ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Risk Factor Summary

Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those described in “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 20-F. You should carefully consider these risks and uncertainties when investing in our common shares. Some of the principal risks and uncertainties include the following:

Risk Factors

An investment in our securities carries a significant degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risks, as well as the other information contained in this Annual Report, including our historical financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report, before you decide to purchase our securities. Any one of these risks and uncertainties has the potential to cause material adverse effects on our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results which could cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements expressed by us and a significant decrease in the value of our securities. Refer to “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

We may not be successful in preventing the material adverse effects that any of the following risks and uncertainties may cause. These potential risks and uncertainties may not be a complete list of the risks and uncertainties facing us. There may be additional risks and uncertainties that we are presently unaware of, or presently consider immaterial, that may become material in the future and have a material adverse effect on us. You could lose all or a significant portion of your investment due to any of these risks and uncertainties.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

Our independent registered public accounting firm’s report contains an explanatory paragraph that expresses doubt about our ability to continue as a “going concern.”

Our independent registered public accounting firm’s report contains an explanatory paragraph that expresses doubt about our ability to continue as a “going concern.” We currently have negative working capital after considering the large payment obligation discussed below and cash flow aggravated by the COVID-19 lockdown and cash flow used in operating activities of $577,367 for the year ended March 31, 2022 and cash flow used in operating activities of $25,493 for the year ended March 31, 2022 and March 31, 2021. Upon successful transition of subscribers pursuant to the terms of the customer acquisition agreement (the “Customer Acquisition Agreement”) between Reachnet and Lytus India, we expect to be able to carry out its operations in the normal course of business and generate approximately Rs.130 ($1.80) as streaming subscription fees from each of our approximately 1.9 million customer connections, as prescribed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India guidelines. For more information on the Customer Acquisition Agreement, see “Business Overview—Reachnet Agreement.” We believe that this will enable us to improve our cash position significantly.

On March 31, 2022, under the terms of the Customer Acquisition Agreement with Reachnet, we are obligated to make payments to Reachnet. We intend to settle 50% of the payment obligations under the Customer Acquisition Agreement on or before March 31, 2023 and the remaining 50% on or before March 31, 2024.

Under the terms of the Customer Acquisition Agreement, we were also scheduled to receive ‘Other Receivables’ due of approximately $50.9 million as of March 31, 2022 ($35.6 million as of March 31, 2021) from Reachnet, as reflected in our books of accounts. These funds expected to be received on or before March 31, 2023. We expect that this settlement will be implemented as soon as possible, upon the conclusion of the third party review report. Upon such settlement, the company expects to have sufficient available cash to be able to meet its current liabilities associated with the business. Refer to Note 3A on Other Income in the Financial Statements for more information.

We believe that in the coming 12 months and upon successful implementation of the customer acquisition agreement, cash flow from operating activities will improve for the following reasons:

To further mitigate the impact of the current negative working capital and cash flow, we have also taken additional precautionary steps by approaching financial institutions and credit partners in India to create and avail ourselves of credit lines and bridge financing.

Despite the above efforts and expectations, no assurances can be given that we will be able to carry out our operations in the normal course of business and that we will be able to obtain funds from financial institutions and credit partners or others to continue our operations in the future. We may need to seek additional financing. The financing sought may be in the form of equity or debt financing or a combination of both from various sources as yet unidentified. No assurance can be given that we will generate sufficient revenue or obtain the necessary financing to continue as a going concern and the failure to do so could cause us to cease our operation.

Lytus’ platform may not be accepted in the marketplace.

Uncertainty exists as to whether our platform will be accepted by the market without additional widespread subscriber acceptance. Several factors may limit the market acceptance of our platform, including the availability of alternative products and services, as well as the price of our Platform services relative to alternative products. There is a risk that subscribers will use other products and/or methods instead of ours. Our business plan assumed that, notwithstanding the fact that our Platform is new in the market, subscribers will elect to use our Platform because of our collective and integrated offerings.

Subscribers will need to be persuaded to use our platform service, but there is no assurance that we will attract enough subscribers to develop a successful market for our platform.

Given the nature of the markets in which we operate, our revenues and expenses are difficult to predict because they can fluctuate significantly. This increases the likelihood that our results could fall below the expectations of investors and market analysts, which could cause the market price of our common shares to decline.

Our revenue historically has fluctuated and may fluctuate in the future, depending on a number of factors, including: 

A significant portion of our total operating expenses, particularly personnel and facilities, are fixed in advance of any particular quarter. As a result, unanticipated variations in the number and timing of our projects may cause significant variations in operating results in any particular quarter. 

Parts of the global economy are volatile on account of political uncertainty. Our pricing remains competitive and clients remain focused on cost reduction and capital conservation. While we believe that we have a flexible business model which can mitigate the negative impact of an uncertain or slow growing economy, we may not be able to sustain historical levels of profitability. As a result, there can be no assurance that we will be able to sustain our historic levels of profitability or increase future profitability.

Defects or malfunctions in our platform could hurt our reputation, sales, and profitability.

The acceptance of our Platform depends upon its effectiveness and reliability. Our Platform is complex and is continually being modified and improved, and as such may contain undetected defects or errors when first introduced or as new versions are released. To the extent that defects or errors cause our Platform to malfunction and our customers’ use of our Platform is interrupted, our reputation could suffer, and our potential revenues could decline or be delayed while such defects are remedied. We may also be subject to liability for the defects and malfunctions.

There can be no assurance that, despite our testing, errors will not be found in our Platform or new releases. Any such errors could result in loss of future revenues or delay in market acceptance, diversion of development resources, damage to our reputation, adverse litigation, or increased service, any of which could have a material adverse effect upon our business, operating results, and financial condition.

Our eight million user base is based on a calculation of our 1.9 million paid home subscribers multiplied by an industry average of 4.6 users per household in India and the assumptions we used to determine these figures may not be accurate.

Our eight million user base is based on a calculation of our 1.9 million paid home subscribers multiplied by an industry average of 4.6 users per household in India. The conversion rate of 4.6 users per household was supported by the Database on Household Size and Composition 2021 released by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations.¹ Our estimates of household size and the number of users are based upon historical cable industry practices for measurement of user data. For example, according to the Universe Update Report released by Broadcast Audience Research Council of India in 2020², the number of average users per household in 2020 was 4.45. Although we believe the figures in the industry report are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the assumptions we used are accurate and therefore the number of the members per household may not be equal to the number of our active users. As a result, the number of our actual active users could be less than eight million.

Software failures, breakdowns in the operations of our servers and communications systems or the failure to implement system enhancements could harm our business.

Our success depends on the efficient and uninterrupted operation of our servers and communications systems. A failure of our network or data gathering procedures could impede services and could result in the loss of subscribers. While our operations will have disaster recovery plans in place, they might not adequately protect us. Despite any precautions we take, damage from fire, floods, hurricanes, power loss, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, break-ins, and similar events at our computer facilities could result in interruptions in the flow of data to our servers and from our servers to our clients. In addition, any failure by our computer environment to provide our required data communications capacity could result in interruptions in our service. In the event of a server failure, we could be required to transfer our client data collection operations to an alternative provider of server hosting services. Such a transfer could result in delays in our ability to deliver our products and services to our clients.

Additionally, significant delays in the planned delivery of system enhancements, improvements and inadequate performance of the systems once they are completed could damage our reputation and harm our business. Long-term disruptions in the infrastructure caused by events such as natural disasters, the outbreak of war, the escalation of hostilities and acts of terrorism, particularly involving cities in which we have offices, could adversely affect our businesses. Although we plan to obtain property and business interruption insurance for our business operations, we do not currently have such coverage, and any such coverage that we obtain in the future might not be adequate to compensate us for all losses that may occur.

We face risks related to the storage of customers’ and their end users’ confidential and proprietary information.

Our platform is designed to maintain the confidentiality and security of our patients’ confidential and proprietary data that are stored on our server systems, which may include sensitive personal data. However, any security breaches or other unauthorized access to these data could expose us to liability for the loss of such information, time-consuming and expensive litigation and other possible liabilities as well as negative publicity. Techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or to sabotage systems change frequently and generally are difficult to recognize and react to. We may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative or reactionary measures.

We might incur substantial expense to further develop our Platform which may never become sufficiently successful.

Our growth strategy requires the successful launch and commercialization of our platform. , and there can be no assurance that this will occur. The causes for failure of our platform once commercialized include, but are not limited to:

We cannot be certain that we will obtain intellectual property rights for our platform and technology and if we fail to protect our intellectual property rights, our brand and business may suffer.

We believe that our success and competitive position will depend in part on our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property rights for our platform. Although we seek to obtain copyright or trademark protection for our intellectual property when applicable, it is possible that we may not be able to do so successfully or that the copyright or trademark we have obtained may not be sufficient to protect all of our intellectual property rights. Despite our efforts to protect our intellectual property rights, unauthorized parties may attempt to copy or duplicate our intellectual property or otherwise use our intellectual properties without obtaining our consent. Monitoring unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult and costly, and we cannot be certain that the steps we have taken will effectively prevent misappropriation of our intellectual properties. If we are not successful in protecting our intellectual property rights, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Our revenues are highly dependent on clients primarily located in the United States and India, as well as on clients concentrated in certain industries; therefore, an economic slowdown or factors that affect the economic health of the United States, India or these industries may adversely affect our business. 

We derive approximately 100% of our revenue from India. If the economy in the United States or India continues to be volatile or uncertain or conditions in the global financial market deteriorate, pricing for our services may become less attractive and our clients located in these countries may reduce or postpone their technology spending significantly. Reduction in spending on IT services may lower the demand for our services and negatively affect our revenues and profitability. 

Our clients are concentrated in certain key industries. Significant decreases in the growth of any one of these industries, or widespread changes in any such industry, may reduce or alter the demand for our services and adversely affect our revenue and profitability. Furthermore, some of the industries in which our clients are concentrated, such as the health care industry and the streaming industry, are, or may become, increasingly subject to governmental regulation and intervention. Increased regulation, changes in existing regulation or increased governmental intervention in the industries in which our clients operate may adversely affect the growth of their businesses and therefore negatively impact our revenues. 

Liability issues are inherent to the healthcare industry and insurance are expensive and difficult to obtain.

Our business exposes us to potential liability risks, which are inherent to the healthcare industry. While we will take precautions, we deem to be appropriate to avoid lawsuits against us, there can be no assurance that we will be able to avoid significant liability exposure. Liability insurance for the healthcare industry is generally expensive. We have obtained professional indemnity insurance coverage for our platform. There can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain such coverage on acceptable terms, or that any insurance policy will provide adequate protection against potential claims. A successful liability claim brought against us may exceed any insurance coverage secured by us and could have a material adverse effect on our results or ability to continue our platform.

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we fail to develop and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results in a timely manner, which may adversely affect investor confidence.

A material weakness is a deficiency or combination of deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company’s financial statements would not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. These deficiencies could result in additional material misstatements to its financial statements that could not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. We identified material weaknesses in connection with our (i) information technology general controls and segregation of duties and (ii) accounting for transactions related to subsidiaries and related documentation. This resulted from a lack of necessary business processes, internal controls, record retention policy, and adequate number of qualified personnel within our accounting function.

The material weaknesses will not be considered remediated until management designs and implements effective controls that operate for a sufficient period of time and management has concluded, through testing, that these controls are effective.

Management will monitor the effectiveness of our remediation plans and will make changes management determines to be appropriate. We cannot assure you that the measures we are taking will be sufficient to avoid potential future material weaknesses. Accordingly, there could continue to be a possibility that a material misstatement of our financial statements would not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

We will need to increase the size of our organization and may experience difficulties in managing growth.

At present, we are a small company. We expect to experience a period of expansion in headcount, infrastructure, and overhead, and anticipate that further expansion will be required to address potential growth and market opportunities. Future growth will impose significant added responsibilities on members of management, including the need to identify, recruit, maintain, and integrate new employees. Our future financial performance and our ability to compete effectively will depend, in part, on our ability to manage any future growth effectively.

We depend and will continue to depend on key existing and future personnel.

Our success will depend, to a large degree, upon the efforts and abilities of our officers and key management employees. The loss of the services of one or more of our key employees could have a material adverse effect on our operations. In addition, as our business model is implemented, we will need to recruit and retain additional management and key employees in virtually all phases of our operations. Key employees will require a strong background in our industry. We cannot assure that we will be able to successfully attract and retain key personnel.

We rely on information technology to operate our business and maintain our competitiveness, and any failure to adapt to technological developments or industry trends could harm our business.

We depend on the use of sophisticated information technology and systems, which we have customized in-house, for provision of several online services, customer relationship management, communications and administration. As our operations grow in both size and scope, we will need to continuously improve and upgrade our systems and infrastructure to offer our customers enhanced services, features and functionality, while maintaining the reliability and integrity of our systems and infrastructure in a cost-effective manner. Our future success also depends on our ability to upgrade our services and infrastructure ahead of rapidly evolving consumer demands while continuing to improve the performance, features and reliability of our service in response to competitive offerings.

We may not be able to maintain or replace our existing systems or introduce new technologies and systems as quickly as our competitors, in a cost-effective manner or at all. We may also be unable to devote adequate financial resources to develop or acquire new technologies and systems in the future.

We may not be able to use new technologies effectively, or we may fail to adapt our websites, transaction processing systems and network infrastructure to consumer requirements or emerging industry standards. If we face material delays in introducing new or enhanced solutions, our customers may forego the use of our services in favor of those of our competitors.

Our customer devices include license software from third party vendors, as we continue to introduce new offering services. We cannot be sure that such technology licenses will be available on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our operations

We operate in a highly competitive industry.

Although we are not aware of any other “Distance Monitored Physical Therapy Telemedicine Program” with local assistance precisely like ours that targets our specific population, we expect to encounter competition from local, regional or national entities, some of which have superior resources or other competitive advantages in the larger physical therapy space. Intense competition may adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. We may also experience competition from companies in the wellness space. These competitors may be larger and more highly capitalized, with greater name recognition. We will compete with such companies on brand name, quality of services, level of expertise, advertising, product and service innovation and differentiation of product and services. As a result, our ability to secure significant market share may be impeded. Although we believe our services will enable us to serve more patients than traditional physical therapy providers, if these more established offices or providers start offering similar services to ours, their name recognition or experience may enable them to capture a greater market share.

Our product testing and operations up to this point are limited.

We have built out the technology platform and content library necessary to execute our planned business strategy. Of course, there may be other factors that prevent us from successfully marketing a product, including, but not limited to, our limited cash resources. Further, our proposed reimbursement plan and the eventual operating results could be susceptible to varying interpretations by scientists, medical personnel, regulatory personnel, statisticians and others, which may delay, limit or prevent our executing our proposed business plan.

Our success depends on our ability to recruit and retain experienced therapists.

Our future revenue generation is dependent upon referrals from physicians in the communities our clinics serve, and our ability to maintain good relations with these physicians. Our therapists are the front line for generating these referrals and we are dependent on their talents and skills to successfully cultivate and maintain strong relationships with these physicians. If we cannot recruit and retain our base of experienced and clinically skilled therapists, our business may decrease, and our net operating revenues may decline.

We rely on third-party systems and service providers, and any disruption or adverse change in their businesses could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We currently rely on certain third-party computer systems, service providers, and local cable operators to provide various services that we offer customers. Any interruption or deterioration in performance of these third-party systems and services could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our success is also dependent on our ability to maintain our relationships with these third-party systems and service providers, including our technology partners. In the event our arrangements with any of these third parties are impaired or terminated, we may not be able to find an alternative source of systems support on a timely basis or on commercially reasonable terms, which could result in significant additional costs or disruptions to our business.

We rely on the value of our brand, and any failure to maintain or enhance consumer awareness of our brand could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We believe continued investment in our brand and the brands of our subsidiaries is critical to maintaining and expanding our business. We believe that our brand is well respected and recognized in the markets where we have customers. However, we are relatively new to the Indian Ecommerce sector and may not enjoy the same brand recognition in new areas in which we launch new businesses. We have invested in developing and promoting our brand since our inception and expect to continue to invest in maintaining our brand’s value, which we hope will enable us to compete against increased spending by our competitors and against emerging competitors, and allow us to expand into new geographies where our brand is not well known. However, there is no assurance that we will be able to successfully maintain or enhance consumer awareness of our brand. Even if we are successful in our branding efforts, such efforts may not be cost-effective. If we are unable to maintain or enhance consumer awareness of our brand and generate demand in a cost-effective manner, it could negatively impact our ability to compete in the ecommerce sector which would have a material adverse effect on our business.

We may not be successful in implementing our growth strategies.

Our growth strategy is to enhance our service platforms by investing in technology, and expanding into new geographic markets. Our success in implementing our growth strategies may be affected by:

Many of these factors are beyond our control and there can be no assurance that we will succeed in implementing our strategy.

We may not be successful in pursuing strategic partnerships and acquisitions, and future partnerships and acquisitions may not bring us anticipated benefits.

Part of our growth strategy is the pursuit of strategic partnerships and acquisitions. There can be no assurance that we will succeed in implementing this strategy as it is subject to many factors which are beyond our control.

This strategy may also subject us to uncertainties and risks, including acquisition and financing costs, potential ongoing and unforeseen or hidden liabilities, diversion of management resources and cost of integrating acquired businesses. We could face difficulties integrating the technology of acquired businesses with our existing technology, and employees of the acquired business into various departments and ranks in our company, and it could take substantial time and effort to integrate the business processes being used in the acquired businesses with our existing business processes. Moreover, there is no assurance that such partnerships or acquisitions will achieve our intended objectives or enhance our revenue.

If we are unable to continue to identify and exploit new market opportunities, our future revenues may decline and as a result our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

As more participants enter our markets, we may experience a decrease in future revenues in a particular market. We may not be able to attract new customers or successfully enter new markets. If we are unable to continue to identify and exploit new market opportunities on a timely and cost-effective basis, our future revenues may decline and as a result our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Difficult market conditions, economic conditions and geopolitical uncertainties could adversely affect our business by negatively impacting our future revenues in the markets in which we offer services, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Difficult market conditions, economic conditions, and geopolitical uncertainties have in the past adversely affected and may in the future adversely affect our business and profitability. Our business is affected by national and international economic and political conditions. Any one of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our results and profitability. These factors include, but are not limited to:

The global financial markets have experienced significant disruptions since 2008, and the United States, Europe, and other economies have experienced periods of recession. There is considerable uncertainty over the long-term effects of the expansionary monetary and fiscal policies adopted by the central banks and financial authorities of some of the world’s leading economies. Adverse economic conditions could have negative adverse effects on our business and financial conditions. Additionally, continued turbulence in the international markets may adversely affect our ability to access the capital markets to meet liquidity needs.

Changing laws, rules and regulations and legal uncertainties, including adverse application of tax laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business and financial performance.

Our business and financial performance could be adversely affected by unfavorable changes in or interpretations of existing, or the promulgation of new, laws, rules and regulations applicable to us and our business, including those relating to the Internet and e-commerce, consumer protection and privacy. Such unfavorable changes could decrease demand for our services and products, increase costs and/or subject us to additional liabilities. For example, there may continue to be an increasing number of laws and regulations pertaining to the Internet and e-commerce, which may relate to liability for information retrieved from or transmitted over the Internet or mobile networks, user privacy, taxation and the quality of services and products sold or provided through the Internet. Furthermore, the growth and development of e-commerce may result in more stringent consumer protection laws that may impose additional burdens on online businesses generally.

The application of various Indian and international sales, use, occupancy, value-added and other tax laws, rules and regulations to our services and products is subject to interpretation by the applicable taxing authorities. Many of the statutes and regulations that impose these taxes were established before the growth of the Internet, mobile networks and e-commerce. If such tax laws, rules and regulations are amended, new adverse laws, rules or regulations are adopted or current laws are interpreted adversely to our interests, particularly with respect to occupancy or value-added or other taxes, the results could increase our tax payments (prospectively or retrospectively) and/or subject us to penalties and, if we pass on such costs to our customers, decrease the demand for our services and products. As a result, any such changes or interpretations could have an adverse effect on our business and financial performance.

Infrastructure in India may not be upgraded in order to support higher internet penetration, which may require additional investments by and expenses for us.

Although projections in the Bharat 2.0 study released by Nielson shows that there is significant room for growth in the markets in which we operate, there can be no assurance that such growth will occur. Further, there can be no assurance that Internet penetration in India will increase in the future, as slowdowns or disruptions in upgrading efforts for infrastructure in India could reduce the rate of increase in the use of the Internet. As such, we may need to make additional investments in alternative distribution channels. Further, any slowdown or negative deviation in the anticipated increase in Internet penetration in India may adversely affect our business and prospects.

Our results of operations are subject to fluctuations in currency exchange rates.

As the functional currency of Lytus India, our key operating subsidiary, is the Indian Rupee, our exposure to foreign currency risk primarily arises in respect of our non-Indian Rupee-denominated trade and other receivables, trade and other payables, and cash and cash equivalents.

We may not be able to obtain additional financing, if needed, on terms that are acceptable or at all, which could prevent us from developing or enhancing our business, taking advantage of future opportunities or responding to competitive pressure or unanticipated requirements.

Our business is dependent upon the availability of adequate funding and sufficient capital. If we need to raise additional funds, we may not be able to obtain additional financing when needed. If we cannot raise additional funds on acceptable terms, we may not be able to develop or enhance our business, take advantage of future opportunities or respond to competitive pressure or unanticipated requirements.

We may experience technology failures while developing and enhancing our software.

In order to maintain our competitive advantage, our software is under continuous development. There is risk that software failures may occur and result in service interruptions and have other unintended consequences, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Any significant disruption in service on our platform or in our computer systems, including events beyond our control, could prevent us from processing or posting transactions on our platform, reduce the attractiveness of our platform and result in a loss of borrowers or investors.

In the event of a platform outage or physical data loss, our ability to perform our servicing obligations, process applications or make products and services available on our platform could be materially and adversely affected. The satisfactory performance, reliability and availability of our platform, and our underlying network infrastructure are critical to our operations, customer service, reputation and our ability to retain existing and attract new borrowers and investors. Our operations depend on our ability to protect our systems against damage or interruption from natural disasters, power or telecommunications failures, air quality issues, environmental conditions, computer viruses or attempts to harm our systems, criminal acts and similar events. If there is a lapse in service or damage to our facilities, we could experience interruptions in our service as well as delays and additional expense in arranging new facilities. Any interruptions or delays in our service, whether as a result of third-party error, our error, natural disasters or security breaches, whether accidental or willful, could harm our relationships with our borrowers and investors and our reputation. Additionally, in the event of damage or interruption, our insurance policies may not adequately compensate us for any losses that we may incur.

We operate in a rapidly evolving business environment. If we are unable to adapt our business effectively to keep pace with these changes, our ability to succeed will be adversely affected, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The pace of change in our industry is extremely rapid. Operating in such a rapidly changing business environment involves a high degree of risk. Our ability to succeed will depend on our ability to adapt effectively to these changing market conditions. If we are unable to keep up with technological changes, we may not be able to compete effectively. Our business environment is characterized by rapid technological changes, changes in use and customer requirements and preferences, frequent product and service introductions embodying new technologies and the emergence of new industry standards and practices that could render our existing proprietary technology and systems obsolete. Our success will depend, in part, on our ability to:

We cannot assure you that we will be able to respond in a timely manner to changing market conditions or customer requirements. The development of proprietary electronic trading technology entails significant technical, financial and business risks. Further, the adoption of new Internet, networking or telecommunications technologies may require us to devote substantial resources to modify, adapt and defend our technology. We cannot assure you that we will successfully implement new technologies or adapt our proprietary technology and transaction-processing systems to customer requirements or emerging industry standards, or that we will be able to successfully defend any challenges to any technology we develop. Any failure on our part to anticipate or respond adequately to technological advancements, customer requirements or changing industry standards, or any significant delays in the development, introduction or availability of new services, products or enhancements, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules and, as a result, may rely on exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements that provide protection to shareholders of other companies.

We are a “controlled company” as defined under Rule 5615(c)(1) of the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules because Mr. Dharmesh Pandya, our CEO, holds more than 50% of our voting power. For so long as we remain a controlled company under that definition, we are permitted to elect to rely, and may rely, on certain exemptions from the obligation to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including:

As a result, you may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules, if we utilize such exemptions. We currently do not intend to utilize the controlled company exemptions.

Our business could be materially adversely affected as a result of the risks associated with acquisitions and investments.

We may pursue further acquisitions and investments in the future, and any such transactions are accompanied by risks. For instance, an acquisition could have a negative effect on our financial and strategic position and reputation or the acquired business could fail to further our strategic goals. Moreover, we may not be able to successfully integrate acquired businesses into our business, and therefore we may not be able to realize the intended benefits from an acquisition. We may lack experience in the markets, products or technologies of an acquired company and we may have an initial dependence on unfamiliar supply or distribution partners. An acquisition could create an impairment of relationships with customers or suppliers of the acquired business or our advisors or suppliers. All of these and other potential risks may serve as a diversion of our management’s attention from other business concerns, and any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We may be subject to intellectual property infringement claims, which may be expensive to defend and may disrupt our business and operations.

We cannot be certain that our operations or any aspects of our business do not or will not infringe upon or otherwise violate trademarks, patents, copyrights, know-how, or other intellectual property rights held by third parties. We may be from time to time in the future subject to legal proceedings and claims relating to the intellectual property rights of others. In addition, there may be third-party trademarks, patents, copyrights, know-how or other intellectual property rights that are infringed upon by our products, services or other aspects of our business without our awareness. Holders of such intellectual property rights may seek to enforce such intellectual property rights against us in India, the United States or other jurisdictions. If any third-party infringement claims are brought against us, we may be forced to divert management’s time and other resources from our business and operations to defend against these claims, regardless of their merits. Additionally, the application and interpretation of India’s intellectual property right laws and the procedures and standards for granting trademarks, patents, copyrights, know-how or other intellectual property rights in India are still evolving and are uncertain, and we cannot assure you that Indian courts or regulatory authorities would agree with our analysis. If we were found to have violated the intellectual property rights of others, we may be subject to liability for our infringement activities or may be prohibited from using such intellectual property, and we may incur licensing fees or be forced to develop alternatives of our own. As a result, our business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

Our platforms and internal systems rely on software that is highly technical, and if it contains undetected errors, our business could be adversely affected.

Our platforms and internal systems rely on software that is highly technical and complex. In addition, our platform and internal systems depend on the ability of such software to store, retrieve, process, and manage immense amounts of data. The software on which we rely has contained, and may now or in the future contain, undetected errors or bugs. Errors or other design defects within the software on which we rely may result in a negative experience for customers and funding sources, delay introductions of new features or enhancements, result in errors or compromise our ability to protect customer or investor data or our intellectual property. Any errors, bugs or defects discovered in the software on which we rely could result in harm to our reputation, loss of customers or investors or liability for damages, any of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our business is dependent on our ability to maintain relationships with our business partners and other third parties, and, we are subject to risks associated with our business partners and other third parties.

We currently rely on a number of business partners and other third parties in various aspects of our business. In addition, we cooperate with a number of business partners and other third parties to deliver our services to our customers. If third-party service providers fail to function properly, we cannot assure you that we would be able to find an alternative in a timely and cost-efficient manner, or at all. Pursuing, establishing and maintaining relationships with business partners and other third parties, as well as integrating their data and services with our system, require significant time and resources.

The smooth operation of our business also depends on the compliance by our business partners and other third parties with applicable laws and regulations. Any negative publicity about business partners and other third parties could harm our reputation. If any of the foregoing were to occur, our business and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. Our reputation is associated with these business partners and other third parties, and if any of the foregoing were to occur, our reputation may suffer.

We face risks related to health pandemics that could impact our sales and operating results.

Our business could be adversely affected by the effects of a widespread outbreak of contagious disease, such as the outbreak of respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). These could include disruptions or restrictions on our ability to travel and to deliver our products to our customers, as well as temporary closures of our facilities or the facilities of our customers and third-party service providers.

Any disruption or delay of our operations and those of our suppliers or customers may adversely impact our sales and operating results. This could also add pressure on our cash flow, although the size and duration of this global pandemic are uncertain as of this Annual Report. In addition, a significant outbreak of contagious diseases in the human population resulting in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect the economies and financial markets of India and many other countries, resulting in an economic downturn that could affect demand for our products and significantly impact our operating results.

A widespread health crisis could adversely affect the global economy, resulting in an economic downturn that could impact demand for our services. The future impact of such a crisis is highly uncertain and cannot be predicted and there is no assurance that such a crisis would not have a material adverse impact on our future results. The extent of the impact, if any, will depend on future developments, including actions taken to contain the coronavirus.

We do not plan to pay dividends in the foreseeable future.

Dividend policy is subject to the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our earnings, financial condition, capital requirements and other factors. There is no assurance that our board of directors will declare dividends even if we are profitable. Under BVI law, we may only pay dividends from our profits, or credits standing in our share premium account, and we must be solvent before and after any such dividend payment, meaning that we will be able to satisfy our liabilities as they become due in the ordinary course of business.

Risks Related to Doing Business in India

A substantial portion of our business and operations are located in India and we are subject to regulatory, economic, social and political uncertainties in India.

A substantial portion of our business and employees are located in India, and we intend to continue to develop and expand our business in India. Consequently, our financial performance and the market price of our common shares will be affected by changes in exchange rates and controls, interest rates, changes in government policies, including taxation policies, social and civil unrest and other political, social and economic developments in or affecting India.

The Government of India has exercised and continues to exercise significant influence over many aspects of the Indian economy. Since 1991, successive Indian governments have generally pursued policies of economic liberalization and financial sector reforms, including by significantly relaxing restrictions on the private sector. Nevertheless, the role of the Indian central and state governments in the Indian economy as producers, consumers and regulators has remained significant and we cannot assure you that such liberalization policies will continue. The present government, formed in May 2009, has announced policies and taken initiatives that support the continued economic liberalization policies that have been pursued by previous governments. However, the present government is a multiparty coalition and therefore there is no assurance that it will be able to generate sufficient cross-party support to implement such policies or initiatives. The rate of economic liberalization could change, and specific laws and policies affecting travel service companies, foreign investments, currency exchange rates and other matters affecting investments in India could change as well. A significant change in India’s policy of economic liberalization and deregulation or any social or political uncertainties could adversely affect business and economic conditions in India generally and our business and prospects.

As the domestic Indian market constitutes a significant source of our revenue, a slowdown in economic growth in India could cause our business to suffer.

The performance and growth of our business are necessarily dependent on economic conditions prevalent in India, which may be materially and adversely affected by political instability or regional conflicts, economic slowdown elsewhere in the world or otherwise. The Indian economy also remains largely driven by the performance of the agriculture sector, which is difficult to predict. The Indian economy has grown significantly over the past few years. In the past, economic slowdowns in the Indian economy have harmed the ecommerce sector as customers have less disposable income for their shopping online. Any future slowdown in the Indian economy could have a material adverse effect on the demand for the products we sell and, as a result, on our financial condition and results of operations.

Trade deficits could also adversely affect our business and the price of our common shares. India’s trade relationships with other countries and its trade deficit, driven to a major extent by global crude oil prices, may adversely affect Indian economic conditions. If trade deficits increase or are no longer manageable because of the rise in global crude oil prices or otherwise, the Indian economy, and therefore our business, our financial performance and the price of our common shares could be adversely affected.

India also faces major challenges in sustaining its growth, which include the need for substantial infrastructure development and improving access to healthcare and education. If India’s economic growth cannot be sustained or otherwise slows down significantly our business and prospects could be adversely affected.

The ecommerce business in India is susceptible to extraneous events such as terrorist attacks and other acts of violence, which may result in a reduction in online transaction volumes impacting our business profitability.

Terrorist attacks and other acts of violence or war involving India or other neighboring countries may adversely affect the Indian markets and the worldwide financial markets. In addition, any deterioration in international relations between India and other countries may result in concerns regarding regional stability which could adversely affect the price of our common shares. The occurrence of any of these events may result in a loss of business confidence and have an adverse effect on our business and financial performance.

Natural calamities could have a negative impact on the Indian economy and cause our business to suffer.

India has experienced natural calamities such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and drought in the past few years. The extent and severity of these natural disasters determines their impact on the Indian economy. Substantially all of our operations and employees are located in India and there can be no assurance that we will not be affected by natural disasters in the future. The occurrence of any of these disasters may result in a loss of business confidence and have an adverse effect on our business and financial performance.

Restrictions on foreign investment in India may prevent us from making future acquisitions or investments in India, which may adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and financial performance.

India regulates ownership of Indian companies by foreigners, although some restrictions on foreign investment have been relaxed in recent years. These regulations and restrictions may apply to acquisitions by us or our affiliates, including Lytus India and affiliates which are not resident in India, of shares in Indian companies or the provision of funding by us or any other entity to Indian companies within our group. For example, under its consolidated foreign direct investment policy, the Government of India has set out additional requirements for foreign investments in India, including requirements with respect to downstream investments by Indian companies owned or controlled by foreign entities and the transfer of ownership or control of Indian companies in sectors with caps on foreign investment from resident Indian persons or entities to foreigners. These requirements, which currently include restrictions on valuations and sources of funding for such investments and may include prior approval from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board, may adversely affect our ability to make investments in India, including through Lytus India. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain any required approvals for future acquisitions or investments in India, or that we will be able to obtain such approvals on satisfactory terms.

Our business and activities are regulated by The Competition Act, 2002.

The Competition Act, 2002, as amended, or the Competition Act, several provisions of which have recently come into force, seeks to prevent practices that could have an appreciable adverse effect on competition. Under the Competition Act, any arrangement, understanding or action between enterprises, whether formal or informal, which causes or is likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition, is void and will be subject to substantial penalties. Any agreement that directly or indirectly determines purchase or sale prices, limits or controls production, or creates market sharing by way of geographical area or number of customers in the market is presumed to have an appreciable adverse effect on competition. Provisions relating to the regulations of certain acquisitions, mergers or amalgamations which have an appreciable adverse effect on competition are not yet in force. Such provisions could, if brought into force in the future, be applicable to us.

The effect of the Competition Act on the business environment in India is unclear. If we or any member of our group, including Lytus India, are affected, directly or indirectly, by the application or interpretation of any provision of the Competition Act or any enforcement proceedings initiated by the Competition Commission of India or any adverse publicity that may be generated due to scrutiny or prosecution by the Competition Commission of India, our business and financial performance may be materially and adversely affected.

Risks Related to Ownership of our Common Shares

Our common shares were only recently listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market and there can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with The Nasdaq Capital Market’s continued listing standards.

Our common shares commenced trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market on June 15, 2022. However, there can be no assurance that any broker will be interested in trading our common shares. Therefore, it may be difficult to sell common shares if you desire to do so. We cannot provide any assurance that an active and liquid trading market in our common shares will develop or, if developed, that such market will continue. In addition, there is no guarantee that we will be able to maintain such listing for any period of time by perpetually satisfying The Nasdaq Capital Market’s continued listing requirements. Our failure to continue to meet these requirements may result in our common shares being delisted from The Nasdaq Capital Market.

If our financial condition deteriorates as a NASDAQ listed company, we may not meet continued listing standards on the NASDAQ Capital Market.

The NASDAQ Capital Market requires companies to fulfil specific requirements in order for their shares to continue to be listed. If our common shares are delisted from the NASDAQ Capital Market at some later date, our shareholders could find it difficult to sell our common shares. In addition, if our common shares are delisted from the NASDAQ Capital Market at some later date, we may apply to have our common shares quoted on the Bulletin Board or in the “pink sheets” maintained by the National Quotation Bureau, Inc. The Bulletin Board and the “pink sheets” are generally considered to be less efficient markets than the NASDAQ Capital Market. In addition, if our common shares are not so listed or are delisted at some later date, our common shares may be subject to the “penny stock” regulations. These rules impose additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell low-priced securities to persons other than established customers and institutional accredited investors and require the delivery of a disclosure schedule explaining the nature and risks of the penny stock market. As a result, the ability or willingness of broker-dealers to sell or make a market in our common shares might decline. If our common shares are not so listed or are delisted from the NASDAQ Capital Market at some later date or become subject to the penny stock regulations, it is likely that the price of our common shares would decline and that our shareholders would find it difficult to sell their common shares.

We are a “foreign private issuer,” and our disclosure obligations differ from those of U.S. domestic reporting companies. As a result, we may not provide you with the same information as U.S. domestic reporting companies or we may provide information at different times, which may make it more difficult for you to evaluate our performance and prospects.

We are a foreign private issuer and, as a result, we are not subject to the same requirements as U.S. domestic issuers. Under the Exchange Act, we will be subject to reporting obligations that, to some extent, are more lenient and less frequent than those of U.S. domestic reporting companies. For example, we will not be required to issue quarterly reports or proxy statements. We will not be required to disclose detailed individual executive compensation information. Furthermore, our directors and executive officers will not be required to report equity holdings under Section 16 of the Exchange Act and will not be subject to the insider short-swing profit disclosure and recovery regime. As a foreign private issuer, we will also be exempt from the requirements of Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure) which, generally, are meant to ensure that select groups of investors are not privy to specific information about an issuer before other investors. However, we will still be subject to the anti-fraud and anti-manipulation rules of the SEC, such as Rule 10b-5 under the Exchange Act. Since many of the disclosure obligations imposed on us as a foreign private issuer differ from those imposed on U.S. domestic reporting companies, you should not expect to receive the same information about us and at the same time as the information provided by U.S. domestic reporting companies.

Our officers, directors and principal shareholders own a significant percentage of our common shares and will be able to exert significant control over matters subject to shareholder approval.

Our officers, directors, and 5% or greater shareholders, in the aggregate, beneficially own approximately 84.90% of our outstanding common shares. Specifically, Dharmesh Pandya, our chief executive officer and director, in the aggregate, beneficially owns 75.80% of our outstanding common shares, which allows such shareholders to exert substantial influence over matters such as electing directors and approving mergers or other business combination transactions. As a result, our officers, directors, and 5% or greater shareholders possess substantial ability to impact our management and affairs and the outcome of matters submitted to shareholders for approval.  In addition, this concentration of ownership and voting power may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company, which could deprive our shareholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their common shares as part of a sale of our company and might reduce the price of our common shares. These actions may be taken even if they are opposed by our other shareholders. See “Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions—Major Shareholders” for more information.

We will incur increased costs and become subject to additional regulations and requirements as a result of being a newly public company, and our management will be required to devote substantial time to new compliance matters, which could lower our profits or make it more difficult to run our business.

As a newly public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting, and other expenses that we did not incurred as a private company, including costs associated with public company reporting requirements and costs of recruiting and retaining non-executive directors. We also have incurred and will incur costs associated with compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and related rules implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, and NASDAQ. The expenses incurred by public companies generally for reporting and corporate governance purposes have been increasing. We expect these rules and regulations to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time-consuming and costly, although we are currently unable to estimate these costs with any degree of certainty. Our management will need to devote a substantial amount of time to ensure that we comply with all of these requirements. These laws and regulations also could make it more difficult or costly for us to obtain certain types of insurance, including director and officer liability insurance, and we may be forced to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. These laws and regulations could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors, our board committees or as our executive officers. Furthermore, if we are unable to satisfy our obligations as a public company, we could be subject to delisting of our common shares, fines, sanctions and other regulatory action and potentially civil litigation.

The market price of our common shares may be volatile, which could cause the value of your investment to decline.

Even if a trading market develops, the market price of our common shares may be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations. Securities markets worldwide experience significant price and volume fluctuations. This market volatility, as well as general economic, market, or political conditions, could reduce the market price of our common shares in spite of our operating performance. In addition, our results of operations could be below the expectations of public market analysts and investors due to a number of potential factors, including variations in our quarterly results of operations, additions or departures of key management personnel, failure to meet analysts’ earnings estimates, publication of research reports about our industry, litigation and government investigations, changes or proposed changes in laws or regulations or differing interpretations or enforcement thereof affecting our business, adverse market reaction to any indebtedness we may incur or securities we may issue in the future, changes in market valuations of similar companies or speculation in the press or investment community, announcements by our competitors of significant contracts, acquisitions, dispositions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments, adverse publicity about our industry in or individual scandals, and in response the market price of our common shares could decrease significantly. You may be unable to resell your common shares of at or above the initial public offering price. In the past few years, stock markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. In the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against these companies. This litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources, or at all.

Future sales, or the perception of future sales, by us or our existing shareholders in the public market could cause the market price for our common shares to decline.

The sale of substantial amounts of common shares in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur could harm the prevailing market price of our common shares. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate. 4,572,158 of our common shares are freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Securities Act, except that any common shares held by our affiliates, as that term is defined under Rule 144 of the Securities Act, may be sold only in compliance with the limitations described in “Common Shares Eligible for Future Sale.” All remaining common shares, which are currently held by our existing shareholders, may be sold in the public market in the future subject to the lock-up agreements and the restrictions contained in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. If any existing shareholders sell a substantial amount of common shares, the prevailing market price for our common shares could be adversely affected. The underwriters may, in their sole discretion and at any time without notice, release all or any portion of the common shares subject to any lock-up agreements to which they are subject. As restrictions on resale end, the market price of our common shares could drop significantly if the holders of our restricted shares sell them or are perceived by the market as intending to sell them. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to raise additional funds through future offerings of our common shares or other securities.

As the rights of shareholders under BVI law differ from those under U.S. law, you may have fewer protections as a shareholder.

Our corporate affairs will be governed by our Memorandum and Articles of Association, the BVI Business Companies Act, 2004, as amended (the “BVI Act”), and the common law of the BVI. The rights of shareholders to take legal action against our directors, actions by minority shareholders, and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under BVI law are governed by the BVI Act and the common law of the BVI. The common law of the BVI is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the British Virgin Islands as well as from the common law of England and the wider Commonwealth, which has persuasive, but not binding, authority on a court in the BVI. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under BVI law are largely codified in the BVI Act but are potentially not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedents in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the BVI has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and some states (such as Delaware) have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. As a result of all of the above, holders of our common shares may have more difficulty in protecting their interests through actions against our management, directors or major shareholders than they would as shareholders of a U.S. company.

BVI companies may not be able to initiate shareholder derivative actions, thereby depriving shareholders of the ability to protect their interests.

Shareholders of BVI companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States. Shareholders of a BVI company could, however, bring a derivative action in the BVI courts, and there is a clear statutory right to commence such derivative claims under Section 184C of the BVI Act. The circumstances in which any such action may be brought, and the procedures and defenses that may be available in respect to any such action, may result in the rights of shareholders of a BVI company being more limited than those of shareholders of a company organized in the United States. Accordingly, shareholders may have fewer alternatives available to them if they believe that corporate wrongdoing has occurred. The BVI courts are also unlikely to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts in the United States based on certain liability provisions of U.S. securities law; and to impose liabilities against us, in original actions brought in the BVI, based on certain liability provisions of U.S. securities laws that are penal in nature. There is no statutory recognition in the BVI of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of the BVI will generally recognize and enforce the non-penal judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits. The BVI Act offers some limited protection of minority shareholders. The principal protection under statutory law is that shareholders may apply to the BVI court for an order directing the company or its director(s) to comply with, or restraining the company or a director from engaging in conduct that contravenes, the BVI Act or the company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association. Under the BVI Act, the minority shareholders have a statutory right to bring a derivative action in the name of and on behalf of the company in circumstances where a company has a cause of action against its directors. This remedy is available at the discretion of the BVI court. A shareholder may also bring an action against the company for breach of duty owed to him as a member. A shareholder who considers that the affairs of the company have been, are being or likely to be, conducted in a manner that is, or any act or acts of the company have been, or are, likely to be oppressive, unfairly discriminatory, or unfairly prejudicial to him in that capacity, may apply to the BVI court for an order to remedy the situation.

There are common law rights for the protection of shareholders that may be invoked, largely dependent on English company law. Under the general rule pursuant to English company law known as the rule in Foss v. Harbottle, a court will generally refuse to interfere with the management of a company at the insistence of a minority of its shareholders who express dissatisfaction with the conduct of the company’s affairs by the majority or the board of directors. However, every shareholder is entitled to have the affairs of the company conducted properly according to BVI law and the constituent documents of the company. As such, if those who control the company have persistently disregarded the requirements of company law or the provisions of the company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, then the courts may grant relief. Generally, the areas in which the courts will intervene are the following: (1) an act complained of which is outside the scope of the authorized business or is illegal or not capable of ratification by the majority; (2) acts that constitute fraud on the minority where the wrongdoers control the company; (3) acts that infringe or are about to infringe on the personal rights of the shareholders, such as the right to vote; and (4) where the company has not complied with provisions requiring approval of a special or extraordinary majority of shareholders. This means that even if shareholders were to sue us successfully, they may not be able to recover anything to make up for the losses suffered.

The laws of the BVI may provide less protection for minority shareholders than those under U.S. law, so minority shareholders may have less recourse than they would under U.S. law if such shareholders are dissatisfied with the conduct of our affairs.

Under the laws of the BVI, the rights of minority shareholders are protected by provisions of the BVI Act dealing with shareholder remedies and other remedies available under common law (in tort or contractual remedies). The principal protection under statutory law is that shareholders may bring an action to enforce the constitutional documents of a company (i.e. the Memorandum and Articles of Association) as shareholders are entitled to have the affairs of a company conducted in accordance with the BVI Act and the Memorandum and Articles of Association of a company. A shareholder may also bring an action under statute if such shareholder feels that the affairs of a company have been or will be carried out in a manner that is unfairly prejudicial or discriminating or oppressive to such shareholder. The BVI Act also provides for certain other protections for minority shareholders, including in respect of investigation of a company and inspection of such company’s books and records. There are also common law rights for the protection of shareholders that may be invoked, largely dependent on English common law, since the common law of the BVI for business companies is limited.

As a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, we are permitted to adopt certain home country practices in relation to corporate governance matters that differ significantly from the NASDAQ Stock Market corporate governance listing standards; these practices may afford less protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with the NASDAQ Stock Market corporate governance listing standards.

As an exempted British Virgin Islands company to be listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market, we are subject to the NASDAQ Stock Market corporate governance listing standards. However, the NASDAQ Stock Market rules permit a foreign private issuer like us to follow the corporate governance practices of its home country. Certain corporate governance practices in the British Virgin Islands, which is our home country, may differ significantly from the NASDAQ Stock Market corporate governance listing standards. For instance, we are not required to:

Currently, we do not intend to rely on home country practice with respect to our corporate governance. However, if we choose to follow home country practice in the future, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would have under corporate governance listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.

We may be or may become a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, which could result in adverse U.S. tax consequences to U.S. investors.

Based on the past and projected composition of our income and assets, and the valuation of our assets, including goodwill, we do not believe we were a passive foreign investment company (a “PFIC”) for our most recent taxable year, and we do not expect to become a PFIC in the current taxable year or the foreseeable future, although there can be no assurance in this regard.

In general, we will be a PFIC for any taxable year in which:

The determination of whether we are a PFIC is made annually. Accordingly, it is possible that we may become a PFIC in the current or any future taxable year due to changes in our asset or income composition. Because we have calculated the value of our goodwill by taking into account the expected market value of our common shares, a decrease in the price of our common shares may also result in our becoming a PFIC.

If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which you hold our common shares, our PFIC status could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to you if you are a U.S. Holder, as defined under “Tax Matters — United States Federal Income Taxation.” For example, if we are or become a PFIC, you may become subject to increased tax liabilities in respect of our common shares under U.S. federal income tax laws and regulations, and will become subject to burdensome reporting requirements. See “Tax Matters — United States Federal Income Taxation — Passive Foreign Investment Company.” There can be no assurance that we will not be a PFIC for the current or any future taxable year.

We are an “emerging growth company” and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to “emerging growth companies” will make our common shares less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions and relief from various reporting requirements that are not available to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies.” In particular, while we are an “emerging growth company” (1) we will not be required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, (2) we will be exempt from any rules that may be adopted by the PCAOB requiring mandatory audit firm rotations or a supplement to the auditor’s report on financial statements, (3) we will be subject to reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and (4) we will not be required to hold nonbinding advisory votes on executive compensation or shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We currently intend to take advantage of the reduced disclosure requirements regarding executive compensation. If we remain an “emerging growth company”, we may take advantage of other exemptions, including the exemptions from the advisory vote requirements and executive compensation disclosures under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Customer Protection Act, or the Dodd-Frank Act, and the exemption from the provisions of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act 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, meaning that the company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, will be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

We may remain an “emerging growth company” until the fiscal year-end following the fifth anniversary of the completion of our initial public offering, which closed on June 17, 2022, though we may cease to be an “emerging growth company” earlier under certain circumstances, including (1) if we become a large accelerated filer, (2) if our gross revenue exceeds $1.07 billion in any fiscal year or (3) if we issue more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible notes in any three year period. The exact implications of the JOBS Act are still subject to interpretations and guidance by the SEC and other regulatory agencies, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to take advantage of all of the benefits of the JOBS Act. In addition, investors may find our common shares less attractive if we rely on the exemptions and relief granted by the JOBS Act. If some investors find our common shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common shares and our stock price may decline and/or become more volatile.