023. We cannot predict if investors will find
our common stock less attractive if we elect to rely on these
exemptions, or if taking advantage of these exemptions would result
in less active trading or more volatility in the price of our
common stock.
Provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may
delay or prevent a take-over that may not be in the best interests
of our stockholders.
Provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may be
deemed to have anti-takeover effects, which include when and by
whom special meetings of our stockholders may be called, and may
delay, defer or prevent a takeover attempt.
In addition, our certificate of incorporation authorizes the
issuance of up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock with such
rights and preferences determined from time to time by our Board.
As of September 30, 2020, none of our preferred shares were
currently issued or outstanding. Our Board may, without stockholder
approval, issue additional preferred shares with dividends,
liquidation, conversion, voting or other rights that could
adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of
our common stock.
The requirements of being a public company may strain our
resources, divert management’s attention and affect our ability to
attract and retain executive management and qualified board
members.
As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements
of the Exchange Act, as amended, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the
Dodd-Frank Act, and other applicable securities rules and
regulations. Compliance with these rules and regulations involves
significant legal and financial compliance costs, may make some
activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly and may
increase demand on our systems and resources, particularly after we
are no longer an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS
Act. The Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we file
annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business
and operating results. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other
things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and
procedures and internal control over financial reporting. In order
to maintain and, if required, improve our disclosure controls and
procedures and internal control over financial reporting to meet
this standard, significant resources and management oversight may
be required. As a result, management’s attention may be diverted
from other business concerns, which could adversely affect our
business and operating results. We may need to hire more employees
in the future or engage outside consultants, which will increase
our costs and expenses.
In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to
corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty
for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance
costs and making some activities more time consuming. These laws,
regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations,
in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result,
their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance
is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result
in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher
costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and
governance practices. We intend to invest resources to comply with
evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may
result in increased general and administrative expenses and a
diversion of management’s time and attention from
revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our
efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ
from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due
to ambiguities related to their application and practice,
regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us,
and our business may be adversely affected.
However, for as long as we remain an “emerging growth company,” we
may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting
requirements that are applicable to public companies that are not
“emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not
being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements
of Section 404 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act, reduced disclosure
obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic
reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements
of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and
stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not
previously approved. We may take advantage of these reporting
exemptions until we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” We
would cease to be an “emerging growth company” upon the earliest
of: (i) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth
anniversary of the first sale of our common stock under an
effective Securities Act registration statement, which will occur
on December 31, 2023; (ii) the first fiscal year after our annual
gross revenues are $1.07 billion or more; (iii) the date on which
we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than
$1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities; or (iv) as of the
end of any fiscal year in which the market value of the common
stock held by non-affiliates exceeded $700 million as of the end of
Q2 of that fiscal year.
As a result of disclosure of information in this prospectus and in
filings required of a public company, our business and financial
condition are highly visible, which may result in threatened or
actual litigation, including by competitors and other third
parties. If such claims are successful, our business and operating
results could be adversely affected, and even if the claims do not
result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, these claims,
and the time and resources necessary to resolve them, could divert
the resources of our management and adversely affect our business
and operating results.
We may be subject to additional regulatory burdens resulting
from our public listing.
We are working with our legal, accounting and financial advisors to
identify those areas in which changes should be made to our
financial management control systems to manage our obligations as a
public company listed on Nasdaq. These areas include corporate
governance, corporate controls, disclosure controls and procedures
and financial reporting and accounting systems. We have made, and
will continue to make, changes in these and other areas, including
our internal controls over financial reporting. However, we cannot
assure holders of our common stock that these and other measures
that we might take will be sufficient to allow us to satisfy our
obligations as a public company listed on Nasdaq on a timely basis.
In addition, compliance with reporting and other requirements
applicable to public companies listed on Nasdaq will create
additional costs for us and will require the time and attention of
management. We cannot predict the amount of the additional costs
that we might incur, the timing of such costs or the impact that
management’s attention to these matters will have on our
business.
We may be exposed to currency fluctuations.
Although our revenues and expenses are expected to be predominantly
denominated in United States dollars, we may be exposed to currency
exchange fluctuations. Recent events in the global financial
markets have been coupled with increased volatility in the currency
markets. Fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar,
the Canadian dollar, the Euro, the Swiss franc, and the currency of
other regions in which we may operate may have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.
We may, in the future, establish a program to hedge a portion of
our foreign currency exposure with the objective of minimizing the
impact of adverse foreign currency exchange movements. However,
even if we develop a hedging program, there can be no assurance
that it will effectively mitigate currency risks.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus includes statements that express our opinions,
expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or
projections regarding future events or future results and therefore
are, or may be deemed to be, “forward-looking statements.” All
statements other than statements of historical facts contained in
this prospectus may be forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use
of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “believes,”
“estimates,” “continues,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “seeks,”
“projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “may,” “will,” “would” or “should”
or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable
terminology. They appear in a number of places throughout this
prospectus, and include statements regarding our intentions,
beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, our
results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects,
growth, strategies, future acquisitions and the industry in which
we operate.
By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on
circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. We believe
that these risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to,
those described in the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus,
which include, but are not limited to, risks related to the
following:
|
· |
the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and
operations; |
|
· |
our ability to generate revenues sufficient to achieve
profitability and positive cash flow; |
|
· |
competition in our industry and our ability to compete
effectively; |
|
· |
our ability to attract, recruit, retain and develop key
personnel and qualified employees; |
|
· |
risks related to laws, regulations and industry standards; |
|
· |
risks related to the cannabis industry; |
|
· |
reliance on significant clients and third-party suppliers; |
|
· |
the ability of our principal stockholders to significantly
influence or control matters requiring a stockholder vote; |
|
· |
our ability to successfully identify and complete acquisitions
and effectively integrate those acquisitions into our
operations; |
|
· |
our indebtedness and potential increases in our indebtedness;
and |
|
· |
the other factors described in “Risk Factors.” |
These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be
read with the other cautionary statements in this prospectus.
Although we base these forward-looking statements on assumptions
that we believe are reasonable when made, we caution you that
forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance
and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and
liquidity, and industry developments may differ materially from
statements made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements
contained in this prospectus. The matters summarized under
“Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,”
“Business” and elsewhere in this prospectus could cause our actual
results to differ significantly from those contained in our
forward-looking statements. In addition, even if our results of
operations, financial condition and liquidity, and industry
developments are consistent with the forward-looking statements
contained in this prospectus, those results or developments may not
be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods.
In light of these risks and uncertainties, we caution you not to
place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Any
forward-looking statement that we make in this prospectus speaks
only as of the date of such statement, and we undertake no
obligation to update any forward-looking statement or to publicly
announce the results of any revision to any of those statements to
reflect future events or developments, except as required by
applicable law. Comparisons of results for current and any prior
periods are not intended to express any future trends or
indications of future performance, unless specifically expressed as
such, and should only be viewed as historical data.
USE
OF PROCEEDS
We estimate that the net proceeds to us from the sale of our common
stock in this offering will be approximately $50.2 million (or
$57.8 million if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment
option in full), after deducting underwriting discounts and
commissions and the estimated offering expenses payable by us.
We intend to use approximately $1.0 million of the net proceeds to
repay outstanding indebtedness under our Credit Agreement. As of
September 30, 2020, our Credit Agreement bears interest at the
annual rate established and designated by the Bank of Nova Scotia
as the prime rate, plus 12% per annum (14.5% as of September 30,
2020), and matures on December 31, 2021. See the notes to our
financial statements included in this prospectus for additional
information.
We intend to use the remaining net proceeds (which will be
approximately $49.2 million, or $56.8 million if the underwriters
exercise their over-allotment option in full) to support our
organic growth, to expand in the European CEA market and for other
general corporate purposes, including to fund potential future
investments and acquisitions of companies that we believe are
complementary to our business and consistent with our growth
strategy. Although we may, from time to time, evaluate potential
strategic investments and acquisitions, we do not have any
definitive agreements in place to make any such acquisitions at
this current time.
The expected use of net proceeds from this offering represents our
intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions,
which could change in the future as our plans and business
conditions evolve and change. As a result, our management will have
broad discretion over how these proceeds are used. Proceeds held by
us will be invested in short-term investments until needed for the
uses described above.
MARKET FOR OUR COMMON STOCK
Prior to this offering, shares of our common stock were quoted on
the OTC Markets Group, Inc. OTCQX Marketplace under the symbol
“UGRO.” Although our shares have been quoted on the OTCQX
Marketplace since October 7, 2019, because trading on the OTCQX
Marketplace has been infrequent and limited in volume, the prices
at which such transactions occurred may not necessarily reflect the
price that would be paid for our common stock in a more liquid
market. As of February 9, 2021, there were approximately 156 record
holders of our common stock.
Our common stock has recently experienced extreme price volatility.
From January 4, 2021 to February 9, 2021, sales of our common stock
have been effected at prices as low as $4.00 and as high as
$162.00. The high of $162.00 occurred on February 5, 2021, when
63,318 shares were traded. The average daily trading volume over
the past twelve months is approximately 600 shares per day. We have
not experienced any material changes in our financial condition or
results of operations that explain such price volatility or trading
volume. The trading price of our common stock has been, and may
continue to be, subject to wide price fluctuations in response to
various factors, many of which are beyond our control, including
those described in “Risk Factors.”
We have received approval to list our common stock on the Nasdaq
Capital Market under the symbol “UGRO.” However, we cannot assure
you that a liquid trading market for our common stock will develop
or be sustained after this offering. You may not be able to sell
your shares quickly or at the market price if trading in our common
stock is not active. See “Underwriting” for more information
regarding our arrangements with the underwriters and the factors
considered in setting the public offering price.
DIVIDEND POLICY
Since our inception, we have not paid any dividends on our common
stock, and we currently expect that, for the foreseeable future,
all earnings, if any, will be retained for use in the development
and operation of our business. In the future, our Board may decide,
at its discretion, whether dividends may be declared and paid to
holders of our common stock.
CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and
capitalization as of September 30, 2020:
|
· |
on a pro
forma basis to give effect to the 1-for-6 reverse stock split and
Bridge Financing transactions subsequent to September 30, 2020;
and |
|
· |
on a pro forma as adjusted basis to give further effect to the
issuance and sale by us in this offering of 5,400,000 shares of our
common stock at the public offering price of $10.00 per share,
after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and
estimated offering expenses that we expect to pay, and the
application of $1.0 million of the net proceeds from this offering
to repay outstanding indebtedness under our Credit Agreement as
described under “Use of Proceeds.” |
This table should be read in conjunction with, and is qualified in
its entirety by reference to, “Use of Proceeds,” “Selected
Historical Consolidated Financial and Other Data,” “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and related
notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.
|
|
As of September 30, 2020 |
|
|
|
Actual |
|
|
|
Pro forma |
|
|
Pro forma as adjusted |
|
Cash and cash
equivalents
|
|
$ |
213,392 |
|
|
$ |
1,063,392 |
|
|
$ |
50,307,392 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capitalization: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current debt: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes
payable |
|
$ |
60,000 |
|
|
$ |
60,000 |
|
|
$ |
60,000 |
|
Revolving facility |
|
|
600,000 |
|
|
|
600,000 |
|
|
|
600,000 |
|
Term loan, net |
|
|
1,596,280 |
|
|
|
1,596,280 |
|
|
|
596,280 |
|
Total current
debt |
|
|
2,256,280 |
|
|
|
2,256,280 |
|
|
|
1,256,280 |
|
Long-term debt: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related
party note payable |
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
Revolving facility |
|
|
2,676,493 |
|
|
|
2,676,493 |
|
|
|
2,676,493 |
|
Term
loan, net |
|
|
88,318 |
|
|
|
88,318 |
|
|
|
88,318 |
|
Bridge
Financing |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
1,850,000 |
|
|
|
1,850,000 |
|
Notes payable |
|
|
1,020,600 |
|
|
|
1,020,600 |
|
|
|
1,020,600 |
|
Total long-term
debt |
|
|
4,785,411 |
|
|
|
5,635,411 |
|
|
|
5,635,411 |
|
Shareholders’ equity: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Preferred stock, $0.10 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized, 0
shares issued and outstanding |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
Common
stock, $0.001 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized, 28,272,285
shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2020, 4,712,047
shares on a pro forma basis, and 10,112,047 shares on a pro forma
as adjusted basis |
|
|
28,272 |
|
|
|
4,712 |
|
|
|
10,112 |
|
Additional paid-in capital |
|
|
14,118,289 |
|
|
|
14,141,849 |
|
|
|
64,380,449 |
|
Accumulated equity (deficit) |
|
|
(20,850,508 |
) |
|
|
(20,850,508 |
) |
|
|
(20,850,508 |
) |
Total
shareholders’ equity (deficit) |
|
|
(6,703,947 |
) |
|
|
(6,703,947 |
) |
|
|
43,540,053 |
|
Total
capitalization |
|
$ |
337,744 |
|
|
$ |
1,187,744 |
|
|
$ |
50,431,744 |
|
Unless we indicate otherwise, all information in this
Capitalization section:
|
· |
assumes
no exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment
option; |
|
· |
assumes
no exercise of the representative’s warrants to be issued to the
representative of the underwriters in this offering; |
|
|
|
|
· |
excludes 246,666 shares issuable upon
conversion of Bridge Financing notes (see “Management’s Discussion
and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations—Recent Developments—Bridge Financing” for a discussion
of the Bridge Financing); |
|
· |
excludes
638,277 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of
outstanding exercisable options at a weighted exercise price of
$6.30 per share; |
|
· |
excludes
202,752 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of
outstanding warrants at a weighted exercise price of $13.28 per
share; and |
|
· |
excludes
39,482 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance pursuant
to our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan. |
DILUTION
If you invest in our common stock in this offering, your interest
will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the public
offering price per share of our common stock and the pro forma as
adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock
immediately after the closing of this offering. Net tangible book
value per share represents our total tangible assets less our total
liabilities, divided by the number of outstanding shares of common
stock. Our net tangible book value of our common stock as of
September 30, 2020 was ($7.6) million, or ($0.27) per share.
Our pro forma net tangible book value of our common stock as of
September 30, 2020 was ($7.6) million, or ($1.61) per share, after
giving effect to the 1-for-6 reverse stock split and Bridge
Financing transactions subsequent to September 30, 2020.
After giving further effect to the receipt of the net proceeds from
our sale of 5,400,000 shares of common stock in this offering at
the public offering price of $10.00 per share, after deducting
underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering
expenses payable by us, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book
value as of September 30, 2020, would have been $42.6 million, or
$4.22 per share. This represents an immediate increase in pro forma
net tangible book value of $5.83 per share to our existing
stockholders and an immediate dilution of $5.78 per share to
investors purchasing common stock in this offering.
We calculate dilution per share to new investors by subtracting the
pro forma net tangible book value per share from the public
offering price paid by the new investor. The following table
illustrates the dilution to new investors on a per share basis:
Public
offering price per share |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
Pro
forma net tangible book value per share as of September 30,
2020 |
|
$ |
(1.61 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Increase
in pro forma net tangible book value per share attributable to this
offering |
|
|
5.83 |
|
|
|
|
|
Pro forma as adjusted net
tangible book value per share after this offering |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.22 |
|
Dilution in pro forma net
tangible book value per share in this offering |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
5.78 |
|
If the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares to cover
over-allotments is exercised in full, the pro forma as adjusted net
tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering
would be $4.60 per share, representing an immediate increase to
existing stockholders of $6.21 per share, and immediate dilution to
new investors in this offering of $5.40 per share.
The foregoing calculations:
|
· |
assume no exercise by the
underwriters of their over-allotment option; |
|
· |
assume no exercise of the
representative’s warrants to be issued to the representative of the
underwriters in this offering; |
|
· |
exclude 246,666 shares issuable
upon conversion of Bridge Financing notes (see “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations—Recent Developments—Bridge Financing” for a discussion
of the Bridge Financing); |
|
· |
give effect to the 1-for-6
reverse stock split with respect to our common stock, which took
effect December 31, 2020; |
|
· |
exclude 638,277 shares of common
stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding exercisable options
at a weighted exercise price of $6.30 per share; |
|
· |
exclude 202,752 shares of common
stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants at a
weighted exercise price of $13.28 per share; and |
|
· |
exclude 39,482 shares of common
stock reserved for future issuance pursuant to our 2019 Equity
Incentive Plan. |
SELECTED HISTORICAL CONSOLIDATED
FINANCIAL AND OTHER DATA
The following tables set forth our summary historical consolidated
financial data as of, and for the periods ended on, the dates
indicated.
The summary consolidated statements of operations data for the
years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 and the summary consolidated
balance sheet data as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 are derived
from our audited consolidated financial statements and notes that
are included elsewhere in this prospectus.
The summary consolidated statements of operations data for the
three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 and the
summary consolidated balance sheet data as of September 30, 2020
are derived from our unaudited interim consolidated financial
statements and notes that are included elsewhere in this
prospectus. We have prepared the unaudited consolidated financial
statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles (GAAP) and on the same basis as the audited consolidated
financial statements. Our historical results are not necessarily
indicative of our results in any future period and results from our
interim period may not necessarily be indicative of the results of
the entire year. Pro forma share and per share amounts presented
herein reflect the implementation of the 1-for-6 reverse stock
split as if it had occurred at the beginning of the earliest period
presented.
|
|
For the |
|
|
For the |
|
|
For the |
|
|
For the |
|
|
For the |
|
|
For the |
|
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
Nine Months Ended |
|
|
Nine Months Ended |
|
|
Fiscal Year Ended |
|
|
Fiscal Year Ended |
|
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
|
2020 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2018 |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
|
(Audited) |
|
|
(Audited) |
|
Statement of operations data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues |
|
$ |
8,359,422 |
|
|
$ |
5,583,064 |
|
|
$ |
16,625,688 |
|
|
$ |
17,056,737 |
|
|
$ |
24,189,803 |
|
|
$ |
20,050,776 |
|
Cost of revenues |
|
|
6,654,134 |
|
|
|
3,650,965 |
|
|
|
12,613,461 |
|
|
|
11,529,448 |
|
|
|
17,563,594 |
|
|
|
13,892,025 |
|
Gross Profit |
|
|
1,705,288 |
|
|
|
1,932,099 |
|
|
|
4,012,227 |
|
|
|
5,527,289 |
|
|
|
6,626,209 |
|
|
|
6,158,751 |
|
Operating expenses |
|
|
1,853,828 |
|
|
|
3,324,921 |
|
|
|
6,502,283 |
|
|
|
9,581,375 |
|
|
|
12,486,814 |
|
|
|
9,959,335 |
|
Income (loss) from operations |
|
|
(148,540 |
) |
|
|
(1,392,822 |
) |
|
|
(2,490,056 |
) |
|
|
(4,054,086 |
) |
|
|
(5,860,605 |
) |
|
|
(3,800,584 |
) |
Other non-operating income (expense) |
|
|
(545,741 |
) |
|
|
(1,416,708 |
) |
|
|
(1,469,826 |
) |
|
|
(1,665,318 |
) |
|
|
(2,489,968 |
) |
|
|
(95,289 |
) |
Net income (loss) |
|
$ |
(694,281 |
) |
|
$ |
(2,809,530 |
) |
|
$ |
(3,959,882 |
) |
|
$ |
(5,719,404 |
) |
|
$ |
(8,350,573 |
) |
|
$ |
(3,895,873 |
) |
Income (loss) per share, basic and
diluted |
|
$ |
(0.02 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.11 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.14 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.22 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.32 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.16 |
) |
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and
diluted |
|
|
28,888,194 |
|
|
|
26,175,098 |
|
|
|
28,706,905 |
|
|
|
25,772,134 |
|
|
|
26,318,059 |
|
|
|
28,848,293 |
|
Pro forma income (loss) per share, basic and
diluted (unaudited) |
|
$ |
(0.12 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.66 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.84 |
) |
|
$ |
(1.32 |
) |
|
$ |
(1.92 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.96 |
) |
Pro forma weighted average shares
outstanding, basic and diluted (unaudited) |
|
|
4,814,699 |
|
|
|
4,362,516 |
|
|
|
4,784,484 |
|
|
|
4,295,356 |
|
|
|
4,386,343 |
|
|
|
4,141,382 |
|
|
|
As of |
|
|
As of |
|
|
As of |
|
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
|
2020 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2018 |
|
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
|
(Audited) |
|
|
(Audited) |
|
Balance sheet data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current assets |
|
$ |
4,586,195 |
|
|
$ |
3,998,205 |
|
|
$ |
3,945,305 |
|
Total
assets |
|
|
7,550,138 |
|
|
|
7,407,692 |
|
|
|
5,744,764 |
|
Current liabilities |
|
|
9,419,327 |
|
|
|
12,317,185 |
|
|
|
9,571,315 |
|
Total
liabilities |
|
|
14,254,085 |
|
|
|
12,416,026 |
|
|
|
9,571,315 |
|
Total
stockholders’ deficit |
|
|
(6,703,947 |
) |
|
|
(5,008,334 |
) |
|
|
(3,826,551 |
) |
Total
liabilities and stockholders’ equity |
|
$ |
7,550,138 |
|
|
$ |
7,407,692 |
|
|
$ |
5,744,764 |
|
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND
ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis of our results of
operations and financial condition should be read together with
“Selected Historical Consolidated Financial and Other Data” and the
financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this
prospectus. Such discussion and analysis reflects our historical
results of operations and financial position and does not give
effect to the completion of this offering. This discussion contains
forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that
involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ
materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking
statements as a result of various factors, including those set
forth under “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements” and elsewhere in this prospectus. All
share and per share amounts presented herein have been restated to
reflect the implementation of the 1-for-6 reverse stock split as if
it had occurred at the beginning of the earliest period presented,
except for amounts presented in the financial statements and
related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Overview and History
urban-gro, Inc. (“we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” or “urban-gro”)
is a leading engineering and design services company focused on the
sustainable commercial indoor horticulture market. We engineer and
design indoor controlled environment
agriculture (“CEA”) facilities and then integrate complex
environmental equipment systems into those facilities. Through this
work, we create high-performance indoor cultivation facilities for
our clients to grow specialty crops, including leafy greens,
vegetables, herbs, and plant-based medicines. To date, a large
number of our clients have been cannabis producers, and we will
continue to do substantial work for those clients, but we have
added a focus on non-cannabis crops as we seek to address a broader
market. In particular, our focus going forward is on the vertical
farming CEA sub-segment. Our custom-tailored approach to design,
procurement, and equipment integration provides a single point of
accountability across all aspects of indoor growing operations. We
also help our clients achieve operational efficiency and economic
advantages through a full spectrum of professional services and
programs focused on facility optimization and environmental health
which establish facilities that allow clients to manage, operate and perform at the
highest level throughout their entire cultivation lifecycle once
they are up and running.
We aim to work with our clients from inception through design of
their project in a way that provides value throughout the life of
their facility. We are a trusted partner and advisor to our clients
and offer a complete set of engineering and managed services
complemented by a vetted suite of select cultivation equipment
systems. Outlined below is an example of a complete project with
estimated time frames for each phase that demonstrate how we
provide value to our clients.
Our indoor commercial cultivation solution offers an integrated
suite of services and equipment systems that generally fall within
the following categories:
|
· |
Engineering and Design Services – A
comprehensive triad of services including: |
|
i. |
Cultivation Space Programming (“CSP”) |
|
ii. |
Integrated Cultivation Design (“ICD”) |
|
iii. |
Full-Facility Mechanical, Electrical, and
Plumbing (“MEP”) |
|
· |
A service offering including: |
|
ii. |
Facility and Equipment Commissioning
Services |
|
· |
Integrated Equipment Solutions: |
|
· |
Design, Source, and Integration of Complex
Environmental Equipment Systems Including Purpose-Built Heating,
Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (“HVAC”) solutions, Environmental
Controls, Fertigation, and Irrigation Distribution. |
|
· |
Value-Added Reselling (“VAR”) of Cultivation
Equipment including a Complete line of Lighting and Rolling
Benching Systems |
|
· |
Strategic Vendor Relationships with Premier
Manufacturers |
The majority of our clients are commercial CEA cultivators. We
believe one of the key points of our differentiation that our
clients value is the depth of experience of our employees and our
Company. We currently employ 43 individuals. Approximately
two-thirds of our employees are considered experts in their areas
of focus, and our team includes Engineers (Mechanical, Electrical,
Plumbing, Controls, and Agricultural), Professional Engineers, and
individuals with Masters Degrees in Plant Science, Horticulture,
and Business Administration. As a company, we have worked on more
than 300 indoor CEA facilities, and believe that the experience of
our team and Company provide clients with the confidence that we
will proactively keep them from making common costly mistakes
during the build out and operational stages. Our expertise
translates into clients saving time, money, and resources, and
provides them ongoing access to expertise that they can leverage
without having to add headcount to their own operations. We provide
this experience in addition to offering a platform of the highest
quality equipment systems that can be integrated holistically into
our clients’ facilities.
Recent Developments
COVID-19 Pandemic
In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, was
reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China. In January 2020, this
coronavirus spread to other countries, including the United States,
and efforts to contain the spread of this coronavirus intensified.
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak
of the coronavirus a pandemic. We are a business that supplies
other essential businesses with support and supplies necessary to
operate and we therefore believe we are an essential business
allowed to continue operating under the Stay-At-Home Orders that
may be issued by many states and cities. However, as discussed
below, we have seen a decrease in revenues for the nine months
ended September 30, 2020, a portion of which was the result of
clients deferring spending due to the impacts of COVID-19. The
extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts our results will
depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and
cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge
concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions to contain
COVID-19 or treat its impact. The outbreak and any preventative or
protective actions that governments or we may take in respect of
COVID-19 may result in a period of business disruption, reduced
client business and reduced operations.
Due to the uncertainty and adverse impact on our operations and
financial condition resulting from the outbreak of COVID-19, we
took the following actions:
|
· |
In March 2020, we began executing a
substantial reduction in discretionary marketing and general &
administrative expenses. |
|
· |
On March 30, 2020, we reduced our headcount
by 13 people (27%), from 48 to 35, by terminating ten employees and
furloughing three other employees, including one member of our
leadership team. |
|
· |
Effective April 6, 2020, we reduced
compensation for almost every remaining employee, including a 20%
reduction for the senior members of our leadership team. |
|
· |
Effective July
27, 2020, the reduced compensation for everyone other than the
leadership team was reinstated. Effective September 7, 2020, the
reduced compensation for the leadership team was
reinstated. |
The ultimate magnitude of
COVID-19, including the extent of its impact on our financial and
operational results, which could be material, will depend on the
length of time that the pandemic continues, its effect on the
demand for our products and our supply chain, the effect of
governmental regulations imposed in response to the pandemic, as
well as uncertainty regarding all of the foregoing. We cannot at
this time predict the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it
could have a larger material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition, results of operations and cash flows beyond
what is discussed within this prospectus.
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES
Act”)
On March 27, 2020, the CARES Act was enacted. The CARES Act is an
approximate $2 trillion emergency economic stimulus package passed
in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The CARES Act, among other
things, includes broad sweeping provisions such as direct financial
assistance to Americans in the form of one-time payments to
individuals; aid to businesses in the form of loans and grants; and
efforts to stabilize the U.S. economy and keep Americans employed
in general. On April 16, 2020, we received a loan in the amount of
$1,020,600 under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) of the
CARES Act. The PPP provides for loans to qualifying businesses for
amounts up to 2.5 times the average monthly payroll expenses of the
qualifying business. On June 5, 2020, the Paycheck Protection
Program Flexibility Act of 2020 (the “PPPFA”) was enacted. The
PPPFA extended the covered period of the loans under the PPP from
eight weeks to 24 weeks from the origination date of the loan, or
December 31, 2020, whichever is earlier. Therefore, the PPP now
provides a mechanism for forgiveness of up to the full amount
borrowed after 24 weeks as long as the borrower uses the loan
proceeds during the 24-week period after the loan origination for
eligible purposes, including payroll costs, certain benefits costs,
rent and utilities costs or other permitted purposes, and maintains
its payroll levels, subject to certain other requirements and
limitations. The amount of loan forgiveness is subject to
reduction, among other reasons, if the borrower terminates
employees or reduces salaries during the 24-week period. The
interest rate on the loan is 1.0% per annum. The PPPFA also
extended the deferment period for principal and interest payments
on PPP loans from six months to ten months. Therefore, the payments
of principal and interest under our PPP loan are deferred for ten
months from the final day of the loan forgiveness period (the
“Deferral Period”). Although the Company believes the PPP loan
proceeds were used in accordance with the CARES Act guidance, the
Company has not yet determined if any of the PPP loan is subject to
forgiveness and has therefore continued to show the entire PPP loan
as an obligation on its financial statements. Any unforgiven
portion of the PPP loan is payable over the two-year term, with
payments deferred during the Deferral Period. The Company may elect
to prepay the unforgiven loan at any time without payment of any
premium.
Bridge Financing
On December 15, 2020, we signed a $1,854,500 convertible note (the
“Notes”) bridge financing (the “Bridge Financing”). The Bridge
Financing is a combination of $1,354,500 received on November 20,
2020, and an additional $500,000 received on December 15, 2020. The
Bridge Financing was raised by a combination of our Board of
Directors, our current investors and two new institutional funds.
In connection with the Bridge Financing, an outstanding $1,000,000
promissory note and $4,500 interest accrued thereon was converted
into a Note. The Notes were issued in reliance upon the exemption
from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Notes carry interest
at the rate of 12% and mature on December 31, 2021. The Notes will
be mandatorily converted upon the closing of a sale of the
securities of the Company, whether in a private placement or
pursuant to an effective registration statement under the
Securities Act, resulting in at least $2,500,000 of gross proceeds
to the Company (a “Qualified Offering”). In the event of a
Qualified Offering, the outstanding principal and interest of the
Notes will be converted into the identical security issued at such
Qualified Offering at 75% of the per security price paid by
investors in connection with the Qualified Offering. Further, at
any time after the one hundred twentieth (120th) day following the
Issuance Date (as defined therein), and with five (5) business days
advanced written notice to the Company, the Notes may be converted
into a number of shares of the Company’s common stock, par value
$0.001, equal to the number derived by dividing (a) the principal
amount of the Note plus any accrued and unpaid interest through the
date of conversion by (b) the Alternative Conversion Price (as
defined therein). This offering would be deemed a Qualified
Offering and the Notes, excluding accrued interest, would convert
into 246,666 shares of our common stock at the offering price of
$10.00 per share.
Preliminary Financial Results for the Three Months and Year
Ended December 31, 2020 (preliminary and unaudited)
These operating results reflect our preliminary estimates with
respect to the results for the three months and year ended December
31, 2020, which are based on currently available information and
are subject to change. Our financial closing procedures for the
three months and year ended December 31, 2020 are not yet complete
and, as a result, our final results upon completion of our closing
procedures may vary from these preliminary estimates. These
preliminary estimates should not be viewed as a substitute for
interim financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP.
These preliminary operating results have been prepared by, and are
the responsibility of, our management. Our auditor, BF Borgers CPA
PC, has not audited, reviewed, compiled or applied agreed-upon
procedures with respect to these preliminary results. Accordingly,
BF Borgers CPA PC does not express an opinion or any other form of
assurance with respect thereto.
We expect our preliminary and unaudited revenue for the three
months ended December 31, 2020 to be between $9.0 million and $9.3
million, which would represent an increase of at least 26% from
revenue of $7.1 million reported for the three months ended
December 31, 2019. Preliminary and unaudited revenue for the year
ended December 31, 2020 is expected to be between $25.6 million and
$25.9 million, compared to $24.2 million reported for the year
ended December 31, 2019. This expected increase in revenue was
driven by an increase in the shipment of complex environmental
equipment systems and sales of other cultivation equipment
predominantly tied to design contracts signed. We are entering 2021
with in excess of $14.0 million of contractually committed orders
for environmental and cultivation equipment systems for which
revenue has not been recognized.
We expect our preliminary and unaudited net loss for the three
months ended December 31, 2020 to be between negative ($1.7)
million and negative ($1.4) million, which would represent an
improvement of at least $0.9 million from net loss of negative
($2.6) million reported for the three months ended December 31,
2019. This expected improvement in net loss is driven by reductions
in operating expenses and increased gross profit. Preliminary and
unaudited net loss for the year ended December 31, 2020 is expected
to be between negative ($5.7) million and negative ($5.4) million,
which would represent an improvement of at least $2.7 million from
net loss of negative ($8.4) million reported for the year ended
December 31, 2019. This expected improvement in net loss is driven
by a reduction in operating expenses.
In addition, we expect to achieve positive Adjusted EBITDA for the
three months ended December 31, 2020, with Adjusted EBITDA for the
year ended December 31, 2020 expected to be between negative ($0.9)
million and negative ($0.7) million, which would represent an
improvement of at least $2.3 million from Adjusted EBITDA of
negative ($3.3) million reported for the year ended December 31,
2019. See “—Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a discussion of how we
calculate Adjusted EBITDA.
Results of Operations
This section includes a summary of our historical results of
operations, followed by detailed comparisons of our results for (i)
the nine months and the three months ended September 30, 2020 and
2019 and (ii) the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018. We have
derived this data from our interim and annual consolidated
financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 Compared to Nine Months
Ended September 30, 2019
During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, we generated
revenues of $16.6 million ($15.1 million of product revenues and
$1.5 million of services revenues) compared to revenues of $17.1
million ($14.5 million of product revenues and $2.6 million of
services revenues) during the nine months ended September 30, 2019,
a decrease of $0.5 million, or 3%. This decrease in revenue
consisted of a $1.2 million decrease in complex equipment systems
and a $1.1 million decrease in professional services, offset by an
increase of $1.5 million in cultivation equipment and a $0.3
million increase in other product revenues. A portion of this
decrease in revenues was the result of clients deferring spending
due to the impacts of COVID-19 during the six months ended June 30,
2020. As a result of the deferred spending, many of the completion
dates in our client contracts were extended, but no contracts were
lost. We began to see clients start spending on these deferred
contracts during the three months ended September 30, 2020. We
signed 57 new engineering design project contracts in the
nine-month period ended September 30, 2020, including six new
projects in Europe, and secured our first horticulture
commissioning project, an East Coast based lettuce facility. During
the nine months ended September 30, 2020 one client represented 26%
of our total revenue. During the nine months ended September 30,
2019, another client represented 15% of our total revenue.
Substantially all of the revenue derived from each of these
separate clients were product sales.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, cost of revenues
was $12.6 million compared to $11.5 million during the nine months
ended September 30, 2019, an increase of $1.1 million, or 9%. This
increase is attributable to an increase in revenue from our lower
margin product equipment sales and a reduction in our higher margin
services revenue.
Gross profit was $4.0 million (24% of revenue) during the nine
months ended September 30, 2020 compared to $5.5 million (32% of
revenue) during the nine months ended September 30, 2019. Gross
profit as a percentage of revenue decreased due to a revenue mix
shift in the current period favoring product versus services
revenue as noted above.
Operating expenses decreased by $3.1 million, or 32%, to $6.5
million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared to
$9.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019. The
decrease in operating expenses was comprised of a $2.0 million
reduction in general operating expenses, mainly due to reduced
salary and travel expenses, a $0.7 million reduction of marketing
related expenses, and a $0.2 million reduction in stock-based
compensation expense.
Non-operating expenses decreased $0.2 million to $1.5 million for
the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to $1.7 million
for the nine months ended September 30, 2019. Interest expense,
excluding $0.8 million related to the amortization of convertible
debentures in the nine months ended September 30, 2019, increased
$0.7 million due to the increase in debt over the comparable
periods. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, the
Company recognized an impairment loss of $0.3 million and $0.5
million, respectively, related to the investment in Total Grow
Holdings LLC (d/b/a Total Grow Control, LLC) (“TGH”). The Company
also incurred a $0.2 million expense for contingent consideration
from the acquisition of Impact during the nine months ended
September 30, 2020.
As a result of the above, we incurred a net loss of ($4.0) million
for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, or a net loss per
share of ($0.84), compared to a net loss of ($5.7) million for the
nine months ended September 30, or a net loss per share of
($1.32).
Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 Compared to Three
Months Ended September 30, 2019
During the three months ended September 30, 2020, we generated
revenues of $8.4 million ($7.9 million of product revenues and $0.5
million of services revenues) compared to revenues of $5.6 million
($4.6 million of product revenues and $1.0 million of services
revenues) during the three months ended September 30, 2019, an
increase of $2.8 million, or 50% . This increase in revenue
primarily resulted from a $3.3 million increase in cultivation
equipment sales, offset by a $0.5 million decrease in professional
services. This increase in revenues was in part due to clients
spending on contracts that had been deferred during the six months
ended June 30, 2020. We signed 15 new engineering design project
contracts in the three-month period ended September 30, 2020.
During the three months ended September 30, 2020 one client
represented 51% of our total revenue. During the three months ended
September 30, 2019 another client represented 17% of our total
revenue. Substantially all of the revenue derived from each of
these separate clients were product sales.
During the three months ended September 30, 2020, cost of revenues
was $6.7 million compared to $3.7 million during the three months
ended September 30, 2019, an increase of $3.0 million, or 82%. This
increase is attributable to an increase in revenue from our lower
margin product equipment sales and a reduction in our higher margin
services revenue.
Gross profit was $1.7 million (20% of revenue) during the three
months ended September 30, 2020 compared to $1.9 million (35% of
revenue) during the three months ended September 30, 2019. Gross
profit as a percentage of revenue decreased due to a revenue mix
shift in the current period favoring product versus services
revenue as noted above.
Operating expenses decreased by $1.4 million, or 42%, to $1.9
million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to
$3.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019. The
decrease in operating expenses was comprised of a $1.0 million
reduction in general operating expenses mainly due to reduced
salary and travel expenses, a $0.3 million reduction of marketing
related expenses, and a $0.1 million reduction in stock-based
compensation expense.
Non-operating expenses decreased $0.9 million to $0.5 million for
the three months ended September 30, 2020, compared to $1.4 million
for the three months ended September 30, 2019. Interest expense,
excluding $0.8 million related to the amortization of convertible
debentures in the nine months ended September 30, 2019, increased
$0.3 million due to the increase in debt over the comparable
period. In the three months ended September 30, 2019 the Company
recorded a $0.5 million impairment loss related to TGH. The Company
incurred a $0.2 million expense for contingent consideration from
the acquisition of Impact during the three months ended September
30, 2020.
As a result of the above, we incurred a net loss of ($0.7) million
for the three months ended September 30, 2020, or a net loss per
share of ($0.12), compared to a net loss of ($2.8) million for the
three months ended September 30, 2019, or a net loss per share of
($0.66).
Year Ended December 31, 2019 Compared to Year Ended December
31, 2018
During the year ended December 31, 2019, we generated revenues of
$24.2 million ($21.0 million of product revenues and $3.2 million
of services revenues) compared to revenues of $20.1 million ($19.1
million of product revenues and $1.0 million of services revenues)
during the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of $4.1
million (21%). While this increase was partially attributable to
the general growth of the cannabis industry in North America, and a
corresponding increase in the demand for our solutions, we believe
that our increased marketing efforts and industry demand for large,
environmentally controlled, grow facilities primarily contributed
to the increase in our revenues. The increase in revenue primarily
resulted from an increase of $4.3 million in sales of cultivation
equipment, an increase of $2.2 million in professional services, an
increase of $0.8 million in environmental sciences revenues offset
by a decrease in sales of complex equipment systems and other
revenue of $3.2 million. The overall increase in our revenues was
primarily driven by an increase in the number of sales that we
generated. During the year ended December 31, 2019 one client
represented 21% of our total revenue. During the year ended
December 31, 2018 another client represented 14% of our total
revenue. Substantially all of the revenue derived from each of
these separate clients were product sales.
In 2019, we implemented a strategic initiative to more closely
align with our clients and sell an all-encompassing enterprise
platform solution. This solution is a full service consultative
integrated facility package for interior cultivation design.
Supporting this directive, for the year ended December 31, 2019,
the Company secured engineering design service contracts for 76
projects, totaling 1,914,030 square feet.
Cost of sales increased to $17.6 million during the year ended
December 31, 2019, compared to $13.9 million during the year ended
December 31, 2018, an increase of $3.7 million (27%). This increase
was directly related to an increase in revenue from our lower
margin equipment sales, change in salary allocation, and an
increase in payables for contractors related to our design
services.
Gross profit increased to $6.6 million (27% of revenue) during the
year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $6.2 million (31% of
revenue) during the year ended December 31, 2018. Gross profit as a
percentage of revenue decreased due to increased sales of lower
margin products, primarily lighting systems, during 2019.
Operating expenses increased to $12.5 million for the year ended
December 31, 2019, compared to $10.0 million for the year ended
December 31, 2018, an increase of $2.5 million (25%). General and
administrative expense, excluding amortization of broker issuing
costs and broker warrants associated with our offering of
convertible debentures of $0.4 million, increased by $1.5 million
(19%), due primarily to our expanding work force. Many of our new
employees are members of management, hold advanced degrees, and are
experts in their area of focus, which increased compensation
expense. Stock compensation expense increased by $0.6 million
primarily as a result of the timing of vesting of stock grants and
stock options previously issued under our stock grant and stock
option programs.
Interest expense, excluding amortization related to the convertible
debentures of $1.3 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, was
$0.7 million compared to $0.1 million incurred during the year
ended December 31, 2018, as a result of increased debt.
As a result of the above, we incurred a net loss of ($8.4) million
for the year ended December 31, 2019, or a net loss per share of
($1.92), compared to a net loss of ($3.9) million for the year
ended December 31, 2018, or a net loss per share of ($0.96).
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The Company uses the supplemental financial measure of Adjusted
Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization
(“Adjusted EBITDA”) as a measure of our operating performance.
Adjusted EBITDA is not calculated in accordance with accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America
(“GAAP”) and it is not a substitute for other measures prescribed
by GAAP such as net income (loss), income (loss) from operations,
and cash flows from operating activities. We define Adjusted EBITDA
as net income (loss) attributable to urban-gro, Inc., determined in
accordance with GAAP, excluding the effects of certain operating
and non-operating expenses including, but not limited to, interest
expense, depreciation of tangible assets, amortization of
intangible assets, impairment of investments, foreign exchange
gains/losses, and stock-based compensation that we do not believe
reflect our core operating performance.
Our board of directors and management team focus on Adjusted EBITDA
as a key performance and compensation measure. We believe that
Adjusted EBITDA assists us in comparing our operating performance
over various reporting periods because it removes from our
operating results the impact of items that our management believes
do not reflect our core operating performance.
The following table reconciles net loss attributable to the Company
to Adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented:
|
|
Three Months Ended
September 30,
|
|
|
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
|
|
|
Years Ended
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2020 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2018 |
|
Net Loss |
|
$ |
(694,281 |
) |
|
$ |
(2,809,530 |
) |
|
$ |
(3,959,882 |
) |
|
$ |
(5,719,404 |
) |
|
$ |
(8,350,573 |
) |
|
$ |
(3,895,873 |
) |
Interest expense |
|
|
393,158 |
|
|
|
125,733 |
|
|
|
1,057,501 |
|
|
|
374,850 |
|
|
|
704,230 |
|
|
|
119,961 |
|
Interest expense –
amortization of convertible debentures |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
796,233 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
796,233 |
|
|
|
1,333,520 |
|
|
|
– |
|
G&A –
amortization of convertible debentures |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
167,834 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
167,834 |
|
|
|
432,578 |
|
|
|
– |
|
Impairment loss |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
506,000 |
|
|
|
310,000 |
|
|
|
506,000 |
|
|
|
505,766 |
|
|
|
– |
|
Stock-based
compensation |
|
|
399,258 |
|
|
|
509,219 |
|
|
|
1,391,807 |
|
|
|
1,606,355 |
|
|
|
1,830,426 |
|
|
|
1,245,826 |
|
Contingent
consideration – purchase price |
|
|
155,000 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
155,000 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
Depreciation and amortization |
|
|
61,339 |
|
|
|
73,928 |
|
|
|
181,750 |
|
|
|
193,956 |
|
|
|
266,476 |
|
|
|
154,136 |
|
Adjusted EBITDA |
|
$ |
314,474 |
|
|
$ |
(630,583 |
) |
|
$ |
(863,824 |
) |
|
$ |
(2,074,176 |
) |
|
$ |
(3,277,577 |
) |
|
$ |
(2,375,950 |
) |
Adjusted EBITDA for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was a
negative ($0.9) million, compared to a negative ($2.1) million for
the nine months ended September 30, 2019, due to the offsetting
effects of reduced operating expenses and reduced gross profit.
Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was
$0.3 million compared to a negative $0.7 million for the three
months ended September 30, 2019, due primarily to reduced operating
expenses.
Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2019 was a negative
($3.3) million, compared to a negative ($2.4) million for the year
ended December 31, 2018, due to an increase in operating expenses
primarily due to our expanding workforce when compared to the prior
year.
There are limitations to using non-GAAP measures such as Adjusted
EBITDA. Although we believe that Adjusted EBITDA can make an
evaluation of our operating performance more consistent because it
removes items that do not reflect our core operations, other
companies in our industry may define Adjusted EBITDA differently
than we do. As a result, it may be difficult to use Adjusted EBITDA
to compare the performance of those companies to our performance.
Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as a measure of the income
generated by our business or discretionary cash available to us to
invest in the growth of our business.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
September 30, 2020 Compared to December 31, 2019
As of September 30, 2020, we had cash of $213,392, which
represented a decrease of $235,311 from December 31, 2019.
Since inception, we have incurred significant operating losses and
have funded our operations primarily through issuances of equity
securities, debt, and operating revenue. As of September 30, 2020,
we had an accumulated deficit of $20,850,508, a working capital
deficit of $4,833,132, and negative stockholders’ equity of
$6,703,947. Our ability to generate sufficient revenues to pay our
debt obligations and accounts payable when due remains subject to
risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties raise
substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern
within one year after the date that the condensed consolidated
financial statements in connection with this prospectus were
issued. The condensed consolidated financial statements included in
this prospectus have been prepared on a going concern basis and do
not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and
classification of recorded asset amounts or amounts of liabilities
that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Our ability
to continue as a going concern is dependent upon, among other
things, our ability to generate revenue, control costs and raise
capital. Such capital, however, may not be available, if at all, on
terms that are acceptable to us.
As described in the notes to the condensed consolidated financial
statements included in this prospectus, on February 21, 2020, we
entered into the letter agreement by and among us, as borrower,
urban-gro Canada Technologies Inc. and Impact Engineering, Inc., as
guarantors, the lenders party thereto, and Bridging Finance Inc.,
as administrative agent for the lenders (the “Credit Agreement”),
providing for a senior secured demand term loan facility in the
amount of C$2.7 million ($2.0 million) and a demand revolving
credit facility of up to C$5.4 million ($4.0 million). Our failure
to obtain additional debt or equity financing in the future could
have a negative impact on our ability to continue as a going
concern or to grow and expand our operations, which will have a
negative impact on our anticipated results of operations. As of
September 30, 2020, we had no availability under the revolving
credit facility.
If we do not raise enough funds from a financing, or generate
sufficient operating cash flow, or if additional expenditures and
acquisitions are identified and we cannot use our securities as
compensation, we will need additional funding to continue to
implement our business plan and to execute our strategic
initiatives. Other than the availability pursuant to the revolving
credit facility described above, we do not currently have an
agreement with any third party to provide us with such financing
and there can be no assurances that we will be able to raise any
capital on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. If we require
additional capital and are unable to raise the same, it could have
a material negative impact on our results of operations.
Net cash used in operating activities was $3.0 million during the
nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to $0.1 million used
for the nine months ended September 30, 2019. Operating cash has
been positively impacted from an increase in client deposits as
demand for our services and equipment solutions increased in the
nine months ended September 30, 2020. At September 30, 2020, we had
$4.1 million in client deposits related to client orders, which
compared favorably to client deposits of $2.9 million as of
December 31, 2019. We require prepayments from clients before any
design work is commenced and before any material is ordered from
the vendor. These prepayments are booked to the client deposits
liability account when received. Our standard policy is to collect
the following before action is taken on a client order: 50%
deposit; and the remaining 50% payment made prior to shipping. We
expect client deposits to be relieved from the deposits account no
longer than 12 months for each project. We do not have trade
payable terms with most of our vendors and as a result, we are
required to prepay a portion or all of the total order. At
September 30, 2020, we had $1.1 million in accounts payable,
compared to $3.8 million at December 31, 2019.
Net cash used in investing activities was $0.1 million for the nine
months September 30, 2020, compared to $0.9 million during the nine
months ended September 30, 2019. Historically, cash has been used
to increase our investments in strategic partnerships and to
acquire property and equipment. We do not anticipate using
significant cash in the future to invest in strategic partnerships.
We will continue to have ongoing needs to purchase property and
equipment to maintain our operations. We had no material
commitments for capital expenditures as of September 30, 2020.
Net cash provided by financing activities was $2.9 million for the
nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to $3.3 million
during the nine months ended September 30, 2019. Cash provided from
financing activities during the nine months ended September 30,
2020 primarily relates to $5.3 million in proceeds received from
the issuance of debt and a $1.0 million long-term loan, offset by
$2.8 million used in the repayment of notes payable and $0.6
million in financing fees related to the issuance of debt.
December 31, 2019 Compared to December 31, 2018
As of December 31, 2019, we had cash of $448,703, which represented
a decrease of $730,149 from December 31, 2018.
Since inception, we have incurred significant operating losses and
have funded our operations primarily through issuances of equity
securities, debt, and operating revenue. As of December 31, 2019,
we had an accumulated deficit of $16,890,626, a working capital
deficit of $8,318,980, and negative stockholders’ equity of
$5,008,334.
Effective January 9, 2019, we executed a letter agreement with
4Front Capital Partners, Inc., Toronto, Canada (“4Front”), whereby
4Front agreed to act as our exclusive placement agent in connection
with a private placement offering. Beginning in March 2019, 4Front
initiated an offering of up to $6.0 million from the sale of units,
with each unit consisting of a $1,000 Convertible Debenture and
Common Stock Purchase Warrants to purchase 207.46 shares of our
Common Stock at $3.00 per share for a period of two years from the
purchase date. The debentures were due May 31, 2021 and bore
interest at 8%, compounded annually, with interest due at maturity.
On October 16, 2019, the $2.6 million in debentures plus $92,037 in
accrued interest were converted into 1,102,513 shares of common
stock at $2.41 per share pursuant to their terms as a result of our
registration of the securities on a registration statement that was
declared effective on such date. The warrants contain a mandatory
exercise provision if the weighted average share price of our
common stock exceeds $5.00 per share for a period of five
consecutive days.
Net cash used in operating activities was $2.5 million during the
year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $2.3 million for the year
ended December 31, 2018. Operating cash was positively impacted
from an increase in deposits as our business continued to grow. At
December 31, 2019, we had $2.9 million in deposits related to
client orders. At December 31, 2019, we had $1.3 million in
prepayments and advances, primarily comprised of prepayments to
vendors to initiate orders.
Net cash used in investing activities was $1.1 million for the year
ended December 31, 2019, compared to $1.3 million during the year
ended December 31, 2018. We had no material commitments for capital
expenditures as of December 31, 2019.
Net cash provided by financing activities was $2.9 million for the
year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $3.1 million during the
year ended December 31, 2018. Cash provided from financing
activities during the year ended December 31, 2019 primarily
related to $2.6 million in proceeds we received from our offering
of units in addition to a short term note payable for $1.0
million.
In October 2018, we issued a $1.0 million unsecured note payable to
Cloud9 Support, Inc. (“Cloud9”), an entity owned by James Lowe, a
director, which became due April 30, 2019. The loan had a one-time
origination fee of $12,500. Interest accrued at the rate of 12% per
annum and was paid monthly. As additional consideration for the
loan we granted Mr. Lowe, as designee for Cloud9, an option to
purchase 30,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of
$1.20 per share, which option is exercisable for a period of five
years. The loan is guaranteed by Mr. Nattrass, our CEO, a director
and one of our principal shareholders, and by Mr. Gutierrez, one of
our principal shareholders, and a former officer and director of
the Company. The due date for the note payable was extended in May
2019 to December 31, 2019 and the interest rate was decreased to 9%
per year. In consideration for Cloud9 extending the maturity date
of the note and reducing the interest rate, we agreed to issue
10,000 shares of our common stock to Mr. Lowe, as designee for
Cloud9. In December 2019, in connection with our entry into the
facilities under the Credit Agreement, the due date for the note
payable was extended to December 31, 2021, and we agreed to issue
Mr. Lowe, as designee for Cloud9, an additional 100,000 shares of
common stock in exchange for this extension and his agreement to
subordinate the loan to the obligations underlying the
facilities.
Gross debt, excluding operating leases, was $3.8 million and $3.5
million as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018,
respectively. This represents an increase in gross debt of $0.3
million primarily due to a $0.7 million short term note payable
offset by principal paydowns.
Inflation
Although our operations are influenced by general economic
conditions, we do not believe that inflation had a material effect
on our results of operations during the nine months ended September
30, 2020.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results
of operations are based upon our financial statements, which have
been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial
statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect
the amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and
related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an
on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates based on historical
experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be
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 under different
assumptions or conditions. For a detailed discussion about the
Company’s significant accounting policies, refer to Note 2 —
“Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” in the Company’s
consolidated financial statements included in this prospectus.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, there were no
material changes made to the Company’s significant accounting
policies.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have not entered into any off-balance sheet arrangements that
have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on
our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues
or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures
or capital resources and would be considered material to
investors.
BUSINESS
History
We were originally formed on March 20, 2014, as a Colorado limited
liability company. In March 2017, we converted to a Colorado
corporation and exchanged shares of our common stock for every
member interest issued and outstanding on the date of conversion.
On October 29, 2020, we reincorporated as a Delaware
corporation.
Our website is www.urban-gro.com, which contains a description
of our Company and products. In addition, we also maintain a
branded technology product website at www.soleiltech.ag. Such
websites and the information contained on such websites are not
part of this prospectus.
Overview
urban-gro, Inc. is a leading engineering and design services
company focused on the sustainable commercial indoor horticulture
market. We engineer and design indoor controlled environment agriculture (“CEA”)
facilities and then integrate complex environmental
equipment systems into those facilities. CEA is a market segment
that is defined by type of facility, and has no correlation to the
industry; or more specifically the crop being grown in the
facility. The CEA segment is represented by any horticultural
facility that is fully self-contained, and has a fully-controlled
environment. There are three facility types that meet these
qualifications:
|
i. |
Indoor Facilities - new building; or the retrofit of an
existing building; |
|
ii. |
Vertical Farms – a building with a smaller footprint that is
built up vertically and we view this category as including modular
container farms; and |
|
iii. |
Greenhouses – traditional and made out of a variety of
translucent materials as to provide natural sunlight for the crop
being grown. |
While historically we have been focused on engineering, design, and
equipment integration into indoor facilities, of which some are
ultimately used for the cultivation of plant-based medicines, we
are planning to expand our reach within CEA across both facility
type and crop type. The term “plant-based medicines” includes (i) a
wide array of herbal supplements including but not limited to
curcumin, saffron extract and ginger, (ii) CBD based therapeutics,
(iii) cannabis based therapeutics and (iv) a host of medicines
derived from plants such as caffeine, menthol, foxglove and others.
We are focusing on expanding to the vertical farming CEA
sub-segment, which is ultimately and predominantly used for the
cultivation of a variety of crops including, but not limited to,
leafy greens, herbs, cucumbers, peppers, and strawberries. As the
global horticulture market has become more focused on the safety of
the food supply chain, reducing emissions with current
transportation methods associated with these crops, and, growing
local, we are confident that the vertical farming CEA sub-segment
will represent a significant and increasing share of our revenue
and be a significant factor in our organic growth moving
forward.
Through this work, we create high-performance indoor cultivation
facilities for our clients to grow specialty crops, including leafy
greens, vegetables, herbs, and cannabis. Historically, a large
number of our clients were cannabis producers, and we still do
substantial work for those clients, but we have shifted our
priorities to non-cannabis crops as we seek to address a broader
market. Our custom-tailored approach to design, procurement, and
equipment integration provides a single point of accountability
across all aspects of indoor growing operations. We also help our
clients achieve operational efficiency and economic advantages
through a full spectrum of professional services and programs
focused on facility optimization and environmental health which
establish facilities that allow clients to manage, operate and perform at the
highest level throughout their entire cultivation lifecycle once
they are up and running.
Since commencing business in March 2014, we have introduced new
equipment solutions, products and services to the CEA market,
expanded our ongoing operations across North America, and most
recently, we have entered into several engagements in Europe, and
we plan on opening a headquarters office in Europe.
The majority of our clients are commercial CEA cultivators. We
believe one of the key points of our differentiation that clients
value is the depth of experience of our employees and our Company.
We currently employ 42 individuals. Approximately two-thirds of our
employees are considered experts in their areas of focus, and our
team includes Engineers (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing,
Controls, and Agricultural), Professional Engineers, and
individuals with Masters Degrees in Plant Science, Horticulture,
and Business Administration. As a company, we have worked on more
than 300 indoor CEA facilities, and believe that the experience of
our team and Company provide clients with the confidence that we
will proactively keep them from making common costly mistakes
during the build out that impact operational stages. Our expertise
translates into clients saving time, money, and resources through
expertise that they can leverage without having to add headcount to
their own operations. We provide this experience in addition to
offering a platform of the highest quality equipment systems that
can be integrated holistically into our clients’ facilities.
Our Services and Integrated Equipment Solutions
We aim to work with our clients from inception through design of
their project in a way that provides value throughout for the life
of their facility. We are a trusted partner and advisor to our
clients and offer a complete set of engineering and managed
services complemented by a vetted suite of select cultivation
equipment systems. Outlined below is an example of a complete
project with estimated time frames for each phase that demonstrate
how we provide value to our clients.

Our indoor commercial cultivation solution offers an integrated
suite of services and equipment systems that generally fall within
the following categories:
|
· |
Engineering and Design Services – A
comprehensive triad of services including: |
|
i. |
Cultivation Space Programming
(“CSP”) |
|
ii. |
Integrated Cultivation Design
(“ICD”) |
|
iii. |
Full-Facility Mechanical,
Electrical, and Plumbing (“MEP”) |
|
· |
A service offering including: |
|
ii. |
Facility and Equipment
Commissioning Services |
|
· |
Integrated Equipment
Solutions: |
|
· |
Design, Source, and Integration of
Complex Environmental Equipment Systems |
|
· |
Value-Added Reselling (“VAR”) of
Cultivation Equipment Systems |
|
· |
Strategic Vendor Relationships with
Premier Manufacturers |
Service Solutions
Engineering and Design Services
As a leader in indoor CEA facilities, we provide our clients with
service offerings that span from engineering design to the
operational stages of the facility. Our engineering and design
services offering includes three engagements: CSP, ICD, and
MEP.
|
· |
CSP revolves around early-stage engagement with stakeholders
and provides for a basis of design that optimizes for interactions
between people, plants and processes, saving stakeholders money and
time, immediately and in the future, through smart, informed
decision-making. |
|
· |
ICD revolves around professionally designed layouts for climate
control, fertigation, benching, air flow and lighting, together
ensuring optimal space utilization and product performance. These
detailed plans are taken through the Construction Document stage
and are leveraged by our clients to efficiently solicit contractor
bids. |
|
· |
MEP engineering design focuses on the gross square footage of
the building, not just the cultivation space, which in turn
eliminates the “gap” between cultivation systems and the building
systems. We provide engineered construction contract documents for
mechanical, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (“HVAC”),
plumbing and electrical systems required for the building permits
necessary to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy. |
Our Service Offering
We provide value for clients in the form of facility commissioning
and staff training. Combined, this solution focuses on the
troubleshooting, tuning, and support of a myriad of cultivation
systems and equipment while further providing guidance for client
interactions with tradespeople working on HVAC, electrical, and
plumbing in the facility.
Many of the current service options available to clients are
isolated to vendors providing post-sale service for a single piece
of equipment – whereas our service has a cultivation-level view of
the complex system made up by each piece of equipment.
Training Services. Complex cultivation systems encompass a
multitude of variables and environment readings such as
temperature, relative humidity, vapor pressure differential (VPD),
electrical conductivity (EC), pH, network status, light status,
photosynthetically active radiation, sunrise/sunset modules,
CO2, HVAC status, fan status, vents (including windward
and leeward), shades, network status and flow rates. In our CEA
world there is a scarcity of skilled labor which impedes our
clients’ ability to drive operating proficiency across their teams.
Our engineering team uses a series of tools and processes to ensure
clients are proactive in preventing equipment downtime, can operate
all equipment and processes fluently, and have expert support in
resolving potential issues. These services range from equipment
standard operating procedure (“SOP”) libraries to staff training
sessions. With a unique knowledgebase acquired from both our
commissioning and training for a wide breadth of cultivation
equipment, we provide our clients’ teams with the skills to
minimize equipment downtime and optimize processes in their
facilities.
Facility and Equipment Commissioning Services. Today’s
cultivation systems are custom designed and extremely complex. Our
team of project managers and engineers supports the installation
process by coordinating with a client’s engineers and stakeholders
to avoid project bottlenecks while supporting construction trades.
Our commissioning team ensures that the equipment is installed
according to the design and operates per the defined manufacturer
specifications.
Program Overview and Pricing. We estimate that, on average
and depending on the crop, CEA facilities can lose up to $10,000
per 1,000 square feet of canopy per day when offline – our training
services are centered around proactively minimizing this potential
loss for a fraction of the cost. Our clients are best described as
automation- and margin-focused and have an understanding of the
importance of preventing downtime in their facilities.
Related-Party Hardware and Software Platforms. Since
initially collaborating with California-based Edyza Corporation
(“Edyza”) in 2018, our multiple investments have culminated into a
19.5% equity position in Edyza. Edyza’s IoT platform employs a
robust, high performance, proprietary, tree-mesh wireless network
topology and utilizes wireless hardware sensors to acquire data
within the cultivation environment. Our training services can help
clients utilize the data garnered from these sensors to provide a
high-resolution understanding of what’s happening within a client’s
facility through detailed multi-point information on temperature,
humidity, barometric pressure, soil moisture, and electrical
conductivity.
Integrated Equipment Solutions
While our engineers design most of the complex equipment systems
that are then integrated into a CEA facility, we also provide
consultative reselling of more common solutions that we integrate
into the overall design. For CEA, the
environmental goal is to maintain a stable and consistent VPD
according to the client’s priorities through environmental control
of relative humidity and temperature during all stages of growth.
There are four main variables in CEA that affect plant growth (and
can impact VPD): (i) water and nutrients; (ii) environmental
control; (iii) CO2; and (iv) lighting.
Design, Source, and Integration of Complex Environmental
Equipment Systems
Complex Environment Systems for CEA include the integration of
environmental controls, fertigation and irrigation distribution, a
complete line of water treatment and wastewater reclamation
systems, and purpose-built HVAC equipment systems.
The most significant variable of interest in a CEA facility is the
control of the environment, which is accomplished through the
integration of both environmental controls and the purpose-built
HVAC system. Without proper design, the environmental control
system is the most influential variable in terms of temperature and
relative humidity control within an indoor agriculture space. With
properly designed equipment, the environmental controls variable is
less volatile, enabling efficient growing conditions.
Purpose-built HVAC equipment systems will provide a more stable
environment, maximize plant health and yields, minimize crop loss,
minimize utility costs, save on capital equipment, and maximize
sustainability. Additionally, private studies of a partner
comparing purpose-built HVAC environmental controls equipment to
standard commercial HVAC and dehumidification, found increased crop
yields with purpose-built equipment.
VAR of Cultivation Equipment Systems
We act as an experienced VAR to our clients when selling vetted
best-in-class commercial horticulture lighting solutions, rolling
and automated container benching systems, specialty fans, and
microbial mitigation and odor reduction systems. The acquired
knowledge of how each of these systems work in combination with and
in tangent to the overall ecosystem is a significant benefit that
our engineers and product experts offer to our clients. Not only
are many competing products reviewed in each category with the
intention of vetting the best solution, we continually search out
and review competing technologies to ensure that only the
best-in-class equipment systems are integrated into our projects.
As such, we believe it will be imperative to maintain and to
continue to develop close relationships with both existing and new
leading technology and manufacturing providers.
Today, we typically do not sell any cultivation equipment systems
individually as a one-time sale. Virtually all equipment sales are
sold as part of a larger all-encompassing project solution that
spans over a 12 to 18 month period and includes engineering design
and the sale of both custom complex and more standard equipment
systems.
Strategic Vendor Relationships with Premier
Manufacturers
We work closely with leading technology and manufacturing providers
to deliver an integrated solution designed to achieve the stated
objectives of our clients. While we used to manufacture certain
lighting products, we discontinued all manufacturing in 2019,
although we continued to sell existing inventory through 2020.
Although we have numerous provider relationships, three vendors are
particularly important to our solution: Fluence, Argus, and Desert
Aire, LLC (“Desert Aire”).
|
· |
Fluence’s LED-based lighting systems are designed to provide
high levels of photosynthetically active radiation ideal for
commercial cultivation and research applications. From sole-source
indoor grow lighting to supplemental greenhouse lighting, Fluence
custom tailors the light spectrum and form-factors to optimize
plant growth and increase yields while consuming less energy and
reducing operating costs as compared to legacy technologies. |
|
o |
After working closely together since early 2019, we have
demonstrated our value to Fluence by engaging with clients, and
introducing their product range, up to 18 months prior to facility
start-up. |
|
o |
Building on this success, in the second quarter of 2020, we
signed an exclusive two-year global System Integrator Agreement
with Fluence. |
|
· |
Argus provides automated control systems for the horticulture
and aquaculture industries. Argus systems provide three essential
functions: (i) fully integrated equipment control; (ii) advanced
monitoring and alarms; and (iii) comprehensive crop and
environmental data acquisition and management information. Argus
capabilities include facilities automation and specialty monitoring
and control applications to support the needs of cultivators.
Argus’ systems are used in horticulture and biotechnology research
facilities, universities, aquaculture and aquaponics, and many
other custom control applications at sites throughout the
world. |
|
o |
In the fourth quarter of 2019, we renewed our multi-year
strategic agreement with Argus to provide cultivators in North
America with industry-leading, plant-centric solutions for
environmental control, automation, and nutrient management. |
|
o |
We have worked with Argus on over 50 projects and the extended
agreement demonstrates both companies’ commitment to client success
through early and ongoing collaboration with cultivators throughout
their project lifecycles. |
|
· |
Desert Aire manufactures commercial and industrial humidity and
climate control systems, including their purpose-built GrowAire™
solution which has been designed specifically to meet the sensible
and latent needs of indoor growing climates in the CEA space. |
|
o |
In the first quarter of 2020, we signed an agreement with
Desert Aire to be a Systems Integration National Account within the
agriculture market. |
We have not experienced any material changes in the availability of
equipment systems and products from Fluence, Argus, or Desert
Aire.
Sales And Marketing Strategy
Sales Overview
Our sales team is comprised of one Executive Vice President, one
Director of Enterprise Solutions, three Directors of Sales, one
Sales Operations Manager, and one Sales Associate. The Directors of
Sales, serving as “relationship ambassadors,” are located across
the United States and are tasked with cultivating leads, generating
and supporting sales, and managing client relationships.
With the experience garnered from providing engineering and design
services to over 300 CEA projects, and our continued research on
finding best-in-class complex equipment solutions, our clients
choose to work with us because our team custom tailors a solution
to address the client’s unique combination of process flow, complex
environmental systems, cultivation equipment solutions, and any
potential sensitivities of the crop.
When potential clients express an interest in our solution, we
provide them with a technical expert, referred to as a sales
engineer, who can quickly and effectively explain a proposed
solution to resolve the client’s specific challenges. We believe
this technical sales process requires true segment expertise, which
we also believe has not been readily available to indoor
cultivators. Our team includes talented and experienced individuals
including licensed Professional Engineers, as well as individuals
with Masters Degrees in Business Administration, Plant Science,
Horticulture, and post-secondary degrees in Environmental Science,
Horticulture, Agricultural Engineering, and
Electrical/Mechanical/Controls Engineering. We leverage these
technical experts in their areas of expertise to continually find
and vet what we believe are the best-in-class solutions, and then
educate and inform our clients on best solution use and
techniques.
In addition to leads generated from the execution of our marketing
strategy, for additional new business opportunities, we focus on
referrals generated from our relationships with industry partners
and from contract referral agents. By offering a referral program
to consultants whose primary business model is to help their
clients set up cultivation facilities from the design stage through
cultivation, we ensure access to a strong network of
cultivators.
Sales Cycle and Average Revenues and Gross
Margins
We generate revenue and profits based on selling engineering design
and managed services, as well as the sale of complex environmental
and cultivation equipment systems, and other service revenue
products.
Sales Cycle. At the outset of a client design project, we
utilize a proprietary project estimation tool that accounts for
multiple variables relating to the size and complexity of the new
or retrofitted facility. This tool optimizes the facility layout,
taking into consideration the initial costs of all custom
cultivation equipment systems as well as the ongoing operational
costs associated with labor and utilities required to move the
crop, in order to establish a facility that meets the objectives of
the client. After the project estimate is determined, a design fee
and project deposit are determined. The design fee is dependent on
the desired design services and on the complexity of the overall
project, including facility and canopy size, type and complexity of
controls and irrigation distribution system, which is dependent on
number of irrigation zones, types of nutrients, and the number of
individual plants that require irrigation. We provide our solution
pursuant to a contract that typically requires a project design
deposit equal to 50% of the project estimate, with the remaining
balance due prior to delivery of the construction documents, which
collectively takes, approximately twelve months.
Following the design stage, we contract with clients to procure and
sell customized equipment systems and cultivation equipment. To
begin the procurement process, we charge a deposit ranging from 20%
to 50% of total cost, which varies based on lead time, complexity,
and the type of systems. After the procurement window, which ranges
from one week to five months to allow for the manufacturing and
assembly of systems, we charge a final shipment payment for the
balance owed, which is due within two weeks of system readiness and
prior to shipment. Following installation of the systems, we
dispatch an engineering team for commissioning.
Revenues and Gross Profit Margins by Category. Service
Revenues for engineering design services contracts can be hundreds
of thousands of dollars, depending on the spectrum of services
desired by the client and the size of the facility. Product
Revenues for customized equipment systems can be millions of
dollars, depending on the size of the cultivation facilities, the
complexity and types of systems purchased by the client, and the
number of systems purchased by the client.
Our targeted gross profit margins on engineering design services
range from thirty to sixty percent. Our targeted gross profit
margins on customized equipment systems range from the mid-teens to
mid-thirty percent depending on the type of system being sold.
Gross profit margins on both revenue categories are heavily
dependent on the complexity and size of the project.
Our Clients
We primarily market and sell our products and services to CEA
operators and facilitators in the United States and Canada. Our
historical client base has been comprised of indoor commercial
cultivators seeking to grow high-quality cannabis crops. Since
launching the engineering and design division in 2018, we have
designed and assisted in the build-out of 300+ projects for some of
the largest independent and multi-state operators in both the
United States and Canada. Although the cannabis market has been our
historical target market and an unknown but substantial portion of
all of our revenues to date have been generated from clients in the
cannabis industry, we are seeking to diversify our client base by
expanding our reach within CEA. The term “plant-based medicines”
includes (i) a wide array of herbal supplements including but not
limited to curcumin, saffron extract and ginger, (ii) CBD based
therapeutics, (iii) cannabis based therapeutics and (iv) a host of
medicines derived from plans such as caffeine, menthol, foxglove
and others. We are focusing on expanding to the vertical farming
CEA sub-segment, which is ultimately and predominantly used for the
cultivation of a variety of crops including, but not limited to,
leafy greens, herbs, cucumbers, peppers, and strawberries. During
2020, we also continued exploring the potential demand for our
solutions in select countries, including those within Latin America
and Europe.
Marketing Strategy
We provide our clients with equipment and service solutions for
their facility that empowers their success for the life of their
grow — from early stage facility programming, engineering design,
and the integration of complex equipment systems, through
commissioning / facility start-up services. Our team of engineers
and experts understand the highly regulated market, challenges, and
opportunities unique to cultivators.
Marketing serves two general purposes at urban-gro – brand image
and lead generation.
Brand Image
Our marketing strategy is to position urban-gro as a leading
engineering and design services company that integrates complex
environmental equipment systems into high-performance indoor CEA
cultivation facilities for the global commercial horticulture
market. Managing the clarity of our brand is a key component of
supporting our organization’s growth initiatives and lead
generation. We support our brand through (i) interviews, (ii)
website, (iii) e-commerce, (iv) events, and (v) corporate
responsibility.
Interviews. We retain a public relations firm to amplify our
business objectives through earned media to support of our
corporate activities and marketing functions. The focus of our
publicity efforts is to engage and inform key audiences, build
relationships, and provide vital feedback for analysis and action.
Our spokespeople have received media training and are briefed prior
to each interview.
Website. Our online experience supports our brand by being
both educational and transactional. By applying an established set
of key metrics, user activity on the website is used to generate
Marketing Qualified Leads (“MQL”) to be passed to the sales team
for engagement. With the technology advancements and market
expansion into CEA, our website offers educational content for
investors, managers, and cultivators to ensure they are considering
key facility programming, design, and engineering aspects critical
to high-performance buildings. Given our team’s early involvement
with indoor cultivation, our experts are uniquely positioned to
share knowledge, thereby qualifying us for future projects. As a
lead-generation tool, the urban-gro website produces qualified,
trackable sales leads. The leads move through the qualification and
nurture process before being passed to sales and engaged by the
appropriate contact for advancement through the sales funnel.
Events. In the era of COVID-19, events and tradeshows have
changed dramatically. Now virtual experiences, we participate in
select events promoting thought leadership through speaking and
participation on panels. Event sponsorship is carefully evaluated
with clear goals and objectives established ahead of time.
Participation in events must meet the following three-part
qualification criteria: 1) engaging with potential clients during
and after the event, 2) building a network of collaborative design
and construction firms across North America, and 3) repurposing
event content and delivering across our digital media platforms as
curated content. According to Freeman, a top leader in event
logistics, in-person events are anticipated to resume in the second
quarter 2021 at the earliest. This is subject to change based upon
the developments of COVID-19 in the fall and winter of
2020-2021.
Corporate Responsibility. We leverage our leadership
position in the market as an opportunity to promote our corporate
values of inclusion, innovation, and connection.
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Inclusion: Internally, we hire and promote
underrepresented communities in STEM (science, technology,
education, mathematics). Our project design and engineering teams
reflect our commitment as demonstrated by leadership positions held
by women across our project design, project management, and client
engagement departments. |
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Innovation: CEA is an industry that is rapidly
advancing, testing, and adopting new technologies. Our corporate
development team works closely with our project design and
engineering teams to vet new products and ensure they align with
our corporate responsibility needs. |
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Connection: Through our outreach efforts across
the United States and Canada, we represent a company committed to
the development and nurturing of a deeper understanding across all
disciplines of CEA, food production, and being on the leading edge
of emerging industry-related innovations. |
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We have been a long-time supporter of HeroGrown, an
organization that provides Veterans, First Responders, and their
families with free access to benefit-rich CBD. Through “Operation
CBD Drop,” HeroGrown provides an alternative to those struggling
with addiction to deadly drugs prescribed for service-related
injuries and psychological disorders. |
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Through our Client Appreciation Events at major tradeshows
across North America, we raise awareness and funds for local
charities. These events serve as opportunities for non-profits to
bolster career opportunities, economic development, veteran health
and housing, and other causes. |
Lead Generation
We generate interest in our services and equipment solutions
through a strategic approach to lead generation combining owned,
earned, and paid marketing activities. These lead generation
campaigns include advertising, contributed articles and news
stories, newsletters, referral agreements, social media, and
tradeshows / webinars.
Advertising (Traditional and Digital): We advertise with
traditional print media outlets, as well as digitally through
targeted pay-per-click campaigns. Ad components include educational
offerings as well as a clear call-to-action. Social media promotion
is also leveraged as a part of the overall advertising strategy but
on a very targeted basis.
Contributed Articles and News Stories: Contributed articles
and news stories support and further our reputation and showcase
our expertise in key areas of facility programming, engineering
design, and facility operations.
Newsletters: We provide a free newsletter which provides
insight into cultivation practices, product promotions, and client
spotlights. These newsletters are a great opportunity to educate
the audience on our full extent of services and products, as well
as demonstrate how we add value through expert experience and
oversight.
Referral Agreements: Third-party endorsements are powerful
referral systems for lead generation. We have developed agreements
with key influencers and affiliated industry companies.
Social Media: As a part of our digital marketing efforts, we
produce original and curated content across our social channels
including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
Trade Shows, Webinars and Panel Discussions: Tradeshows in
the age of COVID-19 have been transformed into virtual events. We
participate in select events as speakers and panel
participants.
Growth Strategy
Our employees and the application of their acquired knowledge is
our most valuable asset as an organization. Our growth strategy
involves leveraging this considerable strength as a basis for
growth across three pillars of focus and exploration. These three
pillars allow us to continue to provide value to our current and
future clients:
|
1. |
Expertise as a Service |
|
2. |
Expansion of Geographical Reach |
|
3. |
Expansion within the Commercial Horticulture Segment |
1. Expertise as a Service
We have always aimed to provide the highest level of service and
expertise to our clients from initial cultivation ideation to
helping prior to go-live to proactively solve for issues that may
arise once operations begin and continue at their facilities. Our
commissioning and training services allow our clients to manage,
operate and perform at the highest level throughout their entire
cultivation lifecycle once they are up and running.
2. Expansion of Geographical Reach
While we will continue to establish our end-to-end solution as the
industry standard for CEA indoor cultivation, we intend to continue
to focus on integrating our expertise and service offerings with
the best available technologies to allow our clients to achieve
operational superiority and profitability. While we believe that
the U.S. market will experience continued strength, and this will
represent significant growth opportunities for us, we also intend
to expand our reach within Europe.
European Expansion
Historically, our business has found success with clients in Canada
and states within the United States. While North America
currently presents the dominant opportunity for indoor new build
and retrofit CEA facilities , the European CEA market, especially
in the vertical farming sub-segment, is rapidly expanding.
We first entered the European market in early 2020, through key
partners who have brought us into opportunities as a value-added
component to their own sales cycle. We have demonstrated the
transferability of our expertise to the EU and have closed several
deals to provide value solution services to
European clients. Further, in Switzerland, where
the majority of our engineering and design contracts were signed,
the plant-based medicines market (hemp-derived CBD) has shown a
strong, positive response for our solutions. Based on
our due diligence, we believe that the most common facilities in
demand in this market will mirror that of our niche – indoor, CEA,
GMP-certified operations. We will look to capitalize on our current
approach and expand our reach into Europe with our services and
products through a staged and cost-efficient approach by first
entering the market through our strong partnerships and leveraging
our existing U.S.-based engineering expertise and overhead.
The term “plant-based medicines” includes (i) a wide array of
herbal supplements including but not limited to curcumin, saffron
extract and ginger, (ii) CBD based therapeutics, (iii) cannabis
based therapeutics and (iv) a host of medicines derived from plans
such as caffeine, menthol, foxglove and others.
Approach to Market Expansion
Due to the rapid development of the European market and the lack of
established companies experienced in the design, construction, and
operations of indoor cultivation facilities, we will make a
strategic and staged entry into the European market to ensure a
sustainable use of resources and capital. The market entry will be
designed around a three-phased approach:
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· |
Phase One – Focus on establishing a client base and pipeline
surrounding early license applicants and current license holders by
providing facility and systems design for indoor projects. |
|
· |
Phase Two – Building on established vendor relationships,
integrate purpose-built custom environmental equipment systems from
U.S. manufacturers into our European offering. |
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Phase Three – Incorporate the development of the initial two
phases combined with the partnerships, joint ventures, and domestic
manufacturing of equipment to provide a turn-key project solution
offering in Europe. |
We believe the three-phased approach, paired with the evolution of
partnerships and domestic equipment manufacturing, will establish
us as an experienced leader and solution provider in the design,
engineering, and turn-key systems for the European indoor CEA
market.
3. Expansion within
the Commercial Horticulture Segment
Utilizing our in-house engineering capabilities and synergies, we
confidently believe that we can efficiently expand our
diversification to include working on projects in the CEA indoor
vertical farming market segment in both the North American and
European markets.
Global CEA Vertical Farming Segment
CEA vertical farm facilities for cultivation are typically indoor
warehouse farms and plant factories that are in purpose-built or
retrofitted facilities.
According to Allied Market Research, the global vertical farming
market is estimated to reach $12.8 billion by 2026, with a
compounded annual growth rate of 24.6% from 2019 to 2026. The
market for non-container facilities—on which we already focus and
have had success—is forecasted to grow even faster. This rate of
growth forecast is buttressed by the fact that more and more food
will be needed closer to where population resides, and CEA
eliminates many of the risks of traditional agriculture, minimizing
risk and allowing localities to be closer and control their food
supply more readily.
Market Entry
Our end-to-end approach, solutions, and expertise are applicable
for and valuable to clients creating high performance indoor
vertical farms to cultivate high value crops such as leafy greens,
micro-greens, herbs, peppers, or even floriculture. After studying
the opportunity over the last two quarters, we see relatively few
barriers to entry as:
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our engineers’ design expertise in indoor CEA seamlessly flows
through to indoor vertical farming facilities; |
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· |
our experts’ backgrounds are predominantly built on a
commercial horticulture foundation; and |
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· |
our acquired expertise in engineering over 300 indoor CEA
projects with the highest valued crop in the world will allow us to
design high performance vertical farms. |
Our approach to entering this market will follow what we have done
as we entered Europe – we will continue to reinforce our core
strengths as we expand into new markets through our partnerships.
The first phase of entering this CEA market will be as a value-add
to our partners who already successfully sell to this market in
North America. As we find success here, we will look to continue to
partner to accelerate our reach and begin to supply much of the
equipment needed to build out a facility, and finally, after
identifying and solving for any potential gaps, we will look to
offer turn-key, end-to-end design, engineer, and build services for
indoor CEA facilities.
Acquisition Strategy
While entering any new market can be challenging, we believe that
our existing brand combined with the strength of our partnerships
and expertise will allow us to capture a meaningful amount of this
market through targeting the most sophisticated, well-funded
producers who are in need of a partner that has a demonstrated
history of success growing crops in this way.
To speed up our expansion plan, and with the intention of forming
strategic relationships to assist in lead generation, we plan to
place investments in; or acquire horticulture-related positive cash
flow entities at discounted prices based upon the synergistic
upside available for both organizations.
Our Competition
While we feel that our complex end-to-end solution places us as a
leader in the CEA segment, we do face competition from companies
that offer some, but not all, portions of an all-encompassing
facility package. Further, these companies often outsource to
third-parties for the integration and sale of equipment systems and
products, particularly within the cannabis industry. We also
compete with other smaller and mid-sized companies that focus
primarily on either engineering design services or product sales.
Within the services space, there are several product- or
services-specific competitors that offer similar services, such as
MEP services or basic fertigation design. Currently, we view our
competition to be focused on equipment sales that are predominantly
commodity “off-the-shelf” items like lighting and other cultivation
staple products, both pre- and post-startup. This competition comes
from traditional wholesale horticulture dealers, online retailers,
and some manufacturers who sell direct.
Greenhouse manufacturers and European systems integrators may
increasingly seek to offer comprehensive product and service
solutions to compete with our integrated solution, but they are
primarily focused on the greenhouse industry, and not on indoor CEA
facilities. European systems integrators, in particular, are
experienced and have a strong operating history in traditional
horticulture and provide specialized, intensive, and large-scale
solutions that revolve around greenhouse projects. Instead of
competing with these integrators, we find ourselves working with
them, and combining synergies to work on projects together.
Further, although we frequently partner with direct manufacturers
to deliver our customized solution, these manufacturers may seek to
engage with clients directly to deliver their products. In
addition, we sometimes compete with electrical contractors with
respect to specific components of facility engineering and
design.
As the cannabis market continues to mature and develop and
legalization becomes more prevalent, we expect to see more
competition from cannabis-focused agricultural product and service
providers. Going forward, our focus is non-cannabis crops. These
companies may have longer operating histories, greater name
recognition, larger client bases and significantly greater
financial, technical, sales and marketing resources. These
competitors may adopt more aggressive pricing policies and make
more attractive offers to existing and potential clients,
employees, strategic partners, distribution channels and
advertisers. Increased competition is likely to result in price
reductions, reduced gross margins and a potential loss of market
share.
Regulation
U.S. Regulations
While we do not generate any revenue from the direct sale of
cannabis products, we have historically, and may continue to, offer
our solutions to indoor cultivators that are engaged in various
aspects of the cannabis industry. Marijuana is a Schedule I
controlled substance and is illegal under federal law. Even in
those states in which the use of marijuana has been legalized, its
use remains a violation of federal laws.
A Schedule I controlled substance is defined as a substance that
has no currently accepted medical use in the United States, a lack
of safety for use under medical supervision and a high potential
for abuse. The Department of Justice defines Schedule I controlled
substances as “the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules
with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.” If
the federal government decides to enforce the Controlled Substances
Act with respect to marijuana, persons that are charged with
distributing, possessing with intent to distribute, or growing
marijuana could be subject to fines and terms of imprisonment, the
maximum being life imprisonment and a $50 million fine. Any such
change in the federal government’s enforcement of current federal
laws could cause significant financial damage to us. While we do
not intend to harvest, distribute or sell cannabis, we may be
irreparably harmed by a change in enforcement by the federal or
state governments.
Previously, the Obama administration took the position that it was
not an efficient use of resources to direct federal law enforcement
agencies to prosecute those lawfully abiding by state-designated
laws allowing the use and distribution of medical marijuana. The
Trump administration revised this policy but made no major changes
in enforcement. Specifically, Attorney General Sessions vacated the
Cole Memorandum in favor of deferral of any enforcement of federal
regulation to the individual states’ Department of Justice or U.S.
Attorney. However, certain other protections remain in place via
budgetary element embedment (the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, now
referred to as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment), which limits
funding of any enforcement of anti-cannabis legislation. The
Department of Justice has stated that it will continue to enforce
the Controlled Substances Act with respect to marijuana to
prevent:
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the distribution of marijuana to
minors; |
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· |
criminal enterprises, gangs and
cartels receiving revenue from the sale of marijuana; |
|
· |
the diversion of marijuana from
states where it is legal under state law to other states; |
|
· |
state-authorized marijuana activity
from being used as a cover or pretext for the trafficking of other
illegal drugs or other illegal activity; |
|
· |
violence and the use of firearms in
the cultivation and distribution of marijuana; |
|
· |
driving while impaired and the
exacerbation of other adverse public health consequences associated
with marijuana use; |
|
· |
the growing of marijuana on public
lands; and |
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· |
marijuana possession or use on
federal property. |
Since the use of marijuana is illegal under federal law, most
federally chartered banks will not accept deposit funds from
businesses involved with marijuana. Consequently, businesses
involved in the marijuana industry generally bank with
state-chartered banks and credit unions to provide banking to the
industry.
Although cultivation and distribution of marijuana for medical use
is permitted in many states, provided compliance with applicable
state and local laws, rules, and regulations, marijuana is illegal
under federal law. Strict enforcement of federal law regarding
marijuana would likely result in a material adverse effects on our
business and revenues. Though the cultivation and distribution of
marijuana remains illegal under federal law, H.R. 83, enacted by
Congress on December 16, 2014, provides that none of the funds made
available to the DOJ pursuant to the 2015 Consolidated and Further
Continuing Appropriations Act may be used to prevent states from
implementing their own laws that authorize the use, distribution,
possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana. While it this
appropriations measure continued in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and
2020, and remains in effect, continued re-authorization cannot be
guaranteed. If this appropriations rider is no longer in effect,
the risk of federal enforcement and override of state marijuana
laws would increase. However, state laws do not supersede the
prohibitions set forth in the federal drug laws.
In order to participate in either the medical or adult use sides of
the marijuana industry in Colorado and elsewhere, all businesses
and employees must obtain licenses from the state and, for
businesses, local jurisdictions. Colorado issues four types of
business licenses including cultivation, manufacturing, dispensing,
and testing. In addition, all owners and employees must obtain an
occupational license to be permitted to own or work in a facility.
All applicants for licenses undergo a background investigation,
including a criminal record check for all owners and employees.
Colorado has also enacted stringent regulations governing the
facilities and operations of marijuana businesses. All facilities
are required to be licensed by the state and local authorities and
are subject to comprehensive security and surveillance
requirements. In addition, each facility is subject to extensive
regulations that govern its businesses practices, which includes
mandatory seed-to-sale tracking and reporting, health and sanitary
standards, packaging and labeling requirements, and product testing
for potency and contaminants.
Laws and regulations affecting the medical marijuana industry are
constantly changing, which could detrimentally affect our proposed
operations. Local, state and federal medical marijuana laws and
regulations are broad in scope and subject to evolving
interpretations, which could require us to incur substantial costs
associated with compliance or alter our business plan. In addition,
violations of these laws, or allegations of such violations, could
disrupt our business and result in a material adverse effect on our
operations. It is also possible that regulations may be enacted in
the future that will be directly applicable to our business. We
cannot predict the nature of any future laws, regulations,
interpretations or applications, nor can we determine what effect
additional governmental regulations or administrative policies and
procedures, when and if promulgated, could have on our
business.
Canadian Regulations
Summary of the Cannabis Act
On October 17, 2018, the Cannabis Act came into force as law with
the effect of legalizing adult recreational use of cannabis across
Canada. The Cannabis Act replaced the Access to Cannabis for
Medicinal Purposes Regulations (“ACMPR”) and the Industrial Hemp
Regulations, both of which came into force under the Controlled
Drugs and Substances Act (Canada) (the “CDSA”), which previously
permitted access to cannabis for medical purposes for only those
Canadians who had been authorized to use cannabis by their health
care practitioner. The ACMPR replaced the Marihuana for Medical
Purposes Regulations (Canada) (the “MMPR”), which was implemented
in June 2013. The MMPR replaced the Marihuana Medical Access
Regulations (Canada) (the “MMAR”) which was implemented in 2001.
The MMPR and MMAR were initial steps in the Government of Canada’s
legislative path towards the eventual legalization and regulating
recreational and medical cannabis.
The Cannabis Act permits the recreational adult use of cannabis and
regulates the production, distribution and sale of cannabis and
related oil extracts in Canada, for both recreational and medical
purposes. Under the Cannabis Act, Canadians who are authorized by
their health care practitioner to use medical cannabis have the
option of purchasing cannabis from one of the producers licensed by
Health Canada and are also able to register with Health Canada to
produce a limited amount of cannabis for their own medical purposes
or to designate an individual who is registered with Health Canada
to produce cannabis on their behalf for personal medical
purposes.
Pursuant to the Cannabis Act, subject to provincial regulations,
individuals over the age of 18 are be able to purchase fresh
cannabis, dried cannabis, cannabis oil, and cannabis plants or
seeds and are able to legally possess up to 30 grams of dried
cannabis, or the equivalent amount in fresh cannabis or cannabis
oil. The Cannabis Act also permits households to grow a maximum of
four cannabis plants. This limit applies regardless of the number
of adults that reside in the household. In addition, the Cannabis
Act provides provincial and municipal governments the authority to
prescribe regulations regarding retail and distribution, as well as
the ability to alter some of the existing baseline requirements of
the Cannabis Act, such as increasing the minimum age for purchase
and consumption.
Provincial and territorial governments in Canada have made varying
announcements on the proposed regulatory regimes for the
distribution and sale of cannabis for adult-use purposes. For
example, Québec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island,
Yukon and the Northwest Territories have chosen the
government-regulated model for distribution, whereas Saskatchewan
and Newfoundland & Labrador have opted for a private sector
approach. Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba, Nunavut and British Columbia
have announced plans to pursue a hybrid approach of public and
private sale and distribution.
In connection with the new framework for regulating cannabis in
Canada, the federal government has introduced new penalties under
the Criminal Code (Canada), including penalties for the illegal
sale of cannabis, possession of cannabis over the prescribed limit,
production of cannabis beyond personal cultivation limits, taking
cannabis across the Canadian border, giving or selling cannabis to
a youth and involving a youth to commit a cannabis-related
offence.
On July 11, 2018, the Canadian federal government published
regulations in the Canada Gazette to support the Cannabis Act,
including the Cannabis Regulations, the new Industrial Hemp
Regulations, along with proposed amendments to the Narcotic Control
Regulations and certain regulations under the Food and Drugs Act
(Canada). The Industrial Hemp Regulations and the Cannabis
Regulations, among other things, outline the rules for the legal
cultivation, processing, research, analytical testing,
distribution, sale, importation and exportation of cannabis and
hemp in Canada, including the various classes of licenses that can
be granted, and set standards for cannabis and hemp products. The
Industrial Hemp Regulations and the Cannabis Regulations include
strict specifications for the plain packaging and labelling and
analytical testing of all cannabis products as well as stringent
physical and personnel security requirements for all federally
licensed production sites. The Industrial Hemp Regulations and the
Cannabis Regulations also maintain a distinct system for access to
cannabis. With the Cannabis Act now in force, cannabis has ceased
to be regulated under the CDSA and is instead regulated under the
Cannabis Act, and both the ACMPR and the Industrial Hemp
Regulations have been repealed effective October 17, 2018.
On June 7, 2018, Bill-C45 passed the third reading in the Senate
with a number of amendments to the language of the Cannabis Act.
More specifically, the Senate proposed:
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establishing a committee of the
Senate and a committee of the House of Commons to undertake a
comprehensive review of the administration and operation of the
Cannabis Act; |
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· |
assisting provinces and territories
to facilitate the development of workplace impairment
policies; |
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· |
allowing provinces to place
restrictions on the ability of individuals to engage in home
cultivation; |
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· |
that law enforcement be provided
with the appropriate tools and resources to address concerns about
continued illicit production, diversion, and sale of cannabis to
youth, including preventing the sharing of marihuana among young
adults by rendering it a ticketable offense; |
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that the prices set for cannabis
products and the applicable taxes reflect the dual objective of
minimizing the health dangers of cannabis consumption and
undercutting the illicit market of cannabis; |
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· |
mandatory health warnings for
cannabis products, including warnings about the danger of smoking
cannabis, the danger of exposure to second-hand cannabis smoke, and
the risks of combining cannabis and tobacco; |
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· |
testing procedures for THC content
be standardized to ensure accurate measurement to better protect
consumer health and safety; |
|
· |
that forthcoming regulations for
edible products and other forms of cannabis ensure that product
packaging is child-resistant and does not appeal to young people,
and that the type of available products should be strictly
limited; |
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· |
adequate and ongoing funding for
sustained, evidence-based cannabis education and prevention
programs to provide Canadians, especially young Canadians, with
knowledge about the health risks of cannabis use, including
on-going research initiatives on the impact of cannabis use on the
developing brain; and that the federal government commit to
on-going educational initiatives to ensure youth are informed on
the effects of cannabis use; |
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· |
to prohibit licensees under the
Cannabis Act to distribute branded merchandise, such as t-shirts
and baseball caps and imposing a moratorium on loosening the
regulations on the branding, marketing, and promotion of cannabis
for 10 years; |
|
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to set aggressive targets,
comparable to the successful Federal Tobacco Control Strategy, to
reduce the number of youth and adult cannabis users; and |
|
· |
to ensure that the Cannabis
Tracking System be operational upon the coming-into-force of the
Cannabis Act. |
Security Clearances
The Cannabis Regulations require that certain people associated
with cannabis licensees, including individuals occupying a “key
position” directors, officers, large shareholders and individuals
identified by the Minister of Health, must hold a valid security
clearance issued by the Minister of Health. Officers and directors
of a parent corporation must be security cleared.
Under the Cannabis Regulations, the Minister of Health may refuse
to grant security clearances to individuals with associations to
organized crime or with past convictions for, or an association
with, drug trafficking, corruption or violent offences. Individuals
who have histories of nonviolent, lower-risk criminal activity (for
example, simple possession of cannabis, or small-scale cultivation
of cannabis plants) are not precluded from participating in the
legal cannabis industry, and the grant of security clearance to
such individuals is at the discretion of the Minister of Health and
such applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Cannabis Tracking System
Under the Cannabis Act, the Minister of Health is authorized to
establish and maintain a national cannabis tracking system. The
Cannabis Regulations set out a national cannabis tracking system to
track cannabis throughout the supply chain to help prevent
diversion of cannabis into, and out of, the illicit market. The
Cannabis Regulations also provides the Minister of Health with the
authority to make a ministerial order that would require certain
persons named in such order to report specific information about
their authorized activities with cannabis, in the form and manner
specified by the Minister of Health.
Cannabis Products
The Cannabis Regulations set out the requirements for the sale of
cannabis products at the retail level permit the sale of dried
cannabis, cannabis oil, fresh cannabis, cannabis plants, and
cannabis seeds, including in such forms as “pre-rolled” and in
capsules. The THC content and serving size of cannabis products is
limited by the Cannabis Regulations. The sale of edibles containing
cannabis and cannabis concentrates was not initially permitted,
however the federal government anticipates that such products will
be legalized within one year following the coming into force of the
Cannabis Act.
Intellectual Property
The success of our business depends, in part, on our ability to
maintain and protect our proprietary technologies, information,
processes and know-how. We rely primarily on patent, trademark,
copyright and trade secret laws in the U.S. and similar laws in
other countries, confidentiality agreements and procedures and
other contractual arrangements to protect our technology. Our
patents are limited to certain sensors that we obtain from third
party manufacturers that do not contribute materially to our sales
or profitability. Our trademarks are solely for branding purposes,
although we no longer sell any goods or services under the Soleil
brand. As of the date of this prospectus, the following summarizes
the status of our registrations, pending applications, issued U.S.
patents and one published U.S. patent application:
Trademarks
We have received the following trademark registrations:
Trademark |
Jurisdiction |
Registration
Number |
Registration
Date |
Status |
URBAN-GRO |
United
States |
4618322 |
October
7, 2014 |
Registered |
URBAN-GRO |
United
Kingdom |
3266415 |
January
19, 2018 |
Registered |
URBAN-GRO |
European
Union |
017391806 |
October
31, 2018 |
Registered |
URBAN-GRO |
WIPO |
1548013 |
July
08, 2020 |
Registered |
SOLEIL |
United
States |
5209707 |
May
23, 2017 |
Registered |
SOLEIL |
United
Kingdom |
3266410 |
March
09, 2018 |
Registered |
SOLEIL |
Canada |
1083969 |
October
07, 2020 |
Registered |
SOLEIL |
European
Union |
017391781 |
September
11, 2018 |
Registered |
OPTI-DURA |
United
States |
5770091 |
June
4, 2019 |
Registered |
OPTI-DURA |
Canada |
TMA1070145 |
January
20, 2020 |
Registered |
We have applied for and are awaiting receipt of the following
trademark registrations:
Trademark |
Jurisdiction |
Application
Number |
Filing
Date |
Status |
URBAN-GRO |
Canada |
1930075 |
November
13, 2018 |
Pending. |
URBAN-GRO |
Canada
(Madrid) |
A0098111 |
July
08, 2020 |
Pending. |
URBAN-GRO |
European
Union (Madrid) |
A0098111 |
July
08, 2020 |
Pending. Examination
Completed. |
URBAN-GRO |
United
Kingdom (Madrid) |
A0098111 |
July
08, 2020 |
Pending. |
gro-care |
United
States |
88898692 |
May
03, 2020 |
Pending. |
gro-care |
WIPO |
A0099548 |
August
24, 2020 |
Pending. |
gro-care |
Canada
(Madrid) |
A0099548 |
August
24, 2020 |
Pending. |
gro-care |
European
Union (Madrid) |
A0099548 |
August
24, 2020 |
Pending. |
gro-care |
United
Kingdom (Madrid) |
A0099548 |
August
24, 2020 |
Pending. |
SOLEIL
GIVES YOUR CROP A VOICE |
United
States |
87671876 |
November
3, 2017 |
Allowed
– Intent to Use |
SOLEIL
GIVES YOUR PLANTS A VOICE |
United
States |
87671878 |
November
3, 2017 |
Allowed
– Intent to Use |
Patents
Title |
Jurisdiction |
Application
Number |
Filing
Date |
Patent
Number and Issue Date |
Status |
Sensor
bus architecture for modular sensor systems |
United
States |
15/626,085 |
June
17, 2017 |
10,499,123
(December
3, 2019)
|
Issued
Expire in 2037
|
Modular
sensor architecture for soil and water analysis at various depths
from the surface |
United
States |
15/626,079 |
June
17, 2017 |
10,405,069
(September
3, 2019)
|
Issued
Expire in 2037
|
Modular
sensor architecture for soil and water analysis at various depths
from the surface |
United
States |
16/519,800 |
July
23, 2019 |
n/a |
Published |
We rely on trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements
to safeguard our interests with respect to proprietary know-how
that is not patentable and processes for which patents are
difficult to enforce. We believe that many elements of our design
and engineering processes involve proprietary know-how, technology
or data that are not covered by patents or patent applications,
including technical processes, test equipment designs, algorithms
and procedures.
Our policy is for our research and development employees to enter
into confidentiality and proprietary information agreements with us
to address intellectual property protection issues and require our
employees to assign to us all of the inventions, designs and
technologies they develop during the course of employment with us.
However, we might not have entered into such agreements with all
applicable personnel, and such agreements might not be
self-executing. Moreover, such individuals could breach the terms
of such agreements.
We attempt to protect our intellectual property via the deployment
of non-disclosure agreements with both prospective clients and
business partners as well as licensees. There are no assurances
that these non-disclosure agreements will prevent a third party
from infringing upon our rights.
Employees
As of the date of this prospectus, we employ 43 persons, of which
42 are full-time, and one is part-time. None of our employees are
covered by collective bargaining agreements. We also utilize the
services of three electrical engineers, and a number of referral
agents. We require all of our employees and consultants to sign a
confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement. We believe that our
future success will depend, in part, on our ability to hire and
retain qualified personnel.
Properties
Our principal place of business is located at 1751 Panorama Point,
Unit G, Lafayette, Colorado 80026. This location consists of
approximately 10,000 square feet, including approximately 3,500
square feet of office space and 6,500 square feet of warehouse
space. This lease will expire on August 31, 2021, unless we elect
to exercise the one-year extension, which is exercisable at our
discretion.
Legal Proceedings
As of the date of this prospectus, we are not involved in any legal
proceedings.
MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth certain information as of
the
date of this prospectus about our executive officers and members of
our Board.
Name |
|
Age |
|
Position |
|
Bradley J. Nattrass |
|
48 |
|
Chief Executive Officer and
Chairman of the Board |
|
Richard A. Akright |
|
61 |
|
Chief Financial Officer and
Director |
|
Mark Doherty |
|
41 |
|
Executive Vice President –
Operations |
|
Daniel Droller |
|
40 |
|
Executive Vice President –
Corporate Development |
|
Jonathan Nassar |
|
51 |
|
Executive Vice President –
Sales |
|
Brian Zimmerman, PE |
|
59 |
|
Executive Vice President –
Engineering |
|
James H. Dennedy |
|
55 |
|
Director |
|
Lance Galey |
|
41 |
|
Director |
|
James R. Lowe |
|
40 |
|
Director |
|
Lewis O. Wilks |
|
67 |
|
Director |
|
Executive Officers
Bradley J. Nattrass is one of our founders and has
been our Chief Executive Officer and our Chairman since March 2017.
Mr. Nattrass was our Managing Member from March 2014 until March
2017 when we converted to a corporation. From October 2015 to
August 2016, he was the Managing Member of enviro-glo, LLC, a
Colorado limited liability company engaged in the manufacturing and
branding of commercial lighting products. Previously, from January
2012 through August 2016, he was the Managing Member of Bravo
Lighting, LLC, a Colorado limited liability company engaged in the
distribution of commercial lighting products. Mr. Nattrass received
a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calgary in
marketing in 1995 and a Master of Business Administration from the
University of Phoenix in 2001. Mr. Nattrass brings executive
leadership experience, organizational experience, and extensive
experience in the industry to the Board. Mr. Nattrass is familiar
with the Company’s day-to-day operations and performance and the
horticulture industry in general. Mr. Nattrass’ insight into the
Company’s operations and performance is critical to Board
discussions.
Richard (Dick) A. Akright was appointed as our
Interim Chief Financial Officer in August 2019 and was appointed as
our Chief Financial Officer in December 2019. He was appointed as a
director in February 2020. From August 2018 to present, Mr. Akright
has been a director with Akright Group International LLC, where he
performs financial consulting services for small and mid-sized
businesses. From May through July 2018, he was unemployed. From
July 2013 through May 2018, he served as Chief Financial Officer
for LABS, Inc., a privately held company. Mr. Akright was a
director and chair of the Audit Committee for Koala Corporation
(Nasdaq: KARE) in 2003. He has served as Chief Financial Officer of
companies owned by private equity investors and in the top
financial position of corporate divisions of publicly traded
companies. He received a Bachelor of Business degree in Accounting
from Western Illinois University in 1980 and a Master of Science in
Business Administration from Colorado State University in 1989. Mr.
Akright is a former chief financial officer who brings more than 20
years of executive leadership experience across a variety of
industries. In addition, he brings prior public company director
experience to our Board. His prior experience and financial
expertise provide the Board with important insights into business
operations.
Mark Doherty joined urban-gro in March 2016 and
was appointed as our Executive Vice President of Operations in
December 2019. Prior to his appointment, Mark served urban-gro in
the roles of Director of Sales, Director of Project Management and
Vice President of Cultivation Technologies. From 2013 until joining
the urban-gro team, Mark served as Managing Partner for MedCann
Advisors, a consulting firm focused on license acquisition in
competitive markets. Mark began his career in controlled
environment agriculture in 2010 when he founded Aqua Vita Farms, a
14,000 square foot indoor aquaponic operation producing fish,
lettuce, and basil. Mark earned his Bachelor of Science degree in
Business Administration from SUNY Polytechnic Institute and holds a
Master of Business Administration from the State University of New
York.
Daniel Droller joined urban-gro in February 2018 and
was promoted to Executive Vice President of Corporate Development
in August 2018. He has helped oversee our strategic partnerships
and investments. Prior to joining urban-gro, he held various
Business Development roles at technology startups, including
MassRoots, Inc. from January 2017 to September 2017 and Chartboost
from May 2013 to October 2016. Prior to that, he led management
consulting engagements for Deloitte Consulting. He holds a Bachelor
of Arts in Neurobiology from Harvard College and a Master of
Business Administration from Yale School of Management.
Jonathan Nassar joined urban-gro in September
2018 as Executive Vice President of Sales where he oversees
urban-gro’s global sales efforts and “Go to Market”
strategy. From October 2016 to present, Jonathan was a founder
and has served as Chief Executive Officer of Steelgenix, an
advanced building systems company. From December 2014 to December
2016 Jonathan was Senior Vice President of Sales for Documoto, a
cloud-based solutions company. Jonathan has over 25 years of
technology leadership and sales experience and has also been a real
estate developer. Jonathan received a Bachelor of Science
degree in Business Management from Wesley College, Delaware.
Brian L. Zimmerman, PE was appointed as our
Executive Vice President of Engineering in December 2019. Mr.
Zimmerman is also President of Impact Engineering, Inc., where he
has served since he formed the company in June 1997. The Company
acquired Impact Engineering, Inc. in March of 2019. Mr. Zimmerman
has over 30 years of experience as a designer, engineer and owner
in the commercial HVAC, plumbing and electrical engineering
markets. Mr. Zimmerman received a Bachelor of Science degree in
Mechanical Engineering Technology from Metropolitan State
University in 1989 and passed the Colorado Professional Engineering
Exam in 1992. Mr. Zimmerman is a registered Professional Engineer
in Colorado and has Professional Engineering reciprocity in Arizona
and California.
Directors
For the principal occupation and employment experience of Mr.
Nattrass and Mr. Akright during the last five years, see
“—Executive Officers.”
James H. Dennedy was appointed as a director in
August 2018. From March 2018 to August 2019, Mr. Dennedy served as
Director and Chief Financial Officer for Interurban Capital Group,
a capital investment and management services company. From May 2011
through January 2017, he was the President and Chief Executive
Officer of Agilysys, Inc., a company offering software solutions to
the hospitality industry. Mr. Dennedy served as a director for
Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS) from June 2009 to January 2017. Mr.
Dennedy received a Master’s degree in Economics from the University
of Colorado, Boulder, a Master of Business Administration from The
Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics
from the U.S. Air Force Academy. Mr. Dennedy has extensive
financial, executive leadership, and organizational experience. Mr.
Dennedy also has experience serving as a director of a public
company, which brings important insights into board oversight and
corporate governance matters. Mr. Dennedy is chairman of the
Company’s Audit Committee and an Audit Committee financial expert
with experience in various accounting and financial roles.
Lance Galey was appointed as a director in
August 2018. Since 2020, Mr. Galey has served as the Chief Software
Architect of Autodesk, Inc. From July 2017 to January 2020, Mr.
Galey served as Vice President, SaaS Engineering, Oracle Cloud
Infrastructure at Oracle. From June 2016 to July 2017, Mr. Galey
was Chief Technology Officer for MassRoots, Inc., a publicly traded
company providing a technology platform. From May 2016 through June
2017, Mr. Galey was the Principal Cloud Architect at Dynamics 365
at Microsoft, Inc. From February 2014 through April 2016, he was
Chief Cloud Architect at Autodesk, Inc., where he helped transform
their products into strategic SaaS businesses. From June 2012
through February 2014, he was Vice President and Principal
Architect at Salesforce.com, where he led the architecture and
development of numerous core infrastructure services underlying a
large portfolio of Salesforce SaaS applications and was selected as
the executive MVP for the technology division of Salesforce.com.
Prior to his time at Salesforce, Mr. Galey served as Chief
Architect and Head of OpenStack Engineering of Cloud Services for
WebEx, a division of Cisco and as the Director of Architecture for
the Disney Connected and Advanced Technologies division of The Walt
Disney Company. Mr. Galey also served as Senior Program Manager at
Microsoft Inc. and began his career at Amazon and Level 3
Communications. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Regis
University in 2004. Mr. Galey is a seasoned executive with
technical and management experience in the industry in which the
Company operates. Mr. Galey brings vital technological expertise to
the Board and provides important insights to our Board regarding
the Company’s equipment and product offering and the business
development of the Company.
James R. Lowe was appointed as a director in
August 2018. Mr. Lowe cofounded MJardin Group in 2014 where he
served as President of Cultivation, overseeing all cultivation
operations through 2017. Mr. Lowe left MJardin Group to become EVP
of Operations of GrowForce, a spinout from MJardin Group based in
Canada focusing on international opportunities. Mr. Lowe is no
longer an officer of GrowForce. Mr. Lowe has served as a director
of MJardin Group (CSE: MJAR) (OTCQX: MJARF) since March 2014. He
has also been a cultivation advisor for Lightshade Labs, LLC, where
he has provided guidance on cultivation operations since 2012. Mr.
Lowe is also the owner of Next1 Labs, a vertically integrated
extraction and concentrate business with a multi-acre outdoor farm
complex and the one of the largest producers of live resin products
in the state of Colorado. Lastly, Mr. Lowe entered the legal
horticulture market in 2009 as the owner of Cloud9 Support LLC, a
retail horticulture supplies and design company that was
responsible for over 50 design projects and construction assists
while laying the groundwork for future endeavors. Mr. Lowe brings
to the Board significant experience in the horticulture industry
and prior public company director experience within the industry.
Mr. Lowe’s extensive knowledge of the industry brings valuable
insights to the Board regarding client demand and product
offerings. These views add important insights within discussions of
the Board.
Lewis O. Wilks was appointed as a director in
August 2018. Since 2004, Mr. Wilks has been the Senior Managing
Partner at Bright Peaks Venture Capital LLC, where he oversees the
company’s investments. In addition, since November 2015, he has
been the Executive Chairman of NCS Analytics, a Denver based
company that is implementing its patent pending, predictive
analytics engine to provide financial, regulatory, and audit
service to clients with real-time alerts for cash intensive
businesses. Since June 2017, he has also been Chairman of
FuseIntel, a company doing intelligence sector analytics. From
September 1997 to September 2001, he served as the Chief Strategy
Officer for Qwest Communications. Mr. Wilks received a Bachelor of
Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Central
Missouri in 1979. Mr. Wilks brings valuable experience to the Board
through his prior management and technical experience. His business
understanding and technological background provide the Board with
important insights regarding the Company’s operations, product
offering and business development.
Corporate Governance
Composition of our Board of Directors
Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our
Board. The number of directors will be fixed by our Board, subject
to the terms of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, which
will include a requirement that the number of directors be fixed
exclusively by a resolution adopted by directors constituting a
majority of the total number of authorized directors, whether or
not there exist any vacancies in previously authorized
directorships. Our Board currently consists of six directors.
When considering whether directors and nominees have the
experience, qualifications, attributes or skills, taken as a whole,
to enable our Board to satisfy its oversight responsibilities
effectively in light of our business and structure, the Board
focuses primarily on each person’s background and experience as
reflected in the information discussed in each of the directors’
individual biographies set forth above. We believe that our
directors provide an appropriate mix of experience and skills
relevant to the size and nature of our business.
Corporate Governance Profile
We intend to structure our corporate governance in a manner we
believe closely aligns our interests with those of our
stockholders. Notable features of our corporate governance
structure will include the following:
|
· |
our Board will not be classified, with each of our directors
subject to re-election annually; |
|
· |
we expect that a majority of our directors will satisfy the
Nasdaq listing standards for independence; |
|
· |
generally, all matters to be voted on by stockholders will be
approved by a majority (or, in the case of election of directors,
by a plurality) of the votes entitled to be cast by all
stockholders present in person or represented by proxy, voting
together as a single class; |
|
· |
we intend to comply with the requirements of the Nasdaq
marketplace rules, including having committees comprised solely of
independent directors; and |
|
· |
we do not have a stockholder rights plan. |
Our directors will stay informed about our business by attending
meetings of our Board and its committees and through supplemental
reports and communications. Our independent directors will meet
regularly in executive sessions without the presence of our
corporate officers or non-independent directors.
Role of the Board in Risk Oversight
The Board actively manages the Company’s risk oversight process and
receives periodic reports from management on areas of material risk
to the Company, including operational, financial, legal, and
regulatory risks. The Board committees assist the Board in
fulfilling its oversight responsibilities in certain areas of risk.
The Audit Committee assists the Board with its oversight of the
Company’s major financial risk exposures. The Compensation
Committee assists the Board with its oversight of risks arising
from the Company’s compensation policies and programs. The
Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee assists the Board
with its oversight of risks associated with board organization,
board independence, and corporate governance. While each committee
is responsible for evaluating certain risks and overseeing the
management of those risks, the entire Board is regularly informed
about the risks.
Director Independence
The Nasdaq marketplace rules require that, subject to specified
exceptions, each member of a listed company’s audit, compensation
and nominations committees be independent, or, if a listed company
has no nominations committee, that director nominees be selected or
recommended for the board’s selection by independent directors
constituting a majority of the board’s independent directors. The
Nasdaq marketplace rules further require that audit committee
members satisfy independence criteria set forth in Rule 10A-3 under
the Exchange Act and that compensation committee members satisfy
the independence criteria set forth in Rule 10C-1 under the
Exchange Act.
Prior to the completion of this offering, our Board undertook a
review of the independence of our directors and considered whether
any director has a material relationship with us that could
compromise that director’s ability to exercise independent judgment
in carrying out that director’s responsibilities. Our Board has
affirmatively determined that each of Messrs. Dennedy, Galey, Lowe
and Wilks qualify as an independent director, as defined under the
applicable corporate governance standards of Nasdaq. These rules
require that our Audit Committee be composed of at least three
members, one of whom must be independent on the date of listing on
Nasdaq, a majority of whom must be independent within 90 days of
the effective date of the registration statement containing this
prospectus, and all of whom must be independent within one year of
the effective date of the registration statement containing this
prospectus.
Board Leadership
The offices of the chairman of the Board and chief executive
officer are currently combined. Mr. Nattrass serves as the
Company’s chairman and chief executive officer. The Board believes
that this structure is the most appropriate structure at this time
for several reasons. Mr. Nattrass is responsible for the
day-to-day operations of the Company and the execution of its
strategies. Since these topics are an integral part of Board
discussions, Mr. Nattrass is the director best qualified to
chair those discussions. In addition, Mr. Nattrass’ experience
and knowledge of the Company and the industry are critical to Board
discussions and the Company’s success. The Board believes that
Mr. Nattrass is well qualified to serve in the combined roles
of chairman and chief executive officer and that Mr. Nattrass’
interests are sufficiently aligned with the stockholders he
represents.
The Board does not have a lead independent director. To help ensure
the independence of the Company’s Board, the independent directors
of the Board generally meet without members of management at
various times during the year.
Board Committees and Meetings
The Board has established three standing committees, the Audit
Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Corporate Governance
and Nominating Committee, to assist it with the performance of its
responsibilities. The Board designates the members of these
committees and the committee chairs based on the recommendation of
the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. The Board has
adopted written charters for each of these committees, which can be
found at the investor relations section of our website at
http://urban-gro.com. Copies are also available in print to any
stockholder upon written request to urban-gro, Inc., 1751 Panorama
Point, Unit G, Lafayette, Colorado 80026, Attention: Corporate
Secretary. The chair of each committee develops the agenda for that
committee and determines the frequency and length of committee
meetings.
The Board held five meetings during 2020. Directors are expected to
attend Board meetings, the Annual Meeting of Stockholders and
meetings of the committees on which they serve, with the
understanding that on occasion a director may be unable to attend a
meeting. During 2020, each director attended 75% or more of the
aggregate of the total number of meetings of the Board. During
2020, each director attended 75% or more of the aggregate of the
total number of meetings held by all committees of the Board on
which such director then served. Every director then serving
attended the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Audit Committee
Our Board has established an Audit Committee, which as of the date
of this prospectus consists of three independent directors, Mr.
Dennedy (Chairperson), Mr. Wilks and Mr. Galey. The Audit Committee
held two meetings during 2020. The committee’s primary duties are
to:
|
· |
review and discuss with management and our independent auditor
our annual and quarterly financial statements and related
disclosures, including disclosure under “Management’s Discussion
and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and
the results of the independent auditor’s audit or review, as the
case may be; |
|
· |
review our financial reporting processes and internal control
over financial reporting systems and the performance, generally, of
our internal audit function; |
|
· |
oversee the audit and other services of our independent
registered public accounting firm and be directly responsible for
the appointment, independence, qualifications, compensation and
oversight of the independent registered public accounting firm,
which reports directly to the Audit Committee; |
|
· |
provide an open means of communication among our independent
registered public accounting firm, management, our internal
auditing function and our Board; |
|
· |
review any disagreements between our management and the
independent registered public accounting firm regarding our
financial reporting; |
|
· |
prepare the Audit Committee report for inclusion in our proxy
statement for our annual stockholder meetings; |
|
· |
establish procedures for complaints received regarding our
accounting, internal accounting control and auditing matters;
and |
|
· |
approve all audit and permissible non-audit services conducted
by our independent registered public accounting firm. |
The Board has determined that each of our Audit Committee members
are independent of management and free of any relationships that,
in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of
independent judgment and are independent, as that term is defined
under the enhanced independence standards for audit committee
members in the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated
thereunder.
The Board has determined that Mr. Dennedy is an “audit committee
financial expert,” as that term is defined in the rules promulgated
by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) pursuant to
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2012. The Board has further determined
that each of the members of the Audit Committee shall be
financially literate and that at least one member of the committee
has accounting or related financial management expertise, as such
terms are interpreted by the Board in its business judgment.
Compensation Committee
Our Board has established a Compensation Committee, which as of the
date of this prospectus consists of three independent directors (as
defined under the general independence standards of the Nasdaq
listing standards and our Corporate Governance Guidelines): Mr.
Wilks (Chairperson), Mr. Dennedy and Mr. Galey. Messrs. Wilks,
Dennedy and Galey are each a “non-employee director” (within the
meaning of Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act). The Compensation
Committee held two meetings during 2020. The committee’s primary
duties are to:
|
· |
approve corporate goals and objectives relevant to executive
officer compensation and evaluate executive officer performance in
light of those goals and objectives; |
|
· |
determine and approve executive officer compensation, including
base salary and incentive awards; |
|
· |
make recommendations to the Board regarding compensation plans;
and |
|
· |
administer our stock plan. |
Our Compensation Committee determines and approves all elements of
executive officer compensation. It also provides recommendations to
the Board with respect to non-employee director compensation. The
Compensation Committee may not delegate its authority to any other
person, other than to a subcommittee.
Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee
Our Board has also established a Corporate Governance and
Nominating Committee, which consists of Mr. Lowe (Chairperson) and
Messrs. Dennedy and Wilks. The Corporate Governance and Nominating
Committee held two meetings during 2020. The committee’s primary
duties are to:
|
· |
recruit new directors, consider director nominees recommended
by stockholders and others and recommend nominees for election as
directors; |
|
· |
review the size and composition of our Board and
committees; |
|
· |
oversee the evaluation of the Board; |
|
· |
recommend actions to increase the Board’s effectiveness;
and |
|
· |
develop, recommend and oversee our corporate governance
principles, including our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and
our Corporate Governance Guidelines. |
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
We have adopted a written code of business ethics and conduct (the
“Code of Conduct”) that applies to all of our directors, officers
and employees, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Financial Officer. The objective of the Code of Conduct is to
provide guidelines for maintaining our and our subsidiaries
integrity, reputation, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. The
Code of Conduct addresses conflicts of interest, protection of our
assets, confidentiality, fair dealing with stockholders,
competitors and employees, insider trading, compliance with laws
and reporting any illegal or unethical behavior. As part of the
Code of Conduct, any person subject to the Code of Conduct is
required to avoid or fully disclose interests or relationships that
are harmful or detrimental to our best interests or that may give
rise to real, potential or the appearance of conflicts of interest.
Our Board will have ultimate responsibility for the stewardship of
the Code of Conduct, and it will monitor compliance through our
Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. Directors, officers
and employees will be required to annually certify that they have
not violated the Code of Conduct. Our Code of Business Conduct and
Ethics reflects the foregoing principles. The full text of our Code
of Business Conduct and Ethics is published on our website at
https://ir.urban-gro.com/investors/.
We intend to satisfy the disclosure requirement under Item 5.05 of
Form 8-K relating to amendments to or waivers from any provision of
the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to our Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer by posting such
information on our website http://urban-gro.com.
Legal Proceedings
Other than as set forth below, to our knowledge, (i) no director or
executive officer has been a director or executive officer of any
business which has filed a bankruptcy petition or had a bankruptcy
petition filed against it during the past ten years; (ii) no
director or executive officer has been convicted of a criminal
offense or is the subject of a pending criminal proceeding during
the past ten years; (iii) no director or executive officer has been
the subject of any order, judgment or decree of any court
permanently or temporarily enjoining, barring, suspending or
otherwise limiting his involvement in any type of business,
securities or banking activities during the past ten years; and
(iv) no director or officer has been found by a court to have
violated a federal or state securities or commodities law during
the past ten years.
Bradley J. Nattrass was a managing member of N.R.G. Exports, LLC
(“NRG”) from 2004 to 2011. Due to a lack of financial resources
incurred in the defense of an infringement lawsuit, NRG defaulted
on certain loans, and NRG’s largest debtholder enforced such
security, thus triggering a bankruptcy proceeding which was
subsequently discharged on September 27, 2011.
EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTOR
COMPENSATION
We are an “emerging growth company” under applicable SEC rules and
are providing disclosure regarding our executive compensation
arrangements pursuant to the rules applicable to emerging growth
companies, which means that we are not required to provide a
compensation discussion and analysis and certain other disclosures
regarding our executive compensation. The following discussion
relates to the compensation of our named executive officers for
2020, consisting of Bradley J. Nattrass, our Chief Executive
Officer and Chairman of the Board, and our two other most highly
compensated executive officers as of December 31, 2020, Richard
Akright, Chief Financial Officer and Director, and Jonathan Nassar,
Executive Vice President – Sales.
We have a Compensation Committee comprised of Messrs. Wilks,
Dennedy and Galey. Under our Compensation Committee charter, our
Compensation Committee determines and approves all elements of
executive officer compensation. The Compensation Committee’s
primary objectives in determining executive officer compensation
are (i) developing an overall compensation package that is at
market levels and thus fosters executive officer retention and (ii)
aligning the interests of our executive officers with our
stockholders by linking a significant portion of the compensation
package to performance.
Fiscal Year 2020 and 2019 Summary Compensation Table
The following Fiscal Year 2020 and 2019 Summary Compensation Table
contains information regarding compensation for 2020 and 2019 that
we paid to Mr. Nattrass and our two other most highly compensated
executive officers as of December 31, 2020.
Name and Principal Position |
|
Year |
|
Salary
($) |
|
|
Bonus
($) |
|
|
Stock
awards
($)(1) |
|
|
Option
awards
($)(1)
|
|
|
Non-equity
incentive plan
compensation
($)
|
|
|
Nonqualified
deferred
compensation
earnings
($)
|
|
|
All other
compensation
($) |
|
|
Total
($) |
|
Bradley J.
Nattrass |
|
2020 |
|
|
248,000 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
19,847 |
(2) |
|
|
267,847 |
|
Chief Executive Officer and
Chairman of the Board |
|
2019 |
|
|
240,962 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
19,950 |
(2) |
|
|
260,912 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Richard
Akright(3) |
|
2020 |
|
|
214,615 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
300,000 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
13,895 |
(2) |
|
|
528,510 |
|
Chief Financial
Officer |
|
2019 |
|
|
8,654 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
4,456 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
155,097 |
|
|
|
168,207 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jonathan
Nassar(4) |
|
2020 |
|
|
333,971 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
179,743 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
513,714 |
|
Executive Vice President -
Sales |
|
2019 |
|
|
212,000 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
6,000 |
|
|
|
218,000 |
|
(1) |
Amounts
shown in the columns captioned “Stock awards” and “Option awards”
represent the aggregate grant date fair value of the awards
computed in accordance with ASC 718. For a description of the
assumptions used by the Company to value these awards, see Note 13
to our financial statements included in the Annual
Report. |
(2) |
Represents
amounts paid to Mr. Nattrass and Mr. Akright pursuant to a car
allowance and health insurance premiums paid on their
behalf. |
(3) |
Mr.
Akright received a stock grant of 50,000 shares on January 1, 2020
and a stock option to purchase 833 shares of common stock at an
exercise price of $6.60 per share on March 31, 2019. |
(4) |
Mr.
Nassar received a stock option to purchase 40,000 shares of common
stock at an exercise price of $6.60 per share on January 1,
2020. |
Employment Agreements
The following discussion relates to compensation arrangements on
behalf of, and compensation paid by us to, Messrs. Nattrass and
Akright. We do not have an employment agreement with Mr.
Nassar.
Bradley Nattrass
We are a party to an employment agreement with Mr. Nattrass (the
“Nattrass Agreement”), whereby he serves as our President and Chief
Executive Officer. Pursuant to the Nattrass Agreement, he receives
compensation pursuant to our standard programs in effect from time
to time, and is eligible to receive stock options, restricted
stock, stock units or other equity awards from time to time at the
sole discretion of the Board in accordance with our 2019 Incentive
Stock Option Plan or other equity plans that we may adopt. He is
also entitled to participate in our group benefit plans. The term
of the Nattrass Agreement is three years, however, if a change in
control occurs during the term, the term shall expire no earlier
than the first anniversary of the change in control.
Under certain circumstances, the Nattrass Agreement also provides
for severance benefits following a termination without “cause” or
related to a “change of control” (as such terms are defined in the
Nattrass Agreement). In the event of a termination without “cause,”
Mr. Nattrass is entitled to severance payments equal to 12 months
of regular base salary and target annual incentive pay and a lump
sum payment for 12 months of COBRA premiums. In addition, in the
event of a termination without “cause,” if Mr. Nattrass’ personal
guarantee of the Credit Facilities has not been released after 12
months, then he is entitled to $15,000 per month until the personal
guarantee is released. In the event of termination in connection
with a “change in control,” Mr. Nattrass is entitled to a lump sum
payment equal to twice the sum of his annual salary and his target
annual incentive pay, and a lump sum payment for 12 months of COBRA
premiums. All other additional benefits and stock incentive rights
(if any) would cease and expire upon termination of employment,
unless otherwise provided in the Nattrass Agreement or by the
separate written terms of such benefits or incentives. The Nattrass
Agreement includes indemnification, confidentiality and non-compete
provisions.
Richard Akright
We are a party to an employment agreement with Mr. Akright (the
“Akright Agreement”), whereby he serves as our Chief Financial
Officer. Pursuant to the Akright Agreement, he receives
compensation pursuant to our standard programs in effect from time
to time, and is eligible to receive stock options, restricted
stock, stock units or other equity awards from time to time at the
sole discretion of the Board in accordance with our 2019 Incentive
Stock Option Plan or other equity plans that we may adopt. He is
also entitled to participate in our group benefit plans. The term
of the Akright Agreement is three years, however, if a change in
control occurs during the term, the term shall expire no earlier
than the first anniversary of the change in control.
Under certain circumstances, the Akright Agreement also provides
for severance benefits following a termination without “cause” or
related to a “change of control” (as such terms are defined in the
Akright Agreement). In the event of a termination without “cause,”
Mr. Akright is entitled to severance payments equal to six months
of regular base salary and a lump sum payment for six months of
COBRA premiums. In the event of termination in connection with a
“change in control,” Mr. Akright is entitled to a lump sum payment
equal to his annual salary and his target annual incentive pay, and
a lump sum payment for 12 months of COBRA premiums. All other
additional benefits and stock incentive rights (if any) would cease
and expire upon termination of employment, unless otherwise
provided in the Akright Agreement or by the separate written terms
of such benefits or incentives. The Akright Agreement includes
confidentiality and non-compete provisions.
Equity Incentive Awards
Mr. Nattrass has not received any equity incentive awards.
Mr. Akright received a restricted common stock grant of 50,000
shares on January 1, 2020 that vests proportionately on each
January 1 over a 3-year period beginning on January 1, 2021. Mr.
Akright received a stock option grant to purchase 833 shares of
common stock at an exercise price of $6.60 per share on March 31,
2019 that vests proportionately over a 3 year period on each
quarter-end beginning June 30, 2019 ending March 31, 2021.
Mr. Nassar received a stock option grant to purchase 40,000 shares
of common stock at an exercise price of $6.00 per share on January
1, 2020 that vests proportionately on each December 31 over a
3-year period beginning on December 31, 2020.
Retirement Benefits
We provide all qualifying employees with the opportunity to
participate in our tax-qualified 401(k) plan. The plan allows
employees to defer receipt of earned salary, up to tax law limits,
on a pre-tax basis. Accounts may be invested in a wide range of
mutual funds. The Company has not provided any employer
contributions to the plan.
Fiscal Year 2020 Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
Table
The following table lists all of the outstanding equity awards held
on December 31, 2020 by each of the Company’s named executive
officers.
|
|
Option Awards |
|
Stock Awards |
Name |
|
Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
options
exercisable
(#)
|
|
Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
options
unexercisable
(#)
|
|
Equity
incentive
plan
awards:
Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
unearned
options
(#)
|
|
Option
exercise
price
($)
|
|
Option
expiration
date |
|
Number
of
shares
or units
of stock
that
have not
vested
(#)
|
|
Market
value of
shares of
units of
stock that
have not
vested
($) |
|
Equity
incentive
plan
awards:
Number
of
unearned
shares,
units or
other
rights
that
have not
vested
(#)
|
|
Equity
incentive
plan
awards:
Market
or payout value of
unearned
shares,
units or
other
rights
that have
not
vested
($) |
Bradley J. Nattrass |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
Richard Akright
|
|
730 |
|
105 |
|
– |
|
$7.20 |
|
March 2029 |
|
50,000(1) |
|
300,000 |
|
– |
|
– |
Jonathan
Nassar |
|
30,000(2) |
|
35,000(2) |
|
– |
|
$6.48 |
|
August 18,
2028 |
|
5,556 |
|
33,336 |
|
– |
|
– |
(1) |
Mr.
Akright received a stock grant of 50,000 shares on January 1,
2020. |
(2) |
Mr.
Nassar received a stock option to purchase 40,000 shares of common
stock at an exercise price of $6.00 per share on January 1,
2020. Such options vest proportionately over three years,
commencing on December 31, 2020. |
Equity Incentive Plans
The following table summarizes information about our equity
compensation plans as of December 31, 2020. All outstanding
awards relate to our common stock.
Plan category |
|
Number of
securities
to be issued
upon vesting
of grants
and exercise
of outstanding
options, warrants
and rights |
|
|
Weighted-
average
exercise
price of
outstanding
options, warrants
and rights |
|
|
Number of
securities
remaining
available for
future issuance
under equity
compensation
plans |
|
Equity
compensation plan approved by
stockholders(1) |
|
|
518,500 |
|
|
$ |
6.07 |
|
|
|
39,482 |
|
Equity
compensation plan not approved by
stockholders(2) |
|
|
237,472 |
|
|
$ |
6.88 |
|
|
|
– |
|
Total |
|
|
958,724 |
|
|
$ |
7.80 |
|
|
|
39,482 |
|
(1) |
The Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan was adopted in March
2019 and approved by stockholders in April 2019. |
(2) |
The Company’s 2018 Equity Incentive Plan was adopted in January
2018. |
Director Compensation
Prior to January 2020, non-employee directors were provided with a
stock option to purchase 16,667 shares of common stock upon their
appointment to the Board. All such stock options are subject to
vesting proportionately over a 3-year period, commencing on April
30th of each year following the year of the grant. In addition,
each director who serves as a member of a standing committee of the
Board was entitled to receive an additional stock option to
purchase 1,667 shares of common stock for each committee on which
he or she serves, which options vested at the end of each year of
service on the applicable committee. The exercise price for any
stock options issued to our non-employee directors will be at least
equal to the fair market value on the applicable date of grant.
Beginning in January 2020, non-employee directors were granted
restricted shares of common stock as an annual retainer and for
serving as a member of a standing committee. Each director will be
required to attend a minimum of 75% of all Board meetings per year
in person or telephonically. Directors are reimbursed for travel
and other expenses directly associated with Company business.
Directors that are also employees of the Company do not receive any
additional compensation for their role as a director at this
time.
Fiscal Year 2020 Director Compensation Table
The following table provides information regarding director
compensation during 2020. Mr. Nattrass’ and Mr. Akright’s
compensation is reported in the Fiscal Year 2020 and 2019 Summary
Compensation Table.
Name |
|
Fees Earned or
Paid in Cash
($) |
|
|
Stock
Awards
($) |
|
|
Option
Awards
($)(1)(2) |
|
|
Non-equity
incentive
plan
compensation
($) |
|
|
Change in
pension
value and
nonqualified
deferred
compensation
earnings |
|
|
All other
compensation
($)
|
|
|
Total
($) |
|
James H.
Dennedy(3) |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
133,333 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
133,333 |
|
Lance Galey(4) |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
113,333 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
113,333 |
|
James R.
Lowe(5) |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
113,333 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
113,333 |
|
Lewis O.
Wilks(6) |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
126,667 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
126,667 |
|
(1) |
The amounts in this column represent the aggregate grant date
fair value of stock options computed in accordance with Accounting
Standards Codification (“ASC”) 718, Compensation—Stock
Compensation (“ASC 718”). The fair value of stock options
is calculated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. |
(2) |
The chart below shows the aggregate number of outstanding stock
options held by each non-employee director as of December 31,
2020. |
Director |
|
Stock
Options |
Dennedy |
|
20,000 |
Galey |
|
20,000 |
Lowe |
|
18,334 |
Wilks |
|
21,667 |
(3) |
Mr.
Dennedy received a stock grant of 22,222 shares for being Chair of
the Audit Committee and a member of the Compensation Committee and
Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. |
(4) |
Mr.
Galey received a stock grant of 18,889 shares for being a member of
the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee. |
(5) |
Mr.
Lowe received a stock grant of 18,889 shares for being Chair of the
Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. |
(6) |
Mr.
Wilks received a stock grant of 21,111 shares for being Chair of
the Compensation Committee and a member of the Audit Committee and
Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. |
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED
PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Following is a description of transactions since January 1, 2017,
including currently proposed transactions to which we have been or
are to be a party in which the amount involved exceeded or will
exceed $120,000, and in which any of our directors (including
nominees), executive officers or beneficial holders of more than
5.0% of our capital stock, or their immediate family members or
entities affiliated with them, had or will have a direct or
indirect material interest. We believe the terms and conditions set
forth in such agreements are reasonable and customary for
transactions of this type. Our policy requires that any
transactions with related parties requires a formal agreement to be
entered into and the approval of the Board.
We purchase certain cultivation products from Bravo Lighting, LLC
d/b/a Bravo Enterprises (“Bravo”), Bravo Aviation, and Enviro-Glo,
LLC (“Enviro-Glo”), distributors of commercial building lighting
and other product solutions, which are each controlled by Bradley
Nattrass, our Chief Executive Officer, and Octavio Gutierrez.
Purchases from Bravo, Bravo Aviation and Enviro-Glo for the year
ended December 31, 2019 totaled $45,129. Purchases for the years
ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 were $276,443 and $526,002,
respectively. Outstanding receivables from Bravo and Enviro-Glo as
of December 31, 2019 totaled $0. Outstanding receivables as of
December 31, 2018 and 2017 totaled $43,120 and $13,540,
respectively. Net outstanding payables incurred for purchases of
inventory and other services to Bravo and Enviro-Glo as of December
31, 2019 totaled $8,570. Net outstanding payables as of December
31, 2018 and 2017 totaled $5,562 and $93,394, respectively.
We entered into a lease agreement with Bravo to sublease office
space for 12 months commencing in September 2017, which was renewed
in September 2018. We made lease payments totaling $24,000 in
2019.
We have worked with Cloud9 Support, LLC, a company owned by James
Lowe, a director of the Company. Cost of revenues provided by
Cloud9 Support, LLC during 2019 totaled $97,329. Cost of revenues
during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 were 84,746 and
$58,196, respectively. Cloud9 Support, LLC also purchases materials
from us. Total purchases by Cloud9 Support, LLC from us during the
year ended December 31, 2019 was $392,963. Total purchases during
the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 were $370,948 and
$312,041, respectively. Outstanding receivables from Cloud9
Support, LLC as of December 31, 2019 was $49,659. Outstanding
receivables as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 totaled $79,235 and
$42,237, respectively. Net outstanding payables incurred for
purchases of inventory and other services to Cloud9 Support, LLC as
of December 31, 2019 totaled $16,402. Net outstanding payables
incurred for purchases of inventory and other services as of
December 31, 2018 and 2017 totaled $13,240 and $7,168,
respectively.
In October 2018, we issued a $1 million unsecured note payable to
Cloud9 Support Inc. (“Cloud9 Support”), an entity owned by James R.
Lowe, a director of the Company, which originally became due April
30, 2019 (the “James Lowe Note”). The James Lowe Note is personally
guaranteed by Bradley Nattrass, our Chief Executive Officer, and
Octavio Gutierrez. The loan had a one-time origination fee of
$12,500. Interest accrued at the rate of 12% per annum and was paid
monthly. As additional consideration for the James Lowe Note, we
granted Mr. Lowe (as designee of Cloud9 Support) an option to
purchase 5,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of
$7.20 per share, which option is exercisable for a period of five
years. The due date for the James Lowe Note was extended in May
2019 to December 31, 2019 and the interest rate was decreased to 9%
per year. In consideration for Cloud9 Support extending the
maturity date of the note and reducing the interest rate, we issued
1,667 shares of our common stock to Mr. Lowe (as designee of Cloud9
Support).
On February 21, 2020, we entered into an agreement to amend the
James Lowe Note to extend the maturity date of therein from
December 31, 2019 to the date which is the earlier of 60 days
following the date: (a) on which demand for repayment is made by
the lenders under the Credit Agreement (which is now only
applicable in the case of an event of default under the Credit
Agreement because of the removal of the demand feature pursuant to
the First Amendment to the Credit Agreement); or (b) which is the
maturity date under the Credit Agreement.
In addition, on February 25, 2020, the Company entered into a
subordination, postponement and standstill agreement with Cloud9
Support (the “Subordination Agreement”) pursuant to which Cloud9
Support agreed to postpone and subordinate all payments due under
the promissory note until the facilities under the Credit Agreement
have been fully and finally repaid. The term for the Subordination
Agreement will continue in force as long as the Company is indebted
to the agent or lenders under the Credit Agreement. In
consideration for Cloud9 Support’s agreement to extend the maturity
date of the promissory note and to enter into the Subordination
Agreement, we issued 16,667 shares of common stock to Mr. Lowe (as
designee of Cloud9 Support). The largest aggregate amount of
principal outstanding during 2019 was $1,000,000. As of September
9, 2020, $1,000,000 was outstanding under the note. The amount of
principal and interest paid on the note during 2019 was $0 and
$136,094, respectively.
On December 15, 2020, we signed a $1,854,500 convertible note
bridge financing (the “Bridge Financing”). In connection with the
Bridge Financing, the James Lowe Note was converted into a Bridge
Financing note (the “New James Lowe Note”). The New James Lowe Note
carries interest at the rate of 12% and matures on December 31,
2021. The New James Lowe Note will be mandatorily converted into
shares of our common stock upon the closing of this offering, at
75% of the per share price paid by investors in this offering,
equivalent to 133,333 shares at the offering price of $10.00 per
share, excluding accrued interest.
PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS
Our only outstanding class of voting securities is our common
stock. The following table sets forth information known to us about
the beneficial ownership of our common stock on February 9, 2021 by
(i) each current director; (ii) each named executive officer; and
(iii) all of our executive officers and directors as a group. Other
than as set forth below, no person known to us beneficially owns 5%
or more of the outstanding common stock as of February 9, 2021.
Unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes, each person listed in
the following table has sole voting power and investment power over
the common stock listed as beneficially owned by that person. The
percentages reflect beneficial ownership immediately prior to and
immediately after the completion of this offering and are based on
4,712,047 shares of our common stock outstanding as of February 9,
2021 and 10,112,047 shares of our common stock outstanding after
the completion of this offering. Unless otherwise indicated in the
footnotes, the address for each listed person is urban-gro, Inc.,
1751 Panorama Point, Unit G, Lafayette, Colorado 80026.
|
|
|
|
After this Offering |
|
|
|
Prior to this Offering |
|
If Underwriters’ Option is Not
Exercised |
|
If Underwriters’ Option is Exercised in
Full |
|
|
|
Shares Beneficially Owned(1) |
|
Shares Beneficially Owned |
|
Shares Beneficially Owned |
|
Name of Beneficial Owner |
|
Number |
|
Percent |
|
Number |
|
Percent |
|
Number |
|
Percent |
|
5%
Stockholders: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Octavio
Gutierrez |
|
1,014,505 |
|
21.5% |
|
1,014,505 |
|
10.0% |
|
1,014,505 |
|
9.3% |
|
Named executive officers and
directors: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bradley J.
Nattrass(2) |
|
1,594,947 |
|
33.8% |
|
1,594,947 |
|
15.8% |
|
1,594,947 |
|
14.6% |
|
Richard (Dick) A.
Akright |
|
17,395 |
|
0.4% |
|
17,395 |
|
0.2% |
|
17,395 |
|
0.2% |
|
Jonathan Nassar |
|
91,944 |
|
2.0% |
|
91,944 |
|
0.9% |
|
91,944 |
|
0.8% |
|
Mark Doherty |
|
56,873 |
|
1.2% |
|
56,873 |
|
0.6% |
|
56,873 |
|
0.5% |
|
James H.
Dennedy(3) |
|
365,832 |
|
7.8% |
|
365,832 |
|
3.6% |
|
365,832 |
|
3.3% |
|
Lance Galey |
|
19,166 |
|
0.4% |
|
19,166 |
|
0.2% |
|
19,166 |
|
0.2% |
|
James R.
Lowe(4) |
|
238,148 |
|
5.1% |
|
238,148 |
|
2.4% |
|
238,148 |
|
2.2% |
|
Lewis O. Wilks |
|
21,388 |
|
0.5% |
|
21,388 |
|
0.2% |
|
21,388 |
|
0.2% |
|
All executive officers and
directors as a group (10 persons) |
|
2,585,692 |
|
54.9% |
|
2,585,692 |
|
25.6% |
|
2,585,692 |
|
23.7% |
|
__________________________
|
(1) |
Beneficial ownership as reported in
the table has been determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under
the Exchange Act and is not necessarily indicative of beneficial
ownership for any other purpose. The number of shares of common
stock shown as beneficially owned includes shares of common stock
which may not be beneficially owned but over which a person would
be deemed to exercise control or direction. The number of shares of
common stock shown as beneficially owned includes shares of common
stock subject to stock options exercisable and restricted stock
units that were outstanding on February 9, 2021 and that will vest
within 60 days of February 9, 2021. Shares of common stock subject
to stock options exercisable and restricted stock units that will
vest within 60 days after February 9, 2021 are deemed outstanding
for computing the percentage of the person holding such securities
but are not deemed outstanding for computing the percentage of any
other person. |
|
(2) |
Mr. Nattrass pledged his 1,594,947
shares of common stock to Bridging Finance Inc. as security for
loans provided by Bridging Finance Inc. to the Company under a term
loan facility and revolving credit facility as further described in
Note 17 to the consolidated financial statements included in this
prospectus. |
|
(3) |
Includes 345,833
shares owned by HMG MRB Partners of which Mr. Dennedy is a partner
and may be deemed to be the beneficial owner. |
|
(4) |
Mr. Lowe is the sole equity holder
of Cloud9 Support, LLC and as such may be deemed to beneficially
own 107,462 shares held by Cloud9 Support, LLC. |
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
The following descriptions are summaries of the material terms
of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws. Reference is made
to the more detailed provisions of, and the descriptions are
qualified in their entirety by reference to, the certificate of
incorporation and bylaws, forms of which are filed with the SEC as
exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is
a part, and applicable law.
General
Our authorized capital stock consists of 100,000,000 shares of
common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of which 4,712,047 shares
are issued and outstanding, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred
stock, $0.10 par value per share, of which no shares are issued or
outstanding, as of February 9, 2021. Upon completion of this
offering, there will be 10,112,047 shares of common stock
outstanding and no shares of preferred stock outstanding.
Common Stock
As of February 9, 2021, there were 4,712,047 shares of our common
stock outstanding held by approximately 156 stockholders of record.
Holders of common stock will have voting rights for the election of
our directors and all other matters requiring stockholder action,
except with respect to amendments to our certificate of
incorporation that alter or change the powers, preferences, rights
or other terms of any outstanding preferred stock if the holders of
such affected series of preferred stock are entitled to vote on
such an amendment. There is no cumulative voting with respect to
the election of directors, with the result that the holders of more
than 50% of the shares voted for the election of directors can
elect all of the directors. Holders of common stock will be
entitled to one vote per share on matters to be voted on by
stockholders and also will be entitled to receive such dividends,
if any, as may be declared from time to time by our Board in its
discretion out of funds legally available therefor. The payment of
dividends, if any, on the common stock will be subject to the prior
payment of dividends on any outstanding preferred stock, of which
there is currently none. Upon our liquidation or dissolution, the
holders of common stock will be entitled to receive pro rata
all assets remaining available for distribution to stockholders
after payment of all liabilities and provision for the liquidation
of any shares of preferred stock outstanding at that time. Our
stockholders have no conversion, preemptive or other subscription
rights and there are no sinking fund or redemption provisions
applicable to the common stock.
Preferred Stock
Our certificate of incorporation provides that shares of preferred
stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Our
Board will be authorized to fix the voting rights, if any,
designations, powers, preferences, the relative, participating,
optional or other special rights, if any, and any qualifications,
limitations and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of
each series. Our Board will be able to, without stockholder
approval, issue preferred stock with voting and other rights that
could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the
holders of the common stock and could have anti-takeover effects.
The ability of our Board to issue preferred stock without
stockholder approval could have the effect of delaying, deferring
or preventing a change of control of us or the removal of existing
management. We have no preferred stock outstanding at the date
hereof. Although we do not currently intend to issue any shares of
preferred stock, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the
future.
Certain Anti-takeover Provisions of Delaware Law, our
Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
As a Delaware corporation, we are governed by the provisions of
Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which
generally has an anti-takeover effect for transactions not approved
in advance by our Board. This may discourage takeover attempts that
might result in payment of a premium over the market price for the
shares of common stock held by stockholders. In general, Section
203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in
a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a
three-year period following the time that such stockholder becomes
an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is
approved in a prescribed manner. A “business combination” includes,
among other things, a merger, asset or stock sale or other
transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested
stockholder. An “interested stockholder” is a person who, together
with affiliates and associates, owns, or did own within three years
prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, 15% or
more of the corporation’s voting stock.
Under Section 203, a business combination between a corporation and
an interested stockholder is prohibited unless it satisfies one of
the following conditions:
|
· |
|
before the stockholder became
interested, the board of directors approved either the business
combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder
becoming an interested stockholder; or |
|
· |
|
upon consummation of the
transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an
interested outstanding, shares owned by: |
|
· |
|
persons who are directors and also
officers, and |
|
· |
|
employee stock plans, in some
instances; or |
|
· |
|
at or after the time the
stockholder became interested, the business combination was
approved by the board of directors of the corporation and
authorized at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders by
the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding
voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder. |
Special meeting of stockholders
Our bylaws further provide that special meetings of our
stockholders may be only called by our Board with a majority vote
of our Board, by our chief executive officer or our chairman.
Requirements for Advance Notification of Director Nominations
and Stockholder Proposals
Our bylaws provide that stockholders seeking to bring business
before our annual meeting of stockholders, or to nominate
candidates for election as directors at our annual meeting of
stockholders, must provide timely notice of their intent in
writing. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice needs to be delivered
to the secretary at our principal executive offices not later than
the close of business on the 45th day nor earlier than the close of
business on the 75th day prior to the first anniversary of the date
on which we first mailed its proxy materials for the preceding
year’s annual meeting of stockholders; provided, however, if no
proxy materials were mailed by us in connection with the preceding
year’s annual meeting, or if the date of the annual meeting is
advanced more than 30 days prior to or delayed by more than 30 days
after the anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a
stockholder’s notice shall be timely if delivered to our principal
executive offices not later than the 90th day prior to the
scheduled date of the annual meeting of stockholders or the 10th
day following the day on which public announcement of the date of
our annual meeting of stockholders is first made or sent by us. Our
bylaws also specify certain requirements as to the form and content
of a stockholders’ meeting. These provisions may preclude our
stockholders from bringing matters before our annual meeting of
stockholders or from making nominations for directors at our annual
meeting of stockholders.
Authorized but unissued shares
Our authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred
stock are available for future issuances without stockholder
approval and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes,
including future offerings to raise additional capital,
acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of
authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock and preferred
stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to
obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer,
merger or otherwise.
Removal of directors
Our certificate of incorporation provides that a member of our
Board may be removed from service as a director, with or without
cause, only by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of
the shares of voting stock then outstanding and entitled to vote in
an election of directors.
Limitation of Liability and Indemnification of Directors and
Officers
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that our
directors and officers will be indemnified by us to the fullest
extent authorized by Delaware law as it now exists or may in the
future be amended, against all expenses and liabilities reasonably
incurred in connection with their service for or on our behalf. In
addition, our certificate of incorporation provides that our
directors will not be personally liable for monetary damages to us
for breaches of their fiduciary duty as directors, except for
liability (i) for any appropriation by a director, in violation of
his or her duties, of any business opportunity of the Corporation,
(ii) for acts or omissions which involve intentional misconduct or
a knowing violation of the law, (iii) with respect to illegal
dividends or redemptions, or (iv) for any transaction from which
the director received an improper personal benefit. Our bylaws also
permit us to secure insurance on behalf of any officer, director or
employee for any liability arising out of his or her actions,
regardless of whether Delaware law would permit
indemnification.
These provisions may discourage stockholders from bringing a
lawsuit against our directors for breach of their fiduciary duty.
These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the
likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers,
even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit
us and our stockholders. Furthermore, a stockholder’s investment
may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of
settlement and damage awards against directors and officers
pursuant to these indemnification provisions. We believe that these
provisions, insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to
attract and retain talented and experienced directors and
officers.
There is no pending litigation or proceeding involving any of our
directors or officers where indemnification by us would be required
or permitted. We are not aware of any threatened litigation or
proceeding that might result in a claim for such indemnification.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers and
controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or
otherwise, we have been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
Listing
We have received approval to list our common stock on the Nasdaq
Capital Market under the symbol “UGRO.”
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Equiniti
Trust Company (f/k/a Corporate Stock Transfer), 3200 Cherry Creek
Drive South, Suite 430, Denver, Colorado 80209, phone (303)
282-4800.
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES WE ARE
OFFERING
Overview
We are offering 5,400,000 shares of our common stock, assuming no
exercise of the over-allotment option.
Common Stock
The material terms and provisions of our common stock and each
other class of our securities which qualifies or limits our common
stock are described under the caption “Description of Capital
Stock” in this prospectus.
Representative’s Warrants
Please see “Underwriting — Representative’s Warrants” in this
prospectus for a description of the warrants we have agreed to
issue to the representative of the underwriters in this offering,
subject to the completion of the offering. We expect to enter into
a warrant agreement in respect of the representative’s warrants in
connection with the closing of this offering.
SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
Prior to this offering, shares of our common stock were quoted on
the OTC Markets Group, Inc. OTCQX Marketplace under the symbol
“UGRO.” Future sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in
the public market, or the perception that such sales may occur,
could adversely affect market prices prevailing from time to time.
Further, because only a limited number of shares will be available
for sale shortly after this offering due to existing contractual
and legal restrictions on resale as described below, there may be
sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public
market after the restrictions lapse. This may adversely affect the
prevailing market price and our ability to raise equity capital in
the future.
Upon completion of this offering, 10,112,047 shares of common stock
will be outstanding. Of these shares, 5,400,000 shares of our
common stock (or 6,210,000 shares if the underwriters exercise in
full their option to purchase additional shares) sold in this
offering will be freely transferable without restriction or further
registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares
purchased by our “affiliates,” as that term is defined in Rule 144
under the Securities Act. Of the remaining shares of common stock
that will be outstanding, 234,856 shares are “restricted shares” as
defined in Rule 144. Restricted shares may be sold in the public
market only if registered under the Securities Act or if they
qualify for an exemption from registration under Rule 144. As a
result of the 180-day lock-up period described below, the shares
subject to lock-up arrangements will be available for sale in the
public market only after 180 days from the date of this prospectus
(generally subject to resale limitations).
Rule 144
In general, a person who has beneficially owned restricted shares
of our common stock for at least six months would be entitled to
sell such securities, provided that (i) such person is not deemed
to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time
during the 90 days preceding, the sale and (ii) we are subject to
the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least 90
days before the sale. Persons who have beneficially owned
restricted shares of our common stock for at least six months but
who are our affiliates at the time of, or any time during the 90
days preceding, the sale, would be subject to additional
restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within
any three-month period only a number of securities that does not
exceed the greater of the following:
|
· |
1% of the number of shares of our common stock then
outstanding, which will equal approximately 101,120 shares
immediately after this offering; or |
|
· |
the average weekly trading volume of our common stock on the
Nasdaq Capital Market during the four calendar weeks preceding the
filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale; |
provided, in each case, that we are subject to the Exchange Act
periodic reporting requirements for at least 90 days before the
sale. Such sales both by affiliates and by non-affiliates must also
comply with the manner of sale and notice provisions of Rule 144 to
the extent applicable.
Lock-up Agreements
The Company, each of our directors and executive officers, and our
5% and greater stockholders, have agreed not to or are otherwise
restricted in their ability to, subject to certain limited
exceptions, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, grant any option
to purchase, or otherwise dispose of our common stock or any
securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for
common stock, or to enter into any hedge or other arrangement or
any transaction that transfers, directly or indirectly, the
economic consequence of ownership of the shares of our common
stock, in the case of the Company for a period of 90 days after the
date of this prospectus, and in the case of our directors and
executive officers and our 5% and greater stockholders for a period
of 180 days after the date of this prospectus, without the prior
written consent of ThinkEquity, a division of Fordham Financial
Management, Inc., as representative of the underwriters. See
“Underwriting—Lock-up Agreements.” The underwriters do not have any
present intention or arrangement to release any shares of our
common stock subject to lock-up arrangements prior to the
expiration of the 90- or 180-day lock-up period.
MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX
CONSEQUENCES TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS
The following is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax
consequences relating to the acquisition, ownership, and
disposition of common stock acquired pursuant to this offering by
non-U.S. holders (as defined below). This summary deals only with
common stock held as a capital asset (within the meaning of Section
1221 of the Code) and does not discuss the U.S. federal income tax
consequences applicable to a non-U.S. holder that is subject to
special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws, including,
but not limited to: a dealer in securities or currencies; a
broker-dealer; a financial institution; a qualified retirement
plan, individual retirement plan, or
other tax-deferred account; a regulated investment
company; a real estate investment trust; a tax-exempt organization;
an insurance company; a person holding common stock as part of a
hedging, integrated, conversion, or straddle transaction or a
person deemed to sell common stock under the constructive sale
provisions of the Code; a trader in securities that has elected the
mark-to-market method of tax accounting; an accrual method taxpayer
subject to special tax accounting rules under Section 451(b) of the
Code; an entity that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal
income tax purposes; a person that received such common stock in
connection with services provided; a corporation that accumulates
earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax; a corporation organized
outside the United States, any state thereof or the District of
Columbia that is nonetheless treated as a U.S. taxpayer for U.S.
federal income tax purposes; a person that is not a non-U.S.
holder; a “controlled foreign corporation;” a “passive foreign
investment company;” or a U.S. expatriate.
This summary is based upon provisions of the Code, its legislative
history, applicable U.S. Treasury regulations promulgated
thereunder, published rulings, and judicial decisions, all as in
effect as of the date hereof. We have not sought, and will not
seek, any ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, with
respect to the tax consequences discussed herein, and there can be
no assurance that the IRS will not take a position contrary to the
tax consequences discussed below or that any position taken by the
IRS would not be sustained. Those authorities may be repealed,
revoked, or modified, perhaps retroactively, or may be subject to
differing interpretations, which could result in U.S. federal
income tax consequences different from those discussed below. This
summary does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income tax,
does not deal with all tax considerations that may be relevant to
stockholders in light of their personal circumstances, and does not
address any state, local, foreign, gift, estate (except to the
limited extent set forth herein), or alternative minimum tax
considerations.
For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. holder” is a beneficial
holder of common stock that is for U.S. federal income tax
purposes: an individual citizen or resident of the United States; a
corporation (or any other entity treated as a corporation for U.S.
federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the
laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of
Columbia; an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal
income taxation regardless of its source; or a trust if it (1) is
subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United
States and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control
all substantial decisions of the trust, or (2) was in existence on
August 20, 1996 and has a valid election in effect under applicable
U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.
For purposes of this discussion, a ”non-U.S. holder” is a
beneficial owner of common stock that is neither a U.S. holder nor
a partnership (or any other entity or arrangement that is treated
as a partnership) for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless
of its place of organization or formation. If a partnership (or an
entity or arrangement that is treated as a partnership for U.S.
federal income tax purposes) holds common stock, the tax treatment
of a partner will generally depend upon the status of the partner
and the activities of the partnership. A partner of a partnership
holding common stock is urged to consult its own tax advisors.
PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS ARE URGED TO CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX
ADVISORS CONCERNING THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME, ESTATE, AND OTHER TAX
CONSEQUENCES OF ACQUIRING, OWNING, AND DISPOSING OF OUR COMMON
STOCK IN LIGHT OF THEIR SPECIFIC SITUATIONS, AS WELL AS THE TAX
CONSEQUENCES ARISING UNDER ANY STATE, LOCAL, OR NON-U.S. TAX LAWS
AND ANY OTHER U.S. FEDERAL TAX LAWS (INCLUDING THE U.S. FEDERAL
ESTATE AND GIFT TAX LAWS).
Distributions on Our Common Stock
Distributions with respect to common stock, if any, generally will
constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the
extent paid out of current or accumulated earnings and profits, as
determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Any portion of a
distribution in excess of current or accumulated earnings and
profits will be treated as a return of capital and will first be
applied to reduce the holder’s tax basis in its common stock, but
not below zero. Any remaining amount will then be treated as gain
from the sale or exchange of the common stock and will be treated
as described under “—Disposition of Our Common Stock” below.
Distributions treated as dividends that are paid to a non-U.S.
holder, if any, with respect to shares of our common stock will be
subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or such
lower rate as may be specified in an applicable income tax treaty)
of the gross amount of the dividends unless the dividends are
effectively connected with the non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade
or business in the United States subject to the discussion below
regarding foreign accounts. If a non-U.S. holder is engaged in a
trade or business in the United States and dividends with respect
to the common stock are effectively connected with the conduct of
that trade or business and, if required by an applicable income tax
treaty, are attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment, then
although the non-U.S. holder will generally be exempt from the 30%
U.S. federal withholding tax, provided certain certification
requirements are satisfied, the non-U.S. holder will be subject to
U.S. federal income tax on those dividends on a net income basis at
regular graduated U.S. federal income tax rates in the same manner
as if such holder were a resident of the United States. Any such
effectively connected income received by a foreign corporation may,
under certain circumstances, be subject to an additional branch
profits tax equal to 30% (or lower applicable income tax treaty
rate) of its effectively connected earnings and profits for the
taxable year, as adjusted under the Code. To claim the exemption
from withholding with respect to any such effectively connected
income, the non-U.S. holder must generally furnish to us or our
paying agent a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI (or applicable
successor form). In the case of a non-U.S. holder that is an
entity, Treasury regulations and the relevant tax treaty provide
rules to determine whether, for purposes of determining the
applicability of a tax treaty, dividends will be treated as paid to
the entity or to those holding an interest in that entity. If a
non-U.S. holder holds stock through a financial institution or
other agent acting on the holder’s behalf, the holder will be
required to provide appropriate documentation to such agent. Such
holder’s agent will then be required to provide certification to us
or our paying agent.
A non-U.S. holder of shares of common stock who wishes to claim the
benefit of a reduced rate of withholding tax under an applicable
treaty must furnish to us or our paying agent a valid IRS Form
W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or applicable successor form)
certifying such holder’s qualification for the exemption or reduced
rate. If a non-U.S. holder is eligible for a reduced rate of U.S.
withholding tax pursuant to an income tax treaty and does not
timely file the required certification, it may obtain a refund of
any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim
for refund with the IRS. Non-U.S. holders are urged to consult
their tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under a
relevant income tax treaty.
Disposition of Our Common Stock
Subject to the discussion below regarding backup withholding, a
non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal
income tax on any gain from a sale, exchange or other disposition
of our stock unless: (a) that gain is effectively connected with
the non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United
States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is
attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment maintained by the
non-U.S. holder); (b) the non-U.S. holder is a nonresident alien
individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more
in the taxable year of that disposition, and certain other
conditions are met; or (c) we are or have been a “United States
real property holding corporation” within the meaning of Code
Section 897(c)(2) for U.S. federal income tax purposes at any time
during the shorter of the five-year period preceding the date of
disposition or the holder’s holding period for our common stock,
and certain other requirements are met. Although there can be no
assurance, we believe that we are not, and we do not anticipate
becoming, a United States real property holding corporation for
U.S. federal income tax purposes. Even if we are treated as a
United States real property holding corporation, gain realized by a
non-U.S. holder on a disposition of our common stock will not be
subject to U.S. federal income tax so long as (1) the non-U.S.
holder owned, directly, indirectly and constructively, no more than
five percent of our common stock at all times within the shorter of
(x) the five-year period preceding the disposition, or (y) the
holder’s holding period, and (2) our common stock is regularly
traded on an established securities market. There can be no
assurance that our common stock will continue to qualify as
regularly traded on an established securities market. If any gain
on your disposition is taxable because we are a United States real
property holding corporation and your ownership of our common stock
exceeds five percent, you will be taxed on such disposition
generally in the manner applicable to U.S. persons and in addition,
a purchaser of your common stock may be required to withhold tax
with respect to that obligation.
If a non-U.S. holder is described in clause (a) of the preceding
paragraph, the non-U.S. holder will generally be subject to tax on
the net gain derived from the disposition at the regular graduated
U.S. federal income tax rates in the same manner as if such
non-U.S. holder were a U.S. person, unless an applicable income tax
treaty provides otherwise. In addition, a non-U.S. holder that is a
corporation may be subject to the branch profits tax at a rate
equal to 30% (or lower applicable income tax treaty rate) of its
effectively connected earnings and profits. If the non-U.S. holder
is an individual described in clause (b) of the preceding
paragraph, the non-U.S. holder will generally be subject to a flat
30% tax on the gain derived from the disposition, which may be
offset by U.S.-source capital losses even though the non-U.S.
holder is not considered a resident of the United States, provided
that the non-U.S. holder has timely filed U.S. federal income tax
returns with respect to such losses.
U.S. Federal Estate Tax
The estate of a nonresident alien individual is generally subject
to U.S. federal estate tax on property it is treated as the owner
of, or has made certain life transfers of, having a U.S. situs.
Because we are a U.S. corporation, our common stock will be U.S.
situs property and therefore will be included in the taxable estate
of a nonresident alien decedent for U.S. federal estate tax
purposes, unless an applicable estate tax treaty between the United
States and the decedent’s country of residence provides
otherwise.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding Tax
We report to our non-U.S. holders and the IRS certain information
with respect to any dividends we pay on our common stock, including
the amount of dividends paid during each fiscal year, the name and
address of the recipient, and the amount, if any, of tax withheld.
All distributions to holders of common stock are subject to any
applicable withholding. Information reporting requirements apply
even if no withholding was required because the distributions were
effectively connected with the non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a U.S.
trade or business or withholding was reduced by an applicable
income tax treaty. This information also may be made available
under a specific treaty or agreement with the tax authorities in
the country in which the non-U.S. holder resides or is established.
Under U.S. federal income tax law, interest, dividends, and other
reportable payments may, under certain circumstances, be subject to
“backup withholding” at the then applicable rate (currently, 24%).
Backup withholding, however, generally will not apply to
distributions on our common stock to a non-U.S. holder, provided
the non-U.S. holder furnishes to us or our paying agent the
required certification as to its non-U.S. status, such as by
providing a valid IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E or IRS Form
W-8ECI, or certain other requirements are met. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, backup withholding may apply if either we or our paying
agent has actual knowledge, or reason to know, that the holder is a
U.S. person that is not an exempt recipient. Backup withholding is
not an additional tax but merely an advance payment, which may be
credited against the tax liability of persons subject to backup
withholding or refunded to the extent it results in an overpayment
of tax and the appropriate information is timely supplied to the
IRS.
Information reporting and backup withholding will generally apply
to the proceeds of a disposition of our common stock by a non-U.S.
holder effected by or through the U.S. office of any broker, U.S.
or foreign, unless the holder certifies its status as a non-U.S.
holder and satisfies certain other requirements, or otherwise
establishes an exemption. Generally, information reporting and
backup withholding will not apply to a payment of disposition
proceeds to a non-U.S. holder where the transaction is effected
outside the United States through a non-U.S. office of a broker.
However, information reporting but not backup withholding will
apply in a manner similar to dispositions effected through a U.S.
office of a broker, if a non-U.S. holder sells our common stock
through a non-U.S. office of a broker that has certain connections
with the United States.
Foreign Accounts
Certain withholding taxes may apply to certain types of payments
made to “foreign financial institutions” (as specially defined
under these rules) and certain other non-U.S. entities if
certification, information reporting and other specified
requirements are not met. A 30% withholding tax may apply to
“withholdable payments” if they are paid to a foreign financial
institution or to a non-financial foreign entity, unless (a) the
foreign financial institution undertakes certain diligence and
reporting obligations and other specified requirements are
satisfied, or (b) the non-financial foreign entity either certifies
it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or furnishes
identifying information regarding each substantial U.S. owner and
other specified requirements are satisfied. “Withholdable payment”
generally means any payment of interest, dividends, rents, and
certain other types of generally passive income if such payment is
from sources within the United States. U.S. Treasury Regulations
proposed in December 2018 (and upon which taxpayers and withholding
agents are entitled to rely) eliminate possible withholding under
these rules on the gross proceeds from any sale or other
disposition of our common stock, previously scheduled to apply
beginning January 1, 2019. If the payee is a foreign financial
institution, it must enter into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury
requiring, among other things, that it undertake to identify
accounts held by certain U.S. persons or U.S.-owned foreign
entities, annually report certain information about such accounts
and withhold 30% on payments to account holders whose actions
prevent it from complying with these reporting and other
requirements, or comply with comparable requirements under an
applicable inter-governmental agreement between the United States
and the foreign financial institution’s home jurisdiction. If an
investor does not provide us with the information necessary to
comply with these rules, it is possible that distributions to such
investor that are attributable to withholdable payments, such as
dividends, will be subject to the 30% withholding tax. Holders
should consult their own tax advisers regarding the implications of
these rules for their investment in our common stock.
UNDERWRITING
We have entered into an underwriting agreement, dated February 11,
2021, with ThinkEquity, a division of Fordham Financial Management,
Inc., acting as the sole book-running manager (sometimes referred
to as the “Representative”). Subject to the terms and conditions of
the underwriting agreement, each of the underwriters named below
have agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to it, the
number of shares of common stock listed next to its name at the
public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and
commissions, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and
as indicated below:
Underwriters |
|
Number of Shares |
ThinkEquity, a division of Fordham
Financial Management, Inc. |
|
5,400,000 |
Total |
|
5,400,000 |
The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the
underwriters to pay for and accept delivery of the shares of common
stock offered by this prospectus are subject to various conditions
and representations and warranties, including the approval of
certain legal matters by its counsel and other conditions specified
in the underwriting agreement. The shares of common stock are
offered by the underwriters, subject to prior sale, when, as and if
issued to and accepted by the underwriters. The underwriters
reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify the offer to the
public and to reject orders in whole or in part. The underwriters
are obligated to take and pay for all of the shares of common stock
offered by this prospectus if any such shares are taken.
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters and certain of their
affiliates and controlling persons (within the meaning of Section
15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act), among
others, against specified liabilities, including liabilities under
the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments the underwriters
may be required to make in respect thereof.
Discounts and Commissions
The underwriters propose to offer the shares of common stock
directly to the public at the public offering price set forth on
the cover page of this prospectus. After the offering to the
public, the offering price and other selling terms may be changed
by the underwriters without changing the proceeds we will receive
from the underwriters. Any shares sold by the underwriters to
securities dealers will be sold at the public offering price less a
selling concession not in excess of $0.40 per share.
The following table summarizes the public offering price,
underwriting commissions and proceeds before expenses to us. The
underwriting commissions are 6.4% of the public offering price. We
have paid a $35,000 advance to the Representative, which shall be
applied against actual out-of-pocket-accountable expenses, and
which will be returned to us to the extent such out-of-pocket
accountable expenses are not actually incurred in accordance with
FINRA Rule 5110(g)(4)(A).
|
|
Per Share |
|
|
Total Without
Over-Allotment
Option |
|
|
Total With Full
Over-Allotment
Option |
|
Public
offering price |
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
|
$ |
54,000,000 |
|
|
$ |
62,100,000 |
|
Underwriting discount
(6.4%) |
|
$ |
0.64 |
|
|
$ |
3,456,000 |
|
|
$ |
3,974,400 |
|
Proceeds, before expenses, to
us |
|
$ |
9.36 |
|
|
$ |
50,544,000 |
|
|
$ |
58,125,600 |
|
Our total estimated expenses of the offering, including
registration, filing and listing fees, printing fees and legal and
accounting expenses, but excluding underwriting discounts and
commissions, are approximately $300,000.
Over-Allotment Option
We have granted a 45-day option to the Representative to purchase
up to 810,000 additional shares of common stock from us solely to
cover over-allotments, if any, at the public offering price less
underwriting discounts and commissions.
Representative’s Warrants
Upon closing of this offering, we have agreed to issue to the
Representative, or its designees, as compensation warrants to
purchase up to 310,500 shares of common stock, which is equal to 5%
of the aggregate number of shares of common stock sold in this
offering (the “Representative’s Warrants”). The Representative’s
Warrants will be exercisable at a per share exercise price equal to
125% of the public offering price per share in this offering. The
Representative’s Warrants are exercisable at any time and from time
to time, in whole or in part, during the four and one-half year
period commencing 180 days from the effective date of the
registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
The Representative’s Warrants have been deemed compensation by
FINRA and are therefore subject to a 180-day lock-up pursuant to
FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1). The Representative (or permitted assignees
under Rule 5110(e)(2)) will not sell, transfer, assign, pledge, or
hypothecate these warrants or the securities underlying these
warrants, nor will they engage in any hedging, short sale,
derivative, put, or call transaction that would result in the
effective economic disposition of the warrants or the underlying
securities for a period of 180 days from the effective date of the
registration statement. In addition, the warrants provide for
registration rights upon request, in certain cases. The one-time
demand registration right provided will not be greater than five
years from the effective date of the registration statement in
compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8)(C). The unlimited piggyback
registration right provided will not be greater than seven years
from the effective date of the registration statement in compliance
with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8)(D). We will bear all fees and expenses
attendant to registering the securities issuable on exercise of the
warrants other than underwriting commissions incurred and payable
by the holders. The exercise price and number of shares issuable
upon exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain
circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend or our
recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However,
the warrant exercise price or underlying shares will not be
adjusted for issuances of shares of common stock at a price below
the warrant exercise price.
Discretionary Accounts
The underwriters do not intend to confirm sales of the securities
offered hereby to any accounts over which they have discretionary
authority.
Lock-Up Agreements
We, our executive officers and directors, and our 5% and greater
stockholders, have agreed pursuant to “lock-up” agreements not to,
or are subject to other restrictions so that they may not, without
the prior written consent of the Representative, directly or
indirectly, offer to sell, sell, pledge or otherwise transfer or
dispose of any of shares of (or enter into any transaction or
device that is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the
transfer or disposition by any person at any time in the future of)
our common stock, enter into any swap or other derivatives
transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of
the economic benefits or risks of ownership of shares of our common
stock, make any demand for or exercise any right or cause to be
filed a registration statement, including any amendments thereto,
with respect to the registration of any shares of common stock or
securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for
shares of common stock or any other of our securities or publicly
disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing, subject to
customary exceptions, for, with respect to the Company, a period of
90 days from the date of this prospectus, and with respect to our
executive officers and directors and our 5% and greater
stockholders, a period of 180 days from the date of this
prospectus.
Right of First Refusal
We have granted the Representative a right of first refusal, for a
period of twelve (12) months from the closing of the offering, to
act as sole and exclusive investment banker, book-runner, financial
advisor, underwriter and/or placement agent, at the
Representative’s sole and exclusive discretion, for each and every
future public and private equity and debt offering, including all
of our equity linked financings (each, a “Subject Transaction”), or
any successor (or any of our subsidiaries), on terms and conditions
customary to the Representative for such Subject Transactions.
Nasdaq Capital Market
We have received approval to list our shares of common stock on the
Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “UGRO.”
Price Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids
In order to facilitate the offering of our securities, the
underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or
otherwise affect the price of our securities. In connection with
the offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell our securities
in the open market. These transactions may include short sales,
purchases on the open market to cover positions created by short
sales and stabilizing transactions. Short sales involve the sale by
the underwriters of a greater number of shares of securities than
they are required to purchase in the offering. “Covered” short
sales are sales made in an amount not greater than the
underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of securities in
the offering. The underwriters may close out any covered short
position by either exercising the over-allotment option to purchase
shares or purchasing shares in the open market. In determining the
source of shares of securities to close out the covered short
position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the
price of shares available for purchase in the open market as
compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through the
over-allotment option to purchase shares. “Naked” short sales are
sales in excess of the over-allotment option to purchase shares.
The underwriters must close out any naked short position by
purchasing securities in the open market. A naked short position is
more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that
there may be downward pressure on the price of our securities in
the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors
who purchase in the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of
various bids for or purchases of shares of securities made by the
underwriters in the open market before the completion of the
offering.
Similar to other purchase transactions, the underwriters’ purchases
to cover the syndicate short sales may have the effect of raising
or maintaining the market price of our securities or preventing or
retarding a decline in the market price of our securities. As
result, the price of our securities may be higher than the price
that might otherwise exist in the open market.
The underwriters make no representation or prediction as to the
direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions
described above may have on the price of our securities. In
addition, neither we nor the underwriters make any representation
that the underwriters will engage in these transactions or that
these transactions, once commenced, will not be discontinued
without notice.
Electronic Offer, Sale and Distribution of Securities
A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the
websites maintained by the underwriters or selling group members,
if any, participating in the offering. The underwriters may agree
to allocate a number of shares of securities to underwriters and
selling group members for sale to their online brokerage account
holders. Internet distributions will be allocated by the
underwriter and selling group members that may make internet
distributions on the same basis as other allocations. Other than
the prospectus in electronic format, the information on any
underwriter’s website and any information contained in any other
website maintained by an underwriter is not part of this prospectus
or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a
part.
Other Relationships
From time to time, the underwriters and/or their affiliates may
provide in the future, various advisory, investment and commercial
banking and other services to us in the ordinary course of
business, for which they will receive customary fees and
commissions. However, except as disclosed in this prospectus, we
have no present arrangements with the underwriters or any of their
affiliates for any further services.
Pricing of the Offering
The public offering price was determined by negotiations between us
and the Representative. Among the factors considered in determining
the public offering price were our future prospects and those of
our industry in general, our sales, earnings and certain other
financial and operating information in recent periods, and the
price-earnings ratios, price-sales ratios, market prices of
securities, and certain financial and operating information of
companies engaged in activities similar to ours. Neither we nor the
underwriters can assure investors that an active trading market for
the shares will develop or that, after the offering, the shares
will trade in the public market at or above the public offering
price.
Offer Restrictions Outside the United States
Other than in the United States, no action has been taken by us or
the underwriters that would permit a public offering of the
securities offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction where
action for that purpose is required. The securities offered by this
prospectus may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, nor
may this prospectus or any other offering material or
advertisements in connection with the offer and sale of any such
securities be distributed or published in any jurisdiction, except
under circumstances that will result in compliance with the
applicable rules and regulations of that jurisdiction. Persons into
whose possession this prospectus comes are advised to inform
themselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to the
offering and the distribution of this prospectus. This prospectus
does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer
to buy any securities offered by this prospectus in any
jurisdiction in which such an offer or a solicitation is
unlawful.
Canada
The securities may be sold in Canada only to purchasers purchasing,
or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited
investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus
Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario),
and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103
Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant
Obligations. Any resale of the securities must be made in
accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject
to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of
Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or
damages if this prospectus (including any amendment thereto)
contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for
rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the
time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the
purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to
any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the
purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights
or consult with a legal advisor.
China
The information in this document does not constitute a public offer
of the securities, whether by way of sale or subscription, in the
People’s Republic of China (excluding, for purposes of this
paragraph, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macau Special
Administrative Region and Taiwan). The securities may not be
offered or sold directly or indirectly in the PRC to legal or
natural persons other than directly to “qualified domestic
institutional investors.”
European Economic Area — Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and
Netherlands
The information in this document has been prepared on the basis
that all offers of securities will be made pursuant to an exemption
under the Directive 2003/71/EC (“Prospectus Directive”), as
implemented in Member States of the European Economic Area (each, a
“Relevant Member State”), from the requirement to produce a
prospectus for offers of securities.
An offer to the public of securities has not been made, and may not
be made, in a Relevant Member State except pursuant to one of the
following exemptions under the Prospectus Directive as implemented
in that Relevant Member State:
|
· |
to legal entities that are authorized or regulated to operate
in the financial markets or, if not so authorized or regulated,
whose corporate purpose is solely to invest in securities; |
|
· |
to any legal entity that has two or more of (i) an average of
at least 250 employees during its last fiscal year; (ii) a total
balance sheet of more than €43,000,000 (as shown on its last annual
unconsolidated or consolidated financial statements) and (iii) an
annual net turnover of more than €50,000,000 (as shown on its last
annual unconsolidated or consolidated financial statements); |
|
· |
to fewer than 100 natural or legal persons (other than
qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of the
Prospectus Directive) subject to obtaining the prior consent of the
Company or any underwriter for any such offer; or |
|
· |
in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the
Prospectus Directive, provided that no such offer of securities
shall result in a requirement for the publication by the Company of
a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus
Directive. |
Hong Kong
Neither the information in this document nor any other document
relating to the offer has been delivered for registration to the
Registrar of Companies in Hong Kong, and its contents have not been
reviewed or approved by any regulatory authority in Hong Kong, nor
have we been authorized by the Securities and Futures Commission in
Hong Kong. This document does not constitute an offer or invitation
to the public in Hong Kong to acquire shares. Accordingly, unless
permitted by the securities laws of Hong Kong, no person may issue
or have in its possession for the purpose of issue, this document
or any advertisement, invitation or document relating to the
shares, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere, which is directed at, or
the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the
public in Hong Kong other than in relation to shares which are
intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or
only to “professional investors” (as such term is defined in the
Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571 of the Laws of Hong
Kong) (“SFO”) and the subsidiary legislation made thereunder) or in
circumstances which do not result in this document being a
“prospectus” as defined in the Companies (Winding Up and
Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance of Hong Kong (Cap. 32 of the
Laws of Hong Kong) (the “CO”) or which do not constitute an offer
or an invitation to the public for the purposes of the SFO or
the CO. The offer of the shares is personal to the person to
whom this document has been delivered by or on behalf of our
company, and a subscription for shares will only be accepted from
such person. No person to whom a copy of this document is issued
may issue, circulate or distribute this document in Hong Kong or
make or give a copy of this document to any other person. You are
advised to exercise caution in relation to the offer. If you are in
any doubt about any of the contents of this document, you should
obtain independent professional advice. No document may be
distributed, published or reproduced (in whole or in part),
disclosed by or to any other person in Hong Kong or to any person
to whom the offer of sale of the shares would be a breach of the CO
or SFO.
Israel
The securities offered by this prospectus have not been approved or
disapproved by the Israeli Securities Authority (the “ISA”), nor
have such securities been registered for sale in Israel. The shares
may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public
in Israel, absent the publication of a prospectus. The ISA has not
issued permits, approvals or licenses in connection with the
offering or publishing the prospectus; nor has it authenticated the
details included herein, confirmed their reliability or
completeness, or rendered an opinion as to the quality of the
securities being offered. Any resale in Israel, directly or
indirectly, to the public of the securities offered by this
prospectus is subject to restrictions on transferability and must
be effected only in compliance with the Israeli securities laws and
regulations.
United Kingdom
Neither the information in this document nor any other document
relating to the offer has been delivered for approval to the
Financial Services Authority in the United Kingdom and no
prospectus (within the meaning of section 85 of the Financial
Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (“FSMA”)) has been
published or is intended to be published in respect of the
securities. This document is issued on a confidential basis to
“qualified investors” (within the meaning of section 86(7) of FSMA)
in the United Kingdom, and the securities may not be offered or
sold in the United Kingdom by means of this document, any
accompanying letter or any other document, except in circumstances
which do not require the publication of a prospectus pursuant to
section 86(1) FSMA. This document should not be distributed,
published or reproduced, in whole or in part, nor may its contents
be disclosed by recipients to any other person in the United
Kingdom.
Any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity
(within the meaning of section 21 of FSMA) received in connection
with the issue or sale of the securities has only been communicated
or caused to be communicated and will only be communicated or
caused to be communicated in the United Kingdom in circumstances in
which section 21(1) of FSMA does not apply to our Company.
In the United Kingdom, this document is being distributed only to,
and is directed at, persons (i) who have professional experience in
matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5)
(investment professionals) of the Financial Services and Markets
Act 2000 (Financial Promotions) Order 2005 (“FPO”), (ii) who fall
within the categories of persons referred to in Article 49(2)(a) to
(d) (high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.)
of the FPO or (iii) to whom it may otherwise be lawfully
communicated (together “relevant persons”). The investments to
which this document relates are available only to, and any
invitation, offer or agreement to purchase will be engaged in only
with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person
should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.
LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the shares of common stock offered hereby will be
passed upon for us by Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP,
Raleigh, North Carolina. Dentons US LLP, New York, New York, is
acting as counsel for the underwriters.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements of urban-gro, Inc. as of
December 31, 2019 and 2018 and for the years then ended included in
this prospectus have been so included in reliance on the reports of
BF Borgers CPA PC, an independent registered public accounting
firm, which are included herein, given on the authority of said
firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE
INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1
under the Securities Act, with respect to the shares of common
stock being offered by this prospectus. This prospectus, which
constitutes part of the registration statement, does not contain
all of the information set forth in the registration statement or
the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. Statements contained in
this prospectus regarding the contents of any contract or any other
document that is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement
are not necessarily complete, and each such statement is qualified
in all respects by reference to the full text of such contract or
other document filed as an exhibit to the registration
statement.
We are subject to the information and periodic requirements of the
Exchange Act and, in accordance therewith, file annual, quarterly
and current reports, proxy statements and other information with
the SEC. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy
and information statements and other information regarding
registrants that file electronically with the SEC. The address is
www.sec.gov. We also maintain a website at www.urban-gro.com. You
may access our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on
Form10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those
reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of
the Exchange Act with the SEC free of charge as soon as reasonably
practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished
to, the SEC. The reference to our website does not constitute
incorporation by reference of the information contained on or
accessible through our website, and you should not consider the
contents of our website in making an investment decision with
respect to our common stock.
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
urban-gro, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE
SHEETS
(unaudited)
|
|
September 30, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
|
2020 |
|
|
2019 |
|
Assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash |
|
$ |
213,392 |
|
|
$ |
448,703 |
|
Accounts
receivable, net |
|
|
853,585 |
|
|
|
1,564,969 |
|
Inventories |
|
|
775,064 |
|
|
|
676,175 |
|
Related
party receivable |
|
|
9,772 |
|
|
|
49,658 |
|
Prepayments and other assets |
|
|
2,734,382 |
|
|
|
1,278,728 |
|
Total current
assets |
|
|
4,586,195 |
|
|
|
4,018,233 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-current assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Property
and equipment, net |
|
|
152,577 |
|
|
|
165,035 |
|
Operating lease right of use assets, net |
|
|
114,017 |
|
|
|
215,848 |
|
Investments |
|
|
1,710,358 |
|
|
|
2,020,358 |
|
Goodwill |
|
|
902,067 |
|
|
|
902,067 |
|
Intangible assets, net |
|
|
84,924 |
|
|
|
86,151 |
|
Total non-current
assets |
|
|
2,963,943 |
|
|
|
3,389,459 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
assets |
|
$ |
7,550,138 |
|
|
$ |
7,407,692 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts
payable |
|
$ |
1,132,020 |
|
|
$ |
3,753,862 |
|
Accrued
expenses |
|
|
1,863,096 |
|
|
|
1,686,841 |
|
Related
party payable |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
24,972 |
|
Deposits |
|
|
4,087,592 |
|
|
|
2,915,406 |
|
Related
party note payable |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
Notes
payable |
|
|
60,000 |
|
|
|
2,812,709 |
|
Revolving Facility |
|
|
600,000 |
|
|
|
– |
|
Term
Loan, net |
|
|
1,596,280 |
|
|
|
– |
|
Operating lease liabilities |
|
|
80,339 |
|
|
|
123,395 |
|
Total current
liabilities |
|
|
9,419,327 |
|
|
|
12,317,185 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-current liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revolving Facility |
|
|
2,676,493 |
|
|
|
– |
|
Term
Loan, net |
|
|
88,318 |
|
|
|
– |
|
Related
Party note payable |
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
|
– |
|
Notes
payable |
|
|
1,020,600 |
|
|
|
– |
|
Operating lease liabilities |
|
|
49,347 |
|
|
|
98,841 |
|
Total non-current
liabilities |
|
|
4,834,758 |
|
|
|
98,841 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
liabilities |
|
|
14,254,085 |
|
|
|
12,416,026 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shareholders’ deficit: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Preferred stock, $0.10 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; 0
shares issued and outstanding |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
Common stock,
$0.001 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 28,272,285 and
28,209,312 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2020
and December 31, 2019, respectively |
|
|
28,272 |
|
|
|
28,209 |
|
Additional paid in capital |
|
|
14,118,289 |
|
|
|
11,854,083 |
|
Accumulated deficit |
|
|
(20,850,508 |
) |
|
|
(16,890,626 |
) |
Total
shareholders’ deficit |
|
|
(6,703,947 |
) |
|
|
(5,008,334 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
liabilities and shareholders’ deficit |
|
$ |
7,550,138 |
|
|
$ |
7,407,692 |
|
See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial
statements
urban-gro, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(unaudited)
|
|
Three Months Ended
September 30,
|
|
|
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
|
|
|
|
2020 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
2019 |
|
Revenue |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Product sales |
|
$ |
7,910,540 |
|
|
$ |
4,633,974 |
|
|
$ |
15,135,472 |
|
|
$ |
14,469,616 |
|
Services |
|
|
448,882 |
|
|
|
949,090 |
|
|
|
1,490,216 |
|
|
|
2,587,121 |
|
Total
Revenue |
|
|
8,359,422 |
|
|
|
5,583,064 |
|
|
|
16,625,688 |
|
|
|
17,056,737 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost of Revenue |
|
|
6,654,134 |
|
|
|
3,650,965 |
|
|
|
12,613,461 |
|
|
|
11,529,448 |
|
Gross profit |
|
|
1,705,288 |
|
|
|
1,932,099 |
|
|
|
4,012,227 |
|
|
|
5,527,289 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Marketing |
|
|
42,749 |
|
|
|
263,948 |
|
|
|
236,093 |
|
|
|
914,563 |
|
General
and administrative |
|
|
1,411,821 |
|
|
|
2,383,920 |
|
|
|
4,874,383 |
|
|
|
6,892,623 |
|
General
and administrative - amortization of broker issuing costs and
broker warrants associated with convertible debentures |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
167,834 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
167,834 |
|
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
399,258 |
|
|
|
509,219 |
|
|
|
1,391,807 |
|
|
|
1,606,355 |
|
Total operating
expenses |
|
|
1,853,828 |
|
|
|
3,324,921 |
|
|
|
6,502,283 |
|
|
|
9,581,375 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss from
operations |
|
|
(148,540 |
) |
|
|
(1,392,822 |
) |
|
|
(2,490,056 |
) |
|
|
(4,054,086 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-operating income (expenses): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
expense |
|
|
(393,158 |
) |
|
|
(125,733 |
) |
|
|
(1,057,501 |
) |
|
|
(374,850 |
) |
Interest
expense – amortization of convertible debentures |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
(796,233 |
) |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
(796,233 |
) |
Contingent consideration |
|
|
(155,000 |
) |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
(155,000 |
) |
|
|
– |
|
Impairment of
investment |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
(506,000 |
) |
|
|
(310,000 |
) |
|
|
(506,000 |
) |
Other income |
|
|
2,417 |
|
|
|
11,258 |
|
|
|
52,675 |
|
|
|
11,765 |
|
Total
non-operating income (expenses), net |
|
|
(545,741 |
) |
|
|
(1,416,708 |
) |
|
|
(1,469,826 |
) |
|
|
(1,665,318 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) before income taxes |
|
|
(694,281 |
) |
|
|
(2,809,530 |
) |
|
|
(3,959,882 |
) |
|
|
(5,719,404 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income tax
expense (benefit) |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
Net income
(loss) |
|
$ |
(649,281 |
) |
|
$ |
(2,809,530 |
) |
|
$ |
(3,959,882 |
) |
|
$ |
(5,719,404 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Comprehensive
income (loss) |
|
$ |
(694,281 |
) |
|
$ |
(2,809,530 |
) |
|
$ |
(3,959,882 |
) |
|
$ |
(5,719,404 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings (loss) per share: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss per share - basic and diluted |
|
$ |
(0.02 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.11 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.14 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.22 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average shares used in computation |
|
|
28,888,194 |
|
|
|
26,175,098 |
|
|
|
28,706,905 |
|
|
|
25,772,134 |
|
See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial
statements
urban-gro, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' DEFICIT
(unaudited)
|
|
Common Stock |
|
|
Additional
Paid in
|
|
|
Accumulated |
|
|
Total
Shareholders' |
|
|
|
Shares |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
Capital |
|
|
Deficit |
|
|
Deficit |
|
Balance, June 30, 2020 |
|
|
28,830,978 |
|
|
$ |
28,830 |
|
|
$ |
13,522,833 |
|
|
$ |
(20,156,227 |
) |
|
$ |
(6,604,564 |
) |
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
399,258 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
399,258 |
|
Stock grant to satisfy accounts
payable |
|
|
9,640 |
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
9,630 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
9,640 |
|
Stock grant program
vesting |
|
|
131,667 |
|
|
|
132 |
|
|
|
(132 |
) |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
Stock issuance related to
acquisition |
|
|
250,000 |
|
|
|
250 |
|
|
|
154,750 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
155,000 |
|
Clawback of stock granted |
|
|
(1,000,000 |
) |
|
|
(1,000 |
) |
|
|
1,000 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
Stock issued for lease
revision |
|
|
50,000 |
|
|
|
50 |
|
|
|
30,950 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
31,000 |
|
Net income (loss) for period ended
September 30, 2020 |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
(694,281 |
) |
|
|
(694,281 |
) |
Balance, September 30, 2020 |
|
|
28,272,285 |
|
|
$ |
28,272 |
|
|
$ |
14,118,289 |
|
|
$ |
(20,850,508 |
) |
|
$ |
(6,703,947 |
) |
|
|
Common Stock |
|
|
Additional
Paid in
|
|
|
Accumulated |
|
|
Total Shareholders' |
|
|
|
Shares |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
Capital |
|
|
Deficit |
|
|
Deficit |
|
Balance, June 30, 2019 |
|
|
25,820,633 |
|
|
$ |
25,821 |
|
|
$ |
8,438,943 |
|
|
$ |
(11,449,927 |
) |
|
$ |
(2,985,163 |
) |
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
509,219 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
509,219 |
|
Stock options issued for loan term
revisions |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
20,002 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
20,002 |
|
Stock grant program
vesting |
|
|
1,160,833 |
|
|
|
1,160 |
|
|
|
(1,160 |
) |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
Net income (loss) for period ended
September 30, 2019 |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
(2,809,530 |
) |
|
|
(2,809,530 |
) |
Balance, September 30, 2019 |
|
|
26,981,466 |
|
|
$ |
26,981 |
|
|
$ |
8,967,004 |
|
|
$ |
(14,259,457 |
) |
|
$ |
(5,265,472 |
) |
See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial
statements
urban-gro, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' DEFICIT
(Continued)
(unaudited)
|
|
Common Stock |
|
|
Additional
Paid in |
|
|
Accumulated |
|
|
Total
Shareholders' |
|
|
|
Shares |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
Capital |
|
|
Deficit |
|
|
Deficit |
|
Balance, December 31, 2019 |
|
|
28,209,312 |
|
|
$ |
28,209 |
|
|
$ |
11,854,083 |
|
|
$ |
(16,890,626 |
) |
|
$ |
(5,008,334 |
) |
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
1,391,807 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
1,391,807 |
|
Stock grant to satisfy accounts
payable |
|
|
9,640 |
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
9,630 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9,640 |
|
Stock issuance related to loan term
revisions |
|
|
100,000 |
|
|
|
100 |
|
|
|
99,900 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
100,000 |
|
Stock grant program
vesting |
|
|
253,333 |
|
|
|
253 |
|
|
|
(253 |
) |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
Clawback of stock granted |
|
|
(1,100,000 |
) |
|
|
(1,100 |
) |
|
|
1,100 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
Stock issuance related to
debt |
|
|
500,000 |
|
|
|
500 |
|
|
|
499,500 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
500,000 |
|
Stock issuance related to
acquisition |
|
|
250,000 |
|
|
|
250 |
|
|
|
154,750 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
155,000 |
|
Warrant issuance related to
debt |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
76,822 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
76,822 |
|
Stock issued for lease
revision |
|
|
50,000 |
|
|
|
50 |
|
|
|
30,950 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
31,000 |
|
Net income (loss) for period ended
September 30, 2020 |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
(3,959,882 |
) |
|
|
(3,959,882 |
) |
Balance, September 30, 2020 |
|
|
28,272,285 |
|
|
$ |
28,272 |
|
|
$ |
14,118,289 |
|
|
$ |
(20,850,508 |
) |
|
$ |
(6,703,947 |
) |
|
|
Common Stock |
|
|
Additional
Paid in |
|
|
Accumulated |
|
|
Total
Shareholders' |
|
|
|
Shares |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
Capital |
|
|
Deficit |
|
|
Deficit |
|
Balance, December 31, 2018 |
|
|
25,229,833 |
|
|
$ |
25,230 |
|
|
$ |
4,688,272 |
|
|
$ |
(8,540,053 |
) |
|
$ |
(3,826,551 |
) |
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
1,606,355 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
1,606,355 |
|
Stock options issued for loan term
revisions |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
37,830 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
37,830 |
|
Stock grants issued for loan term
revisions |
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
24,090 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
24,100 |
|
Stock grant program
vesting |
|
|
1,241,633 |
|
|
|
1,241 |
|
|
|
(1,241 |
) |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
Stock issuance related to
acquisition |
|
|
500,000 |
|
|
|
500 |
|
|
|
999,500 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
Warrant issuance related to
convertible debentures |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
614,041 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
614,041 |
|
Equity value of exercise price
associated with convertible debentures |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
719,479 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
719,479 |
|
Broker warrants associated with
issuance of convertible debentures |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
278,678 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
278,678 |
|
Net income (loss) for period ended
September 30, 2019 |
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
(5,719,404 |
) |
|
|
(5,719,404 |
) |
Balance, September 30, 2019 |
|
|
26,981,466 |
|
|
$ |
26,981 |
|
|
$ |
8,967,004 |
|
|
$ |
(14,259,547 |
) |
|
$ |
(5,265,472 |
) |
See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial
statements
urban-gro, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS
OF CASH FLOWS
(unaudited)
|
|
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
|
|
|
|
2020 |
|
|
2019 |
|
Cash Flows from
Operating Activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss) |
|
$ |
(3,959,882 |
) |
|
$ |
(5,719,404 |
) |
Adjustments to reconcile net income
(loss) from operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation and amortization |
|
|
181,750 |
|
|
|
193,956 |
|
|