Risk Factors Dashboard
Once a year, publicly traded companies issue a comprehensive report of their business, called a 10-K. A component mandated in the 10-K is the ‘Risk Factors’ section, where companies disclose any major potential risks that they may face. This dashboard highlights all major changes and additions in new 10K reports, allowing investors to quickly identify new potential risks and opportunities.
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Risk Factors - FNGR
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In addition to the information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we have identified the following material risks and uncertainties which reflect our outlook and conditions known to us as of the date of this Annual Report. These material risks and uncertainties should be carefully reviewed by our stockholders and any potential investors in evaluating the Company, our business and the market value of our common stock. Furthermore, any one of these material risks and uncertainties has the potential to cause actual results, performance, achievements or events to be materially different from any future results, performance, achievements or events implied, suggested or expressed by any forward-looking statements made by us or by persons acting on our behalf. Refer to “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements”.
There is no assurance that we will be successful in preventing the material adverse effects that any one or more of the following material risks and uncertainties may cause on our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results, which may result in a significant decrease in the market price of our common stock. Furthermore, there is no assurance that these material risks and uncertainties represent a complete list of the material risks and uncertainties facing us. There may be additional risks and uncertainties of a material nature that, as of the date of this Annual Report, we are unaware of or that we consider immaterial that may become material in the future, any one or more of which may result in a material adverse effect on us. You could lose all or a significant portion of your investment due to any one of these material risks and uncertainties.
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Risks Related to the Business
We have a limited operating history and, as a result, our past results may not be indicative of future operating performance.
We have a limited operating history, which makes it difficult to forecast our future results. You should not rely on our past results of operations as indicators of future performance. You should consider and evaluate our prospects in light of the risks and uncertainty frequently encountered by companies like ours.
If we fail to address the risks and difficulties that we face, including those described elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. Further, because we have limited historical financial data and operate in an evolving market, any predictions about our future revenue and expenses may not be as accurate as they would be if we had a longer operating history or operated in a more predictable market. We have encountered in the past, and will encounter in the future, risks and uncertainties frequently experienced by growing companies with limited operating histories in rapidly changing industries. If our assumptions regarding these risks and uncertainties are incorrect or change, or if we do not address these risks successfully, our results of operations could differ materially from our expectations and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
We have a history of net losses and we may not be able to achieve or maintain profitability in the future.
For all annual periods of our operating history we have experienced net losses. We generated net losses of approximately $7.5 million, $4.9 million and $4.3 million for the years ended February 28, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. We generated net losses of approximately $4.9 million, $4.3 million and $3.0 million for the years ended February 28, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. As of February 28, 2023, we had an accumulated deficit of $24.7 million. We have not achieved profitability, and we may not realize sufficient revenue to achieve profitability in future periods. Our expenses will likely increase in the future as we develop and launch new offerings and platform features, expand in existing and new markets, increase our sales and marketing efforts and continue to invest in our platform. These efforts may be more costly than we expect and may not result in increased revenue or growth in our business. If we are unable to generate adequate revenue growth and manage our expenses, we may continue to incur significant losses in the future and may not be able to achieve or maintain profitability.
If we fail to effectively manage our growth, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely effected.
We are currently experiencing growth in our business. This expansion increases the complexity of our business and has placed, and will continue to place, strain on our management, personnel, operations, systems, technical performance, financial resources and internal financial control and reporting functions. Our ability to manage our growth effectively and to integrate new employees, technologies and acquisitions into our existing business will require us to continue to expand our operational and financial infrastructure and to continue to retain, attract, train, motivate and manage employees. Continued growth could strain our ability to develop and improve our operational, financial and management controls, enhance our reporting systems and procedures, recruit, train and retain highly skilled personnel and maintain user satisfaction. Additionally, if we do not effectively manage the growth of our business and operations, the quality of our offerings could suffer, which could negatively affect our reputation and brand, business, financial condition and results of operations.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy, our operations and consumer demand for consumer goods and services remains uncertain, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition and on the market price of our common shares.
In December 2019, a strain of novel coronavirus (now commonly known as COVID-19) was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China. COVID-19 has since spread rapidly throughout many countries, and, on March 12, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic. In an effort to contain and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, many countries, including the United States, Canada and China, have imposed unprecedented restrictions on travel, and there have been business closures and a substantial reduction in economic activity in countries that have had significant outbreaks of COVID-19. Although our operating subsidiaries and contractually controlled entity report that is operation have not been materially affected at this point, significant uncertainty remains as to the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations and on the global economy as a whole. It is currently not possible to predict how long the pandemic will last or the time that it will take for economic activity to return to prior levels. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant financial market volatility and uncertainty in recent weeks. A continuation or worsening of the levels of market disruption and volatility seen in the recent past could have an adverse effect on our ability to access capital, on our business, results of operations and financial condition, on the market price of our common shares, and on consumer demand for consumer services, including those offered by our Company.
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We depend on our key personnel and other highly skilled personnel, and if we fail to attract, retain, motivate or integrate our personnel, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely effected.
Our success depends in part on the continued service of our founders, senior management team, key technical employees and other highly skilled personnel and on our ability to identify, hire, develop, motivate, retain and integrate highly qualified personnel for all areas of our organization. We may not be successful in attracting and retaining qualified personnel to fulfill our current or future needs. Our competitors may be successful in recruiting and hiring members of our management team or other key employees, and it may be difficult for us to find suitable replacements on a timely basis, on competitive terms or at all. If we are unable to attract and retain the necessary personnel, particularly in critical areas of our business, we may not achieve our strategic goals.
Our concentration of earnings from two telecommunications companies may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We currently derive a substantial amount of our total revenue through contracts secured with China Unicom and China Mobile. If we were to lose the business of one or both of these mobile telecommunications companies, if either were to fail to fulfill its obligations to us, if either were to experience difficulty in paying rebates to us on a timely basis, if either negotiated lower pricing terms, or if either increased the number of licensed payment portals it permits to process its payments, it could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Additionally, we cannot guarantee that the volume of revenue we earn from China Unicom and China Mobile will remain consistent going forward. Any substantial change in our relationships with either China Unicom or China Mobile, or both, whether due to actions by our competitors, regulatory authorities, industry factors or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Any actual or perceived security or privacy breach could interrupt our operations, harm our brand and adversely effect our reputation, brand, business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our business involves the processing and transmission of our users’ personal and other sensitive data. Because techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to or to sabotage information systems change frequently and may not be known until launched against us, we may be unable to anticipate or prevent these attacks. Unauthorized parties may in the future gain access to our systems or facilities through various means, including gaining unauthorized access into our systems or facilities or those of our service providers, partners or users on our platform, or attempting to fraudulently induce our employees, service providers, partners, users or others into disclosing names, passwords, payment information or other sensitive information, which may in turn be used to access our information technology systems, or attempting to fraudulently induce our employees, partners or others into manipulating payment information, resulting in the fraudulent transfer of funds to criminal actors. In addition, users on our platform could have vulnerabilities on their own mobile devices that are entirely unrelated to our systems and platform but could mistakenly attribute their own vulnerabilities to us. Further, breaches experienced by other companies may also be leveraged against us. For example, credential stuffing attacks are becoming increasingly common and sophisticated actors can mask their attacks, making them increasingly difficult to identify and prevent. Certain efforts may be state-sponsored or supported by significant financial and technological resources, making them even more difficult to detect.
Although we have developed systems and processes that are designed to protect our users’ data, prevent data loss and prevent other security breaches, these security measures cannot guarantee security. Our information technology and infrastructure may be vulnerable to cyberattacks or security breaches; also, employee error, malfeasance or other errors in the storage, use or transmission of personal information could result in an actual or perceived privacy or security breach or other security incident.
Any actual or perceived breach of privacy or security could interrupt our operations, result in our platform being unavailable, result in loss or improper disclosure of data, result in fraudulent transfer of funds, harm our reputation and brand, damage our relationships with third-party partners, result in significant legal, regulatory and financial exposure and lead to loss of confidence in, or decreased use of, our platform, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Any breach of privacy or security impacting any entities with which we share or disclose data (including, for example, our third-party providers) could have similar effects.
Additionally, defending against claims or litigation based on any security breach or incident, regardless of their merit, could be costly and divert management’s attention. We cannot be certain that our insurance coverage will be adequate for data handling or data security liabilities actually incurred, that insurance will continue to be available to us on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, or that any insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claim. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us that exceed available insurance coverage, or the occurrence of changes in our insurance policies, including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements, could have an adverse effect on our reputation, brand, business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Systems failures and resulting interruptions in the availability of our platform or offerings could adversely effect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our systems, or those of third parties upon which we rely, may experience service interruptions or degradation because of hardware and software defects or malfunctions, distributed denial-of-service and other cyberattacks, human error, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires, natural disasters, power losses, disruptions in telecommunications services, fraud, military or political conflicts, terrorist attacks, computer viruses, ransomware, malware or other events. Our systems also may be subject to break-ins, sabotage, theft and intentional acts of vandalism, including by our own employees. Some of our systems are not fully redundant and our disaster recovery planning may not be sufficient for all eventualities. Our business interruption insurance may not be sufficient to cover all of our losses that may result from interruptions in our service as a result of systems failures and similar events.
We have not experienced any system failures or other events or conditions that have interrupted the availability or reduced or effected the speed or functionality of our offerings. These events, were they to occur in the future, could adversely affect our business, reputation, results of operations and financial condition.
The successful operation of our business depends upon the performance and reliability of Internet, mobile, and other infrastructures that are not under our control.
Our business depends on the performance and reliability of Internet, mobile and other infrastructures that are not under our control. Disruptions in Internet infrastructure or the failure of telecommunications network operators to provide us with the bandwidth we need to provide our services and offerings could interfere with the speed and availability of our platform. If our platform is unavailable when platform users attempt to access it, or if our platform does not load as quickly as platform users expect, platform users may not return to our platform as often in the future, or at all, and may use our competitors’ products or offerings more often. In addition, we have no control over the costs of the services provided by national telecommunications operators. If mobile Internet access fees or other charges to Internet users increase, consumer traffic may decrease, which may in turn cause our revenue to significantly decrease.
Our business depends on the efficient and uninterrupted operation of mobile communications systems. The occurrence of an unanticipated problem, such as a power outage, telecommunications delay or failure, security breach or computer virus could result in delays or interruptions to our services, offerings and platform, as well as business interruptions for us and platform users. Furthermore, foreign governments may leverage their ability to shut down directed services, and local governments may shut down our platform at the routing level. Any of these events could damage our reputation, significantly disrupt our operations, and subject us to liability, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results. We have invested significant resources to develop new products to mitigate the impact of potential interruptions to mobile communications systems, which can be used by consumers in territories where mobile communications systems are less efficient. However, these products may ultimately be unsuccessful.
We may be subject to claims, lawsuits, government investigations and other proceedings that may adversely effect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may be subject to claims, lawsuits, arbitration proceedings, government investigations and other legal and regulatory proceedings as our business grows and as we deploy new offerings, including proceedings related to our products or our acquisitions, securities issuances or business practices. The results of any such claims, lawsuits, arbitration proceedings, government investigations or other legal or regulatory proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty. Any claims against us, whether meritorious or not, could be time-consuming, result in costly litigation, be harmful to our reputation, require significant management attention and divert significant resources. Determining reserves for litigation is a complex and fact-intensive process that requires significant subjective judgment and speculation. It is possible that such proceedings could result in substantial damages, settlement costs, fines and penalties that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. These proceedings could also result in harm to our reputation and brand, sanctions, consent decrees, injunctions or other orders requiring a change in our business practices. Any of these consequences could adversely effect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, under certain circumstances, we have contractual and other legal obligations to indemnify and to incur legal expenses on behalf of our business and commercial partners and current and former directors and officers.
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We may require additional funding to support our business.
To grow our business, FingerMotion currently looks to take advantage of the immense growth in the total variety of mobile services provided in China. The combined business revenue in the telecom sector rose 8% year on year to about USD232.43 billion in 2021, with the growth rate up 4.1 percentage point from 2020. (source: https://english.news.cn/20220201/da5fa2c2aa614d948e960e7776f84c76/c.html). For the Company to continue to grow, the deposit with the Telecoms needs to increase, as most of the revenue we process is dependent on the size of the deposit we have with each Telecom. For the Company to continue to grow, the deposit with the Telecoms needs to increase, as the GTV we process is dependent on the size of the deposit we have with each Telecom. We will likely need to raise additional capital to materially increase the amounts of these deposits. If we raise additional funds through the issuance of equity, equity-linked or debt securities, those securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of our common stock, and our existing stockholders may experience dilution. Any debt financing secured by us in the future could involve restrictive covenants relating to our capital-raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities. We cannot be certain that additional funding will be available to us on favorable terms, or at all. If we are unable to obtain adequate funding or funding on terms satisfactory to us, when we require it, our ability to continue to support our business growth and to respond to business challenges could be significantly limited, and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely effected.
Claims by others that we infringed their proprietary technology or other intellectual property rights could harm our business.
Companies in the Internet and technology industries are frequently subject to litigation based on allegations of infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. In addition, certain companies and rights holders seek to enforce and monetize patents or other intellectual property rights they own, have purchased or otherwise obtained. As we gain a public profile and the number of competitors in our market increases, the possibility of intellectual property rights claims against us grows. From time to time, third parties may assert claims of infringement of intellectual property rights against us. Many potential litigants, including some of our competitors and patent-holding companies, have the ability to dedicate substantial resources to assert their intellectual property rights. Any claim of infringement by a third party, even those without merit, could cause us to incur substantial costs defending against the claim, could distract our management from our business and could require us to cease use of such intellectual property. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, we risk compromising our confidential information during this type of litigation. We may be required to pay substantial damages, royalties or other fees in connection with a claimant securing a judgment against us, we may be subject to an injunction or other restrictions that prevent us from using or distributing our intellectual property, or we may agree to a settlement that prevents us from distributing our offerings or a portion thereof, which could adversely effect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
With respect to any intellectual property rights claim, we may have to seek out a license to continue operations found to be in violation of such rights, which may not be available on favorable or commercially reasonable terms and may significantly increase our operating expenses. Some licenses may be non-exclusive, and therefore our competitors may have access to the same technology licensed to us. If a third party does not offer us a license to its intellectual property on reasonable terms, or at all, we may be required to develop alternative, non-infringing technology, which could require significant time (during which we would be unable to continue to offer our affected offerings), effort and expense and may ultimately not be successful. Any of these events could adversely effect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Risks Related to Our Securities
Our stock has limited liquidity.
Our common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on December 28, 2021, and before that it traded on the OTCQX operated by OTC Markets Group Inc. Trading volume in our shares may be sporadic and the price could experience volatility. If adverse market conditions exist, you may have difficulty selling your shares.
The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control, including the following:
We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.
We have never declared nor paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain any future earnings to finance the operation and expansion of our business, and we do not expect to declare or pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. As a result, stockholders must rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation as the only way to realize any future gains on their investment.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the market price and trading volume of our common stock could decline.
The trading market for our common stock may depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us, our business, our market or our competition. The analysts’ estimates are based upon their own opinions and are often different from our estimates or expectations. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our common stock, provide a more favorable recommendation about our competitors or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the price of our securities would likely decline. If few securities analysts commence coverage of us, or if one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our securities could decrease, which might cause the price and trading volume of our common stock to decline.
The continued sale of our equity securities will dilute the ownership percentage of our existing shareholders and may decrease the market price for our common shares.
Our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, authorize the issuance of up to 200,000,000 shares of common stock and up to 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Our Board of Directors has the authority to issue additional shares of our capital stock to provide additional financing in the future and designate the rights of the preferred shares, which may include voting, dividend, distribution or other rights that are preferential to those held by the common stockholders. The issuance of any such common or preferred shares may result in a reduction of the book value or market price of our outstanding common shares. To grow our business substantially, we will likely have to issue additional equity securities to obtain working capital to deposit with the telecommunications companies for which we process mobile recharge payments. Our efforts to fund our intended business plans will therefore result in dilution to our existing stockholders. If we do issue any such additional common shares, such issuance also will cause a reduction in the proportionate ownership and voting power of all other stockholders. As a result of such dilution, if you acquire common shares your proportionate ownership interest and voting power could be decreased. Furthermore, any such issuances could result in a change of control or a reduction in the market price for our common shares.
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If we fail to maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting, our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements or comply with applicable regulations could be impaired.
As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “SOA”). The SOA requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. We are continuing to develop and refine our disclosure controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we will file with the SEC is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms and that information required to be disclosed in reports under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our principal executive and financial officers. We are also continuing to improve our internal control over financial reporting. We have expended, and anticipate that we will continue to expend, significant resources in order to maintain and improve the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting.
Our current controls and any new controls that we develop may become inadequate because of changes in the conditions in our business. Further, weaknesses in our disclosure controls or our internal control over financial reporting may be discovered in the future. Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls, or any difficulties encountered in their implementation or improvement, could harm our results of operations or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and may result in a restatement of our financial statements for prior periods. Any failure to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could also adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations and annual independent registered public accounting firm attestation reports regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting that we will eventually be required to include in our periodic reports that will be filed with the SEC. 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 adversely effect the market price of our common stock
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) sales practice requirements may also limit a stockholder’s ability to buy and sell our shares of common stock, which could depress the price of our shares of common stock.
FINRA rules require broker-dealers to have reasonable grounds for believing that the investment is suitable for a customer before recommending that investment to the customer. Prior to recommending speculative low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status, investment objectives, and other information. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability that speculative low-priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. Thus, if our shares of common stock become speculative low-priced securities, the FINRA requirements make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our shares of common stock, which may limit your ability to buy and sell our shares of common stock, have an adverse effect on the market for our shares of common stock, and thereby depress our price per share of common stock.
Our shares of common stock have been thinly traded, and you may be unable to sell at or near ask prices or at all if you need to sell your shares of common stock to raise money or otherwise desire to liquidate your shares.
Until December 28, 2021, our shares of common stock were quoted on the OTCQB/QX where they were “thinly-traded”, meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing our shares of common stock at or near bid prices at any given time was relatively small or non-existent. Since we listed on Nasdaq on December 28, 2021, the volume of our shares of common stock traded has increased, but that volume could decrease until we are thinly-traded again. Since we listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market on December 28, 2021, the volume of our shares of common stock traded has increased, but that volume could decrease until we are thinly-traded again. That could occur due to a number of factors, including that we are relatively unknown to stock analysts, stock brokers, institutional investors and others in the investment community that generate or influence sales volume, and that even if we came to the attention of such persons, they tend to be risk-averse and might be reluctant to follow an unproven company such as ours or purchase or recommend the purchase of our shares of common stock until such time as we became more seasoned. As a consequence, there may be periods of several days or more when trading activity in our shares of common stock is minimal or non-existent, as compared to a seasoned issuer which has a large and steady volume of trading activity that will generally support continuous sales without an adverse effect on share price. Broad or active public trading market for our shares of common stock may not develop or be sustained.
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Risks Related to the VIE Agreements
The PRC government may determine that the VIE Agreements are not in compliance with applicable PRC laws, rules and regulations
JiuGe Management manages and operates the mobile data business through JiuGe Technology pursuant to the rights its holds under the VIE Agreements. Almost all economic benefits and risks arising from JiuGe Technology’s operations are transferred to JiuGe Management under these agreements.
There are risks involved with the operation of our business in reliance on the VIE Agreements, including the risk that the VIE Agreements may be determined by PRC regulators or courts to be unenforceable. Our PRC counsel has advised us that the VIE Agreements are binding and enforceable under PRC law, but has further advised that if the VIE Agreements were for any reason determined to be in breach of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, the relevant regulatory authorities would have broad discretion in dealing with such breach, including:
Any of these actions could adversely affect our ability to manage, operate and gain the financial benefits of JiuGe Technology, which would have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, if the PRC government determines that the contractual arrangements constituting part of our VIE structure do not comply with PRC regulations, or if regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future, we may be unable to assert our contractual rights over the assets of our VIE, and our Common Shares may decline in value or become worthless.
Our ability to manage and operate JiuGe Technology under the VIE Agreements may not be as effective as direct ownership.
We conduct our mobile data business in the PRC and generate virtually all of our revenues through the VIE Agreements. Our plans for future growth are based substantially on growing the operations of JiuGe Technology. However, the VIE Agreements may not be as effective in providing us with control over JiuGe Technology as direct ownership. Under the current VIE arrangements, as a legal matter, if JiuGe Technology fails to perform its obligations under these contractual arrangements, we may have to (i) incur substantial costs and resources to enforce such arrangements, and (ii) rely on legal remedies under PRC law, which we cannot be sure would be effective. Therefore, if we are unable to effectively control JiuGe Technology, it may have an adverse effect on our ability to achieve our business objectives and grow our revenues.
The VIE Agreements have never been challenged or recognized in court for the time being, the PRC government may determine that the VIE Agreements are not in compliance with applicable PRC laws, rules and regulations.
The VIE Agreements are governed by the PRC law and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitral proceedings pursuant to PRC law. If JiuGe Technology or its shareholders fail to perform the obligations under the VIE Agreements, we would be required to resort to legal remedies available under PRC law, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, or claiming damages. We cannot be sure that such remedies would provide us with effective means of causing JiuGe Technology to meet its obligations or recovering any losses or damages as a result of non-performance. Further, the legal environment in China is not as developed as in other jurisdictions. Uncertainties in the application of various laws, rules, regulations or policies in PRC legal system could limit our liability to enforce the VIE Agreements and protect our interests.
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The payment arrangement under the VIE Agreements may be challenged by the PRC tax authorities.
We generate our revenues through the payments we receive pursuant to the VIE Agreements. We could face adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine that the VIE Agreements were not entered into based on arm’s length negotiations. For example, PRC tax authorities may adjust our income and expenses for PRC tax purposes which could result in our being subject to higher tax liability or cause other adverse financial consequences.
Shareholders of JiuGe Technology have potential conflicts of interest with our Company which may adversely effect our business.
Li Li is the legal representative and general manager, and also a shareholder of JiuGe Technology. There could be conflicts that arise from time to time between our interests and the interests of Ms. Li. There could also be conflicts that arise between us and JiuGe Technology that would require our shareholders and JiuGe Technology’s shareholders to vote on corporate actions necessary to resolve the conflict. There can be no assurance in any such circumstances that Ms. Li will vote her shares in our best interest or otherwise act in the best interests of our company. If Ms. Li fails to act in our best interests, our operating performance and future growth could be adversely effected.
We rely on the approval certificates and business license held by JiuGe Management and any deterioration of the relationship between JiuGe Management and JiuGe Technology could materially and adversely effect our business operations.
We operate our mobile data business in China on the basis of the approval certificates, business license and other requisite licenses held by JiuGe Management and JiuGe Technology. There is no assurance that JiuGe Management and JiuGe Technology will be able to renew their licenses or certificates when their terms expire with substantially similar terms as the ones they currently hold.
Further, our relationship with JiuGe Technology is governed by the VIE Agreements that are intended to provide us with effective control over the business operations of JiuGe Technology. However, the VIE Agreements may not be effective in providing control over the application for and maintenance of the licenses required for our business operations. JiuGe Technology could violate the VIE Agreements, go bankrupt, suffer from difficulties in its business or otherwise become unable to perform its obligations under the VIE Agreements and, as a result, our operations, reputations and business could be severely harmed.
If JiuGe Management exercises the purchase option it holds over JiuGe Technology’s share capital pursuant to the VIE Agreements, the payment of the purchase price could materially and adversely effect our financial position.
Under the VIE Agreements, JiuGe Technology’s shareholders have granted JiuGe Management an option for the maximum period of time permitted by law to purchase all of the equity interest in JiuGe Technology at a price equal to one dollar or the lowest applicable price allowable by PRC laws and regulations. As JiuGe Technology is already our contractually controlled affiliate, JiuGe Management’s exercising of the option would not bring immediate benefits to our company, and payment of the purchase prices could adversely effect our financial position.
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Risks Related to Doing Business in China
Changes in China’s political or economic situation could harm us and our operating results.
Economic reforms adopted by the Chinese government have had a positive effect on the economic development of the country, but the government could change these economic reforms or any of the legal systems at any time. This could either benefit or damage our operations and profitability. Some of the things that could have this effect are:
The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (the “OECD”), in many ways. For example, state-owned enterprises still constitute a large portion of the Chinese economy and weak corporate governance and a lack of flexible currency exchange policy still prevail in China. As a result of these differences, we may not develop in the same way or at the same rate as might be expected if the Chinese economy was similar to those of the OECD member countries.
Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could limit the legal protections available to you and us.
We conduct substantially all of our business through our operating subsidiary and affiliate in the PRC. Our principal operating subsidiary and affiliate, JiuGe Management and JiuGe Technology, are subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investments in China and, in particular, laws applicable to foreign-invested enterprises. The PRC legal system is based on written statutes, and prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value. Since 1979, a series of new PRC laws and regulations have significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China. However, since the PRC legal system continues to evolve rapidly, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties, which may limit legal protections available to you and us. In addition, any litigation in China may be protracted and result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. In addition, most of our executive officers and all of our directors are not residents of the United States, and substantially all the assets of these persons are located outside the United States. As a result, it could be difficult for investors to effect service of process in the United States or to enforce a judgment obtained in the United States against our Chinese operations, subsidiary and affiliate.
The current tensions in international trade and rising political tensions, particularly between the United States and China, may adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Recently there have been heightened tensions in international economic relations, such as the one between the United States and China. Political tensions between the United States and China have escalated due to, among other things, trade disputes, the COVID-19 outbreak, sanctions imposed by the U.S. Department of Treasury on certain officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the PRC central government and the executive orders issued by the U.S. government in November 2020 that prohibit certain transactions with certain China-based companies and their respective subsidiaries. Rising political tensions could reduce levels of trade, investments, technological exchanges, and other economic activities between the two major economies. Such tensions between the United States and China, and any escalation thereof, may have a negative impact on the general, economic, political, and social conditions in China and, in turn, adversely impacting our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Regulations were introduced which includes but not limited to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law which states that overseas securities regulatory authorities shall not carry out an investigation and evidence collection activities directly in China without the consent of the securities regulatory authority of the State Council and the relevant State Council department(s). It further defines that no organization or individual shall provide the documents and materials relating to securities business activities to overseas parties arbitrarily. With this regulation in force, it may result in delays by the Company to fulfill any request to provide relevant documents or materials by the regulatory authorities or in the worst-case scenario that the Company would not be able to fulfill the request if the approval from the regulatory authority of the State Council and the relevant State Council department(s) were rejected.
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You may have difficulty enforcing judgments against us.
We are a Delaware holding company, but Finger Motion (CN) Limited is a Hong Kong company, and our principal operating affiliate and subsidiary, JiuGe Technology and JiuGe Management, are located in the PRC. Most of our assets are located outside the United States and most of our current operations are conducted in the PRC. In addition, most of our directors and officers are nationals and residents of countries other than the United States. A substantial portion of the assets of these persons is located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for you to effect service of process within the United States upon these persons. It may also be difficult for you to enforce in U.S. courts judgments predicated on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us and our officers and directors, most of whom are not residents in the United States and the substantial majority of whose assets are located outside the United States. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the PRC would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts. The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. Courts in China may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other arrangements that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments with the United States. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, courts in the PRC will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our directors and officers if they decide that the judgment violates basic principles of PRC law or national sovereignty, security or the public interest. Therefore, it is uncertain whether a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States.
The PRC government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities.
The PRC government has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. Our ability to operate in China may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, import and export tariffs, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. We believe that our operations in China are in material compliance with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements. However, the central or local governments of the jurisdictions in which we operate may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our part to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations.
Accordingly, government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally planned economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant effect on economic conditions in China or particular regions thereof and could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in Chinese properties or joint ventures.
The PRC government may exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers.
Recent statements by the PRC government indicate an intent to take actions to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers. On February 17, 2023, the CSRC promulgated Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (the “Overseas Listing Trial Measures”) and five relevant guidelines, which became effective on March 31, 2023. The Overseas Listing Trial Measures regulate both direct and indirect overseas offering and listing of PRC domestic companies’ securities by adopting a filing-based regulatory regime. According to the Overseas Listing Trial Measures, if the issuer meets both the following conditions, the overseas securities offering and listing conducted by such issuer will be determined as indirect overseas offering, which shall subject to the filing procedure set forth under the Overseas Listing Trial Measures: (i) 50% or more of the issuer’s operating revenue, total profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated financial statements for the most recent accounting year is accounted for by domestic companies; and (ii) the main parts of the issuer’s business activities are conducted in mainland China, or its main places of business are located in mainland China, or the senior managers in charge of its business operations and management are mostly Chinese citizens or domiciled in mainland China. Where an abovementioned issuer submits an application for an initial public offering to competent overseas regulators, such issuer shall file with the CSRC within three business days after such application is submitted. Where a domestic company fails to fulfill filing procedure or in violation of the provisions as stipulated above, in respect of its overseas offering and listing, the CSRC shall order rectification, issue warnings to such domestic company, and impose a fine ranging from RMB1,000,000 to RMB10,000,000. Also the directly liable persons and actual controllers of the domestic company that organize or instruct the aforementioned violations shall be warned and/or imposed fines.
Also on February 17, 2023, the CSRC also held a press conference for the release of the Overseas Listing Trial Measures and issued the Notice on Administration for the Filing of Overseas Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, which, among others, clarifies that the domestic companies that have already been listed overseas on or before the effective date of the Overseas Listing Trial Measures (March 31, 2023) shall be deemed as “stock enterprises”. Stock enterprises are not required to complete the filling procedures immediately, and they shall be required to file with the CSRC when subsequent matters such as refinancing are involved.
If we offer new securities in the future, we may have to file with the CSRC, which could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and could cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
Future inflation in China may inhibit our ability to conduct business in China.
In recent years, the Chinese economy has experienced periods of rapid expansion and highly fluctuating rates of inflation. During the past ten years, the rate of inflation in China has been as high as 20.7% and as low as -2.2%. These factors have led to the adoption by the Chinese government, from time to time, of various corrective measures designed to restrict the availability of credit or regulate growth and contain inflation. High inflation may in the future cause the Chinese government to impose controls on credit and/or prices, or to take other action, which could inhibit economic activity in China, and thereby harm the market for our products and our company.
Capital outflow policies in the PRC may hamper our ability to remit income to the United States.
The PRC has adopted currency and capital transfer regulations. These regulations may require that we comply with complex regulations for the movement of capital and as a result we may not be able to remit all income earned and proceeds received in connection with our operations or from the sale of one of our operating subsidiaries to the U.S. or to our shareholders.
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Adverse regulatory developments in China may subject us to additional regulatory review, and additional disclosure requirements and regulatory scrutiny to be adopted by the SEC in response to risks related to recent regulatory developments in China may impose additional compliance requirements for companies like us with significant China-based operations, all of which could increase our compliance costs, subject us to additional disclosure requirements.
The recent regulatory developments in China, in particular with respect to restrictions on China-based companies raising capital offshore, may lead to additional regulatory review in China over our financing and capital raising activities in the United States. In addition, we may be subject to industry-wide regulations that may be adopted by the relevant PRC authorities, which may have the effect of limiting our service offerings, restricting the scope of our operations in China, or causing the suspension or termination of our business operations in China entirely, all of which will materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We may have to adjust, modify, or completely change our business operations in response to adverse regulatory changes or policy developments, and we cannot assure you that any remedial action adopted by us can be completed in a timely, cost-efficient, or liability-free manner or at all.
On July 30, 2021, in response to the recent regulatory developments in China and actions adopted by the PRC government, the Chairman of the SEC issued a statement asking the SEC staff to seek additional disclosures from offshore issuers associated with China-based operating companies before their registration statements will be declared effective. On August 1, 2021, the CSRC stated in a statement that it had taken note of the new disclosure requirements announced by the SEC regarding the listings of Chinese companies and the recent regulatory development in China, and that both countries should strengthen communications on regulating China-related issuers. On August 1, 2021, the China Securities Regulatory Commission stated in a statement that it had taken note of the new disclosure requirements announced by the SEC regarding the listings of Chinese companies and the recent regulatory development in China, and that both countries should strengthen communications on regulating China-related issuers. We cannot guarantee that we will not be subject to tightened regulatory review and we could be exposed to government interference in China.
Compliance with China’s new Data Security Law, Measures on Cybersecurity Review (revised draft for public consultation), Personal Information Protection Law (second draft for consultation), regulations and guidelines relating to the multi-level protection scheme and any other future laws and regulations may entail significant expenses and could materially effect our business.
China has implemented or will implement rules and is considering a number of additional proposals relating to data protection. China’s new Data Security Law promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China in June 2021, or the Data Security Law, took effect in September 2021. The Data Security Law provides that the data processing activities must be conducted based on “data classification and hierarchical protection system” for the purpose of data protection and prohibits entities in China from transferring data stored in China to foreign law enforcement agencies or judicial authorities without prior approval by the Chinese government. As a result of the new Data Security Law, we may need to make adjustments to our data processing practices to comply with this law.
Additionally, China’s Cyber Security Law, requires companies to take certain organizational, technical and administrative measures and other necessary measures to ensure the security of their networks and data stored on their networks. Specifically, the Cyber Security Law provides that China adopt a multi-level protection scheme (MLPS), under which network operators are required to perform obligations of security protection to ensure that the network is free from interference, disruption or unauthorized access, and prevent network data from being disclosed, stolen or tampered. Under the MLPS, entities operating information systems must have a thorough assessment of the risks and the conditions of their information and network systems to determine the level to which the entity’s information and network systems belong-from the lowest Level 1 to the highest Level 5 pursuant to the Measures for the Graded Protection and the Guidelines for Grading of Classified Protection of Cyber Security. The grading result will determine the set of security protection obligations that entities must comply with. Entities classified as Level 2 or above should report the grade to the relevant government authority for examination and approval.
Recently, the Cyberspace Administration of China (the “CAC”) has taken action against several Chinese internet companies in connection with their initial public offerings on U.S. securities exchanges, for alleged national security risks and improper collection and use of the personal information of Chinese data subjects. According to the official announcement, the action was initiated based on the National Security Law, the Cyber Security Law and the Measures on Cybersecurity Review, which are aimed at “preventing national data security risks, maintaining national security and safeguarding public interests.” On July 10, 2021, the CAC published a revised draft of the Measures on Cybersecurity Review, expanding the cybersecurity review to data processing operators in possession of personal information of over 1 million users if the operators intend to list their securities in a foreign country.” On July 10, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China published a revised draft of the Measures on Cybersecurity Review, expanding the cybersecurity review to data processing operators in possession of personal information of over 1 million users if the operators intend to list their securities in a foreign country.
It is unclear at the present time how widespread the cybersecurity review requirement and the enforcement action will be and what effect they will have on the telecommunications sector generally and the Company in particular. China’s regulators may impose penalties for non-compliance ranging from fines or suspension of operations, and this could lead to us delisting from the U.S. stock market.
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Also, on November 20, 2021, the National People’s Congress passed the Personal Information Protection Law, which was implemented on November 1, 2021. The law creates a comprehensive set of data privacy and protection requirements that apply to the processing of personal information and expands data protection compliance obligations to cover the processing of personal information of persons by organizations and individuals in China, and the processing of personal information of persons in China outside of China if such processing is for purposes of providing products and services to, or analyzing and evaluating the behavior of, persons in China. The law also proposes that critical information infrastructure operators and personal information processing entities who process personal information meeting a volume threshold to-be-set by Chinese cyberspace regulators are also required to store in China personal information generated or collected in China, and to pass a security assessment administered by Chinese cyberspace regulators for any export of such personal information. Lastly, the draft contains proposals for significant fines for serious violations of up to RMB 50 million or 5% of annual revenues from the prior year.
Interpretation, application and enforcement of these laws, rules and regulations evolve from time to time and their scope may continually change, through new legislation, amendments to existing legislation and changes in enforcement. Compliance with the Cyber Security Law and the Data Security Law could significantly increase the cost to us of providing our service offerings, require significant changes to our operations or even prevent us from providing certain service offerings in jurisdictions in which we currently operate or in which we may operate in the future. Despite our efforts to comply with applicable laws, regulations and other obligations relating to privacy, data protection and information security, it is possible that our practices, offerings or platform could fail to meet all of the requirements imposed on us by the Cyber Security Law, the Data Security Law and/or related implementing regulations. Any failure on our part to comply with such law or regulations or any other obligations relating to privacy, data protection or information security, or any compromise of security that results in unauthorized access, use or release of personally identifiable information or other data, or the perception or allegation that any of the foregoing types of failure or compromise has occurred, could damage our reputation, discourage new and existing counterparties from contracting with us or result in investigations, fines, suspension or other penalties by Chinese government authorities and private claims or litigation, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Even if our practices are not subject to legal challenge, the perception of privacy concerns, whether or not valid, may harm our reputation and brand and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, the legal uncertainty created by the Data Security Law and the recent Chinese government actions could materially adversely effect our ability, on favorable terms, to raise capital, including engaging in follow-on offerings of our securities in the U.S. market
Restrictions on currency exchange may limit our ability to receive and use our revenues effectively.
The majority of our revenues will be settled in Chinese Renminbi (RMB), and any future restrictions on currency exchanges may limit our ability to use revenue generated in RMB to fund any future business activities outside China or to make dividend or other payments in U.S. dollars. Although the Chinese government introduced regulations in 1996 to allow greater convertibility of the RMB for current account transactions, significant restrictions still remain, including primarily the restriction that foreign-invested enterprises may only buy, sell or remit foreign currencies after providing valid commercial documents, at those banks in China authorized to conduct foreign exchange business. In addition, conversion of RMB for capital account items, including direct investment and loans, is subject to governmental approval in China, and companies are required to open and maintain separate foreign exchange accounts for capital account items. We cannot be certain that the Chinese regulatory authorities will not impose more stringent restrictions on the convertibility of the RMB.
Fluctuations in exchange rates could adversely effect our business and the value of our securities.
The value of our common stock will be indirectly affected by the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollars and RMB and between those currencies and other currencies in which our sales may be denominated. Appreciation or depreciation in the value of the RMB relative to the U.S. dollar would affect our financial results reported in U.S. dollar terms without giving effect to any underlying change in our business or results of operations. Fluctuations in the exchange rate will also affect the relative value of any dividend we issue that will be exchanged into U.S. dollars as well as earnings from, and the value of, any U.S. dollar-denominated investments we make in the future.
Since July 2005, the RMB is no longer pegged to the U.S. dollar. Although the People’s Bank of China regularly intervenes in the foreign exchange market to prevent significant short-term fluctuations in the exchange rate, the RMB may appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the medium to long term. Moreover, it is possible that in the future PRC authorities may lift restrictions on fluctuations in the RMB exchange rate and lessen intervention in the foreign exchange market.
Very limited hedging transactions are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. To date, we have not entered into any hedging transactions. While we may enter into hedging transactions in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these transactions may be limited, and we may not be able to successfully hedge our exposure at all. In addition, our foreign currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert RMB into foreign currencies.
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Restrictions under PRC law on our PRC subsidiary’s ability to make dividends and other distributions could materially and adversely affect our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could benefit our business, pay dividends to our shareholders, and otherwise fund and conduct our businesses.
Substantially all of our revenue is earned by JiuGe Management, our PRC subsidiary. PRC regulations restrict the ability of our PRC subsidiary to make dividends and other payments to its offshore parent company. PRC legal restrictions permit payments of dividends by our PRC subsidiary only out of its accumulated after-tax profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. Our PRC subsidiary is also required under PRC laws and regulations to allocate at least 10% of our annual after-tax profits determined in accordance with PRC GAAP to a statutory general reserve fund until the amounts in said fund reaches 50% of our registered capital. Allocations to these statutory reserve funds can only be used for specific purposes and are not transferable to us in the form of loans, advances or cash dividends. Any limitations on the ability of our PRC subsidiary to transfer funds to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends and otherwise fund and conduct our business.
PRC regulation of loans and direct investment by offshore holding companies to PRC entities may delay or prevent us from making loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary and affiliated entities, which could harm our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.
As an offshore holding company of our PRC subsidiary, we may (i) make loans to our PRC subsidiary and affiliated entities, (ii) make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary, (iii) establish new PRC subsidiaries and make capital contributions to these new PRC subsidiaries, and (iv) acquire offshore entities with business operations in China in an offshore transaction. However, most of these uses are subject to PRC regulations and approvals. For example:
● | loans by us to our wholly-owned subsidiary in China, which is a foreign-invested enterprise, cannot exceed statutory limits and must be registered with the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the PRC (the “SAFE”) or its local counterparts; |
● | loans by |