606 – 999 Canada Place
Vancouver, BC V6C 3E1
Canada
(604) 689-8765​

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

Robert Friedland
Chief Executive Officer
Ivanhoe Electric Inc.
606 – 999 Canada Place
Vancouver, BC V6C 3E1
Canada
(604) 689-8765​

Corporation Service Company
251 Little Falls Drive
Wilmington, Delaware 19808
(302) 636-5401​

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until this Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

The information contained in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

 

prospectus is an offer to sell only the shares offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this prospectus, any amendment or supplement to this prospectus or any applicable free writing prospectus is current only as of its date, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus, any amendment or supplement to this prospectus or any applicable free writing prospectus or any sale of the shares. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since such date.

MARKET AND INDUSTRY DATA AND FORECASTS

This prospectus includes market and industry data and forecasts that we have developed from independent research reports, publicly available information, various industry publications, other published industry sources or our internal data and estimates. Independent research reports, industry publications and other published industry sources generally indicate that the information contained therein was obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but do not guarantee the accuracy and completeness of such information. Although we believe that the publications and reports are reliable, neither we nor the underwriters have independently verified the data. Our internal data, estimates and forecasts are based on information obtained from trade and business organizations and other contacts in the markets in which we operate and our management’s understanding of industry conditions. Although we believe that such information is reliable, we have not had such information verified by any independent sources.

ii

 

 

2

 

3

 

4

 

Santa Cruz Location Relative to Other Major Copper Mines

Santa Cruz Mineral Resource Estimate(1)
(Santa Cruz Deposit 2021, 0.39% Total Cu cut-off grade), December 8, 2021

Domain

​

​

Classification

​

​

Tonnes

​

​

Total Cu %

​

​

Total Soluble Cu %(2)

​

​

Total Cu Tonnes

​

​

Acid Soluble Cu Tonnes

​

Total

​

​

​

​

Indicated

​

​

​

​

​

274,000,000

​

​

​

​

​

0.93

​

​

​

​

​

0.25

​

​

​

​

​

2,539,000

​

​

​

​

​

684,000

​

​

Total

​

​

​

​

Inferred

​

​

​

​

​

248,754,000

​

​

​

​

​

0.91

​

​

​

​

​

0.44

​

​

​

​

​

2,255,000

​

​

​

​

​

1,085,000

​

​

​

5

 

6

 

7

 

8

 

9

 

10

 

11

 

Name	​	​	Title	​	​	Experience	​
Eric Finlayson	​	​	President	​	​	• Geologist with almost 40 years of global multi-commodity experience and extensive industry contacts ​ • Served as Senior Advisor, Business Development from 2013 until 2015 of HPX before being appointed to President of Ivanhoe Electric in 2020 ​ • Previously, spent 24 years with Rio Tinto, including 5 years as Global Head of Exploration ​ • Led teams at Rio Tinto responsible for discovery of major copper, nickel, iron ore, bauxite and diamond deposits ​	​
Charles Forster	​	​	SVP, Exploration	​	​	• Professional geoscientist with more than 45 years of diversified mineral exploration in Canada, the United States, Sub-Saharan Africa, Portugal, China, and Mongolia ​ • Formerly, SVP Exploration at Oyu Tolgoi in Mongolia for Ivanhoe Mines ​ • Led a team of multi-national and Mongolian geologists in the discovery and delineation of the world-class Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold porphyry deposit ​	​
Mark Gibson	​	​	COO	​	​	• Professional geoscientist with more than 32 years of wide-ranging experience as a geoscientist and manager in the natural resources sector ​ • Joined HPX in 2011 as the founding CEO ​ • Held previous positions at Anglo American and founded a geophysical services company focused on managing seismic surveys ​	​
Graham Boyd	​	​	VP, U.S. Projects	​	​	• Geologist with over 16 years of base and precious metals experience ​ • Held various senior roles at HPX and several Ivanhoe companies ​ • Worked with Ivanhoe Australia in 2008, where he was part of the discovery team for Merlin, the world’s highest-grade molybdenum-rhenium deposit ​ • A key contributor to delineation and resource development of the Mount Dore Cu, and Mt Elliott-SWAN Cu-Au deposits ​	​
Glen Kuntz	​	​	Chief Technical and Innovation Officer	​	​	• Professional geologist and mining executive with over 30 years of experience in exploration, project development, open pit and underground mining operations and business development across a variety of commodities and mining types/methods ​ • Formerly director of exploration projects at Yamana Gold Inc. (“Yamana Gold”) ​ • Formerly President and CEO of Mega Precious Metals Inc., a successful junior exploration company, which was acquired by Yamana Gold ​ • Managed over 200 technical studies on various projects and mines around the world over the past 10 years ​	​

12

 

13

 

14

 

15

 

16

 

 

​

18

 

​

19

 

20

 

​

21

 

Assumed Initial Public Offering Price per Share

​

​

Shares Issuable Upon Conversion of Our Outstanding Series 1 Convertible Notes(1)

​

​

Shares Issuable Upon Conversion of Our Outstanding Series 2 Convertible Notes(2)

​

​

Shares Issuable to CAR Upon closing of this Offering(3)

​

​

Shares Outstanding After this Offering

​

$11.75

​

​

​

​

5,419,950

​

​

​

​

​

8,209,038

​

​

​

​

​

945,626

​

​

​

​

​

92,887,948

​

​

$12.12

​

​

​

​

5,419,950

​

​

​

​

​

7,958,432

​

​

​

​

​

916,758

​

​

​

​

​

92,608,474

​

​

$12.50

​

​

​

​

5,419,950

​

​

​

​

​

7,716,496

​

​

​

​

​

888,888

​

​

​

​

​

92,338,668

​

​

​

​

22

 

 

discovery of commercially mineable Ore deposits, and anticipated levels of recovery of mineral resources and mineral reserves, if any, may not be realized, nor may any identified mineral deposit ever qualify as a commercially mineable (or viable) Ore Body which can be legally and economically exploited. Our exploration programs and activities may not result in the discovery, development or production of a commercially viable Ore Body or mine.

Estimates of mineral reserves, mineral resources, mineral deposits and production costs can also be affected by such factors as environmental permitting regulations and requirements, weather, environmental factors, unforeseen technical difficulties, the metallurgy of the mineralization forming the mineral deposit, unusual or unexpected geological formations and work interruptions. If current exploration programs do not result in the discovery of commercial Ore Bodies, we may need to write-off part or all of our investment in our existing exploration stage properties, and may need to acquire additional properties.

We have no history of mineral production and may never engage in mineral production.

We currently have no operating mines, nor do we have any interest in any mining operations. All of our mineral projects are at the exploration stage and have never been mined by us nor have we produced any revenue from mining operations. We also have no operating history upon which to base estimates of future operating costs, capital spending requirements, site remediation costs or asset retirement obligations. Our company has no experience in developing or operating a mine. We may never be able to develop and produce minerals from a commercially viable Ore Body or mine.

We have a history of negative operating cash flows and net losses and we may never achieve or sustain profitability.

We have a history of negative operating cash flows and net losses. We expect to continue to incur negative operating cash flows and net losses until such time as one or more of our mineral projects or other businesses generates sufficient revenues to fund our continuing operations. For the three months ended March 31, 2022 and for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, we had a net loss of $17.7 million, $68.5 million, $29.9 million and $28.7 million respectively, and negative cash flows from operating activities of $14.6 million, $47.8 million, $23.0 million and $23.0 million respectively. Given our history of negative operating cash flows and net losses, and expected future negative operating cash flows from operating activities and net losses, we expect to use the proceeds from this offering to fund our continuing operations. See “Use of Proceeds.”

We may never achieve or sustain profitability. In addition, we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other unknown factors that may adversely affect our ability to generate revenues and profitability. Our failure to achieve or sustain profitability could depress our market value, could impair our ability to execute our business plan, raise capital, explore or develop our mineral projects or continue our operations, and could cause our stockholders to lose all or part of their investment.

The mineral resource calculations made at our material projects and other projects are only estimates and may not reflect the amount of minerals that may ultimately be extracted from those projects.

Any figures presented for mineral resources in this prospectus and those which may be presented in the future are and will only be estimates and depend on geological interpretation and statistical inferences or assumptions drawn from drilling and sampling analysis, which might prove to be materially inaccurate. There is a degree of uncertainty attributable to the calculation of mineral resources. Until mineral resources are actually mined and processed, the quantity of metal and grades are considered as estimates only and the estimated levels of metals contained within such mineral resource estimates may not actually be produced.

The estimation of mineral resources (as well as mineral reserves) is a subjective process that is partially dependent upon the judgment of the persons preparing the estimates. The process relies on the quantity and quality of available data and is based on knowledge, mining experience, statistical analysis of drilling results and industry practices. Valid estimates made at a given time may significantly change when new information becomes available.

Mineral resource estimates may change adversely and such changes may negatively impact the viability of developing a mineral project into a mine.

Estimated mineral resources (and mineral reserves) may have to be recalculated based on changes in commodity prices, further exploration or development activity, loss or change in permits or actual production

24

 

experience. Such changes could materially and adversely affect estimates of the volume or grade of mineralization, estimated Recovery Rates or other important factors that influence mineral resource estimates. The extent to which our mineral resources may ultimately be reclassified as mineral reserves depends on the demonstration of their profitable recovery and economic mineability.

In addition, mineral resource estimates have been determined and valued based on assumed future metal prices, cut-off grades and operating costs that may prove to be inaccurate. Extended declines in the market price for minerals such as copper, gold, silver, nickel, cobalt, vanadium and platinum group elements may render portions of our mineralization uneconomic and result in reduced reported volume and grades, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our financial performance, financial position and results of operations, as well as a reduction in the amount of mineral resources. In addition, Inferred Mineral Resources have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and their economic and legal feasibility. You should not assume that any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will be upgraded to a higher category or that any of the mineral resources will be reclassified as mineral reserves. In addition, it may not be possible to economically mine or process any of our mineral resources.

Material changes in mineral resources, if any, grades, stripping ratios or Recovery Rates may affect the economic viability of any project. Our future growth and productivity will depend, in part, on our ability to develop and maintain commercially mineable mineral rights at our existing properties or identify and acquire other commercially mineable mineral rights, and on the costs and results of continued exploration and potential development programs.

Lack of reliability and inaccuracies of historical information could hinder our exploration plans.

We have relied on, and the disclosure in the Santa Cruz and Tintic Technical Reports is based, in part, upon historical data compiled by previous parties involved with our mining projects. To the extent that any of such historical data is inaccurate or incomplete, our exploration plans may be adversely affected. Capital and operating cost estimates made in respect of our exploration and mining projects may not prove accurate. Capital and operating costs are estimated based on the interpretation of geological data, feasibility studies, anticipated climatic conditions and other factors. Any of the following events, among the other events and uncertainties described in this prospectus, could affect the ultimate accuracy of such estimates: unanticipated changes in grade and tonnage of mineralized material to be mined and processed; incorrect data on which engineering assumptions are made; delays in construction schedules; unanticipated transportation costs; the accuracy of major equipment and construction cost estimates; labor negotiations; changes in government regulation (including regulations regarding prices, cost of consumables, royalties, duties, taxes, permitting and restrictions or production quotas on exportation of minerals) and title claims. Failure to accurately project such expenses could adversely affect our ability to continue our exploration plans.

We have an interest in mineral reserves only at the San Matias project and we may never define further mineral reserves.

Mineral reserves represent mineralization that has been determined to be economically mineable as determined by at least a pre-Feasibility Study or feasibility level study. Such studies demonstrate that, at the time of reporting, extraction could reasonably be economically justified. Other than at the San Matias project, we do not have any mineral projects that host mineral reserves and accordingly, we do not have any Ore that is demonstrated to be economically viable to extract. We may never be able to define further mineral reserve at any of our mineral projects.

The prices of the minerals we are principally exploring for (copper, gold, silver, nickel, cobalt, vanadium and platinum group elements) change on a daily basis, and a substantial or extended decline in the prices of these minerals could materially and adversely affect our ability to raise capital, conduct exploration activities, and develop or operate a mine.

Our business and financial performance will be significantly affected by fluctuations in the prices of the key minerals we are principally exploring for (copper, gold, silver, nickel, cobalt, vanadium and platinum group elements). The prices of these minerals are volatile, can fluctuate substantially and are affected by numerous factors that are beyond our control, including prevailing interest rates and returns on other asset classes; expectations regarding inflation, monetary policy and currency values; speculative activities;

25

 

governmental and foreign exchange rate decisions; decisions regarding the creation and disposal of mineral stockpiles; political and economic conditions; structural changes in demand including electrification; the availability and costs of metal substitutes; the location and the demand for products containing these key minerals; technological changes and changes in industrial processes, as well as economic slow-downs or recessions.

We cannot predict the effect of these factors on mineral prices. Significant and/or prolonged reductions in prices for these minerals would materially and adversely affect our ability to raise capital, and if not considered viable for exploration activities, would cause us to delay, halt or stop exploration and development activities altogether. If we are operating a producing mine at the time of such reduction, we would expect to suffer decreasing revenues and profitability which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Significant and/or prolonged increase in prices for these minerals may decrease the demand for these minerals and increase the demand for substitute minerals. A fall in demand could also decrease the price for these minerals, thereby reducing the attractiveness of conducting exploration activities for these minerals. A fall in demand may also adversely affect our ability to raise capital and develop or operate a mine. In addition, an increase in worldwide supply, and consequent downward pressure on prices, may result over the longer term from increased mineral production from mines developed or expanded as a result of current metal price levels.

We do not own the majority of the mineral subsurface and surface rights at the Santa Cruz and the Tintic Projects.

At our Santa Cruz Project in Arizona and our Tintic Project in Utah, we only own a small portion of the subsurface mineral and surface rights. The majority of such rights are held under option agreements or purchase agreements in respect of which title has not yet transferred to us. At the Santa Cruz Project, the majority of subsurface mineral rights are owned by one company, and the surface rights are predominantly owned by a different company. At the Tintic Project, five vendors continue to hold title to the majority of subsurface and surface rights pending us making all required payments within the time required. If we do not make all the option or purchase agreement payments when due, or fail to pay the total amount to the owners, we will lose our right to acquire the subsurface mineral or surface rights at these projects.

With respect to surface rights at the Santa Cruz Project, most of the surface rights are owned by a company with whom we have a surface rights access agreement that grants us the right to above-ground, noninvasive, geophysical testing as well as drilling activities. Our access agreement with the owner of the surface rights does not permit us to conduct any mining or processing activities at the Santa Cruz Project, and expires on August 3, 2024, although we may extend the agreement for one further year by paying the surface rights owner $920,000. If the surface rights agreement is not extended and terminates, we will not have any rights to access the surface at the Santa Cruz Project, which would materially and adversely impact our ability to conduct exploration activities and prevent us from developing a mine. Even if the surface rights agreement is extended, it does not provide us with sufficient rights to engage in mine development or mining operations, and without either acquiring the surface rights or obtaining an expansion of the types of activities we can undertake from the surface rights owner, we will not be able to develop a mine at the Santa Cruz Project. See “Business — “Material and Key Mineral Projects — Santa Cruz Project, Arizona, USA”.

At times, the owners of subsurface mineral and surface rights may be unable or unwilling to fulfill their contractual obligations to us. In addition, our option agreements and purchase agreements are often complex and may be subject to interpretation or uncertainties. The owners of subsurface mineral and surface rights and other counterparties may interpret our interests in a manner adverse to us. For these or other reasons, we could be forced to expend resources or take legal action to enforce our contractual rights. We may not be successful in enforcing our contractual rights. We may also need to expend significant monetary and human resources to defend our position. Such disputes to enforce our contractual rights could have adverse effects on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Actual capital costs, operating costs, production and economic returns may differ significantly from those we have anticipated and future development activities may not result in profitable mining operations.

The actual operating costs at any mineral project that we are able to develop into an operating mine will depend upon changes in the availability and prices of labor, equipment and infrastructure, variances in Ore

26

 

recovery and mining rates from those assumed in any mining plan that may be generated, operational risks, changes in governmental regulation, including taxation, environmental, permitting and other regulations and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. Due to any of these or other factors, the operating costs at any such future mine may be significantly higher than those set forth in the prefeasibility or Feasibility Study we may ultimately prepare and will use as a basis for construction of a mine. As a result of higher capital and operating costs, production and economic returns may differ significantly from those set forth in such studies and any future development activities may not result in profitable mining operations.

We are or will be required to obtain, maintain and renew environmental, construction and mining permits, which is often a costly and time-consuming process and ultimately may not be possible to achieve.

Mineral exploration and mining companies, including ours, need many environmental, construction and mining permits, each of which can be time-consuming and costly to obtain, maintain and renew, and which become more numerous as activities advance from exploration to mine development and construction and finally to mining operations.

In connection with our exploration activities and future mine development and operations, we must obtain and maintain a number of permits that impose strict conditions, requirements and obligations, including those relating to various environmental and health and safety matters. To obtain, maintain and renew certain permits, we have been and may in the future be required to conduct environmental studies, and make associated presentations to governmental authorities pertaining to the potential impact of our current and future activities upon the environment and to take steps to avoid or mitigate those impacts. Permit terms and conditions can impose restrictions on how we conduct our activities and limit our flexibility in exploring our mineral projects and in how we may develop them into mines in the future.

Many of our permits are subject to renewal from time to time, and applications for renewal may be denied or the renewed permits may contain more restrictive conditions than our existing permits, including those governing impacts on the environment. We may be required to obtain new permits to expand our activities, and the grant of such permits may be subject to an expansive governmental review of our operations.

We may not be successful in obtaining such permits, which could prevent us from commencing, continuing or expanding operations or otherwise adversely affect our business. Renewal of existing permits or obtaining new permits may be more difficult if we are not able to comply with our existing permits. Applications for permits, permit area expansions and permit renewals can also be subject to challenge by interested parties, which can delay or prevent receipt of needed permits. The permitting process can vary by jurisdiction in terms of its complexity and likely outcomes. The applicable laws and regulations, and the related judicial interpretations and enforcement policies change frequently, which can make it difficult for us to obtain and renew permits and to comply with applicable requirements. Accordingly, permits required for our activities may not be issued, maintained or renewed in a timely fashion or at all, may be issued or renewed upon conditions that restrict our ability to conduct our operations economically, or may be subsequently revoked. Any such failure to obtain, maintain or renew permits, or other permitting delays or conditions, including in connection with any environmental impact analyses, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We are subject to environmental and health and safety laws, regulations and permits that may subject us to material costs, liabilities and obligations.

We are subject to environmental laws, regulations and permits in the various jurisdictions in which we operate, including those relating to, among other things, the removal and extraction of natural resources, the emission and discharge of materials into the environment, including plant and wildlife protection, remediation of soil and groundwater contamination, reclamation and closure of properties, including Tailings and waste storage facilities, groundwater quality and availability, and the handling, storage, transport and disposal of wastes and hazardous materials. Pursuant to such requirements, we may be subject to inspections or reviews by governmental authorities. Failure to comply with these environmental requirements may expose us to litigation, fines or other sanctions, including the revocation of permits and suspension of operations. We expect to continue to incur significant capital and other compliance costs related to such requirements. These laws, regulations and permits, and the enforcement and interpretation thereof, change frequently and generally have become more stringent over time. If our noncompliance with such regulations were to result in a release

27

 

of hazardous materials into the environment, such as soil or groundwater, we could be required to remediate such contamination, which could be costly. Moreover, noncompliance could subject us to private claims for property damage or personal injury based on exposure to hazardous materials or unsafe working conditions. In addition, changes in applicable requirements or stricter interpretation of existing requirements may result in costly compliance requirements or otherwise subject us to future liabilities. The occurrence of any of the foregoing, as well as any new environmental, health and safety laws and regulations applicable to our business or stricter interpretation or enforcement of existing laws and regulations, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We also could be liable for any environmental contamination at, under or released from our or our predecessors’ currently or formerly owned or operated properties or third-party waste disposal sites. Certain environmental laws impose joint and several strict liability for releases of hazardous substances at such properties or sites, without regard to fault or the legality of the original conduct. A generator of waste can be held responsible for contamination resulting from the treatment or disposal of such waste at any off-site location (such as a landfill), regardless of whether the generator arranged for the treatment or disposal of the waste in compliance with applicable laws. Costs associated with liability for removal or remediation of contamination or damage to natural resources could be substantial and liability under these laws may attach without regard to whether the responsible party knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of the contaminants. Accordingly, we may be held responsible for more than our share of the contamination or other damages, up to and including the entire amount of such damages. In addition to potentially significant investigation and remediation costs, such matters can give rise to claims from governmental authorities and other third parties, including for orders, inspections, fines or penalties, natural resource damages, personal injury, property damage, toxic torts and other damages.

Our costs, liabilities and obligations relating to environmental matters could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations.

Land reclamation and mine closure may be burdensome and costly.

Land reclamation and mine closure requirements are generally imposed on mineral exploration companies, such as ours, which require us, among other things, to minimize the effects of land disturbance. Such requirements may include controlling the discharge of potentially dangerous effluents from a site and restoring a site’s landscape to its pre-exploration form. The actual costs of reclamation and mine closure are uncertain and planned expenditures may differ from the actual expenditures required. Therefore, the amount that we are required to spend could be materially higher than any current or future estimates. Any additional amounts required to be spent on reclamation and mine closure may have a material adverse effect on our financial performance, financial position and results of operations and may cause us to alter our operations. In addition, we may be required to maintain financial assurances, such as letters of credit, to secure reclamation obligations under certain laws and regulations. The failure to acquire, maintain or renew such financial assurances could subject us to fines and penalties or suspension of our operations. Letters of credit or other forms of financial assurance may represent only a portion of the total amount of money that will be spent on reclamation over the life of a mine’s operation. Although we will include liabilities for estimated reclamation and mine closure costs in our financial statements, it may be necessary to spend more than what we projected to fund required reclamation and mine closure activities.

The development of one or more of our mineral projects into an operating mine will be subject to all of the risks associated with establishing and operating new mining operations.

If the development of any of our other mineral projects is found to be economically feasible and we seek to develop an operating mine, the development of such a mine will require obtaining permits and financing the construction and operation of the mine itself, processing plants and related infrastructure. As a result, we will be subject to certain risks associated with establishing new mining operations, including:

•

uncertainties in timing and costs, which can be highly variable and considerable in amount, of the construction of mining and processing facilities and related infrastructure;

​

•

we may find that skilled labor, mining equipment and principal supplies needed for operations, including explosives, fuels, chemical reagents, water, power, equipment parts and lubricants are unavailable or available at costs that are higher than we anticipated;

​

28

 

•

we will need to obtain necessary environmental and other governmental approvals and permits and the receipt of those approvals and permits may be delayed or extended beyond what we anticipated, or that the approvals and permits may contain conditions and terms that materially impact our ability to operate a mine;

​

•

we may not be able to obtain the financing necessary to finance construction and development activities or such financing may be on terms and conditions costlier than anticipated, which may make mine development activities uneconomic;

​

•

we may suffer industrial accidents as part of building or operating a mine that may subject us to significant liabilities;

​

•

we may suffer mine failures, shaft failures or equipment failures which delay, hinder or halt mine development activities or mining operations;

​

•

our mining projects may suffer from adverse natural phenomena such as inclement weather conditions, floods, droughts, rock slides and seismic activity;

​

•

we may discover unusual or unexpected geological and metallurgical conditions that could cause us to have to revise or modify mine plans and operations in a materially adverse manner; and

​

•

the development or operation of our mines may become subject to opposition from non-governmental organizations, environmental groups or local groups, which may delay, prevent, hinder or stop development activities or operations.

​

In addition, we may find that the costs, timing and complexities of developing our mining projects may be greater than we anticipated. Cost estimates may increase significantly as more detailed engineering work is completed on a project. It is common in mining operations to experience unexpected costs, problems and delays during construction, development and mine start-up. Accordingly, our activities may not result in profitable mining operations at our mineral properties.

Our future capital and operating cost estimates at any of our mining projects may not be accurate.

The capital and operating cost estimates we may make in respect of our mineral projects that we intend to develop or ultimately develop into operating mines may not prove to be accurate. Capital and operating cost estimates are typically set out in Feasibility Studies and are based on the interpretation of geological data, cost of consumables, cost of capital, labor costs, transportation costs, mining and processing costs, anticipated climatic conditions, the costs of taxes and royalties, and other factors which may be considered at the time the estimates are made and will be based on information prevailing at that time. Any of the following events, among the other uncertainties and risks described in this prospectus, could affect the ultimate accuracy of such estimates:

•

unanticipated changes in grade and tonnage of Ore to be mined and processed;

​

•

incorrect data on which engineering assumptions are made;

​

•

delays in construction schedules;

​

•

delays in the ramp-up of the rate of operations;

​

•

unanticipated transportation costs;

​

•

the accuracy of major equipment and construction cost estimates;

​

•

labor negotiations and labor availability;

​

•

changes in government regulation, including regulations regarding greenhouse gas emissions;

​

•

changes in the cost of consumables;

​

•

changes in royalty, duty, and tax rates;

​

•

permitting costs and requirements; and

​

•

general demand for skilled labor, steel, industrial equipment and other components required for mining, any of which could cause material and adverse changes to our future capital and operating costs.

​

29

 

We face opposition from organizations that oppose mining which may disrupt or delay our mining projects.

There is an increasing level of public concern relating to the effects of mining on the natural landscape, in communities and on the environment. Certain non-governmental organizations, public interest groups and reporting organizations (“NGOs”) that oppose resource development can be vocal critics of the mining industry. In addition, there have been many instances in which local community groups have opposed resource extraction activities, which have resulted in disruption and delays to the relevant operation. NGOs or local community organizations could direct adverse publicity against and/or disrupt our operations in respect of one or more of our properties, regardless of our successful compliance with social and environmental best practices, due to political factors, activities of unrelated third parties on lands in which we have an interest or our operations specifically. Any such actions and the resulting media coverage could have an adverse effect on our reputation and financial condition or our relationships with the communities in which we operate, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Our operations involve significant risks and hazards inherent to the mining industry.

Our operations involve the operation of large machines, heavy mobile equipment and drilling equipment. Hazards such as adverse environmental conditions, unusual or unexpected geological formations, metallurgical and other processing problems, industrial accidents, cave-ins, mechanical equipment failure, facility performance problems, fire and natural phenomena such as inclement weather conditions, floods, landslides and earthquakes are inherent risks in our activities. These hazards inherent to the mining industry can cause injuries or death to employees, contractors or other persons at our mineral projects, severe damage to and destruction of our property, plant and equipment, and contamination of, or damage to, the environment, and can result in the suspension of our exploration activities and future development and mine production activities. The occurrence of any of these events may delay, prevent, hinder or stop exploration and development activities altogether on any mineral project.

In addition, from time to time we may be subject to governmental investigations and claims and litigation filed on behalf of persons who are harmed while at our properties or otherwise in connection with our activities. To the extent that we are subject to personal injury or other claims or lawsuits in the future, it may not be possible to predict the ultimate outcome of these claims and lawsuits due to the nature of personal injury litigation. Similarly, if we are subject to governmental investigations or proceedings, we may incur significant penalties and fines, and enforcement actions against us could result in our being required to stop exploration and development activities or to close future mining operations. If claims and lawsuits or governmental investigations or proceedings are ultimately resolved against us, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations.

A significant portion of any future revenue from our operations is expected to come from a small number of mines, such that any adverse developments at these mines could have a more significant or lasting impact on our results of operations than if our business was less concentrated.

If and when we begin generating revenue from future mining operations, a significant portion of our revenue is expected to come from a small number of mines, which means that adverse developments at these properties could have a more significant or lasting impact on our results of operations than if our revenue was less concentrated.

We operate in a highly competitive industry.

The mining industry is highly competitive. Much of our competition is from larger, established mining companies with greater liquidity, greater access to credit and other financial resources, newer or more efficient equipment, lower cost structures, more effective risk management policies, more staff and equipment, and procedures and/or a greater ability than us to withstand losses. Our competitors may be able to respond more quickly to new laws or regulations or emerging technologies, or devote greater resources to the expansion or efficiency of their operations than we can, or expend greater amounts of resources, including capital, in acquiring new and prospective mining projects. In addition, current and potential competitors may make strategic acquisitions or establish cooperative relationships among themselves or with third parties. Accordingly, it is possible that new competitors or alliances among current and new competitors may emerge and gain significant market share to our detriment. We may not be able to compete successfully against current

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and future competitors, and any failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Higher metal prices in past years have encouraged increased mining exploration, development and construction activity, which has increased demand for, and cost of, exploration, development and construction services and equipment.

The relative strength of metal prices in past years has encouraged increases in mineral exploration, development and construction activities around the world, which has resulted in increased demand for, and cost of, exploration, development and construction services and equipment. Increased demand for, and cost of, services and equipment could result in delays if services or equipment cannot be obtained in a timely manner due to inadequate availability, and may cause scheduling difficulties due to the need to coordinate the availability of services or equipment, any of which could materially increase project exploration, development and/or construction costs or could result in material delays or other operational challenges.

The title to some of the mineral projects may be uncertain or defective, which could put our investment in such properties at risk.

Title to our properties may be challenged, and we may not have, or may not be able to obtain, all necessary surface rights to develop a property. An unknown title defect on any of our mineral projects (or any portion thereof) could adversely affect our ability to explore, develop and/or mine the projects and/or process the minerals that we mine in the future. In addition to termination, failure to make timely tenement maintenance payments and otherwise comply with applicable laws, regulations and local practices relating to mineral right applications and tenure could result in reduction or expropriation of entitlements.

Title insurance is generally not available for mineral projects, or where available is cost prohibitive, and our ability to ensure that we have obtained secure claim to individual mineral projects or mining tenements may be severely constrained. We rely on title information and/or representations and warranties provided by the grantors. Any challenge to our title could result in litigation, insurance claims and potential losses, hinder our access to capital, delay the exploration and development of a property and ultimately result in the loss of some or all of our interest in the mineral project. A successful challenge could also result in our not being compensated for our prior expenditures relating to the property.

Failure to make mandatory payments required under earn-in, option and similar arrangements related to mineral projects may result in a loss of our opportunity and/or right to acquire an interest in such mineral projects.

We have interests in, or rights to acquire interests in, a number of mineral projects through earn-in arrangements, options and similar agreements with the owner of the mineral project. These arrangements typically require us to commit to meet certain expenditure requirements on the mineral project and/or to pay certain fees to the mineral project owner, each within specified time frames. If we comply with the terms of such arrangements and make the required payments within the time periods required, we would then earn an interest in the project directly or in an entity that holds the legal title to the mineral project. Such arrangements are common in the mining industry and are often staged, with the company that is earning-in earning an interest in the project at various stages and over various timeframes, resulting in a joint venture arrangement with the company that is the owner of the mineral project, or in some cases could result in the outright acquisition of the project from its owner.

If we do not make the required expenditures when contractually agreed, and if such failure occurs before earning any interest in a project, or if we otherwise fail to comply with the terms of such agreements, we may lose all of the expenditures and payments made to that time in respect of that mineral project and acquire no interest in such mineral project. If we do not make the required expenditures when contractually agreed after we have earned some interest in the project, we may lose the right to acquire any further interest and may be left with a minority interest in a mineral project that provides us with limited or few rights with respect to the exploration and development of that mineral project, and which may have limited resale value to a third party. Any such failure or occurrence could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects and may result in us forfeiting our right to acquire an interest, or a further interest, in mineral projects that may ultimately be determined to be viable commercial mining operations.

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Suitable infrastructure may not be available or damage to existing infrastructure may occur.

Mining, processing, development and exploration activities depend on adequate infrastructure. Reliable roads, bridges, port and/or rail transportation, power sources, water supply and access to key consumables are important determinants for capital and operating costs. The lack of availability on acceptable terms or the delay in the availability of any one or more of these items could prevent or delay exploration, development or exploitation of our mineral projects. If adequate infrastructure is not available, the future mining or development of our projects may not be commenced or completed on a timely basis, or at all, the resulting operations may not achieve the anticipated production volume and the construction costs and operating costs associated with the mining and/or development of our projects may be higher than anticipated. Shortages of water supply, critical spare parts, maintenance service and new equipment and machinery may materially and adversely affect our operations and development projects.

Our future mining operations will require access to abundant water sources which may not be available.

Any future mines that we develop will require the use of significant quantities of water for mining activities, processing and related auxiliary facilities. Water usage, including extraction, containment and recycling requires appropriate permits granted by governmental authorities.

In particular, many of our mineral projects are in the south-western portions of the United States, an area that has suffered from prolonged drought, dwindling water resources and growing conflict over the use of water resources. Our mining projects, if developed into operating mines, may not be able to source all the water needed for mining operations, and governments or regulatory authorities may determine to prioritize other commercial or industrial activities ahead of mining in the use of water.

Water may not be available in sufficient quantities to meet our future production needs and may not prove sufficient to meet our water supply needs. In addition, necessary water rights may not be granted and/or maintained. A reduction in our water supply could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. We currently own no water rights and we have not yet obtained the water rights to support some of our potential development activities and our inability to obtain those rights could prevent us from pursuing those activities.

An increase in prices of power and water supplies, including infrastructure, could negatively affect our future operating costs, financial condition, and ability to develop and operate a mine.

Our ability to obtain a secure supply of power and water at a reasonable cost at our mineral projects depends on many factors, including: global and regional supply and demand; political and economic conditions; problems that can affect local supplies; delivery; infrastructure, weather and climate conditions; and relevant regulatory regimes, all of which are outside our control. We may not be able to obtain secure and sufficient supplies of power and water at reasonable costs at any of our mineral projects and the failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our ability to develop and operate a mine, and on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our success depends on developing and maintaining relationships with local communities and stakeholders.

Our ongoing and future success depends on developing and maintaining productive relationships with the communities surrounding our mineral projects, including local indigenous people who may have rights or may assert rights to certain of our properties, and other stakeholders in our operating locations. Local communities and stakeholders may be dissatisfied with our activities or the level of benefits provided, which may result in legal or administrative proceedings, civil unrest, protests, direct action or campaigns against us. Any such occurrence could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations, as well as our ability to commence or continue exploration or mine development activities.

The impacts of climate change may adversely affect our operations and/or result in increased costs to comply with changes in regulations.

Climate change is an international and community concern which may directly or indirectly affect our business and current and future activities. The continuing rise in global average temperatures has created

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varying changes to regional climates across the world and extreme weather events have the potential to delay or hinder our exploration activities at our mineral projects, and to delay or cease operations at any future mine. This may require us to make additional expenditures to mitigate the impact of such events which may materially and adversely increase our costs and/or reduce production at a future mine. Governments at all levels are amending or enacting additional legislation to address climate change by regulating, among other things, carbon emissions and energy efficiency, or where legislation has already been enacted, regulation regarding emission levels and energy efficiency are becoming more stringent. As a significant emitter of greenhouse gas emissions, the mining industry is particularly exposed to such regulations. Compliance with such legislation, including the associated costs, may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects and our ability to commence or continue our exploration and future development and mining operations.

Changing climate patterns may also affect the availability of water. If the effects of climate change cause prolonged disruption in the delivery of essential commodities then production efficiency may be reduced, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

In addition, climate change is perceived as a threat to communities and governments globally and stakeholders may demand reductions in emissions or call upon mining companies to better manage their consumption of climate-relevant resources. Negative social and reputational attention toward our operations may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. A number of governments have already introduced or are moving to introduce climate change legislation and treaties at the international, national, state/provincial and local levels. Regulations relating to emission levels (such as carbon taxes) and energy efficiency are becoming more stringent. If the current regulatory trend continues, this may result in increased costs at some or all of our mineral projects.

Two of our subsidiaries have been engaged in lengthy litigation, which may adversely affect the value of our investment in them and their mineral projects.

Our subsidiary Kaizen Discovery Inc. (“Kaizen”) is currently subject to litigation in British Columbia, Canada which commenced in 2017. The proceedings relate to a claim against Kaizen in respect of its acquisition of the Pinaya Project. The trial of the action has been concluded and the trial judge agreed with Kaizen’s position that the plaintiff’s claims were without merit and dismissed the action in its entirety. The plaintiff commenced an appeal from the trial judgment which was dismissed by the British Columbia Court of Appeal on January 21, 2022. The plaintiff can only appeal with leave to appeal from the Supreme Court of Canada. The plaintiff has applied for leave to appeal and a decision is not expected prior to September, 2022. Kaizen is entitled to recover costs of the trial and applied for an enhanced, substantial-indemnity costs award which was granted against the plaintiff AM Gold Inc. and its principal. The defendants appealed this indemnity costs award to the British Columbia Court of Appeal and a hearing on the costs order was held on May 31, 2022, with a decision expected within 90 days. Kaizen has incurred approximately C$3.2 million in legal fees and expenses to date in this dispute, which has occupied significant management time. If the plaintiff obtains leave to appeal and/or Kaizen is unable to make a substantial recovery of its legal costs incurred, Kaizen may be unable to advance the Pinaya Project at the rate it wishes to and may incur additional costs, which would negatively impact its financial position as well as its ability to explore and potentially develop the Pinaya Project into an operating mine.

In addition, our subsidiary Cordoba is currently involved in two legal proceedings. The first is a criminal lawsuit filed by Cordoba in late 2018 and in January 2019 with the Colombian prosecutors against nine members of former Colombian management of a Cordoba subsidiary alleging breach of fiduciary obligations, abuse of trust, theft and fraud. This proceeding is ongoing. In the second proceeding, Cordoba (along with the National Mining Agency, Ministry of Mines and Energy, the local environmental authority, the Municipality of Puerto Libertador and the State of Cordoba) were served with a class action claim by individuals purporting to represent the Alacran Community — “Asociación de Mineros de El Alacrán” (“Alacran Community”). This class action seeks (i) an injunction against Cordoba´s operations in the Alacrán area and (ii) an injunction against the prior declaration by the authorities that the Alacran Community´s mining activities were illegal. The claim was initially filed with the Administrative Court of Medellín, which remanded the case to the Administrative Court of Montería, which contested it and submitted the case to the

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Council of State. The Council of State determined the Administrative Court of Montería as the competent tribunal, where the process is currently being conducted. The Administrative Court of Montería admitted the commencement of the class action on September 2021. The decision was challenged by Cordoba and other defendants and, accordingly, the Court is required to adopt a decision, which is still pending. While the court matters proceed, Cordoba will incur additional costs that will negatively impact its financial position. As well, the litigation process is uncertain and it is possible that the second proceeding is resolved against Cordoba, which could have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.

Our subsidiary Cordoba operates in a jurisdiction, Colombia, which has heightened security risks.

Colombia is home to South America’s largest and longest running insurgency. The situation may become unstable and may deteriorate in the future into violence, including kidnapping, gang warfare, homicide and/or terrorist activity. Any such actions may generally disrupt supply chains and business activities in Colombia, and discourage qualified individuals from being involved with Cordoba’s operations. Our operations may be impacted as a result, and our ability to advance the San Matias project may be delayed or halted altogether. This may include the inability to access the project site, as well as damage to property and injury or death to our personnel. Any such events could have a material adverse effect on Cordoba’s business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.

Illegal mining activities may negatively impact our ability to explore, develop and operate some mineral projects.

Artisanal and illegal miners are present at the San Matias Project in Colombia (owned directly by Cordoba) and the Pinaya Project in Peru (owned directly by Kaizen). As these companies further explore and advance these projects towards production, each must enter into discussions with illegal miners operating at the projects. There is a risk that such illegal miners may oppose Cordoba’s or Kaizen’s proposed operations and this may result in a disruption to the planned development and/or mining and processing operations, all of which may have an adverse effect on our investment in Cordoba and/or Kaizen. In addition, illegal miners have extracted metals from both projects in a manner that does not meet health and safety or environmental standards. Accidents may occur and may range from minor to serious, including death. While each company takes all formal steps to notify the authorities when illegal miners operate in an unsafe manner, illegal miners may advance within close proximity to our contemplated mine sites or trespass on them, which may disrupt exploration and development activities, and may result in increased costs to address the presence of such illegal miners.

RISKS RELATED TO VRB

VRB may be unable to obtain sufficient suitable feedstock for vanadium production required to produce its VRB-ESS®.

VRB requires significant amounts of vanadium-containing waste to produce sufficient vanadium pentoxide (“V2O5”) for commodity sales and vanadium electrolyte for energy storage. The feedstock itself needs to be of sufficient grade and specification to deliver the low operating cost necessary for profitable production by VRB. We may be unable to identify, source and acquire sufficient feed stock to meet our V2O5 requirements, or we may be unable to acquire such feedstock on terms (including prices) that are acceptable. Failure to obtain sufficient feedstock will inhibit our ability to produce our VRB-ESS® and grow our battery business, which may have a negative impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

We currently purchase certain key raw materials and components from third parties, some of which we only source from one supplier or from a limited number of suppliers.

We currently purchase certain key raw materials, such as feedstock, for our electrodes and a variety of other components from third parties, some of which we only source from one supplier or from a limited number of suppliers. Our current suppliers may be unable to satisfy our future requirements on a timely basis. Moreover, the price of purchased raw materials, components and assembled batteries could fluctuate significantly due to circumstances beyond our control. If our current suppliers are unable to satisfy our long-term requirements on a timely basis, we may be required to seek alternative sources for necessary materials and components, produce the raw materials or components in-house, which we are currently unable to do, or

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redesign our proposed products to accommodate available substitutes or at reasonable cost. We may not be able to enter into the required manufacturing supply agreements with the battery manufacturers and component suppliers. If we fail to secure a sufficient supply of key raw materials and components and we are unable to produce them in-house in a timely fashion, it would result in a significant delay in our manufacturing and shipments, which may cause us to breach our sales contracts with our customers. Furthermore, failure to obtain sufficient supply of these raw materials and components or produce them in-house at a reasonable cost could also harm our revenue and gross profit margins.

Substantial and increasingly intense competition may harm VRB’s business.

The energy storage systems industry is highly competitive and is characterized by rapid technological change, frequent new product introductions, and a competitive pricing environment. Large vendors in this market may have greater resources to devote to research and development, manufacturing, marketing and sales than VRB, as well as greater brand name recognition. These large vendors could compete more aggressively with VRB by acquiring companies with new technologies which could allow them to develop products and technologies better suited to the needs of end-users, earlier and at a lower cost. VRB’s future success will depend in part on its ability to develop products that keep pace with the continuing changes in technology, evolving industry standards, new product introductions by competitors and changing customer preferences and requirements. VRB may be unable to successfully address these developments on a timely basis or at all. Failure to respond quickly and cost-effectively to new developments through the development of new products and technologies or enhancements to existing products and technologies could render its existing products and technologies less competitive or obsolete and could reduce its revenue. If effective new sources of energy storage systems are discovered, VRB’s existing products and technologies could become less competitive or obsolete.

A number of small manufacturers of energy storage systems could also develop and introduce new products at a faster pace than VRB, therefore better meeting market needs. Such small manufacturers could also be acquired by, receive investments from or enter into other commercial relationships with larger, well-established and well-financed competitors. VRB’s competitors’ energy storage systems may be more readily accepted by industry participants than ours.

Developments in alternative technology may adversely affect the demand for VRB’s battery products.

Significant developments in alternative energy storage technologies, such as fuel cell technology, advanced diesel, coal, ethanol or natural gas, or breathing batteries, may materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results in ways that we may not currently anticipate. Existing and other battery technologies, fuels or sources of energy may emerge as customers’ preferred alternatives to our battery products. Any failure by us to develop new or enhanced technologies or processes, or to react to changes in existing technologies, could materially delay our development and introduction of new and enhanced alternative products, which could result in decreased revenue and a loss of market share to our competitors. Our research and development efforts may not be sufficient to adapt to changes in alternative technology and we may not compete effectively with alternative systems if we are not able to source and integrate the latest technology into our battery products.

VRB manufactures and markets vanadium-based battery systems. If a viable substitute product or chemistry to vanadium-based battery systems emerges and gains market acceptance, our business, financial condition and results of operations will be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, our failure to keep up with rapid technological changes and evolving industry standards within the battery market may cause our products to become obsolete and less marketable, resulting in loss of market share to our competitors.

Some of our competitors are conducting research and development on alternative battery technologies, such as lithium-based batteries, fuel cells and super capacitors, and academic studies are ongoing as to the viability of lithium, sulphur and aluminum-based battery technologies. If any viable substitute products emerge and gain market acceptance because they have more enhanced features, more power, more attractive pricing, or better reliability, the market demand for VRB’s products may decrease, and accordingly, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.

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Furthermore, the battery market is characterized by rapid technological changes and evolving industry standards, which are difficult to predict. This, coupled with the frequent introduction of new products and models, has shortened product life cycles and may render our products obsolete or less marketable. For example, research on the electrochemical applications of lithium-based batteries, carbon nanotechnology and other storage technologies is developing at a rapid pace, and many private and public companies and research institutions are actively engaged in the development of new battery technologies. If we fail to adopt these new technologies, such technologies may, if successfully developed by our competitors, offer significant performance or price advantages compared with our technologies and our technology leadership and competitive strengths may be adversely affected. Our significant investment in our research and development infrastructure may not lead to marketable products. Additionally, our competitors may improve their technologies or even achieve technological breakthroughs either as alternatives to vanadium-based battery systems or improvements on existing vanadium-based battery systems that would render our products obsolete or less marketable. Therefore, our failure to effectively keep up with rapid technological changes and evolving industry standards by introducing new and enhanced products may cause us to lose market share and to suffer a decrease in our revenue.

VRB may experience significant delays in the design, production and launch of its battery projects, which could harm our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

VRB’s research and development team is continually looking to improve its battery systems. Any delay in the financing, design, production and launch of our new products could materially damage our brand, business, prospects, financial condition and operating results. There are often delays in the design, production and commercial release of new products, and to the extent we delay the launch of the items identified above, our growth prospects could be adversely affected as we may fail to grow our market share, to keep up with competing products or to satisfy customers’ demands or needs.

VRB batteries rely on software and hardware that is highly technical, and if these systems contain errors, bugs or vulnerabilities, or if we are unsuccessful in addressing or mitigating technical limitations in our systems, our business could be adversely affected.

VRB’s products rely on software and hardware, including software and hardware developed or maintained internally or by third parties that is highly technical and complex and will require modification and updates over the life of a battery. In addition, certain of our products depend on the ability of such software and hardware to store, retrieve, process and manage immense amounts of data. Our software and hardware may contain errors, bugs or vulnerabilities, and our systems are subject to certain technical limitations that may compromise our ability to meet the objectives. Some errors, bugs or vulnerabilities inherently may be difficult to detect and may only be discovered after the code has been released for external or internal use. Errors, bugs, vulnerabilities, design defects or technical limitations may be found within our software and hardware. Remediation efforts may not be timely, may hamper production, or may not be to the satisfaction of our customers. If we are unable to prevent or effectively remedy errors, bugs, vulnerabilities or defects in our software and hardware, we may suffer damage to our brand, loss of customers, loss of revenue or liability for damages, any of which could adversely affect our business and financial results.

We may not be able to substantially increase our manufacturing output in order to fulfill orders from our customers.

We intend to expand our battery manufacturing capacity to meet the expected demand for our products. This expansion will impose significant added responsibilities on our senior management and our resources, including financial resources and the need to identify, recruit, maintain, and integrate additional employees. Our proposed expansion will also expose us to greater overhead and support costs and other risks associated with the manufacture and commercialization of new products. Difficulties in effectively managing the budgeting, forecasting and other process control issues presented by such expansion could harm our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition. Even if we succeed in expanding our manufacturing capacity, we may not have enough demand for our products to justify the increased capacity. If there is persistent mismatch in the demand for our products and our manufacturing capacity, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. Our ability to increase our manufacturing output is subject to significant constraints and uncertainties, including:

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delays by our suppliers and equipment vendors and cost overruns as a result of a number of factors, many of which may be beyond our control, such as increases in raw material prices and problems with equipment vendors;

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delays in government approval processes or denial of required approvals by relevant government authorities;

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diversion of significant management attention and other resources; and

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failure to execute our expansion plan effectively.

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If we are unable to increase our manufacturing output because of any of the risks described above, we may be unable to fulfill customer orders or achieve the growth we expect. Consequently, our reputation could be affected and our customers could source battery systems from other companies. The combination of the foregoing could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our failure to cost-effectively manufacture our batteries in quantities which satisfy our customers’ demands and product specifications and their expectations for product quality and reliable delivery could damage our customer relationships and result in significant lost business opportunities for us.

VRB manufactures its products rather than relying upon third-party outsourcing. To be successful, we must cost-effectively manufacture commercial quantities of our complex batteries that meet our customer specifications for quality and timely delivery. To facilitate the commercialization of our products, we will need to further reduce our manufacturing costs, which we intend to do by improving our manufacturing and development operations. We depend on the performance of our manufacturing operations to manufacture and deliver our products to our customers. If we are unable to manufacture products in commercial quantities on a timely and cost-effective basis, we could lose our customers and be unable to attract future customers.

Changes in the policies of the government of the PRC, and its laws, may materially affect VRB.

The business of VRB is primarily conducted in the PRC. Accordingly, its financial condition and results of operations have been, and are expected to continue to be, affected by the economic, political and social developments in China including policies related to renewable energy development and technology, Covid-19 and the conflict in Ukraine. The PRC’s economy may not continue to grow, and if there is growth, such growth may not be steady and uniform, and if there is a slowdown, such slowdown may have a negative effect on our business and results of operations.

The PRC government plays a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. The PRC government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through regulation, the allocation of resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. A change in these government policies could materially and adversely affect VRB and accordingly our business, financial condition and results of operations. Certain measures adopted by the PRC government may restrict loans to certain industries, such as changes in the statutory deposit reserve ratio and lending guidelines for commercial banks by the People’s Bank of China (the “PBOC”). These current and future government actions could materially affect our liquidity, access to capital and ability to operate our business. Our financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected by the PRC’s control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations that are applicable to us. In addition, any stimulus measures designed to boost the Chinese economy may contribute to higher inflation, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Any future revocation of approvals or any future failure to obtain approvals applicable to our business or any adverse changes in foreign investment policies of the PRC government may have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

PRC regulations relating to foreign ownership in the battery manufacturing industry, including the manufacturing of VRB’s products, have been revised periodically over the past decade. In 2018, the Chinese legislature issued the Special Administrative Measures for Access of Foreign Investment (the “Negative List”). Under the new Negative List regime, any industry that is not on the Negative List is free from foreign

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ownership restrictions. The most updated version of the Negative List is the Negative List (2020 Version), which contains no foreign ownership restrictions over the manufacturing of power batteries. However, the PRC may change its foreign ownership regulations to govern battery manufacturers, or may change such regulations in other ways that govern VRB, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

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 the PRC may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, currency controls, import and export tariffs, environmental regulations, production safety, land use rights, property and other matters. In addition, 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 could have a significant effect on economic conditions in the PRC or particular regions thereof and could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in Chinese properties or joint ventures.

Additionally, the PRC’s Foreign Investment Law came into effect on January 1, 2020 and embodies an expected PRC regulatory trend of rationalizing the foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic investments. The Foreign Investment Law, together with our implementation rules and ancillary regulations, may materially impact our organizational structure, corporate governance practice and compliance costs, for example through the imposition of stringent ad hoc and periodic information reporting requirements.

PRC regulations of loans to PRC entities and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies may delay or prevent us from making loans or additional capital contributions to VRB.

We may transfer funds to VRB or finance VRB by means of stockholder loans or capital contributions. Any loans from us to VRB, a foreign-invested enterprise, cannot exceed statutory limits determined by (1) the formula under the Notice on Matters Concerning the Macro-Prudential Management of Full-Covered Cross-Border Financing issued by PBOC; or (2) the difference between the investment amount and the registered capital of VRB (if applicable), and must be registered with the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (the “SAFE”), or our local counterparts. Any capital contributions we make to VRB are subject to the approval by or filing and registration with Administration for Market Regulation, the Ministry of Commerce of PRC, the National Development and Reform Commission of PRC and SAFE, or their local counterparts. We may not be able to obtain these government registrations or approvals on a timely basis, if at all. If we fail to receive such registrations or approvals, our ability to provide loans or capital contributions to VRB in a timely manner may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect its liquidity and its ability to fund and expand its business.

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

VRB is generally subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investments in the PRC and, in particular, laws applicable to foreign investment enterprises. The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes, and prior court decisions may be cited for reference, but have limited precedential value. Since the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involve uncertainties. Moreover, the PRC government may amend or revise existing laws, rules or regulations, or promulgate new laws, rules or regulations, in a manner which materially and adversely affects our business, results of operations or financial condition.

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VRB may be negatively impacted by the state of PRC-United States relations.

VRB operates as a wholly-owned foreign enterprise in the PRC with us as its United States-domiciled majority owner and controlling stockholder. The United States and the PRC are the two largest energy storage markets globally. A continued deterioration in the United States-PRC relationship, which may be evidenced by tariff and non-tariff barriers, lack of advancement on trade negotiations, domestic “buy local” policies, lack of business travel and business contact, and potentially sanctions or other barriers to commerce, may negatively affect VRB’s business, business prospects, results of operations and cash flows. The products that VRB produces may face tariff or other barriers to United States markets that negatively impact demand and sales in the United States, may increase the cost of VRB’s products, or may cause VRB’s products to be excluded from United States markets altogether. At the same time, VRB may face resistance to its United States controlling ownership from large Chinese State-owned entities developing energy storage projects in PRC, which may lead to a decline in sales in PRC for VRB’s products, any of which would have a negative effect on VRB’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

RISKS RELATED TO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

If we are unable to successfully obtain, maintain, protect, enforce or otherwise manage our intellectual property and proprietary rights, we may incur significant expenses and our business may be adversely affected.

Our success and ability to compete depend in part upon the proprietary nature of, and protection for, our products, technologies, processes and know-how. Our subsidiary VRB relies on patents to establish and protect its intellectual property rights in the PRC, the United States and other jurisdictions. As a result, VRB may be required to spend significant resources to monitor and protect its intellectual property rights. Litigation brought to protect and enforce its intellectual property rights could be costly, time-consuming and distracting to management and could result in the impairment or loss of portions of its intellectual property. Furthermore, VRB’s efforts to enforce its intellectual property rights may be met with defenses, counterclaims and countersuits attacking the validity and enforceability of its intellectual property rights. In addition, VRB’s competitors may develop products similar to theirs that do not conflict with VRB’s intellectual property rights, may design around their intellectual property rights or may independently develop similar or superior technology. VRB’s failure to establish, protect and enforce its intellectual property rights could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

In addition, the TyphoonTM technology we utilize in our exploration activities is based on patents owned by our subsidiary Geo27. In addition, we are also the exclusive worldwide licensee of certain legacy technology from I-Pulse and its affiliates, related to mineral exploration. Any failure by us or our licensor to establish, protect and enforce our intellectual property rights could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, as would any breach by the licensor of our license agreements.

We may not be able to protect our intellectual property rights in the PRC.

The validity, enforceability and scope of protection available under the relevant intellectual property laws in the PRC is imperfect and still evolving. Implementation and enforcement of PRC intellectual property-related laws has historically been challenging. Accordingly, the protection of intellectual property rights in the PRC may not be as effective as in the United States, Canada or other jurisdictions. In addition, policing the unauthorized use of proprietary technology is cumbersome and expensive, and we may need to resort to litigation to enforce or defend patents issued to us or our other intellectual property rights or to determine the enforceability, scope and validity of our proprietary rights or those of others. Such litigation and an adverse determination in any such litigation, if any, could result in substantial costs, loss of our proprietary rights, and diversion of resources and management’s attention.

We may be exposed to infringement or misappropriation claims by third parties, which, if determined adversely to us, could cause us to lose significant rights and to be unable to continue providing our existing product offerings.

Our success also depends largely on our ability to use and develop our technology and know-how without infringing the intellectual property rights of third parties. The validity and scope of claims relating to vanadium-based battery technology and TyphoonTM technology patents involve complex scientific, legal and

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factual questions and analysis and, therefore, may be highly uncertain, expensive and time-consuming. We may receive in the future notices that claim we or our clients using our products have misappropriated or misused other parties’ intellectual property rights, particularly as the number of competitors in our market grows and the functionality of products among competitors overlaps. If we are sued by a third party that claims that our technology infringes its rights, the litigation, whether or not successful, could be extremely costly to defend, divert our management’s time, attention, and resources, damage our reputation and brand and substantially harm our business. Further, in some instances, our agreements with our clients include indemnification provisions under which we or our subsidiaries agree to indemnify such parties for losses suffered or incurred in connection with third party claims for intellectual property infringement. The results of any intellectual property litigation to which we might become a party, or for which we are required to provide indemnification, may also require us to do one or more of the following:

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cease offering or using technologies that incorporate the challenged intellectual property;

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make substantial payments for legal fees, settlement payments or other costs or damages to the party claiming infringement, misappropriation or other violation of intellectual property rights;

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obtain a license to sell or use the relevant technology, which may not be available on reasonable terms or at all; or

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redesign technology to avoid infringement, which may not be feasible.

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Our failure to develop non-infringing technologies or license the intellectual property or the proprietary rights on a timely basis would harm our business, possibly materially. Protracted litigation could result in our customers, or potential customers, deferring or limiting their purchase or use of our products until resolution of such litigation. Parties making the infringement claim may also obtain an injunction that can prevent us from selling our products or using technology that contains the allegedly infringing contents. If we were to discover that our products violate third-party proprietary rights, we may be unable to continue offering our products on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, to redesign our technology to avoid infringement or to avoid or settle litigation regarding alleged infringement without substantial expense and damage awards. Any intellectual property litigation or proceeding could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operation and financial condition.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESSES GENERALLY

We will require substantial capital investment in the future and we may be unable to raise additional capital on favorable terms or at all.

The construction and operation of potential future mines and the continued exploration of our mineral exploration projects will require significant funding. We have no operating cash flow or other sources of funding to meet these requirements. As a result, we expect to raise capital through equity financings to meet the funding requirements of these investments and our ongoing business activities. Our ability to raise additional capital will depend on a range of factors such as macroeconomic conditions, future commodity prices, our exploration success, and market conditions among other factors. If these factors deteriorate, our ability to raise capital to fund ongoing operations and business activities, and service any outstanding indebtedness could be negatively impacted. If we are unable to obtain additional financing, we will not be able to continue our exploration activities and our assessment of the commercial viability of our operations. Further, even if mineralization is discovered, we may not be able to successfully advance our project into commercial production. If we are able to establish that development of mining operations is commercially viable, our inability to raise additional financing at that stage may result in our inability to place the operations into production and recover our investment. If additional financing is not available, we may also have to postpone further exploration or development of, or sell, one or more of our principal mineral properties.

Our recurring net losses and negative operating cash flows raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

We have recurring net operating losses and negative operating cash flows, and until we generate sufficient revenue at a level necessary to support our required expenditures, we expect to continue to incur significant losses and continuing net cash outflows. Our recurring losses and negative operating cash flows raise

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substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, meaning that we may be unable to continue our exploration and development activities for the foreseeable future and discharge liabilities in the ordinary course of operations. In order to continue our planned activities, we must achieve profitable mining operations and/or obtain additional equity or debt financing. We may be unable to raise additional capital or any such capital, if available, may only be available on terms that are not acceptable to us. If we are unable to raise sufficient additional capital, we may be compelled to reduce the scope of our planned exploration and development activities, lose access to mineral rights subject to earn-ins or sell or otherwise dispose of our interests in mineral projects. Our consolidated and combined carve-out financial statements do not include any adjustments that may result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Currency fluctuations may affect our results of operation and financial condition.

We pay for goods and services in a number of currencies, including the United States dollar, the Canadian dollar and other currencies. We also raise capital in United States dollars. Adverse fluctuations in these currencies relative to each other and relative to the currencies in which we incur expenditures could materially and adversely affect our financial position and the costs of our exploration and development activities. We do not engage in currency or commodity hedging activities.

Our insurance may not provide adequate coverage in the event of a loss.

Our business and activities are subject to a number of risks and hazards, including, but not limited to, adverse environmental conditions, metallurgical and other processing problems, industrial accidents, labor disputes, unusual or unexpected geological conditions, ground control problems, cave-ins, changes in the regulatory environment, mechanical equipment failure, facility performance problems, fires and natural phenomena such as inclement weather conditions, floods, landslides and earthquakes. These risks could result in damage to, or destruction of, our mineral properties or production facilities, personal injury or death, environmental damage, delays in exploration, mining or processing, increased production costs, asset write downs, monetary losses and legal liability.

Our property and liability insurance may not provide sufficient coverage for losses related to these or other hazards. Insurance against certain risks, including those related to environmental matters or other hazards resulting from exploration and production, is generally not available to us or to other companies within the mining industry. Our current insurance coverage may not continue to be available at economically feasible premiums, or at all. In addition, we do not carry business interruption insurance relating to our properties. Any losses from these events may cause us to incur significant costs that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations.

We are dependent on Robert Friedland and other members of our senior management team.

Our exploration activities and any future mine development, as well as the construction and operation of a mine depend to a significant extent on the continued service and performance of Robert Friedland, our Chief Executive Officer, and other members of our senior management team. We depend on a relatively small number of key officers and consultants, and we currently do not have, and do not intend to, purchase key-person insurance for these individuals. Departures by members of our senior management could have a negative impact on our business, as we may not be able to find suitable personnel to replace departing management on a timely basis, or at all. The loss of any member of our senior management team, particularly Mr. Friedland, could impair our ability to execute our business plan and could, therefore, have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, the international mining industry is very active and we are facing increased competition for qualified personnel in all disciplines and areas of operation. We may not be able to attract and retain personnel to sufficiently staff our development and operating teams.

Our directors and officers may have conflicts of interest as a result of their relationships with other mining companies that are not affiliated with us.

Robert Friedland and some of our other directors and officers are also, or may also become, directors, officers and stockholders of other companies, including companies that are similarly engaged in the business of developing and exploiting natural resource properties. Consequently, there is a possibility that our directors

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and officers may have conflicts of interest from time to time. To the extent that such other companies may participate in ventures in which we may participate in, or in ventures which we may seek to participate in, our directors and officers may have a conflict of interest in negotiating and concluding terms respecting the extent of such participation. In all cases where our directors and officers have an interest in other companies, such other companies may also compete with us for the acquisition of mineral property investments.

We may have difficulty recruiting and retaining employees.

Recruiting and retaining qualified personnel is critical to the success of exploration activities and to future mine development and mine operations. The number of persons skilled in acquisition, exploration and development of mining projects is limited and competition for qualified persons is intense. As our business activity grows, we will require additional key financial, administrative, geologic and mining personnel as well as additional operations staff. We may not be successful in attracting, training and retaining qualified personnel as competition for persons with these skill sets increases. If we are not successful in attracting, training and retaining qualified personnel, we may have inadequate staffing to advance all of our exploration activities and to conduct mine development activities, or such activities may be reduced or delayed, which could have an adverse material impact on our prospects, business, results of operations and financial condition.

Any acquisitions we make may not be successful or achieve the expected benefits.

We regularly consider and evaluate opportunities to acquire assets, companies and operations, including prospective mining projects or properties. We may not be able to successfully integrate any acquired assets, companies or operations, and prospective mining projects or properties that we acquire may not develop as anticipated. Acquisition transactions involve inherent risks, including but not limited to:

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inaccurate assessments of the value, strengths, weaknesses, contingent and other liabilities and potential profitability of acquisition candidates;

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inability to exploit identified and anticipated operating and financial synergies;

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unanticipated costs;

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diversion of management attention from existing business;

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potential loss of our key employees or key employees of any business acquired;

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unanticipated changes in business, industry or general economic conditions that affect the assumptions underlying the acquisition;

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decline in the value of acquired properties, companies or securities;

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inability to maintain our financial and strategic focus while integrating the acquired business or property;

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inability to implement uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies at the acquired business, as appropriate; and

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to the extent that we make an acquisition outside of markets in which we have previously operated, inability to conduct and manage operations in a new operating environment.

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As we do not have significant cash flow from operations and do not expect to have significant cash flow from operations in the foreseeable future, any such acquisitions will be funded by cash raised in equity financings or through the issuance of new equity or equity-linked securities. Equity issuances also may result in dilution of existing stockholders. If we were to incur debt to finance an acquisition, the requirement to repay that debt may lead us to issue additional equity to repay the debt, all in the absence of positive cash flow. Any such developments may materially and adversely affect our financial position and results of operations.

If future acquisitions are significant, they could change the scale of our business and expose us to new geographic, political, operating and financial risks. In addition, each acquisition involves a number of risks, such as the diversion of our management team’s attention from our existing business to integrating the operations and personnel of the acquired business, possible adverse effects on our results of operations and

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financial condition during the integration process, our inability to achieve the intended objectives of the combination and potential unknown liabilities associated with the acquired assets.

Our information technology systems may be vulnerable to disruption, which could place our systems at risk for data loss, operational failure or compromise of confidential information.

We rely on various information technology systems. These systems remain vulnerable to disruption, damage or failure from a variety of sources, including, but not limited to, errors by employees or contractors, computer viruses, cyberattacks, including phishing, ransomware, and similar malware, misappropriation of data by outside parties, and various other threats. Techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to or sabotage our systems are under continuous and rapid evolution, and we may be unable to detect efforts to disrupt our data and systems in advance. Breaches and unauthorized access carry the potential to cause losses of assets or production, operational delays, equipment failure that could cause other risks to be realized, inaccurate recordkeeping, or disclosure of confidential information, any of which could result in financial losses and regulatory or legal exposure, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. We may incur material losses relating to cyberattacks or other information security breaches in the future. Our risk and exposure to these matters cannot be fully mitigated because of, among other things, the evolving nature of these threats. As such threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend additional resources to modify or enhance any protective measures or to investigate and remediate any security vulnerabilities.

We may be subject to claims and legal proceedings that could materially and adversely impact our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We may be subject to claims or legal proceedings covering a wide range of matters that arise in the ordinary course of business activities. These matters may result in litigation which can distract management from our business or have an unfavorable resolution which could materially and adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. See “— Two of our subsidiaries have been engaged in lengthy litigation, which may adversely affect the value of our investment in them and their mineral projects”.

We are subject to the risk of labor disputes, which could adversely affect our business.

We may experience labor disputes in the future, including protests, blockades and strikes, which could disrupt our business operations and have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations. We may not be able to maintain a satisfactory working relationship with our employees in the future.

Our activities and business could be adversely affected by the effects of health epidemics, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in regions where we conduct our business operations.

Our business and exploration activities could be adversely affected by health epidemics or pandemics. For example, the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the global economy, disrupted financial markets and international trade, resulted in increased unemployment levels and significantly affected global supply chains, all of which have and are expected to continue to affect our future exploration activities and business. Federal, state, and local governments have implemented various mitigation measures at various times since the pandemic began, including travel restrictions, border closings, restrictions on public gatherings, shelter-in-place restrictions and limitations on non-essential business. Many jurisdictions have relaxed these measures, while others have not or have reinstated them as COVID-19 cases surge and variants emerge. Some of these actions may halt, hinder, delay or slowdown our exploration activities or future development of mining operations, or increase our costs to conduct such activities. Disruptions in the financial markets as a result of the worsening of the COVID-19 pandemic could make it more difficult for us to access the capital markets in the future.

It is not possible to accurately predict with any degree of certainty the impact COVID-19 will have on our operations going forward as the situation continues to remain fluid, including, but not limited to, the pace of the continued spread of the pandemic, the severity and ultimate duration of the pandemic, including any resurgences, mutations or variants, any governmental regulations or restrictions imposed in response to such, and the ultimate efficacy and distribution speed of approved vaccines and treatments.

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We may take further actions as may be required by government authorities or as we determine are in the best interests of our employees, consultants and business partners. There is no guarantee that we will not experience significant disruptions to our activities in the future as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or any similar health epidemics.

While our equity ownership in certain of our listed company portfolio may be significant, we may not be able to exert control or direction over those companies or their business.

We have significant equity ownership of a number of listed companies in Canada, including Kaizen and Cordoba, with respect to both of which we own and control more than 50% of the outstanding common shares. However, while such common share ownership gives us the legal right to elect the directors of each company, the directors elected owe duties to all shareholders, including us. Accordingly, such elected boards of directors may determine to take an action that they consider in the best interests of all shareholders, even if it is not the preferred course of action for us. As well, transactions between us and such companies are highly regulated by related party transaction rules in Canada, as well as those of the TSX. Accordingly, many transactions that we could undertake with our listed company investee companies may be subject to independent formal valuation requirements and/or minority shareholder approval requirements, at which our votes will be disregarded. Accordingly, transactions that we may consider to be in our best interest and in the best interest of our investee companies may not proceed if they are subject to minority shareholder approval requirements, and minority shareholders do not provide the necessary approvals. If any such transactions are not approved, we may be unable to advance our business interests through our equity investee companies and/or may not be able to engage in transactions with them which we consider beneficial, any which could have an adverse material impact on our prospects, business, results of operations and financial condition.

RISKS RELATED TO GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS

We have mineral projects or investments in mineral projects in the United States, Canada, Australia, Colombia, Peru, Ivory Coast, and Papua New Guinea where the governments extensively regulate mineral exploration and mining operations, imposing significant actual and potential costs on us.

The mining industry is subject to increasingly strict regulation by federal, state and local authorities in the jurisdictions in which we have mineral projects, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Colombia, Peru, Ivory Coast, and Papua New Guinea. These regulations relate to limitations on land use; mine permitting and licensing requirements; exploration and drilling activities; reclamation and restoration of properties after mining is completed; management of materials generated by mining operations; and storage, treatment and disposal of wastes and hazardous materials, among other things.

The liabilities and requirements associated with the laws and regulations related to these and other matters, including with respect to air emissions, water discharges and other environmental matters, may be costly and time-consuming and may restrict, delay or prevent commencement or continuation of exploration or production operations. We may not have been or may not be at all times in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in all jurisdictions. Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations may result in the assessment of administrative, civil and criminal penalties, the imposition of cleanup and site restoration costs and liens, the issuance of injunctions to limit or cease operations, the suspension or revocation of permits or authorizations and other enforcement measures that could have the effect of limiting or preventing production from our operations. We may incur material costs and liabilities resulting from claims for damages to property or injury to persons arising from our operations. If we are pursued for sanctions, costs and liabilities in respect of these matters, our mining operations and, as a result, our financial performance, financial position and results of operations, could be materially and adversely affected.

Any new legislation or administrative regulations or new judicial interpretations or administrative enforcement of existing laws and regulations that would further regulate and tax the mining industry may also require us to change activities significantly or incur increased costs, or even potentially halt or cease activities entirely. Such changes could have a material adverse effect on our prospects, our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Our activities outside of the United States are subject to additional political, economic and other uncertainties not necessarily present for activities taking place within the United States.

We have mineral projects, or investments in mineral projects, in Colombia, Peru, Ivory Coast and Papua New Guinea. These countries are less developed economically and politically than the United States, and have historically been more politically or socially unstable than the United States, including with respect to civil unrest and significant civil strife (including violent insurrections). As such, our activities in these countries are subject to significant risks not necessarily present in the United States and additional risks inherent in exploration and resource extraction by foreign companies. Our exploration and future development and production activities in these countries are therefore subject to heightened risks, many of which are beyond our control. These risks include:

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the possible unilateral cancellation or forced re-negotiation of contracts and licenses;

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unfavorable or arbitrary changes in laws and regulations;

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arbitrary royalty and tax increases;

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claims by governmental entities or indigenous communities;

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expropriation or nationalization of property;

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political instability (including civil strife, insurrection and potentially civil war);

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significant fluctuations in currency exchange rates;

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social and labor unrest, organized crime, hostage taking, terrorism and violent crime;

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uncertainty regarding the enforceability of contractual rights and judgments; and

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other risks arising out of foreign governmental sovereignty over areas in which our mineral properties are located.

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Local economic conditions also can increase costs and adversely affect the security of our activities and the availability of skilled workers and supplies. Higher incidences of criminal activity and violence in the area of some of our properties could adversely affect our ability to operate in an optimal fashion or at all, and may impose greater risks of theft and higher costs, which could adversely affect results of operations and financial condition.

Acts of civil disobedience are not uncommon in Colombia, Peru, Ivory Coast and Papua New Guinea. Mining companies have been targets of actions to restrict their legally-entitled access to mining concessions or property. Such acts of civil disobedience often occur with no warning and can result in significant direct and indirect costs. We may experience disruptions in the future, which could adversely affect our business and our exploration and development activities.

Our foreign mining projects and investments are subject to risk typically associated with operating in foreign countries.

In general, our foreign mining projects and investments are subject to the risks typically associated with conducting business in foreign countries. These risks may include, among others: labor disputes; invalidation of governmental orders and permits; corruption; uncertain political and economic environments; sovereign risk; war; civil disturbances and terrorist actions; arbitrary changes in laws; the failure of foreign parties to honor contractual relations; opposition to mining from environmental or other non-governmental organizations; limitations on foreign ownership; limitations on the repatriation of earnings; limitations on minerals and commodity exports; instability due to economic under-development; inadequate infrastructure; and increased financing costs. In addition, the enforcement of our legal rights may not be recognized by any foreign government, or by the court system of a foreign country. These risks may limit or disrupt our activities, restrict the movement of funds, or result in the deprivation of mining-related rights or the taking of property by nationalization or expropriation without fair compensation. The occurrence of events associated with these risks could have a material and adverse effect on our mineral projects, business and activities, the viability our foreign operations and investments, and could have a material and adverse effect on our future cash flow, earnings, results of operations and financial condition.

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Uncertainty in governmental agency interpretation or court interpretation and the application of applicable laws and regulations in any jurisdictions where we operate or have investments could result in unintended non-compliance.

The courts in some of the jurisdictions in which we operate may offer less certainty as to the judicial outcome of legal proceedings or a more protracted judicial process than is the case in more established economies such as the United States. Businesses can become involved in lengthy court cases over simple issues when rulings are not clearly defined, and the poor drafting of laws and excessive delays in the legal process for resolving issues or disputes compound such problems. Accordingly, we could face risks such as:

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greater difficulty in obtaining effective legal redress in the courts of such jurisdictions, whether in respect of a breach of law or regulation, or in an ownership dispute;

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a higher degree of discretion on the part of governmental authorities, which leads to greater uncertainty;

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the lack of judicial or administrative guidance on interpreting applicable rules and regulations;

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inconsistencies or conflicts between and within various laws, regulations, decrees, orders and resolutions; or

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relative inexperience of the judiciary and courts in such matters.

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Enforcement of laws in some of the jurisdictions in which we operate may depend on and be subject to the interpretation of such laws by the relevant governmental authorities, and such authority may adopt an interpretation of an aspect of local law that differs from the advice that has been given to us by local lawyers or even by the relevant local authority itself on a prior occasion. In addition, there may be limited or no relevant case law providing guidance on how courts would interpret such laws and the application of such laws to our contracts, joint-ventures, licenses, license applications or other legal arrangements. Thus, contracts, joint-ventures, licenses, license applications or other legal arrangements may be adversely affected by the actions of government authorities and the effectiveness of and enforcement of such arrangements in these jurisdictions. In some of the jurisdictions in which we operate, the commitment of local businesses, government officials and agencies and the judicial system to abide by legal requirements and negotiated agreements may be more uncertain and may be susceptible to revision or cancellation, and legal redress may be uncertain or delayed. These uncertainties and delays could have a material adverse effect on our business and activities, as well as our results of operations and financial condition.

Proposed changes to United States federal mining and public land law could impose, among other things, royalties and fees paid to the United States government by mining companies and royalty holders.

Periodically, members of the United States Congress have introduced bills which would supplant or alter the provisions of The General Mining Law of 1872 which governs the disposition of metallic minerals on lands owned by the federal government. Some of our mineral properties occur on unpatented mining claims located on United States federal lands. There have been recent proposals to amend the United States mining law to impose a royalty on the production of select hardrock minerals, such as silver, gold and copper, from U.S. federal lands, and a reclamation fee on production from federal and other lands.

Any such proposal, if enacted by the United States Congress, could substantially increase the cost of holding mining claims and could reduce our revenue from unpatented mining claims, and to a lesser extent, on other lands in the United States. Moreover, such legislation could significantly impair the ability of our properties to develop mineral resources on unpatented mining claims. Although at this time we are not able to predict what royalties and fees may be imposed in the future, the imposition of such royalties and fees could adversely affect the potential for development of such mining claims and the economics of existing operating mines. Passage of such legislation may result in a material and adverse effect on our profitability, results of operations, financial condition and the trading price of our common stock.

We are subject to, and may become liable for any violations of anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws.

Our operations are governed by, and involve interactions with, various levels of government in foreign countries. We are required to comply with anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws, including the U.S. Foreign

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Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”) and similar laws where we have activities. These laws generally prohibit companies and company employees from engaging in bribery or other prohibited payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. The FCPA also requires companies to maintain accurate books and records and internal controls. Because we have certain mineral projects and investments in Colombia, Peru, Ivory Coast and Papua New Guinea, there is a risk of potential FCPA violations.

In recent years, there has been a general increase in both the frequency of enforcement and the severity of penalties under such laws, resulting in greater scrutiny and punishment to companies convicted of violating anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws. A company may be found liable for violations by not only its employees, but also by its contractors and third-party agents. Our internal procedures and policies may not always be effective in ensuring that we, our employees, contractors or third-party agents will comply strictly with all such applicable laws. If we become subject to an enforcement action or we are found to be in violation of such laws, this may have a material adverse effect on our reputation and may possibly result in significant penalties or sanctions, and may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Changes to United States and foreign tax laws could adversely affect our results of operations.

We are subject to tax in the United States and foreign jurisdictions. Current economic and political conditions make tax laws and their interpretation subject to significant change in any jurisdiction. We cannot predict the timing or significance of future tax law changes in the United States or other countries in which we do business. If material tax law changes are enacted, our future effective tax rate, results of operations, and cash flows could be adversely impacted. Further, tax authorities, now or in the future, may periodically conduct reviews of our tax filings and compliance. Those reviews could result in adverse tax consequences and unexpected financial costs and exposure.

RISKS RELATED TO THIS OFFERING AND OUR COMMON STOCK

Purchasers in this offering will immediately experience substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of their investment.

The initial public offering price of our common stock is substantially higher than the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately following the closing of this offering. Therefore, if you purchase shares of our common stock in this offering at the assumed initial public offering price of $12.12 per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, you will experience immediate dilution of $8.62 per share, the difference between the price per share you pay for our common stock and the pro forma net tangible book value per share as of March 31, 2022, after giving effect to (i) the issuance and sale of shares of common stock in this offering, (ii) the conversion of our outstanding Convertible Notes and (iii) the issuance of shares of common stock to CAR. Any additional sales of common stock by us in the future may cause further dilution to our existing stockholders. See “Dilution” for additional information.

Future sales and issuances of our common stock or rights to purchase common stock, including pursuant to our equity incentive plans, could result in additional dilution of the percentage ownership of our stockholders and could cause the price of our common stock to decline.

In the future, we may sell common stock, convertible securities, or other equity securities in one or more transactions at prices and in the manner we determine from time to time. We expect to issue securities to employees and directors pursuant to our equity incentive plans. If we sell common stock, convertible securities, or other equity securities in subsequent transactions, or common stock is issued pursuant to equity incentive plans, our investors’ holdings may be materially diluted. In addition, new investors in such subsequent transactions could gain rights, preferences, and privileges senior to those of holders of our common stock.

If a substantial number of shares become available for sale and are sold in a short period of time, the market price of our common stock could decline.

If our existing stockholders sell substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market following this offering, the market price of our common stock could decrease significantly. The perception in the public market that our existing stockholders might sell shares of common stock could also depress our market price.

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Our executive officers and directors and certain of our stockholders are subject to the lock-up agreements described under “Underwriting” and the Rule 144 holding period requirements described under “Shares Eligible for Future Sale.” After these lock-up periods have expired, and the holding periods have elapsed, additional shares will be eligible for sale in the public market. The market price of shares of our common stock may drop significantly when the restrictions on resale by our existing stockholders lapse. A decline in the price of shares of our common stock might impede our ability to raise capital through the issuance of additional shares of our stock or other equity securities.

In addition, following the expiration of the lock-up agreements referred to above, certain stockholders will be entitled, under our stockholders’ agreements and registration rights agreements, to require us to register an aggregate of 57,404,637 shares owned by them (including shares issuable upon conversion of our Convertible Notes) for public sale in the United States. We also expect to file a registration statement to register shares reserved for future issuance under our equity compensation plans shortly after the completion of this offering. As a result, subject to the satisfaction of applicable exercise periods and the expiration or waiver of lock-up agreements referred to above, the shares issued upon exercise of outstanding stock options will be available for immediate resale in the United States in the open market. Sales of our common stock as restrictions end or pursuant to registration rights may make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate. These sales could also cause the trading price of our common stock to decline and make it more difficult for you to sell shares of our common stock. See “Shares Eligible for Future Sale” for a description of our obligations to file registration statements following this offering.

Additionally, certain of our employees, executive officers, and directors may enter into Rule 10b5-1 trading plans providing for sales of shares of our common stock from time to time. Under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, a broker executes trades pursuant to parameters established by the employee, director, or officer when entering into the plan, without further direction from the employee, officer, or director. A Rule 10b5-1 trading plan may be amended or terminated in some circumstances. Our employees, executive officers, and directors also may buy or sell additional shares outside of a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan when they are not in possession of material, non-public information, subject to the expiration of the lock-up agreements and Rule 144 requirements referred to above.

An active trading market for our common stock may not develop and, as a result, it may be difficult for you to sell your shares of our common stock. Even if a market does develop, the market price may not exceed the offering price.

Prior to this offering, there has not been a public market for our common stock. We cannot predict the extent to which investor interest in us will lead to the development of an active trading market on the NYSE American, the TSX or otherwise, or how liquid that market may become. Although we have applied to list our common stock on the NYSE American and TSX, an active trading market for our common stock may not develop and even if one does develop, it may not be sustained following this offering. If an active market for our common stock does not develop, it may be difficult for you to sell shares you purchase in this offering without depressing the market price for the shares or at all. The initial public offering price for the common stock will be determined by negotiations between us and the representatives of the underwriters and may not be indicative of prices that will prevail in the open market following this offering. Consequently, you may not be able to sell shares of our common stock at prices equal to or greater than the price you pay in this offering. As a result, you could lose all or part of your investment.

The price of our common stock may be volatile and fluctuate substantially, which could result in substantial losses for purchasers of our common stock in this offering.

Our stock price is likely to be volatile. The stock market in general has experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. As a result of this volatility, you may not be able to sell your common stock at or above the initial public offering price. The market price for our common stock may be influenced by many factors, including: the failure to identify mineral reserves at our properties; the failure to achieve production at any of our mineral properties; the lack of mineral exploration success; the actual or anticipated changes in the price of commodities we are seeking to discover and mine, namely copper, gold, silver, nickel, cobalt, vanadium and platinum group elements; changes in

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market valuations of similar companies; changes in technology and demand for minerals; the success or failure of competitor mining companies; changes in our capital structure, such as future issuances of securities or the incurrence of debt; sales of common stock by us, our executive officers, directors or principal stockholders, or others; changes in regulatory requirements and the political climate in the United States, and other jurisdictions where we have activities, including Canada, Australia, Colombia, Peru, Ivory Coast, Papua New Guinea and the PRC; litigation involving us, our general industry or both; the recruitment or departure of key personnel; our ability to control our costs; accidents at mining projects, whether owned by us or otherwise; cyber-attacks or cyber-breaches; natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and acts of war, including the large-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia; general economic, industry and market conditions, such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, on our industry and market conditions, or the occurrence of other epidemics or pandemics; and the other factors described in this “Risk Factors” section.

In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class-action litigation has often been instituted against that company. Any lawsuit to which we are a party, with or without merit, may result in an unfavorable judgment. We also may decide to settle lawsuits on unfavorable terms. Any such negative outcome could result in payments of substantial damages or fines, damage to our reputation or adverse changes to our offerings or business practices. Such litigation may also cause us to incur other substantial costs to defend such claims and divert management’s attention and resources. Furthermore, negative public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments could have a negative effect on the market price of our common stock.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about us, or if they downgrade our common stock, the price of our common stock could decline.

The trading market for our common stock depends, in part, on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us. We do not have any control over these analysts. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our common stock or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about us, the price of our common stock would likely decline. In addition, if our results of operations fail to meet the forecasts of analysts, the price of our common stock would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our common stock could decrease, which might cause the price and trading volume of our common stock to decline.

The market price of our common stock is subject to fluctuations and may not reflect our long-term value at any given time, and we may be subject to securities litigation as a result.

The price of our common stock is likely to be significantly affected by a variety of factors and events including short-term changes to our financial condition or results of operations as reflected in our quarterly financial statements. Other factors unrelated to our performance that may have an effect on the price of our common stock include the following: (i) the extent of analytical coverage available to investors concerning our business may be limited if investment banks with research capabilities do not follow our securities; (ii) lessening in trading volume and general market interest in our securities may affect an investor’s ability to trade significant numbers of our common stock; (iii) the size of our public float may limit the ability of some institutions to invest in our securities; and (iv) a substantial decline in the price of our common stock that persists for a significant period of time could cause our securities to be delisted from the NYSE American or TSX, further reducing market liquidity.

As a result of any of these factors, the market price of our common stock is subject to fluctuations and may not accurately reflect our long-term value at any given point in time. Securities class action litigation has often been brought against companies following periods of volatility in the market price of their securities. We may be the target of similar litigation in the future. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and damages and divert management’s attention and resources.

After this offering, Robert Friedland, our Chief Executive Officer and I-Pulse, one of our principal stockholders that is affiliated with Mr. Friedland, will have a substantial degree of influence over the outcome of all matters submitted to stockholders, which may delay or prevent a change of control.

Upon the closing of this offering, Robert Friedland, our Chief Executive Officer, and I-Pulse, one of our principal stockholders that owned more than 5% of our outstanding common stock before this offering

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and that is affiliated with Mr. Friedland will, in the aggregate, beneficially own shares representing approximately 24.6% of our capital stock (or 24.1% if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full). Mr. Frescaline, one of our directors who will be stepping down upon the effectiveness of the Registration Statement of which this prospectus is a part, is the Chief Executive Officer of I-Pulse. As a result, if Mr. Friedland and I-Pulse act together, they would have the ability to influence the outcome of all matters submitted to our stockholders for approval. For example, if Mr. Friedland and I-Pulse act together, they would have the ability to influence the outcome of the election of directors and approval of any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. In addition, on March 30, 2022, I-Pulse issued to Mr. Friedland a promissory note evidencing I-Pulse’s obligation to repay a principal amount of $10 million with interest at a rate equal to 2% per annum, maturing on December 31, 2023. Under this promissory note, if a qualifying IPO occurs before the note maturity date, Mr. Friedland has the right to elect to receive, as payment in kind for the principal and interest then outstanding under such note, shares of common stock of the Company currently owned by I-Pulse. To the extent that Mr. Friedland exercises his right to receive shares under this promissory note, his percentage ownership in the Company will increase and I-Pulse’s percentage ownership will decrease by the same amount.

This concentration of ownership control may delay, defer or prevent a change in control; entrench our management and board of directors; or delay or prevent a merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination involving us that other stockholders may desire, even if such a change of control would be beneficial to our existing stockholders.

Certain provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws will contain provisions that may make the acquisition of our company more difficult, including the following:

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amendments to certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or amendments to our amended and restated bylaws will generally require the approval of at least 662∕3% of the voting power of our outstanding capital stock;

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our stockholders will only be able to take action at a meeting of stockholders and will not be able to take action by written consent for any matter;

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•

our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will not provide for cumulative voting;

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vacancies on our board of directors will be able to be filled only by our board of directors and not by stockholders;

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a special meeting of our stockholders may only be called by the chairperson of our board of directors or our Chief Executive Officer, as applicable, or a majority of our board of directors;

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restrict the forum for certain litigation against us to Delaware or the federal courts of the United States, as applicable;

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our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will authorize undesignated preferred stock, the terms of which may be established and shares of which may be issued without further action by our stockholders; and

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advance notice procedures apply for stockholders to nominate candidates for election as directors or to bring matters before an annual meeting of stockholders.

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Moreover, Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company. Section 203 imposes certain restrictions on mergers, business combinations and other transactions between us and holders of 15% or more of our common stock. See “Description of Capital Stock” for additional information.

These provisions, alone or together, could discourage, delay or prevent a transaction involving a change in control of our company. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for stockholders to elect directors of their choosing and to cause us to take other corporate actions they desire, any of which, under certain circumstances, could limit the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common stock, and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our common stock.

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Our board of directors will be authorized to issue and designate shares of our preferred stock in additional series without stockholder approval.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will authorize our board of directors, without the approval of our stockholders, to issue 50,000,000 shares of our preferred stock, subject to limitations prescribed by applicable law, rules and regulations and the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as shares of preferred stock in series, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each such series and to fix the designation, powers, preferences and rights of the shares of each such series and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof. The powers, preferences and rights of these additional series of preferred stock may be senior to or on parity with our common stock, which may reduce its value.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will designate specific state or federal courts as the exclusive forum for certain litigation that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for any state law claims for:

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any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf;

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•

any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our stockholders;

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•

any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to the DGCL, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws; or

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•

any action asserting a claim that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine (the “Delaware Forum Provision”).

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The Delaware Forum Provision will not apply to any causes of action arising under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act. Further, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States will be the sole and exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act (the “Federal Forum Provision”). In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock is deemed to have notice of and consented to the Delaware Forum Provision and the Federal Forum Provision; provided, however, that stockholders cannot and will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

The Delaware Forum Provision and the Federal Forum Provision in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may impose additional litigation costs on stockholders in pursuing any such claims. Additionally, these forum selection clauses may limit our stockholders’ ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that they find favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees, which may discourage the filing of lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and employees, even though an action, if successful, might benefit our stockholders. In addition, while the Delaware Supreme Court ruled in March 2020 that federal forum selection provisions purporting to require claims under the Securities Act be brought in federal court are “facially valid” under Delaware law, there is uncertainty as to whether other courts will enforce our Federal Forum Provision. If the Federal Forum Provision is found to be unenforceable, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters. The Federal Forum Provision may also impose additional litigation costs on stockholders who assert that the provision is not enforceable or invalid. The Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and the federal district courts of the United States 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.

We do not currently intend to pay dividends on our common stock and consequently, your ability to achieve a return on your investment will depend on appreciation in the price of our common stock.

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our capital stock. We do not intend to pay any cash dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain any future earnings to

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finance our business. In addition, Delaware law may impose requirements that may restrict our ability to pay dividends to holders of our common stock. As a result, stockholders must rely on sales of their shares of common stock after price appreciation as the only way to realize any future gains on their investment. The payment of any future dividends, if any, will be determined by our board of directors in light of conditions then existing, including our earnings, financial condition and capital requirements, business conditions, corporate law requirements and other factors. See “Dividend Policy.”

We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.

We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering in the manner described in “Use of Proceeds.” However, our board of directors and management has broad discretion in the application, and timing of the application, of the net proceeds from this offering, including for working capital and other general corporate purposes, and may spend or invest the net proceeds in ways that do not improve our results of operations or enhance the value of our common stock. As such, we may use net proceeds of this offering in ways that an investor may not consider desirable, if our board of directors and management believe such use would be in our best interest. Our failure to apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that could harm our business, cause the market price of our stock to decline, and delay the development of our operations. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value, which may negatively impact the market price of our common stock.

We may incur significant additional costs and expenses, including costs and expenses associated with obligations relating to being a public company, which will require significant resources and management attention and may divert focus from our business operations, particularly after we are no longer an “emerging growth company” or a “smaller reporting company”.

Our general administrative expenses, such as legal and accounting expenses related to becoming and being a public company, are expected to increase. We have not been required in the past to comply with the requirements of the SEC or the British Columbia Securities Commission or other applicable Canadian securities regulators (collectively the “CSA”), to file periodic reports with the SEC or the CSA, or to have our consolidated and combined carve-out financial statements completed, reviewed, or audited and filed within a specified time. As a public company following completion of this offering, we will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, applicable Canadian securities laws and regulations, the listing requirements of the NYSE American and the TSX and other applicable securities rules and regulations. As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting, insurance, and other expenses, including expenses related to our ESG strategy. Compliance with these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs, will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and make some activities more time-consuming and costly, particularly after we are no longer an “emerging growth company” or a “smaller reporting company”.

Furthermore, the need to establish the corporate infrastructure demanded of a public company may divert management’s attention from implementing our growth strategy, which could prevent us from successfully implementing our strategic initiatives and improving our business, operating results, financial condition, and prospects. If we fail to manage these additional costs or increase our revenue, we may incur losses in the future.

We also expect that being a public company will make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, which in turn could make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors.

We are evaluating these rules and regulations and cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs. These rules and regulations are often subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices.

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We are an “emerging growth company” and a “smaller reporting company,” and the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies may make our common stock less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. We may remain an emerging growth company until the end of the fiscal year in which the fifth anniversary of this offering occurs, although if the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time or if we have annual gross revenues of $1.07 billion or more in any fiscal year, we would cease to be an emerging growth company as of December 31 of the applicable year. We also would cease to be an emerging growth company if we issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we are permitted and intend to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These exemptions include:

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being permitted to provide only two years of audited financial statements in this prospectus, in addition to any required unaudited interim financial statements, with correspondingly reduced “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” disclosure;

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•

being exempt from compliance with the auditor attestation requirements in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;

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not being required to comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements;

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•

reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation; and

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•

exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

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Even after we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, we may continue to qualify as a smaller reporting company, which would allow us to take advantage of many of the same exemptions from disclosure requirements, including reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation. In addition, if we are a smaller reporting company with less than $100 million in annual revenue, we would not be required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

We may choose to take advantage of some, but not all, of the available exemptions. We have taken advantage of reduced reporting obligations in this prospectus. In particular, in this prospectus, we have not included all of the executive compensation related information that would be required if we were not an emerging growth company.

We cannot predict whether investors will find our common stock less attractive if we rely on certain or all of these exemptions. 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 be more volatile.

In addition, the JOBS Act permits an emerging growth company to take advantage of an extended transition period to comply with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected not to “opt out” of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we may adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard and will do so until such time that we either (i) irrevocably elect to “opt out” of such extended transition period or (ii) no longer qualify as an emerging growth company.

If we are unable to implement and maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports.

As a public company, we will be required to implement and maintain internal controls over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses in such internal controls. We will be required to furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act at the time of our second annual report on Form 10-K.

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However, our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act until the later of the year following our first annual report required to be filed with the SEC or the date we are no longer an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act. Accordingly, you will not be able to depend on any attestation concerning our internal control over financial reporting from our independent registered public accounting firm for the foreseeable future.

To achieve compliance with Section 404 within the prescribed period, we have commenced a process to document and evaluate our internal control over financial reporting, which is time consuming, costly, and complicated. In this regard, we will need to continue to dedicate internal resources, including through hiring additional financial and accounting personnel, engaging outside consultants and adopting a detailed work plan to assess and document the adequacy of internal control over financial reporting, continue steps to improve control processes as appropriate, validate through testing that controls are functioning as documented and implement a continuous reporting and improvement process for internal control over financial reporting. Many of our controls will need to change significantly as a result of becoming a public company, including enacting new entity-level controls in areas such as governance and oversight. We also expect to have changes in controls related to the application of United States generally accepted accounting principles, as we and our foreign subsidiaries have previously applied international financial reporting standards. There is a risk that we will not be able to conclude, within the prescribed timeframe or at all, that our internal control over financial reporting is effective as required by Section 404.

If during the evaluation and testing process, we identify one or more material weaknesses in the design or effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting or determine that existing material weaknesses have not been remediated, our management will be unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective. Even if our management concludes that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, our independent registered public accounting firm may conclude that there are material weaknesses with respect to our internal controls or the level at which our internal controls are documented, designed, implemented, or reviewed. If we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or when required in the future, if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the valuation of our common stock could be adversely affected.

Non-U.S. holders may be subject to United States federal income tax on gain on the sale or other taxable disposition of shares of our common stock.

Because we hold significant United States real property interests, we believe we are a “United States real property holding corporation” ​(“USRPHC”) for United States federal income tax purposes. As a result, a non-U.S. holder (as defined in “Certain United States Federal Income Tax and Estate Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders”) generally will be subject to United States federal income tax with respect to any gain on the sale or other taxable disposition of shares of our common stock (and will be required to file a United States federal income tax return for the taxable year of such sale or other taxable disposition), unless our common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market and such non-U.S. holder did not actually or constructively hold more than 5% of our common stock at any time during the shorter of (a) the five-year period preceding the date of the sale or disposition and (b) the non-U.S. holder’s holding period in such stock. Additionally, a purchaser of our common stock generally will be required to withhold and remit to the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) fifteen percent (15%) of the purchase price paid to such non-U.S. holder unless, at the time of such sale or other disposition, any class of our stock is regularly traded on an established securities market or any other exception to such withholding applies.

We anticipate that our common stock will be regularly traded on an established securities market following this offering. However, no assurance can be given in this regard and no assurance can be given that our common stock will remain regularly traded in the future. Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors concerning the consequences of disposing of shares of our common stock.

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Substantially all of the members of our board of directors, substantially all of our executive officers and certain of the experts named in this prospectus are non-U.S. residents, and you may not be able to enforce civil liabilities against these persons.

Although Ivanhoe Electric is incorporated under the DGCL, substantially all of the members of our board of directors, substantially all of our executive officers and certain of the experts named in this prospectus are non-U.S. residents, and certain assets of such persons are located outside the United States. Our corporate headquarters is located in Canada. As a result, you may not be able to effect service of process within the United States upon these persons or to enforce, in U.S. courts, against these persons or their assets, judgments of U.S. courts predicated upon any civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal or state securities laws. In addition, you may not be able to enforce certain civil liabilities predicated upon U.S. federal or state securities laws in Canada against us, our directors and executive officers and certain of the experts named in this prospectus or the assets of such persons.

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“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” These risks and uncertainties, as well as other risks of which we are not aware or which we currently do not believe to be material, may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We do not undertake any obligation to make any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

All written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us, or persons acting on our behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. You should evaluate all forward-looking statements made in this prospectus in the context of these risks and uncertainties.

Certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, qualifications and procedures which are set out only in the Santa Cruz Technical Reports and Tintic Technical Reports. For a complete description of assumptions, qualifications and procedures associated with such information, you should refer to the full text of the S-K 1300 Santa Cruz Technical Report and S-K 1300 Tintic Technical Report, which are included as Exhibits 96.1 and 96.2 to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

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operations or enhance the value of our common stock. As a result, investors will be relying on the judgment of our board of directors and management for the application of the net proceeds from this offering. There can be no assurance regarding the results and the effectiveness of our use of the net proceeds from this offering. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to This Offering and Our Common Stock — We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.” In addition, given that we have no history of production from operations, we have a history of negative operating cash flows and net losses and may continue to have negative operating cash flows and net losses in the future. As a result, we may use the net proceeds from this offering to fund our continuing operations. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business and Industry — We have a history of negative operating cash flows and net losses and we may never achieve or sustain profitability.”

Pending the use of the proceeds from this offering, we intend to invest the net proceeds in a variety of capital preservation instruments, including short-term, interest-bearing, investment-grade securities or short-term deposits. We cannot predict whether the proceeds invested will yield a favorable return.

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If the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares is exercised in full, the number of shares of common stock held by existing stockholders would decrease to 83% of the total number of shares of common stock outstanding after this offering, and the number of shares of common stock held by new investors would increase to 17% of the total number of shares of common stock outstanding after this offering.

A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $12.12 per share, which is the midpoint of the range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the total consideration paid by new investors by $14.4 million, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

To the extent that any outstanding options are exercised, new options are issued under our share-based compensation plans and are exercised or we issue additional common stock in the future, there will be further dilution to new investors purchasing shares in this offering.

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(the “Reverse Stock Split”), effective as of June 16, 2022. The number of authorized shares and the par value of the common stock were not adjusted as a result of the Reverse Stock Split. All references to common stock, options to purchase common stock, per share data and related information have been retrospectively adjusted to reflect the effect of the Reverse Stock Split for all periods presented.

Business Overview

We are a United States domiciled minerals exploration and development company with a focus on developing mines from mineral deposits principally located in the United States in order to support American supply chain independence and to deliver the critical metals necessary for electrification of the economy. We believe the United States is significantly underexplored and will yield major new discoveries of these metals. Our mineral projects focus on copper, gold, silver, nickel, cobalt, vanadium and the platinum group metals.

“Our” mineral projects refers to our interests in such projects which may be a direct ownership interest in mineral titles (including through subsidiary entities), a right to acquire mineral titles through an earn-in or option agreement, or, in the case of our investments in publicly listed companies in Canada, through our ownership of the equity of those companies, that have an interest in such mineral projects.

Our two material mineral projects are located in the United States and are known as the Santa Cruz Copper Project (“Santa Cruz” or the “Santa Cruz Project”) in Arizona and the Tintic Copper-Gold Project (“Tintic” or the “Tintic Project”) in Utah. We have the option to acquire 100% of the mineral rights constituting the Santa Cruz and Tintic projects.

Our other key mineral projects are the Hog Heaven Project, located in Montana (the “Hog Heaven Project”), and the Ivory Coast Project, which is owned directly by a subsidiary of Sama Resources Inc. (“Sama”), although we have a direct interest in Sama’s subsidiary as well.

We also have investments in publicly traded companies in Canada, and through our ownership of equity in those companies, we have an indirect interest in mineral projects in Peru, Ivory Coast and Colombia.

In addition to our mineral projects, we also own controlling interests in two technology companies: VRB and CGI. As of March 31, 2022, we owned 90.0% of the outstanding shares of VRB. VRB and its subsidiary companies are primarily engaged in the design, manufacture, installation, and operation of energy storage systems. As of March 31, 2022, we owned 94.3% of CGI’s outstanding shares. CGI has developed technology that consists of sophisticated codes to process geophysical data and build 3D subsurface images that could indicate the presence of various natural resources, including metallic minerals and water. CGI offers mineral prospectivity and drill target identification services, data analytic tools and optimization of operational processes. CGI provides fee-for-service and licensing agreements for one-off technology applications to customers in the area of critical minerals, energy and water exploration.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 global pandemic has caused governments worldwide to implement measures to slow the spread of the outbreak through quarantines, travel restrictions, business shutdowns, and other measures. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the global economy, disrupted financial markets and international trade, resulted in increased unemployment levels and significantly affected global supply chains, all of which have and are expected to continue to affect our future exploration activities and business. To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business prospects, financial condition, and results of operation, it may also have the effect of exacerbating many of the other risks described in the “Risk Factors” section. See “Risk Factors” for a further discussion of the potential adverse impact of COVID-19 on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

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Exploration Expenses

Exploration expenses include topographical, geological, geochemical and geophysical studies, exploratory drilling, trenching, sampling and activities in relation to evaluating the technical feasibility and commercial viability of extracting a mineral resource, as well as value-added taxes in relation to these direct exploration and evaluation costs incurred in foreign jurisdictions where recoverability of those taxes is uncertain. Exploration expenses also include salaries, benefits and stock compensation expenses of the employees performing these activities.

Exploration expenses also include payments under earn-in and option agreements where the option right is with respect to entities owning the underlying exploration project. Through our earn-in and option agreements, we have the right to fund and conduct exploration on the underlying assets prior to determining whether to acquire a minority or majority ownership interest through further funding the costs of such exploration and, in some cases, through direct payments to the owners of the project. In the event we cease expenditure on an exploration project, we do not obtain an ownership right beyond any which has been acquired as of the date of termination.

From 2019 to 2021, Cordoba’s San Matias project has accounted for a significant portion of our exploration expenses. However, we expect that going forward, exploration expenses at Santa Cruz and Tintic will also be significant as we advance these projects with the funds we have raised during 2021 and 2022, and with a portion of the expected proceeds from this offering.

Included in exploration expenses are exploration costs that we incur in relation to generating new projects. These activities may or may not proceed to earn-in agreements depending on our evaluation. These are categorized as “Project generation and other”.

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General and Administrative Expenses

Our general and administrative expenses consist of salaries and benefits, stock compensation, professional and consultant fees, insurance and other general administration costs. Our general and administrative expenses are expected to increase significantly as we prepare to operate as a public company. We expect higher costs related to salaries, benefits, stock compensation, legal fees, compliance and corporate governance, accounting and audit expenses, stock exchange listing fees, transfer agent and other shareholder-related fees, directors’ and officers’ and other insurance costs and other administrative costs.

Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 Compared to Three Months Ended March 31, 2021

For the three months ended March 31, 2022, we recorded a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $15.5 million ($0.24 per share), compared to $4.7 million ($0.08 per share) for the three months ended March 31, 2021, which was an increase of $10.8 million. Significant contributors to this increase in the three months ended March 31, 2022 were an $11.1 million increase in exploration expenditures and a $2.4 million

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increase in general and administrative expenses offset by an increase in revenue of $5.2 million compared to the three months ended March 31, 2021.

Exploration expenses of $17.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 increased by $11.0 million from $6.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. During the three months ended March 31, 2022, expenditures largely focused on exploration activities at:

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the Santa Cruz Project where $9.8 million of expenditure was incurred. Spending at Santa Cruz was focused on drilling, assaying, and related drill support and core processing. A preliminary Typhoon™ survey was also conducted. Additionally, geotechnical, hydrogeological, and early trade-off study work has commenced;

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the San Matias Project where $2.4 million of expenditure was incurred, focused on the discovery of the source of the porphyry clasts repeatedly seen in breccias within the Alacran deposit and testing of the northern extension of the Alacran deposit. Exploration drilling commenced in November 2021 and was completed in March 2022. Assay results are pending; and

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the Perseverance Project where $1.5 million of expenditure was incurred during the exploration drilling campaign focused on testing geophysical targets.

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General and administrative expenses of $5.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 increased by $2.4 million from $2.8 million in the three months ended March 31, 2021. Several items contributed to the increase, including:

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a $0.7 million increase in legal, accounting and administrative expenses largely related to preparation for this offering;

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a $0.6 million increase in professional fees at VRB in relation to certain technical studies that it is conducting;

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$0.3 million in expenditures related to entering into an agreement for aviation services with a related company during 2022 (Q1 2021: $nil); and

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$0.2 million expensed for an Ivanhoe Electric stock option grant (Q1 2021: $nil).

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Revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2022 was $6.8 million, an increase of $5.2 million from $1.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021.

Substantially all of our revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and the three months ended March 31, 2021 came from CGI. During the fourth quarter of 2021, CGI entered into a new agreement with a customer whereby it agreed to license certain software for a one-time fee of $6.5 million, which was received and recognized in the first quarter of 2022. The agreement also provides for $0.5 million of service fees payable in two installments, one in the first quarter of 2022 and one in the first quarter of 2023. This agreement resulted in $6.7 million in revenue from this customer being recognized in the three months ended March 31, 2022. At March 31, 2022, there remained a final payment of $250,000 under this agreement. We cannot provide any assurance that we will enter into any additional contracts with this customer in the future.

CGI’s software licensing and data processing services to the mining and oil and gas industries represented 100% of our revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2022 ($6.7 million) and 95% for the three months ended March 31, 2021 ($1.6 million).

CGI’s gross profit for the three months ended March 31, 2022 was $6.7 million, a $5.5 million or 450% increase from $1.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The licensing of certain software for a

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one-time fee of $6.5 million had a direct impact on gross profit as the licenses had no underlying carrying value and therefore resulted in a $6.5 million gross profit being recognized in relation to their license.

Research and development expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2022 were $1.3 million, an increase of $0.4 million from the same period in 2021, attributable to a $0.3 million increase in research and development activity at CGI as we were focused on generating new business after completing the $6.5 million software licensing agreement.

Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020

For the year ended December 31, 2021, we recorded a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $59.3 million ($0.96 per share), compared to $25.2 million ($0.42 per share) for the year ended December 31, 2020, which was an increase of $34.1 million. Significant contributors to this $34.1 million increase in 2021 were a $25.4 million increase in exploration expenditures and an $8.8 million increase in general and administrative expenses compared to 2020.

Exploration expenses of $39.5 million in 2021 increased by $25.4 million from $14.1 million in 2020. During 2021, expenditures largely focused on exploration activities at:

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the San Matias Project where pre-feasibility study fieldwork was conducted;

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the Santa Cruz Project where significant activities occurred in the fourth quarter of 2021 that included a four-hole diamond drill program and the completion of a mineral resource estimate. We also commenced a passive seismic survey;

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the Tintic Project where we completed a small exploration drill program in the fourth quarter of 2021; and

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the Hog Heaven Project where we completed a three dimensional IP survey in the summer of 2021 and a detailed ground gravity survey in September 2021.

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General and administrative expenses of $20.4 million in 2021 increased by $8.8 million from $11.7 million in 2020. Several items contributed to the increase including:

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$1.4 million of financing fees relating to the Series 1 Convertible Notes and common stock offering (2020: $nil);

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$1.4 million in expenditures related to entering into an agreement for aviation services with a related company during 2021 (2020: $nil);

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$0.9 million expensed in 2021 for an Ivanhoe Electric stock option grant (2020: $nil);

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$1.8 million in staff and administrative costs at VRB as a result of increased headcount and administrative related expenditures after the completion of its convertible notes financing; and

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$3.0 million in legal, accounting and administrative expenses largely related to preparation for this offering during the second half of 2021, particularly during the fourth quarter of 2021.

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Research and development expenses in 2021 were $3.8 million, an increase of $0.2 million from 2020 primarily attributable to a $0.3 million increase in research and development activity at VRB.

Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $4.7 million, which was consistent with $4.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Substantially all of our revenue for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 came from CGI’s data processing services to the mining and oil and gas industries, which represented 97% of our revenue in 2021 ($4.5 million) and 91% in 2020 ($4.2 million).

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CGI’s data processing gross profit for 2021 was $3.1 million, a $0.3 million or 14% increase from $2.7 million in 2020. This increase was a result of a 7% increase in revenue of $0.3 million combined with a 5% decrease in cost of sales.

CGI’s data processing revenue increased by $0.3 million from $4.2 million in 2020 to $4.5 million in 2021, which was a result of a $0.2 million increase in revenue from CGI’s significant customer which generated revenue of $3.5 million in 2021, compared to $3.3 million in 2020. During the fourth quarter of 2021, CGI entered into a new agreement with this customer whereby it agreed to license certain software for a one-time fee of $6.5 million, which was received and recognized in the first quarter of 2022. The agreement also provides for $500,000 of service fees payable in two installments, one in the first quarter of 2022 and one in the first quarter of 2023. Given the change in the contractual arrangement with this customer, the amount and timing of revenue for 2022 and beyond are expected to be significantly different than historical amounts. We cannot provide any assurance that we will enter into any additional contracts with this customer in the future.

Year Ended December 31, 2020 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2019

For the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $25.2 million ($0.42 per share) compared to $24.6 million ($0.41 per share) for the year ended December 31, 2019, an increase of $0.6 million.

Exploration expenses of $14.1 million in 2020 increased by $1.2 million from $12.9 million in 2019. During 2020, expenditures largely focused on exploration activities at Cordoba’s San Matias Project, Kaizen’s Pinaya Project, our Tintic Project and generating new exploration projects. The main change in 2020 from 2019 was an increase at the Pinaya Project of $1.0 million as a result of Kaizen completing a drilling campaign from January to March 2020.

General and administrative expenses of $11.7 million in 2020 increased by $0.9 million from $10.8 million in 2019. The increase was largely result of increased legal fees at Kaizen of $0.8 million as result of the AM Gold litigation. See “Legal Proceedings.”

Research and development expenses in 2020 were $3.6 million, a decrease of $0.5 million from 2019. The decrease was a result of less research and development expenditure being incurred at VRB due to a shutdown of activities in the first quarter of 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $4.6 million compared to $3.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, an increase of $0.8 million.

The majority of our revenue for the years ended 2020 and 2019 came from CGI’s sale of data processing services to the mining and oil and gas industries, which represented 91% of our revenue in 2020 ($4.2 million) and 81% in 2020 ($3.0 million).

CGI’s data processing gross profit for 2020 was $2.7 million, a $0.7 million (or 35%) increase from $2.0 million in 2019. This increase was a result of a 39% increase in revenue of $1.2 million combined with a 45% increase ($0.5 million) in cost of sales.

CGI’s increase in data processing revenue of $1.2 million largely relates to a $1.7 million increase in revenue from CGI’s significant customer, which generated revenue of $3.4 million in 2020, compared to $1.7 million in 2019.

CGI’s increase in data processing services cost of sales of $0.5 million relates to a $0.5 million share based compensation expense in relation to a 2020 CGI option grant (2019: $nil).

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Stock-Based Compensation

In June 2021, we granted 4,483,322 stock options at an exercise price of $2.49 per share to certain directors, officers and employees. To date, this has been our only Ivanhoe Electric stock option grant. The fair value of the option grant was determined using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model as $1.09 per share.