RISK FACTORS

An investment in our ordinary share involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to invest in our ordinary share, you should consider carefully the risks described below, together with all of the other information set forth in this prospectus, including the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow could be materially and adversely affected, which could cause the trading price of our ordinary share to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment. The risks described below and in the documents referenced above are not the only ones that we face. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business. You should only consider investing in our ordinary share if you can bear the risk of loss of your entire investment.

Risks Related to Our Business

We rely on China’s automotive industry for our net revenues and future growth, the prospects of which are subject to many uncertainties, including government regulations and policies.

We rely on China’s automotive industry for our net revenues and future growth. We have greatly benefited from the rapid growth of China’s automotive industry during the past few years. However, the prospects of China’s automotive industry are subject to many uncertainties, including those relating to general economic conditions in China, the urbanization rate of China’s population and the cost of automobiles. In addition, government policies may have a considerable impact on the growth of the automotive industry in China. For example, in an effort to alleviate traffic congestion and improve air quality, a number of cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Harbin, and Hangzhou, have issued regulations to limit the number of new passenger car plates issued each year starting from 2010. In 2018, Beijing local government extended for another year existing restrictions on private vehicle use, which greatly reduced the number of automobiles on the road. On the bright side, both central and local governments in China have adopted a series of favorable policies targeted at new energy vehicle manufacturers. For example, on January 29, 2019, the Development and Reformation Commission released a national development plan that launched a new energy public transportation vehicle subsidy plan and reinforced the existing battery infrastructure development. On June 6, 2019, the Development and Reformation Commission released a proposal that eliminates restrictions on NEV purchase and use. Such regulatory developments, as well as other uncertainties, may affect the growth prospects of China’s automotive industry, and in turn reduce consumer demand for automobiles. If automakers, auto dealers or automotive service providers reduce their marketing expenditures as a result, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Our business is substantially dependent on our collaboration with our suppliers, including automakers, auto dealers, and automotive service providers, and our agreements with them typically do not contain long-term contractual commitments.

Our business is substantially dependent on our collaboration with automakers, auto dealers and automotive service providers. We generally enter into letters of intent for the cooperation on sales and services with them without imposing any contractual obligations requiring them to maintain their relationships with us beyond the completion of each such event we organize or beyond the contractual term. Accordingly, there is no guarantee for future cooperation after the event and there is no assurance that we can maintain stable and long-term business relationships with any such automakers. Further, there is no written contract between us and the battery factories or 4S stores; there is no guarantee that the battery factories and 4S stores will continue their cooperative relationship with us, or we may suffer a loss if they do not honor the oral agreements/commitment with us. If a significant number of our industry vehicle buyers terminate or do not renew their agreements with us and we are not able to replace these business partners on commercial reasonable terms in a timely manner or at all, our business, results of operations and financial condition would be materially and adversely affected.

If we fail to attract and retain automobile consumers, our business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

In order to maintain and strengthen our leading market position and to attract industry vehicle buyers, we must continue to attract and retain consumers to our auto shows and other offline events. We must also innovate and introduce services and applications that improve consumers’ purchase experience. In addition, we must maintain and enhance our brand recognition among automobile consumers.

If we fail to enhance consumers’ ability to secure favorable purchase prices, offer a superior purchase experience or maintain and enhance our brand, we may not be able to attract and retain automobile consumers and thus fail to retain and attract our industry vehicle buyers, from whom we derive our net revenues, and our brand and reputation may be materially and adversely affected.

Our business is subject to risks related to the overall automotive industry ecosystem, including consumer demand, consumption habits, global supply chain challenges and other macroeconomic issues.

Decreasing consumer demand could adversely affect the market for automobile purchases and, as a result, adversely affect our business. Consumer purchases of new and used automobiles generally decline during recessionary periods and other periods in which disposable income is adversely affected. Purchases of new and used automobiles are typically discretionary for consumers and have been, and may continue to be, affected by negative trends in the economy, including the rising cost of energy and gasoline, the limited availability and increasing cost of credit, reductions in business and consumer confidence, stock market volatility, and increased unemployment. Further, in recent years the automotive market has experienced rapid changes in technology and consumer demands. Self-driving technology, ride sharing, transportation networks, and other fundamental changes in transportation could impact consumer demand for the purchase of automobiles. A reduction in the number of automobiles purchased by consumers could adversely affect automakers and auto dealers and lead to a reduction in their spending on our services. In addition, our business may be negatively affected by challenges to the overall automotive industry ecosystem, including global supply chain challenges and other macroeconomic issues such as the recent trade tension between China and the United States. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

In addition, our business is focused on third- and fourth- tier cities mainly due to the increasing consumer demand of NEVs, lower initial investment costs, more affordable lease and less marketing costs. If there is a negative trend in the economy, consumer demand in third- and fourth- tier cities would be weakened and thereby adversely affect our operations and financial conditions.

Our future growth is dependent on the demand for, and upon consumers’ willingness to adopt electric vehicles.

Demand for automobile sales depends to a large extent on general, economic, political and social conditions in a given market and the introduction of new vehicles and technologies. As our business grows, economic conditions and trends will impact our business, prospects and operating results as well.

Demand for our electric vehicles may also be affected by factors directly impacting automobile price or the cost of purchasing and operating automobiles such as sales and financing incentives, prices of raw materials and parts and components, cost of fuel and governmental regulations, including tariffs, import regulation and other taxes. Volatility in demand may lead to lower vehicle unit sales, which may result in further downward price pressure and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

In addition, the demand for NEVs will highly depend upon the adoption by consumers of NEVs in general and electric vehicles in particular. The market for NEVs is still rapidly evolving, characterized by rapidly changing technologies, price and other competition, evolving government regulation and industry standards and changing consumer demands and behaviors.

Other factors that may influence the adoption of alternative fuel vehicles, and specifically electric vehicles, include:

Any of the factors described above may cause current or potential vehicle buyers not to purchase NEVs. If the market for electric vehicles does not develop as we expect or develops more slowly than we expect, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results will be affected.

We may be affected by the perceptions about electric vehicle quality, safety, design, performance, and cost, especially if adverse events or accidents occur that are linked to the quality or safety of electric vehicles, and the speed of the vehicles and battery performance.

Our growth is highly dependent upon the consumers’ adoption of electric vehicles in general. The market for alternative fuel vehicles, especially for electric vehicles, is still relatively new. Though the market is rapidly evolving with changing technologies, customers’ demand for electric vehicles may fluctuate significantly due to various factors. Such factors include price competition, additional competitors, evolving government regulation and industry standards, frequent new vehicle announcements, safety concerns, and changing consumer behavior. If the electric vehicle market does not develop as we expect or electric vehicles are subject to an elevated risk related to quality, safety, design, performance, and cost, our business, prospects, financial condition, and operating results will be harmed. We aim to provide vehicles buyers with comprehensive customer solutions. However, to the extent that there are safety concerns or limitations to the vehicles’ speed, battery performance, and other technical limits, we rely heavily on the manufacturers and their technology development, which is beyond our control and expertise. Besides, there could be unanticipated challenges that may hinder our ability to provide our solutions or business development. Our reputation and business may be materially and adversely affected to the extent we might be unable to anticipate industry development and customer perceptions.

We may be affected by perceptions about vehicle safety in general, particularly safety issues that may be attributed to the use of advanced technology, including electric vehicle and regenerative braking systems, battery overheating issues, and periodic maintenance requirements.

Developments in electric vehicles technology may materially and adversely affect our business and prospects in ways we do not currently anticipate. Any safety concerns could impact the entire electric vehicle industry, whichever manufacturers produce such vehicles. For instance, safety concerns for lithium-ion battery packs and the adverse accidents related to the Chevrolet Volt battery pack fires substantially affected customer perceptions about electric vehicles. Any failure by the manufacturers to successfully react to safety issues could materially harm our competitive position and growth prospects. Furthermore, even if the manufacturers are able to keep pace with changes in technology and develop newer, safer models, customers may still associate safety concerns with advanced technology in general and, as a result, our competitiveness may suffer. In addition, we will need to re-train our staff to keep up with the changing technologies and to learn the new models. As technologies change, we plan to provide vehicle buyers with a selection of new models with the latest technology, particularly battery technology, which could involve substantial costs and lower investment returns for existing vehicles. There can be no assurance that we will be able to compete effectively with alternative vehicles or source.

We may be affected by the limited range over which electric vehicles may be driven on a single battery charge and the speed at which batteries can be recharged.

Most all-electric vehicles can last 100-200 miles on a single full charge. However, many factors will accelerate the power consumption and shorten the cruising range, including external temperatures, the use of radio or air-conditioning systems, elevated terrain, and constant acceleration and braking. Though a single fully charged electric vehicle is well situated to journeys within cities and suburbs, its cruising range is still much less than a gasoline car that typically runs 350-400 miles on a full tank of gas. Furthermore, the speed at which the battery can be recharged differs between traditional fuel cars and electric vehicles. Generally, refueling a gasoline car takes a few minutes while recharging an electric vehicle can take 25-60 minutes using fast chargers and several hours with slower chargers, depending on the battery size and charging speed. Under extreme weather conditions, the range   of battery charging time plummets dramatically. If the manufacturers fail to address the limited range over which electric vehicles may be driven on a single battery charge and the speed at which batteries can be recharged, we may be failed to attract new NEV buyers. It may also adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.

The electric vehicle market development relies on the electric grid capacity and reliability as the increase in electric vehicles’ electricity load may cause a gap in the area’s installed power supply capacity and transmission line capacity.

The growth of the electric vehicle market depends on adequate charging infrastructure and consumer perception of charging efficiency. According to the World Resources Institute’s report on NEVs’ impact on China’s electric grid (source: https://www.wri.org.cn/sites/default/files/), the urban power grid’s peak load will increase by 10% to 11%, the maximum load demand to 1,000 to 4,000MW, due to NEVs in the next couple of decades. The location and the charging time for electric vehicles are critical to the grid development, as excess demand can overburden the grid at peak hours. Such an increase may cause a gap in the installed power supply capacity and the transmission line capacity in certain areas. In addition, the popularization of fast charging will add to the complexity and uncertainty of the electric vehicles’ efficiency, mainly due to the uncertainties of charging time and capacities of charging multiple NEVs simultaneously. The advancement of the battery technology and electric vehicles’ grid load will require significant and thoughtful investment in a network of charging stations. Not to mention that installing a charger at a home or commercial site requires cooperating with local permitting and inspection regulations. Accordingly, the electric vehicle market would require a higher standard for electric grid capacity, electric grid reliability, power supply capacity, and transmission line capacity. If the utilities and grid concerns are not addressed in the future, the electric vehicle market and our business development could be materially and adversely affected.

The unavailability, reduction or elimination of government and economic incentives or government policies which are favorable for electric vehicles and domestically produced vehicles could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.

Our growth depends significantly on the availability and amounts of government subsidies, economic incentives and government policies that support the growth of NEVs generally and electric vehicles specifically.

On April 10, 2018, President Xi Jinping vowed to open China’s economy further and lower import tariffs on products including cars, in a speech during the Boao Forum. According to an announcement by the Chinese government, the tariff on imported passenger vehicles (other than those originating in the United States of America) will be reduced to 15% starting from July 1, 2018. As a result, our pricing advantage could be diminished. On June 28, 2018, the National Development and Reform Commission, or NDRC, and the Ministry of Commerce, or the MOFCOM, promulgated the Special Administrative Measures for Market Access of Foreign Investment, or the Negative List, effective on July 28, 2018, under which the limits on foreign ownership of auto manufacturers will be lifted by 2022 for internal combustion engines vehicles and in 2018 for NEVs. As a result, foreign electrical vehicles competitors, such as Tesla, could build wholly-owned facilities in China without the need for a domestic joint venture partner. These changes could increase our competition and reduce our pricing advantage.

Our vehicles also benefit from government policies including tariffs on imported cars. However, China’s central government has announced a phase-out schedule for the subsidies provided for purchasers of certain NEVs, which provides that the amount of subsidies provided for purchasers of certain NEVs in 2019 and 2020 will be reduced by 20% as compared to 2017 levels. Any reduction in national subsidies will also lower the maximum local subsidies that can be provided. Furthermore, China’s central government provides certain local governments with funds and subsidies to support the roll out of a charging infrastructure. See “Regulation— Government Policies Relating to New Energy Vehicles in the PRC.” These policies are subject to change and beyond our control. We cannot assure you that any changes would be favorable to our business. Furthermore, any reduction, elimination or discriminatory application of government subsidies and economic incentives because of policy changes, the reduced need for such subsidies and incentives due to the perceived success of electric vehicles, fiscal tightening or other factors may result in the diminished competitiveness of the alternative fuel vehicle industry generally or our electric vehicles in particular. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.

We may fail to successfully grow or operate our franchise business as our franchisees may fail to operate the franchise stores effectively or we may be unable to maintain our relationships with our franchisees.

We generate our revenues through initial franchise fees and sales commissions. We expect our revenues to increase as we grow. We rely on our existing franchisees to open and operate new vehicle stores and our ability to attract new franchisees. Our franchisees are independent operators and are responsible for the profitability and financial viability of their franchisee stores. However, if our franchisees fail to operate their stores effectively or grow their operations, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

Upon expiration of the franchise agreement, we may not be able to renew because it is subject to mutual agreement by both parties. If we fail to renew the franchise agreement, it may also adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.

We may not be able to effectively monitor the operations of franchise stores.

Our franchisees are required to comply with our standardized operating procedures and requirements for the franchise stores. However, we may not be able to effectively monitor the operations of these stores as our franchisees may deviate from our standards and requirements. Moreover, we do not control the actions of their employees, including their salespersons. As a result, the quality of franchise stores operations may be adversely affected by any number of factors beyond our control.

While we ultimately can take action to terminate or choose not to renew existing franchise agreements with franchisees who do not comply with the terms and conditions stipulated by our franchise agreements, including standardized operating procedures, we may not be immediately aware or able to identify problems or take actions quickly enough to resolve these problems. This may lead to potential legal and regulatory non-compliance incidents. For instance, lack of the requisite permits and licenses to operate the franchise stores or a failure in registration of franchise agreements with PRC authorities may subject our franchisees to regulatory risks, which may significantly affect our brand, the results of operations of the franchise stores and in turn adversely and materially affect our financial condition.

We depend on certain key personnel and loss of these key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our success is, to a certain extent, attributable to the management, sales and marketing, and research and development expertise of key personnel. We depend upon the services of Mr. Shuibo Zhang, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Mr. Qi Zhang, our Chief Operating Officer, and Ms. Kezhen Li, our Director, for the continued growth and operation of our Company, due to his industry experience, technical expertise, as well as his personal and business contacts in the PRC. Although we have no reason to believe that our directors and executive officers will discontinue their services with us or Zhejiang Jiuzi, the interruption or loss of his services would adversely affect our ability to effectively run our business and pursue our business strategy as well as our results of operations. We do not carry key man life insurance for any of our key personnel, nor do we foresee purchasing such insurance to protect against the loss of key personnel.

We may not be able to hire and retain qualified personnel to support our growth and if we are unable to retain or hire these personnel in the future, our ability to improve our products and implement our business objectives could be adversely affected.

We must attract, recruit and retain a sizeable workforce of technically competent employees. Competition for senior management and personnel in the PRC is intense and the pool of qualified candidates in the PRC is limited. We may not be able to retain the services of our senior executives or personnel, or attract and retain high-quality senior executives or personnel in the future. This failure could materially and adversely affect our future growth and financial condition.

If we fail to maintain and enhance our brand name recognition, we may face difficulty in attracting new franchisees and meeting customer demands.

Although our brand is well-respected in the NEV industry in China, we still believe that maintaining and enhancing our brand name recognition in a cost-effective manner is critical to achieving widespread acceptance of our current and future vehicles and services and is an important element in our effort to increase our customer base. Successful promotion of our brand name will depend largely on our marketing efforts and ability to provide reliable and quality products at competitive prices. Brand promotion activities may not necessarily yield increased revenue, and even if they do, any increased revenue may not offset the expenses we will incur in marketing activities. If we fail to successfully promote and maintain our brand, or if we incur substantial expenses in an unsuccessful attempt to promote and maintain our brand, we may fail to attract new vehicle buyers or retain our existing vehicle buyers, in which case our business, operating results and financial condition, would be materially adversely affected.

Our success depends on our ability to protect our intellectual property.

Our success depends on our ability to obtain and maintain trademark protection for our brand name, in the PRC and in other countries. There is no assurance that any of our existing and future trademarks will be held valid and enforceable against third-party infringement or that our vehicles will not infringe any third-party patent or intellectual property. We have owned valid trademarks within PRC. Third parties may oppose our trademark applications or otherwise challenge our use of the trademarks. In the event that our trademarks are successfully challenged, we could be forced to rebrand our products, which could result in loss of brand recognition and could require us to devote resources to advertising and marketing these new brands. Further, our competitors may infringe our trademarks, or we may not have adequate resources to enforce our trademarks.

Adverse publicity associated with our network marketing program, or those of similar companies, could harm our financial condition and operating results.

The results of our operations may be significantly affected by the public’s perception of our product and similar companies. This perception depends upon opinions concerning:

Adverse publicity concerning any actual or purported failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations regarding product claims and advertising, good manufacturing practices, or other aspects of our business, whether or not resulting in enforcement actions or the imposition of penalties, could have an adverse effect on our goodwill and could negatively affect our sales and ability to generate revenue.

Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure

We rely on contractual arrangements with our variable interest entity and its subsidiary in China for our business operations, which may not be as effective in providing operational control or enabling us to derive economic benefits as through ownership of controlling equity interests.

We rely on and expect to continue to rely on our wholly owned PRC subsidiary’s contractual arrangements with Zhejiang Jiuzi and its shareholders to operate our business. These contractual arrangements may not be as effective in providing us with control over Zhejiang Jiuzi as ownership of controlling equity interests would be in providing us with control over, or enabling us to derive economic benefits from the operations of Zhejiang Jiuzi. Under the current contractual arrangements, as a legal matter, if Zhejiang Jiuzi or any of Zhejiang Jiuzi Shareholders fails to perform its, his or her respective obligations under these contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and resources to enforce such arrangements, and rely on legal remedies available under PRC laws, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, which we cannot assure you will be effective. For example, if Zhejiang Jiuzi Shareholders were to refuse to transfer their equity interests in Zhejiang Jiuzi to us or our designated persons when we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, we may have to take a legal action to compel them to fulfill their contractual obligations.

Our PRC counsel, Capital Equity Legal Group, will render an opinion that the ownership structure of the PRC entities does not violate PRC laws or regulations currently in effect, and that the contractual arrangements are valid, binding and enforceable, and do not result in any violation of PRC laws or regulations currently in effect. However, there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current PRC Laws, and there can be no assurance that the PRC government will ultimately take a view that is consistent with such opinion.

If (i) the applicable PRC authorities invalidate these contractual arrangements for violation of PRC laws, rules and regulations, (ii) any variable interest entity or its shareholders terminate the contractual arrangements or (iii) any variable interest entity or its shareholders fail to perform its/his/her obligations under these contractual arrangements, our business operations in China would be materially and adversely affected, and the value of your shares would substantially decrease. Further, if we fail to renew these contractual arrangements upon their expiration, we would not be able to continue our business operations unless the then current PRC law allows us to directly operate businesses in China.

In addition, if any variable interest entity or all or part of its assets become subject to liens or rights of third-party creditors, we may be unable to continue some or all of our business activities, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If any of the variable interest entities undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, its shareholders or unrelated third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of these assets, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business, which could materially and adversely affect our business and our ability to generate revenues.

All of these contractual arrangements are governed by PRC law and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in the PRC. The legal environment in the PRC is not as developed as in some other jurisdictions, such as the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. In the event we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective control over our operating entities and we may be precluded from operating our business, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Zhejiang Jiuzi Shareholders may have potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.

The equity interests of Zhejiang Jiuzi are held by a total of five shareholders. Their interests may differ from the interests of our Company as a whole. They may breach, or cause Zhejiang Jiuzi to breach, or refuse to renew the existing contractual arrangements we have with Zhejiang Jiuzi, which would have a material adverse effect on our ability to effectively control Zhejiang Jiuzi and receive economic benefits from them. For example, the shareholders may be able to cause our agreements with Zhejiang Jiuzi to be performed in a manner adverse to us by, among other things, failing to remit payments due under the contractual arrangements to us on a timely basis. We cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest arise, any or all of these shareholders will act in the best interests of our Company or such conflicts will be resolved in our favor.

Currently, we do not have arrangements to address potential conflicts of interest the shareholders of our consolidated VIE may encounter, on one hand, and as a beneficial owner of our Company, on the other hand. We, however, could, at all times, exercise our option under the Exclusive Option Agreement to cause them to transfer all of their equity ownership in our consolidated VIE to a PRC entity or individual designated by us as permitted by the then applicable PRC laws. In addition, if such conflicts of interest arise, we could also, in the capacity of attorney-in-fact of the then existing shareholders of our consolidated VIE as provided under the power of attorney, directly appoint new directors of our consolidated VIE. We rely on the shareholders of our consolidated VIE to comply with PRC laws and regulations, which protect contracts and provide that directors and executive officers owe a duty of loyalty to our Company and require them to avoid conflicts of interest and not to take advantage of their positions for personal gains, and the laws of the Cayman Islands, which provide that directors have a duty of care and a duty of loyalty to act honestly in good faith with a view to our best interests. However, the legal frameworks of China and the Cayman Islands do not provide guidance on resolving conflicts in the event of a conflict with another corporate governance regime. If we cannot resolve any conflicts of interest or disputes between us and the shareholders of our consolidated VIE, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could result in disruption of our business and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings.

Contractual arrangements in relation to our VIE may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities and they may determine that we or our VIE owe/owes additional taxes, which could negatively affect our results of operations and the value of your investment.

Under applicable PRC laws and regulations, arrangements and transactions among related parties may be subject to audit or challenge by the PRC tax authorities within ten years after the taxable year when the transactions are conducted. The PRC enterprise income tax law requires every enterprise in China to submit its annual enterprise income tax return together with a report on transactions with its related parties to the relevant tax authorities. The tax authorities may impose reasonable adjustments on taxation if they have identified any related party transactions that are inconsistent with arm’s length principles. We may face material and adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine that the contractual arrangements between our WFOE, our variable interest entity Zhejiang Jiuzi and the shareholders of Zhejiang Jiuzi were not entered into on an arm’s length basis in such a way as to result in an impermissible reduction in taxes under applicable PRC laws, rules and regulations, and adjust Zhejiang Jiuzi’s income in the form of a transfer pricing adjustment. A transfer pricing adjustment could, among other things, result in a reduction of expense deductions recorded by Zhejiang Jiuzi for PRC tax purposes, which could, in turn, increase their tax liabilities without reducing Jiuzi WFOE’s tax expenses. In addition, if Jiuzi WFOE requests the Zhejiang Jiuzi Shareholders to transfer their equity interests in Zhejiang Jiuzi at nominal or no value pursuant to these contractual arrangements, such transfer could be viewed as a gift and subject Jiuzi WFOE to PRC income tax. Furthermore, the PRC tax authorities may impose late payment fees and other penalties on Zhejiang Jiuzi for the adjusted but unpaid taxes according to the applicable regulations. Our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected if Zhejiang Jiuzi’s tax liabilities increase or if they are required to pay late payment fees and other penalties.

If we exercise the option to acquire equity ownership of Zhejiang Jiuzi, the ownership transfer may subject us to certain limitation and substantial costs.

Pursuant to the contractual arrangements, Jiuzi WFOE has the exclusive right to purchase all or any part of the equity interests in Zhejiang Jiuzi from Zhejiang Jiuzi’s shareholders for a nominal price, unless the relevant government authorities or then applicable PRC laws request that a minimum price amount be used as the purchase price, in such case the purchase price shall be the lowest amount under such request. The Zhejiang Jiuzi Shareholders will be subject to PRC individual income tax on the difference between the equity transfer price and the then current registered capital of Zhejiang Jiuzi. Additionally, if such a transfer takes place, the competent tax authority may require Jiuzi WFOE to pay enterprise income tax for ownership transfer income with reference to the market value, in which case the amount of tax could be substantial.

Risks Related to Doing Business in China

There are significant legal and other obstacles to obtaining information needed for shareholder investigations or litigation outside China or otherwise with respect to foreign entities.

We conduct substantially all of our business operations in China, and a majority of our directors and senior management are based in China, which is an emerging market. The SEC, U.S. Department of Justice and other authorities often have substantial difficulties in bringing and enforcing actions against non-U.S. companies and non-U.S. persons, including company directors and officers, in certain emerging markets, including China. Additionally, our public shareholders may have limited rights and few practical remedies in emerging markets where we operate, as shareholder claims that are common in the United States, including class action securities law and fraud claims, generally are difficult to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in many emerging markets, including China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to obtaining information needed for shareholder investigations or litigation outside China or otherwise with respect to foreign entities. Although the local authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities regulatory authorities of another country or region to implement cross-border supervision and administration, the regulatory cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the Unities States has not been efficient in the absence of a mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. According to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law which became effective in March 2020, no foreign securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC. Accordingly, without the consent of the competent PRC securities regulators and relevant authorities, no organization or individual may provide the documents and materials relating to securities business activities to foreign securities regulators.

As a result, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in the United States.

PRC regulation of loans to, and direct investments in, PRC entities by offshore holding companies may delay or prevent us from using proceeds from this offering and/or future financing activities to make loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC operating subsidiaries.

As an offshore holding company with PRC subsidiaries, we may transfer funds to our Affiliate Entities or finance our operating entity by means of loans or capital contributions. Any capital contributions or loans that we, as an offshore entity, make to our Company’s PRC subsidiaries, including from the proceeds of this offering, are subject to PRC regulations. Any loans to our PRC subsidiaries, which are foreign-invested enterprises, cannot exceed statutory limits based on the difference between the amount of our investments and registered capital in such subsidiaries, and shall be registered with China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”), or its local counterparts. Furthermore, any capital increase contributions we make to our PRC subsidiaries, which are foreign-invested enterprises, shall be approved by China’s Ministry of Commerce (“MOFCOM”), or its 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 obtain such approvals or make such registration, our ability to make equity contributions or provide loans to our Company’s PRC subsidiaries or to fund their operations may be negatively affected, which may adversely affect their liquidity and ability to fund their working capital and expansion projects and meet their obligations and commitments. As a result, our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business may be negatively affected.

We must remit the offering proceeds to China before they may be used to benefit our business in China, and this process may take several months to complete.

The process for sending the proceeds from this offering back to China may take as long as six months after the closing of this offering. In utilizing the proceeds of this offering in the manner described in “Use of Proceeds,” as an offshore holding company of our PRC operating subsidiaries, we may make loans to our Affiliated Entities, or we may make additional capital contributions to our Affiliate Entities. Any loans to our Affiliated Entities are subject to PRC regulations. For example, loans by us to our subsidiaries in China, which are foreign-invested enterprises, to finance their activities cannot exceed statutory limits and must be registered with SAFE.

To remit the proceeds of the offering, we must take the following steps:

The timing of the process is difficult to estimate because the efficiencies of different SAFE branches can vary significantly. Ordinarily the process takes several months but is required by law to be accomplished within 180 days of application.

We may also decide to finance our subsidiaries by means of capital contributions. These capital contributions must be approved by MOFCOM or its local counterpart. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain these government approvals on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future capital contributions by us to our subsidiaries. If we fail to receive such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds of this offering and to capitalize our Chinese operations may be negatively affected, which could adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business. If we fail to receive such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds of this offering and to capitalize our Chinese operations may be negatively affected, which could adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

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

Substantially all of our business operations are conducted in China. Accordingly, our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects are subject to economic, political and legal developments in China. Although the Chinese economy is no longer a planned economy, the PRC government continues to exercise significant control over China’s economic growth through direct allocation of resources, monetary and tax policies, and a host of other government policies such as those that encourage or restrict investment in certain industries by foreign investors, control the exchange between RMB and foreign currencies, and regulate the growth of the general or specific market.

These government involvements have been instrumental in China’s significant growth in the past 30 years. In response to the recent global and Chinese economic downturn, the PRC government has adopted policy measures aimed at stimulating the economic growth in China. If the PRC government’s current or future policies fail to help the Chinese economy achieve further growth or if any aspect of the PRC government’s policies limits the growth of our industry or otherwise negatively affects our business, our growth rate or strategy, our results of operations could be adversely affected as a result.

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

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

On April 22, 2009, the State Administration of Taxation of China issued the Notice Concerning Relevant Issues Regarding Cognizance of Chinese Investment Controlled Enterprises Incorporated Offshore as Resident Enterprises pursuant to Criteria of de facto Management Bodies, or the Notice, further interpreting the application of the EIT Law and its implementation to offshore entities controlled by a Chinese enterprise or group. Pursuant to the Notice, an enterprise incorporated in an offshore jurisdiction and controlled by a Chinese enterprise or group will be classified as a “non-domestically incorporated resident enterprise” if (i) its senior management in charge of daily operations reside or perform their duties mainly in China; (ii) its financial or personnel decisions are made or approved by bodies or persons in China; (iii) its substantial assets and properties, accounting books, corporate stamps, board and stockholder minutes are kept in China; and (iv) all of its directors with voting rights or senior management reside in China. A resident enterprise would be subject to an enterprise income tax rate of 25% on its worldwide income and must pay a withholding tax at a rate of 10% when paying dividends to its non-PRC stockholders. Because substantially all of our operations and senior management are located within the PRC and are expected to remain so for the foreseeable future, we may be considered a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes and therefore subject to the PRC enterprise income tax at the rate of 25% on its worldwide income. However, it remains unclear as to whether the Notice is applicable to an offshore enterprise controlled by a Chinese natural person. Therefore, it is unclear how tax authorities will determine tax residency based on the facts of each case.

If the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a “resident enterprise” for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, a number of unfavorable PRC tax consequences could follow. First, we may be subject to the enterprise income tax at a rate of 25% on our worldwide taxable income as well as PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations. In our case, this would mean that income such as non-China source income would be subject to PRC enterprise income tax at a rate of 25%. Currently, we do not have any non-China source income, as we conduct our sales in China. However, under the EIT Law and its implementing rules, dividends paid to us from our PRC subsidiaries would be deemed as “qualified investment income between resident enterprises” and therefore qualify as “tax-exempt income” pursuant to clause 26 of the EIT Law. Second, it is possible that future guidance issued with respect to the new “resident enterprise” classification could result in a situation in which the dividends we pay with respect to our ordinary shares, or the gain our non-PRC shareholders may realize from the transfer of our ordinary shares, may be treated as PRC-sourced income and may therefore be subject to a 10% PRC withholding tax. The EIT Law and its implementing regulations are, however, relatively new and ambiguities exist with respect to the interpretation and identification of PRC-sourced income, and the application and assessment of withholding taxes. If we are required under the EIT Law and its implementing regulations to withhold PRC income tax on dividends payable to our non-PRC shareholders, or if non-PRC stockholders are required to pay PRC income tax on gains on the transfer of their ordinary shares, our business could be negatively impacted and the value of your investment may be materially reduced. Further, if we were treated as a “resident enterprise” by PRC tax authorities, we would be subject to taxation in both China and such countries in which we have taxable income, and our PRC tax may not be creditable against such other taxes.

We may be exposed to liabilities under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Chinese anti-corruption law.

In connection with this offering, we will become subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”), and other laws that prohibit improper payments or offers of payments to foreign governments and their officials and political parties by U.S. persons and issuers as defined by the statute for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. We are also subject to Chinese anti-corruption laws, which strictly prohibit the payment of bribes to government officials. We have operations agreements with third parties, and make sales in China, which may experience corruption. Our activities in China create the risk of unauthorized payments or offers of payments by one of our franchisees and their employees, consultants or distributors, because these parties are not always subject to our control. Our franchisees are independent operators and are not subject to our control regarding to our FCPA practice.

Although we believe, to date, we have complied in all material respects with the provisions of the FCPA and Chinese anti-corruption law, our existing safeguards and any future improvements may prove to be less than effective, and the employees, consultants, franchisees or distributors of our franchisees may engage in conduct for which we might be held responsible. Violations of the FCPA or Chinese anti-corruption law may result in severe criminal or civil sanctions, and we may be subject to other liabilities, which could negatively affect our business, operating results and financial condition. In addition, the government may seek to hold our Company liable for successor liability FCPA violations committed by companies in which we invest or that we acquire.

Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us.

We conduct all of our business through our subsidiaries and variable interests entities in China. Our operations in China are governed by PRC laws and regulations. Our PRC subsidiaries and variable interests entities are generally subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investments in China and, in particular, laws and regulations applicable to wholly foreign-owned enterprises. The PRC legal system is based on statutes. Prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value.

Since 1979, PRC legislation and regulations have significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China. However, China has not developed a fully integrated legal system and recently enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in China. In particular, because these laws and regulations are relatively new, and because of the limited volume of published decisions and their nonbinding nature, the interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations involve uncertainties. In addition, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all) that may have a retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. In addition, any litigation in China may be protracted and result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.

PRC regulation of loans and direct investment by offshore holding companies to PRC entities may delay or prevent us from using the proceeds of this offering to make loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

In utilizing the proceeds of this offering in the manner described in “Use of Proceeds,” as an offshore holding company of our PRC operating subsidiaries, we may make loans to our PRC subsidiaries, or we may make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries.

Any loans to our PRC subsidiaries are subject to PRC regulations. For example, loans by us to our subsidiaries in China, which are foreign invested entities (“FIEs”), to finance their activities cannot exceed statutory limits and must be registered with SAFE. On March 30, 2015, SAFE promulgated Hui Fa [2015] No.19, a notice regulating the conversion by a foreign-invested company of foreign currency into RMB. The foreign exchange capital, for which the monetary contribution has been confirmed by the foreign exchange authorities (or for which the monetary contribution has been registered for account entry) in the capital account of a foreign-invested enterprise may be settled at a bank as required by the enterprise’s actual management needs. Foreign-invested enterprises with investment as their main business (including foreign-oriented companies, foreign-invested venture capital enterprises and foreign-invested equity investment enterprises) are allowed to, under the premise of authenticity and compliance of their domestic investment projects, carry out based on their actual investment scales direct settlement of foreign exchange capital or transfer the RMB funds in the foreign exchange settlement account for pending payment to the invested enterprises’ accounts.

On May 10, 2013, SAFE released Circular 21, which came into effect on May 13, 2013. According to Circular 21, SAFE has simplified the foreign exchange administration procedures with respect to the registration, account openings and conversions, settlements of FDI-related foreign exchange, as well as fund remittances.

Circular 21 may significantly limit our ability to convert, transfer and use the net proceeds from this offering and any offering of additional equity securities in China, which may adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business in the PRC.

We may also decide to finance our subsidiaries by means of capital contributions. These capital contributions must be approved by MOFCOM or its local counterpart, which usually takes no more than 30 working days to complete. We may not be able to obtain these government approvals on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future capital contributions by us to our PRC subsidiaries. If we fail to receive such approvals, we will not be able to capitalize our PRC operations, which could adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

Governmental control of currency conversion may affect the value of your investment.

The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. We receive substantially all of our revenues in RMB. Under our current corporate structure, our income is primarily derived from dividend payments from our PRC subsidiaries. Shortages in the availability of foreign currency may restrict the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to remit sufficient foreign currency to pay dividends or other payments to us, or otherwise satisfy their foreign currency denominated obligations. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and expenditures from trade-related transactions can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. However, approval from appropriate government authorities is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. The PRC government may also at its discretion restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currency to satisfy our currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our security-holders.

We are a holding company and we rely on our subsidiaries for funding dividend payments, which are subject to restrictions under PRC laws.

We are a holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and we operate our core businesses through our VIE and its subsidiary in the PRC. Therefore, the availability of funds for us to pay dividends to our shareholders and to service our indebtedness depends upon dividends received from our VIE and its subsidiary If our VIE and its subsidiary incur debt or losses, their ability to pay dividends or other distributions to us may be impaired. As a result, our ability to pay dividends and to repay our indebtedness will be restricted. PRC laws require that dividends be paid only out of the after-tax profit of our PRC Affiliated Entities calculated according to PRC accounting principles, which differ in many aspects from generally accepted accounting principles in other jurisdictions. PRC laws also require enterprises established in the PRC to set aside part of their after-tax profits as statutory reserves. These statutory reserves are not available for distribution as cash dividends. In addition, restrictive covenants in bank credit facilities or other agreements that we or our Affiliated Entities may enter into in the future may also restrict the ability of our Affiliated Entities to pay dividends to us. These restrictions on the availability of our funding may impact our ability to pay dividends to our shareholders and to service our indebtedness.

Our business may be materially and adversely affected if any of our PRC subsidiaries declare bankruptcy or become subject to a dissolution or liquidation proceeding.

The Enterprise Bankruptcy Law of the PRC, or the Bankruptcy Law, came into effect on June 1, 2007. The Bankruptcy Law provides that an enterprise will be liquidated if the enterprise fails to settle its debts as and when they fall due and if the enterprise’s assets are, or are demonstrably, insufficient to clear such debts.

Our PRC subsidiary holds certain assets that are important to our business operations. If our PRC subsidiary undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, unrelated third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of these assets, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

According to SAFE’s Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Further Improving and Adjusting Foreign Exchange Administration Policies for Direct Investment, effective on 17 December 2012, and the Provisions for Administration of Foreign Exchange Relating to Inbound Direct Investment by Foreign Investors, effective May 13, 2013, if any of our PRC subsidiaries undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, prior approval from SAFE for remittance of foreign exchange to our shareholders abroad is no longer required, but we still need to conduct a registration process with the SAFE local branch. It is not clear whether “registration” is a mere formality or involves the kind of substantive review process undertaken by SAFE and its relevant branches in the past.

Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation of the PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.

The Ministry of Commerce published a discussion draft of the proposed Foreign Investment Law in January 2015, or the 2015 FIL Draft, which expands the definition of foreign investment and introduces the principle of “actual control” in determining whether a company is considered a foreign-invested enterprise, or an FIE. Under the 2015 FIL Draft, VIEs that are controlled via contractual arrangement would also be deemed as foreign invested enterprises, if they are ultimately “controlled” by foreign investors.

On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress approved the Foreign Investment Law of the PRC, or the FIL, which will come into effect on January 1, 2020, repealing simultaneously the Law of the PRC on Sino-foreign Equity Joint Ventures, the Law of the PRC on Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprises and the Law of the PRC on Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Ventures, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. Pursuant to the FIL, foreign investment refers to any investment activity directly or indirectly carried out by foreign natural persons, enterprises, or other organizations, including investment in new construction project, establishment of foreign funded enterprise or increase of investment, merger and acquisition, and investment in any other way stipulated under laws, administrative regulations, or provisions of the State Council. Although the FIL has deleted the particular reference to the concept of “actual control” and contractual arrangements compared to the 2015 FIL Draft, there is still uncertainty regarding whether our VIE would be identified as a FIE in the future.

Even if our VIE were to be identified as a FIE in the future, we believe that our current business would not be adversely affected. However, if we were to engage in any business conduct involving third parties identified as prohibited or restricted on the Negative List, our VIE as well as its subsidiary may be subject to laws and regulations on foreign investment. In addition, our shareholders would also be prohibited or restricted to invest in certain sectors on the Negative List. However, even if our VIE were to be identified as a FIE, the validity of our contractual arrangements with Zhejiang Jiuzi and its shareholders as well as our corporate structure would not be adversely affected. We would still be able to receive benefits from our VIE in accordance with the contractual agreements. In addition, as the Chinese government has been updating the Negative List in recent years and reducing the sectors prohibited or restricted for foreign investment, it is probable in the future that, even if our VIE is identified as a FIE, it is still allowed to acquire or hold equity of enterprises in sectors currently prohibited or restricted for foreign investment.

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

Changes in the value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar, Euro and other foreign currencies are affected by, among other things, changes in China’s political and economic conditions. Any significant revaluation of the RMB may have a material adverse effect on our revenues and financial condition, and the value of, and any dividends payable on our shares in U.S. dollar terms. For example, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars we receive from our initial public offering into RMB for our operations, appreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on RMB amount we would receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert our RMB into U.S. dollars for the purpose of paying dividends on our ordinary shares or for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the RMB would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us. In addition, fluctuations of the RMB against other currencies may increase or decrease the cost of imports and exports, and thus affect the price-competitiveness of our products against products of foreign manufacturers or products relying on foreign inputs.

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

Increases in labor costs in the PRC may adversely affect our business and results of operations.

The currently effective PRC Labor Contract Law, or the Labor Contract Law was first adopted on June 29, 2007 and later amended on December 28, 2012. The PRC Labor Contract Law has reinforced the protection of employees who, under the Labor Contract Law, have the right, among others, to have written employment contracts, to enter into employment contracts with no fixed term under certain circumstances, to receive overtime wages and to terminate or alter terms in labor contracts. Furthermore, the Labor Contract Law sets forth additional restrictions and increases the costs involved with dismissing employees. To the extent that we need to significantly reduce our workforce, the Labor Contract Law could adversely affect our ability to do so in a timely and cost-effective manner, and our results of operations could be adversely affected. In addition, for employees whose employment contracts include noncompetition terms, the Labor Contract Law requires us to pay monthly compensation after such employment is terminated, which will increase our operating expenses.

We expect that our labor costs, including wages and employee benefits, will continue to increase. Unless we are able to pass on these increased labor costs to our vehicle buyers by increasing the prices of our products and services, our financial condition and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.

Part of our shareholders are not in compliance with the PRC’s regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents, and as a result, the shareholders may be subject to penalties if we are not able to remediate the non-compliance.

In July 2014, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange promulgated the Circular on Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration over the Overseas Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment by Domestic Residents via Special Purpose Vehicles, or “Circular 37”. According to Circular 37, prior registration with the local SAFE branch is required for Chinese residents to contribute domestic assets or interests to offshore companies, known as SPVs. Circular 37 further requires amendment to a PRC resident’s registration in the event of any significant changes with respect to the SPV, such as an increase or decrease in the capital contributed by PRC individuals, share transfer or exchange, merger, division, or other material event. Further, foreign investment enterprises established by way of round-tripping shall complete the relevant foreign exchange registration formalities pursuant to the prevailing foreign exchange control provisions for direct investments by foreign investors, and disclose the relevant information such as actual controlling party of the shareholders truthfully.

Currently, two of our beneficial owners, who are PRC residents, have not completed the Circular 37 Registration. We have asked our shareholders who are Chinese residents to make the necessary applications and filings as required by Circular 37. We attempt to comply, and attempt to ensure that our shareholders who are subject to these rules comply, with the relevant requirements. We cannot, however, provide any assurances that all of our shareholders who are Chinese residents will comply with our request to make or obtain any applicable registration or comply with other requirements required by Circular 37 or other related rules. The Chinese resident shareholders’ failure to comply with Circular 37 registration would not impose penalties on our Company, while it may result in restrictions being imposed on part of foreign exchange activities of the offshore special purpose vehicles, including restrictions on its ability to receive registered capital as well as additional capital from Chinese resident shareholders who fail to complete Circular 37 registration; and repatriation of profits and dividends derived from special purpose vehicles to China, by the Chinese resident shareholders who fail to complete Circular 37 registration, are also illegal. In addition, the failure of the Chinese resident shareholders to complete Circular 37 registration may subject each of the shareholders to fines less than RMB50,000. We cannot assure you that each of our Chinese resident shareholders will in the future complete the registration process as required by Circular 37.

We are not enrolled in the PRC’s employee’s housing funds program, and as a result, Zhejiang Jiuzi and its subsidiary may be subject to future additional requirements should local government regulations on housing funds change.

Pursuant to the Social Security Law of the PRC, or the Social Security Law, which was promulgated by the SCNPC on October 28, 2010 and amended on December 29, 2018, employers shall pay the basic pension insurance, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance for employees. We have been complying with local regulations regarding social security and employee insurance. We have not received any notification or warning from PRC authorities. We have not provided employees with housing funds. All our employees are located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, where local government imposes no mandatory requirements on employers to provide housing funds to employees. However, central government promulgated rules regarding employees housing funds. For example, in accordance with the Regulations on Management of Housing Provident Fund (the “Regulations of HPF”), which were promulgated by the PRC State Council on April 3, 1999, and last amended on March 24, 2002, employers must register at the designated administrative centers and open bank accounts for employees’ housing funds deposits. Employers and employees are also required to pay and deposit housing funds in an amount no less than 5% of the monthly average salary of each of the employees in the preceding year in full and on time. Zhejiang Jiuzi had not opened such bank accounts or deposited its employees’ housing funds. We believe that we are currently not in violation of the housing funds regulations as it is not mandatory in Hangzhou city. If in the future, local government adopts new rules requiring employers to provide housing funds to employees, we will be required to provide housing funds to our employees, failing which we may be subject to administrative and monetary penalties.

If we become directly subject to the recent scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity involving U.S.-listed Chinese companies, we may have to expend significant resources to investigate and resolve the matter which could harm our business operations, this offering and our reputation and could result in a loss of your investment in our ordinary shares, especially if such matter cannot be addressed and resolved favorably.

Recently, U.S. public companies that have substantially all of their operations in China, have been the subject of intense scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity by investors, financial commentators and regulatory agencies, such as the SEC. Much of the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity has centered around financial and accounting irregularities, a lack of effective internal controls over financial accounting, inadequate corporate governance policies or a lack of adherence thereto and, in many cases, allegations of fraud. As a result of the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity, the publicly traded stock of many U.S. listed Chinese companies has sharply decreased in value and, in some cases, has become virtually worthless. Many of these companies are now subject to shareholder lawsuits and SEC enforcement actions and are conducting internal and external investigations into the allegations. It is not clear what effect this sector-wide scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity will have on our Company, our business and this offering. If we become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we will have to expend significant resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend the Company. This situation may be a major distraction to our management. If such allegations are not proven to be groundless, our Company and business operations will be severely hampered and your investment in our ordinary shares could be rendered worthless.

You may face difficulties in protecting your interests and exercising your rights as a stockholder since we conduct substantially all of our operations in China, and almost all of our officers and directors reside outside the U.S.

Although we are incorporated in the Cayman Islands, we conduct substantially all of our operations in China. All of our current officers and almost all of our directors reside outside the U.S. and substantially all of the assets of those persons are located outside of the U.S. It may be difficult for you to conduct due diligence on the Company or such directors in your election of the directors and attend shareholders meeting if the meeting is held in China. We plan to have one shareholder meeting each year at a location to be determined, potentially in China. As a result of all of the above, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests through actions against our management, directors or major shareholders than would shareholders of a corporation doing business entirely or predominantly within the U.S.

Our financial and operating performance may be adversely affected by general economic conditions, natural catastrophic events, epidemics, public health crises, and a downturn in NEV purchase behavior.

Our operating results will be subject to fluctuations based on general economic conditions, in particular those conditions that impact the NEV industry. Deterioration in economic conditions could cause decreases in both volume and reduce and/or negatively impact our short-term ability to grow our revenues. Further, any decreased collectability of accounts receivable or early termination of agreements due to deterioration in economic conditions could negatively impact our results of operations.

Our business is subject to the impact of natural catastrophic events such as earthquakes, floods or power outages, political crises such as terrorism or war, and public health crises, such as disease outbreaks, epidemics, or pandemics in the U.S. and global economies, our markets and business locations. Currently, the rapid spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) globally has resulted in increased travel restrictions and disruption and shutdown of businesses. Our franchisees may experience impacts from quarantines, market downturns and changes in customer behavior related to pandemic fears and impacts on the workforce if the virus becomes widespread in any of our markets. NEV sales is strongly influenced by changes in consumer behavior due to spread of pandemics, and therefore our industry is vulnerable to any pandemic event. Our vehicle buyers and franchisees may experience financial distress, file for bankruptcy protection, go out of business, or suffer disruptions in their business due to the coronavirus outbreak; as a result, our revenues may be impacted. The extent to which the coronavirus impacts our results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and will include emerging information concerning the severity of the coronavirus and the actions taken by governments and private businesses to attempt to contain the coronavirus, but is likely to result in a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition at least for the near term.

Similarly, natural disasters, wars (including the potential of war), terrorist activity (including threats of terrorist activity), social unrest and heightened travel security measures instituted in response, and travel-related accidents, as well as geopolitical uncertainty and international conflict, will affect travel volume and may in turn have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. In addition, we may not be adequately prepared in contingency planning or recovery capability in relation to a major incident or crisis, and as a result, our operational continuity may be adversely and materially affected, which in turn may harm our reputation.

Given the rapidly expanding nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, and because substantially all of our business operations and our workforce are concentrated in China, we believe there is a risk that our business, results of operations, and financial condition will be adversely affected.

Recently, there is an ongoing outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) first identified in China and has since spread rapidly globally. The pandemic has resulted in quarantines, travel restrictions, and the temporary closure of stores and business facilities globally for the past few months. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 as a pandemic. Given the rapidly expanding nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, and because substantially all of our business operations and our workforce are concentrated in China, we believe there is a risk that our business, results of operations, and financial condition will be adversely affected. Potential impact to our results of operations will also depend on future developments and new information that may emerge regarding the duration and severity of the COVID-19 and the actions taken by government authorities and other entities to contain the COVID-19 or mitigate its impact, almost all of which are beyond our control.

The impact of COVID-19 on our business, financial condition, and results of operations include, but are not limited to, the following:

Because of the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak, the business disruption and the related financial impact related to the outbreak of and response to the coronavirus cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

We believe that our current cash and cash equivalents, proceeds from additional equity and debt financing and our anticipated cash flows from operations will be sufficient to meet our anticipated working capital requirements and capital expenditures for the next 12 months. We may, however, need additional capital in the future to fund our continuing operations. The issuance and sale of additional equity would result in further dilution to our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased fixed obligations and could result in operating covenants that would restrict our operations. In addition, the COVID-19 outbreak was declared to be a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 10, 2020. Actions taken around the world to help mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 include restrictions on travel, and quarantines in certain areas, and forced closures for certain types of public places and businesses. The COVID-19 and actions taken to mitigate it are expected to continue to have an adverse impact on our planned operations. Such events could result in the complete or partial closure of our offices or the operations of our franchisees which could impact our operations. In addition, it could impact economies and financial markets, resulting in an economic downturn that could impact our ability to raise capital or slow down potential business opportunities. We cannot assure you that financing will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all.

Risks Related to the Offering and Our Ordinary Shares

The initial public offering price of our ordinary shares may not be indicative of the market price of our ordinary shares after this offering. In addition, an active, liquid and orderly trading market for our ordinary shares may not develop or be maintained, and our stock price may be volatile.

The following factors could affect our share price:

The stock markets in general have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our ordinary shares. Securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the overall market and in the market price of a company’s securities. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could result in very substantial costs, divert our management’s attention and resources and harm our business, operating results and financial condition.

Since our Directors and Executive Officers will own at least 64.88% of our ordinary shares following the initial public offering, they will have the ability to elect directors and approve matters requiring shareholder approval by way of resolution of members.

Mr. Shuibo Zhang, our Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer, is currently the beneficial owner of 79.5% of our outstanding ordinary shares, all of which are directly held by Jiuzi One Limited, an entity 100% owned by Mr. Zhang. In addition, Kezhen Li, our Director, is currently the beneficial ownership of 7% of our outstanding ordinary shares, of which 100% are directly held by Jiuzi Nine Limited, an entity 100% owned by Ms. Li. As a result, our directors and officers collectively own 86.5% of our outstanding ordinary. If we complete the initial public offering of our ordinary shares, excluding any ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the over-allotment option granted to the underwriter, our directors and officers will have the right to vote 64.88% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares. Mr. Zhang will have the right to vote 59.63% of the outstanding ordinary shares and is expected to have the power to elect all directors and approve all matters requiring shareholder approval without the votes of any other shareholders. He is expected to have significant influence over a decision to enter into any corporate transaction and have the ability to prevent any transaction that requires the approval of shareholders, regardless of whether or not our other shareholders believe that such transaction is in our best interests. Such concentration of voting power could have the effect of delaying, deterring, or preventing a change of control or other business combination, which could, in turn, have an adverse effect on the market price of our ordinary shares or prevent our shareholders from realizing a premium over the then- prevailing market price for their ordinary shares.

We will be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq stock Market Rules and Nasdaq Capital Market rules if after this offering our insiders continue to beneficially own more than 50% of our outstanding ordinary shares.

Prior to the completion of this Offering, our directors and officers beneficially own a majority of the voting power of our outstanding ordinary shares. We expect to continue to be a controlled company pursuant to “controlled company” defined under the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules. Accordingly, the Company will be a controlled company under applicable Nasdaq listing standards. For so long as we remain a controlled company under that definition, we are permitted to elect to rely, and will rely, on certain exemptions from corporate governance rules, including an exemption from the rule that a majority of our board of directors must be independent directors. Although we currently do not intend to rely on the “controlled company” exemption under the Nasdaq listing rules, we could elect to rely on this exemption in the future. If we elected to rely on the “controlled company” exemption, a majority of the members of our board of directors might not be independent directors and our nominating and corporate governance and compensation committees might not consist entirely of independent directors. Our status as a controlled company could cause our ordinary shares to look less attractive to certain investors or otherwise harm our trading price. As a result, you will not have the same protection afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to these corporate governance requirements.

For as long as we are an emerging growth company, we will not be required to comply with certain reporting requirements, including those relating to accounting standards and disclosure about our executive compensation, that apply to other public companies.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the requirement to present only two years of audited financial statements and only two years of related Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. We are currently utilizing or intend to utilize both of these exemptions. We have not made a decision whether to take advantage of any other exemptions available to emerging growth companies. We do not know if some investors will find our ordinary shares less attractive as a result of our utilization of these or other exemptions. The result may be a less active trading market for our ordinary shares and our share price may be more volatile.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We prepare our consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended October 31, 2019 in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards and International Accounting Standards and Interpretations as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and as adopted by the European Union, which do not have separate provisions for publicly traded and private companies. However, in the event we convert to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) while we are still an “emerging growth company”, we may be able to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.

We will remain an “emerging growth company” until the earliest of (a) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenues exceed $1.07 billion, (b) the date that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, (c) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in nonconvertible debt during the preceding three-year period or (d) the last day of our fiscal year containing the fifth anniversary of the date on which our shares become publicly traded in the United States.

If we fail to establish and maintain proper internal financial reporting controls, our ability to produce accurate financial statements or comply with applicable regulations could be impaired.

Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we will be required to file a report by our management on our internal control over financial reporting, including an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm. However, while we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to include an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm.

The presence of material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting could result in financial statement errors which, in turn, could lead to errors in our financial reports and/or delays in our financial reporting, which could require us to restate our operating results. We might not identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal controls in connection with evaluating our compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. In order to maintain and improve the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting, we will need to expend significant resources and provide significant management oversight. Implementing any appropriate changes to our internal controls may require specific compliance training of our directors and employees, entail substantial costs in order to modify our existing accounting systems, take a significant period of time to complete and divert management’s attention from other business concerns. These changes may not, however, be effective in maintaining the adequacy of our internal control.

If we are unable to conclude that we have effective internal controls over financial reporting, investors may lose confidence in our operating results, the price of the ordinary shares could decline and we may be subject to litigation or regulatory enforcement actions. In addition, if we are unable to meet the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the ordinary shares may not be able to remain listed on Nasdaq.

As a foreign private issuer, we are not subject to certain U.S. securities law disclosure requirements that apply to a domestic U.S. issuer, which may limit the information publicly available to our shareholders.

As a foreign private issuer, we are not required to comply with all of the periodic disclosure and current reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and therefore there may be less publicly available information about us than if we were a U.S. domestic issuer. For example, we are not subject to the proxy rules in the United States and disclosure with respect to our annual general meetings will be governed by Cayman Islands’ requirements. In addition, our officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and “short-swing” profit recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder. Therefore, our shareholders may not know on a timely basis when our officers, directors and principal shareholders purchase or sell our ordinary shares.

Because we are a foreign private issuer and are exempt from certain NASDAQ corporate governance standards applicable to U.S. issuers, you will have less protection than you would have if we were a domestic issuer.

The NASDAQ Listed Company Manual requires listed companies to have, among other things, a majority of its board members be independent. As a foreign private issuer, however, we are permitted to, and we may follow home country practice in lieu of the above requirements, or we may choose to comply with the above requirement within one year of listing. The corporate governance practice in our home country, the Cayman Islands, does not require a majority of our board to consist of independent directors. Thus, although a director must act in the best interests of the Company, it is possible that fewer board members will be exercising independent judgment and the level of board oversight on the management of our company may decrease as a result. In addition, the NASDAQ Listed Company Manual also requires U.S. domestic issuers to have a compensation committee, a nominating/corporate governance committee composed entirely of independent directors, and an audit committee with a minimum of three members. We, as a foreign private issuer, may not be subject to all these requirements. The NASDAQ Listed Company Manual may require shareholder approval for certain corporate matters, such as requiring that shareholders be given the opportunity to vote on all equity compensation plans and material revisions to those plans, certain ordinary share issuances. We intend to comply with the requirements of the NASDAQ Listed Company Manual in determining whether shareholder approval is required on such matters and to appoint a nominating and corporate governance committee. However, we may consider following home country practice in lieu of the requirements under the NASDAQ Listed Company Manual with respect to certain corporate governance standards which may afford less protection to investors.

We may lose our foreign private issuer status in the future, which could result in significant additional costs and expenses.

As discussed above, we are a foreign private issuer, and therefore, we are not required to comply with all of the periodic disclosure and current reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. The determination of foreign private issuer status is made annually on the last business day of an issuer’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, and, accordingly, the next determination with respect to our status will be made on April 30, 2021. We would lose our foreign private issuer status if, for example, more than 50% of our ordinary share are directly or indirectly held by residents of the U.S. and we fail to meet additional requirements necessary to maintain our foreign private issuer status. If we lose our foreign private issuer status on this date, we will be required to file with the SEC periodic reports and registration statements on U.S. domestic issuer forms beginning on October 31, 2021, which are more detailed and extensive than the forms available to a foreign private issuer. We will also have to mandatorily comply with U.S. federal proxy requirements, and our officers, directors and principal shareholders will become subject to the short-swing profit disclosure and recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

In addition, we will lose our ability to rely upon exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements under the NASDAQ listing rules. As a U.S. listed public company that is not a foreign private issuer, we will incur significant additional legal, accounting and other expenses that we will not incur as a foreign private issuer, and accounting, reporting and other expenses in order to maintain a listing on a U.S. securities exchange.

The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources and divert management’s attention.

As a public company, we will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the listing requirements of the securities exchange on which we list, and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Despite recent reforms made possible by the JOBS Act, compliance with these rules and regulations will nonetheless increase our legal, accounting, and financial compliance costs and investor relations and public relations costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly and increase demand on our systems and resources, particularly after we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” The Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we file annual, quarterly, and current reports with respect to our business and operating results as well as proxy statements.

As a result of disclosure of information in this prospectus and in filings required of a public company, our business and financial condition will become more visible, which we believe may result in threatened or actual litigation, including by competitors and other third parties. If such claims are successful, our business and operating results could be harmed, and even if the claims do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, these claims, and the time and resources necessary to resolve them, could divert the resources of our management and adversely affect our business, brand and reputation and results of operations.

We also expect that being a public company and these new rules and regulations will make it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee and compensation committee, and qualified executive officers.

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

To the extent (i) we raise more money than required for the purposes explained in the section titled “Use of Proceeds” or (ii) we determine that the proposed uses set forth in that section are no longer in the best interests of our Company, we cannot specify with any certainty the particular uses of such net proceeds that we will receive from our initial public offering. Our management will have broad discretion in the application of such net proceeds, including working capital, possible acquisitions, and other general corporate purposes, and we may spend or invest these proceeds in a way with which our shareholders disagree. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business and financial condition. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from our initial public offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.

We have not paid dividends to our shareholders.

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our stock. We have been retaining funds for our business operation and expansion. We anticipate that we will retain any earnings to support operations and to finance the growth and development of our business. Therefore, we do not expect to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Our ability to pay dividends will depend on a number of factors, including future earnings, capital requirements, financial conditions and future prospects and other factors the Board may deem relevant. As a result, you may only receive a return on your investment in our ordinary shares if we are successfully listed and the market price of our ordinary shares increases.

The price of the ordinary shares and other terms of this offering have been determined by us along with our Underwriter.

If you purchase our ordinary shares in this offering, you will pay a price that was not established in a competitive market. Rather, you will pay a price that was determined by us along with our Underwriter. The offering price for our ordinary shares may bear no relationship to our assets, book value, historical results of operations or any other established criterion of value. The trading price, if any, of the ordinary shares that may prevail in any market that may develop in the future, for which there can be no assurance, may be higher or lower than the price you paid for our ordinary shares.

The obligation to disclose information publicly may put us at a disadvantage to competitors that are private companies.

Upon completion of this offering, we will be a public company in the United States. As a public company, we will be required to file periodic reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission upon the occurrence of matters that are material to our Company and shareholders. Although we may be able to attain confidential treatment of some of our developments, in some cases, we will need to disclose material agreements or results of financial operations that we would not be required to disclose if we were a private company. Our competitors may have access to this information, which would otherwise be confidential. This may give them advantages in competing with our Company. Similarly, as a U.S. public company, we will be governed by U.S. laws that our competitors, which are mostly private Chinese companies, are not required to follow. To the extent compliance with U.S. laws increases our expenses or decreases our competitiveness against such companies, our public company status could affect our results of operations.

Shares eligible for future sale may adversely affect the market price of our ordinary shares if the shares are successfully listed on NASDAQ or other stock markets, as the future sale of a substantial amount of outstanding ordinary shares in the public marketplace could reduce the price of our ordinary shares.

The market price of our ordinary shares could decline as a result of sales of substantial amounts of our shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur. In addition, these factors could make it more difficult for us to raise funds through future offerings of our ordinary shares. An aggregate of 15,000,000 ordinary shares will be outstanding before the consummation of this offering all of which, except those held by management, are or will be freely tradable immediately upon effectiveness of the registration statement which this prospectus form part of. All of the ordinary shares sold in the offering will be freely transferable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act. The remaining ordinary shares will be “restricted securities” as defined in Rule 144. These ordinary shares may be sold without registration under the Securities Act to the extent permitted by Rule 144 or other exemptions under the Securities Act. See “Shares Eligible for Future Sale.”

If you purchase our ordinary shares in this offering, you will incur immediate and substantial dilution in the book value of your shares.

Investors purchasing our ordinary shares in this offering will pay a price per share that substantially exceeds the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share. As a result, investors purchasing ordinary shares in this offering will incur immediate dilution of $3.67 per share (or $3.50 per share if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), representing the difference between our assumed initial public offering price of $5.00 per share and our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share as of April 30, 2020. For more information on the dilution you may experience as a result of investing in this offering, see the section of this prospectus entitled “Dilution.”

A sale or perceived sale of a substantial number of shares of our ordinary share may cause the price of our ordinary shares to decline.

All of our executive officers and directors and all of our shareholders have agreed not to sell shares of our ordinary shares for a period of six months following this offering, subject to extension under specified circumstances. See “Lock-Up Agreements.” Ordinary shares subject to these lock-up agreements will become eligible for sale in the public market upon expiration of these lock-up agreements, subject to limitations imposed by Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. If our shareholders sell substantial amounts of our ordinary shares in the public market, the market price of our ordinary shares could fall. Moreover, the perceived risk of this potential dilution could cause shareholders to attempt to sell their ordinary shares and investors to short our ordinary shares. These sales also may make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and price that we deem reasonable or appropriate.

The laws of the Cayman Islands may not provide our shareholders with benefits comparable to those provided to shareholders of corporations incorporated in the United States.

Our corporate affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, by the Companies Law (Revised) of the Cayman Islands and by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against our directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law in the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands and from English common law. Decisions of the Privy Council (which is the final Court of Appeal for British overseas territories such as the Cayman Islands) are binding on a court in the Cayman Islands. Decisions of the English courts, and particularly the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal are generally of persuasive authority but are not binding in the courts of the Cayman Islands. Decisions of courts in other Commonwealth jurisdictions are similarly of persuasive but not binding authority. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedents in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands have a less developed body of securities laws relative to the United States. Therefore, our public shareholders may have more difficulty protecting their interests in the face of actions by our management, directors or controlling shareholders than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a jurisdiction in the United States.

You may be unable to present proposals before annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings not called by shareholders.

Cayman Islands law provides shareholders with only limited rights to requisition a general meeting, and does not provide shareholders with any right to put any proposal before a general meeting. These rights, however, may be provided in a company’s articles of association. Our articles of association allow our shareholders holding shares representing in aggregate not less than 10% of our voting share capital in issue, to requisition a general meeting of our shareholders, in which case our directors are obliged to call such meeting. Advance notice of at least 7 days’ notice (exclusive of the day on which notice is served or deemed to be served, but inclusive of the day for which notice is given) is required for convening general meetings of our shareholders. In addition, Nasdaq requires that a quorum required for a meeting of shareholders consists of at least one third of the Company’s outstanding voting shares present or by proxy.

Based on the Economic Substance Legislation of the Cayman Islands, it is anticipated that the Company will be subject to limited substance requirements applicable to a holding company.

The Cayman Islands, together with several other non-European Union jurisdictions, have recently introduced legislation aimed at addressing concerns raised by the Council of the European Union (the “EU”) as to offshore structures engaged in certain activities which attract profits without real economic activity. With effect from January 1, 2019, the International Tax Co-operation (Economic Substance) Law, 2018 (the “Substance Law”) came into force in the Cayman Islands introducing certain economic substance requirements for in-scope Cayman Islands entities which are engaged in certain “relevant activities,” which in the case of exempted companies incorporated before January 1, 2019, will apply in respect of financial years commencing July 1, 2019, onwards. On March 12, 2019, the EU, as part of this ongoing initiative, announced the results of its assessment of the 2018 implementation efforts by various countries under its review. Cayman Islands was not on the announced list of non-cooperative jurisdictions, but was referenced in the report (along with 33 other jurisdictions) as being among countries requiring adjustments to their legislation to meet EU concerns by December 31, 2019 to avoid being moved to the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions.

Based on the Substance Law currently and announced guidance in effect, it is anticipated that the Company will be subject to limited substance requirements applicable to a holding company. At present, it is unclear what the Company will be expected to do in order to satisfy these requirements, but to the extent we are required to increase our substance in Cayman Islands, it could result in additional costs, which we do not presently expect to be material. Although it is presently anticipated that the Substance Law (including the ongoing EU review of Cayman Islands’ implementation of such law), will have little material impact on us or our operations, as the legislation is new and remains subject to further clarification, adjustment, interpretation and EU review, it is not currently possible to ascertain the precise impact of these developments on the Company.