INVESTING IN MYND ANALYTICS, INC. INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK.  YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING RISK FACTORS AND ALL OTHER INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS REPORT BEFORE PURCHASING OUR COMMON STOCK. THE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES DESCRIBED BELOW ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES FACING US. ADDITIONAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES THAT WE ARE UNAWARE OF, OR THAT WE CURRENTLY DEEM IMMATERIAL, ALSO MAY BECOME IMPORTANT FACTORS THAT AFFECT US. IF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING RISKS OCCUR, OUR BUSINESS, FINANCIAL CONDITION OR RESULTS OF OPERATIONS COULD BE MATERIALLY AND ADVERSELY AFFECTED. IN THAT CASE, THE TRADING PRICE OF OUR COMMON STOCK COULD DECLINE, AND YOU MAY LOSE SOME OR ALL OF THE MONEY YOU PAID TO PURCHASE OUR COMMON STOCK.

Risks Related to Our Company

We need immediate additional funding to support our operations and capital expenditures, which may not be available to us. This lack of availability could result in the cessation of our business. Our continued operating losses and limited capital raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

We have not generated significant revenues or become profitable, may never do so and may not generate sufficient working capital to cover costs of operations. Our continued operating losses and limited capital raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Historically, we have been unable to pay other obligations as they become due and have been in arrears on paying certain of our larger creditors. We have a history of insolvency that requires us to immediately secure additional funds to continue our operations. Until we can generate a sufficient amount of revenues to finance our operations and capital expenditures, we are required to finance our cash needs primarily through public or private equity offerings, debt financings, borrowings or strategic collaborations. As of September 30, 2016 we had approximately $0.32 million in cash and cash equivalents at hand. As of December 21, 2016 we had approximately $1,038,000 in cash and cash equivalents on hand. We will therefore need additional funds to continue our operations and will need substantial additional funds before we can increase demand for our PEER Online services.

On December 6, 2016, we entered into a common stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital Fund, LLC ("Aspire Capital"), which provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions and limitations set forth therein, Aspire Capital is committed to purchase up to an aggregate of $10 million of our shares of Common Stock over the approximately 30-month term of the purchase agreement. The extent to which we utilize the purchase agreement with Aspire Capital as a source of funding will depend on a number of factors, including the prevailing market price of our Common Stock, the volume of trading in our Common Stock and the extent to which we are able to secure funds from other sources. The number of shares that we may sell to Aspire Capital under the purchase agreement on any given day and during the term of the agreement is limited. See "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Private Placement Transactions—The Aspire Capital Equity Line" for additional information. Additionally, we and Aspire Capital may not effect any sales of shares of our Common Stock under the purchase agreement during the continuance of an event of default or on any trading day that the closing sale price of our Common Stock is less than $0.50 per share. Even if we are able to access the full $10 million under the purchase agreement, we will still need additional capital to fully implement our business, operating and development plans.

When we elect to raise additional funds or additional funds are required, we may raise such funds from time to time through public or private equity offerings, debt financings, corporate collaboration and licensing arrangements or other financing alternatives, as well as through sales of Common Stock to Aspire Capital under the purchase agreement. Additional equity or debt financing or corporate collaboration and licensing arrangements may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to us, we will be prevented from pursuing acquisition, licensing, development and commercialization efforts and our ability to generate revenues and achieve or sustain profitability will be substantially harmed.

We are currently exploring additional sources of capital; however, we do not know whether additional funding will be available on acceptable terms, or at all, especially given the economic conditions that currently prevail. Furthermore, any additional equity funding will likely result in significant dilution to existing stockholders, and, if we incur additional debt financing in the future, a substantial portion of our operating cash flow may be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on such indebtedness, thus limiting funds available for our business activities. If adequate funds are not available, it would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and/or results of operations and could cause us to be required to cease operations. Our financial statements include an opinion of our auditors that our continued operating losses and limited capital raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern .

Our liabilities exceed our assets; we have a working capital deficit.

As of September 30, 2016, we had liabilities of $1.58 million and assets of only $1.32 million. We had a working capital deficiency of $0.33 million. Our inability to take advantage of opportunities in the industry because of capital constraints may have a material adverse effect on our business and our prospects.

We have a history of operating losses and we have never been profitable.

We are a company with a limited operating history. Since our inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. As of September 30, 2016, our accumulated deficit was approximately $68.53 million. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, such as the risk factors described in this section, including our ability to maintain our existing cost structure and to execute our business and strategic plans as currently conceived. Even if we achieve profitability, we may be unable to maintain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. 

If our PEER Reports do not gain widespread market acceptance, we will not sell adequate services to maintain our operations.

We have developed a methodology that aids psychiatrists and other physicians in selecting appropriate and effective medications for patients with certain behavioral or addictive disorders based on physiological traits of the patient’s brain and information contained in a proprietary database that has been developed over the last twenty-five years. We began selling reports, referred to as rEEG Reports, based on our methodology in 2000; these reports have since been rebranded as PEER Reports. To date, we have not received widespread market acceptance of the usefulness of our PEER Reports in helping psychiatrists and other physicians inform their treatment strategies for patients suffering from behavioral and/or addictive disorders and we currently rely on a limited number of employees to market and promote our PEER Reports. To grow our business, we will need to develop and introduce new sales and marketing programs and clinical education programs to promote the use of our PEER Reports by psychiatrists and other physicians and hire additional employees for this purpose. If we do not implement these new sales and marketing and education programs in a timely and successful manner, we may not be able to achieve the level of market awareness and sales required to expand our business, which could also negatively impact our stock price.

Our PEER Reports may not be as effective as we believe them to be, which could limit or prevent us from growing our revenues. If the results of our clinical trials are not significant, we may not be able to continue to fund our development efforts.

Our belief in the efficacy of our PEER Online technology is based on a finite number of successful studies. Such results may not be statistically significant in future studies and may not be indicative of the long-term future efficacy of the information we provide. Controlled scientific studies, including those that have already been announced and that are planned for the future, may yield results that are unfavorable or demonstrate that our services, including our PEER Reports, are not clinically useful. While we have not experienced such problems to date, if the initially indicated results cannot be successfully replicated or maintained over time, utilization of services based on our PEER Online technology, including the delivery of our PEER Reports, may not increase as we anticipate, which would harm our operating results and stock price. In addition, if we fail to upgrade our PEER Online database to account for new medications that are now available on the market, psychiatrists and other physicians may be less inclined to utilize our services if they believe that our reports only provide information about older treatment options, which would further harm our operating results and stock price. In August, 2016, we commenced enrolling patients into a new clinical trial and anticipate commencing a second clinical trial in the first half of 2017. The trials are designed as a double-blind trial for military patients with a primary diagnosis of depression and other psychological co-morbidity.  We do not know whether the ultimate results of the trial will be successful.  There are many factors beyond our control that could affect the success of the trials, including difficulty in registering more subjects, failures of investigators to follow the proper protocol, external factors affecting patient health, among others.  If we fail to receive significant positive results for these trials, doctors may not be willing to use our services and our ability to generate revenue and to continue the PEER Online program, if at all, could be limited. 

The FDA believes that rEEG and, potentially, our PEER Online service, constitute a medical device, which is subject to regulation by the FDA. As we continue to market our PEER Online service, there is risk that the FDA will commence an enforcement action against us. The FDA has informed us that our marketing of our rEEG services without prior approval or re-classification by the FDA constitutes a violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Since April of 2008, we have been engaged in discussions with the FDA regarding its position that our rEEG service and its successor, now called PEER Online, constitutes a medical device which is subject to regulation by the FDA. On April 10, 2008, we received correspondence from the FDA in which the FDA indicated it believed, based in part on the combination of certain marketing statements it read on our website, together with the delivery of our rEEG Reports, that we were selling a software product to aid in diagnosis, which constituted a “medical device” requiring pre-market approval or 510(k) clearance by the FDA pursuant to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (the “Act”). We responded to the FDA on April 24, 2008, indicating that we believed it had incorrectly understood our product offering and further clarified that our rEEG services are not diagnostic and thus, for this as well as other reasons, do not constitute a medical device. On December 14, 2008, the FDA again made contact with us and indicated that, based upon its review of our description of our intended use of the rEEG Reports on our website, it continued to maintain that our rEEG service met its definition of a medical device. In response to the FDA communications, we made a number of changes to our website and other marketing documents to reflect that rEEG is a service to aid in medication selection and is not an aid to diagnosis. On September 4, 2009, through our regulatory counsel, we responded to the December 14, 2008 FDA letter explaining our position in more detail.

During the intervening period of time, based upon written guidance from the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (“Center”), we chose to submit an application to obtain 510(k) clearance for our rEEG service, without waiving our right to continue to take the position that our services do not constitute a medical device. We sought review of our rEEG service based upon its equivalence to predicate devices that already have FDA clearance which appeared to represent a sound mechanism to reduce regulatory risks.

On July 27, 2010, we received a NSE Letter from the FDA stating that they determined that our rEEG service was not substantially equivalent to the predicate devices that had previously been granted 510(k) clearance and that among other options we could be required to file an approved premarket approval application (PMA) before it can be marketed legally, unless it is otherwise reclassified. The company has filed an appeal for reconsideration of this finding based on material product modifications and additional evidence. For example, the Company received in June 2011 a response to its outstanding Freedom of Information Act request for original copies of the predicate filings, which the Company believes confirm its position that the predicate devices were cleared for the same intended use as the rEEG service.

In December 2010 and again in September 2011, the Company met with Center officials to determine whether FDA had or would soon be developing a coherent regulatory pathway for clinical decision support services such as PEER Reports. In 2011, the Company introduced its PEER Outcome database as a published, transparent repository of individual medication response reports which reference known electrophysiology variables. Following a meeting with the FDA, the Company successfully registered its PEER Outcome database as a Class I Exempt Device within the category of Medical Device Data System, Section 860.6310. The Company continued its engagement with Center staff over the potential for a regulatory pathway for PEER Online as a Class II medical device, based on the Center’s recommendation that military use of PEER Online move forward under an Investigational Device Exemption (“IDE”) in order to provide additional data to support a successful 510(k) filing. In March 2012, the FDA responded to our proposal for a clinical trial of an Investigational Device, PEER Interactive, designed to support physicians in identifying the best treatments for certain mental illnesses. In response to the comments provided by the FDA, we revised the protocol to partner with military physicians treating 2,000 patients diagnosed with mental health conditions such as depression, PTSD, mTBI and several other disorders.

In August 2012, the FDA issued a determination that the Walter Reed PEER Trial was considered a Non-Significant Risk (NSR) clinical trial and did not require an IDE application. On November 30, 2012, the Walter Reed IRB approved the protocol for research to be conducted at Walter Reed and Fort Belvoir. On January 23, 2013, the Company received a memorandum from the Commander of Walter Reed, which officially confirmed the approval of the protocol and permission to conduct the clinical trial. The project title of the clinical trial is “Use of PEER Interactive to inform the prescription of psychotropic medications to patients with behavioral disorders.” Subsequently, the same protocol was also approved by the IRB at Fort Belvoir. New enrollment into the Walter Reed PEER Trial was suspended by the Walter Reed IRB in May 2014 in order to conduct an internal review of the trial. Patients in the already in the trial were permitted to continue with their course of treatment. Subsequently, it was determined by us from information received as a result of our FOIA requests that the halt to the trial was due to administrative reasons. Walter Reed has not supported the publication of the interim trial results which were consistent with our previous clinical trials.

In February 2016, the Company hosted a five day on-site FDA inspection at its headquarters in California. The inspection focused solely on procedures, processes, communications and data associated with the Walter Reed PEER Trial. Subsequently, we received a letter, dated June 9, 2016, the purpose of which was to inform the Company that the FDA inspection conducted at the Company from February 3, 2016, to February 11, 2016, revealed no significant concerns and as a result, no response to the FDA letter was necessary. 

The Company further validated data collected in the Walter Reed PEER Trial by performing source document verification, post-hoc sample tests and cross validation exercises. For example, new outcomes for approximately 1,500 unique patients – or ten times the number reported in the Walter Reed PEER Trial interim results — have been added to the PEER Registry since the inception of our work with Walter Reed, and these outcomes were consistent with our findings in the Walter Reed PEER Trial interim report.

Following the FDA’s inspection and further validation of its data, the Company published its results of the Walter Reed PEER Trial in the Journal of Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment on August 25, 2016.

The Company is proceeding with two clinical trials based substantially on the Walter Reed PEER Trial protocol in an effort to replicate and expand the result achieved during the Walter Reed PEER Trial. One clinical trial with the Canadian Armed Forces has commenced enrollment of patients in August, 2016. A second clinical trial with a large provider group has been through the training phase of the trial and is expected to commence enrolling patients in the next few months. At this time we cannot predict the results or the success of any of these trials. We can offer no assurances that the FDA will not insist on pre-market approval in the future, or that the data, which will be included in our future submissions to the FDA, do not raise any important new issues that could materially affect safety or effectiveness of our PEER service. The inability to enroll sufficient subjects or the receipt of inconclusive results from our new clinical trials would have a material adverse effect on our ability to expand our operations. We currently intend to continue marketing as a non-device cloud-based neurometric service branded as PEER Reports, under our Class I registration, while we pursue the additional clinical trials and consider submission of a Class II device premarket application in the future. If we continue to market our PEER Reports and the FDA determines that we should be subject to further FDA regulation as a Class II medical device, it could seek enforcement action against us based upon its position that our PEER Reports constitute a medical device as a result of which we could be forced to cease our marketing activities and pay fines and penalties, which would have a material adverse impact on us.

In addition to the foregoing, federal and state laws and regulations relating to the sale of our neurometric services are subject to future changes, as are administrative interpretations of regulatory agencies. In the event that federal and state laws and regulations change, we may need to incur additional costs to seek government approvals for the sale of our neurometric services.

In the future, we may seek approval for medications or combinations of medications for new indications, either with corporate partners, or potentially, on our own. The development and commercialization of medications for new indications is subject to extensive regulation by the U.S. Federal government, principally through the FDA and other federal, state and governmental authorities elsewhere. Prior to marketing any central nervous system medication, and in many cases prior to being able to successfully partner a central nervous system medication, we will have to conduct extensive clinical trials at our own expense to determine safety and efficacy of the indication that we are pursuing.

If government and third-party payers fail to provide coverage and adequate payment rates for treatments that are guided by our PEER Reports, our revenue and prospects for profitability will be harmed.

Our future revenue growth will depend in part upon the availability of reimbursement from third-party payers for psychiatrists and other physicians who use our PEER Reports to guide the treatment of their patients. Such third-party payers include government health programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, managed care providers, private health insurers and other organizations. These third-party payers are increasingly attempting to contain healthcare costs by demanding price discounts or rebates and limiting both coverage on which procedures they will pay for and the amounts that they will pay for new procedures. As a result, they may not cover or provide adequate payment for treatments that are guided by our PEER Reports, which will discourage psychiatrists and other physicians from utilizing the information services we provide. We may need to conduct studies in addition to those we have already announced to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of treatments that are guided by our products and services to such payers’ satisfaction. Such studies might require us to commit a significant amount of management time and financial and other resources. Adequate third-party reimbursement might not be available to enable us to realize an appropriate return on investment in research and product development and the lack of such reimbursement could have a material adverse effect on our operations and could adversely affect our revenues and earnings.

Billing complexities associated with obtaining payment or reimbursement for our tests may negatively affect our revenue, cash flow and profitability.

Substantially all of the Company’s current revenue is derived from the PEER Report process, which includes the EEG, the QEEG, and the PEER Report, for which we bill on a fee-for-service basis, including reimbursements by third-party payors, such as Medicare, Medicaid and other governmental payor programs, hospitals, private insurance plans and managed care organizations and direct payments from individual patients. Billing for PEER Report testing services is generally highly complex. We conduct our own internal billing and work closely with third-party providers to ensure accuracy of billing, timely collections, and resolution of appeals and billing discrepancies.

Depending on our billing arrangement with each third-party payor and applicable law, we are often obligated to bill in the specific manner prescribed by the various payors, each of which may have different requirements. Among the potential factors complicating our billing of third-party payors are:

We also face risks in our collection efforts, including potential write-offs of doubtful accounts and long collection cycles for accounts receivable.

Additionally, from time to time, payors change processes that may affect timely payment. These changes may result in uneven cash flow or impact the timing of revenue recognized with these payors. With respect to payments received from governmental programs, factors such as a prolonged government shutdown could cause significant regulatory delays or could result in attempts to reduce payments made to us by government healthcare programs. These billing complexities, and the related uncertainty in obtaining payment for PEER Report testing services, could negatively affect our revenue, cash flow and profitability. In addition, increases in write-offs of doubtful accounts, delays in receiving payments or potential retroactive adjustments and penalties resulting from audits by payors could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Changes in laws, regulations, payor policies or contracting arrangements with payors may adversely affect coverage or reimbursement for PEER Report services, which may decrease our revenue and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Governmental payors, as well as private insurers, and other private payors have implemented and will continue to implement measures to control the cost, utilization and delivery of healthcare services, including laboratory services. Congress has from time to time considered and implemented changes to laws and regulations governing healthcare service providers, including specialized diagnostic service providers. These changes have adversely affected and may in the future adversely affect coverage for laboratory services, including the PEER Report and PGx testing services we provide. We also believe that healthcare professionals may not use the PEER Report if third-party payors do not provide adequate coverage and reimbursement for them.

Reimbursement to healthcare providers, such as specialized analytic service providers, are subject to continuing change in policies by governmental payors, such as Medicare and Medicaid, private insurers, including managed care organizations, and other private payors, such as hospitals and private medical groups.

As a Medicare-participating independent diagnostic testing Facility based in California, we bill Noridian Healthcare Solutions, or Noridian, the Medicare Administrative Contractor, or MAC, for California, and are subject to Noridian’s local coverage and reimbursement policies. Reductions in coverage could decrease our average Medicare reimbursement rate per sample.

In addition, reimbursement from governmental payors is subject to statutory and regulatory changes, retroactive rate adjustments and administrative rulings, and other policy changes, all of which could materially decrease the range of services for which we are reimbursed or the reimbursement rates paid for PEER Report services.

Finally, some private insurers and other third-party payors link their rates to Medicare’s reimbursement rates, and a reduction in Medicare reimbursement rates for PEER Report services could result in a corresponding reduction in the reimbursements we receive from such third-party payors. Any reductions in reimbursement levels for the PEER Report would decrease our revenue and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Operating as a non-contracting provider with certain payors may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition, and contracting with those payors may be disadvantageous to us.

We are currently considered to be an out-of-network or “non-contracting provider” by a number of third-party payors because we have not entered into a specific contract to provide PEER Report services to their insured patients at specified rates of reimbursement. We were generally subject to reimbursement as a non-contracting provider. As a non-contracting provider, many payors pay us a smaller percentage of our charges that they recognize to be reasonable, and expect us to collect greater coinsurance or copayments from our patients. Rather than collecting these higher coinsurance and copayment amounts from these patients, when permitted by law to do so, we may instead choose to charge them only the lower coinsurance and copayments amounts that would have applied to them if we had been contracted with their payor, which results in decreased revenues. In instances where we may be prohibited by law from treating these patients as if we were in-network, thus requiring these patients to pay higher coinsurance or copayments to us, our customers may decide to reduce or avoid prescribing PEER Report services for such patients, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Should any of the third-party payors with whom we are not contracted insist that we enter into a contract for the PEER Report services we provide, the resulting contract may contain pricing and other terms that are materially less favorable to us than the terms under which we currently operate. If revenue from a particular payor grows, there is heightened risk that such a third-party payor will insist that we enter into contractual arrangements that contain such terms. If we refuse to enter into a contract with such a third-party payor, they may refuse to cover and reimburse for PEER Report services, which may lead to a decrease in report volume and a corresponding decrease in our revenues. If we contract with such a third-party payor, although our report volume may increase as a result of the contract, our revenue per report under the contractual agreement and gross margin may decrease. The overall net result of contracting with third-party payors may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Regulations are constantly changing and in the future, our business may be subject to additional regulations that will increase our compliance costs.

Federal, state and foreign laws and regulations relating to the sale of our PEER Reports are subject to future changes, as are administrative interpretations of regulatory agencies. If we fail to comply with applicable federal, state or foreign laws or regulations, we could be subject to enforcement actions, including injunctions that would prevent us from conducting our business, withdrawal of clearances or approvals and civil and criminal penalties. In the event that federal, state, and foreign laws and regulations change, we may need to incur additional costs to seek government approvals, in addition to the clearance from the FDA if we so chose, in order to sell or market our PEER Online service. There is no guarantee that we will be able to obtain such approvals in a timely manner or at all, and as a result, our business would be significantly harmed.

Our operating results may fluctuate significantly and our stock price could decline or fluctuate if our results do not meet the expectation of analysts or investors.

Management expects that we will experience substantial variations in our operating results from quarter to quarter. We believe that the factors which influence this variability of quarterly results include, without limitation:

As a result of fluctuations in our revenue and operating expenses that may occur, management believes that period-to-period comparisons of our results of operations are not a good indication of our future performance. It is possible that in some future quarter or quarters, our operating results will be below the expectations of securities analysts or investors. In that case, our common stock price could fluctuate significantly or decline.

If we do not maintain and expand our relationships in the psychiatric and physician community, our growth will be limited and our business could be harmed. If psychiatrists and other physicians do not recommend and endorse our products and services, we may be unable to increase our sales, and in such instances, our profitability would be harmed.

Our relationships with psychiatrists and other physicians are critical to the growth of our Neurometric Services business. We believe that these relationships are based on the quality and ease of use of our PEER Reports, our commitment to the behavioral health market, our marketing efforts and our presence at tradeshows. Any actual or perceived diminution in our reputation or the quality of our PEER Reports, or our failure or inability to maintain our commitment to the behavioral health market and our other marketing and product promotion efforts could damage our current relationships, or prevent us from forming new relationships, with psychiatrists and other physicians and cause our growth to be limited and our business to be harmed.

To sell our PEER Reports, psychiatric professionals must recommend and endorse them. We may not obtain the necessary recommendations or endorsements from this community. Acceptance of our PEER Reports depends on educating psychiatrists and other physicians as to the benefits, clinical efficacy, ease of use, revenue opportunity and cost-effectiveness of our PEER Reports and on training the medical community to properly understand and utilize our PEER Reports. If we are not successful in obtaining the recommendations or endorsements of psychiatrists and other physicians for our PEER Reports, we may be unable to increase our sales and profitability.

Negative publicity or unfavorable media coverage could damage our reputation and harm our operations.

In the event that the marketplace perceives our PEER Reports as not offering the benefits which we believe they offer, we may receive significant negative publicity. This publicity may result in litigation and increased regulation and governmental review. If we were to receive such negative publicity or unfavorable media attention, whether warranted or unwarranted, our ability to market our PEER Reports would be adversely affected, pharmaceutical companies may be reluctant to pursue strategic initiatives with us relating to the development of new products and services based on our PEER Online technology, we may be required to change our products and services and become subject to increased regulatory burdens and we may be required to pay large judgments or fines and incur significant legal expenses. Any combination of these factors could further increase our cost of doing business and adversely affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

If we do not successfully generate additional products and services from our patented methodology and proprietary database, or if such products and services are developed but not successfully commercialized, then we could lose revenue opportunities.

Our primary business is the sale of PEER Reports to psychiatrists and other physicians based on our PEER Online methodology and proprietary database. In the future, we may utilize our patented methodology and proprietary database to produce pharmaceutical advancements and developments. For instance, we may use our patented methodology and proprietary database to identify new medications that are promising in the treatment of behavioral health disorders, identify new uses of medications which have been previously approved and identify new patient populations that are responsive to medications in clinical trials that have previously failed to show efficacy in FDA approved clinical trials. The development of new pharmaceutical applications that are based on our patented methodology and proprietary database will be costly, since we will be subject to additional regulations, including the need to conduct expensive and time-consuming clinical trials.

In addition, to successfully monetize our pharmaceutical opportunity, we will need to enter into strategic alliances with biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies that have the ability to bring to market a medication, an ability which we currently do not have. We maintain no pharmaceutical manufacturing, marketing or sales organization, nor do we plan to build one in the foreseeable future. Therefore, we are reliant upon approaching and successfully negotiating attractive terms with a partner who has these capabilities. No guarantee can be made that we can do this on attractive terms, or even at all. If we are unable to find strategic partners for our pharmaceutical opportunity, our revenues may not grow as quickly as we desire, which could lower our stock price.

Our industry is highly competitive and we may not be able to compete successfully, which could result in price reductions and decreased demand for our products.

The healthcare business, in general, and the behavioral health treatment business in particular, are highly competitive. In the event that we are unable to convince physicians, psychiatrists and patients of the efficacy of our products and services, individuals seeking treatment for behavioral health disorders may seek alternative treatment methods, which could negatively impact our sales and profitability.

In the event that we pursue our pharmaceutical opportunities, we or any development partners that we partner with will likely need to conduct clinical trials. If such clinical trials are delayed or unsuccessful, it could have an adverse effect on our business.

We have limited experience conducting clinical trials of psychiatric medications and in the event we conduct clinical trials, we will rely on outside parties, including academic investigators and outside consultants and will contract with research organizations to conduct these trials on our behalf. We will rely on these parties to assist in the recruitment of sites for participation in clinical trials, to maintain positive relations with these sites, and to ensure that these sites conduct the trials in accordance with the protocol and our instructions. If these parties renege on their obligations to us, our clinical trials may be delayed or unsuccessful.

In the event we conduct clinical trials, we cannot predict whether we will encounter problems that will cause us or regulatory authorities to delay or suspend our clinical trials or delay the analysis of data from our completed or ongoing clinical trials. In addition, we cannot provide assurance that we will be successful in reaching the endpoints in these trials, or if we are, that the FDA or other regulatory agencies will accept the results.

Any of the following factors, among others, could delay the completion of clinical trials, or result in a failure of these trials to support our business, which would have an adverse effect on our business:

If we determine that the costs associated with attaining regulatory approval of a product exceed the potential financial benefits or if the projected development timeline is inconsistent with our determination of when we need to get the product to market, we may choose to stop a clinical trial and/or development of a product.

We may fail to successfully manage and maintain the growth of our business, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

As we continue expanding our commercial operations, this expansion could place significant strain on our management, operational and financial resources. To manage future growth, we will need to continue to hire, train, and manage additional employees, particularly a specially-trained sales force to market our PEER Reports.

We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property, which is the core of our business.

We consider the protection of our intellectual property to be important to our business prospects. We currently have twenty-two issued patents in the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe, Israel, Japan and Mexico and we have also filed multiple additional patent applications in the United States and in multiple foreign jurisdictions.

In the future, if we fail to file patent applications in a timely manner, fail to pay applicable maintenance fees on issued patents, or in the event we elect not to file a patent application because of the costs associated with patent prosecution, we may lose patent protection that we may have otherwise obtained. The loss of any proprietary rights which are obtainable under patent laws may result in the loss of a competitive advantage over present or potential competitors, with a resulting decrease in revenues and profitability for us.

With respect to the applications we have filed, there is no guarantee that the applications will result in issued patents, and further, any patents that do issue may be too narrow in scope to adequately protect our intellectual property and provide us with a competitive advantage. Competitors and others may design around aspects of our technology, or alternatively, may independently develop similar or more advanced technologies that fall outside the scope of our claimed subject matter, but that can be used in the treatment of behavioral health disorders.

In addition, even if we are issued additional patents covering our products, we cannot predict with any degree of certainty, whether or not we will be able to enforce our proprietary rights and whether our patents will provide us with adequate protection against competitors. We may be forced to engage in costly and time-consuming litigation or reexamination proceedings to protect our intellectual property rights and our opponents in such proceedings may have and be willing to expend, substantially greater resources than we are able to expend. In addition, the results of such proceedings may result in our patents being invalidated or reduced in scope. These developments could cause a decrease in our operating income and reduce our available cash flow, which could harm our business and cause our stock price to decline.

We also utilize processes and technology that constitute trade secrets, such as our PEER Online database, and we must implement appropriate levels of security for those trade secrets to secure the protection of applicable laws, which we may not do effectively. In addition, the laws of many foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights as fully as the laws of the United States.

While we have not had any significant issues to date, the loss of any of our trade secrets or proprietary rights, which may be protected under the foregoing intellectual property safeguards may result in the loss of our competitive advantage over present and potential competitors.

Certain of our patents will expire in the near future, and we may have difficulties protecting our proprietary rights and technology and we may not be able to ensure their protection.  

Our ability to stop third parties from developing processes and commercializing products similar or identical to ours is dependent upon the extent to which we have rights under valid and enforceable patents or trade secrets that cover these activities. As we describe elsewhere in this Annual Report, we currently have 22 issued patents, of which nine are in the U.S., covering the process involved in our PEER Online service. Our current patent portfolio includes US6,622,036, US7,754,190 and US8,562,951, which cover methods for (1) treating, classifying and analyzing brain imbalances, (2) predicting a drug response and (3) classifying an individual's QEEG data. These three patents will expire over the next two years, beginning in September 2017, at which point we can no longer enforce our rights under these patents against third parties to prevent them from developing processes and commercializing products similar or identical to ours. Because our efforts to achieve broader market acceptance of our PEER Online service may take a substantial period of time, our patents (and particularly our patents expiring in September 2017 and over the next two years) may expire or provide only a short period of protection, if any, following such broader market acceptance. This could expose us to substantially more competition and have a material adverse impact on our business and our ability to commercialize or license our technology and products. Our asset is our PEER Online Database and we will continue to encrypt and protect it.

Confidentiality agreements with employees, licensees and others may not adequately prevent disclosure of trade secrets and other proprietary information.

In order to protect our proprietary technology and processes, we rely in part on confidentiality provisions in our agreements with employees, licensees, treating physicians and psychiatrists and others. These agreements may not effectively prevent disclosure of confidential information and may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. Moreover, policing compliance with our confidentiality agreements and nondisclosure agreements and detecting unauthorized use of our technology is difficult and we may, therefore, be unable to determine whether piracy of our technology has actually occurred. In addition, others may independently discover our trade secrets and proprietary information. Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to enforce and determine the scope of our proprietary rights and failure to obtain or maintain trade secret protection could adversely affect our competitive business position.

We depend heavily upon secure access to, and secure transfer of, data via the internet in exchanging data with customers. Any security breaches could result in unauthorized access to sensitive patient data, our intellectual property and other confidential business information. We use third-party data centers and any damage to, or failure of, our central analytical database could adversely affect our ability to provide our services. For any of the foregoing or related reasons, customers may curtail or stop using our services and we may incur significant legal and financial exposure and liabilities.

We depend heavily on secure access to, and secure transfer of data via the internet in the generation of our PEER Reports and other data exchange with our customers. We rely on services provided by third parties to store, transmit and process data in our central neurometric database. Security breaches could expose us to a risk of losing data and result in litigation and possible liability. Security measures taken by us or by such third party service providers may be breached as a result of third party action, including intentional misconduct by computer hackers, employee error, malfeasance, fraud or otherwise, during transfer or processing of data or at any time and result in someone obtaining unauthorized access to sensitive patient information, our intellectual property, other confidential business information, or our information technology systems. Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, or to sabotage systems, change frequently and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, we or our third-party service providers may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. Any security breach could result in a loss of confidence in the security of our service, damage to our reputation, disruption to our business, could lead to legal liability and severely curtail future revenue.

In addition, any damage to, or failure of, our central neurometric database and the server on which it resides could result in interruptions in our ability to provide PEER Reports. Interruptions in our service may reduce our revenue, cause PEER Network providers to terminate their relationship with us and adversely affect our ability to attract new physicians to the PEER Network. Our business will also be harmed if our customers and potential customers believe our service is unreliable.

Because our service is complex and cloud-based we rely on third-party data centers to store the data in our central neurometric database, our data and processes may be corrupted at some future time resulting in erroneous, defective or ineffective reports, which could result in unanticipated downtime in our service for PEER Network providers, resulting in harm to our reputation and our business. We do not control the operation of these facilities. While we take precautions (data redundancy, back-up and disaster recovery plans) to prevent service interruptions, our data centers are vulnerable to damage or interruption from human error, intentional bad acts, pandemics, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires, war, terrorist attacks, power losses, hardware failures, systems failures, communications failures and similar events. The occurrence of a natural disaster or an act of terrorism, vandalism or other misconduct, resulting in a decision to close the facilities without adequate notice or other unanticipated problems could result in lengthy interruptions in the availability of our central neurometric database. Since many physicians rely on our service to assist in treating their patients, any errors, defects, disruptions in service or other performance problems with our service could hurt our reputation and hurt the reputation of the physicians in our PEER Network. If that occurs, physicians could elect to terminate their relationship with us, or delay or withhold payment to us. We could lose future revenues or customers may make warranty or other claims against us, which could result in an increase in our provision for doubtful accounts, an increase in collection cycles for accounts receivable or the expense and risk of litigation and a reduction in revenue.

Security breaches, damages or failures of the sort described above would adversely affect our ability to market our PEER Reports. In addition, pharmaceutical companies may be reluctant to pursue strategic initiatives with us relating to the development of new products and services based on our PEER Online technology, we may be required to change our products and services and become subject to increased regulatory burdens and we may be required to pay large judgments or fines and incur significant legal expenses.

The liability of our directors and officers is limited.

The applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law and our Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws limit the liability of our directors to us and our stockholders for monetary damages for breaches of their fiduciary duties, with certain exceptions, and for other specified acts or omissions of such persons. In addition, the applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law and of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, as well as indemnification agreements we have entered into with our directors, and officers, provide for indemnification of such persons under certain circumstances. In the event we are required to indemnify any of our directors or any other person, our financial strength may be harmed, which may in turn lower our stock price.

If we do not retain our senior management and other key employees, we may not be able to successfully implement our business strategy.

Our future success depends on the ability, experience and performance of our senior management and our key professional personnel. Our success therefore depends to a significant extent on retaining the services of George Carpenter, our Chief Executive Officer, our senior product development and clinical managers and others. Because of their ability and experience, if we lose one or more of the members of our senior management or other key employees, our ability to successfully implement our business strategy could be seriously harmed. While we believe our relationships with our executives are good and do not anticipate any of them leaving in the near future, the loss of the services of any of our senior management could have a material adverse effect on our ability to manage our business. We do not carry key-man life insurance on any of our key employees.

If we do not attract and retain skilled personnel, we may not be able to expand our business.

Our products and services are based on a complex database of information. Accordingly, we require skilled medical, scientific and administrative personnel to sell and support our products and services. Our future success will depend largely on our ability to continue to hire, train, retain and motivate additional skilled personnel, particularly sales representatives who are responsible for customer education and training and customer support. In the future, if we pursue our pharmaceutical opportunities, we will also likely need to hire personnel with experience in clinical testing and matters relating to obtaining regulatory approvals. If we are not able to attract and retain skilled personnel, we will not be able to continue our development and commercialization activities.

In the future we could be subject to personal injury claims, which could result in substantial liabilities that may exceed our insurance coverage.

All significant medical treatments and procedures, including treatment that is facilitated through the use of our PEER Reports, can involve the risk of serious adverse events up to and including death. While we have not been the subject of any personal injury claims for patients treated by providers using our PEER Reports, our business entails an inherent risk of claims for personal injuries, which are subject to the attendant risk of substantial damage awards. We cannot control whether individual physicians and psychiatrists will properly select patients, apply the appropriate standard of care, or conform to our procedures in determining how to treat their patients. A significant source of potential liability is negligence or alleged negligence by physicians treating patients with the aid of the PEER Reports that we provide. There can be no assurance that a future claim or claims will not be successful or, including the cost of legal defense, will not exceed the limits of available insurance coverage.

We currently have general liability and medical professional liability insurance coverage for up to $3 million per year for personal injury claims. We may not be able to maintain adequate liability insurance, in accordance with standard industry practice, with appropriate coverage based on the nature and risks of our business, at acceptable costs and on favorable terms. Insurance carriers are often reluctant to provide liability insurance for new healthcare services companies and products due to the limited claims history for such companies and products. In addition, based on current insurance markets, we expect that liability insurance will be more difficult to obtain and that premiums will increase over time and as the volume of patients treated by physicians that are guided by our PEER Reports increases. In the event of litigation, regardless of its merit or eventual outcome, or an award against us during a time when we have no available insurance or insufficient insurance, we may sustain significant losses of our operating capital which may substantially reduce stockholder equity in the company.

We are subject to evolving and expensive corporate governance regulations and requirements. Our failure to adequately adhere to these requirements or the failure or circumvention of our controls and procedures could seriously harm our business.

Because we are a publicly traded company we are subject to certain federal, state and other rules and regulations, including applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Compliance with these evolving regulations is costly and requires a significant diversion of management time and attention, particularly with regard to our disclosure controls and procedures and our internal control over financial reporting. Although we have reviewed our disclosure and internal controls and procedures in order to determine whether they are effective, our controls and procedures may not be able to prevent errors or fraud in the future. Faulty judgments, simple errors or mistakes, or the failure of our personnel to adhere to established controls and procedures may make it difficult for us to ensure that the objectives of the control system are met. A failure of our controls and procedures to detect other than inconsequential errors or fraud could seriously harm our business and results of operations.

Our senior management’s limited recent experience managing a publicly traded company may divert management’s attention from operations and harm our business.

Our management team has relatively limited experience managing a publicly traded company and complying with federal securities laws, including compliance with recently adopted disclosure requirements on a timely basis. Our management will be required to design and implement appropriate programs and policies in responding to increased legal, regulatory compliance and reporting requirements, and any failure to do so could lead to the imposition of fines and penalties and harm our business.

Risks Related To Our Industry

The healthcare industry in which we operate is subject to substantial regulation by state and federal authorities, which could hinder, delay or prevent us from commercializing our products and services.

Healthcare companies are subject to extensive and complex federal, state and local laws, regulations and judicial decisions governing various matters such as the licensing and certification of facilities and personnel, the conduct of operations, billing policies and practices, policies and practices with regard to patient privacy and confidentiality, and prohibitions on payments for the referral of business and self-referrals. There are federal and state laws, regulations and judicial decisions that govern patient referrals, physician financial relationships, submission of healthcare claims and inducement to beneficiaries of federal healthcare programs. Many states prohibit business corporations from practicing medicine, employing or maintaining control over physicians who practice medicine, or engaging in certain business practices, such as splitting fees with healthcare providers. Many healthcare laws and regulations applicable to our business are complex, applied broadly and subject to interpretation by courts and government agencies. Our failure, or the failure of physicians and psychiatrists to whom we sell our PEER Reports, to comply with these healthcare laws and regulations could create liability for us and negatively impact our business.

In addition, the FDA regulates development, testing, labeling, manufacturing, marketing, promotion, distribution, record-keeping and reporting requirements for prescription drugs. Compliance with laws and regulations enforced by the FDA and other regulatory agencies may be required in relation to future products or services developed or used by us, in addition to the regulatory process and dialogue in which we are now engaged with the FDA ( for more information, please see the risk factor entitled “The FDA believes that rEEG and, potentially, our PEER Online service, constitute a medical device, which is subject to regulation by the FDA. As we continue to market our PEER Online service, there is risk that the FDA will commence an enforcement action against us. The FDA has informed us that our marketing of our rEEG services without prior approval or re-classification by the FDA constitutes a violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act” ). Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations may result in various adverse consequences, including withdrawal of our products and services from the market, or the imposition of civil or criminal sanctions.

We believe that this industry will continue to be subject to increasing regulation, political and legal action and pricing pressures, the scope and effect of which we cannot predict. Legislation is continuously being proposed, enacted and interpreted at the federal, state and local levels to regulate healthcare delivery and relationships between and among participants in the healthcare industry. Any such changes could prevent us from marketing some or all of our products and services for a period of time or permanently.

We may be subject to regulatory and investigative proceedings, which may find that our policies and procedures do not fully comply with complex and changing healthcare regulations.

While we have established policies and procedures that we believe will be sufficient to ensure that we operate in substantial compliance with applicable laws, regulations and requirements, the criteria are often vague and subject to change and interpretation. We may become the subject of regulatory or other investigations or proceedings, and our interpretations of applicable laws and regulations may be challenged. The defense of any such challenge could result in substantial cost and a diversion of management’s time and attention. Thus, any such challenge could have a material adverse effect on our business, regardless of whether it ultimately is successful. If we fail to comply with any applicable laws, or a determination is made that we have failed to comply with these laws, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Failure to comply with the Federal Trade Commission Act or similar state laws could result in sanctions or limit the claims we can make.

Our promotional activities and materials, including advertising to consumers and physicians, and materials provided to third parties for their use in promoting our products and services, are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) under the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair and deceptive acts and practices, including claims which are false, misleading or inadequately substantiated. The FTC typically requires competent and reliable scientific tests or studies to substantiate express or implied claims that a product or service is effective. If the FTC were to interpret our promotional materials as making express or implied claims that our products and services are effective for the treatment of mental illness, it may find that we do not have adequate substantiation for such claims. Failure to comply with the FTC Act or similar laws enforced by state attorneys general and other state and local officials could result in administrative or judicial orders limiting or eliminating the claims we can make about our products and services, and other sanctions including fines.

Our business practices may be found to constitute illegal fee-splitting or corporate practice of medicine, which may lead to penalties and adversely affect our business.

Many states, including California, in which our principal executive offices are located, have laws that prohibit business corporations, such as us, from practicing medicine, exercising control over medical judgments or decisions of physicians, or engaging in certain arrangements, such as employment or fee-splitting, with physicians. Courts, regulatory authorities or other parties, including physicians, may assert that we are engaged in the unlawful corporate practice of medicine by providing administrative and ancillary services in connection with our PEER Reports. These parties may also assert that selling our PEER Reports for a portion of the patient fees constitutes improper fee-splitting. If asserted, such claims could subject us to civil and criminal penalties and substantial legal costs, could result in our contracts being found legally invalid and unenforceable, in whole or in part, or could result in us being required to restructure our contractual arrangements, all with potentially adverse consequences to our business and our stockholders.

Our business practices may be found to violate anti-kickback, self-referral or false claims laws, which may lead to penalties and adversely affect our business.

The healthcare industry is subject to extensive federal and state regulation with respect to financial relationships and “kickbacks” involving healthcare providers, physician self-referral arrangements, filing of false claims and other fraud and abuse issues. Federal anti-kickback laws and regulations prohibit certain offers, payments or receipts of remuneration in return for (i) referring patients covered by Medicare, Medicaid or other federal health care program, or (ii) purchasing, leasing, ordering or arranging for or recommending any service, good, item or facility for which payment may be made by a federal health care program. In addition, federal physician self-referral legislation, commonly known as the Stark law, generally prohibits a physician from ordering certain services reimbursable by Medicare, Medicaid or other federal healthcare program from any entity with which the physician has a financial relationship. In addition, many states have similar laws, some of which are not limited to services reimbursed by federal healthcare programs. Other federal and state laws govern the submission of claims for reimbursement, or false claims laws. One of the most prominent of these laws is the federal False Claims Act, and violations of other laws, such as the anti-kickback laws or the FDA prohibitions against promotion of off-label uses of medications, may also be prosecuted as violations of the False Claims Act.

While we believe we have structured our relationships to comply with all applicable requirements, federal or state authorities may claim that our fee arrangements, agreements and relationships with contractors and physicians violate these anti-kickback, self-referral or false claims laws and regulations. These laws are broadly worded and have been broadly interpreted by courts. It is often difficult to predict how these laws will be applied, and they potentially subject many typical business arrangements to government investigation and prosecution, which can be costly and time consuming. Violations of these laws are punishable by monetary fines, civil and criminal penalties, exclusion from participation in government-sponsored health care programs and forfeiture of amounts collected in violation of such laws. Some states also have similar anti-kickback and self-referral laws, imposing substantial penalties for violations. If our business practices are found to violate any of these provisions, we may be unable to continue with our relationships or implement our business plans, which would have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

We may be subject to healthcare anti-fraud initiatives, which may lead to penalties and adversely affect our business.

State and federal governments are devoting increased attention and resources to anti-fraud initiatives against healthcare providers, taking an expansive definition of fraud that includes receiving fees in connection with a healthcare business that is found to violate any of the complex regulations described above. While to our knowledge we have not been the subject of any anti-fraud investigations, if such a claim were made defending our business practices could be time consuming and expensive, and an adverse finding could result in substantial penalties or require us to restructure our operations, which we may not be able to do successfully.

Our use and disclosure of patient information is subject to privacy and security regulations, which may result in increased costs.

In conducting research or providing administrative services to healthcare providers in connection with the use of our PEER Reports we may collect, use, maintain and transmit patient information in ways that will be subject to many of the numerous state, federal and international laws and regulations governing the collection, dissemination, use and confidentiality of patient-identifiable health information, including the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and related rules. The three rules that were promulgated pursuant to HIPAA that could most significantly affect our business are the Standards for Electronic Transactions, or Transactions Rule; the Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information, or Privacy Rule; and the Health Insurance Reform: Security Standards, or Security Rule. HIPAA applies to covered entities, which include most healthcare facilities and health plans that may contract for the use of our services. The HIPAA rules require covered entities to bind contractors like us to compliance with certain burdensome HIPAA rule requirements.

The HIPAA Transactions Rule establishes format and data content standards for eight of the most common healthcare transactions. If we perform billing and collection services on behalf of psychiatrists and other physicians, we may be engaging in one or more of these standard transactions and will be required to conduct those transactions in compliance with the required standards. The HIPAA Privacy Rule restricts the use and disclosure of patient information, requires entities to safeguard that information and to provide certain rights to individuals with respect to that information. The HIPAA Security Rule establishes elaborate requirements for safeguarding patient information transmitted or stored electronically. We may be required to make costly system purchases and modifications to comply with the HIPAA rule requirements that are imposed on us and our failure to comply may result in liability and adversely affect our business.

Numerous other federal and state laws protect the confidentiality of personal and patient information. These laws in many cases are not preempted by the HIPAA rules and may be subject to varying interpretations by courts and government agencies, creating complex compliance issues for us and the psychiatrists and other physicians who purchase our services, and potentially exposing us to additional expense, adverse publicity and liability.

Risks Relating To An Investment In Our Common Stock

We currently have a limited trading volume, which results in higher price volatility for, and reduced liquidity of, our common stock.

Our shares of common stock are currently quoted on the OTCQB under the symbol “MYAN” (formerly “CNSO”). There is currently no broadly followed, established trading market for our common stock and an established trading market for our shares of common stock may never develop or be maintained. Active trading markets generally result in lower price volatility and more efficient execution of buy and sell orders. The absence of an active trading market increases price volatility and reduces the liquidity of our common stock. As long as this condition continues, the sale of a significant number of shares of common stock at any particular time could be difficult to achieve at the market prices prevailing immediately before such shares are offered. Also, as a result of this lack of trading activity, the quoted price for our common stock on the OTCQB is not necessarily a reliable indicator of its fair market value.

Furthermore, if we cease to be quoted on the OTCQB, holders would find it more difficult to dispose of, or to obtain accurate quotations as to the market value of, our common stock, and the market value of our common stock would likely decline.

If and when a larger trading market for our common stock develops, the market price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile and subject to wide fluctuations, and you may be unable to resell your shares at or above the price at which you acquired them.

The market price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to a number of factors that are beyond our control, including, but not limited to:

In the past, stockholders have often instituted securities class action litigation after periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities. If a stockholder were to file any such class action suit against us, we would incur substantial legal fees and our management’s attention and resources would be diverted from operating our business to respond to the litigation, which could harm our business.

Recent and future sales of securities by us in equity or debt financings could result in substantial dilution to our existing stockholders and have a material adverse effect on our earnings.

Recent and future sales of common stock or derivative securities by us in private placements or public offerings could result in substantial dilution to our existing stockholders. For example, the conversion of our $6 million in secured convertible debt at $5.00 per share, plus the interest thereon, which we privately placed between September 2014 and August 2016, resulted in the issuance of 1,263,406 additional shares. In addition, our business strategy may include expansion through internal growth, by acquiring complementary businesses, by acquiring or licensing additional products and services, or by establishing strategic relationships with targeted customers and suppliers. In order to do so, or to finance the cost of our other activities, we may issue additional equity securities that could dilute our stockholders’ stock ownership. We may also assume additional debt and incur impairment losses related to goodwill and other tangible assets if we acquire another company and this could negatively impact our earnings and results of operations.

The sale of our Common Stock to Aspire Capital may cause substantial dilution to our existing stockholders and the sale of the shares of Common Stock acquired by Aspire Capital could cause the price of our Common Stock to decline.

Under the Purchase Agreement, we are obligated to register for sale the Commitment Shares that we have issued and additional shares that we may sell to Aspire Capital under the Purchase Agreement. It is anticipated that the shares thereby registered will be sold over a period of up to approximately thirty months from the date of the related prospectus. The number of shares ultimately offered for sale by Aspire Capital under such prospectus will be dependent upon the number of shares we elect to sell to Aspire Capital under the Purchase Agreement. Depending on a variety of factors, including market liquidity of our Common Stock, the sale of shares under the Purchase Agreement may cause the trading price of our Common Stock to decline.

Aspire Capital may ultimately purchase all, some or none of the $10 million of Common Stock that, together with the Commitment Shares, we are required to register. Aspire Capital may sell all, some or none of our shares that it holds or comes to hold under the Purchase Agreement. Sales by Aspire Capital of shares acquired pursuant to the Purchase Agreement under an effective registration statement, may result in dilution to the interests of other holders of our Common Stock. The sale of a substantial number of shares of our Common Stock by Aspire Capital, or anticipation of such sales, could cause the trading price of our Common Stock to decline or make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and at a price that we might otherwise desire. However, we have the right under the Purchase Agreement to control the timing and amount of sales of our shares to Aspire Capital, and the Purchase Agreement may be terminated by us at any time at our discretion without any penalty or cost to us.

Were our common stock to be considered penny stock, and therefore become subject to the penny stock rules, U.S. broker-dealers may be discouraged from effecting transactions in shares of our common stock.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has adopted a number of rules to regulate “penny stock” that may restrict transactions involving shares of our common stock. Such rules include Rules 3a51-1, 15g-1, 15g-2, 15g-3, 15g-4, 15g-5, 15g-6, 15g-7, and 15g-9 under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These rules may have the effect of reducing the liquidity of penny stocks. “Penny stocks” generally are equity securities with a price of less than $5.00 per share (other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or quoted on the NASDAQ Stock Market if current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system). Our securities have in the past constituted “penny stock” within the meaning of the rules. Were our common stock to again be considered penny stock, and therefore become subject to the penny stock rules, the additional sales practice and disclosure requirements imposed upon U.S. broker-dealers may discourage such broker-dealers from effecting transactions in shares of our common stock, which could severely limit the market liquidity of such shares and impede their sale in the secondary market.

A U.S. broker-dealer selling penny stock to anyone other than an established customer or “accredited investor” (generally, an individual with net worth in excess of $1,000,000 or an annual income exceeding $200,000, or $300,000 together with his or her spouse) must make a special suitability determination for the purchaser and must receive the purchaser’s written consent to the transaction prior to sale, unless the broker-dealer or the transaction is otherwise exempt. In addition, the penny stock regulations require the U.S. broker-dealer to deliver, prior to any transaction involving a penny stock, a disclosure schedule prepared in accordance with SEC standards relating to the penny stock market, unless the broker-dealer or the transaction is otherwise exempt. A U.S. broker-dealer is also required to disclose commissions payable to the U.S. broker-dealer and the registered representative and current quotations for the securities. Finally, a U.S. broker-dealer is required to submit monthly statements disclosing recent price information with respect to the penny stock held in a customer’s account and information with respect to the limited market in penny stocks.

Stockholders should be aware that, according to SEC, the market for penny stocks has suffered in recent years from patterns of fraud and abuse. Such patterns include (i) control of the market for the security by one or a few broker-dealers that are often related to the promoter or issuer; (ii) manipulation of prices through prearranged matching of purchases and sales and false and misleading press releases; (iii) “boiler room” practices involving high-pressure sales tactics and unrealistic price projections by inexperienced sales persons; (iv) excessive and undisclosed bid-ask differentials and markups by selling broker-dealers; and (v) the wholesale dumping of the same securities by promoters and broker-dealers after prices have been manipulated to a desired level, resulting in investor losses. Our management is aware of the abuses that have occurred historically in the penny stock market. Although we do not expect to be in a position to dictate the behavior of the market or of broker-dealers who participate in the market, management will strive within the confines of practical limitations to prevent the described patterns from being established with respect to our securities in the event our common stock were to again be considered a penny stock and therefore become subject to penny stock rules.

We have not paid dividends in the past and do not expect to pay dividends for the foreseeable future, and any return on investment may be limited to potential future appreciation on the value of our common stock.

We currently intend to retain any future earnings to support the development and expansion of our business and do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Our payment of any future dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors after taking into account various factors, including without limitation, our financial condition, operating results, cash needs, growth plans and the terms of any credit agreements that we may be a party to at the time. To the extent we do not pay dividends, our stock may be less valuable because a return on investment will only occur if and to the extent our stock price appreciates, which may never occur. In addition, investors must rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation as the only way to realize their investment, and if the price of our stock does not appreciate, then there will be no return on investment. Investors seeking cash dividends should not purchase our common stock.

Our officers, directors and principal stockholders can exert significant influence over us and may make decisions that are not in the best interests of all stockholders.

Our officers, directors and principal stockholders (greater than 5% stockholders) collectively control approximately 64% of our issued and outstanding common stock and 59% on a fully diluted basis. As a result, these stockholders are able to affect the outcome of, or exert significant influence over, all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election and removal of directors and any change in control. This concentration of ownership of our common stock could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us or otherwise discouraging or preventing a potential acquirer from attempting to obtain control of us. This, in turn, could have a negative effect on the market price of our common stock. It could also prevent our stockholders from realizing a premium over the market prices for their shares of common stock. Moreover, the interests of this concentration of ownership may not always coincide with our interests or the interests of other stockholders, and accordingly, they could cause us to enter into transactions or agreements that we would not otherwise consider.

Transactions involving our common stock engaged in by our largest stockholders, directors or executive officers may have an adverse effect on the price of our stock.

Our officers, directors and principal stockholders (greater than 5% stockholders) collectively control approximately 64 % of our issued and outstanding common stock and 59% on a fully diluted basis. Subsequent sales of our shares by these stockholders could have the effect of lowering our stock price. In connection with our offering and sale of convertible notes which, upon conversion, resulted in the issuance of 1,263,406 additional shares of common stock, we agreed to file a registration statement under certain circumstances covering the resale of shares of common stock. The perceived risk associated with the possible sale of a large number of shares by these stockholders, or the adoption of significant short positions by hedge funds or other significant investors, could cause some of our stockholders to sell their stock, thus causing the price of our stock to decline. In addition, actual or anticipated downward pressure on our stock price due to actual or anticipated sales of stock by our directors or officers could cause other institutions or individuals to engage in short sales of our common stock, which may further cause the price of our stock to decline.

From time to time our directors and executive officers may sell shares of our common stock on the open market. These sales will be publicly disclosed in filings made with the SEC. In the future, our directors and executive officers may sell a significant number of shares for a variety of reasons unrelated to the performance of our business. Our stockholders may perceive these sales as a reflection on management’s view of the business and result in some stockholders selling their shares of our common stock. These sales could cause the price of our stock to drop.

Anti-takeover provisions may limit the ability of another party to acquire us, which could cause our stock price to decline.

Delaware law contains provisions that could discourage, delay or prevent a third party from acquiring us, even if doing so may be beneficial to our stockholders, which could cause our stock price to decline. In addition, these provisions could limit the price investors would be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock.

Non-U.S. investors may have difficulty effecting service of process against us or enforcing judgments against us in courts of non-U.S. jurisdictions.

We are a company incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. All of our directors and officers reside in the United States. It may not be possible for non-U.S. investors to effect service of process within their own jurisdictions upon our company and our directors and officers. In addition, it may not be possible for non-U.S. investors to collect from our company, its directors and officers, judgments obtained in courts in such non-U.S. jurisdictions predicated on non-U.S. legislation.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about us, our business or our market, or if they change their recommendations regarding our stock adversely, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, our market or our competitors. If any of the analysts who may cover us change their recommendation regarding our stock adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, our stock price would likely decline. If any analyst who may cover us were to cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.