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Ipsidy (AUID)
NASDAQ:AUID
US Market

Ipsidy (AUID) Risk Analysis

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Public companies are required to disclose risks that can affect the business and impact the stock. These disclosures are known as “Risk Factors”. Companies disclose these risks in their yearly (Form 10-K), quarterly earnings (Form 10-Q), or “foreign private issuer” reports (Form 20-F). Risk factors show the challenges a company faces. Investors can consider the worst-case scenarios before making an investment. TipRanks’ Risk Analysis categorizes risks based on proprietary classification algorithms and machine learning.

Ipsidy disclosed 31 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Ipsidy reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q3, 2024

Risk Distribution
31Risks
39% Finance & Corporate
19% Tech & Innovation
16% Ability to Sell
10% Legal & Regulatory
10% Macro & Political
6% Production
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
This chart displays the stock's most recent risk distribution according to category. TipRanks has identified 6 major categories: Finance & corporate, legal & regulatory, macro & political, production, tech & innovation, and ability to sell.

Risk Change Over Time

2022
Q4
S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
Risks added
Risks changed
Ipsidy Risk Factors
New Risk (0)
Risk Changed (0)
Risk Removed (0)
No changes from previous report
The chart shows the number of risks a company has disclosed. You can compare this to the sector average or S&P 500 average.

The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.

Risk Highlights Q3, 2024

Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 12 Risks
Finance & Corporate
With 12 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
31
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
31
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Sep 2024
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Sep 2024
Number of Risk Changed
0
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
0
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
See the risk highlights of Ipsidy in the last period.

Risk Word Cloud

The most common phrases about risk factors from the most recent report. Larger texts indicate more widely used phrases.

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 31

Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 12/31 (39%)Below Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights7 | 22.6%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our Common Stock in the public market by our existing stockholders could cause our share price to fall.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our Common Stock in the public market, or the perception that these sales might occur, including sales by our executive officers, directors and significant stockholders could depress the market price of our Common Stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. We are unable to predict the effect that sales may have on the prevailing market price of our Common Stock.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
There can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with the continued listing standards of the Nasdaq Capital Market. Our failure to meet the continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market could result in a de-listing of our Common Stock.
We cannot assure you that we will be able to comply with the continuing listing requirements that we are required to meet in order to maintain a listing of our Common Stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market. If we fail to satisfy the continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market, such as the minimum bid price requirement, or the minimum stockholder's equity requirement, the Nasdaq Capital Market may take steps to de-list our Common Stock. Such a de-listing would likely have a negative effect on the price of our Common Stock and would impair our stockholders' ability to sell or purchase our Common Stock when they wish to do so. In the event of a de-listing, we would take actions to restore our compliance with the Nasdaq Capital Market's listing requirements, but we can provide no assurance that any action taken by us would result in our Common Stock becoming listed again, or that any such action would stabilize the market price or improve the liquidity of our Common Stock. Specifically, on January 25, 2023, the Company received a notice letter from the Listing Qualifications staff of the Nasdaq that it was not in compliance with the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) that the Company maintain a bid price for the Company's common stock above $1.00 per share ("Bid Price Requirement"). On April 4, 2023, the Company received a notice letter from the Listing Qualifications staff of Nasdaq indicating that the Company was not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) ("Rule 5550(b)(1)") as the Company's stockholders' equity was below $2.5 million, which is the minimum stockholders' equity required for compliance with Rule 5550(b)(1). Further, as of April 3, 2023, the Company did not meet the alternative compliance standards relating to the market value of listed securities, or net income from continuing operations. As a result of the Company's fund-raising activities in May 2023, the Company's total stockholder equity was approximately $9.6 million, as reported on the Company's Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2023. On May 30, 2023, the Company received notice from Nasdaq, that Nasdaq Staff had determined, that the Company complied with Rule 5550(b)(1). As a result of the 1-for-8 reverse stock split that the Company undertook in July 2023, the Company received notice on July 24, 2023 from Nasdaq that the Company was in compliance with the Bid Price Requirement and the matter raised by their letter of January 25, 2023 was closed.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
We are an "emerging growth company" and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to "emerging growth companies" will make our Common Stock less attractive to investors.
We are an "emerging growth company," as defined in the JOBS Act, and we expect to take advantage of certain exemptions and relief from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not "emerging growth companies." In particular, while we are an "emerging growth company" (1) we will not be required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, (2) we will be exempt from any rules that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board requiring mandatory audit firm rotations or a supplement to the auditor's report on financial statements, (3) we will be subject to reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and (4) we will not be required to hold nonbinding advisory votes on executive compensation or stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. In addition, we are eligible to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies until those standards apply to private companies, and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. The Company has adopted and will be adopting all standards as they become effective for public companies. We also take advantage of reduced disclosure requirements, including regarding executive compensation. If we remain an "emerging growth company" in the future, we may take advantage of other exemptions, including the exemptions from the advisory vote requirements and executive compensation disclosures under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Customer Protection Act, and the exemption from the provisions of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We may take advantage of these provisions at least until December 31, 2024. However, if certain events occur prior to such date, including if we are deemed a "large accelerated filer" under the Exchange Act, our annual gross revenues exceed $1.07 billion or we issue more than $1.0 billion of non- convertible debt in any three-year period, we may cease to be an emerging growth company prior to such date. The exact implications of the JOBS Act are still subject to interpretations and guidance by the SEC and other regulatory agencies, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to take advantage of all of the benefits of the JOBS Act. In addition, investors may find our Common Stock less attractive if we rely on the exemptions and relief granted by the JOBS Act. If some investors find our Common Stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Common Stock and our stock price may decline and/or become more volatile.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
Our amended and restated bylaws designate certain courts as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders' ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or employees.
Our amended and restated bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the exclusive forum for: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company; (ii) any action asserting a claim for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee, or agent of ours to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Certificate of Incorporation, or the bylaws; and (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine (the "Delaware Forum Provision"). In addition, our amended and restated bylaws provide that any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our common stock is deemed to have notice of and consented to the Delaware Forum Provision. Section 27 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the Delaware Forum Provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. We note, however, that there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce this provision and that investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. We recognize that the Delaware Forum Provision in our amended and restated bylaws may impose additional litigation costs on stockholders in pursuing any such claims, particularly if the stockholders do not reside in or near the State of Delaware. Additionally, the Delaware Forum Provision may limit our stockholders' ability to bring a claim in a forum that they find favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and employees even though an action, if successful, might benefit our stockholders. The Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware may also reach different judgments or results than would other courts, including courts where a stockholder considering an action may be located or would otherwise choose to bring the action, and such judgments may be more or less favorable to us than our stockholders.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
Our officers, directors and holders of 5% of outstanding shares together beneficially own a significant portion of our Common Stock and, as a result, can exercise control over stockholder and corporate actions.
Our officers and directors and the holders of at least 5% of the outstanding shares of the Company currently beneficially own approximately 19.6% of our outstanding Common Stock, and 24.4% on a fully diluted basis assuming the exercise of both vested and unvested options and warrants. As such, they have a significant influence over most matters requiring approval by stockholders, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions. This concentration of ownership may also have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on the market price of the Company's Common Stock or prevent stockholders from realizing a premium over the market price for their Shares.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6
The market price of our common stock has been volatile and your investment in our stock could suffer a decline in value.
The market price of our common stock has experienced significant price and volume fluctuations. For example, during the three year period ended December 31, 2023, the closing price of our common stock ranged from $2.40 to $141.44. In addition, the stock market has from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that have particularly affected the market prices for the common stock of technology companies and that have often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common stock. You may not be able to resell your shares at or above the price you paid for them due to fluctuations in the market price of our stock caused by changes in our operating performance or prospects and other factors. Some specific factors, in addition to the other risk factors identified above, that may have a significant effect on the price of our stock, many of which we cannot control, include but are not limited to: - our announcements or our competitors' announcements of technological innovations;- actual or anticipated quarterly variations in operating results;- variance in our financial performance from our own financial guidance, or from expectations of securities analysts;- changes in our product pricing policies or those of our competitors;- our involvement in claims of infringement of intellectual property rights or other litigation;- the public's reaction to our press releases, our other public announcements and our filings with the SEC;- changes in accounting standards, policies, guidance, interpretations or principles;- changes in our growth rate or our competitors' growth rates;- developments regarding our patents or proprietary rights or those of our competitors;- our inability to raise additional capital as needed;- changes in financial markets or general economic conditions, or in market valuations of other technology companies;- short sales, hedging and other derivative transactions and short selling campaigns involving our capital stock;- sales of stock by the Company, or members of our management team or Board or significant stockholders; and - changes in stock market analyst recommendations or earnings estimates regarding our stock, other comparable companies or our industry generally.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7
If securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about us, our business or our market, or if they adversely change their recommendations or publish negative reports regarding our business or our Common Stock, our stock price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our Common Stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, our market or our competitors. We do not have any control over these analysts and we cannot provide any assurance that analysts will cover us or provide favorable coverage. If any of the analysts who may cover us adversely change their recommendation regarding our shares, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, our stock price would likely decline. If any analysts who may cover us were to cease coverage of the Company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.
Accounting & Financial Operations4 | 12.9%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
We have never declared or paid cash dividends, and we do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Therefore, investors should not rely on an investment in our Common Stock as a source for any future dividend income. Our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends. Even if our board of directors decides to declare and pay dividends, the timing, amount and form of future dividends, if any, will depend on our future results of operations and cash flow, our capital requirements and surplus, our financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
Our limited operating history makes it difficult for us to evaluate our future business prospects and make decisions based on those estimates of our future performance.
We have a limited operating history and have generated limited revenue. As we look to further expand our existing products it is difficult, if not impossible, to forecast our future results based upon our historical data. Because of the uncertainties related to our lack of historical operations, we may be hindered in our ability to anticipate and timely adapt to increases or decreases in revenues or expenses. If we make poor budgetary decisions as a result of unreliable historical data, we could be less profitable or incur additional losses, which may result in a decline in our stock price.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3
We have yet to achieve positive cash flow and, given our projected funding needs, our ability to generate positive cash flow is uncertain.
We have had negative cash flow from operating activities of approximately $8.4 million and approximately $12.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. We anticipate that we will continue to have negative cash flows from operating activities through March 31, 2025 as we expect to incur increased research and development, sales and marketing, and general and administrative expenses. Our business will require significant amounts of working capital to support our growth, particularly as we seek to introduce our new offered products. An inability to generate positive cash flow from operations may adversely affect our ability to raise needed capital for our business on reasonable terms, if at all. It may also diminish supplier or customer willingness to enter into transactions with us, and have other adverse effects that may impact our long-term viability. There can be no assurance we will achieve positive cash flows in the foreseeable future. We need access to additional financing, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. If we cannot access additional financing when we need it and on acceptable terms, our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and ability to continue as a going concern will be adversely affected. As a result of these factors, there is substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. Our growth-oriented business plan to offer products to our customers will require continued capital investment. Our research and development activities will also require continued investment. We raised approximately $15.4 million and $9.6 million net proceeds after expenses in 2023 and 2022, respectively, through equity and debt financing at varying terms.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 4
We have a history of losses and we may not be able to achieve profitability going forward.
We have an accumulated deficit of approximately $159.5 million as of December 31, 2023 and incurred an operating loss of approximately $19.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. We have had net losses in most of our quarters since our inception. We expect that we will continue to incur net losses in 2024. We may incur losses in the future for a number of reasons, including the other risks described in this report, and we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other unknown events. Accordingly, we may not be able to achieve or maintain profitability. Our management is developing plans and executing certain programs to alleviate the negative trends and conditions described above, however there is no guarantee that such plans will be successfully implemented. Our ability to curtail our operating losses or generate a profit may be further impacted by the fact that our business plan is largely unproven. There is no assurance that even if we successfully implement our business plan, that we will be able to curtail our losses. If we incur significant additional operating losses, our stock price may decline, perhaps significantly and the Company will need to raise substantial additional capital in order to be able to continue to operate, which will dilute the existing stockholders and such dilution may be significant. Additional capital may not be available on terms acceptable to the Company, or at all.
Corporate Activity and Growth1 | 3.2%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
Acquisitions present many risks that could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
In the past we have closed acquisitions of various companies. We may also pursue select acquisitions in the future. The success of our future growth strategy will depend on our ability to integrate our existing operations, together with any future acquisition of which none are planned at this date. Integrating the operations of our existing business with any future acquisitions, including anticipated cost savings and additional revenue opportunities, involves a number of challenges. The failure to meet these integration challenges could seriously harm our results of operations and the market price of our shares may decline as a result. Realizing the benefits of any future acquisition will depend in part on the integration of intellectual property, products, operations, personnel and sales force and the completion of assignments of current and past contracts and rights. These integration activities are complex and time-consuming, and we may encounter unexpected difficulties or incur unexpected costs. We may not successfully integrate our existing and acquired operations, and may not realize the anticipated net reductions in costs and expenses and other benefits and synergies of the acquisition to the extent, or in the timeframe, anticipated. In addition to the integration risks, we could face numerous other risks, including, but not limited to, the following: - diversion of our management's attention from normal daily operations of our business;- our inability to maintain the key business relationships and the reputations of the businesses we acquire;- dilution to stockholders resulting from any acquisitions, which are paid for with Company securities;- increased costs related to acquired operations and continuing support and development of acquired products;- our responsibility for the liabilities of the businesses we acquire;- changes in how we are required to account for our acquisitions under accounting principles generally accepted in U.S.;- our inability to apply and maintain our internal standards, controls, procedures and policies to acquired businesses; and - potential loss of key employees of the companies we acquire. The occurrence of any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows, particularly in the case of a larger acquisition, or concurrent acquisitions.
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 6/31 (19%)Above Sector Average
Innovation / R&D1 | 3.2%
Innovation / R&D - Risk 1
There can be no assurance that we will successfully commercialize our products that are currently in development or that our existing products will sustain market acceptance.
There is no assurance that we will ever successfully commercialize our platform and related solutions or that we will experience market reception for our products in development or increased market reception for our existing products. There is no guarantee that we will be able to successfully implement our new products utilizing the acquired and internally developed technology, products, and customer base. There is no assurance that our existing products or solutions will achieve market acceptance or that our new products or solutions will achieve market acceptance. Further, there can be no guarantee that we will not lose business to our existing or potential new competitors.
Trade Secrets2 | 6.5%
Trade Secrets - Risk 1
Third parties may assert that we are infringing their intellectual property rights; IP litigation could require us to incur substantial costs even when our efforts are successful.
We may face intellectual property litigation, which could be costly, harm our reputation, limit our ability to sell our products, force us to modify our products or obtain appropriate licenses, and divert the attention of management and technical personnel. Our products employ technology that may infringe on the proprietary rights of others, and, as a result, we could become liable for significant damages and suffer other harm to our business. We have not been subject to material intellectual property litigation to date. Litigation may be necessary in the future to enforce any patents we have or may obtain and/or any other intellectual property rights, to protect our trade secrets, to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others, or to defend against claims of infringement or invalidity, and we may not prevail in any such future litigation. Litigation, whether or not determined in our favor or settled, could be costly, could harm our reputation and could divert the efforts and attention of our management and technical personnel from normal business operations. In addition, adverse determinations in litigation could result in the loss of our proprietary rights, subject us to significant liabilities, require us to seek licenses from third parties, prevent us from licensing our technology or selling or manufacturing our products, or require us to expend significant resources to modify our products or attempt to develop non-infringing technology, any of which could seriously harm our business. Our products may contain technology provided to us by third parties. Because we did not develop such technology ourselves, we may have little or no ability to determine in advance whether such technology infringes the intellectual property rights of any other party. Our suppliers and licensors may not be required to indemnify us in the event that a claim of infringement is asserted against us, or they may be required to indemnify us only with respect to intellectual property infringement claims in certain jurisdictions, and/or only up to a maximum amount, above which we would be responsible for any further costs or damages. In addition, we have indemnification obligations to certain parties with respect to any infringement of third-party patents and intellectual property rights by our products. If litigation were to be filed against these parties in connection with our technology, we would be required to defend and indemnify such parties.
Trade Secrets - Risk 2
Third parties could obtain access to our proprietary information or could independently develop similar technologies.
Our success depends in part on our ability to protect our core technology and intellectual property. To date, we have relied primarily on a combination of patents, patent applications, trade secret and copyright laws, as well as nondisclosure and other contractual restrictions on copying, reverse engineering and distribution to protect our proprietary technology. There can be no assurance that any of our patent applications will result in the issuance of a patent or that the examination process will not require us to narrow our claims in any application. In addition, any patents may be contested, circumvented, found unenforceable or invalid and we may not be able to prevent third parties from infringing on them. Despite the precautions we take, third parties may copy or obtain and use our technologies, ideas, know-how and other proprietary information without authorization or may independently develop technologies similar or superior to our technologies. In addition, the confidentiality and non-competition agreements between us and most of our employees, distributors and clients may not provide meaningful protection of our proprietary technologies or other intellectual property in the event of unauthorized use or disclosure. If we are not able to successfully defend our industrial or intellectual property rights, we may lose rights to technologies that we need to develop our business, which may cause us to lose potential revenues, or we may be required to pay significant license fees for the use of such technologies. Our current patents and any patents that we may register in the future may provide only limited protection for our technology and may not be sufficient to provide competitive advantages to us. For example, competitors could be successful in challenging any issued patents or, alternatively, could develop similar or more advantageous technologies on their own or design around our patents. Any inability to protect intellectual property rights in our technology could enable third parties to compete more effectively with us. In addition, the laws of certain foreign countries may not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws of the United States. Our means of protecting our intellectual property rights in the United States or any other country in which we operate may not be adequate to fully protect our intellectual property rights.
Cyber Security1 | 3.2%
Cyber Security - Risk 1
Cyber-attacks, breaches of network or information technology security, presentation attacks, natural disasters, pandemics or terrorist attacks could have an adverse effect on our business.
Cyber-attacks or other breaches of network or information technology (IT) security, natural disasters, pandemics such as Covid-19, terrorist acts or acts of war may cause equipment failures or disrupt our systems and operations. We may be subject to attempts to breach the security of our networks and IT infrastructure through cyber-attack, presentation attacks to biometric data capture systems, including deep fakes and other threats developed by use of AI driven technologies, malware, computer viruses and other means of unauthorized access. While we regularly review our security policies, protocols, controls and systems to determine their effectiveness for detection and prevention of such attacks, and to make improvements and fix any known vulnerabilities where necessary, new means and methods for such attacks are constantly being developed by bad actors, facilitated by the easy access to generative AI and we may not become aware of such new attacks or vulnerabilities prior to being subject to such an attack. There is no guarantee that we can prevent all such attacks, even if we become aware of their potential. While we maintain insurance coverage for some of these events, the potential liabilities associated with these events could exceed the insurance coverage we maintain. A failure to protect the privacy of customer and employee confidential data against breaches of network or IT security could result in damage to our reputation. To date, we have not been subject to cyber-attacks or other cyber incidents that we are aware of which, individually or in the aggregate, resulted in a material impact to our operations or financial condition. For us to further penetrate the marketplace, the marketplace must be confident that we provide effective security protection for governmental and other secured identification documents and other personally identifiable information or protected personal information, or PII. Although we are not aware that we have experienced any act of sabotage or unauthorized access by a third party of our software or technology to date, if an actual or perceived breach of security occurs in our internal systems or those of our customers, regardless of whether we caused the breach, it could adversely affect the market's perception of our products and services. This could cause us to lose customers, resellers, alliance partners or other business partners, thereby causing our revenues to decline. If we or our customers were to experience a breach of our internal systems, our business could be severely harmed by adversely affecting the market's perception of our products and services. Most recently, we have considered the impact of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on our overall operations. The continuing impact of this disease or any other disease which may give rise to a pandemic in the United States and worldwide are unknown, and the widespread growth in infections, or travel restrictions, quarantines or site closures imposed as a result of disease, is among other things, impacting the ability of our employees, sub-contractors, or our customers' employees and sub-contractors to attend places of work, to meet with potential customers, or undertake implementations at our customer's locations. In addition, the disease could lead to disruptions in our supply chain, causing shortages or unavailability of software updates, or necessary equipment. Any of these outcomes could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Technology2 | 6.5%
Technology - Risk 1
Interruptions, delays in service or defects in our systems could impair the delivery of our services and harm our business.
We depend on the efficient and uninterrupted operation of our computer network systems, software, telecommunications networks, and processing centers, as well as the systems and services of third parties, in order to provide services to our customers. Almost all of our network systems are hosted "in the cloud" by internationally recognized third party service providers such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services. Our systems and data centers are vulnerable to damage or interruption from, among other things, fire, natural disaster, power loss, telecommunications failure, terrorist acts, war, unauthorized entry, human error, and computer viruses or other defects. They may also be subject to break-ins, sabotage, intentional acts of vandalism and similar misconduct. We have security, backup and recovery systems in place, and business continuity plans that will be designed to ensure our systems will not be inoperable. However, there is still a risk that a system outage or data loss may occur which would not only damage our reputation but could also require the payment of penalties or damages to our clients if our systems do not meet certain operating standards. Despite precautions taken at these facilities, the occurrence of a natural disaster or an act of sabotage or terrorism, a decision to close the facilities without adequate notice or other unanticipated problems at these facilities could result in lengthy interruptions in our service. Our property and business interruption insurance may not be applicable or adequate to compensate us for all losses or failures that may occur. Any damage to, failure of, or defects, bugs or errors in our systems or those of third parties, errors or delays in the processing of payment or other transactions, telecommunications failures or other difficulties could result in loss of revenue, loss of customers, loss of customer and consumer data, harm to our business or reputation, exposure to fraud losses or other liabilities, negative publicity, additional operating and development costs, and diversion of technical and other resources.
Technology - Risk 2
If our technology and solutions are not adopted and used by customer organizations, we will not be able to grow our business and our operations will be negatively affected.
Our ability to grow depends significantly on whether organizations of various types and sizes adopt our technology and solutions as part of their new standards. If these organizations do not adopt our technology, we may not be able to penetrate some of the new markets we are targeting, or we may lose some of our existing customer base. In order for us to achieve our growth objectives, our identity verification and authentication technologies and solutions must be adapted to and adopted in a variety of areas including, among others, computer and online systems access control, and identity verification for transaction authentication purposes. We cannot accurately predict the future growth rate, if any, or the ultimate size of these markets. The growth of the market for our products and services depends on a number of factors such as the cost, performance and reliability of our products and services compared to the products and services of our competitors, customer perception of the benefits of our products and solutions, public perception of the intrusiveness of these solutions and the manner in which organizations use the information collected, customer satisfaction with our products and services and marketing efforts and publicity for our products and services. Our products and services may not adequately address market requirements and may not gain wide market acceptance. If our solutions or our products and services do not gain wide market acceptance, our business and our financial results will suffer.
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 5/31 (16%)Above Sector Average
Competition1 | 3.2%
Competition - Risk 1
We face competition. Some of our competitors have greater financial or other resources, longer operating histories and greater name recognition than we do and one or more of these competitors could use their greater resources and/or name recognition to gain market share at our expense or could make it very difficult for us to establish market share.
The market for our service offerings is highly competitive and rapidly evolving. We face competition from a broad range of providers with solutions across the identity management lifecycle, including: - Vendors providing identity verification or proofing through both biometric and non-biometric solutions (such as data-based verification using identity proxies, such as DMV records and addresses), both on-premise and cloud-based. - Vendors of passwordless identity authentication using device-based and cloud-based biometrics. - Larger companies providing identity and access management platforms, adding identity authentication services to their offering at low/no cost. - New entrants seeking to develop and market competing technologies. It is also possible that, as the digital identity market continues to grow and evolve, larger companies with significant resources may increase their presence in the market and develop competing solutions through internal efforts or partnerships with existing players. Due to our ability to serve both identity verification and authentication needs, as well as the tendency for enterprises to acquire multiple digital identity solutions, we can and often do co-exist with competing products within our customer base. The resources available to our competitors to develop new products and introduce them into the marketplace exceed the resources currently available to us. Some of our competitors have longer operating histories and greater name recognition than we do and one or more of these competitors could use their greater resources and/or name recognition to gain market share at our expense or could make it very difficult for us to establish market share. As a result, our competitors may be able to compete more aggressively and sustain that competition over a longer period of time that we can. This intense competitive environment may require us to make changes in our products, pricing, licensing, services, distribution, or marketing to develop a market position. Each of these competitors has the potential to capture market share in our target markets, which could have an adverse effect on our position in our industry and on our business and operating results.
Demand2 | 6.5%
Demand - Risk 1
We have historically depended upon a small number of large system sales ranging up to $1,500,000 and we may fail to successfully transition to new products generating recurring revenues.
Historically, we have derived a substantial portion of our revenues from a small number of sales of large, relatively expensive systems, typically ranging in price up to $1,500,000. We have changed the product set of the business to eliminate system sales and have developed a new range of software as a service (SaaS) based products and solutions, which are in a lower price range and intended to generate recurring revenue from a large number of customers. We have invested heavily in developing and launching such products but there is no guarantee that such efforts will be successful and that a satisfactory return on such investment will be achieved. We are still endeavoring to enter into multi-year contracts for our new products with minimum commitments ranging in price from $50,000 to $1,800,000 and we may, or may not, be successful in achieving such sales. Accordingly, our quarterly results are difficult to predict because we cannot predict in which quarter, if any, substantial sales (whether measured in commitment volumes, or number of contracts) will occur in a given year, nor when (if at all), or at what rate the ramp in sales of new products will occur. As a result, we believe that quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our sales are not a good indication of our future performance. In some future quarters, our sales may be below the expectations of securities analysts and investors, in which case the market price of our Common Stock may decrease significantly.
Demand - Risk 2
The market for our products is characterized by changing technology, requirements, standards and products, and we may be adversely affected if we do not respond promptly and effectively to these changes.
The market for our verified products is characterized by evolving technologies, changing industry standards, changing political and regulatory environments, frequent new product introductions and rapid changes in customer requirements. The introduction of products embodying new technologies and the emergence of new industry standards and practices can render existing products obsolete and unmarketable. In addition cyber attack attempts are increasing in number, magnitude, and technical sophistication, and we expect emerging technologies to contribute to the increasing sophistication of attacks and to lead to new threats. For example, threat actors may leverage emerging artificial intelligence (or, AI) technologies to develop new hacking tools and attack vectors, generate deep fake images, exploit vulnerabilities, obscure their activities, and increase the difficulty of threat attribution. Our future success will depend on our ability to enhance our existing products and to develop, or acquire and introduce, on a timely and cost-effective basis, new products and product features that counter these new threats, keep pace with technological developments and emerging industry standards and address the increasingly sophisticated needs of our customers. In the future: - we may not be successful in developing and marketing new products or product features that respond to new AI driven cyberattacks, technological change or evolving industry standards;- we may experience difficulties that could delay or prevent the successful development, or acquisition, introduction and marketing of these new products and features; or - our new products and product features may not adequately meet the requirements of the marketplace and achieve market acceptance. If we are unable to respond promptly and effectively to new cybersecurity threats and attacks, changing technologies and market requirements, we will be unable to compete effectively in the future. There can be no assurance that we will successfully identify new product opportunities and develop and bring new products to market in a timely manner, or that the products and technologies developed by others will not render our products or technologies obsolete or noncompetitive. The failure of our new product development efforts could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and future growth.
Sales & Marketing2 | 6.5%
Sales & Marketing - Risk 1
We may have to seek business through a competitive bidding process.
Competitive bidding, whether for contracts with governments or with private enterprises, presents a number of risks, including: - the frequent need to compete against companies or teams of companies with more financial and marketing resources and more experience than we have in bidding on and performing major contracts;- the substantial cost and managerial time and effort necessary to prepare bids and proposals for contracts that may not be awarded to us;- the need to accurately estimate the resources and cost structure that will be required to service any fixed-price contract that we are awarded; and - the expense and delay that may arise if our competitors protest or challenge new contract awards made to us pursuant to competitive bidding or subsequent contract modifications, and the risk that any of these protests or challenges could result in the resubmission of bids on modified specifications, or in termination, reduction or modification of the awarded contract. If we are unable to win particular contracts that are awarded through the competitive bidding process, we will incur expenses associated with such competitive bidding and may not be able to operate in the market for the products and services that are provided under those contracts for a number of years.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 2
We have in the past entered into and may seek in the future to enter into contracts with governments, as well as state and local governmental agencies and municipalities, which subjects us to certain risks associated with such types of contracts.
Most contracts with governments or with state or local agencies or municipalities, or Governmental Contracts, are awarded through a competitive bidding process, and some of the business that we expect to seek in the future will likely be subject to a competitive bidding process (See "We may have to seek business through a competitive bidding process" below). We may not be afforded the opportunity in the future to bid on contracts that are held by other companies and are scheduled to expire, if the governments, or the applicable state or local agency or municipality determines to extend the existing contract. If we are unable to win new contract awards or retain those contracts, if any, that we are awarded over any extended period, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected. In addition, Governmental Contracts subject us to risks associated with public budgetary restrictions and uncertainties, actual contracts that are less than awarded contract amounts, the requirement for posting a performance bond and the related cost and cancellation at any time at the option of the governmental agency. Any failure to comply with the terms of any Governmental Contracts could result in substantial civil and criminal fines and penalties, as well as suspension from future contracts for a significant period of time, any of which could adversely affect our business by requiring us to pay significant fines and penalties or prevent us from earning revenues from Governmental Contracts during the suspension period. Cancellation of any one of our major Governmental Contracts could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. Additionally, we are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or the FCPA, and other laws in the United States and elsewhere that prohibit improper payments or offers of payments to United States', or foreign governments and their officials and political parties for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Our activities in the United States and elsewhere create the risk of unauthorized payments or offers of payments by one of our employees, contractors or customers that could be in violation of various laws, including the FCPA, even though these parties are not always subject to our control. We have implemented safeguards to discourage these practices by our employees, consultants and customers. However, our existing safeguards and any future improvements may prove to be less than effective, and our employees, contractors or customers may engage in conduct for which we might be held responsible. Violations of the FCPA or similar laws may result in severe criminal or civil sanctions and we may be subject to other liabilities, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Governments may be in a position to obtain greater rights with respect to our intellectual property than we would grant to other entities. Governmental agencies also have the power, based on financial difficulties or investigations of their contractors, to deem contractors unsuitable for new contract awards. Because we will engage in the government contracting business, we will be subject to additional regulatory and legal compliance requirements, as well as audits, and may be subject to investigation, by governmental entities. Compliance with such additional regulatory requirements are likely to result in additional operational costs in performing such Governmental Contracts which may impact our profitability. Failure to comply with the terms of any Governmental Contract could result in substantial civil and criminal fines and penalties, as well as suspension from future contracts for a significant period of time, any of which could adversely affect our business by requiring us to pay the fines and penalties and prohibiting us from earning revenues from Governmental Contracts during the suspension period. Furthermore, governmental programs can experience delays or cancellation of funding and suspension of appropriations has occurred, for example the partial United States government shutdown in 2018/19, which can be unpredictable; this may make it difficult to forecast our revenues on a quarter-by-quarter basis.
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 3/31 (10%)Below Sector Average
Regulation2 | 6.5%
Regulation - Risk 1
Our business is subject to changing regulations regarding corporate governance, disclosure controls, internal control over financial reporting and other compliance areas that will increase both our costs and the risk of noncompliance. If we fail to comply with these regulations, we could face difficulties in preparing and filing timely and accurate financial reports.
We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Act. We are also subject to the corporate governance and other listing rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC ("Nasdaq"). Maintaining compliance with these rules and regulations, particularly after we cease to be an emerging growth company, will increase our legal, accounting and financial compliance costs, will make some activities more difficult, time-consuming and costly and may also place increased strain on our personnel, systems and resources. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and at the time we cease to be an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company, we will be required to provide attestation that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures by our registered public accounting firm. Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls, or any difficulties encountered in their implementation or improvement, could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. Any failure to implement and maintain effective internal control also could adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting that are required to include in our periodic reports filed with the SEC, under Section 404(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act or the annual auditor attestation reports regarding effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting that we will be required to include in our periodic reports filed with the SEC upon our ceasing to be an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company, unless, under the JOBS Act, we meet certain criteria that would require such reports to be included prior to then, under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Ineffective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial and other information, which would likely have a negative effect on the trading price of shares of our Common Stock. In order to maintain the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting going forward, we will need to expend significant resources and provide significant management oversight. There is a substantial effort involved in continuing to implement appropriate processes, document our system of internal control over relevant processes, assess their design, remediate any deficiencies identified and test their operation. As a result, management's attention may be diverted from other business concerns, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition. These efforts will also involve substantial accounting-related costs. We may experience difficulty in meeting these reporting requirements in a timely manner. As disclosed in our previous filings, we had a material weakness in our control over financial reporting starting with the quarter ended June 30, 2023.  Management has taken action to remediate the various elements of this material weakness, with immediate effect in relation to the financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2023. We remediated this material weakness and put in place a process to undertake an ongoing review of the Company's activities during each quarter to identify the potential complex accounting matters and if necessary to engage a professional CPA advisory firm to review the proposed accounting treatment on these complex accounting matters that may arise in the future. If we are unable to maintain key controls currently in place or that we implement in the future and pending such implementation, or if any difficulties are encountered in their implementation or improvement, (1) our management might not be able to certify, and our independent registered public accounting firm might not be able to report on, the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting, which would cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations, (2) misstatements in our financial statements may occur that may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis and (3) we may be deemed to have significant deficiencies or material weaknesses, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Implementing any appropriate changes to our internal controls may require specific compliance training of our directors, officers and employees, entail substantial costs in order to modify our existing accounting systems, and take a significant period of time to complete. Such changes may not, however, be effective in maintaining the adequacy of our internal controls, and any failure to maintain that adequacy, or consequent inability to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis, could increase our operating costs and could materially impair our ability to operate our business. In the event that we are not able to demonstrate compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner, our internal controls are perceived as inadequate or that we are unable to produce timely or accurate financial statements, our stock price could decline and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the SEC or other regulatory authorities, which would require additional financial and management resources.
Regulation - Risk 2
Government regulation could negatively impact the business.
We do not have or require any approval from government authorities or agencies in order to operate our regular business and operations. However, data protection legislation in various countries in which the Company does business (including Colombia and the United Kingdom) may require it to register its databases with governmental authorities in those countries and to comply with additional disclosure and consent requirements with regard to the collection, storage and use of personal information of individuals resident in those countries. To the extent that our business is based on Governmental Contracts, the relevant government authorities will need to approve us as a supplier and the terms of those contracts. However, it is possible that any proposed expansion to our business and operations in the future would require government approvals. Due to the security applications and biometric technology associated with our products and platforms the activities and operations of our company are or could become subject to license restrictions and other regulations, such as (without limitation) export controls and other security regulation by government agencies. As indicated in, "We are exposed to risks in operating in foreign markets" above, the imposition of sanctions on particular countries, entities or individuals would prevent us from doing business with such countries, entities or individuals. If our existing and proposed products become subject to licensing, export control and other regulations, we may incur increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted or amended laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply. Our operations could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, by existing or future laws and regulations (and amendments thereto) relating to our business or industry. Some states in the United States have adopted legislation governing the collection, use of, and storage of biometric information and other states are considering such legislation. Specifically, several states are considering adopting a Biometric Information Privacy Act, or BIPA modelled on the Illinois statute, which governs the collection, processing, storage and distribution of biometric information such as facial biometric templates and fingerprints. Several of these new statutes give individuals rights of action to sue violators, which have resulted in a number of class action lawsuits. The widespread adoption of such legislation could result in restrictions on our current or proposed business activities, or we may incur increased costs to comply with such regulations. We are required to comply with stringent, complex, and evolving laws, rules, regulations, and standards in many jurisdictions, as well as contractual obligations, relating to cybersecurity and data privacy. Our compliance efforts are complicated by the fact that these requirements and obligations may be subject to uncertain or inconsistent interpretations and enforcement, and may conflict among various jurisdictions. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with applicable laws, rules, regulations, standards, certifications, or contractual obligations, or any compromise of security that results in unauthorized access to, or unauthorized loss, destruction, use, modification, acquisition, disclosure, release, or transfer of personal information, may result in outcomes such as: requirements to modify or cease certain operations or practices; the expenditure of substantial costs, time, and other resources; proceedings or actions against us; legal liability; governmental investigations; enforcement actions; claims; fines; judgments; awards; penalties; sanctions; and potentially costly litigation (including class actions).
Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 3.2%
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1
We may be subject to securities litigation, which is expensive and could divert management attention.
In the past, companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been subject to securities class action litigation. We may be the target of this type of litigation in the future. Litigation of this type could result in substantial costs and diversion of management's attention and resources, which could seriously hurt our business. Any adverse determination in litigation could also subject us to significant liabilities.
Macro & Political
Total Risks: 3/31 (10%)Below Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment1 | 3.2%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
War in Ukraine and the Middle East may impact the business of the Company, the markets in which it operates and the financial markets, in which the Company needs to raise capital.
The war in Ukraine and the Middle East may impact the Company and its operations in a number of different ways, which are yet to be fully assessed and are therefore uncertain. The Company's principal concern is for the safety of the personnel who support from those regions. The Company works with third party sub-contractors for outsourced services, including software engineering and development, some of whom are based in Eastern Europe. The Company also works with outsourced engineers and developers and third-party providers in other parts of the world, including the United States, Europe, India, and Latin America. While the continuing impact of this conflict and the response of the United States and other countries to it by means of trade and economic sanctions, or other actions is still unknown, it could disrupt our ability to work with certain contractors. The Company has taken steps to diversify its sub-contractor base, which may in the short term give rise to additional costs and delays in delivering software and product upgrades. The uncertainty impacting and potential interruption in energy and other supply chains resulting from military hostilities in Europe and the Middle East and the response of the United States and other countries to it by means of trade and economic sanctions, or other actions, may give rise to increases in costs of goods and services generally and may impact the market for our products as prospective customers reconsider additional capital expenditure, or other investment plans until the situation becomes clearer. On the other hand, the threat of increased cyber-attacks from multiple threat actors, including state-sponsored organizations may prompt enterprises to adopt additional security measures such as those offered by the Company. For so long as the hostilities continue and perhaps even thereafter as the situation in Europe and the Middle East unfolds, we may see increased volatility in financial markets and a flight to safety by investors, which may impact our stock price and make it more difficult for the Company to raise additional capital at the time when it needs to do so, or for financing to be available upon acceptable terms. All or any of these risks separately, or in combination could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
International Operations2 | 6.5%
International Operations - Risk 1
We are exposed to risks in operating in foreign markets, which may make operating in those markets difficult and thereby force us to curtail our business operations.
In conducting our business in foreign countries, we are subject to political, economic, legal, operational and other risks that are inherent in operating in other countries. Risks inherent to operating in other countries range from difficulties in settling transactions in emerging markets to possible nationalization, expropriation, price controls and other restrictive governmental actions. We also face the risk that exchange controls or similar restrictions imposed by foreign governmental authorities may restrict our ability to convert local currency received or held by us in their countries into U.S. dollars or other currencies, or to take those dollars or other currencies out of those countries. It is possible that countries in which we do or intend to do business, or companies and their principals become subject to sanctions under U.S. law. This would prevent us from doing business with those countries or with those entities or individuals. We could be exposed to fines and penalties in the event of breach any applicable sanctions legislation or orders. In addition, we might be required to suspend or terminate existing contracts in order to comply with such sanctions legislation or orders, which would adversely impact our future revenues and cash flows.
International Operations - Risk 2
Our efforts to expand our international operations are subject to a number of risks, any of which could adversely reduce our future international sales and increase our losses.
Most of our revenues historically to date are attributable to sales and business operations in jurisdictions other than the United States. Although we are now focusing our efforts in generating more United States based revenues, we continue to pursue international sales, in particular in Europe. Our international operations could be subject to a number of risks, any of which could adversely affect our future international sales and operating results, including: - trade restrictions;- export duties and tariffs;- export regulations or restrictions including sanctions;- local Data Privacy and other regulations - uncertain political, regulatory and economic developments;- labor and social unrest;- inability to protect our intellectual property rights;- highly aggressive competitors;- currency issues, including currency exchange risk;- difficulties in staffing, managing and supporting foreign operations;- longer payment cycles;- increased collection risks; and - impact of the Coronavirus or other pandemics;- impact of wars and terrorism Negative developments in any of these areas in one or more countries could result in a reduction in demand for our products, the cancellation or delay of orders already placed, difficulty in collecting receivables, and a higher cost of doing business, any of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition.
Production
Total Risks: 2/31 (6%)Below Sector Average
Employment / Personnel1 | 3.2%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
We depend upon key personnel and need additional personnel.
On March 23, 2023, Rhon Daguro was appointed as our Chief Executive Officer. Our success depends on the continued services of Mr. Daguro and of certain other members of the current management team. Our executive team is incentivized by stock compensation grants that align the interests of investors with the executive team and certain executives have employment retention agreements. The loss of key management, engineering employees or third- party contractors could have a material and adverse effect on our business operations. Additionally, the success of our operations will largely depend upon our ability to successfully attract and maintain competent and qualified key management personnel. As with any company with limited resources, there can be no guarantee that we will be able to attract such individuals or that the presence of such individuals will necessarily translate into profitability for our company. If we are successful in attracting and retaining such individuals, it is likely that our payroll costs and related expenses will increase significantly and that there will be additional dilution to existing stockholders as a result of equity incentives that may need to be issued to such management personnel. Our inability to attract and retain key personnel may materially and adversely affect our business operations. Any failure by our management to effectively anticipate, implement, and manage personnel required to sustain our growth would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Supply Chain1 | 3.2%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
We rely in part on third-party software to develop and provide our solutions.
We rely in part on software licensed from third parties to develop and offer some of our solutions. Any loss of the right to use any such software or other intellectual property required for the development and maintenance of our solutions, or any defects or other issues with such software could result in problems or delays in the provision of our solutions until equivalent technology is either developed by us, or, if available from others, is identified, obtained, and integrated, which could harm our business.
See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.

FAQ

What are “Risk Factors”?
Risk factors are any situations or occurrences that could make investing in a company risky.
    The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that publicly traded companies disclose their most significant risk factors. This is so that potential investors can consider any risks before they make an investment.
      They also offer companies protection, as a company can use risk factors as liability protection. This could happen if a company underperforms and investors take legal action as a result.
        It is worth noting that smaller companies, that is those with a public float of under $75 million on the last business day, do not have to include risk factors in their 10-K and 10-Q forms, although some may choose to do so.
          How do companies disclose their risk factors?
          Publicly traded companies initially disclose their risk factors to the SEC through their S-1 filings as part of the IPO process.
            Additionally, companies must provide a complete list of risk factors in their Annual Reports (Form 10-K) or (Form 20-F) for “foreign private issuers”.
              Quarterly Reports also include a section on risk factors (Form 10-Q) where companies are only required to update any changes since the previous report.
                According to the SEC, risk factors should be reported concisely, logically and in “plain English” so investors can understand them.
                  How can I use TipRanks risk factors in my stock research?
                  Use the Risk Factors tab to get data about the risk factors of any company in which you are considering investing.
                    You can easily see the most significant risks a company is facing. Additionally, you can find out which risk factors a company has added, removed or adjusted since its previous disclosure. You can also see how a company’s risk factors compare to others in its sector.
                      Without reading company reports or participating in conference calls, you would most likely not have access to this sort of information, which is usually not included in press releases or other public announcements.
                        A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.
                          What are all the risk factor categories?
                          TipRanks has identified 6 major categories of risk factors and a number of subcategories for each. You can see how these categories are broken down in the list below.
                          1. Financial & Corporate
                          • Accounting & Financial Operations - risks related to accounting loss, value of intangible assets, financial statements, value of intangible assets, financial reporting, estimates, guidance, company profitability, dividends, fluctuating results.
                          • Share Price & Shareholder Rights – risks related to things that impact share prices and the rights of shareholders, including analyst ratings, major shareholder activity, trade volatility, liquidity of shares, anti-takeover provisions, international listing, dual listing.
                          • Debt & Financing – risks related to debt, funding, financing and interest rates, financial investments.
                          • Corporate Activity and Growth – risks related to restructuring, M&As, joint ventures, execution of corporate strategy, strategic alliances.
                          2. Legal & Regulatory
                          • Litigation and Legal Liabilities – risks related to litigation/ lawsuits against the company.
                          • Regulation – risks related to compliance, GDPR, and new legislation.
                          • Environmental / Social – risks related to environmental regulation and to data privacy.
                          • Taxation & Government Incentives – risks related to taxation and changes in government incentives.
                          3. Production
                          • Costs – risks related to costs of production including commodity prices, future contracts, inventory.
                          • Supply Chain – risks related to the company’s suppliers.
                          • Manufacturing – risks related to the company’s manufacturing process including product quality and product recalls.
                          • Human Capital – risks related to recruitment, training and retention of key employees, employee relationships & unions labor disputes, pension, and post retirement benefits, medical, health and welfare benefits, employee misconduct, employee litigation.
                          4. Technology & Innovation
                          • Innovation / R&D – risks related to innovation and new product development.
                          • Technology – risks related to the company’s reliance on technology.
                          • Cyber Security – risks related to securing the company’s digital assets and from cyber attacks.
                          • Trade Secrets & Patents – risks related to the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and to infringement claims against the company as well as piracy and unlicensed copying.
                          5. Ability to Sell
                          • Demand – risks related to the demand of the company’s goods and services including seasonality, reliance on key customers.
                          • Competition – risks related to the company’s competition including substitutes.
                          • Sales & Marketing – risks related to sales, marketing, and distribution channels, pricing, and market penetration.
                          • Brand & Reputation – risks related to the company’s brand and reputation.
                          6. Macro & Political
                          • Economy & Political Environment – risks related to changes in economic and political conditions.
                          • Natural and Human Disruptions – risks related to catastrophes, floods, storms, terror, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic/COVID-19.
                          • International Operations – risks related to the global nature of the company.
                          • Capital Markets – risks related to exchange rates and trade, cryptocurrency.
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