As
Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 28, 2021
Registration
No. 333-250868
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Post-Effective
Amendment No. 1
to
Form
F-1
REGISTRATION
STATEMENT
UNDER
THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
(Exact
Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Not
Applicable
(Translation
of Registrant’s Name into English)
British
Columbia
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7374
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Not
Applicable
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(State
or other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation
or Organization)
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(Primary
Standard Industrial
Classification
Code Number)
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(I.R.S.
Employer
Identification
Number)
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1558
West Hastings Street
Vancouver
BC V6G 3J4 Canada
(604)
639-4457
(Address,
including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Matthew
Pierce
Versus
Systems Inc.
6701
Center Drive West, Suite 480
Los
Angeles, CA 90445
(310)
242-0228
(Name,
address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies
of all communications, including communications sent to agent for service, should be sent to:
M.
Ali Panjwani, Esq.
Eric
M. Hellige, Esq
Pryor
Cashman LLP
7
Times Square
New
York, NY 10036
Tel:
(212) 421-4100
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Approximate
date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.
If
any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under
the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ☒
If
this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the
following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the
same offering. ☐
If
this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list
the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If
this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list
the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.
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Emerging
growth company ☒
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If
an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the
registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards†
provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act ☐
The
registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until
the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become
effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective
on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
Explanatory
Note
Versus
Systems Inc., a corporation incorporated under the laws of British Columbia (the “Company” or the “Registrant”)
filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on Form F-1 (Registration number
333-253450) which was declared effective by the SEC on January 14, 2021 (the “Form F-1”).
This Post-Effective Amendment
No. 1 is being filed by the Registrant (i) to include in the Form F-1 the Registrant’s audited financial statements for the year
ended December 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on May 5, 2021 and the Registrant’s unaudited financial statements for the three month
period ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 filed with the SEC on May 19, 2021 and (ii) to include certain other information in the Form F-1.
This Post-Effective Amendment contains an updated prospectus relating to the offer and sale of the Registrant’s common shares issuable
upon exercise of outstanding warrants.
All
filing fees payable in connection with the registration of the securities registered by the Form F-1 were paid by the Registrant
at the time of the initial filing of the Form F-1 or subsequent pre-effective amendments thereto.
The
information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is
not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state or other jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
PRELIMINARY
PROSPECTUS
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SUBJECT
TO COMPLETION
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DATED
MAY 28, 2021
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3,353,349 Shares
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
We are offering 3,353,349 of our common shares, no par value (“common
shares”), of which (i) 1,495,341 shares are issuable upon the exercise of our outstanding Unit A Warrants (each a “Unit A
Warrant”) at an exercise price per common share of US$7.50, (ii) 1,474,008 shares are issuable upon the exercise of our outstanding
Unit B Warrants (each a “Unit B Warrant”) at an exercise price per common share of US$7.50, and (iii) 384,000 shares are issuable
upon the exercise of our outstanding warrants issued to Lake Street Capital Markets, LLC (each a “Lake Street Warrant” and,
together with the Unit A Warrants and the Unit B Warrants, the “Warrants”) at an exercise price per common share of US$7.50.
The Warrants were offered and sold by us pursuant to a prospectus dated January 14, 2021 as part of a public offering of our Units consisting
of our common shares, Unit A Warrants and Unit B Warrants. No securities are being offered pursuant to this prospectus other than the
common shares that will be issued upon the exercise of the Warrants.
In order to obtain the common
shares offered hereby, holders of Warrants must pay the applicable exercise price. The Warrants were exercisable upon issuance, and will
expire, in the case of the Unit A Warrants and the Lake Street Warrants, on January 20, 2026 and, in the case of the Unit B Warrants and
the Lake Street Warrants, on January 20, 2022.
Our common shares are presently
quoted on The Nasdaq Capital Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “VS”. On May 27, 2021, the last reported sale price for our
common shares on Nasdaq was US$6.98.
We
are an “emerging growth company” as that term is used in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 and a “foreign
private issuer” under applicable Securities and Exchange Commission rules and, as such, we have elected to comply with certain
reduced public company reporting requirements for this prospectus and future filings. See “Prospectus Summary – Implications
of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Foreign Private Issuer.”
Investing
in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 9 of this prospectus
for a discussion of information that should be considered in connection with an investment in our securities.
Neither
the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or
determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The
date of this prospectus is , 2021.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
ABOUT
THIS PROSPECTUS
The
registration statement as of which this prospectus forms a part that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
or SEC, includes exhibits that provide more detail of the matters discussed in this prospectus.
You
should read this prospectus and the related exhibits filed with the SEC, together with the additional information described under
the heading “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”
You
should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information
different from, or in addition to, that contained in this prospectus. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the securities
offered hereby but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this
prospectus is current only as of its date. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed
since that date.
We
are not offering to sell or seeking offers to purchase these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
We have not done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction
where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. Persons outside the jurisdiction of the United States
who come into possession of this prospectus are required to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to
this Offering and the distribution of this prospectus applicable to that jurisdiction.
Unless
the context otherwise requires, the terms “ our company,” “Company, ” “we,”
“us” and “our” refer to Versus Systems Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.
All
service marks, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners. Solely for
convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this prospectus are referred to without the ®, ©
and ™ symbols, but such references should not be construed as any indicator that their respective owners will not assert,
to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto.
We
publish our consolidated financial statements in Canadian dollars. In this prospectus, unless otherwise specified, all references
to “$” and “C$” mean Canadian dollars and all references to “US$,” “USD” and “dollars”
mean United States dollars.
This
prospectus includes our audited annual consolidated financial statements, or the “Financial Statements.” Our audited
consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 were prepared in accordance with International
Financial Reporting Standards, or IFRS, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, or IASB, the independent, private-sector
body that develops and approves IFRS, and Interpretations issued by the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee,
or IFRIC. None of the financial statements were prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United
States.
Unless
indicated otherwise, our financial information in this prospectus has been prepared on a basis consistent with IFRS as issued
by the International Accounting Standards Board. In making an investment decision, investors must rely on their own examination
of our results and consult with their own professional advisors.
The
share and per share information in this prospectus reflects the one-for-16 reverse stock split of our outstanding common shares
that became effective on December 15, 2020.
Unless
otherwise indicated, information contained in this prospectus concerning our industry and the markets in which we operate is based
on information from independent industry and research organizations, other third-party sources (including industry publications,
surveys and forecasts), and management estimates. Management estimates are derived from publicly available information released
by independent industry analysts and third-party sources, as well as data from our internal research, and are based on assumptions
made by us upon reviewing such data and our knowledge of such industry and markets, which we believe to be reasonable. Although
we believe the data from these third-party sources is reliable, we have not independently verified any third-party information.
In addition, projections, assumptions and estimates of the future performance of the industry in which we operate and our future
performance are necessarily subject to uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in “Risk
Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” These and other factors could cause results
to differ materially from those expressed in the estimates made by the independent parties and by us.
PROSPECTUS
SUMMARY
This
summary highlights principal features of this offering and certain information contained elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary
does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in our securities. You should read this entire prospectus
carefully, including the information presented under “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing
elsewhere in this prospectus, before making an investment decision.
OUR
BUSINESS
Overview
We
offer a proprietary business-to-business software platform that allows video game publishers and developers, as well as other
interactive media content creators, to offer in-game prizing and rewards based on the completion of in-content challenges. The
prizes or rewards offered are specific to each player or viewer based on a variety of user- and content-based characteristics,
including age, location, game played and challenge undertaken. Our platform facilitates several types of single player prize challenges
that includes a wide range of prize types, including coupons, sweepstakes-style prizes, consumer packaged goods (“CPG”)
and downloadable content (“DLC”).
We
believe our platform is mutually-beneficial across three target groups. By providing in-content prizes or rewards, content providers
gain increased and longer interaction by users or viewers with the media experience they offer. Consumer brands offering in-content
prizes or rewards see a prolonged and increased interest from players and consumers who view their goods as a positive “win”
within their viewing experience rather than as a distraction from the content they are watching as is typically the case with
traditional in-content advertising. Players and consumers who are offered prizes or rewards have an increased desire to interact
with such content, which increases the value of the content as a supplier of prizing opportunities, of the brands that offer the
prizes, and of the experience itself as an interactive and desirable challenge.
We
market our platform and its benefits to two industry segments: the owners or developers of consumer brands and their marketing
and advertising professionals and for media content creators, owners and platforms. To the owners or marketers of consumer brands,
we sell the opportunity to place their products as prizes or rewards in selected on-line games, media or content and we share
a certain percentage of the gross receipts we receive from such customers with the owners of the media in which the prizes or
rewards are offered. Our current agreements with the owners or marketers of consumer brands provide that we are paid a fee to
place their ads in content, the amount of which is based either on the number of ads placed or upon the performance of those ads
relative to the brand’s goals.
To
content creators, owners and platforms, which currently include primarily video game developers and computer hardware manufacturers,
we sell the opportunity to include our proprietary platform in their content or hardware and to use such platform as a basis for
selling advertising to popular consumer brands. We also sell any engineering and consulting services to support the integration
of our platform, including any custom development efforts that might be required. To date, our revenues have principally come
from these customization and integration services. Our current agreements with content or game owners, including HP, Kast and
Animoca Brands, provide that from 50% to 60% of advertising revenue will be kept by, or shared with, the publisher or developer,
with the remaining 50% to 40% of gross receipts belonging to us. HP, our largest customer during the years ended December 31,
2020, 2019, and 2018 installs our platform in its OMEN and Pavilion brands of personal computers that are manufactured primarily
for gamers and general use as a means of increasing usage and desirability of those computers by consumers.
Our
platform allows consumers to become active advertising participants by seeking to claim the brand’s prizes or rewards as
victories won through interactions with a variety of media experiences. Users are no longer “just” winning a game
or streaming their favorite film. These interactions now bestow bragging rights on the consumers that extend past the media’s
original purpose, resulting in winning real world goods and gaining access to experiences.
According
to a 2018 study by the University of California, Los Angeles Center for Management of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment and Sports,
the introduction of rewards benefits content providers, brands and players in the following perspectives, leading to:
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97%
higher satisfaction while interacting with a virtual entertainment experience (i.e.,
video games);
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10%
increase in audience - 10% of players are new players, downloading the game for the first
time because of prizes; and
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4+
hours of additional engagement per week.
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Our
technology facilitates advertising as a narrative, not as a distraction. By creating an environment that makes brands part of
a desired experience - winning prizes or rewards - we empower content providers and brands to engage consumers more effectively
and for more extended periods of time.
Our
Strengths
While
we believe our overall value is generated from our ability to directly increase player and viewer engagement, we see the following
as our core strengths:
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Choice
and Earned-Rewards is a Better Model for Players. While we sell our ad units
to agencies, brands and companies that seek to reach media players and viewers, our primary
goal will always be to make games and media experiences more fun. Our objective is to
build ad units that do not increase viewer/player churn, but in fact increase player
engagement. We believe our focus on how the player views the experience - offering them
choice and an opportunity to both earn the reward and achieve the gratification of a
successful win - will be the key differentiator in the in-game and in-app advertising
market. While other competitors in the advertising industry may have more reach at the
moment, we believe the increasing numbers of players who want the superior experience
of rewards rather than banner ads, commercials and un-skippable videos will ultimately
win out.
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Our
Team is Diverse, Accomplished and Effective. We have brought together experts
in the game industry, software development, advertising, product design and development,
and corporate finance. Our Executive Chair, Keyvan Peymani, was the Head of Startup Marketing
for Amazon Web Services, and our advisory board includes the former Vice President of
Revenue for Activision Blizzard, the Chief Executive Officer of Radley Media, and a number
of veterans of the global gaming industry. Our designers and engineers have built hundreds
of successful products from games and apps, including the NFL.com fantasy football platform.
We are curious, creative, community-oriented problem solvers who have come together to
make a world-class software solution. As a result, we have won multiple awards as one
of the best places to work in Los Angeles, and one of the best places to work anywhere
for millennial women. We are extremely proud of our team and our culture. We believe
it allows us to hire, retain, promote and develop the very best talent.
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Our
Technology is Robust, Scalable and Flexible. We have architected a platform that
will allow any content publisher to integrate real-world prizes into their system, and
allow any brand or agency to place their products, discounts, codes and coupons into
an earned-rewards framework. We have software development kits that are compatible with
millions of games, and apps, as well as ways to work with iOS and Android devices, PCs,
consoles, Apple TVs, and other peripherals. The back end of our platform is built in
Elixir by some of the world-experts in that language. The Elixir back end allows the
type of massively scalable system that will be required for AAA games and app partners
with millions of users. The strengths of the code base are its ability to manage huge
numbers of concurrent users with localized failure - such that if there is an issue with
a single player’s match it does not affect larger portions of the system. We can
add new features, new games, entire new verticals easily. We can also adapt to changing
regulatory environments around prizing, sweepstakes, privacy and other issues by managing
our geofencing for where any given prize is offered. Our Dynamic Regulatory Compliance
system is the direct result of years of thoughtful system architecture and development
- an achievement that we believe sets us apart from competitors.
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Our
IP portfolio is Strong and Growing. We have been issued two key patents from
the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) with dozens of granted claims around how
to offer players prizes in-game at scale. We have been awarded claims covering how to
maintain and promote competitive balance in multiplayer games, how to use multi-factor
tests to serve up only relevant prizing on a per-player basis, how to use a player’s
location, game, and age to determine eligibility for certain kinds of prizes in certain
kinds of single player games, competitive games, tournaments, synchronous and asynchronous
matches. We have several other patent filings in various stages at the USPTO and we are
working with our technology and legal teams to develop new and defensible IP in this
space. We want to be the only real solution for global in-game and in-app rewards.
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The
Support of Our Partners Helps US Grow. Our rewards platform is currently deployed
in all HP OMEN and HP Pavilion Gaming laptops and desktop computers in the U.S., and
we launched our platform in China with HP in August 2020. Our multi-year agreement with
HP is to bring rewards to all their players worldwide as a way to differentiate HP hardware
and to engage with a massive global audience. Beyond HP, we are also partnered with Animoca
Brands, a developer of games that have been downloaded hundreds of millions of times.
We have also partnered with Ludare, a licensed mobile game developer that makes licensed
games for titles in the Men in Black series. Beyond gaming, we are working with
Kast, a video sharing application with millions of viewers, and are developing partnerships
in the fitness/health and wellness industries. As we grow our user base, we believe we
will become more desirable for brand and advertising partners and we expect to increase
our transactional revenues exponentially while staying on a capital-efficient low-cost
trajectory.
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Our
Growth Strategy
While
other forms of advertising technology focus mostly upon increasing monetization only for the advertiser, we believe we change
the universe of beneficiaries significantly. Our approach creates simultaneous wins for content providers, brands and consumers.
We believe today’s audiences not only seek engagement, but are also consummate purveyors of media, with no shortage of content
choice. We recognize that keeping engagement high is the key to changing the negative association of traditional media advertising.
By creating a prizing opportunity, brand introductions mean a chance to win rather than switching to another tab, source or device
while waiting for selected content to return.
Our
growth strategy can be summarized into three areas: grow the audience, grow the prize provider pool, and then constantly iterate
and improve.
The
key elements of our long-term growth strategy include:
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Increase
Applications and Verticals. To grow our user base, we will seek to increase the
number of games, applications and content providers that have integrated our platform
across an increasing number of industries. Part of that process will involve making our
platform easier to integrate into the wide variety of media, which we are doing, but
the rest is putting our value proposition in front of a larger group of game and app
developers. Integrating into new categories and industries allows us a greater pool of
potential applications with which to integrate, and therefore a greater pool of potential
users. We intend to focus on gaming, streaming media, and health & wellness applications,
but may seek to expand to other verticals as opportunities arise. We believe this will
significantly grow our user base.
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Integrate
into More Devices and Software Languages. Our platform is currently available
in applications running on laptops and desktops, as well as in mobile devices powered
by iOS and Android operating systems through a series of software development kits (SDKs)
which we have created. We strive to make our rewards platform available to, and compatible
with, all kinds of devices. The current engineering roadmap includes additional support
for the tens of millions of console gaming systems like the new Xbox and PlayStation
consoles. We are also developing features for a number of wearable devices that are in
the marketplace, which we believe will increase our user base in the health & wellness
vertical.
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Develop
a Global Reach. The United States is one of the world’s largest gaming
markets, with nearly $37 billion in annual revenue according to a Newzoo 2020 Global
Games Report. We intend to deepen our penetration of the U.S. market. However, we believe
there is significant opportunity for expansion of our offerings into the rest of the
world, starting with Asia and Europe. In August 2020, our platform became available for
the first time in China, and we plan to expand in Asia and move into Europe in 2021.
Because our platform is built to optimize value for a player based on his or her location,
we believe we are uniquely positioned to offer location-specific rewards and prizes for
players all over the world. As we move into new geographies, we believe we will gain
new players and new brands and prize providers that can offer real, local value.
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Add
More Prizing Partners. Increasing the number of prize providers - the largest
growth area for our company - and the one that will be the most lucrative - is at the
center of our growth strategy. We have built out a sales team and we are adding both
salespeople and sales assets to pursue both agencies and individual vendors who may want
to use our platform to promote their businesses. At the same time, we are also working
to make our tools easier for prizing partners to use - including building functionality
for businesses that use e-commerce platforms such as the Shopify platform, and for others
who want to self-direct their prizing campaigns.
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Constantly
Improve Outcomes. We are dedicated to improving the quality of the outcomes for
our partners. We have developed a number of tools to evaluate the efficacy of each advertising
campaign, and part of our value to our brand partners is providing them with anonymized
but actionable information on each of their campaigns on our platform. Our analytics
are focused on response rates, transaction rates, customer acquisition cost, and many
other aspects of the step-by-step funnel from activation to registration, all the way
through to lifetime customer value. We continually review outcomes and if there is a
way to improve the transaction rate - to get winners, players or viewers to engage with
our brand partners while retaining our core goal of making the media more fun - then
we will make the necessary changes to improve those outcomes. This core tenet of our
approach requires dedication to research, player and user outreach, surveys, and constant
design improvements. We believe this strategy will produce yields in loyalty, affinity
and Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) for our partners, which will drive future growth.
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Grow
Revenues and Market Share. We are always looking for opportunities to grow through
selective acquisitions and while much of our current roadmap is devoted to organic growth,
we are also aware of a number of potential partnerships through which we may gain market
share through inorganic growth via selective acquisition. Performance marketing is a
growing field, as is interactive media advertising, and there may be opportunities to
grow our sales team, our service offerings or our reach through acquisition.
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Our
Services
In
addition to licensing our prizing and rewards platform, we provide the following services to our partners and customers:
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Design,
Development, and Platform Integration Services. Our patented platform can be
integrated into games and interactive media through a number of Software Development
Kits (SDKs), including SDKs for iOS, Android, Unity, C++ and others. We also work with
partners such as HP to develop bespoke instances of our rewards platform, as we did with
their OMEN Rewards system available inside OMEN Command Center in every HP OMEN and Pavilion
gaming desktop and laptop. We also offer professional design, development and platform
integration services to content partners who seek a more bespoke solution.
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White-Label
Rewards Platforms. Our technology can be easily integrated into mobile apps to
track any behavior that a content, publishing, or health and fitness program partner
may want to incentivize. We can also white label and/or license technologies like our
stand-alone mobile app to enable partners to create an entire rewards ecosystem where
activities in one application earn rewards or discounts from another part of the same
company. For example, we can assist a partner in creating a mobile app that would allow
a consumer to earn movie tickets to a comic book movie for purchasing or reading the
online comic, or a consumer to earn discounts on in-stadium concessions or on team apparel
for playing a sports trivia game or for watching games live on his or her mobile device.
We work with content partners to create entire in-house rewards programs for their users
that promote cross-sales within a company, or new channels for the sale of licensed goods,
or new opportunities for event or brand sponsors. Our systems and applications can be
white labeled and sold as a rewards platform for those partners looking to increase engagement
and stickiness with their customers.
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Advertising
services. In connection with the placement or licensing of our platform, we market
our services to brand partners to place their products, discounts or coupons into Versus-enabled
content so that users, viewers and players can earn those rewards for their in-game or
in-app behavior. When providing those services, we typically charge the brand only when
a player attempts to win one of the brand’s proffered prizes. However, in certain
cases may also charge on a cost-per-click (CPC), cost-per-engagement (CPE) or a cost
per acquisition (CPA) model.
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Corporate
History and Structure
Versus
Systems Inc., a corporation formed under the laws of British Columbia, was formed by way of an amalgamation under the name McAdam
Resources, Inc. in the Province of Ontario on December 1, 1988 and subsequently extra-provincially registered in British Columbia
on February 2, 1989. We changed our name to Boulder Mining Corporation on May 9, 1995 in Ontario and on September 25, 1996 in
British Columbia. We continued into British Columbia on January 2, 2007 and concurrently changed our name to Opal Energy Corp.
We changed our name to Versus Systems Inc. on June 30, 2016, and concurrently ceased or divested our mining related business and
began operating our current software platform business. We operate through our majority-owned subsidiary, Versus LLC, a Nevada
limited liability company that was organized on August 21, 2013. Our principal executive offices in Canada are located at 1558
Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6G 3J4 Canada, and our telephone number is (604) 639-4457. Our principal executive
offices in the United States are located at 6701 Center Drive West, Suite 480, Los Angeles, CA 90045, and our telephone number
at that address is (424) 226-8588. Our website address is www.versussystems.com. The information on or accessed through
our website is not incorporated in this prospectus. The SEC maintains an Internet site (www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy
and information statements, and other information regarding issues that file electronically with the SEC.
Over
2018, 2019, and 2020, we principally developed and operated a business-to-business software platform that allows video game publishers
and developers, as well as other interactive media content creators, to offer in-game prizing and rewards based on the completion
of in-content challenges. We spent approximately $5.2M during those years to develop the system, and $15.8M to operate it along,
including the general company operations. We are continuing to develop and operate this system and have similar-to-previous-years
expenditures in progress. We operate principally in the United States of America where we develop and operate our software platform.
We operate our corporate finance and treasury functions in Canada. We maintain these operations through the issuance of securities
to raise capital.
The
following chart reflects our organizational structure (including the jurisdiction of formation or incorporation of the various
entities):
Name of Subsidiary
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Country of Incorporation
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Proportion of Ownership Interest
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Versus Systems (Holdco), Inc.
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United States of America
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66.8
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%
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Versus Systems UK, Ltd
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United Kingdom
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66.8
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%
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Versus, LLC
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United States of America
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66.8
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%
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Risks
Associated with Our Business
Our
ability to execute our business strategy is subject to numerous risks, as more fully described in the section captioned “Risk
Factors” immediately following this prospectus summary. You should read these risks before you invest in our common shares
and warrants. In particular, risks associated with our business include, but are not limited to, the following:
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We
have a relatively limited operating history and limited revenues to date and thus are subject to risks of business development and you
have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
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We
are a holding company and depend upon our subsidiaries for our cash flows.
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Future
acquisitions or strategic investments could disrupt our business and harm our business, results of operations or financial condition.
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We
may require additional funding for our growth plans, and such funding may result in a dilution of your investment.
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We
may not have sufficient capital to fund our ongoing operations, effectively pursue our strategy or sustain our growth initiatives.
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Changes
in our relationships with our most significant customer, HP, including the loss or reduction in business from HP, could have an adverse
impact on us.
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Our
operations are significantly dependent on changes in public and customer tastes and discretionary spending patterns. Our inability to
successfully anticipate customer preferences or to gain popularity for games may negatively impact our profitability.
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If
we fail to keep up with industry trends or technological developments, our business, results of operations and financial condition may
be materially and adversely affected.
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If
we cannot continue to develop, acquire, market and offer new products and services or enhancements to existing products and services
that meet customer requirements, our operating results could suffer.
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We
make significant investments in new products and services that may not achieve expected returns.
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If
we fail to retain existing users or add new users, our results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely
affected
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Our
insurance coverage may not adequately protect us against all future risks, which may adversely affect our business and prospects.
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Changes
in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, investments and results
of operations.
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Our
executive officers, directors, security holders and their respective affiliates may have competitive pecuniary interests that conflict
with our interests.
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Public
health epidemics or outbreaks, such as COVID-19, could materially and adversely impact our business.
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Our
business may be harmed if our licensing partners, or other third parties with whom we do business, act in ways that put our brand at
risk.
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If
we fail to keep our existing users highly engaged, to acquire new users, to successfully implement an award-prizes model for our user
community, our business, profitability and prospects may be adversely affected.
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Our
failure to protect our intellectual property rights may undermine our competitive position.
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Our
business is highly dependent on the proper functioning and improvement of our information technology systems and infrastructure. Our
business and operating results may be harmed by service disruptions, or by our failure to timely and effectively scale up and adjust
our existing technology and infrastructure.
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Reverse
Stock Split
On
December 8, 2020, our board of directors approved a one-for-16 reverse stock split of our common shares. Pursuant to applicable
rules of the CSE, the reverse share split became effective on December 15, 2020. The conversion or exercise prices of our issued
and outstanding convertible securities, stock options and warrants were adjusted accordingly. All share and per share amounts
and the corresponding conversion price or exercise price data presented in this prospectus gives effect to such reverse stock
split of our outstanding common shares.
Recent
Developments
On May 11, 2021, we entered into an Agreement
and Plan of Merger dated May 11, 2021 (the “Xcite Purchase Agreement”) among our company, Wonkavision Merger Sub, Inc., a
wholly-owned subsidiary of our company, Xcite Interactive, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Xcite”) and the stockholders’
agent named therein, to acquire all of the capital stock of Xcite. Pursuant to the Xcite Purchase Agreement, we will acquire 100%
of the capital stock of Xcite for a purchase price equal to USD $19 million less the amount of Xcite liabilities outstanding at the closing
and the amount of Xcite’s negative working capital, as described in the Xcite Purchase Agreement, which purchase price will be payable
in up to 2,011,163 of our common shares, which shares will be valued for such purpose at US$7.9109 per share. In addition, we will
issue an aggregate of approximately 284,418 additional common shares as retention bonuses to certain Xcite employees, which shares will
also be valued at US$7.9109 per share. Our proposed acquisition of Xcite is subject to certain customary closing conditions.
We believe Xcite is an industry leader in
interactive audience engagement for live events. Xcite has worked with over 150 professional teams across the NFL, NBA, NHL and
MLB, as well as the World Cup, Formula1 and other live events worldwide. Xcite's XEO platform
allows teams, leagues and broadcasters to include multiple types of interactivity and gaming in their broadcasts, apps, and second-screen
experiences, which include trivia, polling, predictive gaming and casual mobile games. Xcite has ongoing relationships with
dozens of teams and content partners that will be able to access our patented rewards platform inside their apps, streams, and broadcasts
once the merger is consummated.
We believe the acquisition of Xcite will benefit our company in multiple
ways. Xcite has existing partners that are in-market using its platform, which we believe will help us build our user base and our revenues.
In addition, we believe Xcite’s XEO platform will be an excellent fit for our rewards system. With the combined product, audiences
will be able to watch their favorite teams, games, broadcasts, streams, and live events and win real-world rewards as they watch and interact
with those events. The combined offering also may open up new partnerships and revenue opportunities that were previously unavailable
to either company alone. We expect to work with the Xcite development team to develop new intellectual property for interactive media,
grow the user bases of both companies, and offer a new combined platform that takes advantage of XEO's reach and engagement tools and
enhances them with our advertising and prizing systems.
Implications
of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Foreign Private Issuer
We
are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and we may
take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are
not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor internal controls attestation
requirements of Section 404, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy
statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder
approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our shareholders may not have access to certain
information they may deem important. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could
cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our common shares held by non-affiliates exceeds US$700
million as of any November 30 before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following
May 31. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions.
If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our
securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading
prices of our securities may be more volatile.
Further,
Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial
accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared
effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act are required to comply with the new or revised
financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and
comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. We have
elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different
application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at
the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another
public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended
transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Under
the Nasdaq Listing Rules, as a foreign private issuer, we may elect to follow our home country practice in lieu of the corporate
governance requirements of the Nasdaq Listing Rules, with the exception of those rules that are required to be followed pursuant
to the provisions of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. We have elected to follow Canadian practices in lieu of the requirements of the
Nasdaq Listing Rules to the extent permitted under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5615(a)(3). We follow Canadian corporate governance practices
in lieu of the corporate governance requirements of The Nasdaq Capital Market in respect of the quorum requirement for meetings
of our common shareholders.
THE
OFFERING
Issuer
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Versus
Systems Inc.
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Securities offered by us:
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Up to 3,353,349 of our common shares, no par value (“common shares”), of which 1,495,341 common shares are issuable upon the exercise of outstanding Unit A Warrants (each a “Unit A Warrant”), 1,474,008 common shares are issuable upon the exercise of outstanding Unit B Warrants (the “Unit B Warrants”) and 384,000 shares are issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants issued to Lake Street Capital Markets, LLC (the “Lake Street Warrants” and, together with the Unit A Warrants and the Unit B Warrants, the “Warrants”). Please see the section entitled “Description of Securities” in this prospectus for a more detailed discussion.
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Description of
Warrants
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The
Warrants were issued on January 20, 2021, pursuant to a prospectus dated January 14, 2021. The Warrants were issued as individual
warrant agreements to the holders thereof. The Warrants represent the rights to purchase one common share at an exercise price
per share of $7.50.
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Common shares outstanding before the offering:
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13,401,659 common shares.
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Common shares to be outstanding after the offering:
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16,755,008, assuming all of the Warrants are exercised in full.
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Use of Proceeds:
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We will receive
proceeds from the exercise of the Warrants but not from the sale of the underlying common shares. We intend to use any proceeds
from the exercise of the Warrants for working capital and general corporate purposes. See “Use of Proceeds” on
page 28 for more information.
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Risk Factors:
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Investing in our
securities is highly speculative and involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the information set forth
in the “Risk Factors” section beginning on page 9 before deciding to invest in our securities.
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Trading Symbol:
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Our common shares
are listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “VS” and our Unit A Warrants are listed on The Nasdaq
Capital Market under the symbol “VSSYW”.
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Limitations on
beneficial ownership:
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Subject to certain
limitations and exceptions, a holder (together with its affiliates) may not exercise any portion of a Unit A Warrant or a
Unit B Warrant to the extent that the holder would beneficially own more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser,
9.99%) of the outstanding common shares immediately after exercise of such Warrant, except that upon at least 61 days’
prior notice from the holder to us, the holder may increase the amount of ownership of outstanding stock after exercising
the holder’s Warrants up to 9.99% of the number of common shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the
exercise.
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The 16,755,008 common shares
to be outstanding after this offering is based on 13,089,562 shares outstanding as of March 31, 2021 plus (i) 312,097 common shares issued
subsequent to March 31, 2021 and (ii) the 3,353,349 common shares offered hereby. The 16,755,008 common shares to be outstanding after
this offering excludes the following:
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2,568,568 common shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants, other than the Warrants, at March 31, 2021 with a weighted average exercise price of $5.72;
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1,293,831 common shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding stock options at March 31, 2021 with a weighted average exercise price of $4.71 issued pursuant to our 2017 Stock Option Plan; and
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309,548
common shares issuable upon conversion of outstanding Versus Systems (Holdco) shares.
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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 prospectus, including our historical financial statements and related notes included
elsewhere in this prospectus, 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
common shares and warrants. 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
We
have a relatively limited operating history and limited revenues to date and thus are subject to risks of business development
and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
Because
we have a relatively limited operating history and limited revenues to date, you should consider and evaluate our operating prospects
in light of the risks and uncertainties frequently encountered by early-stage operating companies in rapidly evolving markets.
These risks include:
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that
we may not have sufficient capital to achieve our growth strategy;
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that
we may not develop our product and service offerings in a manner that enables us to be
profitable and meet our customers’ requirements;
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that
our growth strategy may not be successful; and
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that
fluctuations in our operating results will be significant relative to our revenues.
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Our
future growth will depend substantially on our ability to address these and the other risks described in this section. If we do
not successfully address these risks, our business could be significantly harmed. To date, we have had minimal revenues. Even
if we do achieve profitability, we cannot predict the level of such profitability. If we sustain losses over an extended period
of time, we may be unable to continue our business.
Future
acquisitions or strategic investments could disrupt our business and harm our business, results of operations or financial condition.
We
may in the future explore potential acquisitions of companies or strategic investments to strengthen our business. Even if we
identify an appropriate acquisition candidate, we may not be successful in negotiating the terms or financing of the acquisition,
and our due diligence may fail to identify all of the problems, liabilities or other shortcomings or challenges of an acquired
business.
Acquisitions
involve numerous risks, any of which could harm our business, including:
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straining
our financial resources to acquire a company;
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anticipated
benefits may not materialize as rapidly as we expect, or at all;
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diversion
of management time and focus from operating our business to address acquisition integration
challenges;
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retention
of employees from the acquired company;
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cultural
challenges associated with integrating employees from the acquired company into our organization;
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integration
of the acquired company’s accounting, management information, human resources and
other administrative systems;
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the
need to implement or improve controls, procedures and policies at a business that prior
to the acquisition may have lacked effective controls, procedures and policies; and
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litigation
or other claims in connection with the acquired company, including claims from terminated
employees, former shareholders or other third parties.
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Failure
to appropriately mitigate these risks or other issues related to such strategic investments and acquisitions could result in reducing
or completely eliminating any anticipated benefits of transactions, and harm our business generally. Future acquisitions could
also result in dilutive issuances of our equity securities, the incurrence of debt, contingent liabilities, amortization expenses
or the impairment of goodwill, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial
condition.
We
may require additional funding for our growth plans, and such funding may result in a dilution of your investment.
We
attempted to estimate our funding requirements in order to implement our growth plans. If the costs of implementing such plans
should exceed these estimates significantly or if we come across opportunities to grow through expansion plans that cannot be
predicted at this time, and our funds generated from our operations prove insufficient for such purposes, we may need to raise
additional funds to meet these funding requirements.
These
additional funds may be raised by issuing equity or debt securities or by borrowing from banks or other resources. We cannot assure
you that we will be able to obtain any additional financing on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. If we fail to obtain
additional financing on terms that are acceptable to us, we will not be able to implement such plans fully if at all. Such financing
even if obtained, may be accompanied by conditions that limit our ability to pay dividends or require us to seek lenders’
consent for payment of dividends, or restrict our freedom to operate our business by requiring lender’s consent for certain
corporate actions.
Further,
if we raise additional funds by way of a rights offering or through the issuance of new shares, any shareholders who are unable
or unwilling to participate in such an additional round of fund raising may suffer dilution in their investment.
We
may not have sufficient capital to fund our ongoing operations, effectively pursue our strategy or sustain our growth initiatives.
Our
remaining liquidity and capital resources may not be sufficient to allow us to fund our ongoing operations, effectively pursue
our strategy or sustain our growth initiatives. The report of our independent registered public accountants on our financial statements
for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 stated that our negative cash flows from operations, inability to finance
our day-to-day operations through operations and expectation of further losses indicates that a material uncertainty exists that
may cast significant doubt on our ability to continue as a going concern. If we require additional capital resources, we may seek
such funds directly from third party sources; however, we may not be able to obtain sufficient equity capital and/or debt financing
from third parties to allow us to fund our expected ongoing operations or we may not be able to obtain such equity capital or
debt financing on acceptable terms or conditions. Factors affecting the availability of equity capital or debt financing to us
on acceptable terms and conditions include:
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our
current and future financial results and position;
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the
collateral availability of our otherwise unsecured assets;
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the
market’s, investors’ and lenders’ view of our industry and products;
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the
perception in the equity and debt markets of our ability to execute our business plan
or achieve our operating results expectations; and
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the
price, volatility and trading volume and history of our common shares.
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If
we are unable to obtain the equity capital or debt financing necessary to fund our ongoing operations, pursue our strategy and
sustain our growth initiatives, we may be forced to scale back our operations or our expansion initiatives, and our business and
operating results will be materially adversely affected.
Changes
in our relationships with our most significant customer, HP, including the loss or reduction in business from HP, could have an
adverse impact on us.
For the three month period
ended March 31, 2021 and the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, one customer, HP, represented 99.9%, 99.9%, 99.9% and 99.8%,
respectively, of our total net revenues. Until such time, if ever, that we are able to diversify our customer base and add additional
significant customers, the loss of HP as a customer would materially impair our overall consolidated financial condition and our consolidated
results of operations. Our contractual relationships with customers, including HP, generally are terminable at will by the customers on
short notice and do not require the customer to provide any minimum commitment. Our customers could choose to divert all or a portion
of their business with us to one of our competitors, demand rate reductions for our services, require us to assume greater liability that
increases our costs, or develop their own prizing or rewards capabilities. Failure to retain our existing customers or enter into relationships
with new customers could materially impact the growth in our business and our ability to meet our current and long-term financial forecasts.
Our
operations are significantly dependent on changes in public and customer tastes and discretionary spending patterns. Our inability
to successfully anticipate customer preferences or to gain popularity for games may negatively impact our profitability.
Our
success depends significantly on public and customer tastes and preferences, which can be unpredictable. If we are unable to successfully
anticipate customer preferences or increase the popularity of the games that have embedded at our platform, the per capita revenue
and overall customer expenditures may decrease, and thereby negatively impact our profitability. In response to such developments,
we may need to increase our marketing and product development efforts and expenditures, we may also adjust our product pricing,
we may modify the platform itself, or take other actions, which may further erode our profit margins or otherwise adversely affect
our results of operations and financial condition. In particular, we may need to expend considerable cost and effort in carrying
out extensive research and development to assess the potential interest in our platform and to remain abreast with continually
evolving technology and trends.
While
we may incur significant expenditures of this nature, including in the future as we continue to expand our operations, there can
be no assurance that any such expenditures or investments by us will yield expected or commensurate returns or results, within
a reasonable or anticipated time, or at all.
If
we cannot continue to develop, acquire, market and offer new products and services or enhancements to existing products and services
that meet customer requirements, our operating results could suffer.
The
process of developing and acquiring new technology products and services and enhancing existing offerings is complex, costly and
uncertain. If we fail to anticipate customers’ rapidly changing needs and expectations, our market share and results of
operations could suffer. We must make long-term investments, develop, acquire or obtain appropriate intellectual property and
commit significant resources before knowing whether our predictions will accurately reflect customer demand for our products and
services. If we misjudge customer needs in the future, our new products and services may not succeed and our revenues and earnings
may be harmed. Additionally, any delay in the development, acquisition, marketing or launch of a new offering or enhancement to
an existing offering could result in customer attrition or impede our ability to attract new customers, causing a decline in our
revenue or earnings.
We
make significant investments in new products and services that may not achieve expected returns.
We
have made and will continue to make significant investments in research, development and marketing for existing products, services
and technologies, including developing new Software Development Kits (SDKs) for console gaming, wearables, smart TV systems, AR/VR,
new feature sets for our core products, and entirely new products and platforms that we are developing for specific customers,
as well as new technology or new applications of existing technology. Investments in new technology are speculative. Commercial
success depends on many factors, including but not limited to innovativeness, developer support, and effective distribution and
marketing. If customers do not perceive our latest offerings as providing significant new functionality or other value, they may
reduce their purchases of our services or products, unfavorably affecting our revenue and profits. We may not achieve significant
revenue from new product, service or distribution channel investments, or new applications of existing new product, service or
distribution channel investments, for several years, if at all. New products and services may not be profitable, and even if they
are profitable, operating margins for some new products and businesses may not be as high as the margins we have experienced historically.
Furthermore, developing new technologies is complex and can require long development and testing periods. Significant delays in
new releases or significant problems in creating new products or offering new services could adversely affect our revenue and
profits.
If
we fail to retain existing users or add new users, our results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely
affected.
The
size of our users’ level of engagement are critical to our success. Our financial performance will be significantly determined
by our success in having our products adding, retaining, and engaging active users. To the extent that our active user growth
rate slows, our business performance will become increasingly dependent on our ability to increase levels of user engagement in
current and new markets. If people do not perceive our products to be useful, reliable, and trustworthy, we may not be able to
attract or retain users or otherwise maintain or increase the frequency and duration of their engagement. A decrease in user retention,
growth, or engagement could render us less attractive to video game publishers and developers which may have a material and adverse
impact on our revenue, business, financial condition, and results of operations. Any number of factors could potentially negatively
affect user retention, growth, and engagement, including if:
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users
increasingly engage with competing products;
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we
fail to introduce new and improved products or if we introduce new products or services
that are not favorably received;
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we
are unable to successfully balance our efforts to provide a compelling user experience
with the decisions made by us with respect to the frequency, prominence, and size of
ads and other commercial content that we display;
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there
are changes in user sentiment about the quality or usefulness of our products or concerns
related to privacy and sharing, safety, security, or other factors;
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we
are unable to manage and prioritize information to ensure users are presented with content
that is interesting, useful, and relevant to them;
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there
are adverse changes in our products that are mandated by legislation, regulatory authorities,
or litigation, including settlements or consent decrees;
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technical
or other problems prevent us from delivering our products in a rapid and reliable manner
or otherwise affect the user experience;
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we
adopt policies or procedures related to areas such as sharing our user data that are
perceived negatively by our users or the general public;
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we
fail to provide adequate customer service to users, developers, or advertisers; or
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we,
our software developers, or other companies in our industry are the subject of adverse
media reports or other negative publicity.
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If
we are unable to build and/or maintain relationships with publishers and developers, our revenue, financial results, and future
growth potential may be adversely affected.
If
we fail to keep up with industry trends or technological developments, our business, results of operations and financial condition
may be materially and adversely affected.
The
gaming industry is rapidly evolving and subject to continuous technological changes. Our success depends on our ability to continue
to develop and implement services and solutions that anticipate and respond to rapid and continuing changes in technology and
industry developments and offerings to serve the evolving needs of our customers. Our growth strategy is focused on responding
to these types of developments by driving innovation that will enable us to expand our business into new growth areas. If we do
not sufficiently invest in new technology and industry developments, or evolve and expand our business at sufficient speed and
scale, or if we do not make the right strategic investments to respond to these developments and successfully drive innovation,
our services and solutions, our results of operations, and our ability to develop and maintain a competitive advantage and continue
to grow could be negatively affected. In addition, we operate in a quickly evolving environment in which there currently are,
and we expect will continue to be, new technology entrants. New services or technologies offered by competitors or new entrants
may make our offerings less differentiated or less competitive, when compared to other alternatives, which may adversely affect
our results of operations. Technological innovations may also require substantial capital expenditures in product development
as well as in modification of products, services or infrastructure. We cannot assure you that we can obtain financing to cover
such expenditures. Failure to adapt our products and services to such changes in an effective and timely manner could materially
and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We
are subject to cybersecurity risks.
Cybersecurity
risks and attacks continue to increase. Cybersecurity attacks are evolving and not always predictable. Attacks include malicious
software, threats to information technology infrastructure, denial-of-service attacks on websites, attempts to gain unauthorized
access to data, and other breaches. Data breaches can originate with authorized or unauthorized persons. Authorized persons could
inadvertently or intentionally release confidential or proprietary information, and recipients could misuse data. Such events
could lead to interruption of our operations or business, unauthorized release or use of information, compromise of data, damage
to our reputation, damage to our customers or vendors, and increased costs to prevent, respond to or mitigate any events.
We
are a holding company and depend upon our subsidiaries for our cash flows.
We
are a holding company. All of our operations are conducted, and almost all of our assets are owned, by our subsidiaries. Consequently,
our cash flows and our ability to meet our obligations depend upon the cash flows of our subsidiaries and the payment of funds
by these subsidiaries to us in the form of dividends, distributions or otherwise. The ability of our subsidiaries to make any
payments to us depends on their earnings, the terms of their indebtedness, including the terms of any credit facilities, of which
there are currently none, and legal restrictions. While there are no restrictions on the ability of our subsidiaries to make any
payments to us, such restrictions may arise in the future. Any failure to receive dividends or distributions from our subsidiaries
when needed could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
Our
insurance coverage may not adequately protect us against all future risks, which may adversely affect our business and prospects.
We
maintain insurance coverage, including for fire, acts of god and perils, terrorism, burglary, money, fidelity guarantee, professional
liability including errors and omissions and breach of contract, commercial property, commercial general liability, cyber events
including incident response costs, legal, forensic and breach management costs, cyber-crimes, system damage, rectification costs,
business interruption and reputational harm, as well as directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and employee
health and medical insurance, with standard exclusions in each instance. While we maintain insurance in amounts that we consider
reasonably sufficient for a business of our nature and scale, with insurers that we consider reliable and credit worthy, we may
face losses and liabilities that are uninsurable by their nature, or that are not covered, fully or at all, under our existing
insurance policies. Moreover, coverage under such insurance policies would generally be subject to certain standard or negotiated
exclusions or qualifications and, therefore, any future insurance claims by us may not be honored by our insurers in full, or
at all. In addition, our premium payments under our insurance policies may require a significant investment by us.
To
the extent that we suffer loss or damage that is not covered by insurance or that exceeds our insurance coverage, the loss will
have to be borne by us and our business, cash flow, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be adversely
affected.
Changes
in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, investments and
results of operations.
We
are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments. In particular, we are required to comply
with certain SEC and other legal requirements. Compliance with, and monitoring of, applicable laws and regulations may be difficult,
time consuming and costly. Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from time to time
and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, investments and results of operations. In addition, a
failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied, could have a material adverse effect on our
business and results of operations.
We
are dependent upon our executive officers and directors and their departure could adversely affect our ability to operate.
Our
operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals and, in particular, our executive officers and directors.
We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our executive officers and directors. We do not have key-man insurance
on the life of any of our directors or executive officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors
or executive officers could have a detrimental effect on us.
Our
executive officers, directors, security holders and their respective affiliates may have competitive pecuniary interests that
conflict with our interests.
We
have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, executive officers, security holders or affiliates from having
a direct or indirect pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us or in any transaction
to which we are a party or have an interest. We do not have a policy that expressly prohibits any such persons from engaging for
their own account in business activities of the types conducted by us. Accordingly, such persons or entities may have a conflict
between their interests and ours.
Public
health epidemics or outbreaks, such as COVID-19, could materially and adversely impact our business.
In
December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. While initially the outbreak
was largely concentrated in China and caused significant disruptions to its economy, it has now spread to several other countries
and infections have been reported globally. Because COVID-19 infections have been reported throughout the United States, certain
federal, state and local governmental authorities have issued stay-at-home orders, proclamations and/or directives aimed at minimizing
the spread of COVID-19. Additional, more restrictive proclamations and/or directives may be issued in the future.
To
protect the health and well-being of our employees and customers, we have implemented work-from-home requirements, made substantial
modifications to employee travel policies, and cancelled or shifted marketing and other corporate events to virtual-only formats
for the foreseeable future. While we continue to monitor our circumstances and may adjust our current policies as more information
and public health guidance become available, these precautionary measures could negatively affect our sales and marketing efforts,
delay and lengthen our sales cycles, or create operational or other challenges, any of which could harm our business and results
of operations.
While
we believe we have not been significantly adversely impacted by COVID-19 to date, we believe COVID-19 continues to present the
potential for adverse risks to our company.
The
potential impacts of COVID-19 on our business, financial condition, and results of operations include, but are not limited to,
the following:
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There
may be a decrease in the willingness or ability of certain of our customers or partners
to move forward with integrations of our platform into their products or media due to
restructurings or cutbacks within their organizations or because their business, financial
condition or operations have been adversely impacted by COVID-19.
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Our
customers could potentially be negatively impacted by the outbreak, which may reduce
their budgets for online advertising and marketing in 2021 and perhaps beyond. As a result,
our revenue, gross profit and net income may be negatively impacted in 2020, 2021 and
perhaps beyond.
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The
situation may worsen if the COVID-19 outbreak continues. Our customers may request additional
time to pay us or fail to pay us on time, or at all, which may require us to record additional
allowances.
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The
global stock markets have experienced, and may continue to experience, significant volatility
from the COVID-19 outbreak, which may adversely affect our ability to raise funds in
the capital markets.
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If
one or more of our employees or customers becomes ill from coronavirus and attributes
their infection to us, including through exposure at one of our offices or facilities,
we could be subject to allegations of failure to adequately mitigate the risk of exposure.
Such allegations could harm our reputation and expose us to the risks of litigation and
liability.
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The
ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations is unknown and will depend on future developments, which are highly
uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak, new information which may
emerge concerning the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, and any additional preventative and protective actions that governments,
or we, may direct, which may result in an extended period of continued business disruption, reduced customer traffic and reduced
operations. Any resulting financial impact cannot be reasonably estimated at this time but could have a material adverse impact
on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our
business may be harmed if our licensing partners, or other third parties with whom we do business, act in ways that put our brand
at risk.
We
offer a business-to-business software platform that allows video game publishers and developers, as well as other interactive
media content creators, to offer in-game prizing and rewards, based on the completion of in-content challenges. We anticipate
that our business partners shall be given access to sensitive and proprietary information or control over our intellectual property
in order to provide services and support to our teams. These third parties may misappropriate our information or intellectual
property and engage in unauthorized use of it or otherwise act in a way that places our brand at risk. The failure of these third
parties to provide adequate services and technologies, the failure of third parties to adequately maintain or update their services
and technologies or the misappropriation or misuse of this information or intellectual property could result in a disruption to
our business operations or an adverse effect on our reputation, and may negatively impact our business.
If
we fail to keep our existing users highly engaged, to acquire new users, to successfully implement an award-prizes model for our
user community, our business, profitability and prospects may be adversely affected.
Our
success depends on our ability to maintain and grow the number of users playing our partners’ games and other media and
keeping our users highly engaged. Of particular importance is the successful deployment and expansion of our award-prizes model
to our gaming community for purposes of creating predictable recurring revenues.
A
decline in the number of our users may adversely affect the engagement level of our users, the vibrancy of our user community,
or the popularity of our award-prizes model, which may in turn reduce our monetization opportunities, and have a material and
adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we are unable to attract and retain users, our
revenues may decline and our results of operations and financial condition may suffer.
Our
failure to protect our intellectual property rights may undermine our competitive position.
We
believe that our patents, copyrights, trademarks and other intellectual property are essential to our success. Please see “Business—Intellectual
Property” for more details. We depend to a large extent on our ability to develop and maintain the intellectual property
rights relating to our existing portfolio of prizing, promotion and financial technologies that enable brands to reach the rapidly
growing competitive gaming audience of players, spectators and broadcasters. We have devoted considerable time and energy to the
development and improvement of our portfolio of prizing, promotion and financial technologies intellectual property.
We
rely primarily on a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets laws, and contractual restrictions for the
protection of the intellectual property used in our business. Nevertheless, these provide only limited protection and the actions
we take to protect our intellectual property rights may not be adequate. Our trade secrets may become known or be independently
discovered by our competitors. We may have no or limited rights to stop the use of our information by others. Moreover, to the
extent that our employees or third parties with whom we do business use intellectual property owned by others in their work for
us, disputes may arise as to the rights to such intellectual property. Preventing any unauthorized use of our intellectual property
is difficult and costly and the steps we take may be inadequate to prevent the misappropriation of our intellectual property.
In the event that we resort to litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights, such litigation could result in substantial
costs and a diversion of our managerial and financial resources. We can provide no assurance that we will prevail in such litigation.
Any failure in protecting or enforcing our intellectual property rights could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
Our
services or solutions could infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or we might lose our ability to utilize the
intellectual property of others.
We
cannot be sure that our services and solutions do not infringe on the intellectual property rights of third parties, and these
third parties could claim that we or our clients are infringing upon their intellectual property rights. These claims could harm
our reputation, cause us to incur substantial costs or prevent us from offering some services or solutions in the future. Any
related proceedings could require us to expend significant resources over an extended period of time. Any claims or litigation
in this area could be time-consuming and costly, damage our reputation and/or require us to incur additional costs to obtain the
right to continue to offer a service or solution to our clients. If we cannot secure this right at all or on reasonable terms,
or we cannot substitute alternative technology, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected. The risk of
infringement claims against us may increase as we expand our industry software solutions.
In
recent years, individuals and firms have purchased intellectual property assets in order to assert claims of infringement against
technology providers and customers that use such technology. Any such action naming us or our clients could be costly to defend
or lead to an expensive settlement or judgment against us. Moreover, such an action could result in an injunction being ordered
against our client or our own services or operations, causing further damages.
In
addition, we rely on third-party software in providing some of our services and solutions. If we lose our ability to continue
using such software for any reason, including in the event that the software is found to infringe the rights of others, we will
need to obtain substitute software or seek alternative means of obtaining the technology necessary to continue to provide such
services and solutions. Our inability to replace such software, or to replace such software in a timely or cost-effective manner,
could materially adversely affect our results of operations.
Third
parties may register trademarks or domain names or purchase internet search engine keywords that are similar to our trademarks,
brands or websites, or misappropriate our data and copy our platform, all of which could cause confusion to our users, divert
online customers away from our products and services or harm our reputation.
Competitors
and other third parties may purchase trademarks that are similar to our trademarks and keywords that are confusingly similar to
our brands or websites in internet search engine advertising programs and in the header and text of the resulting sponsored links
or advertisements in order to divert potential customers from us to their websites. Preventing such unauthorized use is inherently
difficult. If we are unable to prevent such unauthorized use, competitors and other third parties may continue to drive potential
online customers away from our platform to competing, irrelevant or potentially offensive platform, which could harm our reputation
and cause us to lose revenue.
Our
business is highly dependent on the proper functioning and improvement of our information technology systems and infrastructure.
Our business and operating results may be harmed by service disruptions, or by our failure to timely and effectively scale up
and adjust our existing technology and infrastructure.
Our
business depends on the continuous and reliable operation of our information technology, or IT, systems. Our IT systems are vulnerable
to damage or interruption as a result of fires, floods, earthquakes, power losses, telecommunications failures, undetected errors
in software, computer viruses, hacking and other attempts to harm our IT systems. Disruptions, failures, unscheduled service interruptions
or a decrease in connection speeds could damage our reputation and cause our customers and end-users to migrate to our competitors’
platforms. If we experience frequent or constant service disruptions, whether caused by failures of our own IT systems or those
of third-party service providers, our user experience may be negatively affected, which in turn may have a material and adverse
effect on our reputation and business. We may not be successful in minimizing the frequency or duration of service interruptions.
As the number of our end-users increases and more user data are generated on our platform, we may be required to expand and adjust
our technology and infrastructure to continue to reliably store and process content.
We
use third-party services and technologies in connection with our business, and any disruption to the provision of these services
and technologies to us could result in adverse publicity and a slowdown in the growth of our users, which could materially and
adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our
business partially depends on services provided by, and relationships with, various third parties. We exercise no control over
the third parties with whom we have business arrangements. If such third parties increase their prices, fail to provide their
services effectively, terminate their service or agreements or discontinue their relationships with us, we could suffer service
interruptions, reduced revenues or increased costs, any of which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
In
most cases, we rely on third party consumer-brand partners to fulfil the prizes and rewards for our end users, players, viewers
and participants. Disruption of this fulfilment could result in a poor user experience, adverse publicity, and a slowdown in growth
of users, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our
business depends on rewards, earned by users, being fulfilled correctly by third party consumer-brands with whom we have business
arrangements. While we have agreements with those consumer-brands, we do not exercise control over those companies. If, for any
reason, our customers do not fulfil the prizes or rewards in a manner that our end users, players and/or viewers expect, we may
suffer in the perception of those end users. This could result in loss of players, poor public relations, or lawsuits. Such event(s)
would have a material adverse effect(s) on our business, financial condition and may results in a loss of operations.
Risks
Related to International Operations
The
risks related to international operations, in particular in countries outside of the United States, could negatively affect our
results.
We
expect to incur up to 20% of our total expenses from transactions denominated in currencies other than the United States dollar,
such as the Canadian dollar, and the British pound. As such, our operations may be adversely affected by changes in foreign government
policies and legislation or social instability and other factors which are not within our control, including, but not limited
to, recessions in foreign economies, expropriation, nationalization and limitation or restriction on repatriation of funds, assets
or earnings, longer receivables collection periods and greater difficulty in collecting accounts receivable, changes in consumer
tastes and trends, renegotiation or nullification of existing contracts or licenses, changes in gaming policies, regulatory requirements
or the personnel administering them, currency fluctuations and devaluations, exchange controls, economic sanctions and royalty
and tax increases, risk of terrorist activities, revolution, border disputes, implementation of tariffs and other trade barriers
and protectionist practices, taxation policies, including royalty and tax increases and retroactive tax claims, volatility of
financial markets and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, difficulties in the protection of intellectual property particularly
in countries with fewer intellectual property protections, the effects that evolving regulations regarding data privacy may have
on our online operations, adverse changes in the creditworthiness of parties with whom we have significant receivables or forward
currency exchange contracts, labor disputes and other risks arising out of foreign governmental sovereignty over the areas in
which our operations are conducted. Our operations may also be adversely affected by social, political and economic instability
and by laws and policies of such foreign jurisdictions affecting foreign trade, taxation and investment. If our operations are
disrupted and/or the economic integrity of our contracts is threatened for unexpected reasons, our business may be harmed.
Our
international activities may require protracted negotiations with host governments, national companies and third parties. Foreign
government regulations may favor or require the awarding of contracts to local contractors or require foreign contractors to employ
citizens of, or purchase supplies from, a particular jurisdiction. In the event of a dispute arising in connection with our operations
in a foreign jurisdiction where we conduct our business, we may be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of foreign courts or
may not be successful in subjecting foreign persons to the jurisdictions of the courts of United States or enforcing United States
judgments in such other jurisdictions. We may also be hindered or prevented from enforcing our rights with respect to a governmental
instrumentality because of the doctrine of sovereign immunity. Accordingly, our activities in foreign jurisdictions could be substantially
affected by factors beyond our control, any of which could have a material adverse effect on it. We believe that management’s
experience to date in commercializing our products, services and solutions in China, Japan, the United Kingdom, the European Union,
and other countries and regions around the world may be of assistance in helping to reduce these risks. Some countries in which
we may operate may be considered politically and economically unstable.
Doing
business in the industries in which we operate often requires compliance with numerous and extensive procedures and formalities.
These procedures and formalities may result in unexpected or lengthy delays in commencing important business activities. In some
cases, failure to follow such formalities or obtain relevant evidence may call into question the validity of the entity or the
actions taken. Our management is unable to predict the effect of additional corporate and regulatory formalities which may be
adopted in the future including whether any such laws or regulations would materially increase our cost of doing business or affect
our operations in any area.
We
may in the future enter into agreements and conduct activities outside of the jurisdictions where we currently carry on business,
which expansion may present challenges and risks that we have not faced in the past, any of which could adversely affect our results
of operations and/or our financial condition.
We
are subject to foreign exchange and currency risks that could adversely affect our operations, and our ability to mitigate our
foreign exchange risk through hedging transactions may be limited.
We
expect to incur up to 20% of our expenses in currencies other than the United States dollar; however, a substantial portion of
our operating expenses are incurred in United States dollars. Fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and other
currencies may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results. Our consolidated financial
results are affected by foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. Foreign currency exchange rate exposures arise from current
transactions and anticipated transactions denominated in currencies other than United States dollars and from the translation
of foreign-currency-denominated balance sheet accounts into United States dollar-denominated balance sheet accounts. We are exposed
to currency exchange rate fluctuations because portions of our revenue and expenses are denominated in currencies other than the
United States dollar, particularly the Canadian dollar. Exchange rate fluctuations could adversely affect our operating results
and cash flows and the value of our assets outside of the United States. If a foreign currency is devalued in a jurisdiction in
which we are paid in such currency, then our customers may be required to pay higher amounts for our products or services, which
they may be unable or unwilling to pay. Changes in exchange rates and our limited ability or inability to successfully hedge exchange
rate risk could have an adverse impact on our liquidity and results of operations.
We
may be unable to operate in new jurisdictions where our customers operate because of new regulations.
We
are subject to regulation in any jurisdiction where our customers access our systems. To expand into any such jurisdiction we
may need to operate according to local regulations. In some cases, this may require us to be licensed, or obtain approvals for
our products or services. If we do not receive or receive a revocation of a license in a particular jurisdiction for our products
or services, we would not be able to sell or place our products or services in that jurisdiction. Any such outcome could materially
and adversely affect our results of operations and any growth plans for our business.
Privacy
concerns could result in regulatory changes and impose additional costs and liabilities on us, limit our use of information, and
adversely affect our business.
Personal
privacy has become a significant issue in the United States and many other countries in which we currently operate and may operate
in the future. Many federal, state, and foreign legislatures and government agencies have imposed or are considering imposing
restrictions and requirements about the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information obtained from individuals. Changes
to laws or regulations affecting privacy could impose additional costs and liability on us and could limit our use of such information
to add value for customers. If we were required to change our business activities or revise or eliminate services, or to implement
burdensome compliance measures, our business and results of operations could be harmed. In addition, we may be subject to fines,
penalties, and potential litigation if we fail to comply with applicable privacy regulations, any of which could adversely affect
our business, liquidity and results of operation.
Our
results of operations could be affected by natural events in the locations in which we operate or where our customers or suppliers
operate.
We,
our customers, and our suppliers have operations in locations subject to natural occurrences such as severe weather and other
geological events, including hurricanes, earthquakes, or flood that could disrupt operations. Any serious disruption at any of
our facilities or the facilities of our customers or suppliers due to a natural disaster could have a material adverse effect
on our revenues and increase our costs and expenses. If there is a natural disaster or other serious disruption at any of our
facilities, it could impair our ability to adequately supply our customers, cause a significant disruption to our operations,
cause us to incur significant costs to relocate or re-establish these functions and negatively impact our operating results. While
we intend to seek insurance against certain business interruption risks, such insurance may not adequately compensate us for any
losses incurred as a result of natural or other disasters. In addition, any natural disaster that results in a prolonged disruption
to the operations of our customers or suppliers may adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition.
Risks
Related to Regulation
We
are subject to various laws relating to trade, export controls, and foreign corrupt practices, the violation of which could adversely
affect our operations, reputation, business, prospects, operating results and financial condition.
We
are subject to risks associated with doing business outside of the United States, including exposure to complex foreign and U.S.
regulations such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or the FCPA, and other anti-corruption laws which generally prohibit U.S.
companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining
business. Violations of the FCPA and other anti-corruption laws may result in severe criminal and civil sanctions and other penalties.
It may be difficult to oversee the conduct of any contractors, third-party partners, representatives or agents who are not our
employees, potentially exposing us to greater risk from their actions. If our employees or agents fail to comply with applicable
laws or company policies governing our international operations, we may face legal proceedings and actions which could result
in civil penalties, administration actions and criminal sanctions. Any determination that we have violated any anti-corruption
laws could have a material adverse impact on our business. Changes in trade sanctions laws may restrict our business practices,
including cessation of business activities in sanctioned countries or with sanctioned entities.
Violations
of these laws and regulations could result in significant fines, criminal sanctions against us, our officers or our employees,
requirements to obtain export licenses, disgorgement of profits, cessation of business activities in sanctioned countries, prohibitions
on the conduct of our business and our inability to market and sell our products or services in one or more countries. Additionally,
any such violations could materially damage our reputation, brand, international expansion efforts, ability to attract and retain
employees and our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition.
Regulations
that may be adopted with respect to the internet and electronic commerce may decrease the growth in the use of the internet and
lead to the decrease in the demand for our services.
We
may become subject to any number of laws and regulations that may be adopted with respect to the internet and electronic commerce.
New laws and regulations that address issues such as user privacy, pricing, online content regulation, taxation, advertising,
intellectual property, information security, and the characteristics and quality of online products and services may be enacted.
As well, current laws, which predate or are incompatible with the internet and electronic commerce, may be applied and enforced
in a manner that restricts the electronic commerce market. The application of such pre-existing laws regulating communications
or commerce in the context of the internet and electronic commerce is uncertain. Moreover, it may take years to determine the
extent to which existing laws relating to issues such as intellectual property ownership and infringement, libel and personal
privacy are applicable to the internet. The adoption of new laws or regulations relating to the internet, or particular applications
or interpretations of existing laws, could decrease the growth in the use of the internet, decrease the demand for our services,
increase our cost of doing business or could otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, revenues, operating results
and financial condition.
Risks
Related to Our Common Shares and Our Warrants
Our
common shares and Unit A Warrants 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 and Unit A Warrants commenced trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market on January 22, 2021. However, there can be no
assurance any broker will be interested in trading our common shares and/or Unit A Warrants. Therefore, it may be difficult to
sell your common shares and/or Unit A Warrants if you desire or need to do so. We cannot provide any assurance that an active
and liquid trading market in our securities will develop or, if developed, that such market will continue. In addition, there
is no guarantee that we will be able to maintain such listings 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 securities
being delisted from The Nasdaq Capital Market.
The
market prices of our common shares and Unit A Warrants are likely to be highly volatile because of several factors, including
a limited public float.
The
market prices of our common shares and Unit A Warrants have experienced significant price and volume fluctuations and the prices
of such securities are likely to be highly volatile in the future. You may not be able to resell our common shares or Unit A Warrants
following periods of volatility because of the market’s adverse reaction to volatility.
Other
factors that could cause such volatility may include, among other things:
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actual
or anticipated fluctuations in our operating results;
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the
absence of securities analysts covering us and distributing research and recommendations
about us;
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we
may have a low trading volume for a number of reasons, including that a large portion
of our stock is closely held;
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overall
stock market fluctuations;
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announcements
concerning our business or those of our competitors;
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actual
or perceived limitations on our ability to raise capital when we require it, and to raise
such capital on favorable terms;
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conditions
or trends in the industry;
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changes
in market valuations of other similar companies;
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future
sales of common shares;
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departure
of key personnel or failure to hire key personnel; and
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general
market conditions.
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Any
of these factors could have a significant and adverse impact on the market prices of our common shares and/or our Unit A Warrants.
In addition, the stock market in general has at times experienced extreme volatility and rapid decline that has often been unrelated
or disproportionate to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect
the trading prices of our common shares and/or Unit A Warrants, regardless of our actual operating performance.
Our
common shares have in the past been a “penny stock” under SEC rules, and our Unit A Warrants may be subject to the
“penny stock” rules in the future. It may be more difficult to resell securities classified as “penny stock.”
In
the past, our common shares were a “penny stock” under applicable SEC rules (generally defined as non-exchange traded
stock with a per-share price below US$5.00). While our common shares and Unit A Warrants are not considered “penny stock”
since they will be listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market, if we are unable to maintain that listing and our common shares and/or
our Unit A Warrants are no longer listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market, unless we maintain a per-share price above US$5.00, our
common shares and/or Unit A Warrants will be considered “penny stock.” These rules impose additional sales practice
requirements on broker-dealers that recommend the purchase or sale of penny stocks to persons other than those who qualify as
“established customers” or “accredited investors.” For example, brokerdealers must determine the appropriateness
for non-qualifying persons of investments in penny stocks. Brokerdealers must also provide, prior to a transaction in a penny
stock not otherwise exempt from the rules, a standardized risk disclosure document that provides information about penny stocks
and the risks in the penny stock market. The broker-dealer also must provide the customer with current bid and offer quotations
for the penny stock, disclose the compensation of the broker-dealer and its salesperson in the transaction, furnish monthly account
statements showing the market value of each penny stock held in the customer’s account, provide a special written determination
that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser, and receive the purchaser’s written agreement to the transaction.
Legal
remedies available to an investor in “penny stocks” may include the following:
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If
a “penny stock” is sold to the investor in violation of the requirements
listed above, or other federal or states securities laws, the investor may be able to
cancel the purchase and receive a refund of the investment.
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If
a “penny stock” is sold to the investor in a fraudulent manner, the investor
may be able to sue the persons and firms that committed the fraud for damages.
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These
requirements may have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity, if any, in the secondary market for a security that
becomes subject to the penny stock rules. The additional burdens imposed upon broker dealers by such requirements may discourage
broker-dealers from effecting transactions in our securities, which could severely limit the market price and liquidity of our
securities. These requirements may restrict the ability of broker-dealers to sell our common shares or our warrants and may affect
your ability to resell our common shares and our Unit A Warrants.
Many
brokerage firms will discourage or refrain from recommending investments in penny stocks. Most institutional investors will not
invest in penny stocks. In addition, many individual investors will not invest in penny stocks due, among other reasons, to the
increased financial risk generally associated with these investments.
For
these reasons, penny stocks may have a limited market and, consequently, limited liquidity. We can give no assurance at what time,
if ever, our common shares or our Unit A Warrants will not be classified as a “penny stock” in the future.
We
are subject to the continued listing criteria of Nasdaq, and our failure to satisfy these criteria may result in delisting of
our common shares or Unit A Warrants from The Nasdaq Capital Market and could also jeopardize our continued ability to trade in
the United States on The Nasdaq Capital Market.
Our
common shares and Unit A Warrants are currently listed for trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market. In order to maintain the listing
on Nasdaq or any other securities exchange we may trade on, we must maintain certain financial and share distribution targets,
including maintaining a minimum number of public shareholders. In addition to objective standards, Nasdaq may delist our securities
if, in the exchange’s opinion, our financial condition and/or operating results appear unsatisfactory; if it appears that
the extent of public distribution or the aggregate market value of the security has become so reduced as to make continued listing
inadvisable; if we sell or dispose of our principal operating assets or cease to be an operating company; if we fail to comply
with the listing requirements; or if any other event occurs or any condition exists which, in their opinion, makes continued listing
on the exchange inadvisable.
If
the Nasdaq were to delist our common shares, investors may face material adverse consequences, including, but not limited to,
a lack of trading market for our common shares, reduced liquidity, decreased analyst coverage, and/or an inability for us to obtain
additional financing to fund our operations.
If
the benefits of any proposed acquisition do not meet the expectations of investors, shareholders or financial analysts, the market
price of our common shares and/or Unit A Warrants may decline.
If
the benefits of any proposed acquisition do not meet the expectations of investors or securities analysts, the market price of
our common shares and/or Unit A Warrants prior to the closing of the proposed acquisition may decline. The market values of our
common shares and/or Unit A Warrants at the time of the proposed acquisition may vary significantly from their prices on the date
the acquisition target was identified.
In
addition, broad market and industry factors may materially harm the market price of our common shares and/or Unit A Warrants irrespective
of our operating performance. The stock market in general has experienced price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated
or disproportionate to the operating performance of the particular companies affected. The trading prices and valuations of these
stocks, and of our securities, may not be predictable. A loss of investor confidence in the market for retail stocks or the stocks
of other companies which investors perceive to be similar to us could depress the price of our common shares and/or Unit A Warrants
regardless of our business, prospects, financial conditions or results of operations. A decline in the market price of our securities
also could adversely affect our ability to issue additional securities and our ability to obtain additional financing in the future.
Shares
eligible for future sale may adversely affect the market.
From time to time, certain
of our shareholders may be eligible to sell all or some of their common shares by means of ordinary brokerage transactions in the open
market pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, subject to certain limitations.
In general, pursuant to Rule 144, non-affiliate shareholders may sell freely after six months, subject only to the current public information
requirement. Affiliates may sell after six months, subject to the Rule 144 volume, manner of sale (for equity securities), current public
information, and notice requirements. Of the approximately 13,401,659 common shares outstanding as of May 10, 2021, approximately 13,186,318
shares are tradable without restriction. Given the limited trading of our common shares, resale of even a small number of our common
shares pursuant to Rule 144 or an effective registration statement may adversely affect the market price of our common shares.
We
have never paid dividends on our common shares and may not do so in the future.
Holders
of our common shares are entitled to receive such dividends as may be declared by our board of directors. To date, we have paid
no cash dividends on our common shares and we do not expect to pay cash dividends on our common shares in the foreseeable future.
We intend to retain future earnings, if any, to provide funds for operations of our business. Therefore, any return investors
in our common shares may have will be in the form of appreciation, if any, in the market value of their common shares. See “Dividend
Policy.”
If
an active, liquid trading market for our Unit A Warrants does not develop, you may not be able to sell your Unit A Warrants quickly
or at a desirable price.
Our
Unit A Warrants are currently exercisable and expire on the fifth anniversary of the date of issuance. The Unit A Warrants had
an initial exercise price per share equal to US$7.50. In the event that the stock price of our common shares does not exceed the
exercise price of the Unit A Warrants during the period when the Unit A Warrants are exercisable, the Unit A Warrants may not
have any value.
There
is no established trading market for our Unit A Warrants, and to the extent a market develops, such market for the Unit A Warrants
may be highly volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance. An active public market for our Unit A Warrants
may not develop or be sustained. We cannot predict the extent to which investor interest in our company will lead to the development
of an active trading market in our Unit A Warrants or how liquid that market might become. If a market does not develop or is
not sustained, it may be difficult for you to sell your Unit A Warrants at the time you wish to sell them, at a price that is
attractive to you, or at all.
Holders
of our warrants will have no rights as a common shareholder until they acquire our common shares.
Until
you acquire our common shares upon exercise of your warrants, you will have no rights as a shareholder in respect of the common
shares underlying such warrants. Upon exercise of your warrants, you will be entitled to exercise the rights of a common shareholder
only as to matters for which the record date occurs after the exercise date.
Our
articles and certain Canadian legislation contain provisions that may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control.
Certain
provisions of our articles could discourage potential acquisition proposals, delay or prevent a change in control and limit the
price that certain investors may be willing to pay for our common shares. The material differences between the British Columbia
Business Corporations Act, or BCBCA, and Delaware General Corporation Law, or DGCL, that may have the greatest such effect include,
but are not limited to, the following: (i) for certain corporate transactions (such as mergers and amalgamations or amendments
to our articles) the BCBCA generally requires the voting threshold to be a special resolution approved by 66 2/3% of shareholders,
whereas DGCL generally only requires a majority vote; and (ii) under the BCBCA a holder of 5% or more of our common shares can
requisition a special meeting of shareholders, whereas such right does not exist under the DGCL.
In
addition, a non-Canadian must file an application for review with the Minister responsible for the Investment Canada Act and obtain
approval of the Minister prior to acquiring control of a “Canadian Business” within the meaning of the Investment
Canada Act, where prescribed financial thresholds are exceeded. Finally, limitations on the ability to acquire and hold our common
shares may be imposed by the Competition Act (Canada). The Competition Act (Canada) establishes a pre-merger notification regime
for certain types of merger transactions that exceed certain statutory shareholding and financial thresholds. Transactions that
are subject to notification cannot be closed until the required materials are filed and the applicable statutory waiting period
has expired or been waived by the Commissioner. However, the Competition Act (Canada) permits the Commissioner of Competition
to review any acquisition or establishment, directly or indirectly, including through the acquisition of shares, of control over
or of a significant interest in us, whether or not it is subject to mandatory notification. Otherwise, there are no limitations
either under the laws of Canada or British Columbia, or in our articles on the rights of non-Canadians to hold or vote our common
shares. Any of these provisions may discourage a potential acquirer from proposing or completing a transaction that may have otherwise
presented a premium to our shareholders. We cannot predict whether investors will find our company and our common shares less
attractive because we are governed by foreign laws.
Because
we are a corporation incorporated under the laws of British Columbia and some of our directors and officers are residents of Canada,
it may be difficult for investors in the United States to enforce civil liabilities against us based solely upon the U.S. federal
securities laws. Similarly, it may be difficult for Canadian investors to enforce civil liabilities against our directors and
officers residing outside of Canada.
We
are a corporation incorporated under the laws of British Columbia. Some of our directors and officers and the auditors or other
experts named herein are residents of Canada and all or a substantial portion of our assets and those of such persons are located
outside the United States. Consequently, it may be difficult for U.S. investors to effect service of process within the United
States upon us or our directors or officers or such auditors who are not residents of the United States, or to realize in the
United States upon judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon civil liabilities under the U.S. federal securities
laws. Investors should not assume that Canadian courts: (1) would enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained in actions against
us or such persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws or the securities or blue
sky laws of any state within the United States or (2) would enforce, in original actions, liabilities against us or such persons
predicated upon the U.S. federal securities laws or any such state securities or blue sky laws.
As
a result of our recently becoming a reporting company under the Exchange Act, we will be obligated to develop and maintain proper
and effective internal controls over financial reporting and any failure to maintain the adequacy of these internal controls may
adversely affect investor confidence in our company and, as a result, the value of our common shares.
We
are required, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or Section 404, to furnish a report by management on, among other
things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for the first fiscal year beginning after March 3,
2021. This assessment includes disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over
financial reporting. Our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to attest to the effectiveness of
our internal control over financial reporting until our first annual report required to be filed with the SEC following the date
we are no longer an emerging growth company, as defined in the JOBS Act. We will be required to disclose significant changes made
in our internal control procedures on a quarterly basis.
We
are beginning the costly and challenging process of compiling the system and processing documentation necessary to perform the
evaluation needed to comply with Section 404, and we may not be able to complete our evaluation, testing and any required remediation
in a timely fashion. Our compliance with Section 404 requires that we incur substantial accounting expense and expend significant
management efforts. While we currently have an internal audit group, we may need to hire additional accounting and financial staff
with appropriate public company experience and technical accounting knowledge and compile the system and process documentation
necessary to perform the evaluation needed to comply with Section 404.
During
the evaluation and testing process of our internal controls, if we identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal control
over financial reporting, we will be unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective. We cannot
assure you that there will not be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting
in the future. Any failure to maintain internal control over financial reporting could severely inhibit our ability to accurately
report our financial condition or results of operations. If we are unable to conclude that our internal control over financial
reporting is effective, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market
price of our common shares could decline, and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by Nasdaq, the SEC or other regulatory
authorities. Failure to remedy any material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, or to implement or maintain
other effective control systems required of public companies, could also restrict our future access to the capital markets.
We
are an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure
requirements available to emerging growth companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make
it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.
We
are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and we may
take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are
not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor internal controls attestation
requirements of Section 404, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy
statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder
approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our shareholders may not have access to certain
information they may deem important. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could
cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our common shares held by non-affiliates exceeds US$700
million as of any November 30 before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following
May 31. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions.
If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our
securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading
prices of our securities may be more volatile.
Further,
Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial
accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared
effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act are required to comply with the new or revised
financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and
comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. We have
elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different
application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at
the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another
public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended
transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
We
will continue to incur increased costs as a result of operating as a reporting company under the Exchange Act, and our management
will continue to be required to devote substantial time to compliance with our reporting company responsibilities and corporate
governance practices.
As
a reporting company under the Exchange Act, and particularly after we are no longer an “emerging growth company,”
we will continue to incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street
Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the listing requirements of The Nasdaq Capital Market and other applicable securities rules
and regulations impose various requirements on public companies. We are also obligated to file with the Canadian securities regulators
similar reports pursuant to securities laws and regulations applicable in all the provinces and territories of Canada in which
we will be a reporting issuer. Compliance with these laws and regulations has increased and will continue to increase our legal
and financial compliance costs and make some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly. Our management and other personnel
must devote a substantial amount of time to compliance with these requirements. Moreover, these rules and regulations increase
our legal and financial compliance costs and make some activities more time-consuming and costly. For example, these rules and
regulations make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance,
which could make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors. We cannot predict
or estimate the amount of additional future costs we will incur as a public company or the timing of such costs.
We
are a foreign private issuer under the rules and regulations of the SEC and, thus, are exempt from a number of rules under the
Exchange Act and are permitted to file less information with the SEC than a company incorporated in the U.S.
As
a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act, we are exempt from certain rules under the Exchange Act, including the proxy
rules, which impose certain disclosure and procedural requirements for proxy solicitations. Moreover, we are not required to file
periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. companies with securities registered
under the Exchange Act; we are not required to file financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting
principles; and we are not required to comply with SEC Regulation FD, which imposes certain restrictions on the selective disclosure
of material information. In addition, our officers, directors and principal shareholders are not subject to the reporting or short-swing
profit recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act or the rules under the Exchange Act with respect to their purchases
and sales of our common shares. Accordingly, you may receive less information about us than you would receive about a company
incorporated in the United States and may be afforded less protection under the U.S. federal securities laws than you would be
afforded with respect to a company incorporated in the United States. If we lose our status as a foreign private issuer at some
future time, we will no longer be exempt from such rules and, among other things, will be required to file periodic reports and
financial statements as if we were a company incorporated in the United States. The costs incurred in fulfilling these additional
regulatory requirements could be substantial.
Additionally,
pursuant to the Nasdaq Listing Rules, as a foreign private issuer, we may elect to follow our home country practice in lieu of
the corporate governance requirements of the Nasdaq Listing Rules, with the exception of those rules that are required to be followed
pursuant to the provisions of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. We have elected to follow Canadian practices in lieu of the requirements
of the Nasdaq Listing Rules to the extent permitted under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5615(a)(3).
U.S.
Holders of our common shares may suffer adverse tax consequences if we are treated as a passive foreign investment company.
A
non-U.S. corporation generally will be treated as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes,
in any taxable year if either (1) at least 75% of its gross income for such year is passive income (such as interest income) or
(2) at least 50% of the value of its assets (based on an average of the quarterly values of the assets) during such year is attributable
to assets that produce or are held for the production of passive income. Based on the current and anticipated composition of the
income, assets and operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, we do not believe that we will be a PFIC for U.S. federal income
tax purposes for the current taxable year or for future taxable years. However, the application of the PFIC rules is subject to
uncertainty in several respects, and a separate determination must be made after the close of each taxable year as to whether
we are a PFIC for that year. Changes in the composition of our income or assets may cause us to become a PFIC. Accordingly, there
can be no assurance that we will not be a PFIC for any taxable year. If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S.
Holder (as that term is defined below in “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for U.S. Holders”) holds
our common shares, such U.S. Holder may be subject to adverse tax consequences. In particular, absent certain elections, a U.S.
Holder would generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax at ordinary income tax rates, plus a possible interest charge, in
respect of a gain derived from a disposition of our common shares, as well as certain distributions by us. The PFIC rules are
complex, and each prospective investor is strongly urged to consult its tax advisors regarding the application of these rules
to such investor’s particular circumstances. See “Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations for U.S.
Holders”.
Changes
to tax laws may have an adverse impact on us and holders of our common shares.
Changes
in tax laws, including amendments to tax laws, changes in the interpretation of tax laws, or changes in the administrative pronouncements
or positions by the Canada Revenue Agency, or CRA, may have a material adverse effect on us. In addition, tax authorities could
disagree with us on tax filing positions taken by us and any reassessment of our tax filings could result in material adjustments
of tax expense, income taxes payable and deferred income taxes.
Changes
in tax laws, including amendments to tax laws, changes in the interpretation of tax laws or changes in the administrative pronouncements
or positions by the CRA, may also have a material adverse effect on our shareholders and their investment in our common shares.
Purchasers of our common shares should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential tax consequences associated with the
acquisition, holding and disposition of our common shares in their particular circumstances.
CAUTIONARY
NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This
prospectus includes forward-looking statements. These statements involve risks known to us, significant uncertainties, and other
factors which may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any
future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements.
Some
of the statements in this prospectus constitute “forward-looking statements” that represent our beliefs, projections
and predictions about future events. From time to time in the future, we may make additional forward-looking statements in presentations,
at conferences, in press releases, in other reports and filings and otherwise. Forward-looking statements are all statements other
than statements of historical fact, including statements that refer to plans, intentions, objectives, goals, targets, strategies,
hopes, beliefs, projections, prospects, expectations or other characterizations of future events or performance, and assumptions
underlying the foregoing. The words “may,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “will,”
“project,” “intend,” “continue,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate,”
“forecast,” “expect,” “plan,” “potential,” “opportunity,” “scheduled,”
“goal,” “target,” and “future,” variations of such words, and other comparable terminology
and similar expressions and references to future periods are often, but not always, used to identify forward-looking statements.
Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the following:
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our
prospects, including our future business, revenues, expenses, net income, earnings per
share, gross margins, profitability, cash flows, cash position, liquidity, financial
condition and results of operations, backlog of orders and revenue, our targeted growth
rate, our goals for future revenues and earnings, and our expectations about realizing
the revenues in our backlog and in our sales pipeline;
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●
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the
potential impact of COVID-19 on our business and results of operations;
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●
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the
effects on our business, financial condition and results of operations of current and
future economic, business, market and regulatory conditions, including the current economic
and market conditions and their effects on our customers and their capital spending and
ability to finance purchases of our products, services, technologies and systems;
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●
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the
effects of fluctuations in sales on our business, revenues, expenses, net income, earnings
per share, margins, profitability, cash flows, capital expenditures, liquidity, financial
condition and results of operations;
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●
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our
products, services, technologies and systems, including their quality and performance
in absolute terms and as compared to competitive alternatives, their benefits to our
customers and their ability to meet our customers’ requirements, and our ability
to successfully develop and market new products, services, technologies and systems;
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our
markets, including our market position and our market share;
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our
ability to successfully develop, operate, grow and diversify our operations and businesses;
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our
business plans, strategies, goals and objectives, and our ability to successfully achieve
them;
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the
sufficiency of our capital resources, including our cash and cash equivalents, funds
generated from operations, availability of borrowings under our credit and financing
arrangements and other capital resources, to meet our future working capital, capital
expenditure, lease and debt service and business growth needs;
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the
value of our assets and businesses, including the revenues, profits and cash flows they
are capable of delivering in the future;
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the
effects on our business operations, financial results, and prospects of business
acquisitions, combinations, sales, alliances, ventures and other similar business transactions
and relationships;
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industry
trends and customer preferences and the demand for our products, services, technologies
and systems; and
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the
nature and intensity of our competition, and our ability to successfully compete in our
markets.
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These
statements are necessarily subjective, are based upon our current plans, intentions, objectives, goals, strategies, beliefs, projections
and expectations, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause our actual results,
performance or achievements, or industry results, to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements described
in or implied by such statements. Actual results may differ materially from expected results described in our forward-looking
statements, including with respect to correct measurement and identification of factors affecting our business or the extent of
their likely impact, the accuracy and completeness of the publicly-available information with respect to the factors upon which
our business strategy is based, or the success of our business. Furthermore, industry forecasts are likely to be inaccurate, especially
over long periods of time.
Forward-looking
statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications
of whether, or the times by which, our performance or results may be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information
available at the time those statements are made and management’s belief as of that time with respect to future events and
are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed
in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that may cause actual results, our performance or achievements,
or industry results to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements include, without limitation,
those discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in this prospectus.
CURRENCY
AND EXCHANGE RATE INFORMATION
The
following table sets forth, for each period indicated, the period-end and the high and low exchange rate for U.S. dollars expressed
in Canadian dollars, and the average exchange rate for the periods indicated. These rates are based on the noon buying rate certified
for custom purposes by the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of New York set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve
Board. These rates are provided solely for your convenience and are not necessarily the exchange rates that we used in this prospectus
or will use in the preparation of any other reports or information to be provided to you. We make no representation that any Canadian
dollar or U.S. dollar amounts referred to in this prospectus could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars or Canadian
dollars, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all. We maintain our books and records and have presented our results
of operations in Canadian dollars.
On
May 14, 2021, the noon buying rate was US$1.00 = C$1.2114.
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Period End
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Period Average
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Low
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High
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|
(C$ per US$)
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Year Ended December 31:
|
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|
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2016
|
|
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1.3426
|
|
|
|
1.3243
|
|
|
|
1.2544
|
|
|
|
1.4592
|
|
2017
|
|
|
1.2517
|
|
|
|
1.2984
|
|
|
|
1.2131
|
|
|
|
1.3745
|
|
2018
|
|
|
1.3644
|
|
|
|
1.2957
|
|
|
|
1.2280
|
|
|
|
1.3650
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|
2019
|
|
|
1.2962
|
|
|
|
1.3269
|
|
|
|
1.2962
|
|
|
|
1.3591
|
|
2020
|
|
|
1.2753
|
|
|
|
1.3422
|
|
|
|
1.2715
|
|
|
|
1.4539
|
|
2021:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
January
|
|
|
1.2776
|
|
|
|
1.2725
|
|
|
|
1.2633
|
|
|
|
1.2812
|
|
February
|
|
|
1.2698
|
|
|
|
1.2696
|
|
|
|
1.2528
|
|
|
|
1.2830
|
|
March
|
|
|
1.2571
|
|
|
|
1.2569
|
|
|
|
1.2434
|
|
|
|
1.2672
|
|
April
|
|
|
1.2291
|
|
|
|
1.2494
|
|
|
|
1.2291
|
|
|
|
1.2614
|
|
USE
OF PROCEEDS
To
the extent that the Warrants are exercised for cash, we will receive the gross cash proceeds from such exercise of up to a total
potential of approximately $25 million, based on the exercise price of the Warrants. We cannot predict when or if the Warrants
will be exercised, and it is possible that the Warrants may expire and never be exercised.
We
intend to use the net proceeds from the exercise of the Warrants for working capital and general corporate purposes.
Our
management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds of this offering, and investors will be relying on
our judgment regarding the application of the net proceeds. In addition, we might decide to postpone or not pursue certain activities
if the net proceeds from this offering and our other sources of cash are less than expected.
MARKET
FOR COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS
Market
Information for Common Shares
Our common shares and Unit
A Warrants are presently quoted on The Nasdaq Capital Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “VS” and VSSYW,” respectively.
On May 27, 2021, the closing price of our common shares on the Nasdaq was US$6.98 and the closing price of our Unit A Warrants on
the Nasdaq was US$3.40.
Holders
As at May 15, 2021, the
registrar and transfer agent for our common shares reported that there were 13,402,909 common shares issued and outstanding. Of
these, 10,600,730 were registered to Canadian residents, including 9,350,730 shares registered to CDS & Co., which is a nominee
of the Canadian Depository for Securities Limited. The 10,600,730 shares were registered to 915 shareholders in Canada, one of which
is CDS & Co. 2,641,077 of our shares were registered to residents of the United States, including one share registered to CEDE
& Co., which is a nominee of Depository Trust Company. The 2,641,077 shares were registered to 389 shareholders in the United
States, one of which is CEDE & Co. 161,102 of our shares were registered to residents of other foreign countries (14
shareholders).
Dividends
We
have not declared any common share dividends to date. We have no present intention of paying any cash dividends on our common
shares in the foreseeable future, as we intend to use earnings, if any, to generate growth. The payment by us of dividends, if
any, in the future, is within the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon, among other things, our earnings,
capital requirements and financial condition, as well as other relevant factors. There are no material restrictions in our articles
that restrict us from declaring dividends.
CAPITALIZATION
The table below sets forth
our cash and cash equivalents and capitalization as of March 31, 2021:
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on a pro forma basis to reflect (i) the exercise of warrants outstanding at March 31, 2021 to purchase an aggregate of 3,353,349 common shares at a weighted average exercise price of $7.50 per share, in each case subsequent to March 31, 2021; and
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The
pro forma information set forth in the table below is illustrative only and will be adjusted based on the actual number of Warrants
that are ultimately exercised and the timing thereof. You should read the information in this table together with our financial
statements and accompanying notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations” appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.
|
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Actual
|
|
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Pro forma
|
|
|
|
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Cash and Cash Equivalents
|
|
$
|
14,023,971
|
|
|
$
|
39,174,089
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|
Liabilities:
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|
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|
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|
Government note
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
Notes payable
|
|
|
3,580,797
|
|
|
|
3,580,797
|
|
Total liabilities
|
|
|
5,590,230
|
|
|
|
5,590,230
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|
Equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share capital
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common shares, no par value; unlimited shares authorized and 13,089,562 shares issued and outstanding on an actual basis, 16,442,911 shares issued and outstanding on a pro forma basis
|
|
|
125,540,108
|
|
|
|
150,690,226
|
|
Class A shares; 5,057 shares authorized and 5,057 issued and outstanding on an actual and on a pro forma and a pro forma as adjusted basis
|
|
|
37,927
|
|
|
|
37,927
|
|
Reserves
|
|
|
11,767,846
|
|
|
|
11,767,846
|
|
Deficit
|
|
|
(117,611,498
|
)
|
|
|
(117,611,498
|
)
|
Total Equity before non-controlling interest
|
|
|
19,734,383
|
|
|
|
44,884,501
|
|
Non-controlling interest
|
|
|
(7,800,413
|
)
|
|
|
(7,800,413
|
)
|
Total Equity
|
|
|
11,933,970
|
|
|
|
37,084,088
|
|
Total Liabilities and Equity
|
|
$
|
17,524,200
|
|
|
$
|
42,674,318
|
|
The foregoing table and calculations
are based on 13,089,562 of our common shares outstanding as of March 31, 2021, and excludes:
|
●
|
2,568,568 common shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants, other than the Warrants, at March 31, 2021 with a weighted average exercise price of $5.72;
|
|
●
|
1,293,831 common shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of
outstanding stock options at March 31, 2021 with a weighted average exercise price of $4.71 issued pursuant to our 2017 Stock Option Plan;
and
|
|
●
|
309,548
common shares issuable upon conversion of outstanding Versus Systems (Holdco) shares.
|
DILUTION
If
you exercise Warrants in this offering for our common shares, you will experience dilution to the extent of the difference between
the price per common share you will pay and the as adjusted net tangible book value per common share after the exercise.
As of March 31, 2021, we
had a net tangible book value of $9.7 million, corresponding to a net tangible book value of $0.74 per common share (based
upon 13,089,562 common shares outstanding). Net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing the net tangible book value
of our company (total tangible assets less total liabilities) by the number of outstanding common shares.
Assuming that we issue all
3,353,349 of the common shares upon exercise of the Warrants in full at their exercise price of $7.50 per share, our as adjusted net tangible
book value as of March 31,2021 would have been $34.9 million, representing $2.12 per common share. This represents an immediate increase
in net tangible book value of $1.38 per common share to existing shareholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of
$5.38 per common share to new investors acquiring common shares upon the exercise of the Warrants. Dilution for this purpose represents
the difference between the exercise price per common share paid upon exercise of Warrants and net tangible book value per common share
immediately after the exercise, as illustrated by the following table:
Exercise Price per common share
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
7.50
|
|
Consolidated net tangible book value per common share as of March 31, 2021
|
|
$
|
0.74
|
|
|
|
|
|
Increase in consolidated net tangible book value per common share attributable to the offering
|
|
$
|
1.38
|
|
|
|
|
|
As adjusted consolidated net tangible book value per common share after this offering
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
2.12
|
|
Dilution per common share to new investors participating in this offering
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
5.38
|
|
The number of our common shares
that will be outstanding both before and immediately after this offering is based on 13,089,562 common shares outstanding as of March
31, 2021, and excludes as of such date:
|
●
|
2,568,568 common shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants, other than the Warrants, at March 31, 2021 with a weighted average exercise price of $5.72;
|
|
●
|
1,293,831 common shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of
outstanding stock options at March 31, 2021 with a weighted average exercise price of $4.71 issued pursuant to our 2017 Stock Option Plan;
and
|
|
●
|
309,548
common shares issuable upon conversion of outstanding Versus Systems (Holdco) shares.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
CONDITION
AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion
and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 should be read in conjunction
with our consolidated financial statements and related notes to those consolidated financial statements that are included elsewhere in
this prospectus and with our interim consolidated financial statements as of March 31, 2021 and for the three-month periods ended March
31, 2021 and 2020. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking statements that
involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results and the timing of selected events could differ materially from those anticipated
in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere
in this prospectus.
Overview
We
offer a business-to-business software platform that allows video game publishers and developers, as well as other interactive
media content creators, to offer in-game prizing and rewards, based on the completion of in-content challenges. The prizes available
are specific to each player based on a variety of characteristics, including age, location, game played, and challenged played.
Our platform facilitates several types of single player prize challenges that includes a wide range of prize types including,
coupons, sweepstakes-style prizes, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), and Downloadable Content (DLC). We sell the opportunity to place
in-game prizes to advertisers who wish to place product in-game, sharing a certain portion of the gross receipts with the content
and game owners. Our current agreements range from 50% to 60% of revenue being shared with the publisher/developers, with the
remaining 50% to 40% of gross receipts belonging to us.
We
believe our platform is mutually-beneficial across three targets. Content providers gain increased interaction with their media
experience. Brands see a prolonged increase of interests from players and consumers viewing their goods as a positive win rather
than a distraction from content. Players and consumers want to interact with content that provides access to these wins, increasing
the value of the content as a supplier of opportunities, of the brands as prizes, and of the experience itself as an interactive
and desirable challenge.
Our
platform allows consumers to become active ad participants seeking a claim to placed brands as victories won through interactions
with a variety of media experiences. Users are no longer “just” winning a game or streaming their favorite film. These
interactions now bestow bragging rights that extend past the media’s original purpose, resulting in winning real world goods
and gaining access to experiences.
Critical
Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our
discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements,
which have been prepared in accordance with the IFRS as issued by the IASB, and Interpretations issued by the IFRIC. The preparation
of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets,
liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We continually evaluate our estimates,
including those related to the allowance for doubtful accounts, the useful life of property and equipment, assumptions used in
assessing impairment of long-term assets, and valuation of deferred tax assets.
We
base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believed to be reasonable under the circumstances,
the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily
apparent from other sources. Any future changes to these estimates and assumptions could cause a material change to our reported
amounts of revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions
or conditions.
Our
consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB. Some of the accounting methods and
policies used in preparing the financial statements under IFRS are based on complex and subjective assessments by our management
or on estimates based on past experience and assumptions deemed realistic and reasonable based on the circumstances concerned.
The actual value of our assets, liabilities and shareholders’ equity and of our earnings could differ from the value derived
from these estimates if conditions changed and these changes had an impact on the assumptions adopted.
Our
significant accounting policies that we believe to be critical to the judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our financial
statements are included in “note 2 — Basis of Presentation” and “note 3 — Significant
Accounting Policies” to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Significant
Components of Our Results of Operations
Revenue.
In general, we recognize revenue when the amount of revenue can be reliably measured, it is probable that future economic
benefits will flow to us, where there is evidence of an arrangement, when the selling price is fixed or determinable, and when
specific criteria have been met or there are no significant remaining performance obligations for each of our activities as described
below. Foreseeable losses, if any, are recognized in the year or period in which the loss is determined.
We
earn revenue in two primary ways: 1) development and maintenance of custom-built software or other professional services, or 2)
the sale of advertising.
We
recognize revenues received from the development and maintenance of custom-built software and other professional services provided
upon the satisfaction of our performance obligation in an amount that reflects the consideration to which we expect to be entitled
in exchange for those services. Performance obligations can be satisfied either at a single point in time or over time. For those
performance obligations that are satisfied at a single point in time, the revenue is recognized at that time. For each performance
obligation satisfied over time, we recognize revenue by measuring the progress toward complete satisfaction of that performance
obligation.
For
revenues received from the sales of advertising, we are deemed the agent in our revenue agreements. We do not own or obtain control
of the digital advertising inventory. We recognize revenues upon the achievement of agreed-upon performance criteria for the advertising
inventory, such as a number of views, or clicks. As we are acting as an agent in the transaction, we recognize revenue from sales
of advertising on a net basis, which excludes amounts payable to partners under our revenue sharing agreements.
Our
contracts with customers may include multiple performance obligations. For these contracts, we account for individual performance
obligations separately if they are capable of being distinct within the context of the contract. Determining which performance
obligations are considered distinct may require significant judgment. Judgment is also required to determine the amount of revenue
associated with each distinct performance obligation.
Operating
Expenses. We classify our operating expense as sales and marketing, and general and administrative. Personnel costs are
the primary component of each of these operating expense categories, which consist of cash-based personnel costs, such as salaries,
benefits and bonuses. Additionally, we separate intangible amortization, amortization expense, interest expense, professional
fees and share-based compensation into its own category.
Office
and Miscellaneous Expenses. Our office and miscellaneous expenses primarily consist of non-labor overhead expenses, which
include health benefits, utilities and other cost to run the back office operations of our company.
Salaries
and Wages Expenses. Our salaries and wages are primarily made up of salaries paid directly to our engineers, which comprise
most of the employee base within our company. This amount also includes the related payroll taxes and accrued bonuses.
Sales
and Marketing Expenses. Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of the costs of the advertisements and promotions
we run in order to expand awareness of our product offerings.
Software
and Delivery Costs. Software and delivery costs consist primarily of license fees we pay to access cloud-based software
or cloud computing power.
Operating
Results
Comparison of Results of Operations for
the Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 and 2020
The following table summarizes
our results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020:
|
|
For the Three Months Ended
March 31,
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
|
(unaudited)
|
|
Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue
|
|
$
|
421
|
|
|
$
|
260
|
|
Amortization
|
|
|
83,942
|
|
|
|
83,665
|
|
Amortization of intangible assets
|
|
|
417,131
|
|
|
|
540,430
|
|
Consulting fees
|
|
|
108,925
|
|
|
|
189,501
|
|
Foreign exchange gain (loss)
|
|
|
(8,378
|
)
|
|
|
214,374
|
|
Office and miscellaneous expenses
|
|
|
236,102
|
|
|
|
285,150
|
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
80,953
|
|
|
|
59,486
|
|
Interest expense on lease obligations
|
|
|
14,839
|
|
|
|
9,467
|
|
Professional fees
|
|
|
756,677
|
|
|
|
90,575
|
|
Salaries and wages
|
|
|
1,212,200
|
|
|
|
607,840
|
|
Sales and marketing
|
|
|
258,092
|
|
|
|
11,899
|
|
Software and delivery costs
|
|
|
73,850
|
|
|
|
98,706
|
|
Share-based compensation
|
|
|
254,292
|
|
|
|
291,761
|
|
Operating loss
|
|
|
(3,487,573
|
)
|
|
|
(2,482,594
|
)
|
Finance expense
|
|
|
(107,090
|
)
|
|
|
(86,130
|
)
|
Net loss
|
|
$
|
(3,594,663
|
)
|
|
$
|
(2,568,724
|
)
|
Net loss per share (basic and diluted) attributed to Versus Systems Inc.
|
|
$
|
(0.31
|
)
|
|
$
|
(0.20
|
)
|
Revenue
Our revenues are derived from
two primary sources: advertising and services related to integration. Revenue was $421 for the three months ended March 31, 2021, representing
an increase of $161, or 62%, from $260 for the three month period ended March 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to an increase
in advertising affiliate revenue.
Amortization of intangible assets
Our intangible assets are
comprised of a business-to-business software platform that allows video game publishers and developers to offer prize-based matches of
their games to their players. Amortization expense was $417,131 for the three months ended March 31, 2021, representing a decrease of
$123,299 or 23%, from $540,430 for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The decrease was primarily due to prior-year projects becoming
fully amortized in 2021.
Consulting Fees
Consulting fees were $108,925
for the three months ended March 31, 2021, representing a decrease of $80,576 or 43%, from $189,501 for the three months ended March 31,
2020. The decrease was primarily due to a marketing consultant becoming a full-time employee.
Foreign exchange
We have operated to date primarily
in the United States and Canada. Foreign exchange gain was $8,378 for the three months ended March 31, 2021, representing a decrease of
$222,752, or 104%, from a loss of $214,374 for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The decrease in the loss was due to appreciation
of the U.S. dollar relative to the Canadian dollar.
Office and miscellaneous expenses
Office and miscellaneous expenses
were $236,102 for the three months ended March 31, 2021, representing a decrease of $49,048, or 17%, from $285,150 for the three months
ended March 31, 2020. The decrease was primarily due to working remotely in 2021.
Professional Fees
Professional fee expense was
$756,677 for the three months ended March 31, 2021, representing an increase of $666,102, or 735%, from $90,575 for the three months ended
March 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to legal expenses related to a potential acquisition and expenses related to the public
offering.
Salaries and wages
Salaries and wages was $1,212,200
for the three months ended March 31, 2021, representing an increase of $604,360, or 99%, from $607,840 for the three months ended March
31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to hiring additional employees.
Sales and marketing
Sales and marketing expense
was $258,092 for the three months ended March 31, 2021, representing an increase of $246,193, or 2,069%, from $11,899 for the three months
ended March 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to increased spending on market awareness advertising campaigns.
Software and delivery costs
Software and delivery costs
expense was $73,850 for the three months ended March 31, 2021, representing a decrease of $24,856, or 25%, from $98,706 for the three
months ended March 31, 2020. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in the number of software tools and licenses used.
Share-based compensation
Share-based compensation
expense was $254,292 for the three months ended March 31, 2021, representing a decrease of $37,469, or 13%, from $291,761 for the three
months ended March 31, 2020. The decrease was primarily due to the timing of options vesting and the increase in the fair value of options
issued.
Loss from Operations
Loss from operations was $3,595,294
for the three months ended March 31, 2021, representing an increase of $1,026,570, or 40%, from $2,568,724 for the three months ended
March 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to an increase in salaries and wages as well as one-time costs associated with the public
offering and a potential acquisition.
Comparison
of Results of Operations for the Year Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
The
following table summarizes our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019:
|
|
For the Year Ended
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
|
(unaudited)
|
|
Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue
|
|
$
|
1,864,709
|
|
|
$
|
664,922
|
|
Amortization
|
|
|
323,060
|
|
|
|
327,221
|
|
Amortization of intangible assets
|
|
|
1,706,972
|
|
|
|
2,530,590
|
|
Consulting fees
|
|
|
624,136
|
|
|
|
814,128
|
|
Foreign exchange gain (loss)
|
|
|
33,160
|
|
|
|
38,797
|
|
Office and miscellaneous expenses
|
|
|
343,240
|
|
|
|
424,992
|
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
233,388
|
|
|
|
225,334
|
|
Interest expense on lease obligations
|
|
|
80,640
|
|
|
|
104,384
|
|
Professional fees
|
|
|
1,047,086
|
|
|
|
445,603
|
|
Salaries and wages
|
|
|
3,440,720
|
|
|
|
3,252,789
|
|
Sales and marketing
|
|
|
652,303
|
|
|
|
787,398
|
|
Software and delivery costs
|
|
|
346,005
|
|
|
|
244,594
|
|
Share-based compensation
|
|
|
1,407,414
|
|
|
|
839,249
|
|
Operating loss
|
|
|
(8,373,415
|
)
|
|
|
(9,370,157
|
)
|
Finance expense
|
|
|
(371,061
|
)
|
|
|
(257,448
|
)
|
Loss on disposal of shares
|
|
|
(508,050
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
Other expense
|
|
|
(18,634
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
Net loss
|
|
$
|
(9,271,160
|
)
|
|
$
|
(9,627,605
|
)
|
Net loss per share (basic and diluted) attributed to Versus Systems Inc.
|
|
$
|
(0.84
|
)
|
|
$
|
(0.98
|
)
|
Revenue
Our
revenues are derived from two primary sources: advertising and services related to integration. Revenue was $1,864,709 for the
year ended December 31, 2020, representing an increase of $1,199,787, or 180%, from $664,922 for the year ended December 31, 2019.
The increase was primarily due to an increase in services provided to HP during 2020 as compared to services provided to HP during
2019.
Amortization
of intangible assets
Our
intangible assets are comprised of a business-to-business software platform that allows video game publishers and developers to
offer prize-based matches of their games to their players. Amortization expense was $1,706,972 for the year ended December 31,
2020, representing a decrease of $823,618, or 33%, from $2,530,590 for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily
due to prior-year projects becoming fully amortized in 2020.
Foreign
exchange
We
have operated to date primarily in the United States and Canada. Foreign exchange loss was $33,160 for the year ended December
31, 2020, representing a decrease of $5,637, or 15%, from a loss of $38,797 for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease
in the loss was due to changes in the foreign exchange translation between the U.S. and Canadian dollar.
Office
and miscellaneous expenses
Office
and miscellaneous expenses were $343,240 for the year ended December 31, 2020, representing an decrease of $81,752, or 19%, from
$424,992 for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in non-labor expenses related to COVID-19
as all of our employees worked remotely for the majority of the year ended December 31, 2020.
Professional
Fees
Professional
fee expense was $1,047,086 for the year ended December 31, 2020, representing an increase of $601,483, or 135%, from $445,603
for the year ended December 30, 2019. The increase was primarily due to additional expenses incurred to support expansion of the
business and the costs and expenses related to offering of common shares.
Salaries
and wages
Salaries
and wages was $3,440,720 for the year ended December 31, 2020, representing an increase of $187,931, or 6%, from $3,252,789 for
the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase was primarily due to an increase in wages and payroll cost.
Sales
and marketing
Sales
and marketing expense was $652,303 for the year ended December 31, 2020, representing a decrease of $135,095, or 17%, from $787,398
for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily due to reduced spending on market awareness advertising campaigns.
Software
and delivery costs
Software
and delivery costs expense was $346,005 for the year ended December 31, 2020, representing an increase of $101,411, or 41%, from
$244,594 for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase was primarily due to an increased number of players and rewards provided
on our software as well as an increase in the number of software tools and licenses used.
Share-based
compensation
Share-based
compensation expense was $1,407,414 for the year ended December 31, 2020, representing an increase of $568,165, or 68%, from $839,249
for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase is primarily was due to the timing of options vesting and the increase in the
fair value of options issued.
Loss
from Operations
Loss
from operations was $8,373,415 for the year ended December 31, 2020, representing a decrease of $996,742, or 11%, from $9,370,157
for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily due to an increase in revenue earned and a decrease in payroll-related
expenses and the amortization of intangible assets.
Loss
on Disposal of Marketable Securities
Loss
on disposal of marketable securities was $508,050 for the year ended December 31, 2020, representing an increase of $508,050,
or 100%, from none for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase was due to our purchase and sale of shares of capital stock
of Animoca Brands Corporation Ltd. (“Animoca Brands”) during the year ended December 31, 2020.
On
July 25, 2019, we entered into a Mutual Investment Agreement with Animoca Brands, a Hong Kong-based leader in the field of digital
entertainment, specializing in blockchain, gamification, and artificial intelligence technologies to develop and publish a broad
portfolio of mobile gaming products such as The Sandbox, Crazy Kings, and Crazy Defense Heroes, as a step
toward partnering with Animoca Brands to allow us to reach into a key growth market on a large scale.
The
terms of the mutual investment agreement provided for a stock swap between Animoca Brands and our company in the amount of US$500,000
based upon, in the case of our common shares, the higher of (i) $ 0.23 per share, or (ii) the 21-day volume weighted average price
per share of our common shares on the date the agreement was approved by our Board of Directors, and, in the case of the Animoca
Brands shares, the higher of (i) AU$0.18 per share, or (ii) the 21-day volume weighted average price per share of the Animoca
Brands shares as of the date the agreement was approved by the Animoca Brands shareholders. The transaction was consummated on
April 6, 2020.
On
April 28, 2020, we sold our acquired block of Animoca Brands stock to a buyer for the price of $0.05AU per share in order to provide
immediate liquidity during the COVID-19 pandemic in advance of being approved for, or receiving, any funds from the Paycheck Protection
Program for which we had applied. For financial accounting purposes, we had recorded the value of our Animoca Brands shares at
$0.1614 per share, based on the closing price of our common shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange on the April 6, 2020 closing
date. As a result, we recorded a loss of approximately $500,000 in connection with that transaction.
Cash
Flows for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 Compared to the Three Months Ended March 31, 2020
The following summarizes the key components of
our cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020:
|
|
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2021
|
|
|
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2020
|
|
Net cash used in operating activities
|
|
$
|
(3,329,575
|
)
|
|
$
|
(968,189
|
)
|
Net cash used in investing activities
|
|
|
(373,862
|
)
|
|
|
(508,217
|
)
|
Net cash provided by financing activities
|
|
|
14,761,451
|
|
|
|
1,391,824
|
|
Net increase in cash
|
|
$
|
11,058,014
|
|
|
$
|
(84,582
|
)
|
Operating Activities
Net cash used in
operating activities for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was $3,329,575 as compared to $968,189 for the three months ended
March 31, 2020. The increase in net cash used in operating activities was primarily attributable to the increase of the loss for the
period and changes in accounts payable and accrued liabilities.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities for the three
months ended March 31, 2021 was $373,862 as compared to $508,217 for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The change in cash flow used
in investing activities was primarily attributable to a decrease in the development of intangible assets.
Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities was $14,761,451
for the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared to $1,391,824 for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The change in cash flow
provided by financing activities was mainly attributable to proceeds from the public offering and the exercise of warrants offset by payments
on notes payable and share issuance costs.
Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2020 Compared to the
year ended December 31, 2019
The following summarizes the key components of
our cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019:
|
|
Year Ended
December 31,
2020
|
|
|
Year Ended
December 31,
2019
|
|
Net cash used in operating activities
|
|
$
|
(5,093,562
|
)
|
|
$
|
(5,467,875
|
)
|
Net cash used in investing activities
|
|
|
(1,221,401
|
)
|
|
|
(1,939,858
|
)
|
Net cash provided by financing activities
|
|
|
9,181,711
|
|
|
|
7,472,942
|
|
Net increase (decrease) in cash
|
|
$
|
2,866,748
|
|
|
$
|
65,209
|
|
Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities for the year
ended December 31, 2020 was $5,093,562 as compared to $5,467,875 for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease in net cash used in
operating activities was primarily attributable to a decrease in the amortization of intangible assets and forgiveness of the PPP loan
offset by a loss on the sale of investment.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities for the year
ended December 31, 2020 was $1,221,401 as compared to $1,939,858 for the year ended December 31, 2019. The change in cash flow used in
investing activities was primarily attributable to the timing of payments related to payroll capitalized for the development of intangible
assets.
Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities was $9,181,711
for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to $7,472,942 for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase in cash flow provided
by financing activities was mainly attributable to an increase in proceeds from the issuance of share capital and a decrease in repayment
in notes payable, offset by a decrease in proceeds from notes payable.
Indebtedness
Government Note
In May 2020, we received loan proceeds in the aggregate
amount of $829,937 under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). The PPP, established as part of the CARES Act within the
United States in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, provides for loans to qualifying businesses. A portion of the loans and accrued interest
are forgivable as long as the borrower uses the loan proceeds for eligible purposes, including payroll, benefits, rent and utilities,
and maintains its payroll levels. The amount of loan forgiveness will be reduced if the borrower terminates employees or reduces salaries.
No collateral or guarantees were provided in connection with the PPP loans.
The unforgiven portion of
the PPP loans is payable over two years at an interest rate of 1%, with a deferral of payments for the first six months. We intend to
use the proceeds for purposes consistent with the PPP. For the year ended December 31, 2020, we incurred eligible payroll cost of $829,937
which were fully offset against the loan balance. Of the total loan balance, $228,269 was applied towards payroll cost capitalized as
intangible assets.
Notes Payable
From December 8, 2017 to
December 31, 2020, we issued $7,692,000 aggregate principal amount of promissory notes primarily to Brian Tingle, one of our directors.
The notes bear interest at the prime rate of the Bank of Canada, which has ranged from 2.45% to 3.95% per annum, compounded annually,
that is payable quarterly, and had a maturity date of three years from the date of issuance. The interest rates of the notes were considered
below our estimated market borrowing rate of 10% and as such, a contribution benefit was recorded in reserves at the time of issuance
for each note. As at December 31, 2020, we had recorded $472,107 in accrued interest that was included in accounts payable and accrued
liabilities.
At the closing of the Public Offering, outstanding
notes in the principal amount of US$1,500,000, plus US$128,750 of accrued interest thereon, was exchanged for units that are comprised
of the same securities, and are valued at an amount equal to the purchase price of, the units offered by us in the Public Offering, which
was US$7.50 per unit.
Contractual Obligations and Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Contractual Obligations
The following table summarizes our contractual
obligations as of December 31, 2019 and the effects, including estimated interest payments, that such obligations are expected to
have on our liquidity and cash flows in future periods:
|
|
Payment Due by Period
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
|
2023
|
|
|
2024
|
|
|
Thereafter
|
|
|
|
(in thousands)
|
|
Note payable
|
|
$
|
(4,815
|
)
|
|
$
|
(580
|
)
|
|
$
|
(2,504
|
)
|
|
$
|
(1,731
|
)
|
|
$
|
—
|
|
|
$
|
—
|
|
|
$
|
—
|
|
Lease liabilities
|
|
|
(1,122
|
)
|
|
|
(328
|
)
|
|
|
(324
|
)
|
|
|
(311
|
)
|
|
|
(159
|
)
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
(5,937
|
)
|
|
$
|
(908
|
)
|
|
$
|
(2,828
|
)
|
|
$
|
(2,042
|
)
|
|
$
|
(159
|
)
|
|
$
|
—
|
|
|
$
|
—
|
|
Off-balance Sheet Arrangements
We did not have during the periods presented, and
we do not currently have, any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on
our financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.
Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk
Our primary operations are in the United States.
Thus, our revenues and operating results may be impacted by exchange rate fluctuations between Canadian dollars and U.S. dollars. For
the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the foreign currency translation gain/loss was not material to our financial statements.
Inflation
The effect of inflation on our revenue and operating
results was not significant.
BUSINESS
We
offer a proprietary business-to-business software platform that allows video game publishers and developers, as well as other
interactive media content creators, to offer in-game prizing and rewards based on the completion of in-content challenges. The
prizes or rewards offered are specific to each player or viewer based on a variety of user- and content-based characteristics,
including age, location, game played and challenge undertaken. Our platform facilitates several types of single player prize challenges
that includes a wide range of prize types, including coupons, sweepstakes-style prizes, consumer packaged goods (“CPG”)
and downloadable content (“DLC”).
We
believe our platform is mutually-beneficial across three target groups. By providing in-content prizes or rewards, content providers
gain increased and longer interaction by users or viewers with the media experience they offer. Consumer brands offering in-content
prizes or rewards see a prolonged and increased interest from players and consumers who view their goods as a positive “win”
within their viewing experience rather than as a distraction from the content they are watching as is typically the case with
traditional in-content advertising. Players and consumers who are offered prizes or rewards have an increased desire to interact
with such content, which increases the value of the content as a supplier of prizing opportunities, of the brands that offer the
prizes, and of the experience itself as an interactive and desirable challenge.
We
market our platform and its benefits to two industry segments: the owners or developers of consumer brands and their marketing
and advertising professionals and for media content creators, owners and platforms. To the owners or marketers of consumer brands,
we sell the opportunity to place their products as prizes or rewards in selected on-line games, media or content and we share
a certain percentage of the gross receipts we receive from such customers with the owners of the media in which the prizes or
rewards are offered. Our current agreements with the owners or marketers of consumer brands provide that we are paid a fee to
place their ads in content, the amount of which is based either on the number of ads placed or upon the performance of those ads
relative to the brand’s goals.
To
content creators, owners and platforms, which currently include primarily video game developers and computer hardware manufacturers,
we sell the opportunity to include our proprietary platform in their content or hardware and to use such platform as a basis for
selling advertising to popular consumer brands. We also sell any engineering and consulting services to support the integration
of our platform, including any custom development efforts that might be required. To date, our revenues have principally come
from these customization and integration services. Our current agreements with content or game owners, including HP, Kast and
Animoca Brands, provide that from 50% to 60% of advertising revenue will be kept by, or shared with, the publisher or developer,
with the remaining 50% to 40% of gross receipts belonging to us. HP, our largest customer during the years ended December 31,
2020, 2019, and 2018 installs our platform in its OMEN and Pavilion brands of personal computers that are manufactured primarily
for gamers and general use as a means of increasing usage and desirability of those computers by consumers.
Our
platform allows consumers to become active advertising participants by seeking to claim the brand’s prizes or rewards as
victories won through interactions with a variety of media experiences. Users are no longer “just” winning a game
or streaming their favorite film. These interactions now bestow bragging rights on the consumers that extend past the media’s
original purpose, resulting in winning real world goods and gaining access to experiences.
According
to a 2018 study by the University of California, Los Angeles Center for Management of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment and Sports,
the introduction of rewards benefits content providers, brands and players in the following perspectives, leading to:
|
●
|
97%
higher satisfaction while interacting with a virtual entertainment experience (i.e.,
video games);
|
|
●
|
10%
increase in audience - 10% of players are new players, downloading the game for the first
time because of prizes; and
|
|
●
|
4+
hours of additional engagement per week.
|
Our
technology facilitates advertising as a narrative, not as a distraction. By creating an environment that makes brands part of
a desired experience - winning prizes or rewards - we empower content providers and brands to engage consumers more effectively
and for more extended periods of time.
Our
Strengths
While
we believe our overall value is generated from our ability to directly increase player and viewer engagement, we see the following
as our core strengths:
|
●
|
Choice
and Earned-Rewards is a Better Model for Players. While we sell our ad units
to agencies, brands and companies that seek to reach media players and viewers, our primary
goal will always be to make games and media experiences more fun. Our objective is to
build ad units that do not increase viewer/player churn, but in fact increase player
engagement. We believe our focus on how the player views the experience - offering them
choice and an opportunity to both earn the reward and achieve the gratification of a
successful win - will be the key differentiator in the in-game and in-app advertising
market. While other competitors in the advertising industry may have more reach at the
moment, we believe the increasing numbers of players who want the superior experience
of rewards rather than banner ads, commercials and un-skippable videos will ultimately
win out.
|
|
●
|
Our
Team is Diverse, Accomplished and Effective. We have brought together experts
in the game industry, software development, advertising, product design and development,
and corporate finance. Our Executive Chair, Keyvan Peymani, was the Head of Startup Marketing
for Amazon Web Services, and our advisory board includes the former Vice President of
Revenue for Activision Blizzard, the Chief Executive Officer of Radley Media, and a number
of veterans of the global gaming industry. Our designers and engineers have built hundreds
of successful products from games and apps, including the NFL.com fantasy football platform.
We are curious, creative, community-oriented problem solvers who have come together to
make a world-class software solution. As a result, we have won multiple awards as one
of the best places to work in Los Angeles, and one of the best places to work anywhere
for millennial women. We are extremely proud of our team and our culture. We believe
it allows us to hire, retain, promote and develop the very best talent.
|
|
●
|
Our
Technology is Robust, Scalable and Flexible. We have architected a platform that
will allow any content publisher to integrate real-world prizes into their system, and
allow any brand or agency to place their products, discounts, codes and coupons into
an earned-rewards framework. We have software development kits that are compatible with
millions of games, and apps, as well as ways to work with iOS and Android devices, PCs,
consoles, Apple TVs, and other peripherals. The back end of our platform is built in
Elixir by some of the world-experts in that language. The Elixir back end allows the
type of massively scalable system that will be required for AAA games and app partners
with millions of users. The strengths of the code base are its ability to manage huge
numbers of concurrent users with localized failure - such that if there is an issue with
a single player’s match it does not affect larger portions of the system. We can
add new features, new games, entire new verticals easily. We can also adapt to changing
regulatory environments around prizing, sweepstakes, privacy and other issues by managing
our geofencing for where any given prize is offered. Our Dynamic Regulatory Compliance
system is the direct result of years of thoughtful system architecture and development
- an achievement that we believe sets us apart from competitors.
|
|
●
|
Our
IP portfolio is Strong and Growing. We have been issued two key patents from
the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) with dozens of granted claims around how
to offer players prizes in-game at scale. We have been awarded claims covering how to
maintain and promote competitive balance in multiplayer games, how to use multi-factor
tests to serve up only relevant prizing on a per-player basis, how to use a player’s
location, game, and age to determine eligibility for certain kinds of prizes in certain
kinds of single player games, competitive games, tournaments, synchronous and asynchronous
matches. We have several other patent filings in various stages at the USPTO and we are
working with our technology and legal teams to develop new and defensible IP in this
space. We want to be the only real solution for global in-game and in-app rewards.
|
|
●
|
The
Support of Our Partners Helps US Grow. Our rewards platform is currently deployed
in all HP OMEN and HP Pavilion Gaming laptops and desktop computers in the U.S., and
we launched our platform in China with HP in August 2020. Our multi-year agreement with
HP is to bring rewards to all their players worldwide as a way to differentiate HP hardware
and to engage with a massive global audience. Beyond HP, we are also partnered with Animoca
Brands, a developer of games that have been downloaded hundreds of millions of times.
We have also partnered with Ludare, a licensed mobile game developer that makes licensed
games for titles in the Men in Black series. Beyond gaming, we are working with
Kast, a video sharing application with millions of viewers, and are developing partnerships
in the fitness/health and wellness industries. As we grow our user base, we believe we
will become more desirable for brand and advertising partners and we expect to increase
our transactional revenues exponentially while staying on a capital-efficient low-cost
trajectory.
|
Our
Growth Strategy
While
other forms of advertising technology focus mostly upon increasing monetization only for the advertiser, we believe we change
the universe of beneficiaries significantly. Our approach creates simultaneous wins for content providers, brands and consumers.
We believe today’s audiences not only seek engagement, but are also consummate purveyors of media, with no shortage of content
choice. We recognize that keeping engagement high is the key to changing the negative association of traditional media advertising.
By creating a prizing opportunity, brand introductions mean a chance to win rather than switching to another tab, source or device
while waiting for selected content to return.
Our
growth strategy can really be summarized into three areas: grow the audience, grow the prize provider pool, and then constantly
iterate and improve.
The
key elements of our long-term growth strategy include:
|
●
|
Increase
Applications and Verticals. To grow our user base, we will seek to increase the
number of games, applications and content providers that have integrated our platform
across an increasing number of industries. Part of that process will involve making our
platform easier to integrate into the wide variety of media, which we are doing, but
the rest is putting our value proposition in front of a larger group of game and app
developers. Integrating into new categories and industries allows us a greater pool of
potential applications with which to integrate, and therefore a greater pool of potential
users. We intend to focus on gaming, streaming media, and health & wellness applications,
but may seek to expand to other verticals as opportunities arise. We believe this will
significantly grow our user base.
|
|
●
|
Integrate
into More Devices and Software Languages. Our platform is currently available
in applications running on laptops and desktops, as well as in mobile devices powered
by iOS and Android operating systems through a series of software development kits (SDKs)
which we have created. We strive to make our rewards platform available to, and compatible
with, all kinds of devices. The current engineering roadmap includes additional support
for the tens of millions of console gaming systems like the new Xbox and PlayStation
consoles. We are also developing features for a number of wearable devices that are in
the marketplace, which we believe will increase our user base in the health & wellness
vertical.
|
|
●
|
Develop
a Global Reach. The United States is one of the world’s largest gaming
markets, with nearly $37 billion in annual revenue according to a Newzoo 2020 Global
Games Report. We intend to deepen our penetration of the U.S. market. However, we believe
there is significant opportunity for expansion of our offerings into the rest of the
world, starting with Asia and Europe. In August 2020, our platform became available for
the first time in China, and we plan to expand in Asia and move into Europe in 2021.
Because our platform is built to optimize value for a player based on his or her location,
we believe we are uniquely positioned to offer location-specific rewards and prizes for
players all over the world. As we move into new geographies, we believe we will gain
new players and new brands and prize providers that can offer real, local value.
|
|
●
|
Add
More Prizing Partners. Increasing the number of prize providers - the largest
growth area for our company - and the one that will be the most lucrative - is at the
center of our growth strategy. We have built out a sales team and we are adding both
salespeople and sales assets to pursue both agencies and individual vendors who may want
to use our platform to promote their businesses. At the same time, we are also working
to make our tools easier for prizing partners to use - including building functionality
for businesses that use e-commerce platforms such as the Shopify platform, and for others
who want to self-direct their prizing campaigns.
|
|
●
|
Constantly
Improve Outcomes. We are dedicated to improving the quality of the outcomes for
our partners. We have developed a number of tools to evaluate the efficacy of each advertising
campaign, and part of our value to our brand partners is providing them with anonymized
but actionable information on each of their campaigns on our platform. Our analytics
are focused on response rates, transaction rates, customer acquisition cost, and many
other aspects of the step-by-step funnel from activation to registration, all the way
through to lifetime customer value. We continually review outcomes and if there is a
way to improve the transaction rate - to get winners, players or viewers to engage with
our brand partners while retaining our core goal of making the media more fun - then
we will make the necessary changes to improve those outcomes. This core tenet of our
approach requires dedication to research, player and user outreach, surveys, and constant
design improvements. We believe this strategy will produce yields in loyalty, affinity
and Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) for our partners, which will drive future growth.
|
|
●
|
Grow
Revenues and Market Share. We are always looking for opportunities to grow through
selective acquisitions and while much of our current roadmap is devoted to organic growth,
we are also aware of a number of potential partnerships through which we may gain market
share through inorganic growth via selective acquisition. Performance marketing is a
growing field, as is interactive media advertising, and there may be opportunities to
grow our sales team, our service offerings or our reach through acquisition.
|
Our
Services
In
addition to licensing our prizing and rewards platform, we provide the following services to our partners and customers:
|
●
|
Design,
Development, and Platform Integration Services. Our patented platform can be
integrated into games and interactive media through a number of Software Development
Kits (SDKs), including SDKs for iOS, Android, Unity, C++ and others. We also work with
partners such as HP to develop bespoke instances of our rewards platform, as we did with
their OMEN Rewards system available inside OMEN Command Center in every HP OMEN and Pavilion
gaming desktop and laptop. We also offer professional design, development and platform
integration services to content partners who seek a more bespoke solution.
|
|
●
|
White-Label
Rewards Platforms. Our technology can be easily integrated into mobile apps to
track any behavior that a content, publishing, or health and fitness program partner
may want to incentivize. We can also white label and/or license technologies like our
stand-alone mobile app to enable partners to create an entire rewards ecosystem where
activities in one application earn rewards or discounts from another part of the same
company. For example, we can assist a partner in creating a mobile app that would allow
a consumer to earn movie tickets to a comic book movie for purchasing or reading the
online comic, or a consumer to earn discounts on in-stadium concessions or on team apparel
for playing a sports trivia game or for watching games live on his or her mobile device.
We work with content partners to create entire in-house rewards programs for their users
that promote cross-sales within a company, or new channels for the sale of licensed goods,
or new opportunities for event or brand sponsors. Our systems and applications can be
white labeled and sold as a rewards platform for those partners looking to increase engagement
and stickiness with their customers.
|
|
●
|
Advertising
services. In connection with the placement or licensing of our platform, we market
our services to brand partners to place their products, discounts or coupons into Versus-enabled
content so that users, viewers and players can earn those rewards for their in-game or
in-app behavior. When providing those services, we typically charge the brand only when
a player attempts to win one of the brand’s proffered prizes. However, in certain
cases may also charge on a cost-per-click (CPC), cost-per-engagement (CPE) or a cost
per acquisition (CPA) model.
|
Recent
Business Developments and Milestones
Within
the past two years, we have had the following milestones occur in support of our company’s growth strategy:
Strategic
Partnership with Frias Agency
On
March 5, 2021, we entered into a Strategic Cooperation Agreement with Frias Agency pursuant to which our technology platform may
be offered to clients of Frias, such as Corona, Cerveza Modelo, Cerveza Pacifico, Crush, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, Blue Chair Bay,
and Casa Noble. Frias also works with major athletes like Canelo Alvarez and sports promoters like Matchroom Boxing and Premier
Boxing Champions. The Versus partnership with Frias expects to extend prizing into live sporting events starting Summer 2021 for
soccer, boxing, wrestling and MMA, as well as live music festivals and tours.
Master
Services Agreement with Xcite Interactive.
On
February 17, 2021, we entered into a Master Services Agreement with Xcite Interactive pursuant to which our prizing platform will
be added to the Xeo Platform, a second-screen engagement tool used by producers of live events such as the NFL, NBA, NHL, ML,
and NCAA, as well as the Olympics, the World Cup, X-Games, Formula1 and corporate events around the world, to incentivize audiences
to play live predictive, polling and trivia games, either at-home, in-stadium or in-venue, before or during the live event. We
estimate that the products we co-develop with Xcite Interactive will be available in the second quarter of 2021.
BTC
Studios Integration Agreement for European Games Developer
On
October 14, 2020, we entered into an agreement with BTC Studios, a European games developer and publisher focused on family-friendly
mobile games, to bring our proprietary in-app rewards technology to BTC’s free-to-play and family-friendly puzzle game,
“Taffy: Feed The Kitty.”
China
Launch with HP OMEN and Pavilion
On
August 24, 2020, we launched our platform in China. It is available as OMEN Rewards on HP’s OMEN and Pavilion computers.
ePlay
Digital Health and Wellness Application
On
August 10, 2020, we announced an agreement with ePlay Digital to bring our proprietary in-app rewards technology to ePlay’s
health and wellness applications and platforms. With ePlay, we expand into the global wellness market, valued at over $4 trillion
according to the Global Wellness Institute. ePlay’s catalog of health, wellness and personal improvement applications further
diversifies our content offerings for reward partners in video content platforms and lifestyle mobile applications.
Animoca
Brands
On
April 9, 2020, we announced an agreement with Animoca Brands to bring our proprietary in-game rewards technology to mobile games
developed by Animoca Brands. We are currently working with Animoca Brands to integrate real-world rewards into its mobile properties.
We have already negotiated a share swap and investment program, announced in August 2019, and have continued to expand upon that
relationship in 2020. Animoca Brands leverages gamification, blockchain and artificial intelligence technologies to develop and
publish a broad portfolio of mobile products. Animoca Brands has operations in Hong Kong, Canada, Finland and Argentina.
iClick
Interactive Agreement
On
December 9, 2019, we entered into a commission sales agreement with iClick Interactive to collaborate and bring our technology
to iClick’s customer base in China. iClick is an independent online marketing and enterprise data solution provider in China
that expertly connects brands to consumers in China with omnichannel, integrated, cross-platform and cross-screen advertising,
leveraging its over 800 million Chinese consumers’ datasets.
As
discussed above, we first launched our platform in China in August 2020 and are currently testing that platform for technical,
business and user interface and design issues. We anticipate a larger and more comprehensive launch of our platform in China during
the first half of 2021, following which we expect to begin generating revenues from our iClick relationship as brands introduced
by iClick begin using our platform to reach consumers by offering in-game prizing and rewards.
HP
Omen Rewards Launch
In
March 2019, Versus LLC entered into a Software License, Marketing and Linking Agreement with HP (the “HP Agreement”)
to provide for, among other matters, the agreement of HP to include a customized HP-branded version of our in-game prizing and
rewards platform as a pre-installed software program in all of HP’s OMEN and Pavilion brand personal computers that are
sold throughout the world. Please see our discussion of the HP Agreement under Item 10.C Material Contracts.
Sales
and Marketing
Our
sales and marketing organizations work together closely to drive market awareness, build a strong sales pipeline and cultivate
customer relationships to drive revenue growth.
Sales.
We primarily sell access to our platform and service offerings through our direct sales organization, which is comprised
of inside sales and field sales professionals who are segmented by industry. Our direct sales organization also leverages our
network of channel partners to expand our reach to additional sectors and industries, especially internationally. Our resellers
market and sell our offerings throughout the U.S. and provide a go-to-market channel in regions in which we do not have a direct
presence.
Once
a sale is made, our sales team leverages our land-and-expand model to generate incremental revenues through increased levels of
adoption of our platform by our customers. To drive such expansion in our existing customers, our direct sales team works closely
with our accounts team, sales engineers and creative services team to ensure customer success.
Marketing.
We focus our marketing efforts on building our brand reputation, increasing the awareness of our platform, and driving customer
demand through campaigns that leverage our innovation, thought leadership, technical resources and customer success stories. We
use various marketing strategies to engage with prospective customers, including email marketing, digital advertising, public
relations, search engine optimization, social media, and thought leadership in the industry. Our technical leaders also frequently
speak as subject matter experts at market-leading developer events, such as ElixirConf.
Research
and Development
Our
research and development team consists of technical engineering, product management, and user experience, and is responsible for
the design, architecture, creation, and quality of our platform. We invest substantial resources in research and development to
enhance our platform features and functionalities and expand the services we offer. We believe the timely development of new,
and the enhancement of our existing, services and platform features is essential to maintaining our competitive position, and
we continually incorporate suggestions, feedback and new use cases from our community and customers into our platform. Our research
and development team works closely with our technical operations team to ensure the successful deployment and monitoring of our
platform to provide a platform that is available, reliable and stable, as well as with our customer success team to collect user
feedback to enhance our development process. We utilize an agile development process to deliver numerous software releases each
year and hundreds of minor releases, fixes and updates.
Competition
Advertising
in interactive media is a highly competitive business, characterized by increasing product introductions and rapidly-emerging
new platforms and technologies. With respect to competing for customers for our platform, we will compete primarily on the basis
of functionality, quality, brand and customer reviews. We will compete for platform placement based on these factors, as well
as our relationship with the content owner, historical performance, perception of sales potential and relationships with owners
and licensors of brands, properties and other content.
We
believe that our small size will provide us a competitive edge in the near term and allow us to make quick decisions as to product
development to take advantage of customer preferences at a particular point in time.
With
respect to our prizing and rewards platform, we compete with a continually increasing number of companies, including industry
leaders such as TapJoy and Otello. We could also face increased competition if large companies with significant online presences,
such as Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook or Yahoo, choose to enter or expand into the prizing or rewards space or develop competing
platforms.
In
addition, given the open nature of the development and distribution for smartphones and tablets, we also compete or will compete
with a vast number of small companies and individuals in all of our segments who are able to create and launch software programs
and platforms for these devices using relatively limited resources and with relatively limited start-up time or expertise.
Most
of our competitors and our potential competitors have one or more advantages over us, including:
|
●
|
significantly
greater financial and personnel resources;
|
|
●
|
stronger
brand and consumer recognition;
|
|
●
|
the
capacity to leverage their marketing expenditures across a broader portfolio of mobile
and non-mobile products;
|
|
●
|
more
substantial intellectual property of their own;
|
|
●
|
lower
labor and development costs and better overall economies of scale; and
|
|
●
|
broader
distribution and presence.
|
Government
Regulation
We
are involved in a variety of areas that are subject to governmental oversight. While we have developed a flexible platform designed
to adjust to a changing legal and regulatory landscape, there are a number of areas where federal, state and international law
could force us to make significant adjustments to our strategies and deployment efforts. As such, as with many companies in both
the software and advertising spaces, there are risks associated with the potential impacts of government regulation.
As
a company that facilitates the distribution of real-world prizes for in-game and online activities, we are, in some cases and
for some campaigns, subject to laws that surround sweepstakes, contests, and games of skill. While we use best efforts to ensure
that all contests are compliant with federal, state, and local laws pertaining to the game type, contest type, prize type, and
the eligibility of individual players, among other concerns, we are subject to those regulations and those regulations may change.
We have filed patents, and have been granted certain patent claims, protecting our ability to use player characteristics like
player location, player age, and contest type to adjust eligibility in specific contests with the intent of providing dynamic
regulatory compliance. We also have also designed the platform to make it possible to expeditiously cease providing prizes in
certain jurisdictions, or cease offering certain types of contests, such as sweepstakes or other contest types, if that becomes
necessary. If necessary, we can make these changes without interruption to our campaigns and contests in other jurisdictions.
Certain
of our campaigns and contests may be subject to laws and regulations applicable to companies engaged in skill-based contests.
As we partner with our brand and content partners to offer prizes that players may earn as a result of their in-game activities,
we may be subject in some cases to the federal Deceptive Mail Prevention and Enforcement Act as well as certain state prize, gift,
or sweepstakes statutes that may apply to certain experiences that we or our customers and partners may run from time to time.
Our system does allow us to adjust terms of service to account for this and other acts. We may also choose not to offer certain
campaigns, contests or prizes in certain areas because of these regulations.
In
addition, certain states prohibit, restrict, or regulate contests in a number of ways, particularly with respect to payment of
entry fees, and the size, value, and/or source of prizes to participants in such contests. Certain other states require companies
to register and/or insure certain types of contests. While we do not typically require entry fees or consideration of any type
from our players, and thus based on legal research conducted, are not subject to these regulations in most cases, we do remain
conscious of these regulations. We may choose to not offer certain prizes or certain contests in certain areas due to these regulations.
We can do so without interruption to other services and other jurisdictions. While at this time, our operations are not subject
to certain regulations, for example the pay-to-play regulations, given that our platform is free-to-play, we are conscious that
because the nature of our services is relatively new and is rapidly evolving, we may not be able to accurately predict which regulations
will be applied to our business. We may also at some point become subject to new or amended regulations.
Further,
our online in-game prizing and rewards platform, which may be integrated into games whose player bases include individuals ranging
from elementary school age children to adults, is subject to laws and regulations relating to privacy and child protection. Through
our applications and online platform, we, and the content creators, owners and platform owners that incorporate our proprietary
platform into their media or hardware, may monitor and collect certain information about child users of these games and forums.
A variety of laws and regulations have been adopted in recent years aimed at protecting children using the internet, such as the
Federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA). COPPA sets forth, among other things, a number of restrictions
related to what information may be collected with respect to children under the age of 13, as the kinds of content that website
operators may present to children under such age. There are also a variety of laws and regulations governing individual privacy
and the protection and use of information collected from individuals, particularly in relation to an individual’s personally
identifiable information (e.g., credit card numbers). We currently employ multiple measures to ensure that we are COPPA-compliant.
We screen for age at registration, we address the issue in our terms of service, and we employ a kick-out procedure during member
registration whereby anyone identifying themselves as being under the age of 13 during the process may not register for a player
account on our website or participate in any of our online experiences or tournaments without linking their account to that of
a parent or guardian.
In
the area of information security and data protection, many states have passed laws requiring notification to users when there
is a security breach for personal data, such as the 2002 amendment to California’s Information Practices Act, or requiring
the adoption of minimum information security standards that are often vaguely defined and difficult to implement. And while we
believe that we are currently in compliance with these and other data protection regulations, including the privacy regulations
set out below, the costs of compliance with these laws may increase in the future as a result of changes in interpretation. Furthermore,
any failure on our part to comply with these laws may subject us to significant liabilities.
We
are also subject to federal, state and foreign laws regarding privacy and protection of our users’ personal information
and related data, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which took effect in January 2020, providing California
residents increased privacy rights and protections, including the ability to opt out of sales of their personal information; and
we are subject to the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which took effect in May 2018 and
established requirements applicable to the handling of personal information of EU residents. The CCPA may increase our compliance
costs and exposure to liability. Other U.S. states are considering adopting similar laws.
We
post our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy on our website where we set forth our practices concerning the use, transmission
and disclosure of player data. We also require players to agree to these terms when they register for our service. Our failure
to comply with our posted privacy policy or privacy related laws and regulations could result in proceedings against us by governmental
authorities or others, which could damage our reputation and business. In addition, the interpretation of data protection laws,
and their application to the Internet is evolving and not settled. There is a risk that these laws may be interpreted and applied
in an inconsistent manner by various states, countries and areas of the world where our users are located, and in a manner that
is not consistent with our current data protection practices. Complying with these varying national and international requirements
could cause us to incur additional costs and change our business practices. Further, any failure by us to adequately protect our
users’ privacy and data could result in a loss of player confidence in our services and ultimately in a loss of players,
which could adversely impact our business.
Based
on legal research conducted, we believe we are currently in compliance with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations
related to our business. We continually monitor our activity and changes in such laws in order to ensure, to the best extent possible,
that we remain in compliance with such laws. State and federal regulation of internet-based activity, including online prizing
and rewards, is evolving and there can be no assurance that future legislation, regulation, judicial decisions, US Attorney, or
state attorney general actions will not restrict or prohibit activities such as those made possible by our platform. Such regulation
would have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.
Organizational
Structure
The
following chart reflects our organizational structure (including the jurisdiction of formation or incorporation of the various
entities):
Name of Subsidiary
|
|
Country of Incorporation
|
|
Proportion of Ownership Interest
|
|
Versus Systems (Holdco), Inc.
|
|
United States of America
|
|
|
66.8
|
%
|
Versus Systems UK, Ltd
|
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|
66.8
|
%
|
Versus, LLC
|
|
United States of America
|
|
|
66.8
|
%
|
Property,
Plants and Equipment
Our
principal executive offices are located at 1620 West 8th Avenue, Suite 302, Vancouver, BC V6J 1V4 Canada and our principal offices
in the United States are located at 6701 Center Drive West, Suite 480, Los Angeles, CA 90045. All of the facilities are leased.
We believe our facilities are adequate for our current needs and we do not believe we will encounter any difficulty in extending
the terms of the leases by which we occupy our respective premises. A summary description of our material, tangible fixed assets,
including facilities leases follows:
Office
|
|
Address
|
|
Rental Term
|
|
Space
|
U.S. Corporate Office
|
|
6701 Center Drive West, Suite 480, Los Angeles, CA 90045
|
|
5 year lease, ending in 2023
|
|
5,029 sq. ft.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Canadian Corporate Office
|
|
1558 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6G 3J4
|
|
6 year agreement, ending in 2021
|
|
300 sq. ft.
|
Legal
Proceedings
As
of the date hereof, we are not a party to any material legal or administrative proceedings. There are no proceedings in which
any of our directors, executive officers or affiliates, or any registered or beneficial stockholder, is an adverse party or has
a material interest adverse to our interest. We may from time to time be subject to various legal or administrative claims and
proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. Litigation or any other legal or administrative proceeding, regardless
of the outcome, is likely to result in substantial cost and diversion of our resources, including our management’s time
and attention.
MANAGEMENT
Management
and Board of Directors
The
following table sets forth the names and ages of the members of our board of directors and our executive officers and the positions
held by each. Our board of directors elects our executive officers annually by majority vote. Each director’s term continues
until his or her successor is elected or qualified at the next annual meeting, unless such director earlier resigns or is removed.
Name
|
|
Age
|
|
Positions and Offices
|
Matthew Pierce
|
|
43
|
|
Director and Chief Executive Officer
|
Craig Finster
|
|
44
|
|
President and Chief Financial Officer
|
Alex Peachey
|
|
46
|
|
Chief Technology Officer
|
Amanda Armour
|
|
40
|
|
Chief People Officer
|
Keyvan Peymani
|
|
44
|
|
Chairman of the Board of Directors
|
Brian Tingle
|
|
48
|
|
Independent Director
|
Michelle Gahagan
|
|
62
|
|
Independent Director
|
Paul Vlasic
|
|
50
|
|
Independent Director
|
Jennifer Prince
|
|
48
|
|
Independent Director
|
The
following is information about the experience and attributes of the members of our board of directors and senior executive officers as
of the date of this prospectus. The experience and attributes of our directors discussed below provide the reasons that these individuals
were selected for board membership, as well as why they continue to serve in such positions.
Matthew
Pierce, 43, was the Founder of Versus LLC and joined our company as Chief Executive Officer and a director in 2016. Mr. Pierce
has over 20 years of experience working in entertainment and technology. Prior to founding Versus Systems, Mr. Pierce founded
in June 2014 and was until June 2016 the chief executive officer of OLabs, LLC, a technology incubator that founded Versus. From
April 2011 to June 2014, Mr. Pierce was Vice President of Strategy at Originate Inc., a business incubator where he worked with
early-stage technology companies. Since 2014, Mr. Pierce has been a Lecturer at the University of California, Los Angeles, or
UCLA, Anderson School of Management and in the Economics department at UCLA, where he teaches entrepreneurship. Mr. Pierce is
a graduate of Stanford University and earned his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Craig
Finster, 44, joined our company as Chief Financial Officer in 2016 and additionally as President in 2019. Mr. Finster has
over 20 years of experience in finance, accounting, and corporate development for technology companies. Between April 2010 and
March 2019, Mr. Finster worked at Originate, Inc. in a variety of roles, including Sr. Vice President of Corporate Partnerships
and Managing Director of Originate’s Strategic Advisory Group, which focused on capital advisory for early and growth stage
companies. He received his bachelor’s degrees in economics and finance from the University of Arizona and his MBA from the
UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Alex
Peachey, 46, joined our company as Chief Technology Officer in May 2016. Mr. Peachey leads the architecture efforts for our
Elixir-based Winfinite challenge platform. Prior to joining us, Mr. Peachey founded Threadbias LLC in January 2011, an online
community for people who love to sew and wish to exchange ideas, share projects and join or create groups. He continues to serve
as their CEO. From February 2012 to May 2016, Mr. Peachey served the Director of Engineering at Originate, Inc., where he managed
a team of software engineers. He holds a BS in Computer Science from Western Washington University and an MBA from the University
of Washington.
Amanda
Armour, 40, joined our company in November 2016 and as Chief People Officer in 2021. Her work includes creating and implementing
operations, hiring, and organization efforts for the inaugural 2016 Cedar Sinai-Techstars partnership and resulting technology companies,
joining the Board of the Digital Diversity Network in 2019, and sitting on the Advisory Board of Aeras Fog, a drone technology company
that began operations in 2020. From 2012 through 2016, Ms. Armour led several NIH and Robert Wood Johnson-sponsored national research
teams focused on initiatives concerning organizational behavior, ingroup establishment, and motivation of group buy-in as they relate
to public health measures and medical access equity. Ms. Armour has a BS in Psychology and a BS in Biology with concentrations in Neuroscience
from Northwestern University, which includes a Fellowship in Public Health at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in
Santiago, Chile. She holds an MS in Social Psychology from Yale University, and served as a Distinguished Fellow in Political Psychology
at Stanford University.
Keyvan
Peymani, 44, joined our company as a director in 2016. Mr. Peymani is a veteran senior executive and leader working at the
intersection of technology, media, and venture capital. From March 2017 to January 2019, Mr. Peymani served as the Head of Startup
Marketing for Amazon Web Services where he was responsible for the global marketing strategy. Since January 2016, he has been
serving as a Venture Partner and Senior Advisor to Touchdown Ventures, a venture capital firm pairing with several leading corporations
to establish and manage their platforms. From June 2012 to February 2016, Mr. Peymani served as the Managing Director, Digital
Strategy Division at ICM Partners, one of the world’s largest talent and literary agencies, and was the firm’s chief
digital executive, reporting to the Executive Board. Mr. Peymani has a BA in Religious Studies and a BA in Neurobiology with concentrations
in Neuroscience from Northwestern University. He holds an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Brian
Tingle, 48, joined our company as a director in 2016. Mr. Tingle began his career in the Canadian banking sector, and has
been involved in the capital markets for the past 20 years as an advisor. In April 1996, Mr. Tingle founded and has since been
serving as the President of Tingle Resource Management, a consulting firm which specializes in advising board members in capital
markets and finance. Since January 2017, Mr. Tingle has been serving as a director at Cellstop Systems, a Canadian cell company
involved in mining. From 2011 to December 2018, he also served as a director at Torch River Farms, a private company that owned
and operated farmland in Canada. Mr. Tingle graduated from University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Commerce with a major
in Finance and a minor in Accounting.
Michelle
Gahagan, 62, joined our company as a director in 2016. Since May 2006, Ms. Gahagan has been serving as the Managing Director
of Intrepid Financial, a privately-held merchant bank based in Vancouver, British Columbia and London, England. In August 2014,
Ms. Gahagan founded and has since been serving as a director of France Bike Rentals, a large bike rental business with over 500
rental bikes and over 2,500 annual reservations. Since January 2018, Ms. Gahagan has been serving as the Board Chair of Canadian
Palladium Resources, an exploration company specializing in palladium and cobalt projects. From February 2016 to June 2018, she
also served as a director at US Cobalt Inc., a Canadian-based company focused on the exploration of cobalt assets in the Idaho
cobalt belt. Ms. Gahagan graduated from Queens University Law School and practiced corporate law for 20 years. Ms. Gahagan has
extensive experience advising companies with respect to international tax-driven structures, mergers and acquisitions.
Paul
Vlasic, 50, joined our company as a director in 2016. Mr. Vlasic currently serves as Chairman at the Vlasic Group, a family
office with diversified holdings. He has been involved there since August 1986 and participates in all asset allocation, investment
decisions and long-term strategic planning. He is a Founding Partner at RSVP Ventures and has been working there since March 2008.
RSVP Ventures specializes in investing in early stage businesses supporting entrepreneurs and their ideas, turning them into market-leading
companies. He also founded Amplifinity, LLC in February 2009 and served as the CEO and Chairman of the board of directors until
its sale in August 2019. Amplifinity provided its clients a software-as-a-service solution that permitted them to efficiently
launch and manage marketing campaigns to generate referrals, reviews, and testimonials at scale, capturing leads and tracking
the performance of those leads within CRM platforms. Mr. Vlasic serves as Chairman of four craft spirit brands, Papa’s Pilar
Rum, Suerte Tequila, Treaty Oak Whiskey, and Waterloo Gin. Mr. Vlasic also serves on multiple boards within the Henry Ford Health
System and is the past Chairman of the University of Michigan College of Engineering’s Center for Entrepreneurship. He is
a graduate of Rollins College and earned his MBA with Distinction from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
Jennifer Prince, 48,
joined our company as a director in 2021. Ms. Prince currently serves as global VP and head of content partnerships for
Twitter, and leads the social network’s worldwide efforts engaging with media entities and individual creators across TV, film,
music, sports, news, lifestyle and gaming. She has served in a variety of senior roles since joining Twitter in August 2013 focused on
client and partner solutions. From 2011 to 2013, Prince was head of industry for film and television at Google and YouTube. From
2007 to 2011, she was SVP of advertising at Demand Media.
Board
Composition and Structure; Director Independence
Our
business and affairs are managed under the direction of our board of directors. Our board of directors currently consists of five
members. The term of office for each director will be until his or her successor is elected at our annual meeting or his or her
death, resignation or removal, whichever is earliest to occur.
While
we do not have a stand-alone diversity policy, in considering whether to recommend any director nominee, including candidates
recommended by shareholders, we believe that the backgrounds and qualifications of the directors, considered as a group, should
provide a significant mix of experience, knowledge and abilities that will allow our board of directors to fulfill its responsibilities.
As set forth in our corporate governance guidelines, when considering whether directors and nominees have the experience, qualifications,
attributes or skills, taken as a whole, to enable our board of directors to satisfy its oversight responsibilities effectively
in light of our business and structure, the board of directors focuses primarily on each person’s background and experience
as reflected in the information discussed in each of the directors’ individual biographies set forth above. We believe that
our directors and director nominees will provide an appropriate mix of experience and skills relevant to the size and nature of
our business.
Our
board of directors expects a culture of ethical business conduct. Our board of directors encourages each member to conduct a self-review
to determine if he or she is providing effective service with respect to both our company and our shareholders. Should it be determined
that a member of our board of directors is unable to effectively act in the best interests of our shareholders, such member would
be encouraged to resign.
Board
Leadership Structure
Our
articles and our corporate governance guidelines provide our board of directors with flexibility to combine or separate the positions
of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer in accordance with its determination that utilizing one or the other structure
is in the best interests of our company. Matthew Pierce currently serves as our Chief Executive Officer and Keyvan Peymani serves
as Chairman of the Board.
As
Chairman of the Board, Mr. Peymani’s key responsibilities will include facilitating communication between our board of directors
and management, assessing management’s performance, managing board members, preparation of the agenda for each board meeting,
acting as chair of board meetings and meetings of our company’s shareholders and managing relations with shareholders, other
stakeholders and the public.
We
will take steps to ensure that adequate structures and processes are in place to permit our board of directors to function independently
of management. The directors will be able to request at any time a meeting restricted to independent directors for the purposes
of discussing matters independently of management and are encouraged to do so should they feel that such a meeting is required.
Foreign
Private Issuer Status
Under
the Nasdaq Listing Rules, as a foreign private issuer, we may elect to follow our home country practice in lieu of the corporate
governance requirements of the Nasdaq Listing Rules, with the exception of those rules that are required to be followed pursuant
to the provisions of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. We have elected to follow Canadian practices in lieu of the requirements of the
Nasdaq Listing Rules to the extent permitted under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5615(a)(3). We follow Canadian corporate governance practices
in lieu of the corporate governance requirements of The Nasdaq Capital Market in respect of the quorum requirement for meetings
of our common shareholders as described below.
Committees
of our Board of Directors
The
standing committees of our board of directors consist of an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating and corporate
governance committee. Each of the committees reports to our board of directors as they deem appropriate and as our board may request.
Each committee of our board of directors has a committee charter that will set out the mandate of such committee, including the
responsibilities of the chair of such committee.
The
composition, duties and responsibilities of these committees are set forth below.
Audit
Committee
The
audit committee is responsible for, among other matters:
|
●
|
appointing,
retaining and evaluating our independent registered public accounting firm and approving
all services to be performed by them;
|
|
●
|
overseeing
our independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications, independence
and performance;
|
|
●
|
overseeing
the financial reporting process and discussing with management and our independent registered
public accounting firm the interim and annual financial statements that we file with
the SEC;
|
|
●
|
reviewing
and monitoring our accounting principles, accounting policies, financial and accounting
controls and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements;
|
|
●
|
establishing
procedures for the confidential anonymous submission of concerns regarding questionable
accounting, internal controls or auditing matters; and
|
|
●
|
reviewing
and approving related person transactions.
|
Our
audit committee consists of three of our directors, Brian Tingle, Paul Vlasic, and Michelle Gahagan, each of whom meets the definition
of “independent director” for purposes of serving on an audit committee under Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act and
Nasdaq listing rules. Mr. Tingle serves as chairman of our audit committee. Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Tingle
qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K under
the Securities Act. The written charter for our audit committee is available on our corporate website at www.versussystems.com.
The information on our website is not part of this prospectus.
Compensation
Committee
The
compensation committee is responsible for, among other matters:
|
●
|
reviewing
key employee compensation goals, policies, plans and programs;
|
|
●
|
reviewing
and approving the compensation of our directors, chief executive officer and other executive
officers;
|
|
●
|
producing
an annual report on executive compensation in accordance with the rules and regulations
promulgated by the SEC;
|
|
●
|
reviewing
and approving employment agreements and other similar arrangements between us and our
executive officers; and
|
|
●
|
administering
our stock plans and other incentive compensation plans.
|
Our
compensation committee consists of three of our directors, Messrs. Tingle, Vlasic and Ms. Gahagan, each of whom meets the definition
of “independent director” under the Nasdaq rules and the definition of non-employee director under Rule 16b-3 promulgated
under the Exchange Act. Mr. Tingle serves as chairman of our compensation committee. Our board of directors has adopted a written
charter for the compensation committee, which is available on our corporate website at www.versussystems.com. The information
on our website is not part of this prospectus.
Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee
Our
nominating and corporate governance committee will be responsible for, among other matters:
|
●
|
determining
the qualifications, qualities, skills and other expertise required to be a director and
developing and recommending to the board for its approval criteria to be considered in
selecting nominees for director;
|
|
●
|
identifying
and screening individuals qualified to become members of our board of directors, consistent
with criteria approved by our board of directors;
|
|
●
|
overseeing
the organization of our board of directors to discharge our board’s duties and
responsibilities properly and efficiently;
|
|
●
|
reviewing
the committee structure of the board of directors and the composition of such committees
and recommending directors to be appointed to each committee and committee chairmen;
|
|
●
|
identifying
best practices and recommending corporate governance principles; and
|
|
●
|
developing
and recommending to our board of directors a set of corporate governance guidelines and
principles applicable to us.
|
Our
nominating and corporate governance committee consists of three of our directors, Messrs. Tingle and Vlasic and Ms. Gahagan, each
of whom meets the definition of “independent director” under the Nasdaq rules. Ms. Gahagan serves as chairman of our
nominating and corporate governance committee. Our board of directors has adopted a written charter for the nominating and corporate
governance committee, which is available on our corporate website at www.versussystems.com. The information on our website
is not part of this prospectus.
Compensation
Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None
of our executive officers currently serves, or in the past fiscal year has served, as a member of the board of directors or compensation
committee of another entity that had one or more of its executive officers serving as a member of our board of directors or compensation
committee. None of the members of our compensation committee, when appointed, will have at any time been one of our officers or
employees.
Other
Committees
Our
board of directors may establish other committees as it deems necessary or appropriate from time to time.
Director
Term Limits
Our
board of directors has not adopted policies imposing an arbitrary term or retirement age limit in connection with individuals
serving as directors as it does not believe that such a limit is in the best interests of our company. Our nominating and corporate
governance committee will annually review the composition of our board of directors, including the age and tenure of individual
directors. Our board of directors will strive to achieve a balance between the desirability of its members having a depth of relevant
experience, on the one hand, and the need for renewal and new perspectives, on the other hand.
Risk
Oversight
Our
board of directors oversees the risk management activities designed and implemented by our management. Our board of directors
executes its oversight responsibility for risk management both directly and through its committees. The full board of directors
also considers specific risk topics, including risks associated with our strategic plan, business operations and capital structure.
In addition, our board of directors regularly receives detailed reports from members of our senior management and other personnel
that include assessments and potential mitigation of the risks and exposures involved with their respective areas of responsibility.
Our
board of directors has delegated to the audit committee oversight of our risk management process. Our other board committees also
consider and address risk as they perform their respective committee responsibilities. All committees report to the full board
of directors as appropriate, including when a matter rises to the level of a material or enterprise level risk.
Code
of Ethics
Our
board of directors has adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to all of our employees, including our chief executive officer, chief
financial officer and principal accounting officer. Our Code of Ethics will be available on our website at www.versussystems.com
by clicking on “Investors.” If we amend or grant a waiver of one or more of the provisions of our Code of Ethics,
we intend to disclose amendments to or waivers from provisions of our Code of Ethics that apply to our principal executive officer,
financial and accounting officers by posting the required information on our website at the above address within four business
days of such amendment or waiver. The information on our website is not part of this prospectus.
Our
board of directors, management and all employees of our company are committed to implementing and adhering to the Code of Ethics.
Therefore, it is up to each individual to comply with the Code of Ethics and to be in compliance of the Code of Ethics. If an
individual is concerned that there has been a violation of the Code of Ethics, he or she will be able to report in good faith
to his or her superior. While a record of such reports will be kept confidential by our company for the purposes of investigation,
the report may be made anonymously and no individual making such a report will be subject to any form of retribution.
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
Summary
Compensation Table
The
following table provides certain summary information concerning compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to the individuals
who served as our principal executive officer at any time during fiscal 2020 and 2019, and our two other most highly compensated
officers in fiscal 2020 and 2019. These individuals are referred to in this prospectus as the “named executive officers.”
The salaries and bonuses paid or earned by our executives were denominated in U.S. dollars and converted to Canadian dollars using
the exchange rate as of December 31, 2020 which was 1.28 Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar.
Summary
Compensation Table
Name and Principal Position
|
|
Year
|
|
|
Salary
($)
|
|
|
Bonus
($)
|
|
|
Stock
Awards
($)
|
|
|
Option
Awards
($)
|
|
|
All Other
Compensation
($)
|
|
|
Total
($)
|
|
Matthew Pierce
|
|
2020
|
|
|
$
|
204,800
|
|
|
$
|
51,200
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
40,786
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
296,786
|
|
Chief Executive Officer
|
|
2019
|
|
|
$
|
204,800
|
|
|
$
|
51,200
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
227,100
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
483,100
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Craig Finster
|
|
2020
|
|
|
$
|
204,800
|
|
|
$
|
51,200
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
73,586
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
329,586
|
|
President and Chief Financial Officer(1)
|
|
2019
|
|
|
$
|
145,066
|
|
|
$
|
51,200
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
246,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
442,266
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alex Peachey
|
|
2020
|
|
|
$
|
256,000
|
|
|
$
|
38,400
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
63,888
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
358,288
|
|
Chief Technology Officer
|
|
2019
|
|
|
$
|
217,600
|
|
|
$
|
30,720
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
227,100
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
475,420
|
|
(1)
|
Mr. Finster commenced
employment with our company on May 1, 2019.
|
Employment
Contracts and Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control
On
June 30, 2016, we entered into employment agreement with Matthew Pierce, our Chief Executive Officer, on May 1, 2019, we entered
into an employment agreement with Craig Finster, our President and Chief Financial Officer, and on April 20, 2020, we entered
into an employment agreement with Keyvan Peymani, our Executive Chairman of the Board. The original terms of the employment agreements
are two years, which shall be automatically renewed for one year upon expiration of the prior term unless either party provides
at least six-month notice to the other party that it does not wish to renew the agreement.
The
following is a summary of the compensation arrangements set forth in each employment agreement described above:
Executive
|
|
Title
|
|
|
Annual Base Salary
|
|
|
Annual Cash Bonus
|
|
|
Equity Compensation in Warrants (In Shares) (2)
|
|
|
Equity Compensation in Options (In Shares) (3)
|
|
Matthew Pierce
|
|
Chief Executive Officer
|
|
|
US$
|
160,000
|
|
|
(1)
|
|
|
|
441,190
|
|
|
|
176,500
|
|
Craig Finster
|
|
Chief Financial Officer
|
|
|
US$
|
160,000
|
|
|
(1)
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
6,250
|
|
Keyvan Peymani
|
|
Executive Chairman of the Board
|
|
|
US$
|
160,000
|
|
|
(1)
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
6,250
|
|
(1)
|
Each of the executive
officers receives an annual cash bonus of twenty-five percent (25%) of his base salary, and an annual performance cash bonus
in accordance with EBITDA achievement in the relevant fiscal year. In particular, each executive officer receives a bonus
equal to 50%, 100% or 200% of his base salary if we generate EBITDA of at least $1 million, $2 million or $4 million, respectively,
within the then current fiscal year. Each executive officer is also eligible for a discretionary cash bonus determined by
our board of directors.
|
(2)
|
Representing warrants
to purchase our common shares at $4.00 per share, which shall vest in accordance with the achievements of certain performance
milestones or service date.
|
(3)
|
The options vest
in three installments with one-third vesting immediately and one-third vesting on each of the first and second anniversaries
of the date of the employment agreement and have an exercise price of $3.36 per share.
|
If
the employment agreement is terminated for “good reason” as defined therein and we receive proper notice or if the
employment agreement is involuntarily terminated other than for “just cause” as defined therein, then we shall pay
the executive officer (i) any accrued benefits and (ii) a severance amount equal to the sum of (w) 12 months of his then-current
base salary; (x) his maximum discretionary bonus for the then-current fiscal year; (y) his annual bonus for the prior fiscal year;
and (z) his maximum performance cash bonus provided in the employment agreement for the then-current fiscal year. In addition,
in this circumstance, the executive’s equity compensation shall be fully and immediately vested and exercisable, as applicable.
If the employment agreement is terminated without good cause, then the executive officer shall receive his accrued benefits, the
prorate bonus and the performance cash bonus, if any, as of the termination date. Upon termination of this agreement, we will
pay the executive officer any lump sum payment due to him under his agreement within ten business days of the date of termination.
Equity
Incentive Plans
On
May 17, 2017, our board of directors adopted our 2017 Stock Option Plan, or the 2017 Plan, to provide an additional means to attract,
motivate, retain and reward selected employees and other eligible persons. Our stockholders approved the 2017 Plan on or about
June 29, 2017. Employees, officers, directors, advisors and consultants that provided services to us or one of our subsidiaries
are eligible to receive awards under the 2017 Plan. The total number of common shares that are at any time reserved for issuance
under the 2017 Plan and under all other management option plans and employee stock purchase plans, if any, cannot exceed in the
aggregate a number of common shares equal to 15% of the number of common shares issued and outstanding at that time. Options have
a maximum term of ten years and vesting is determined by our board of directors.
As
of March 31, 2021, stock option grants for the purchase of an aggregate of 1,578,152 common shares had been made under the 2017
Plan, and 284,321 of those stock options had been cancelled or exercised. As of that date, there remained 669,603 common shares
authorized under the 2017 Plan remained available for award purposes.
Our
board of directors may amend or terminate the 2017 Plan at any time, but no such action will affect any outstanding award in any
manner materially adverse to a participant without the consent of the participant.
The
following information is a brief description of the 2017 Plan, which is filed as an exhibit to this prospectus:
|
a)
|
Number of Shares:
At no time shall the number of common shares reserved for issuance to any one person pursuant to stock options granted under
the 2017 Plan or otherwise, unless permitted by regulatory authorities and by a vote of shareholders, exceed five (5%) percent
of the outstanding common shares in any 12-month period.
|
|
b)
|
Option Price:
The option price of a stock option granted under the 2017 Plan shall be fixed by our board of directors but shall be not less
than the Market Price of our common shares at the time the stock option is granted, or such lesser price as may be permitted
pursuant to the rules of any regulatory authority having jurisdiction over our common shares issued, which rules may include
provisions for certain discounts in respect to the option price. For the purpose of the 2017 Plan, the “Market Price”
at any date in respect of our common shares shall mean, subject to a minimum exercise price of $1.60 per option, the greater
of:
|
|
a.
|
the closing price
of our common shares on a stock exchange on which our common shares are listed and posted for trading or a quotation system
for a published market upon which the price of our common shares is quoted, as may be selected for such purpose by our board
of directors (the “Market”), on the last trading day prior to the date the stock option is granted; and
|
|
b.
|
the closing price
of our common shares on the Market on the date on which the stock option is granted. In the event that such shares did not
trade on such trading day, the Market Price shall be the average of the bid and ask prices in respect of such shares at the
close of trading on such trading day as reported thereof. In the event that our common shares are not listed and posted for
trading or quoted on any Market, the Market Price shall be the fair market value of such shares as determined by our board
of directors in its sole discretion.
|
|
c)
|
Reduction
in Option Price: The option price of a stock option granted under the 2017 Plan to an insider of our company (as that
term is defined in the Securities Act (British Columbia)) shall not be reduced without prior approval from the disinterested
shareholders of our company.
|
|
d)
|
Payment:
The full purchase price payable for shares under a stock option shall be paid in cash or certified funds upon the exercise
thereof. A holder of a stock option shall have none of the rights of a shareholder until the shares are paid for and issued.
|
|
e)
|
Term of Option:
Stock options may be granted under the 2017 Plan for a period not exceeding ten years.
|
|
f)
|
Vesting:
Unless our board of directors determines otherwise at its discretion, a stock option shall vest immediately upon being granted.
|
|
g)
|
Exercise
of Option: Except as specifically provided for in the 2017 Plan, no stock option may be exercised unless the optionee is at the time
of exercise an Eligible Person (as defined by the 2017 Plan). If the optionee is an employee or consultant, the optionee shall represent
to us that he or she is a bona fide employee or consultant of our company. The 2017 Plan shall not confer upon the optionee any right
with respect to continuation of employment by our company. Leave of absence approved by an officer of our company authorized to give
such approval shall not be considered an interruption of employment for any purpose of the 2017 Plan. Subject to the provisions of the
2017 Plan, a stock option may be exercised from time to time by delivery to us of written notice of exercise specifying the number of
shares with respect to which the stock option is being exercised and accompanied by payment in full, by cash or certified check, of the
purchase price of the shares then being purchased.
|
|
h)
|
Non-transferability
of Stock Option: No stock option shall be assignable or transferable by the optionee, except to a personal holding corporation
of the optionee, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.
|
|
i)
|
Applicable Laws
or Regulations: Our obligation to sell and deliver shares under each stock option is subject to our compliance with any
laws, rules and regulations of Canada and any provinces and/or territories thereof applying to the authorization, issuance,
listing or sale of securities and is also subject to the acceptance for listing of the shares which may be issued upon the
exercise thereof by each stock exchange upon which our common shares are then listed for trading.
|
|
j)
|
Termination of
Options. Unless the option agreement provides otherwise, all stock options will terminate:
|
|
a.
|
in the case of stock
options granted to an employee or consultant employed or retained to provide investment relations services, 30 days after
the optionee ceases to be employed or retained to provide investment relations services;
|
|
b.
|
in the case of stock
options granted to other employees, consultants, directors, officers or advisors, 90 days following
|
|
i.
|
our termination,
with or without cause, of the optionee’s employment or other relationship with our company or an affiliate of our company,
or
|
|
ii.
|
the termination
by the optionee of any such relationship with our company or an affiliate of our company;
|
|
iii.
|
or in the case of
death or permanent and total disability of the optionee, all stock options will terminate 12 months following the death or
permanent and total disability of the optionee, and the deceased optionee’s heirs or administrators may exercise all
or a portion of the stock option during that period.
|
Any
stock options granted under the 2017 Plan that are cancelled, terminated or expire will remain available for granting under the
2017 Plan at the current Market Price
|
k)
|
Amendments.
Subject to the approval of regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, our board of directors may from time to time amend
or revise the terms of the 2017 Plan, or may terminate the 2017 Plan at any time; provided, however, that no such action shall
adversely affect the rights of any optionee under any outstanding stock option without such optionee’s prior consent.
Upon the mutual consent of the optionee and our board of directors, the terms of an option agreement may be amended, subject
to regulatory approval and shareholder approval as may be required from time to time.
|
Outstanding
Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
The following table sets forth
outstanding equity awards to our named executive officers as of December 31, 2020:
|
|
Option Awards
|
|
|
|
|
Stock Awards
|
|
Name
|
|
Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Exercisable
|
|
|
Option
Exercise
Price
|
|
|
Option
Expiration Date
|
|
Number of
Shares or Units of Stock that have not Vested
|
|
|
Market Value of Shares of Units of Stock that have not Vested
|
|
Matthew Pierce
|
|
|
625
|
|
|
$
|
3.36
|
|
|
April 2, 2024
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Matthew Pierce
|
|
|
37,500
|
|
|
$
|
6.00
|
|
|
Sept 27, 2024
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Matthew Pierce
|
|
|
176,500
|
|
|
$
|
4.32
|
|
|
July 13, 2021
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Matthew Pierce
|
|
|
15,625
|
|
|
$
|
5.52
|
|
|
Sept 14, 2022
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Matthew Pierce
|
|
|
1,875
|
|
|
$
|
4.00
|
|
|
July 24, 2025
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Matthew Pierce
|
|
|
20,469
|
|
|
$
|
4.00
|
|
|
July 31, 2025
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Craig Finster
|
|
|
26,563
|
|
|
$
|
4.32
|
|
|
July 13, 2021
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Craig Finster
|
|
|
6,250
|
|
|
$
|
3.36
|
|
|
April 2, 2024
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Craig Finster
|
|
|
37,500
|
|
|
$
|
6.00
|
|
|
Sept 27, 2024
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Craig Finster
|
|
|
1,875
|
|
|
$
|
4.00
|
|
|
July 24, 2025
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Craig Finster
|
|
|
23,438
|
|
|
$
|
4.00
|
|
|
July 24, 2025
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Craig Finster
|
|
|
15,000
|
|
|
$
|
4.00
|
|
|
July 31, 2025
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Alex Peachey
|
|
|
37,500
|
|
|
$
|
6.00
|
|
|
Sept 27, 2024
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Alex Peachey
|
|
|
37,500
|
|
|
$
|
4.32
|
|
|
July 13, 2021
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Alex Peachey
|
|
|
1,875
|
|
|
$
|
4.00
|
|
|
July 24, 2025
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Alex Peachey
|
|
|
18,125
|
|
|
$
|
4.00
|
|
|
July 24, 2025
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Alex Peachey
|
|
|
625
|
|
|
$
|
3.36
|
|
|
April 2, 2024
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Alex Peachey
|
|
|
15,000
|
|
|
$
|
4.00
|
|
|
July 31, 2025
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Equity
Compensation Plan Information
The
following table provides information as of December 31, 2020, regarding our compensation plans under which equity securities are
authorized for issuance:
Plan category
|
|
Number of
Securities to
be Issued
Upon
Exercise of
Outstanding
Options, Warrants and Rights
|
|
|
Weighted-Average
Exercise
Price of
Outstanding
Options,
Warrants
and Rights
|
|
|
Number of Securities
Remaining
Available
for Future
Issuance
Under Equity
Compensation
Plans (Excluding
Securities
Reflected
in Column (a))
|
|
|
|
(a)
|
|
|
(b)
|
|
|
(c)
|
|
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders
|
|
|
1,293,831
|
|
|
$
|
4.71
|
|
|
|
669,603
|
|
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Total
|
|
|
1,293,831
|
|
|
$
|
4.71
|
|
|
|
669,603
|
|
DIRECTOR
COMPENSATION
All
directors hold office until the next annual meeting of shareholders at which their respective class of directors is re-elected
and until their successors have been duly elected and qualified. There are no family relationships among our directors or executive
officers. Officers are elected by and serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors. Directors do not receive any compensation
for their services other than the grant of stock options to purchase common shares.
The
following table shows option grants to our Directors as of March 31, 2021:
Name of Optionee
|
|
Position
|
|
|
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Options
|
|
|
Option
Exercise
Price
|
|
|
Option Expiry
Date
|
Brian Tingle
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
15,625
|
|
|
$
|
5.44
|
|
|
September 14, 2022
|
Brian Tingle
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
12,500
|
|
|
$
|
6.00
|
|
|
September 27, 2024
|
Brian Tingle
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
1,250
|
|
|
$
|
4.00
|
|
|
July 24, 2025
|
Brian Tingle
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
10,469
|
|
|
$
|
4.00
|
|
|
July 31, 2025
|
Michelle Gahagan
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
15,625
|
|
|
$
|
5.44
|
|
|
September 14, 2022
|
Michelle Gahagan
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
12,500
|
|
|
$
|
6.00
|
|
|
September 27, 2024
|
Michelle Gahagan
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
1,250
|
|
|
$
|
4.00
|
|
|
July 24, 2025
|
Michelle Gahagan
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
10,469
|
|
|
$
|
4.00
|
|
|
July 31, 2025
|
Paul Vlasic
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
15,625
|
|
|
$
|
5.44
|
|
|
September 14, 2022
|
Paul Vlasic
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
12,500
|
|
|
$
|
6.00
|
|
|
September 27, 2024
|
Paul Vlasic
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
1,250
|
|
|
$
|
4.00
|
|
|
July 24, 2025
|
Paul Vlasic
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
10,469
|
|
|
$
|
4.00
|
|
|
July 31, 2025
|
SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The
following table sets forth information relating to the beneficial ownership of our common shares as of March 31, 2021 by:
|
●
|
each person, or
group of affiliated persons, known by us to beneficially own 5% or more of our outstanding common shares;
|
|
●
|
each of our named
executive officers and members of our board of directors; and
|
|
●
|
all executive officers
and members of our board of directors as a group.
|
The
amounts and percentages of common shares beneficially owned are reported on the basis of regulations of the SEC governing the
determination of beneficial ownership of securities. Under the rules of the SEC, a person is deemed to be a “beneficial
owner” of a security if that person has or shares “voting power,” which includes the power to vote or to direct
the voting of such security, or “investment power,” which includes the power to dispose of or to direct the disposition
of such security. A person is also deemed to be a beneficial owner of any securities of which that person has a right to acquire
beneficial ownership within 60 days after March 31, 2021. Under these rules, more than one person may be deemed a beneficial owner
of the same securities and a person may be deemed a beneficial owner of securities as to which he has no economic interest. Except
as indicated by footnote, to our knowledge, the persons named in the table below have sole voting and investment power with respect
to all common shares shown as beneficially owned by them. None of our major shareholders have different voting rights than our
common shareholders.
In
the table below, the percentage of beneficial ownership of our common shares is based on 13,089,562 shares of our common shares
outstanding as of March 31, 2021. Unless otherwise noted below, the address of the persons listed on the table is c/o Versus Systems
Inc., 1558 West Hastings Street, Vancouver BC V6G 3J4 Canada.
Name of Beneficial Owner
|
|
Amount and
Nature of Beneficial
Ownership
|
|
|
Percentage of Shares Beneficially
Owned(1)
|
|
Named Executive Officers and Directors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Matthew Pierce(2)
|
|
|
703,778
|
|
|
|
5.2
|
|
Craig Finster(3)
|
|
|
67,012
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
Alex Peachey(4)
|
|
|
73,685
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
Keyvan Peymani(5)
|
|
|
231,981
|
|
|
|
1.8
|
|
Brian Tingle(6)
|
|
|
1,309,834
|
|
|
|
9.7
|
|
Michelle Gahagan(7)
|
|
|
44,342
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
Paul Vlasic(8)
|
|
|
524,373
|
|
|
|
4.0
|
|
Kelsey Chin(9)
|
|
|
154,665
|
|
|
|
1.2
|
|
Executive Officers and Directors as a Group (eight persons)
|
|
|
3,109,670
|
|
|
|
21.5
|
|
*
|
Indicates beneficial
ownership of less than 1% of the total outstanding common shares.
|
(1)
|
The percentages
in the table have been calculated on the basis of treating as outstanding for a particular person, all common shares outstanding
on March 31, 2021. On March 31, 2021, there were 13,089,562 common shares outstanding. To calculate a shareholder’s
percentage of beneficial ownership, we include in the numerator and denominator the common shares outstanding and all common
shares issuable to that person in the event of the exercise of outstanding options and other derivative securities owned by
that person that are exercisable within 60 days of March 31, 2021. Common share options and derivative securities held by
other shareholders are disregarded in this calculation. Therefore, the denominator used in calculating beneficial ownership
among our shareholders may differ. Unless we have indicated otherwise, each person named in the table has sole voting power
and sole investment power for the shares listed opposite such person’s name.
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(2)
|
Represents (i) 169,439
common shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding share purchase options, (ii) 171,608 shares as converted from Versus
Systems (Holdco), and (iii) 191,188 common shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants.
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(3)
|
Includes 66,700
common shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding share purchase options.
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(4)
|
Represents 73,685
common shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding share purchase options.
|
(5)
|
Includes 75,731
common shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding share purchase options and 78,125 common shares issuable upon the
exercise of outstanding warrants.
|
(6)
|
Includes 847,310
common shares, (ii) 31,842 common shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding share purchase options, and (iii) 430,682
common shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants.
|
(7)
|
Includes 31,842
common shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding share purchase options.
|
(8)
|
Includes 31,842
common shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding share purchase options.
|
(9)
|
Includes (i) 125,000
common shares, (ii) 22,790 common shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding share purchase options and (iii) 6,875
common shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants.
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CERTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
A
“related party transaction” is any actual or proposed transaction, arrangement or relationship or series of similar
transactions, arrangements or relationships, including those involving indebtedness not in the ordinary course of business, to
which we or our subsidiaries were or are a party, or in which we or our subsidiaries were or are a participant, in which the amount
involved exceeded or exceeds the lesser of (i) US$120,000 or (ii) one percent of the average of our total assets at year-end for
the last two completed fiscal years and in which any related party had or will have a direct or indirect material interest. A
“related party” includes:
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●
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any
person who is, or at any time during the applicable period was, one of our executive
officers or one of our directors;
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|
●
|
any
person who beneficially owns more than 5% of our common share;
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|
●
|
any
immediate family member of any of the foregoing; or
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|
●
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any
entity in which any of the foregoing is a partner or principal or in a similar position
or in which such person has a 10% or greater beneficial ownership interest.
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Other
than the transactions described below and the compensation arrangements for our named executive officers, which we describe above,
there were no related party transactions to which we were a party since the beginning of the Company’s last fiscal year,
or any currently proposed related party transaction.
At March 31, 2021, a total
of $205,154 was included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities owing to our officers, directors, or companies controlled by them
in respect of accrued bonuses, expenses payable and other reimbursable expenses. These amounts are unsecured and non-interest bearing.
At
December 31, 2020, a total of $757,265 was included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities owing to our officers, directors,
or companies controlled by them in respect of accrued bonuses, expenses payable and other reimbursable expenses. These amounts
are unsecured and non-interest bearing.
Between November 7, 2017 and December 31, 2020,
we borrowed an aggregate of $6,551,007 in 29 separate loan transactions from Brian Tingle, a director of our company. Each loan bears
interest at the prime rate of the Bank of Canada, which was 2.45% per annum and 3.95% per annum at December 31, 2020 and December 31,
2019, respectively, compounded annually and payable quarterly, and had a maturity date of three years from the date of the respective
loan. At December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the aggregate outstanding principal amounts of such loans was $5,735,820 and $5,470,000,
respectively. We made $336,000 in payments of principal or interest on such loans during year ended December 31, 2020 and none for the
year ended December 31, 2019. During the three month period ended March 31, 2021, the Company exchanged 215,341 shares of common stock
in exchange for a principal reduction of debt in the amount of $1,879,577 and $164,801 of accrued interest, and repaid $200,000 in principal.
Between October 18, 2018 and
December 31, 2020, we borrowed an aggregate of $780,000 in four separate loan transactions from Matthew Pierce, our Chief Executive Officer
and a director of our company. Each loan bears interest at the prime rate of the Bank of Canada, which was 2.45% per annum and 3.95% per
annum at December 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively, compounded annually and payable quarterly, and had a maturity date of
three years from the date of the respective loan. At December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the aggregate outstanding principal amounts
of such loans was $333,717 and $0, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2020 and the year ended December 31, 2019, we paid
principal and interest in respect of such loans in the aggregate amounts of $0 and $230,000, respectively. During the three month period
ended March 31, 2021 we repaid $329,300 in principal. At March 31, 2021, the aggregate outstanding principal balance was $22,805.
DESCRIPTION
OF SHARE CAPITAL
General
Upon the closing of this offering,
our authorized share capital will consist of an unlimited number of common shares and an unlimited number of Class A Shares, each without
par value. At March 31, 2021, we had 13,089,562 issued and outstanding common shares and 5,057 Class A Shares.
The
following description of our share capital and provisions of our articles and Notice of Articles are summaries of material terms
and provisions and are qualified by reference to our articles and Notice of Articles, copies of which have been filed with the
SEC as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
Common
Shares
The
holders of our common shares are entitled to one vote for each share held at any meeting of shareholders. The holders of our common
shares are entitled to receive dividends as and when declared by our board of directors. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution
or winding-up or other distribution of our assets among our shareholders, the holders of our common shares are entitled to share
pro rata in the distribution of the balance of our assets. There are no preemptive, redemption, purchase or conversion rights
attaching to our common shares. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to our common shares. The common shares offered
in this offering, upon payment and delivery in accordance with the underwriting agreement, will be fully paid and non-assessable.
Class
A Shares
We are authorized to issue
an unlimited number of Class A Shares. The Class A Shares do not have any special rights or restrictions attached. As of March 31, 2021,
there were 5,057 Class A Shares issued and outstanding.
Warrants
to be issued in this Offering
The
following summary of certain terms and provisions of the warrants offered hereby is not complete and is subject to, and qualified
in its entirety by, the provisions of the form of the warrant, which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which
this prospectus is a part of. Prospective investors should carefully review the terms and provisions set forth in the form of
warrant.
Unit
A Warrants
Exercisability.
The Unit A Warrants are exercisable immediately upon issuance and at any time up to the date that is five years from the date
of issuance. The Unit A Warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part, by delivering to us a
duly executed exercise notice accompanied by payment in full for the number of our common shares purchased upon such exercise
(except in the case of a cashless exercise as discussed below). Unless otherwise specified in the warrant, the holder will not
have the right to exercise any portion of the warrant if the holder (together with its affiliates) would beneficially own in excess
of 4.99% of the number of our common shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise (or, upon election by
a holder prior to the issuance of any Unit A Warrants, 9.99%), as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the
terms of the Unit A Warrants.
Cashless
Exercise. In the event that a registration statement covering common shares underlying the Unit A Warrants, is not available
for the issuance of such common shares underlying the Unit A Warrants, the holder may, in its sole discretion, exercise the warrant
in whole or in part and, in lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to us upon such exercise in payment
of the aggregate exercise price, elect instead to receive upon such exercise the net number of common shares determined according
to the formula set forth in the warrant. In no event shall we be required to make any cash payments or net cash settlement to
the registered holder in lieu of issuance of common shares underlying the Unit A Warrants.
Certain
Adjustments. The exercise price and the number of common shares purchasable upon the exercise of the Unit A Warrants are subject
to adjustment upon the occurrence of specific events, including stock dividends, stock splits, combinations and reclassifications
of our common shares.
Transferability.
Subject to applicable laws, the Unit A Warrants may be transferred at the option of the holders upon surrender of the Unit A Warrants
to our warrant agent together with the appropriate instruments of transfer.
Exchange
Listing. The Unit A Warrants are listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “VSSYW.”
Warrant
Agent. The Unit A Warrants are issued in registered form under a warrant agent agreement between Computershare, as warrant
agent, and us.
Fundamental
Transactions. If, at any time while the Unit A Warrants are outstanding, (1) we consolidate or merge with or into another
corporation and we are not the surviving corporation, (2) we sell, lease, license, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose
of all or substantially all of our assets, (3) any purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by us or another individual
or entity) is completed pursuant to which holders of our common shares are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their common
shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of our outstanding common shares,
(4) we effect any reclassification or recapitalization of our common shares or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which
our common shares are converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (5) we consummate a stock or share
purchase agreement or other business combination with another person or entity whereby such other person or entity acquires more
than 50% of our outstanding common shares, each a “Fundamental Transaction,” then upon any subsequent exercise of
the Unit A Warrants, the holder thereof will have the right to receive the same amount and kind of securities, cash or property
as it would have been entitled to receive upon the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction if it had been, immediately prior
to such Fundamental Transaction, the holder of the number of warrant shares then issuable upon exercise of the warrant, and any
additional consideration payable as part of the Fundamental Transaction.
Rights
as a Stockholder. Except as otherwise provided in the Unit A Warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of our
common shares, the holder of a warrant does not have the rights or privileges of a holder of our common shares, including any
voting rights, until the holder exercises the warrant.
Beneficial
Ownership Limitation. A holder’s exercise shall be limited to 4.99% of our outstanding common shares (or, upon election
by a holder prior to the issuance of any Unit A Warrants, 9.99%) of the number of the common shares outstanding immediately after
giving effect to the issuance of common shares issuable upon exercise. The holder, upon notice to us, may increase or decrease
the beneficial ownership limitation provided that the beneficial ownership limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number
of the common shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of common shares upon exercise of the warrant
held by the holder. Any increase in the beneficial ownership limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice
is delivered to the Company.
Governing
Law. The Unit A Warrants and the warrant agency agreement are governed by New York law.
Unit
B Warrants
Exercisability.
The Unit B Warrants are exercisable immediately upon issuance and at any time up to the date that is one year from the date of
issuance. The Unit B Warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part, by delivering to us a duly
executed exercise notice accompanied by payment in full for the number of our common shares purchased upon such exercise. Unless
otherwise specified in the Unit B Warrant, the holder will not have the right to exercise any portion of the Unit B Warrant if
the holder (together with its affiliates) would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% of the number of our common shares outstanding
immediately after giving effect to the exercise (or, upon election by a holder prior to the issuance of any Unit B Warrants, 9.99%),
as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the Unit B Warrants.
Certain
Adjustments. The exercise price and the number of common shares purchasable upon the exercise of the Unit B Warrants are subject
to adjustment upon the occurrence of specific events, including stock dividends, stock splits, combinations and reclassifications
of our common shares.
Transferability.
Subject to applicable laws, the Unit B Warrants may be transferred at the option of the holders upon surrender of the Unit B Warrants
to our warrant agent together with the appropriate instruments of transfer.
Warrant
Agent. The Unit B Warrants have been issued in registered form under a warrant agent agreement between Computershare, as warrant
agent, and us.
Fundamental
Transactions. If, at any time while the Unit B Warrants are outstanding, (1) we consolidate or merge with or into another
corporation and we are not the surviving corporation, (2) we sell, lease, license, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose
of all or substantially all of our assets, (3) any purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by us or another individual
or entity) is completed pursuant to which holders of our common shares are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their common
shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of our outstanding common shares,
(4) we effect any reclassification or recapitalization of our common shares or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which
our common shares are converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (5) we consummate a stock or share
purchase agreement or other business combination with another person or entity whereby such other person or entity acquires more
than 50% of our outstanding common shares, each a “Fundamental Transaction,” then upon any subsequent exercise of
the Unit B Warrants, the holder thereof will have the right to receive the same amount and kind of securities, cash or property
as it would have been entitled to receive upon the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction if it had been, immediately prior
to such Fundamental Transaction, the holder of the number of warrant shares then issuable upon exercise of the Unit B Warrant,
and any additional consideration payable as part of the Fundamental Transaction.
Rights
as a Stockholder. Except as otherwise provided in the Unit B Warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of our
common shares, the holder of a Unit B Warrant does not have the rights or privileges of a holder of our common shares, including
any voting rights, until the holder exercises the Unit B Warrant.
Beneficial
Ownership Limitation. A holder’s exercise shall be limited 4.99% of our outstanding common shares (or, upon election
by a holder prior to the issuance of any Unit B Warrants, 9.99%) of the number of common shares outstanding immediately after
giving effect to the issuance of common shares issuable upon exercise. The holder, upon notice to us, may increase or decrease
the beneficial ownership limitation provided that the beneficial ownership limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number
of common shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of common shares upon exercise of the Unit B Warrant
held by the holder. Any increase in the beneficial ownership limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice
is delivered to us.
Governing
Law. The Unit B Warrants and the warrant agency agreement are governed by New York law.
Other
Outstanding Warrants
At March 31, 2021, we had
outstanding warrants to purchase an aggregate of 2,568,568 common shares with an exercise price range from $4.00 per share to $6.40 per
share. These warrants have an expiration date range from June 30, 2021 to November 17, 2022. Pursuant to the terms of such warrants, the
exercise price of such warrants is subject to adjustment in the event of stock splits, combinations or the like of our common shares.
Stock
Options
Pursuant
to the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange, or the CSE, we may grant incentive stock options to our officers, directors,
employees and consultants. Our 2017 Plan is a rolling stock option plan whereby we can issue a number of options to purchase up
to 15% of our issued and outstanding common shares. Options have a maximum term of ten years and vesting is determined by our
board of directors.
During the three months ended
March 31, 2021, no stock options were granted. During the three months March 31, 2021, we recorded share-based compensation of $254,292
relating to options vested during the year.
During the year ended December
31, 2020, we granted stock options to purchase a total of 470,083 common shares with a fair value of $1,216,228 (or $2.69 per option).
During the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded share-based compensation of $1,407,414 relating to options vested during the year.
During
the year ended December 31, 2019, we granted stock options to purchase a total of 482,500 common shares with a fair value of $1,724,580
(or $3.52 per option). During the year ended December 31, 2019, we recorded share-based compensation of $826,360 relating to options
vested during the year.
During
the year ended December 31, 2018, we granted stock options to purchase a total of 72,284 common shares with a fair value of $343,711
(or $5.92 per option). During the year ended December 31, 2018, we recorded share-based compensation of $651,316 relating to options
vested during the year.
As of March 31, 2021, we had
outstanding incentive stock options to purchase an aggregate of 1,293,831 common shares.
Certain
Important Provisions of our Articles and the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia)
The
following is a summary of certain important provisions of our articles and certain related sections of the Business Corporations
Act (British Columbia), or the BCBCA. Please note that this is only a summary and is not intended to be exhaustive. This summary
is subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, the provisions of our articles and the BCBCA.
Stated
Objects or Purposes
Our
articles do not contain stated objects or purposes and do not place any limitations on the business that we may carry on.
Directors
Power
to vote on matters in which a director is materially interested. Under the BCBCA a director who has a material interest in
a contract or transaction, whether made or proposed, that is material to us, must disclose such interest to us, subject to certain
exceptions such as if the contract or transaction: (i) is an arrangement by way of security granted by us for money loaned to,
or obligations undertaken by, the director for our benefit or for one of our affiliates’ benefit; (ii) relates to an indemnity
or insurance permitted under the BCBCA; (iii) relates to the remuneration of the director in his or her capacity as director,
officer, employee or agent of our company or of one of our affiliates; (iv) relates to a loan to our company while the director
is the guarantor of some or all of the loan; or (v) is with a corporation that is affiliated to us while the director is also
a director or senior officer of that corporation or an affiliate of that corporation.
A
director who holds such disclosable interest in respect of any material contract or transaction into which we have entered or
propose to enter may be required to absent himself or herself from the meeting while discussions and voting with respect to the
matter are taking place. Directors are also required to comply with certain other relevant provisions of the BCBCA regarding conflicts
of interest.
Directors’
power to determine the remuneration of directors. The remuneration of our directors is determined by our directors subject
to our articles. The remuneration may be in addition to any salary or other remuneration paid to any of our employees (including
executive officers) who are also directors.
Number
of shares required to be owned by a director. Neither our articles nor the BCBCA provide that a director is required to hold
any of our shares as a qualification for holding his or her office. Our board of directors has discretion to prescribe minimum
share ownership requirements for directors.
Shareholder
Meetings
Subject
to applicable stock exchange requirements, we must hold a general meeting of our shareholders at least once every year at a time
and place determined by our board of directors, provided that the meeting must not be held later than 15 months after the preceding
annual general meeting. A meeting of our shareholders may be held anywhere in or outside British Columbia.
A
notice to convene a meeting, specifying the date, time and location of the meeting, and, where a meeting is to consider special
business, the general nature of the special business must be sent to each shareholder entitled to attend the meeting and to each
director not less than 21 days prior to the meeting for so long as we are a public company. The accidental omission to send notice
of any meeting of shareholders to, or the non-receipt of any notice by, any person entitled to notice does not invalidate any
proceedings at that meeting.
Subject
to the special rights and restrictions attached to the shares or any class or series of shares, the quorum for the transaction
of business at a meeting of shareholders is two shareholders, or one or more proxyholder(s) representing two shareholders, or
one member and a proxyholder representing another shareholder. If there is only one shareholder, the quorum is one person present
and being, or representing by proxy, such shareholder. If a quorum is not present within one-half hour of the time set for the
holding of a meeting of shareholders, the meeting stands adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place,
unless the meeting is a general meeting that was requisitioned by shareholders, in which case the meeting is dissolved.
Shareholder
Proposals and Advance Notice Procedures
Under
the BCBCA, qualified shareholders holding at least one percent (1%) of our issued voting shares or whose shares have a fair market
value in excess of CAD$2,000 may make proposals for matters to be considered at the annual general meeting of shareholders. Such
proposals must be sent to us in advance of any proposed meeting by delivering a timely written notice in proper form to our registered
office in accordance with the requirements of the BCBCA. The notice must include information on the business the shareholder intends
to bring before the meeting in the prescribed form. To be a qualified shareholder, a shareholder must currently be and have been
a registered or beneficial owner of at least one share of the company for at least two years before the date of signing the proposal.
We
have included certain advance notice provisions with respect to the election of our directors in our articles. The advance notice
provisions are intended to: (i) facilitate orderly and efficient annual general meetings or, where the need arises, special meetings;
(ii) ensure that all shareholders receive adequate notice of board nominations and sufficient information with respect to all
nominees; and (iii) allow shareholders to register an informed vote. Only persons who are nominated in accordance with the advance
notice provisions will be eligible for election as directors at any annual meeting of shareholders, or at any special meeting
of shareholders if one of the purposes for which the special meeting was called was the election of directors.
Under
the advance notice provisions, a shareholder wishing to nominate a director would be required to provide us notice, in the prescribed
form, within the prescribed time periods. These time periods include, (i) in the case of an annual meeting of shareholders (including
annual and special meetings), not less than 30 days prior to the date of the annual meeting of shareholders; provided, that if
the first public announcement of the date of the annual meeting of shareholders, or the Notice Date, is less than 40 days before
the meeting date, not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the Notice Date; and (ii) in the case
of a special meeting (which is not also an annual meeting) of shareholders called for any purpose which includes electing directors,
not later than the close of business on the 15th day following the Notice Date.
These
provisions could have the effect of delaying until the next shareholder meeting the nomination of certain persons for director
that are favored by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities.
Limitation
of Liability and Indemnification
Under
the BCBCA, a company may indemnify: (i) a current or former director or officer of that company; (ii) a current or former director
or officer of another corporation if, at the time such individual held such office, the corporation was an affiliate of the company,
or if such individual held such office at the company’s request; or (iii) an individual who, at the request of the company,
held, or holds, an equivalent position in another entity, against all costs, charges and expenses, including an amount paid to
settle an action or satisfy a judgment actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in respect of any legal proceeding or investigative
action (whether current, threatened, pending or completed) in which he or she is involved because of that person’s position
as an indemnifiable person, unless: (i) the individual did not act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests
of such company or the other entity, as the case may be; or (ii) in the case of a proceeding other than a civil proceeding, the
individual did not have reasonable grounds for believing that the individual’s conduct was lawful. A company cannot indemnify
an indemnifiable person if it is prohibited from doing so under its articles or by applicable law. A company may pay, as they
are incurred in advance of the final disposition of an eligible proceeding, the expenses actually and reasonably incurred by an
indemnifiable person in respect of that proceeding only if the indemnifiable person has provided an undertaking that, if it is
ultimately determined that the payment of expenses was prohibited, the indemnifiable person will repay any amounts advanced. Subject
to the aforementioned prohibitions on indemnification, a company must, after the final disposition of an eligible proceeding,
pay the expenses actually and reasonably incurred by an indemnifiable person in respect of such eligible proceeding if such indemnifiable
person has not been reimbursed for such expenses, and was wholly successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the outcome of such
eligible proceeding or was substantially successful on the merits in the outcome of such eligible proceeding. On application from
us or from an indemnifiable person, a court may make any order the court considers appropriate in respect of an eligible proceeding,
including the indemnification of penalties imposed or expenses incurred in any such proceedings and the enforcement of an indemnification
agreement. As permitted by the BCBCA, our articles require us to indemnify our directors, former directors or alternate directors
(and such individual’s respective heirs and legal representatives) and permit us to indemnify any person to the extent permitted
by the BCBCA.
Listing
Our
common shares and our Unit A Warrants are listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbols “VS” and “VSSYW,”
respectively.
Transfer
Agent and Registrar
The
U.S. transfer agent and registrar for our common shares and the Unit A Warrants is Computershare, Inc., located at 8742 Lucent
Boulevard, Suite 300, Highlands Ranch, Colorado 80129. The telephone number of Computershare, Inc. at such address is (303) 262-0705.
Ownership
and Exchange Controls
There
is no limitation imposed by Canadian law or by our articles on the right of a non-resident to hold or vote our common shares,
other than discussed below.
Competition
Act
Limitations
on the ability to acquire and hold our common shares may be imposed by the Competition Act (Canada). This legislation permits
the Commissioner of Competition, or Commissioner, to review any acquisition or establishment, directly or indirectly, including
through the acquisition of shares, of control over or of a significant interest in us. This legislation grants the Commissioner
jurisdiction, for up to one year after the acquisition has been substantially completed, to challenge this type of acquisition
by seeking a remedial order, including an order to prohibit the acquisition or require divestitures, from the Canadian Competition
Tribunal, which may be granted where the Competition Tribunal finds that the acquisition substantially prevents or lessens, or
is likely to substantially prevent or lessen, competition.
This
legislation also requires any person or persons who intend to acquire more than 20% of our voting shares or, if such person or
persons already own more than 20% of our voting shares prior to the acquisition, more than 50% of our voting shares, to file a
notification with the Canadian Competition Bureau if certain financial thresholds are exceeded. Where a notification is required,
unless an exemption is available, the legislation prohibits completion of the acquisition until the expiration of the applicable
statutory waiting period, unless the Commissioner either waives or terminates such waiting period or issues an advance ruling
certificate. The Commissioner’s review of a notifiable transaction for substantive competition law considerations may take
longer than the statutory waiting period.
Investment
Canada Act
The
Investment Canada Act requires each “non Canadian” (as defined in the Investment Canada Act) who acquires
“control” of an existing “Canadian business,” to file a notification in prescribed form with the responsible
federal government department or departments not later than 30 days after closing, provided the acquisition of control is not
a reviewable transaction under the Investment Canada Act. Subject to certain exemptions, a transaction that is reviewable
under the Investment Canada Act may not be implemented until an application for review has been filed and the responsible
Minister of the federal cabinet has determined that the investment is likely to be of “net benefit to Canada” taking
into account certain factors set out in the Investment Canada Act. Under the Investment Canada Act, an investment
in our common shares by a non-Canadian who is a World Trade Organization member country investor that is not a state-owned enterprise,
including a United States investor would be reviewable only if it were an investment to acquire control of us pursuant to the
Investment Canada Act and our enterprise value (as determined pursuant to the Investment Canada Act and its regulations)
was equal to or greater than $1.075 billion (as of January 1, 2020). The enterprise value threshold for “trade agreement
investors” that are not state-owned enterprises is $1.613 billion (as of January 1, 2020).
The
Investment Canada Act contains various rules to determine if there has been an acquisition of control. Generally, for purposes
of determining whether an investor has acquired control of a corporation by acquiring shares, the following general rules apply,
subject to certain exceptions: the acquisition of a majority of the voting interests or a majority of the undivided ownership
interests in the voting shares of the corporation is deemed to be acquisition of control of that corporation; the acquisition
of less than a majority, but one-third or more, of the voting shares of a corporation or of an equivalent undivided ownership
interest in the voting shares of the corporation is presumed to be acquisition of control of that corporation unless it can be
established that, on the acquisition, the corporation is not controlled in fact by the acquirer through the ownership of voting
shares; and the acquisition of less than one third of the voting shares of a corporation or of an equivalent undivided ownership
interest in the voting shares of the corporation is deemed not to be acquisition of control of that corporation.
Under
the national security review regime in the Investment Canada Act, review on a discretionary basis may also be undertaken
by the federal government with respect to a much broader range of investments by a non-Canadian to “acquire, in whole or
part, or to establish an entity carrying on all or any part of its operations in Canada.” No financial threshold applies
to a national security review. The relevant test is whether such investment by a non-Canadian could be “injurious to national
security.” Review on national security grounds is at the discretion of the responsible ministers, and may occur on a pre-
or post-closing basis.
Certain
transactions relating to our common shares will generally be exempt from the Investment Canada Act, subject to the federal
government’s prerogative to conduct a national security review, including:
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the acquisition
of our common shares by a person in the ordinary course of that person’s business as a trader or dealer in securities;
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the acquisition
of control of us in connection with the realization of security granted for a loan or other financial assistance and not for
any purpose related to the provisions of the Investment Canada Act if the acquisition is subject to approval under Canadian
legislation relating to financial institutions; and
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the acquisition
of control of us by reason of an amalgamation, merger, consolidation or corporate reorganization following which the ultimate
direct or indirect control in fact of us, through ownership of our common shares, remains unchanged.
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Comparison
of Shareholder Rights
We
are a corporation governed by the BCBCA. The following discussion summarizes material differences between the rights of holders of
our common shares and the rights of holders of the common share of a typical corporation incorporated under the laws of the state of
Delaware, which result from differences in governing documents and the laws of British Columbia and Delaware. This summary is
qualified in its entirety by reference to the DGCL, the BCBCA, and our articles.
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Delaware
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British
Columbia
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Stockholder/
Shareholder
Approval
of
Business
Combinations;
Fundamental
Changes
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Under
the DGCL, certain fundamental changes such as amendments to the certificate of incorporation,
a merger, consolidation, sale, lease, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially
all of the property of a corporation not in the usual and regular course of the corporation’s
business, or a dissolution of the corporation, are generally required to be approved
by the holders of a majority of the outstanding stock entitled to vote on the matter,
unless the certificate of incorporation requires a higher percentage.
However,
under the DGCL, mergers in which less than 20% of a corporation’s stock outstanding immediately prior to the effective date
of the merger is issued generally do not require stockholder approval. In certain situations, the approval of a business combination
may require approval by a certain number of the holders of a class or series of shares. In addition, Section 251(h) of the DGCL
provides that stockholders of a constituent corporation need not vote to approve a merger if: (i) the merger agreement permits
or requires the merger to be effected under Section 251(h) and provides that the merger shall be effected as soon as practicable
following the tender offer or exchange offer, (ii) a corporation consummates a tender or exchange offer for any and all of the
outstanding stock of such constituent corporation that would otherwise be entitled to vote to approve the merger, (iii) following
the consummation of the offer, the stock accepted for purchase or exchanges plus the stock owned by the consummating corporation
equals at least the percentage of stock that would be required to adopt the agreement of merger under the DGCL, (iv) the corporation
consummating the offer merges with or into such constituent corporation and (v) each outstanding share of each class or series
of stock of the constituent corporation that was the subject of and not irrevocably accepted for purchase or exchange in the offer
is to be converted in the merger into, or the right to receive, the same consideration to be paid for the shares of such class
or series of stock of the constituent corporation irrevocably purchased or exchanged in such offer.
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Under
the BCBCA and our articles, certain changes to our authorized share structure and the
change of our name maybe approved by a resolution of the directors our company. Under
the BCBCA and our articles, certain extraordinary company alterations, such as to continuances,
into or out of province, certain amalgamations, sales, leases or other dispositions of
all or substantially all of the undertaking of a company (other than in the ordinary
course of business), liquidations, dissolutions, and certain arrangements are required
to be approved by ordinary or special resolution as applicable.
An
ordinary resolution is a resolution (i) passed at a shareholders’ meeting by a simple majority, or (ii) passed,
after being submitted to all of the shareholders, by being consented to in writing by shareholders who, in the aggregate,
hold shares carrying at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the resolution.
A
special resolution is a resolution (i) passed by not less than two-thirds of the votes cast by the shareholders who voted
in respect of the resolution at a meeting duly called and held for that purpose or (ii) passed by being consented to in
writing by all shareholders entitled to vote on the resolution.
Holders
common shares vote together at all meetings of shareholders except meetings at which only holders of a particular class
are entitled to vote.
Under
the BCBCA, an action that prejudices or interferes with a right or special right attached to issued shares of a class or series
of shares must be approved by a special separate resolution of the holders of the class or series of shares being affected.
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Delaware
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British
Columbia
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The
DGCL does not contain a procedure comparable to a plan of arrangement under BCBCA.
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Subject
to applicable securities laws, which may impose certain “Issuer bid” or tender offer requirements, under the BCBCA,
arrangements with shareholders, creditors and other persons are permitted and a company may make any proposal it considers appropriate
“despite any other provision” of the BCBCA. In general, a plan of arrangement is approved by a company’s board
of directors and then is submitted to a court for approval. It is customary for a company in such circumstances to apply to a
court initially for an interim order governing various procedural matters prior to calling any security holder meeting to consider
the proposed arrangement. Plans of arrangement involving shareholders must be approved by a special resolution of shareholders,
including holders of shares not normally entitled to vote. The court may, in respect of an arrangement proposed with persons other
than shareholders and creditors, require that those persons approve the arrangement in the manner and to the extent required by
the court. The court determines, among other things, to whom notice shall be given and whether, and in what manner, approval of
any person is to be obtained and also determines whether any shareholders may dissent from the proposed arrangement and receive
payment of the fair value of their shares. Following compliance with the procedural steps contemplated in any such interim order
(including as to obtaining security holder approval), the court would conduct a final hearing, which would, among other things,
assess the fairness of the arrangement and approve or reject the proposed arrangement.
The BCBCA does
not contain a provision comparable to Section 251(h) of the DGCL.
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Special
Vote Required
for
Combinations with
Interested
Stockholders/
Shareholders
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Section
203 of the DGCL provides (in general) that a corporation may not engage in a business
combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years after the time
of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder. The prohibition
on business combinations with interested stockholders does not apply in some cases, including
if: (i) the board of directors of the corporation, prior to the time of the transaction
in which the person became an interested stockholder, approves (a) the business combination
or (b) the transaction in which the stockholder becomes an interested stockholder; (ii)
upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested
stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the
corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced; or (iii) the board of
directors and the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock not
owned by the interested stockholder approve the business combination on or after the
time of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder.
For
the purpose of Section 203, the DGCL, subject to specified exceptions, generally defines an interested stockholder to
include any person who, together with that person’s affiliates or associates, (i) owns 15% or more of the outstanding
voting stock of the corporation (including any rights to acquire stock pursuant to an option, warrant, agreement, arrangement
or understanding, or upon the exercise of conversion or exchange rights, and stock with respect to which the person has
voting rights only), or (ii) is an affiliate or associate of the corporation and owned 15% or more of the outstanding
voting stock of the corporation at any time within the previous three years.
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The
BCBCA does not contain a provision comparable to Section 203 of the DGCL with respect to business combinations.
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Delaware
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British
Columbia
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Appraisal
Rights;
Rights
to Dissent
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Under
the DGCL, a stockholder of a corporation participating in some types of major corporate
transactions may, under varying circumstances, be entitled to appraisal rights pursuant
to which the stockholder may receive cash in the amount of the fair market value of his
or her shares in lieu of the consideration he or she would otherwise receive in the transaction.
For
example, a stockholder is entitled to appraisal rights in the case of a merger or consolidation if the shareholder is
required to accept in exchange for the shares anything other than: (i) shares of stock of the corporation surviving or
resulting from the merger or consolidation, or depository receipts in respect thereof; (ii) shares of any other corporation,
or depository receipts in respect thereof, that on the effective date of the merger or consolidation will be either listed
on a national securities exchange or held of record by more than 2,000 shareholders; (iii) cash instead of fractional
shares of the corporation or fractional depository receipts of the corporation; or (iv) any combination of the shares
of stock, depository receipts and cash instead of the fractional shares or fractional depository receipts.
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The
BCBCA provides that shareholders of a company are entitled to exercise dissent rights
in respect of certain matters and to be paid the fair value of their shares in connection
therewith. The dissent right is applicable where the company resolves to (i) alter its
articles to alter the restrictions on the powers of the company or on the business it
is permitted to carry on; (ii) approve certain amalgamations; (iii) approve an arrangement,
where the terms of the arrangement or court orders relating thereto permit dissent; (iv)
sell, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its undertaking; or (v)
continue the company into another jurisdiction.
Dissent
may also be permitted if authorized by resolution. A court may also make an order permitting a shareholder to dissent
in certain circumstances.
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Compulsory
Acquisition
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Under
the DGCL, mergers in which one corporation owns 90% or more of each class of stock of a second corporation may be completed
without the vote of the second corporation’s board of directors or shareholders.
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The
BCBCA provides that if, within 4 months after the making of an offer to acquire shares,
or any class of shares, of a company, the offer is accepted by the holders of not less
than 90% of the shares (other than the shares held by the offeror or an affiliate of
the offeror) of any class of shares to which the offer relates, the offeror is entitled,
upon giving proper notice within 5 months after the date of the offer, to acquire (on
the same terms on which the offeror acquired shares from those holders of shares who
accepted the offer) the shares held by those holders of shares of that class who did
not accept the offer. Offerees may apply to the court, within 2 months of receiving notice,
and the court may set a different price or terms of payment and may make any consequential
orders or directions as it considers appropriate.
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Stockholder/
Shareholder
Consent
to
Action Without
Meeting
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Under
the DGCL, unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation, any action that can be taken at a meeting of the
stockholders may be taken without a meeting if written consent to the action is signed by the holders of outstanding stock
having not less than the minimum number of votes necessary to authorize or take the action at a meeting of the stockholders.
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Although
it is not customary for public companies to do so, under the BCBCA, shareholder action without a meeting may be taken by a
consent resolution of shareholders provided that it satisfies the thresholds for approval in a company’s articles, the
BCBCA and the regulations thereunder. A consent resolution is as valid and effective as if it was a resolution passed at a
meeting of shareholders.
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Delaware
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British
Columbia
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Special
Meetings of Stockholders/
Shareholders
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Under
the DGCL, a special meeting of shareholders may be called by the board of directors or by such persons authorized in the certificate
of incorporation or the bylaws.
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Under
the BCBCA, the holders of not less than 5% of the issued shares of a company that carry the right to vote at a general meeting
may requisition that the directors call a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of transacting any business that may be
transacted at a general meeting. Upon receiving a requisition that complies with the technical requirements set out in the
BCBCA, the directors must, subject to certain limited exceptions, call a meeting of shareholders to be held not more than
4 months after receiving the requisition. If the directors do not call such a meeting within 21 days after receiving the requisition,
the requisitioning shareholders or any of them holding in aggregate not less than 2.5% of the issued shares of the company
that carry the right to vote at general meetings may call the meeting.
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Distributions
and Dividends;
Repurchases
and
Redemptions
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Under
the DGCL, subject to any restrictions contained in the certificate of incorporation,
a corporation may pay dividends out of capital surplus or, if there is no surplus, out
of net profits for the current and/or the preceding fiscal year in which the dividend
is declared, as long as the amount of capital of the corporation following the declaration
and payment of the dividend is not less than the aggregate amount of the capital represented
by issued and outstanding shares having a preference upon the distribution of assets.
Surplus is defined in the DGCL as the excess of the net assets over capital, as such
capital may be adjusted by the board.
A
Delaware corporation may purchase or redeem shares of any class except when its capital
is impaired or would be impaired by the purchase or redemption. A corporation may, however,
purchase or redeem out of capital shares that are entitled upon any distribution of its
assets to a preference over another class or series of its shares if the shares are to
be retired and the capital reduced.
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Under
the BCBCA, a company may pay a dividend in money or other property unless there are reasonable
grounds for believing that the company is insolvent, or the payment of the dividend would
render the company insolvent.
The
BCBCA provides that no special rights or restrictions attached to a series of any class
of shares confer on the series a priority in respect of dividends or return of capital
over any other series of shares of the same class.
Under
the BCBCA, the purchase or other acquisition by a company of its shares is generally
subject to solvency tests similar to those applicable to the payment of dividends (as
set out above). Our company is permitted, under its articles, to acquire any of its shares,
subject to the special rights and restrictions attached to such class or series of shares
and the approval of its board of directors.
Under
the BCBCA, subject to solvency tests similar to those applicable to the payment of dividends
(as set out above), a company may redeem, on the terms and in the manner provided in
its articles, any of its shares that has a right of redemption attached to it. Our common
shares are not subject to a right of redemption.
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Vacancies
on Board of
Director
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Under
the DGCL, a vacancy or a newly created directorship may be filled by a majority of the directors then in office, although
less than a quorum, or by the sole remaining director, unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or bylaws.
Any newly elected director usually holds office for the remainder of the full term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders
at which the term of the class of directors to which the newly elected director has been elected expires.
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Under
the BCBCA and our articles, a vacancy among the directors created by the removal of a
director may be filled by the shareholders at the meeting at which the director is removed
or, if not filled by the shareholders at such meeting, by the shareholders or by the
remaining directors. In the case of a casual vacancy, the remaining directors may fill
the vacancy. Under the BCBCA, directors may increase the size of the board of directors
by one third of the number of current directors.
Under
the BCBCA and our articles, if as a result of one or more vacancies, the number of directors in office falls below the
number required for a quorum, the remaining directors may appoint as directors the number of individuals that, when added
to the number of remaining directors, will constitute a quorum and/or call a shareholders’ meeting to fill any or
all vacancies among directors and to conduct such other business that may be dealt with at that meeting, but must not
take any other action until a quorum is obtained.
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Delaware
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British
Columbia
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Constitution
and
Residency
Of
Directors
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The
DGCL does not have residency requirements, but a corporation may prescribe qualifications for directors under its certificate
of incorporation or bylaws.
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The
BCBCA does not place any residency restrictions on the boards of directors.
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Removal
of Directors;
Terms
of Directors
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Under
the DGCL, except in the case of a corporation with a classified board or with cumulative voting, any director or the entire
board may be removed, with or without cause, by the holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote at an election of
directors.
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Our
articles allow for the removal of a director by special resolution of the shareholders.
According
to our articles, all directors cease to hold office immediately before the election or appointment of directors at every
annual general meeting, but are eligible for re-election or re- appointment.
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Inspection
of Books
and
Records
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Under
the DGCL, any holder of record of stock or a person who is the beneficial owner of shares of such stock held either in a voting
trust or by a nominee on behalf of such person may inspect the corporation’s books and records for a proper purpose.
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Under
the BCBCA, directors and shareholders may, without charge, inspect certain of the records
of a company. Former shareholders, to the extent permitted under our articles, and former
directors may also inspect certain of the records, free of charge, but only those records
pertaining to the times that they were shareholders or directors.
Public
companies must allow all persons to inspect certain records of the company free of charge.
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Amendment
of
Governing
Documents
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Under
the DGCL, a certificate of incorporation may be amended if: (i) the board of directors
adopts a resolution setting forth the proposed amendment, declares the advisability of
the amendment and directs that it be submitted to a vote at a meeting of shareholders;
provided that unless required by the certificate of incorporation, no meeting or vote
is required to adopt an amendment for certain specified changes; and (ii) the holders
of a majority of shares of stock entitled to vote on the matter approve the amendment,
unless the certificate of incorporation requires the vote of a greater number of shares.
If
a class vote on the amendment is required by the DGCL, a majority of the outstanding
stock of the class is required, unless a greater proportion is specified in the certificate
of incorporation or by other provisions of the DGCL.
Under
the DGCL, the board of directors may amend a corporation’s bylaws if so authorized
in the certificate of incorporation. The shareholders of a Delaware corporation also
have the power to amend bylaws.
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Under
the BCBCA, a company may amend its articles or notice of articles by (i) the type of
resolution specified in the BCBCA, (ii) if the BCBCA does not specify a type of resolution,
then by the type specified in the company’s articles, or (iii) if the company’s
articles do not specify a type of resolution, then by special resolution. The BCBCA permits
many substantive changes to a company’s articles (such as a change in the company’s
authorized share structure or a change in the special rights or restrictions that may
be attached to a certain class or series of shares) to be changed by the resolution specified
in that company’s articles.
Our
articles provide that certain changes to our share structure and any creation or alteration
of special rights and restrictions attached to a series or class of shares be done by
way of a directors’ resolution. However, if a right or special right attached to
a class or series of shares would be prejudiced or interfered with by such an alteration,
the BCBCA requires that holders of such class or series of shares must approve the alteration
by a special separate resolution of those shareholders.
Our
articles also provide that the shareholders may from time to time, by special resolution,
make any alteration to our notice of articles and articles as permitted by the BCBCA.
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Delaware
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British
Columbia
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Indemnification
of
Directors
and Officers
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Under
the DGCL, subject to specified limitations in the case of derivative suits brought by
a corporation’s stockholders in its name, a corporation may indemnify any person
who is made a party to any action, suit or proceeding on account of being a director,
officer, employee or agent of the corporation (or was serving at the request of the corporation
in such capacity for another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other
enterprise) against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and
amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection
with the action, suit or proceeding, provided that there is a determination that: (i)
the individual acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in or not
opposed to the best interests of the corporation; and (ii) in a criminal action or proceeding,
the individual had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.
Without
court approval, however, no indemnification may be made in respect of any derivative action in which an individual is
adjudged liable to the corporation, except to the extent the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit
was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication but in view of all the circumstances of the
case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity.
The
DGCL requires indemnification of directors and officers for expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably
relating to a successful defense on the merits or otherwise of a derivative or third-party action.
Under
the DGCL, a corporation may advance expenses relating to the defense of any proceeding to directors and officers upon
the receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the individual to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined
that such person is not entitled to be indemnified.
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Under
the BCBCA, a company may indemnify: (i) a current or former director or officer of that
company; or (ii) a current or former director or officer of another corporation if, at
the time such individual held such office, the corporation was an affiliate of the company,
or if such individual held such office at the company’s request, against all costs,
charges and expenses, including an amount paid to settle an action or satisfy a judgment
actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in respect of any legal proceeding or
investigative action (whether current, threatened, pending or completed) in which he
or she is involved because of that person’s position as an indemnifiable person,
unless: (i) the individual did not act honestly and in good faith with a view to the
best interests of such company or the other entity, as the case may be; or (ii) in the
case of a proceeding other than a civil proceeding, the individual did not have reasonable
grounds for believing that the individual’s conduct was lawful. A company cannot
indemnify an indemnifiable person if it is prohibited from doing so under its articles.
In addition, a company must not indemnify an indemnifiable person in proceedings brought
against the indemnifiable person by or on behalf of the company or an associated company.
A company may pay, as they are incurred in advance of the final disposition of an eligible
proceeding, the expenses actually and reasonably incurred by an indemnifiable person
in respect of that proceeding only if the indemnifiable person has provided an undertaking
that, if it is ultimately determined that the payment of expenses was prohibited, the
indemnifiable person will repay any amounts advanced. Subject to the aforementioned prohibitions
on indemnification, a company must, after the final disposition of an eligible proceeding,
pay the expenses actually and reasonably incurred by an indemnifiable person in respect
of such eligible proceeding if such indemnifiable person has not been reimbursed for
such expenses, and was wholly successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the outcome
of such eligible proceeding or was substantially successful on the merits in the outcome
of such eligible proceeding. On application from us or from an indemnifiable person,
a court may make any order the court considers appropriate in respect of an eligible
proceeding, including the indemnification of penalties imposed or expenses incurred in
any such proceedings and the enforcement of an indemnification agreement.
As
permitted by the BCBCA, our articles require us to indemnify our directors, officers,
former directors or officers (and such individual’s respective heirs and legal
representatives) and permit us to indemnify any person to the extent permitted by the
BCBCA.
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Delaware
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British
Columbia
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Limited
Liability of
Directors
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The
DGCL permits the adoption of a provision in a corporation’s certificate of incorporation limiting or eliminating the
monetary liability of a director to a corporation or its shareholders by reason of a director’s breach of the fiduciary
duty of care. The DGCL does not permit any limitation of the liability of a director for: (i) breaching the duty of loyalty
to the corporation or its shareholders; (ii) acts or omissions not in good faith; (iii) engaging in intentional misconduct
or a known violation of law; (iv) obtaining an improper personal benefit from the corporation; or (v) paying a dividend or
approving a stock repurchase that was illegal under applicable law.
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Under
the BCBCA, a director or officer of a company must (i) act honestly and in good faith
with a view to the best interests of the company; (ii) exercise the care, diligence and
skill that a reasonably prudent individual would exercise in comparable circumstances;
(iii) act in accordance with the BCBCA and the regulations thereunder; and (iv) subject
to (i) to (iii), act in accordance with the articles of the company. These statutory
duties are in addition to duties under common law and equity.
No
provision in a contract or the articles of a company may relieve a director or officer of a company from the above duties.
Under
the BCBCA, a director is not liable for certain acts if the director has otherwise complied with his or her duties and
relied, in good faith, on (i) financial statements of the company represented to the director by an officer of the company
or in a written report of the auditor of the company to fairly reflect the financial position of the company, (ii) a written
report of a lawyer, accountant, engineer, appraiser or other person whose profession lends credibility to a statement
made by that person, (iii) a statement of fact represented to the director by an officer of the company to be correct,
or (iv) any record, information or representation that the court considers provides reasonable grounds for the actions
of the director, whether or not that record was forged, fraudulently made or inaccurate or that information or representation
was fraudulently made or inaccurate. Further, a director is not liable if the director did not know and could not reasonably
have known that the act done by the director or authorized by the resolution voted for or consented to by the director
was contrary to the BCBCA.
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Stockholder/
Shareholder
Lawsuits
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Under
the DGCL, a stockholder may bring a derivative action on behalf of the corporation to enforce the rights of the corporation;
provided, however, that under Delaware case law, the plaintiff generally must be a stockholder not only at the time of the
transaction which the subject of the suit, but through the duration of the derivative suit. Delaware law also requires that
the derivative plaintiff make a demand on the directors of the corporation to assert the corporate claim before the suit may
be prosecuted by the derivative plaintiff, unless such demand would be futile. An individual also may commence a class action
suit on behalf of himself or herself and other similarly situated stockholders where the requirements for maintaining a class
action have been met.
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Under
the BCBCA, a shareholder (including a beneficial shareholder) or director of a company
and any person who, in the discretion of the court, is an appropriate person to make
an application to court to prosecute or defend an action on behalf of a company (a derivative
action) may, with judicial leave: (i) bring an action in the name and on behalf of the
company to enforce a right, duty or obligation owed to the company that could be enforced
by the company itself or to obtain damages for any breach of such right, duty or obligation
or (ii) defend, in the name and on behalf of the company, a legal proceeding brought
against the company.
Under
the BCBCA, the court may grant leave if: (i) the complainant has made reasonable efforts to cause the directors of the
company to prosecute or defend the action; (ii) notice of the application for leave has been given to the company and
any other person that the court may order; (iii) the complainant is acting in good faith; and (iv) it appears to the court
to be in the interests of the company for the action to be prosecuted or defended.
Under
the BCBCA, upon the final disposition of a derivative action, the court may make any order it determines to be appropriate.
In addition, under the BCBCA, a court may order a company to pay the complainant’s interim costs, including legal
fees and disbursements. However, the complainant may be held accountable for the costs on final disposition of the action.
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Delaware
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British
Columbia
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Oppression
Remedy
|
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Although
the DGCL imposes upon directors and officers fiduciary duties of loyalty (i.e., a duty to act in a manner believed to be in
the best interest of the corporation and its stockholders) and care, there is no remedy under the DGCL that is comparable
to the BCBCA’s oppression remedy.
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The
BCBCA’s oppression remedy enables a court to make an order (interim or final) to
rectify the matters complained of if the court is satisfied upon application by a shareholder
(as defined below) that the affairs of the company are being conducted or that the powers
of the directors are being or have been exercised in a manner that is oppressive, or
that some action of the company or shareholders has been or is threatened to be taken
which is unfairly prejudicial, in each case to one or more shareholders. The application
must be brought in a timely manner. A “shareholder” for the purposes of the
oppression remedy includes legal and beneficial owners of shares as well as any other
person whom the court considers appropriate.
The
oppression remedy provides the court with extremely broad and flexible jurisdiction to intervene in corporate affairs
to protect shareholders.
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Blank
Check
Preferred
Stock/Shares
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Under
the DGCL, the certificate of incorporation of a corporation may give the board the right
to issue new classes of preferred shares with voting, conversion, dividend distribution,
and other rights to be determined by the board at the time of issuance, which could prevent
a takeover attempt and thereby preclude shareholders from realizing a potential premium
over the market value of their shares.
In
addition, the DGCL does not prohibit a corporation from adopting a shareholder rights plan, or “poison pill,”
which could prevent a takeover attempt and also preclude shareholders from realizing a potential premium over the market
value of their shares.
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Under
the BCBCA, once a class of preferred shares has been created, the board of directors
may be authorized, without shareholder approval, but subject to the provisions of the
articles and BCBCA, to determine the maximum number of shares of each series, create
an identifying name for each series and attach such special rights or restrictions, including
dividend, liquidation and voting rights, as our board of directors may determine, and
such special rights or restrictions, including dividend, liquidation and voting rights,
may be superior to those of the common shares. Under the BCBCA, each share of a series
of shares must have the same special rights or restrictions as are attached to every
other share of that series of shares. In addition, the special rights or restrictions
attached to shares of a series of shares must be consistent with the special rights or
restrictions attached to the class of shares of which the series of shares is part.
The
BCBCA does not prohibit a corporation from adopting a shareholder rights plan, or “poison
pill,” which could prevent a takeover attempt and also preclude shareholders from
realizing a potential premium over the market value of their shares.
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Delaware
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British
Columbia
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Advance
Notification
Requirements for
Proposals of
Stockholders/Shareholders
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Delaware
corporations typically have provisions in their bylaws that require a stockholder proposing
a nominee for election to the board of directors or other proposals at an annual or special
meeting of the stockholders to provide notice of any such proposals to the secretary
of the corporation in advance of the meeting for any such proposal to be brought before
the meeting of the stockholders. In addition, advance notice bylaws frequently require
the stockholder nominating a person for election to the board of directors to provide
information about the nominee, such as his or her age, address, employment and beneficial
ownership of shares of the corporation’s capital stock. The stockholder may also
be required to disclose, among other things, his or her name, share ownership and agreement,
arrangement or understanding with respect to such nomination.
For
other proposals, the proposing stockholder is often required by the bylaws to provide a description of the proposal and
any other information relating to such stockholder or beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf that proposal is being
made, required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitation
of proxies for the proposal and pursuant to and in accordance with the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder.
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Under
the BCBCA, qualified shareholders holding at least one percent (1%) of our issued voting
shares or whose shares have a fair market value in excess of CAD$2,000 in the aggregate
may make proposals for matters to be considered at the annual general meeting of shareholders.
Such proposals must be sent to us in advance of any proposed meeting by delivering a
timely written notice in proper form to our registered office in accordance with the
requirements of the BCBCA. The notice must include information on the business the shareholder
intends to bring before the meeting in the prescribed form. To be a qualified shareholder,
a shareholder must currently be and have been a registered or beneficial owner of at
least one share of the company for at least two years before the date of signing the
proposal.
If
the proposal and a written statement in support of the proposal (if any) are submitted at least three months before the
anniversary date of the previous annual meeting and the proposal and written statement (if any) meet other specified requirements,
then the company must either set out the proposal, including the names and mailing addresses of the submitting person
and supporters and the written statement (if any), in the proxy circular of the company or attach the proposal and written
statement thereto.
In
certain circumstances, the company may refuse to process a proposal.
We
have included Advance Notice Provisions (as defined in the “Description of Share Capital” section above) in
our articles. Under the Advance Notice Provisions, a shareholder wishing to nominate a director would be required to provide
us notice, in the prescribed form, within the prescribed time periods.
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Shares
Eligible for Future Sale
Future
sales of substantial amounts of our common shares in the public market could adversely affect market prices prevailing from time
to time. Furthermore, because only a limited number of common shares will be available for sale shortly after this offering due
to existing contractual and legal restrictions on resale as described below, there may be sales of substantial amounts of our
common shares in the public market after such restrictions lapse. This may adversely affect the prevailing market price of our
common shares and our ability to raise equity capital in the future.
Upon
completion of this offering, we will have 13,089,562 common shares outstanding, or 16,442,911 common shares outstanding if the underwriters
exercise their option in full to purchase additional common shares. Of these, 13,089,562 common shares, or 16,442,911 common shares if
the underwriters exercise their option in full to purchase additional common shares, sold in this offering will be freely transferable
without restriction or registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by one of our existing “affiliates,”
as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. The remaining common shares are “restricted shares” as defined
in Rule 144. Restricted shares may be sold in the public market only if registered or if they qualify for an exemption from registration
under Rules 144 or 701 of the Securities Act. As a result of the contractual 180-day lock-up period described below and the provisions
of Rules 144 and 701, these shares will be available for sale in the public market as follows:
Number of Shares
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Date
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13,089,562
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On the date of this prospectus.
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0
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After 91 days from the date of this prospectus (subject, in some cases, to volume limitations).
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0
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After 180 days from the date of this prospectus (subject, in some cases, to volume limitations).
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Lock-up
Restrictions
We
and each of our directors, executive officers, and certain of our shareholders, have agreed, without the prior written consent of the
representative of the underwriters, not to directly or indirectly, offer to sell, sell, pledge or otherwise transfer or dispose of any
of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the transfer or disposition by any
person at any time in the future of) our common shares, enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another,
in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of our common shares, make any demand for or exercise any right
or cause to be filed a registration statement, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration of any common shares
or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common shares or any other securities of our company or publicly disclose
the intention to do any of the foregoing for a period of 90 days after the date of this prospectus. The lock-up restrictions and specified
exceptions are described in more detail under “Underwriting.”
Rule
144
In
general, under Rule 144, any person who is not our affiliate and has held their shares for at least six months, including the holding
period of any prior owner other than one of our affiliates, may sell shares without restriction, subject to the availability of current
public information about us. In addition, under Rule 144, any person who is not our affiliate and has not been our affiliate at any time
during the preceding three months and has held their shares for at least one year, including the holding period of any prior owner other
than one of our affiliates, would be entitled to sell an unlimited number of shares without regard to whether current public information
about us is available.
A
person who is our affiliate or who was our affiliate at any time during the preceding three months and who has beneficially owned restricted
securities for at least six months, including the holding period of any prior owner other than one of our affiliates, is entitled to
sell a number of common shares within any three-month period that does not exceed the greater of: (i) 1% of the number of our shares
outstanding; and (ii) the average weekly trading volume of our common shares on The Nasdaq Capital Market during the four calendar weeks
preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale.
Sales
under Rule 144 by our affiliates are also subject to certain manner of sale provisions, notice requirements and to the availability of
current public information about us.
Rule
701
In
general, under Rule 701 under the Securities Act, any of our employees, directors, officers, consultants or advisors who acquired common
shares from us in connection with a written compensatory stock or option plan or other written agreement in compliance with Rule 701
prior to our IPO is entitled to sell such shares in reliance on Rule 144 but without compliance with certain of the requirements contained
in Rule 144. Accordingly, subject to any applicable lock-up restrictions, under Rule 701 persons who are not our affiliates may resell
those shares without complying with the minimum holding period or public information requirements of Rule 144, and persons who are our
affiliates may resell those shares without compliance with Rule 144’s minimum holding period requirements.
Canadian
Resale Restrictions
Any
sale of any of our shares which constitutes a “control distribution” under Canadian securities laws (generally a sale by
a person or a group of persons holding more than 20% of our outstanding voting securities) will be subject to restrictions under Canadian
securities laws in addition to those restrictions noted above, unless the sale is qualified under a prospectus filed with Canadian securities
regulatory authorities, or if prior notice of the sale is filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities at least seven days
before any sale and there has been compliance with certain other requirements and restrictions regarding the manner of sale, payment
of commissions, reporting and availability of current public information about us and compliance with applicable Canadian securities
laws.
Equity
Incentive Plans
Following
this offering, we plan to file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act covering the common shares
that are subject to outstanding options and other awards that may be granted pursuant to our equity incentive plans. Shares covered by
such registration statement will be available for sale in the open market following its effective date, subject to certain Rule 144 limitations
applicable to affiliates and the terms of lock-up restrictions applicable to those shares.
Material
United States Federal Income Tax Considerations for U.S. Holders
Subject
to the limitations and qualifications stated herein, this discussion sets forth certain material U.S. federal income tax considerations
relating to the acquisition, ownership and disposition by U.S. Holders (as defined below) of the units (“Units”), with each
Unit consisting of one common share and two warrants, a Unit A Warrant and a Unit B Warrant, acquired pursuant to this offering, and
the exercise, disposition and lapse of warrants acquired as part of the Unit. The discussion is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), its legislative history, existing and proposed regulations thereunder, published rulings
and court decisions, all as currently in effect and all subject to change at any time, possibly with retroactive effect. This summary
applies only to U.S. Holders and does not address tax consequences to a non-U.S. Holder (as defined below) investing in our Units.
This
discussion of a U.S. Holder’s tax consequences addresses only those persons that hold the Units as capital assets and does not
address the tax consequences to any special class of holders, including without limitation, holders (directly, indirectly or constructively)
of 10% or more of our equity (based on value or voting power), dealers in securities or currencies, banks, tax-exempt organizations,
insurance companies, financial institutions, broker-dealers, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, traders in
securities that elect the mark-to-market method of accounting for their securities holdings, persons that hold securities that are a
hedge or that are hedged against currency or interest rate risks or that are part of a straddle, conversion or “integrated”
transaction, persons required to accelerate the recognition of any item of gross income with respect to the common shares as a result
of such income being recognized on an applicable financial statement, U.S. expatriates or former long-term residents of the United States,
partnerships or other pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes, U.S. Holders that acquire Units in connection with
the exercise of employee stock options or otherwise as compensation for services and U.S. Holders whose functional currency for U.S.
federal income tax purposes is not the U.S. dollar. This discussion does not address the effect of the U.S. federal alternative minimum
tax, U.S. federal estate and gift tax, alternative minimum tax, the 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on net investment income or any state,
local or non-U.S. tax laws on a holder of Units. This discussion does not take into account the individual facts and circumstances of
any particular U.S. Holder that may affect the U.S. federal income tax consequences to such U.S. Holder, including specific tax consequences
to a U.S. Holder under an applicable tax treaty. Accordingly, this summary is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal
or U.S. federal income tax advice with respect to any particular U.S. Holder. Each U.S. Holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding
the U.S. federal, U.S. state and local, U.S. federal estate and gift, alternative minimum, and non-U.S. tax consequences of the acquisition,
ownership and disposition of the Units.
This
discussion also does not address the U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to U.S. Holders who are: (a) persons that have
been, are, or will be a resident or deemed to be a resident in Canada for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada); (b) persons that use
or hold, will use or hold, or that are or will be deemed to use or hold Units in connection with carrying on a business in Canada; (c)
persons whose Units constitute “taxable Canadian property” under the Income Tax Act (Canada); or (e) persons that have a
permanent establishment in Canada for the purposes of the Canada-U.S. Tax Convention.
For
purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of Units acquired pursuant to this offering that is for
U.S. federal income tax purposes: (a) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; (b) a corporation (or other entity
taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state
thereof or the District of Columbia; (c) an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source;
or (d) a trust (i) if a court within the United States can exercise primary supervision over its administration, and one or more U.S.
persons have the authority to control all of the substantial decisions of that trust, or (ii) that has a valid election in effect under
applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person. The term “non-U.S. Holder” means any beneficial owner of
Units acquired pursuant to this offering that is not a U.S. Holder, a partnership (or an entity or arrangement that is treated as a partnership
or other pass-through entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes) or a person holding Units through such an entity or arrangement.
If
a partnership or an entity or arrangement that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds Units,
the tax treatment of a partner generally will depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership.
Partners in partnerships that hold Units should consult their own tax advisors. You are urged to consult your own
independent tax advisor regarding the specific U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. income and other tax considerations
relating to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of Units.
U.S.
Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Acquisition of Units
For
U.S. federal income tax purposes, the acquisition by a U.S. Holder of a Unit will be treated as the acquisition of one common share,
one Unit A Warrant and one Unit B Warrant. The purchase price for each Unit will be allocated between these components in proportion
to each component’s relative fair market value at the time the Unit is purchased by the U.S. Holder. This allocation of the purchase
price for each Unit will establish a U.S. Holder’s initial tax basis for U.S. federal income tax purposes in the common share,
the Unit A Warrant and the Unit B Warrant that comprise each Unit.
For
this purpose, the Company will allocate US$11.90 of the purchase price for each Unit to the common share, US$0.001 of the purchase price
for each Unit to the Unit A Warrant, and US$0.001 of the purchase price for each Unit to the Unit B Warrant. A U.S. Holder’s initial
tax basis for U.S. federal income tax purposes in the common share and warrants that comprise each Unit will be translated into U.S.
dollars calculated by reference to the exchange rate prevailing on the date of purchase. However, the IRS will not be bound by such allocation
of the purchase price for the Units, and therefore, the IRS or a U.S. court may not respect the allocation set forth above. Each U.S.
Holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the allocation of the purchase price for the Units.
U.S.
Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Exercise and Disposition of Warrants
The
following discussion is subject in its entirety to the rules described below under the heading “Passive Foreign Investment Company
Considerations.”
Exercise
of Warrants
A
U.S. Holder should not recognize gain or loss on the exercise of a Unit A Warrant or Unit B Warrant and related receipt of a common share
(unless cash is received in lieu of the issuance of a fractional common share). A U.S. Holder’s initial tax basis in the common
share received on the exercise of a Unit A Warrant or Unit B Warrant, as applicable, should be equal to the sum of (a) such U.S. Holder’s
tax basis in such warrant plus (b) the exercise price paid by such U.S. Holder on the exercise of such warrant (translated into U.S.
dollars calculated by reference to the exchange rate prevailing on the date of exercise). A U.S. Holder’s holding period for the
common share received on the exercise of a warrant should begin on the date that such warrant is exercised by such U.S. Holder.
Disposition
of Warrants
A
U.S. Holder will recognize gain or loss on the sale or other taxable disposition of a Unit A Warrant or Unit B Warrant, as applicable,
in an amount equal to the difference, if any, between (a) the amount of cash plus the fair market value of any property received and
(b) such U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrant sold or otherwise disposed of. Any such gain or loss generally will be a capital
gain or loss, which will be long-term capital gain or loss if the applicable warrant is held for more than one year. Deductions for capital
losses are subject to complex limitations under the Code.
Expiration
of Warrants Without Exercise
Upon
the lapse or expiration of a Unit A Warrant or Unit B Warrant, as applicable, a U.S. Holder will recognize a loss in an amount equal
to such U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the applicable warrant. Any such loss generally will be a capital loss and will be long-term
capital loss if the applicable warrant is held for more than one year. Deductions for capital losses are subject to complex limitations
under the Code.
Certain
Adjustments to the Warrants
Under
Section 305 of the Code, an adjustment to the number of common shares that will be issued on the exercise of the Unit A Warrants or Unit
B Warrants, as applicable, or an adjustment to the exercise price of the warrants, may be treated as a constructive distribution to a
U.S. Holder of the warrants if, and to the extent that, such adjustment has the effect of increasing such U.S. Holder’s proportionate
interest in the “earnings and profits” or the Company’s assets, depending on the circumstances of such adjustment (for
example, if such adjustment is to compensate for a distribution of cash or other property to the shareholders). Adjustments to the exercise
price of the Unit A Warrants or Unit B Warrants made pursuant to a bona fide reasonable adjustment formula that has the effect of preventing
dilution of the interest of the holders of the warrants generally should not be considered to result in a constructive distribution.
Any such constructive distribution would be taxable whether or not there is an actual distribution of cash or other property. (See more
detailed discussion of the rules applicable to distributions made by the Company at “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the
Acquisition, Ownership, and Disposition of Common Shares – Cash Dividends and Other Distributions” below).
U.S.
Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Acquisition, Ownership, and Disposition of Common Shares
Cash Dividends and Other
Distributions
As
described in the section entitled “Dividend Policy” above, we currently intend to retain any future earnings to fund business
development and growth, and we do not expect to pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. However, to the extent there are any distributions
(including constructive distributions) made with respect to our common shares (including common shares received upon the exercise of
a Unit A Warrant or Unit B Warrant), subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will be required to treat distributions
received with respect to its common shares (including the amount of Canadian taxes withheld, if any) as dividend income to the extent
of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (computed using U.S. federal income tax principles), with the excess treated as a
non-taxable return of capital to the extent of the holder’s adjusted tax basis in its common shares and, thereafter, as capital
gain recognized on a sale or exchange on the day actually or constructively received by you (see “Sale or Disposition of Common
Shares” below). There can be no assurance that we will maintain calculations of our earnings and profits in accordance with U.S.
federal income tax accounting principles. U.S. Holders should therefore assume that any distribution with respect to our common shares
will constitute ordinary dividend income. Dividends paid on the common shares will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction
allowed to U.S. corporations.
Dividends
paid to a non-corporate U.S. Holder by a “qualified foreign corporation” may be subject to reduced rates of taxation if certain
holding period and other requirements are met. A qualified foreign corporation generally includes a foreign corporation (other than a
foreign corporation that is a PFIC in the taxable year in which the dividend is paid or the preceding taxable year) if (i) its common
shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States or (ii) it is eligible for benefits under a comprehensive
U.S. income tax treaty that includes an exchange of information program and which the U.S. Treasury Department has determined is satisfactory
for these purposes. Our common shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States, the OTCQB. We may
also be eligible for the benefits of the Canada-U.S. Tax Convention. Accordingly, subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, we expect
that a non-corporate U.S. Holder should qualify for the reduced rate on dividends so long as the applicable holding period requirements
are met. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability of the reduced tax rate on dividends in light
of their particular circumstances.
Non-corporate
U.S. Holders will not be eligible for reduced rates of taxation on any dividends received from us if we are a PFIC in the taxable year
in which such dividends are paid or in the preceding taxable year.
Distributions
paid in a currency other than U.S. dollars will be included in a U.S. Holder’s gross income in a U.S. dollar amount based on the
spot exchange rate in effect on the date of actual or constructive receipt, whether or not the payment is converted into U.S. dollars
at that time. The U.S. Holder will have a tax basis in such currency equal to such U.S. dollar amount, and any gain or loss recognized
upon a subsequent sale or conversion of the foreign currency for a different U.S. dollar amount will be U.S. source ordinary income or
loss. If the dividend is converted into U.S. dollars on the date of receipt, a U.S. Holder generally should not be required to recognize
foreign currency gain or loss in respect of the dividend income.
A
U.S. Holder who pays (whether directly or through withholding) Canadian taxes with respect to dividends paid on our common shares may
be entitled to receive either a deduction or a foreign tax credit for such Canadian taxes paid. Complex limitations apply to the foreign
tax credit, including the general limitation that the credit cannot exceed the proportionate share of a U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal
income tax liability that such U.S. Holder’s “foreign source” taxable income bears to such U.S. Holder’s worldwide
taxable income. In applying this limitation, a U.S. Holder’s various items of income and deduction must be classified, under complex
rules, as either “foreign source” or “U.S. source.” In addition, this limitation is calculated separately with
respect to specific categories of income. Dividends paid by us generally will constitute “foreign source” income and generally
will be categorized as “passive category income.” However, if 50% or more of our equity (based on voting power or value)
is treated as held by U.S. persons, we will be treated as a “United States-owned foreign corporation,” in which case dividends
may be treated for foreign tax credit limitation purposes as “foreign source” income to the extent attributable to our non-U.S.
source earnings and profits and as “U.S. source” income to the extent attributable to our U.S. source earnings and profits.
Because the foreign tax credit rules are complex, each U.S. Holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the foreign tax credit
rules.
Sale
or Disposition of Common Shares
Subject
to the PFIC rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize gain or loss on the taxable sale or exchange of its common
shares in an amount equal to the difference between the U.S. dollar amount realized on such sale or exchange (determined in the case
of common shares sold or exchanged for currencies other than U.S. dollars by reference to the spot exchange rate in effect on the date
of the sale or exchange or, if the common shares sold or exchanged are traded on an established securities market and the U.S. Holder
is a cash basis taxpayer or an electing accrual basis taxpayer, the spot exchange rate in effect on the settlement date) and the U.S.
Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the common shares sold or otherwise disposed of determined in U.S. dollars.
Assuming
we are not a PFIC and have not been treated as a PFIC during your holding period for our common shares, such gain or loss will be capital
gain or loss and will be long-term gain or loss if the common shares have been held for more than one year. Under current law, long-term
capital gains of non-corporate U.S. Holders generally are eligible for reduced rates of taxation. The deductibility of capital losses
is subject to limitations. Capital gain or loss, if any, recognized by a U.S. Holder generally will be treated as U.S. source income
or loss for U.S. foreign tax credit purposes. Consequently, a U.S. Holder may not be able to use the foreign tax credit arising from
any Canadian tax imposed on the disposition of a common share unless such credit can be applied (subject to applicable limitations) against
tax due on other income treated as derived from foreign sources. U.S. Holders are encouraged to consult their own tax advisors regarding
the availability of the U.S. foreign tax credit in their particular circumstances.
Passive
Foreign Investment Company Considerations
Status
as a PFIC
The
rules governing PFICs can have adverse tax effects on U.S. Holders. We generally will be classified as a PFIC for U.S. federal income
tax purposes if, for any taxable year, either: (1) 75% or more of our gross income consists of certain types of passive income, or (2)
the average value (determined on a quarterly basis), of our assets that produce, or are held for the production of, passive income is
50% or more of the value of all of our assets.
For
purposes of the PFIC provisions, “gross income” generally means sales revenues less cost of goods sold, plus income from
investments and from incidental or outside operations or sources. Passive income generally includes dividends, interest, rents and royalties
(other than certain rents and royalties derived in the active conduct of a trade or business), annuities and gains from assets that produce
passive income. If a non-U.S. corporation owns at least 25% by value of the stock of another corporation, the non-U.S. corporation is
treated for purposes of the PFIC tests as owning its proportionate share of the assets of the other corporation and as receiving directly
its proportionate share of the other corporation’s income.
Additionally,
if we are classified as a PFIC in any taxable year with respect to which a U.S. Holder owns common shares, we generally will continue
to be treated as a PFIC with respect to such U.S. Holder in all succeeding taxable years, regardless of whether we continue to meet the
tests described above, unless the U.S. Holder makes the “deemed sale election” described below.
We
do not believe that we are currently a PFIC, and we do not anticipate becoming a PFIC in the foreseeable future. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the determination of whether we are a PFIC is made annually and depends on the particular facts and circumstances (such as
the valuation of our assets, including goodwill and other intangible assets) and also may be affected by the application of the PFIC
rules, which are subject to differing interpretations. The fair market value of our assets is expected to depend, in part, upon (a) the
market price of our common shares, which is likely to fluctuate, and (b) the composition of our income and assets, which will be affected
by how, and how quickly, we spend any cash that is raised in any financing transaction, including this offering. In light of the foregoing,
no assurance can be provided that we are not currently a PFIC or that we will not become a PFIC in any future taxable year. Prospective
investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding our potential PFIC status.
Under
proposed Treasury Regulations, if the Company is a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder holds Unit A Warrants or Unit
B Warrants, gain recognized on the sale or other taxable disposition (other than by exercise) of the warrants by a U.S. Holder may be
subject to the PFIC rules. Each U.S. Holder should consult its own financial advisor, legal counsel, or accountant regarding the application
of the PFIC rules to the warrants and the ability to make a QEF election or mark-to-market election with respect to such warrants.
U.S.
Federal Income Tax Treatment of a Shareholder of a PFIC
If
we are classified as a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder owns common shares, the U.S. Holder, absent certain elections
(including the mark-to-market and QEF elections described below), generally will be subject to adverse rules (regardless of whether we
continue to be classified as a PFIC) with respect to (i) any “excess distributions” (generally, any distributions received
by the U.S. Holder on its common shares in a taxable year that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions received by
the U.S. Holder in the three preceding taxable years or, if shorter, the U.S. Holder’s holding period for its common shares) and
(ii) any gain realized on the sale or other disposition, including a pledge, of its common shares.
Under
these adverse rules (a) the excess distribution or gain will be allocated ratably over the U.S. Holder’s holding period, (b) the
amount allocated to the current taxable year and any taxable year prior to the first taxable year in which we are classified as a PFIC
will be taxed as ordinary income, (c) the amount allocated to each other taxable year during the U.S. Holder’s holding period in
which we were classified as a PFIC (i) will be subject to tax at the highest rate of tax in effect for the applicable category of taxpayer
for that year and (ii) will be subject to an interest charge at a statutory rate with respect to the resulting tax attributable to each
such other taxable year, and (d) loss recognized on the disposition of the common shares will not be deductible.
If
we are classified as a PFIC, a U.S. Holder generally will be treated as owning a proportionate amount (by value) of stock or shares owned
by us in any direct or indirect subsidiaries that are also PFICs and will be subject to similar adverse rules with respect to any distributions
we receive from, and dispositions we make of, the stock or shares of such subsidiaries. You are urged to consult your tax advisors about
the application of the PFIC rules to any of our subsidiaries.
If
we are classified as a PFIC and then cease to be so classified, a U.S. Holder may make an election (a “deemed sale election”)
to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as having sold such U.S. Holder’s common shares on the last day our taxable
year during which we were a PFIC. A U.S. Holder that makes a deemed sale election would then cease to be treated as owning stock in a
PFIC by reason of ownership of our common shares. However, gain recognized as a result of making the deemed sale election would be subject
to the adverse rules described above and loss would not be recognized.
PFIC
“Mark-to-Market” Election
In
certain circumstances, a U.S. Holder can avoid certain of the adverse rules described above by making a mark-to-market election with
respect to its common shares, provided that the common shares are “marketable.” Common shares will be marketable if they
are “regularly traded” on certain U.S. stock exchanges or on a foreign stock exchange that meets certain conditions. For
these purposes, the common shares will be considered regularly traded during any calendar year during which they are traded, other than
in de minimis quantities, on at least 15 days during each calendar quarter. Any trades that have as their principal purpose meeting this
requirement will be disregarded. Our common shares are listed on the CSE and the OTCQB, each of which is a qualified exchange for these
purposes. Consequently, if our common shares remain listed on the CSE or the OTCQB and are regularly traded, and you are a holder of
common shares, we expect the mark-to-market election would be available to you if we are a PFIC. You should consult your own tax advisor
as to the whether a mark-to-market election is available or advisable with respect to the common shares.
A
U.S. Holder that makes a mark-to-market election must include in gross income, as ordinary income, for each taxable year that we are
a PFIC an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the U.S. Holder’s common shares at the close of the taxable
year over the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its common shares. An electing U.S. Holder may also claim an ordinary loss deduction
for the excess, if any, of the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its common shares over the fair market value of its common shares
at the close of the taxable year, but this deduction is allowable only to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains previously included
in income. A U.S. Holder that makes a mark-to-market election generally will adjust such U.S. Holder’s tax basis in its common
shares to reflect the amount included in gross income or allowed as a deduction because of such mark-to-market election. Gains from an
actual sale or other disposition of common shares in a year in which we are a PFIC will be treated as ordinary income, and any losses
incurred on a sale or other disposition of common shares will be treated as ordinary losses to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains
previously included in income.
If
we are classified as a PFIC for any taxable year in which a U.S. Holder owns common shares but before a mark-to-market election is made,
the adverse PFIC rules described above will apply to any mark-to-market gain recognized in the year the election is made. Otherwise,
a mark-to-market election will be effective for the taxable year for which the election is made and all subsequent taxable years. The
election cannot be revoked without the consent of the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, unless the common shares cease to be marketable,
in which case the election is automatically terminated.
A
mark-to-market election is not permitted for the shares of any of our subsidiaries that are also classified as PFICs. Prospective investors
should consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability of, and the procedure for making, a mark-to-market election.
PFIC
“QEF” Election
In
some cases, a shareholder of a PFIC can avoid the interest charge and the other adverse PFIC consequences described above by obtaining
certain information from such PFIC and by making a QEF election to be taxed currently on its share of the PFIC’s undistributed
income. We do not, however, expect to provide the information regarding our income that would be necessary in order for a U.S. Holder
to make a QEF election with respect to common shares if we are classified as a PFIC.
PFIC
Information Reporting Requirements
If
we are a PFIC in any year, a U.S. Holder of common shares in such year will be required to file an annual information return on IRS Form
8621 regarding distributions received on such common shares and any gain realized on disposition of such common shares. In addition,
if we are a PFIC, a U.S. Holder generally will be required to file an annual information return with the IRS (also on IRS Form 8621,
which PFIC shareholders are required to file with their U.S. federal income tax or information return) relating to their ownership of
common shares. This new filing requirement is in addition to the pre-existing reporting requirements described above that apply to a
U.S. Holder’s interest in a PFIC (which this requirement does not affect).
NO
ASSURANCE CAN BE GIVEN THAT WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY A PFIC OR THAT WE WILL NOT BECOME A PFIC IN THE FUTURE. U.S. HOLDERS SHOULD CONSULT
THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE OPERATION OF THE PFIC RULES AND RELATED REPORTING REQUIREMENTS IN LIGHT OF THEIR PARTICULAR
CIRCUMSTANCES, INCLUDING THE ADVISABILITY OF MAKING ANY ELECTION THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE.
Reporting
Requirements and Backup Withholding
Under
U.S. federal income tax law and applicable Treasury Regulations, certain categories of U.S. Holders must file information returns with
respect to their investment in, or involvement in, a non-U.S. corporation. For example, U.S. return disclosure obligations (and related
penalties) are imposed on U.S. Holders that hold certain specified foreign financial assets in excess of certain threshold amounts. The
definition of specified foreign financial assets includes not only financial accounts maintained in foreign financial institutions, but
also, unless held in accounts maintained by a financial institution, any stock or security issued by a non-U.S. person, any financial
instrument or contract held for investment that has an issuer or counterparty other than a U.S. person, and any interest in a non-U.S.
entity. U.S. Holders may be subject to these reporting requirements unless such U.S. Holder’s common shares are held in an account
at certain financial institutions. Penalties for failure to file certain of these information returns are substantial.
Payments
made within the United States or by a U.S. payor or U.S. middleman of (a) distributions on the common shares, and (b) proceeds arising
from the sale or other taxable disposition of common shares generally may be subject to information reporting and backup withholding,
currently at the rate of 24%, if a U.S. Holder (a) fails to furnish such U.S. Holder’s correct U.S. taxpayer identification number
(generally on IRS Form W-9), (b) furnishes an incorrect U.S. taxpayer identification number, (c) is notified by the IRS that such U.S.
Holder has previously failed to properly report items subject to backup withholding, or (d) fails to certify, under penalty of perjury,
that such U.S. Holder has furnished its correct U.S. taxpayer identification number and that the IRS has not notified such U.S. Holder
that it is subject to backup withholding. However, certain exempt persons generally are excluded from these information reporting and
backup withholding rules. Any amounts withheld under the U.S. backup withholding rules will be allowed as a credit against a U.S. Holder’s
U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, or will be refunded, if such U.S. Holder furnishes required information to the IRS in a timely
manner. The information reporting and backup withholding rules may apply even if, under the Canada-U.S. Tax Convention, payments may
be exempt from the dividend withholding tax rules or otherwise eligible for a reduced withholding rate. Each U.S. Holder should consult
its own tax advisor regarding the information reporting and backup withholding rules.
THE
ABOVE DISCUSSION DOES NOT COVER ALL TAX MATTERS THAT MAY BE OF IMPORTANCE TO A PARTICULAR INVESTOR. YOU ARE STRONGLY URGED TO CONSULT
YOUR OWN TAX ADVISOR ABOUT THE TAX CONSEQUENCES TO YOU OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE UNITS.
Canadian
Tax Implications For Non-Canadian Holders
The
following summary describes, as of the date hereof, the principal Canadian federal income tax considerations generally applicable to
a purchaser who acquires, as a beneficial owner, common shares pursuant to this offering and who, at all relevant times, for the purposes
of the application of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and the Income Tax Regulations (collectively, the “Canadian Tax Act”),
(1) is not, and is not deemed to be, resident in Canada for purposes of the Canadian Tax Act and any applicable income tax treaty or
convention; (2) deals at arm’s length with us; (3) is not affiliated with us; (4) does not use or hold, and is not deemed to use
or hold, common shares in a business carried on in Canada; (5) has not entered into, with respect to the common shares, a “derivative
forward agreement” as that term is defined in the Canadian Tax Act and (6) holds the common shares as capital property (a “Non-Canadian
Holder”). Special rules, which are not discussed in this summary, may apply to a Non-Canadian Holder that is an insurer carrying
on an insurance business in Canada and elsewhere.
This
summary is based on the current provisions of the Canadian Tax Act, and an understanding of the current administrative policies of the
CRA published in writing prior to the date hereof. This summary takes into account all specific proposals to amend the Canadian Tax Act
and the Canada-United States Tax Convention (1980), as amended (the “Canada-U.S. Tax Treaty”) publicly announced by or on
behalf of the Minister of Finance (Canada) prior to the date hereof (the “Proposed Amendments”) and assumes that all Proposed
Amendments will be enacted in the form proposed. However, no assurances can be given that the Proposed Amendments will be enacted as
proposed, or at all. This summary does not otherwise take into account or anticipate any changes in law or administrative policy or assessing
practice whether by legislative, regulatory, administrative or judicial action nor does it take into account tax legislation or considerations
of any province, territory or foreign jurisdiction, which may differ from those discussed herein.
This
summary is of a general nature only and is not, and is not intended to be, legal or tax advice to any particular shareholder. This summary
is not exhaustive of all Canadian federal income tax considerations. Accordingly, you should consult your own tax advisor with respect
to your particular circumstances.
Generally,
for purposes of the Canadian Tax Act, all amounts relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of the common shares must be converted
into Canadian dollars based on the exchange rates as determined in accordance with the Canadian Tax Act. The amount of any dividends
required to be included in the income of, and capital gains or capital losses realized by, a Non-Canadian Holder may be affected by fluctuations
in the Canadian exchange rate.
Dividends
Dividends
paid or credited on the common shares or deemed to be paid or credited on the common shares to a Non-Canadian Holder will be subject
to Canadian withholding tax at the rate of 25%, subject to any reduction in the rate of withholding to which the Non-Canadian Holder
is entitled under any applicable income tax convention between Canada and the country in which the Non-Canadian Holder is resident. For
example, under the Canada-U.S. Tax Treaty, where dividends on the common shares are considered to be paid to or derived by a Non-Canadian
Holder that is a beneficial owner of the dividends and is a U.S. resident for the purposes of, and is entitled to benefits of, the Canada-U.S.
Tax Treaty, the applicable rate of Canadian withholding tax is generally reduced to 15%.
Dispositions
A
Non-Canadian Holder will not be subject to tax under the Canadian Tax Act on any capital gain realized on a disposition or deemed disposition
of a subordinate voting share, unless the common shares are “taxable Canadian property” to the Non-Canadian Holder for purposes
of the Canadian Tax Act and the Non-Canadian Holder is not entitled to relief under an applicable income tax convention between Canada
and the country in which the Non-Canadian Holder is resident.
Generally,
the common shares will not constitute “taxable Canadian property” to a Non-Canadian Holder at a particular time provided
that the common shares are listed at that time on a “designated stock exchange” (as defined in the Canadian Tax Act), which
includes the NYSE and the TSX, unless at any particular time during the 60-month period that ends at that time (i) one or any combination
of (a) the Non-Canadian Holder, (b) persons with whom the Non-Canadian Holder does not deal at arm’s length, and (c) partnerships
in which the Non-Canadian Holder or a person described in (b) holds a membership interest directly or indirectly through one or more
partnerships, has owned 25% or more of the issued shares of any class or series of our capital stock, and (ii) more than 50% of the fair
market value of the common shares was derived, directly or indirectly, from one or any combination of : (i) real or immoveable property
situated in Canada, (ii) “Canadian resource properties” (as defined in the Canadian Tax Act), (iii) “timber resource
properties” (as defined in the Canadian Tax Act) and (iv) options in respect of, or interests in, or for civil law rights in, property
in any of the foregoing whether or not the property exists. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in certain circumstances set out in the Canadian
Tax Act, common shares could be deemed to be “taxable Canadian property.” Non-Canadian Holders whose common shares may
constitute “taxable Canadian property” should consult their own tax advisors.
PLAN
OF DISTRIBUTION
We
will deliver common shares upon the exercise of the Warrants. Each of the Warrants contains instructions for exercise. We will deliver
common shares in the manner described above in the section titled “Description of Warrants.” We do not know if or when the
Warrants will be exercised. We also do not know whether any of the common shares acquired upon exercise will be sold.
LEGAL
MATTERS
The
validity of our common shares and certain other matters of Canadian law will be passed upon for us by Fasken Martineau DuMoulin, LLP,
Vancouver, British Columbia. Certain matters of U.S. federal law will be passed upon for us by Pryor Cashman LLP, New York, New York.
EXPERTS
Our
audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 included in this prospectus
have been so included in reliance upon the report of Davidson & Company LLP, independent registered public accountants, upon the
authority of the said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
ENFORCEMENT
OF CIVIL LIABILITIES
We
are incorporated under the federal laws of Canada. Some of our directors and officers, and some of the experts named in this prospectus,
are residents of Canada or otherwise reside outside of the United States, and all or a substantial portion of their assets, and all or
a substantial portion of our assets, are located outside of the United States. We have appointed an agent for service of process in the
United States, but it may be difficult for shareholders who reside in the United States to effect service within the United States upon
those directors, officers and experts who are not residents of the United States. It may also be difficult for shareholders who reside
in the United States to realize in the United States upon judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon our civil liability
and the civil liability of our directors, officers and experts under the United States federal securities laws. There can be no assurance
that U.S. investors will be able to enforce against us, members of our board of directors, officers or certain experts named herein who
are residents of Canada or other countries outside the United States, any judgments in civil and commercial matters, including judgments
under the federal securities laws.
EXPENSES
OF THE OFFERING
The
following table sets forth the costs and expenses, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions, payable by the registrant in
connection with the sale of the common shares being registered. All amounts listed below are estimates except the SEC registration fee,
FINRA filing fee and The Nasdaq Capital Market listing fee. We will pay all of the expenses of this offering.
Item
|
|
Amount
|
|
SEC registration fee
|
|
$
|
6,364
|
|
FINRA filing fee
|
|
|
6,883
|
|
Printing expenses
|
|
|
22,329
|
|
Legal fees and expenses
|
|
|
550,744
|
|
Accounting fees and expenses
|
|
|
45,181
|
|
Transfer Agent fees and expenses
|
|
|
58,924
|
|
Miscellaneous fees
|
|
|
10,967
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
701,392
|
|
WHERE
YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We
have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form F-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the common shares offered hereby.
This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration
statement or the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. For further information with respect to us and the common shares offered hereby,
please refer to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. Statements contained in this prospectus regarding
the contents of any contract or any other document that is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement are not necessarily complete,
and each such statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the full text of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit
to the registration statement. The SEC maintains an Internet website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other
information regarding registrants, including Versus Systems Inc., that file electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s Internet website
address is www.sec.gov.
We
are subject to periodic reporting and other informational requirements of the Exchange Act as applicable to foreign private issuers.
Accordingly, we are required to file reports, including annual reports on Form 20-F, and other information with the SEC. Although we
are not required to prepare and issue quarterly reports as a foreign private issuer, we currently intend to file quarterly reports on
Form 6-K with the SEC. As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from the rules of the Exchange Act prescribing the furnishing and content
of proxy statements to shareholders and Section 16 short-swing profit reporting for our directors, officers and holders of more than
10% of our voting securities.
INDEX
TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Audited
Financial Statements for the Years Ended December 31, 2019 and 2020
Report
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To
the Shareholders and Directors of
Versus
Systems Inc.
Opinion
on the Consolidated Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated
statements of financial position of Versus Systems Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the related
consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss, changes in equity (deficit), and cash flows for the years ended December
31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the
financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2019,
and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, in conformity with International
Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility
of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We are
a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB") and are required
to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations
of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the
standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged
to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding
of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s
internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess
the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond
to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.
Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating
the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2003.
|
/s/ DAVIDSON
& COMPANY LLP
|
|
|
Vancouver, Canada
|
Chartered Professional Accountants
|
May
3, 2021
Versus
Systems Inc.
Consolidated
Statements of Financial Position
(Expressed
in Canadian Dollars)
|
|
December
31,
|
|
|
December
31,
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
ASSETS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
|
|
|
2,965,957
|
|
|
|
99,209
|
|
Receivables
(Note 4)
|
|
|
603,870
|
|
|
|
44,400
|
|
Deferred
financing costs (Note 3 and 19)
|
|
|
517,360
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Prepaids
|
|
|
23,675
|
|
|
|
28,003
|
|
|
|
|
4,110,862
|
|
|
|
171,612
|
|
Restricted deposit
(Note 5)
|
|
|
11,497
|
|
|
|
11,500
|
|
Deposits
|
|
|
127,812
|
|
|
|
129,897
|
|
Property and equipment
(Note 6)
|
|
|
625,938
|
|
|
|
948,998
|
|
Intangible
assets (Note 8)
|
|
|
2,256,903
|
|
|
|
2,780,347
|
|
Total
Assets
|
|
|
7,133,012
|
|
|
|
4,042,354
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES
AND EQUITY
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts
payable and accrued liabilities (Note 9 and 12)
|
|
|
1,894,825
|
|
|
|
975,405
|
|
Notes
payable (Note 10)
|
|
|
2,975,747
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Lease
liability (Note 17)
|
|
|
271,669
|
|
|
|
328,373
|
|
Current liabilities
|
|
|
5,142,241
|
|
|
|
1,303,778
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-current
liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lease liability (Note 17)
|
|
|
561,316
|
|
|
|
794,027
|
|
Notes
payable (Note 10)
|
|
|
2,906,838
|
|
|
|
4,814,767
|
|
Total
liabilities
|
|
|
8,610,395
|
|
|
|
6,912,572
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share capital (Note 11)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common shares
|
|
|
108,788,385
|
|
|
|
99,505,558
|
|
Class “A”
shares
|
|
|
37,927
|
|
|
|
37,927
|
|
Share
subscriptions received in advance
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
Reserves
(Note 11)
|
|
|
11,513,554
|
|
|
|
9,832,386
|
|
Deficit
|
|
|
(114,270,214
|
)
|
|
|
(106,521,639
|
)
|
|
|
|
6,069,652
|
|
|
|
3,154,232
|
|
Non-controlling
interest (Note 7)
|
|
|
(7,547,035
|
)
|
|
|
(6,024,450
|
)
|
Total Equity
|
|
|
(1,477,383
|
)
|
|
|
(2,870,218
|
)
|
Total
Liabilities and Equity
|
|
|
7,133,012
|
|
|
|
4,042,354
|
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
Versus
Systems Inc.
Consolidated
Statements of Loss and Comprehensive Loss
(Expressed
in Canadian Dollars)
|
|
Year Ended
|
|
|
Year Ended
|
|
|
Year Ended
|
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
2018
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
REVENUES
|
|
|
1,864,709
|
|
|
|
664,922
|
|
|
|
1,620
|
|
EXPENSES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost of Sales
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
170
|
|
Amortization (Note 6)
|
|
|
323,060
|
|
|
|
327,221
|
|
|
|
29,642
|
|
Amortization of intangible
assets (Note 8)
|
|
|
1,706,972
|
|
|
|
2,530,590
|
|
|
|
2,965,035
|
|
Consulting fees (Note
12)
|
|
|
624,136
|
|
|
|
814,128
|
|
|
|
1,177,405
|
|
Foreign exchange loss
|
|
|
33,160
|
|
|
|
38,797
|
|
|
|
147,273
|
|
Office and miscellaneous
expenses
|
|
|
343,240
|
|
|
|
424,992
|
|
|
|
854,242
|
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
233,388
|
|
|
|
225,334
|
|
|
|
77,669
|
|
Interest expense on lease
obligations (Note 17)
|
|
|
80,640
|
|
|
|
104,384
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Professional fees
|
|
|
1,047,086
|
|
|
|
445,603
|
|
|
|
621,979
|
|
Salaries and wages (Note
10 and 12)
|
|
|
3,440,720
|
|
|
|
3,252,789
|
|
|
|
2,074,554
|
|
Sales and marketing
|
|
|
652,303
|
|
|
|
787,398
|
|
|
|
199,412
|
|
Software and delivery
costs
|
|
|
346,005
|
|
|
|
244,594
|
|
|
|
451,410
|
|
Share-based compensation
(Note 11)
|
|
|
1,407,414
|
|
|
|
839,249
|
|
|
|
651,316
|
|
|
|
|
(8,373,415
|
)
|
|
|
(9,370,157
|
)
|
|
|
(9,248,487
|
)
|
Finance expense (Note
10)
|
|
|
(371,061
|
)
|
|
|
(257,448
|
)
|
|
|
(125,903
|
)
|
Loss on disposal of marketable
securities (Note 11)
|
|
|
(508,050
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Other (expense) income
|
|
|
(18,634
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,219
|
|
Loss and comprehensive
loss
|
|
|
(9,271,160
|
)
|
|
|
(9,627,605
|
)
|
|
|
(9,373,171
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss and comprehensive
loss attributable to:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shareholders
|
|
|
(7,748,575
|
)
|
|
|
(6,869,121
|
)
|
|
|
(4,631,477
|
)
|
Non-controlling interest
|
|
|
(1,522,585
|
)
|
|
|
(2,758,484
|
)
|
|
|
(4,741,694
|
)
|
|
|
|
(9,271,160
|
)
|
|
|
(9,627,605
|
)
|
|
|
(9,373,171
|
)
|
Basic and diluted loss
per common share attributable to Versus Systems Inc.
|
|
|
(0.84
|
)
|
|
|
(0.98
|
)
|
|
|
(0.86
|
)
|
Weighted average common
shares outstanding
|
|
|
9,724,701
|
|
|
|
7,032,150
|
|
|
|
5,398,326
|
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
Versus
Systems Inc.
Consolidated
Statement of Changes in Equity (Deficit)
(Expressed
in Canadian Dollars)
|
|
Number
of
|
|
|
Number
of
|
|
|
Share
Capital
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
Common
|
|
|
Class
“A”
|
|
|
Common
|
|
|
Class
“A”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
subscriptions
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-controlling
|
|
|
Equity
|
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Reserves
|
|
|
Deficit
|
|
|
received
|
|
|
Equity
|
|
|
Interest
|
|
|
(Deficit)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Balance
at December 31, 2017
|
|
|
4,797,431
|
|
|
|
5,057
|
|
|
|
88,302,958
|
|
|
|
37,927
|
|
|
|
6,922,770
|
|
|
|
(90,341,608
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
4,922,047
|
|
|
|
(1,151,915
|
)
|
|
|
3,770,132
|
|
Shares
issued for warrant exercise
|
|
|
153,750
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
384,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
384,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
384,000
|
|
Shares
issued in private placement
|
|
|
766,230
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
3,598,943
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
78,957
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
3,677,900
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
3,677,900
|
|
Share
issuance costs
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(562,884
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
116,226
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(446,658
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(446,658
|
)
|
Contribution
benefit
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
500,921
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
500,921
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
500,921
|
|
Performance
warrants issued
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
140,531
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
140,531
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
140,531
|
|
Stock
options granted
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
510,785
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
510,785
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
510,785
|
|
Loss
and comprehensive loss
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(4,631,477
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(4,631,477
|
)
|
|
|
(4,741,694
|
)
|
|
|
(9,373,171
|
)
|
Balance
at December 31, 2018
|
|
|
5,717,412
|
|
|
|
5,057
|
|
|
|
91,723,017
|
|
|
|
37,927
|
|
|
|
8,270,190
|
|
|
|
(94,973,085
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
5,058,049
|
|
|
|
(5,893,609
|
)
|
|
|
(835,560
|
)
|
Shares
issued in private placement
|
|
|
2,003,164
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
6,101,525
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
199,753
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
6,301,278
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
6,301,278
|
|
Share
subscriptions received
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
Acquisition
of Versus LLC
|
|
|
576,834
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,892,012
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
159,778
|
|
|
|
(4,679,433
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(2,627,643
|
)
|
|
|
2,627,643
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Share
issuance costs
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(653,035
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
82,928
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(570,107
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(570,107
|
)
|
Contribution
benefit
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
297,110
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
297,110
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
297,110
|
|
Exercise
of warrants
|
|
|
154,990
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
422,670
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(8,253
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
414,417
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
414,417
|
|
Performance
warrants issued
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
12,889
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
12,889
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
12,889
|
|
Exercise
of options
|
|
|
3,125
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
19,369
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(8,369
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
11,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
11,000
|
|
Stock-based
compensation
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
826,360
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
826,360
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
826,360
|
|
Loss
and comprehensive loss
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(6,869,121
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(6,869,121
|
)
|
|
|
(2,758,484
|
)
|
|
|
(9,627,605
|
)
|
Balance
at December 31, 2019
|
|
|
8,455,525
|
|
|
|
5,057
|
|
|
|
99,505,558
|
|
|
|
37,927
|
|
|
|
9,832,386
|
|
|
|
(106,521,639
|
)
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
|
|
3,154,232
|
|
|
|
(6,024,450
|
)
|
|
|
(2,870,218
|
)
|
Shares
issued in private placement
|
|
|
947,532
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
3,328,899
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
55,210
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
3,384,109
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
3,384,109
|
|
Share
subscriptions received
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(300,000
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Contribution
benefit
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
228,497
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
228,497
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
228,497
|
|
Exercise
of warrants
|
|
|
1,056,143
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
4,583,093
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
4,583,093
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
4,583,093
|
|
Shares
issued for services and investment
|
|
|
270,636
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,047,782
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,047,782
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,047,782
|
|
Exercise
of options
|
|
|
3,750
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
23,053
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(9,953
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
13,100
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
13,100
|
|
Stock-based
compensation
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,407,414
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,407,414
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,407,414
|
|
Loss
and comprehensive loss
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(7,748,575
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(7,748,575
|
)
|
|
|
(1,522,585
|
)
|
|
|
(9,271,160
|
)
|
Balance
at December 31, 2020
|
|
|
10,733,586
|
|
|
|
5,057
|
|
|
|
108,788,385
|
|
|
|
37,927
|
|
|
|
11,513,554
|
|
|
|
(114,270,214
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
6,069,652
|
|
|
|
(7,547,035
|
)
|
|
|
(1,477,383
|
)
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
Versus
Systems Inc.
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows
(Expressed
in Canadian Dollars)
|
|
Year Ended
|
|
|
Year Ended
|
|
|
Year Ended
|
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
2018
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss for the year
|
|
|
(9,271,160
|
)
|
|
|
(9,627,605
|
)
|
|
|
(9,373,171
|
)
|
Items not affecting cash:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amortization (Note 6)
|
|
|
24,062
|
|
|
|
30,695
|
|
|
|
29,642
|
|
Amortization of intangible assets (Note 8)
|
|
|
1,706,972
|
|
|
|
2,530,590
|
|
|
|
2,965,035
|
|
Amortization of right-of-use assets (Note 6)
|
|
|
298,998
|
|
|
|
296,526
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Shares issued for services (Note 11)
|
|
|
349,225
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Finance expense
|
|
|
371,061
|
|
|
|
257,448
|
|
|
|
125,903
|
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
80,637
|
|
|
|
273,574
|
|
|
|
77,669
|
|
Loss on sale of investment
|
|
|
508,050
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Factoring fees
|
|
|
50,306
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Effect of foreign exchange
|
|
|
41,855
|
|
|
|
(86,125
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
Forgiveness on government loan (Note 10)
|
|
|
(601,668
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Share-based compensation
|
|
|
1,407,414
|
|
|
|
839,249
|
|
|
|
651,316
|
|
Changes in non-cash working capital items:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Receivables
|
|
|
(559,470
|
)
|
|
|
(39,622
|
)
|
|
|
5,454
|
|
Prepaids and deposits
|
|
|
4,327
|
|
|
|
34,369
|
|
|
|
(36,000
|
)
|
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
|
|
|
495,829
|
|
|
|
23,026
|
|
|
|
478,207
|
|
Cash used in operating activities
|
|
|
(5,093,562
|
)
|
|
|
(5,467,875
|
)
|
|
|
(5,075,945
|
)
|
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from notes payable
|
|
|
1,261,254
|
|
|
|
2,633,667
|
|
|
|
3,106,652
|
|
Proceeds from government PPP loan (Note 10)
|
|
|
829,937
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Repayment of notes payable
|
|
|
(336,000
|
)
|
|
|
(1,258,194
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
Proceeds from share issuances, net
|
|
|
7,980,413
|
|
|
|
6,156,588
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Payments for lease liabilities
|
|
|
(409,819
|
)
|
|
|
(359,119
|
)
|
|
|
4,061,900
|
|
Receivable factoring costs
|
|
|
(50,306
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Proceeds from subscriptions received in advance
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Deferred financing costs
|
|
|
(93,768
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(446,659
|
)
|
Cash provided by financing activities
|
|
|
9,181,711
|
|
|
|
7,472,942
|
|
|
|
6,721,893
|
|
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from sale of investments
|
|
|
190,396
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Development of intangible assets
|
|
|
(1,411,797
|
)
|
|
|
(1,939,858
|
)
|
|
|
(1,804,207
|
)
|
Purchase of equipment
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(38,843
|
)
|
Cash used in investing activities
|
|
|
(1,221,401
|
)
|
|
|
(1,939,858
|
)
|
|
|
(1,842,690
|
)
|
Change in cash during the year
|
|
|
2,866,748
|
|
|
|
65,209
|
|
|
|
(196,742
|
)
|
Cash - Beginning of year
|
|
|
99,209
|
|
|
|
34,000
|
|
|
|
230,742
|
|
Cash - End of year
|
|
|
2,965,957
|
|
|
|
99,209
|
|
|
|
34,000
|
|
Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Note 16)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
NATURE
OF OPERATIONS AND GOING CONCERN
|
Versus
Systems Inc. (the “Company”) was continued under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) effective January 2, 2007.
The Company’s head office and registered and records office is 1558 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 3J4, Canada. The Company
is traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange (“CSE”) under the symbol “VS” and on the OTCQB market under the
trading symbol “VRSSF”. Subsequent to December 31, 2020 the Company voluntarily delisted from the CSE. On November 20, 2020,
the Company filed a registration statement on Form F-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The proposed offering contemplated
by the registration statement is an initial public offering in the United States of the Company’s units, each unit consisting of
one common share in the capital of the Company and two warrants, each to purchase one additional common share in the capital of the Company.
The offering was finalized in January 2021 (Note 19). During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company completed a one-for-16 reverse
stock split of the Company’s common shares. All share and per share data are presented to reflect the reverse share split on a
retroactive basis.
The
Company is engaged in the technology sector and is developing a business-to-business software platform that allows video game publishers
and developers to offer prize-based matches of their games to their players.
These
consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the assumption that the Company will continue as a going concern, meaning it
will continue in operation for the foreseeable future and will be able to realize assets and discharge liabilities in the ordinary course
of operations. Different bases of measurement may be appropriate if the Company is not expected to continue operations for the foreseeable
future. As of December 31, 2020, the Company has not achieved positive cash flow from operations and is not able to finance day to day
activities through operations. Subsequent to year end, the Company completed a public offering with total proceeds of approximately US$11
million. The Company estimates that it has adequate financial resources for the next twelve months. The Company’s continuation
as a going concern is dependent upon its ability to attain profitable operations and generate funds therefrom and/or raise equity capital
or borrowings sufficient to meet current and future obligations. These consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments
to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the
Company be unable to continue as a going concern. These adjustments could be material.
COVID-19
Pandemic
In
March 2020 the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. This contagious disease outbreak, which has continued to
spread, and any related adverse public health developments, has adversely affected workforces, economies, and financial markets globally,
potentially leading to an economic downturn.
Although
it is not possible to reliably estimate the length or severity of these developments and their financial impact to the date of approval
of these financial statements, these conditions could have a significant adverse impact on the Company’s financial position and
results of operations for future periods.
Statement
of compliance
These
consolidated financial statements, including comparatives, have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards
(collectively, “IFRS”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) and Interpretations
issued by the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (“IFRIC”).
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
|
|
2.
|
BASIS
OF PRESENTATION (continued)
|
These
consolidated financial statements were authorized for issue by the Board of Directors on May 3, 2021.
Basis
of measurement
These
consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a historical cost basis, except for financial instruments measured at their fair
value. In addition, these consolidated financial statements have been prepared using the accrual basis of accounting except for cash
flow information.
Functional
and presentation currency
These
consolidated financial statements are presented in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted, which is the functional currency of the
Company and its subsidiaries.
Basis
of consolidation
These
consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Versus Systems Inc. and its subsidiaries, from the date control was acquired.
Control exists when the Company possesses power over an investee, has exposure to variable returns from the investee and has the ability
to use its power over the investee to affect its returns. All inter-company balances and transactions, and any unrealized income and
expenses arising from inter-company transactions, are eliminated on consolidation. For partially owned subsidiaries, the interest attributable
to non-controlling shareholders is reflected in non-controlling interest. Adjustments to non-controlling interest are accounted for as
transactions with owners and adjustments that do not involve the loss of control are based on a proportionate amount of the net assets
of the subsidiary.
Name of Subsidiary
|
|
Place
of Incorporation
|
|
Proportion
of Ownership Interest
|
|
|
Principal
Activity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Versus Systems
(Holdco) Inc.
|
|
United
States of America
|
|
|
66.8
|
%
|
|
Holding Company
|
Versus Systems UK, Ltd
|
|
United
Kingdom
|
|
|
66.8
|
%
|
|
Sales Company
|
Versus LLC
|
|
United
States of America
|
|
|
66.8
|
%
|
|
Technology Company
|
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
|
|
2.
|
BASIS
OF PRESENTATION (continued)
|
Significant
Accounting Judgments, Estimates and Assumptions
The
preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires management to make certain estimates, judgments and assumptions that
affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements. Estimates and assumptions
are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and management’s assessment of current events and other facts
and circumstances that are considered to be relevant. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
Significant
assumptions about the future and other sources of estimation uncertainty that management has made at the end of the reporting year, that
could result in a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities in the event that actual results differ from
assumptions made, relate to, but are not limited to, the following:
i) Deferred
income taxes
Deferred
tax assets, including those arising from un-utilized tax losses, require management to assess the likelihood that the Company will generate
sufficient taxable earnings in future periods in order to utilize recognized deferred tax assets. Assumptions about the generation of
future taxable profits depend on management’s estimates of future cash flows. In addition, future changes in tax laws could limit
the ability of the Company to obtain tax deductions in future periods. To the extent that future cash flows and taxable income differ
significantly from estimates, the ability of the Company to realize the net deferred tax assets recorded at the reporting date could
be impacted.
ii)
Economic recoverability and probability of future economic benefits of intangible assets
Management
has determined that intangible asset costs which were capitalized may have future economic benefits and may be economically recoverable.
Management uses several criteria in its assessments of economic recoverability and probability of future economic benefits including
anticipated cash flows and estimated economic life.
iii)
Valuation of share-based compensation
The
Company uses the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model for valuation of share-based compensation. Option pricing models require the input
of subjective assumptions including expected price volatility, interest rate, and forfeiture rate. Changes in the input assumptions can
materially affect the fair value estimate and the Company’s earnings and equity reserves.
iv)
Depreciation and Amortization
The
Company’s intangible assets and equipment are depreciated and amortized on a straight-line basis, taking into account the estimated
useful lives of the assets and residual values. Changes to these estimates may affect the carrying value of these assets, net loss, and
comprehensive income (loss) in future periods.
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
|
|
2.
|
BASIS
OF PRESENTATION (continued)
|
v)
Determination of functional currency
The
functional currency of the Company and its subsidiaries is the currency of the primary economic environment in which each entity operates.
Determination of the functional currency may involve certain judgments to determine the primary economic environment. The functional
currency may change if there is a change in events and conditions which determines the primary economic environment.
vi)
Revenue Recognition
The
Company’s contracts with customers may include promises to transfer multiple products and services. For these contracts, the Company
accounts for individual performance obligations separately if they are capable of being distinct and distinct within the context of the
contract. Determining whether products and services are considered distinct performance obligations may require significant judgment.
Judgment is also required to determine the stand-alone selling price, for each distinct performance obligation.
|
3.
|
SIGNIFICANT
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
|
Basic
and diluted loss per share
Basic
earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing net earnings (loss) available to common shareholders by the weighted average number
of shares outstanding during the reporting periods. Diluted earnings (loss) per share is computed similar to basic earnings (loss) per
share except that the weighted average shares outstanding are increased to include additional shares for the assumed exercise of stock
options and warrants, if dilutive. The number of additional shares is calculated by assuming that outstanding stock options and warrants
were exercised and that the proceeds from such exercises were used to acquire common stock at the average market price during the reporting
periods. Potentially dilutive options and warrants excluded from diluted loss per share totaled 4,671,713 (2019 – 3,656,318) as
they were anti-dilutive.
Property
and Equipment
Property
and equipment is recorded at cost less accumulated amortization and any impairments. Amortization is calculated based on the estimated
residual value and estimated economic life of the specific assets using the straight-line method over the period indicated below:
Asset
|
|
Rate
|
Computers
|
|
Straight line, 3 years
|
Right of use assets
|
|
Shorter of useful life
or lease term
|
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
|
|
3.
|
SIGNIFICANT
ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
|
Financial
instruments
Classification
The
Company classifies its financial instruments in the following categories: at fair value through profit and loss (“FVTPL”),
at fair value through other comprehensive income (loss) (“FVTOCI”), or at amortized cost. The Company determines the classification
of financial assets at initial recognition. The classification of debt instruments is driven by the Company’s business model for
managing the financial assets and their contractual cash flow characteristics. Equity instruments that are held for trading are classified
as FVTPL. For other equity instruments, on the day of acquisition the Company can make an irrevocable election (on an instrument-by-instrument
basis) to designate them as FVTOCI. Financial liabilities are measured at amortized cost, unless they are required to be measured at
FVTPL (such as instruments held for trading or derivatives) or the Company has opted to measure them at FVTPL.
The
following table shows the classification of financial instruments:
Financial
assets/liabilities
|
|
Classification
|
Cash
|
|
FVTPL
|
Receivables
|
|
Amortized cost
|
Restricted deposit
|
|
Amortized cost
|
Deposit
|
|
Amortized cost
|
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
|
|
Amortized cost
|
Notes payable
|
|
Amortized cost
|
Measurement
Financial
assets and liabilities at amortized cost
Financial
assets and liabilities at amortized cost are initially recognized at fair value plus or minus transaction costs, respectively, and subsequently
carried at amortized cost less any impairment.
Financial
assets and liabilities at FVTPL
Financial
assets and liabilities carried at FVTPL are initially recorded at fair value and transaction costs are expensed in profit or loss. Realized
and unrealized gains and losses arising from changes in the fair value of the financial assets and liabilities held at FVTPL are included
in profit or loss in the period in which they arise.
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
|
|
3.
|
SIGNIFICANT
ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
|
Impairment
of financial assets at amortized cost
An
‘expected credit loss’ impairment model applies which requires a loss allowance to be recognized based on expected credit
losses. The estimated present value of future cash flows associated with the asset is determined and an impairment loss is recognized
for the difference between this amount and the carrying amount as follows: the carrying amount of the asset is reduced to estimated present
value of the future cash flows associated with the asset, discounted at the financial asset’s original effective interest rate,
either directly or through the use of an allowance account and the resulting loss is recognized in profit or loss for the period.
In
a subsequent period, if the amount of the impairment loss related to financial assets measured at amortized cost decreases, the previously
recognized impairment loss is reversed through profit or loss to the extent that the carrying amount of the investment at the date the
impairment is reversed does not exceed what the amortized cost would have been had the impairment not been recognized.
Derecognition
Financial
assets
The
Company derecognizes financial assets only when the contractual rights to cash flows from the financial assets expire, or when it transfers
the financial assets and substantially all of the associated risks and rewards of ownership to another entity. Gains and losses on derecognition
are generally recognized in profit or loss.
As
of December 31, 2020, the Company does not have any derivative financial assets and liabilities.
Intangible
assets excluding goodwill
Intangible
assets acquired separately are carried at cost at the time of initial recognition. Intangible assets acquired in a business combination
and recognized separately from goodwill are initially recognized at their fair value at the acquisition date. Expenditure on research
activities is recognized as an expense in the period in which it is incurred.
Intangibles
with a finite useful life are amortized and those with an indefinite useful life are not amortized. The useful life is the best estimate
of the period over which the asset is expected to contribute directly or indirectly to the future cash flows of the Company. The useful
life is based on the duration of the expected use of the asset by the Company and the legal, regulatory or contractual provisions that
constrain the useful life and future cash flows of the asset, including regulatory acceptance and approval, obsolescence, demand, competition
and other economic factors. If an income approach is used to measure the fair value of an intangible asset, the Company considers the
period of expected cash flows used to measure the fair value of the intangible asset, adjusted as appropriate for Company-specific factors
discussed above, to determine the useful life for amortization purposes. If no regulatory, contractual, competitive, economic or other
factors limit the useful life of the intangible to the Company, the useful life is considered indefinite.
Intangibles
with a finite useful life are amortized on the straight-line method unless the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible
asset are consumed or used up are reliably determinable. The Company evaluates the remaining useful life of intangible assets each reporting
period to determine whether any revision to the remaining useful life is required. If the remaining useful life is changed, the remaining
carrying amount of the intangible asset will be amortized prospectively over the revised remaining useful life. The Company’s intangible
asset is amortized on a straight-line basis over 3 years. In the year development costs are incurred, amortization is based on a half
year.
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
|
|
3.
|
SIGNIFICANT
ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
|
Deferred
Financing Costs
Deferred
financing costs consist primarily of direct incremental costs related to the Company’s public offering of its common stock, which
was completed in January 2021 (See Note 19). Upon completion of the Company’s public offering any deferred cost will be offset
against the proceeds of the offering. The Company incurred $517,360 of deferred financing cost during the year ended December 31, 2020.
Impairment
of intangible assets excluding goodwill
An
internally-generated intangible asset arising from development (or from the development phase of an internal project) is recognized if,
and only if, all of the following have been demonstrated:
|
(a)
|
the
technical feasibility of completing the intangible asset so that it will be available for
use or sale;
|
|
(b)
|
the
intention to complete the intangible asset and use or sell it;
|
|
(c)
|
the
ability to use or sell the intangible asset;
|
|
(d)
|
how
the intangible asset will generate probable future economic benefits;
|
|
(e)
|
the
availability of adequate technical, financial and other resources to complete the development
and to use or sell the intangible asset; and
|
|
(f)
|
the
ability to measure reliably the expenditure attributable to the intangible asset during its
development.
|
The
amount initially recognized for internally-generated intangible assets is the sum of the costs incurred from the date when the intangible
assets first meet the recognition criteria listed above. If no future economic benefit is expected before the end of the life of assets,
the residual book value is expensed. Subsequent to initial recognition, internally-generated intangible assets are reported at cost.
Where no internally-generated intangible asset can be recognized, development costs are recognized as an expense in the period in which
it is incurred.
At
the end of each reporting period, the Company reviews the carrying amounts of its intangible assets to determine whether there is any
indication that those assets have suffered impairment losses. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the cash-generating
unit (“CGU”) to which the asset belongs is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment losses (if any).
Where
a reasonable and consistent basis of allocation can be identified, corporate assets (assets other than goodwill that contribute to the
future cash flows of both the CGU under review and other CGUs) are also allocated to individual CGUs, or otherwise they are allocated
to the smallest group of CGUs for which a reasonable and consistent allocation basis can be identified.
Recoverable
amount is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and value in use. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are
discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and
the risks specific to the asset for which the estimates of future cash flows have not been adjusted.
If
the recoverable amount of an asset (or CGU) is estimated to be less than its carrying amount, the carrying amount of the asset (or CGU)
is reduced to its recoverable amount.
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
|
|
3.
|
SIGNIFICANT
ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
|
Where
impairment losses subsequently reverse, the carrying amount of the asset (or CGU) is increased to the revised estimate of its recoverable
amount, such that the increased carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined had no impairment
losses been recognized for the asset (or CGU) in prior years. A reversal of impairment losses is recognized immediately in profit or
loss.
Income
taxes
Tax
expense recognized in profit or loss comprises the sum of current tax and deferred tax not recognized in other comprehensive income or
directly in equity.
Current
Income Tax
Current
income tax assets and/or liabilities comprise those claims from, or obligations to, fiscal authorities relating to the current or prior
reporting periods that are unpaid at the reporting date. Current tax is payable on taxable profit, which differs from profit or loss
in the financial statements. Calculation of current tax is based on tax rates and tax laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted
by the end of the reporting period.
Deferred
income tax
Deferred
income taxes are calculated based on temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are calculated, without discounting, at tax rates that are expected to apply to their respective
period of realization, provided they are enacted or substantively enacted by the end of the reporting period.
Deferred
tax assets are recognized to the extent that it is probable that they will be able to be utilized against future taxable income. Deferred
tax assets and liabilities are offset only when the Company has a right and intention to offset current tax assets and liabilities from
the same taxation authority.
Changes
in deferred tax assets or liabilities are recognized as a component of tax income or expense in profit or loss, except where they relate
to items that are recognized in other comprehensive income or directly in equity, in which case the related deferred tax is also recognized
in other comprehensive income or equity, respectively.
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
|
|
3.
|
SIGNIFICANT
ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
|
Leases
Leases
are recognized as a right-of-use asset and a corresponding liability at the date at which the leased asset is available for use by the
Company. Assets and liabilities arising from a lease are initially measured on a present value basis. Right-of-use assets
are measured at cost comprising the following:
-
the amount of the initial measurement of lease liability;
-
any lease payments made at or before the commencement date less any lease incentives received;
-
any initial direct costs; and
-
restoration costs.
The
Company assesses whether a contract is or contains a lease, at inception of a contract. The Company recognizes a right-of-use asset and
a corresponding lease liability with respect to all lease agreements in which it is the lessee. The lease liability is initially measured
at the present value of the lease payments that are not paid at the commencement date, discounted by using the rate implicit in the lease.
If this rate cannot be readily determined, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate.
The
lease liability is subsequently measured by increasing its carrying amount to reflect interest on the lease liability (using the effective
interest method) and by reducing the carrying amount to reflect lease payments made. The right-of-use asset is depreciated over the shorter
of the lease term and the useful life of the underlying asset. The Company applies IAS 36, Impairment of Assets, to determine whether
the asset is impaired and account for any identified impairment loss.
As
a practical expedient, IFRS 16 permits a lease not to separate non-lease components, and instead account for any lease and associated
non-lease components as a single arrangement. The Company has not used this practical expedient, and accordingly allocates the consideration
in the contract to lease and non-lease components based on the stand-alone price of the lease component and aggregate stand-alone price
of the non-lease components.
Variable
rents that do not depend on an index or rate are not included in the measurement of the lease liability and the right-of-use asset. The
related payments are recognized as an expense in the period in which the event or condition that triggers those payments occurs and are
presented as such in profit or loss.
Provisions
A
provision is recognized if, as a result of a past event, the Company has a present legal or constructive obligation that can be estimated
reliably and it is probable that an outflow of economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation. Provisions are determined
by discounting the expected future cash flows at a pre-tax rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and
the risks specific to the liability.
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
|
|
3.
|
SIGNIFICANT
ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
|
Government
grant
Government
grant is recognized when there is reasonable assurance that the Company will comply with any conditions attached to the grant and the
grant will be received. Government grant is recognized in profit or loss to offset the corresponding expenses on a systematic basis over
the periods in which the Company recognizes expenses for the related costs for which the grants are intended to compensate, which in
the case of grants related to assets requires setting up the grant as deferred income or deducting it from the carrying amount of the
asset.
Non-controlling
interest
Non-controlling
interest in the Company’s less than wholly owned subsidiary is classified as a separate component of equity. On initial recognition,
non-controlling interest is measured at the fair value of the non-controlling entity’s contribution into the related subsidiary.
Subsequent to the original transaction date, adjustments are made to the carrying amount of non-controlling interest for the non-controlling
interest’s share of changes to the subsidiary’s equity.
Changes
in the Company’s ownership interest in a subsidiary that do not result in a loss of control are recorded as equity transactions.
The carrying amount of non-controlling interest is adjusted to reflect the change in the non-controlling interest’s relative interest
in the subsidiary, and the difference between the adjustment to the carrying amount of non-controlling interests and the Company’s
share of proceeds received and/or consideration paid is recognized directly in equity and attributed to owners of the Company.
Valuation
of equity units issued in private placements
The
Company has adopted a residual value method with respect to the measurement of shares and warrants issued as private placement units.
The residual value method first allocates value to the most easily measurable component based on fair value and then the residual value,
if any, to the less easily measurable component.
The
fair value of the common shares issued in private placements is determined to be the more easily measurable component and are valued
at their fair value. The balance, if any, is allocated to the attached warrants. Any fair value attributed to the warrants is recorded
as warrant reserve. If the warrants are exercised, the related amount is reclassified as share capital. If the warrants expire unexercised,
the related amount remains in the warrant reserve.
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
3.
|
SIGNIFICANT
ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
|
Share-based
Compensation
The
Company grants stock options to acquire common shares of the Company to directors, officers, employees and consultants. An individual
is classified as an employee when the individual is an employee for legal or tax purposes, or provides services similar to those performed
by an employee.
The
fair value of stock options is measured on the date of grant, using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, and is recognized over the
vesting period. Consideration paid for the shares on the exercise of stock options is credited to capital stock.
In
situations where equity instruments are issued to non-employees and some or all of the goods or services received by the entity as consideration
cannot be specifically identified, they are measured at fair value of the share-based payment.
Otherwise,
share-based payments are measured at the fair value of goods or services received.
Revenue
recognition
In
general, the Company recognizes revenue when the amount of revenue can be reliably measured, it is probable that future economic benefits
will flow to the Company, where there is evidence of an arrangement, when the selling price is fixed or determinable, and when specific
criteria have been met or there are no significant remaining performance obligations for each of the Company’s activities as described
below. Foreseeable losses, if any, are recognized in the year or period in which the loss is determined.
The
Company earns revenue in two primary ways: 1) development and maintenance of custom-built software or other professional services, or
2) the sale of advertising.
The
Company recognizes revenues received from the development and maintenance of custom-built software and other professional services provided
upon the satisfaction of its performance obligation in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled
in exchange for those services. Performance obligations can be satisfied either at a single point in time or over time. For those
performance obligations that are satisfied at a single point in time, the revenue is recognized at that time. For each performance obligation
satisfied over time, the Company recognizes revenue by measuring the progress toward complete satisfaction of that performance obligation.
For
revenues received from the sales of advertising, the Company is deemed the agent in its revenue agreements. The Company does not own
or obtain control of the digital advertising inventory. The Company recognizes revenues upon the achievement of agreed-upon performance
criteria for the advertising inventory, such as a number of views, or clicks. As the Company is acting as an agent in the transaction,
the Company recognizes revenue from sales of advertising on a net basis, which excludes amounts payable to partners under the Company’s
revenue sharing agreements.
The
Company’s contracts with customers may include promises to transfer multiple products and services. For these contracts, the Company
accounts for individual performance obligations separately if they are capable of being distinct and distinct within the context of the
contract. Determining whether products and services are considered distinct performance obligations may require significant judgment.
Judgment is also required to determine the stand-alone selling price, for each distinct performance obligation.
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
3.
|
SIGNIFICANT
ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
|
As
the Company’s performance obligations are satisfied within 12 months, the Company has elected the practical expedients under IFRS
15, which allows the Company not to record any significant financing component as a result of financing any of its arrangements and not
to capitalize cost incurred to obtain a contract.
Deferred
Revenue
Revenue
recognition of sales is recorded on a monthly basis upon delivery or as the services are provided. Cash received in advance for services
are recorded as deferred revenue based on the proportion of time remaining under the service arrangement as of the reporting date.
Foreign
Exchange
The
functional currency is the currency of the primary economic environment in which the entity operates and has been determined for each
entity within the Company. The functional currency for the Company and its subsidiaries is the Canadian dollar. The functional currency
determinations were conducted through an analysis of the consideration factors identified in IAS 21, The Effects of Changes in Foreign
Exchange Rates.
Transactions
in currencies other than the Canadian dollar are recorded at exchange rates prevailing on the dates of the transactions. At the end of
each reporting period, the monetary assets and liabilities of the Company and its subsidiaries that are denominated in foreign currencies
are translated at the rate of exchange at the date of the statement of financial position while non-monetary assets and liabilities are
translated at historical rates. Revenues and expenses are translated at the exchange rates approximating those in effect on the date
of the transactions. Exchange gains and losses arising on translation are included in profit or loss.
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
Comprehensive
income (loss) consists of net income (loss) and other comprehensive income (loss) and represents the change in equity (deficiency) which
results from transactions and events from sources other than the Company’s shareholders. Net loss is the same as comprehensive
loss for the years presented.
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
Accounts
receivable consists of amounts due from one customer ($484,790), GST receivable ($29,080) and share subscription receivable ($90,000).
The amount of trade receivable included within Receivables on the consolidated statement of financial position was $484,790 and none
as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. There has been no provision for doubtful accounts for the years presented.
The
Company entered into an Accounts Receivable Purchase and Security Agreement (the “Factor Agreement”) with full recourse.
Pursuant to the Factor Agreement, the factor advances funds to the Company for the right to collect cash flows from factored accounts
receivable and charges fees for its services. The factor advances funds to the Company at 90% of accounts receivable factored. The outstanding
balance bears a daily interest rate of 0.05%. As of December 31, 2020, 100% of the monies owed were collected by the Company and the
factoring agent under the terms of the Factor Agreement. The Company expenses the fees and interest charged by the factoring agent as
a loss on factoring within its financial statements, which totaled $50,306 during the twelve month period ended December 31, 2020.
As
of December 31, 2020, restricted deposits consisted of $11,497 (2019 - $11,500) held in a guaranteed investment certificate as collateral
for a corporate credit card.
|
6.
|
PROPERTY
AND EQUIPMENT
|
|
|
Computers
|
|
|
Right
of Use
Asset
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Cost
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At December 31, 2017
|
|
76,256
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
Additions
|
|
38,483
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
At December 31, 2018
|
|
|
114,739
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
114,739
|
|
Additions
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,217,109
|
|
|
|
1,217,109
|
|
At December 31, 2019
|
|
|
114,739
|
|
|
|
1,217,109
|
|
|
|
1,331,848
|
|
Additions
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
At December 31, 2020
|
|
|
114,739
|
|
|
|
1,217,109
|
|
|
|
1,331,848
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accumulated amortization
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At December 31, 2017
|
|
|
25,987
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
25,987
|
|
Amortization for the
year
|
|
|
29,642
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
29,642
|
|
At December 31, 2018
|
|
|
55,629
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
55,629
|
|
Amortization for the year
|
|
|
30,695
|
|
|
|
296,526
|
|
|
|
327,221
|
|
At December 31, 2019
|
|
|
86,324
|
|
|
|
296,526
|
|
|
|
382,850
|
|
Amortization for the year
|
|
|
24,062
|
|
|
|
298,998
|
|
|
|
323,060
|
|
At December 31, 2020
|
|
|
110,386
|
|
|
|
595,524
|
|
|
|
705,910
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carrying
amounts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At December 31, 2018
|
|
|
59,110
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
59,110
|
|
At December 31, 2019
|
|
|
28,415
|
|
|
|
920,583
|
|
|
|
948,998
|
|
At December 31, 2020
|
|
|
4,353
|
|
|
|
621,585
|
|
|
|
625,938
|
|
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
7.
|
NON-CONTROLLING
INTEREST IN VERSUS LLC
|
As
of December 31, 2018, the Company held a 41.3% ownership interest in Versus LLC, a privately held limited liability company organized
under the laws of the state of Nevada. The Company consolidates Versus LLC as a result of having full control over the voting shares.
Versus LLC is a technology company that is developing a business-to-business software platform that allows video game publishers and
developers to offer prize-based matches of their games to their players.
On
May 21, 2019, the Company acquired an additional 25.2% interest in Versus LLC in exchange for 574,009 common shares of the Company and
287,005 share purchase warrants that are exercisable at $3.20 per share until June 30, 2019. The common shares and the share purchase
warrants were determined to have a fair value of $1,882,749 and $156,389, respectively. As a result, the Company increased its ownership
interest to 66.5% and recorded the excess purchase price over net identifiable liabilities of $4,644,719 against reserves. The effect
on non-controlling interest was a reduction of $2,605,582.
On
June 21, 2019, the Company acquired an additional 0.3% interest in Versus LLC in exchange for 2,825 common shares of the Company and
1,412 share purchase warrants that are exercisable at $3.20 per share until June 30, 2019. The common shares and the share purchase warrants
were determined to have a fair value of $9,263 and $3,389, respectively. As a result, the Company increased its ownership interest to
66.8% and recorded the excess purchase price over net identifiable assets of $34,714 against reserves. The effect on non-controlling
interest was a reduction of $22,061.
The
following table presents summarized financial information before intragroup eliminations for the non-wholly owned subsidiary as of December
31, 2020 and 2019:
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
2018
|
|
Non-controlling interest percentage
|
|
33.2%
|
|
|
33.2%
|
|
|
58.7%
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
|
|
|
1,012,081
|
|
|
|
103,398
|
|
|
|
72,222
|
|
Non-current
|
|
|
2,974,249
|
|
|
|
3,739,445
|
|
|
|
3,566,490
|
|
|
|
|
3,986,330
|
|
|
|
3,842,843
|
|
|
|
3,638,712
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
|
|
|
1,325,230
|
|
|
|
823,285
|
|
|
|
740,249
|
|
Non-current
|
|
|
22,510,724
|
|
|
|
17,851,531
|
|
|
|
11,059,323
|
|
|
|
|
23,835,954
|
|
|
|
18,674,816
|
|
|
|
11,799,572
|
|
Net liabilities
|
|
|
(19,849,624
|
)
|
|
|
(14,831,973
|
)
|
|
|
(8,160,860
|
)
|
Non-controlling interest
|
|
|
(7,547,035
|
)
|
|
|
(6,024,450
|
)
|
|
|
(5,893,609
|
)
|
Loss and comprehensive loss
|
|
|
(4,586,099
|
)
|
|
|
(6,671,113
|
)
|
|
|
(7,766,709
|
)
|
Loss and comprehensive loss attributed to non-controlling interest
|
|
|
(1,522,585
|
)
|
|
|
(2,758,484
|
)
|
|
|
(4,741,694
|
)
|
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
Intangible
assets are comprised of a business-to-business software platform that allows video game publishers and developers to offer prize-based
matches of their games to their players. the Company continues to develop new apps, therefore additional costs were capitalized during
the year ended December 31, 2020.
|
|
Software
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Cost
|
|
|
|
At December 31, 2017
|
|
7,993,002
|
|
Additions
|
|
1,804,207
|
|
At December 31, 2018
|
|
|
9,797,209
|
|
Additions
|
|
|
1,939,858
|
|
At December 31, 2019
|
|
|
11,737,067
|
|
Additions
|
|
|
1,183,528
|
|
At December 31, 2020
|
|
|
12,920,595
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accumulated amortization
|
|
|
|
|
At December 31, 2017
|
|
|
3,461,095
|
|
Amortization
|
|
|
2,965,035
|
|
At December 31, 2018
|
|
|
6,426,130
|
|
Amortization
|
|
|
2,530,590
|
|
At December 31, 2019
|
|
|
8,956,720
|
|
Amortization
|
|
|
1,706,972
|
|
At December 31, 2020
|
|
|
10,663,692
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carrying amounts
|
|
|
|
|
At December 31, 2018
|
|
|
3,371,079
|
|
At December 31, 2019
|
|
|
2,780,347
|
|
At December 31, 2020
|
|
|
2,256,903
|
|
|
9.
|
ACCOUNTS
PAYABLE AND ACCRUED LIABILITIES
|
The
Company’s accounts payable and accrued liabilities are comprised of the following:
|
|
December
31,
2020
|
|
|
December
31,
2019
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Accounts payable
|
|
|
716,177
|
|
|
|
446,988
|
|
Due to related parties
|
|
|
716,808
|
|
|
|
492,181
|
|
Accrued
liabilities
|
|
|
461,840
|
|
|
|
36,236
|
|
|
|
|
1,894,825
|
|
|
|
975,405
|
|
During
the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company issued unsecured notes payable for total proceeds of $1,261,254 from director and officers
of the Company who are also shareholders. The loans bear interest at the prime rate which was 2.45% to 3.95% per annum at December 31,
2020, compounded annually and payable quarterly, and had a maturity date of three years from the date of issuance. The notes were considered
below the Company’s estimated market borrowing rate of 10% and as such, a contribution benefit of $228,497 was recorded in reserves.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company had recorded $472,107 in accrued interest which was included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities.
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
10.
|
NOTES
PAYABLE (continued)
|
During
the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company issued unsecured notes payable for total proceeds of $2,633,667 from director and officers
of the Company who are also shareholders. The loans bear interest at the prime rate which was 3.95% per annum at December 31, 2019, compounded
annually and payable quarterly, and had a maturity date of three years from the date of issuance. The notes were considered below the
Company’s estimated market borrowing rate of 10% and as such, a contribution benefit of $297,710 was recorded in reserves. As of
December 31, 2019, the Company had recorded $249,496 in accrued interest which was included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities.
During
the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded finance expense of $371,062 (December 31, 2019 - $257,448), related to
bringing the notes to their present value.
|
|
Amount
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Balance at December 31, 2017
|
|
747,322
|
|
Proceeds
|
|
3,106,652
|
|
Contribution benefit
|
|
(500,921)
|
|
Finance expense
|
|
125,903
|
|
Balance at December 31, 2018
|
|
|
3,478,956
|
|
Proceeds
|
|
|
2,633,667
|
|
Repayments
|
|
|
(1,258,194
|
)
|
Contribution benefit
|
|
|
(297,110
|
)
|
Finance expense
|
|
|
257,448
|
|
Balance, December 31, 2019
|
|
|
4,814,767
|
|
Proceeds
|
|
|
1,261,254
|
|
Repayments
|
|
|
(336,000
|
)
|
Contribution benefit
|
|
|
(228,497
|
)
|
Finance expense
|
|
|
371,061
|
|
Balance, December 31, 2020
|
|
|
5,882,585
|
|
Current
|
|
|
2,975,747
|
|
Non-current
|
|
|
2,906,838
|
|
In
May 2020, the Company received loan proceeds in the aggregate amount of $829,937 (USD$610,247) under the Paycheck Protection Program
(“PPP”). The PPP, established as part of the CARES Act within the United States of America in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,
provides for loans to qualifying businesses. A portion of the loans and accrued interest are forgivable as long as the borrower uses
the loan proceeds for eligible purposes, including payroll, benefits, rent and utilities, and maintains its payroll levels. The amount
of loan forgiveness will be reduced if the borrower terminates employees or reduces salaries. No collateral or guarantees were provided
in connection with the PPP loans.
The
unforgiven portion of the PPP loans is payable over two years at an interest rate of 1%, with a deferral of payments for the first nine
months. The Company used the proceeds for purposes consistent with the PPP. For the year ended December 31, 2020 the Company had incurred
eligible payroll cost of $829,937 which were fully offset against the loan balance. Of the total loan balance, $228,269 was applied towards
payroll cost capitalized as intangible assets.
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
11.
|
SHARE
CAPITAL AND RESERVES
|
|
a)
|
Authorized
share capital
|
An
unlimited number of common shares without par value and 5,057 Class “A” shares, Series 1. The Class “A” shares,
Series 1 are non-voting and are non-voting and do not have any special rights or restrictions associated with them.
During
the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company:
|
i)
|
issued,
150,000 units at a price of $4.00 per unit for total proceeds of $600,000. Each unit consisted
of one common share and a one half share purchase warrant for each share purchased. Each
whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at a price of $6.40
until February 17, 2021.
|
|
ii)
|
issued, 172,532 units at
a price of $4.00 per unit for total proceeds of $690,125. Each unit consisted of one common share and one
share purchase warrant for each share purchased. Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at a price
of $6.40 until July 17, 2022.
|
|
iii)
|
issued, 625,000 units at
a price of $4.00 per unit for total proceeds of $2,500,000. Each unit consisted of one common share and a one half share purchase
warrant for each share purchased. Each whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at a price of $6.40
until November 17, 2022.
|
|
iv)
|
entered into a Mutual Investment
Agreement with Animoca Brands Inc. (Animoca) in which the Company issued 181,547 shares of the Company’s common stock with
a value of $698,557 in exchange for 4,327,431 shares of Animoca common stock. On the same date, the Company issued an additional
89,088 shares of the Company’s common stock with a value of $349,225 to Animoca in exchange for services (included in professional
fees). The Company subsequently sold all of its shares of Animoca and recognized a loss of $508,050.
|
|
v)
|
Issued, 1,058,993 common
shares pursuant to exercise of 1,056,143 warrants and 3,750 stock options for total proceeds of $4,596,193.
|
During
the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company:
|
i)
|
issued, 624,228 units at
a price of $2.88 per unit for total proceeds of $1,797,778. Each unit consisted of one common share and a one common stock warrant
for each share purchased. Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at a price of $4.80 until February
14, 2021.
|
|
ii)
|
issued,
1,094,844 units pursuant to a private placement at a price of $3.20 per unit for total proceeds of $3,503,500. Each unit consisted
of one common share and a one common stock warrant for each share purchased. Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one
additional common share at a price of $5.60 until July 26, 2021.
|
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
11.
|
SHARE
CAPITAL AND RESERVES (continued)
|
|
b)
|
Issued
share capital (continued)
|
|
iii)
|
issued, 284,092 units at
a price of $3.52 per unit for total proceeds of $1,000,000. Each unit consisted of one common share and one common stock warrant
for each share purchased. Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at a price of $5.60 until August
9, 2021.
|
|
v)
|
issued 576,834 common shares
at a value of $1,892,012 on acquisition of Versus LLC shares (Note 6).
|
|
vi)
|
issued 158,115 common shares
pursuant to the exercise of share purchase warrants and stock options for total proceeds of $425,417.
|
During
the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company:
|
i)
|
issued,
766,231 units at a price of $4.80 per unit for total proceeds of $3,677,900. Each unit consisted
of one common share and a one half common stock warrant for each share purchased. Each whole
warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at a price of $6.40 until
April 12, 2020. A residual value of $78,957 was allocated to the warrants.
|
|
ii)
|
issued
153,750 common shares pursuant to the exercise of share purchase warrants for total proceeds
of $384,000.
|
Escrow
At
December 31, 2020, 313 common shares (December 31, 2019 and 2018 – 313) of the Company are held in escrow due to misplaced share
certificates originally issued to three individual shareholders.
Pursuant
to the policies of the CSE, the Company may grant incentive stock options to its officers, directors, employees and consultants. The
Company has implemented a rolling Stock Option Plan (the “Plan”) whereby the Company can issue up to 10% of the issued and
outstanding common shares of the Company. Options have a maximum term of ten years and vesting is determined by the Board of Directors.
A
continuity schedule of outstanding stock options is as follows:
|
|
Number
Outstanding
|
|
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Balance –
December 31, 2017
|
|
|
531,559
|
|
|
|
4.96
|
|
Granted
|
|
|
72,284
|
|
|
|
5.92
|
|
Forfeited
|
|
|
(54,319
|
)
|
|
|
5.28
|
|
Balance – December
31, 2018
|
|
|
549,524
|
|
|
|
4.96
|
|
Granted
|
|
|
482,500
|
|
|
|
5.28
|
|
Exercised
|
|
|
(3,125
|
)
|
|
|
3.52
|
|
Forfeited
|
|
|
(15,500
|
)
|
|
|
6.72
|
|
Balance –December
31, 2019
|
|
|
1,013,399
|
|
|
|
5.12
|
|
Granted
|
|
|
470,083
|
|
|
|
4.11
|
|
Exercised
|
|
|
(3,750
|
)
|
|
|
3.49
|
|
Forfeited
|
|
|
(125,907
|
)
|
|
|
6.04
|
|
Balance
– December 31, 2020
|
|
|
1,353,825
|
|
|
|
4.70
|
|
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
11.
|
SHARE
CAPITAL AND RESERVES (continued)
|
|
b)
|
Issued
share capital (continued)
|
During
the year ended December 31, 2020, 470,083 stock options were granted by the Company with a fair value of $1,216,228 (or $2.69 per option).
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded share-based compensation of $1,407,414 (December 31, 2019 - $826,360) relating
to options vested during the year.
During
the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company granted a total of 482,500 stock options with a fair value of $1,724,580 (or $3.52 per
option).
During
the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company granted a total of 72,284 stock options with a fair value of $343,711 (or $5.92 per option).
During
the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company recorded share-based compensation of $651,316 relating to options vested during the year.
The
Company used the following assumptions in calculating the fair value of stock options for the years ended:
|
|
December 31,
2020
|
|
|
December 31,
2019
|
|
|
December 31, 2018
|
|
Risk-free interest rate
|
|
|
0.26% - 0.37%
|
|
|
|
1.59
|
%
|
|
|
2.18
|
%
|
Expected life of options
|
|
|
2.0 – 5.0 years
|
|
|
|
5.0 years
|
|
|
|
5.0 years
|
|
Expected dividend yield
|
|
|
Nil
|
|
|
|
Nil
|
|
|
|
Nil
|
|
Volatility
|
|
|
79.44% - 87.79%
|
|
|
|
95.8
|
%
|
|
|
111.6
|
%
|
At
December 31, 2020, the Company had incentive stock options outstanding as follows:
Expiry
Date
|
|
Options
Outstanding
|
|
|
Options
Exercisable
|
|
|
Exercise
Price
|
|
|
Weighted
Average
Remaining Life
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
(years)
|
|
July 13, 2021
|
|
|
325,147
|
|
|
|
316,066
|
|
|
|
4.32
|
|
|
|
0.53
|
|
March 17, 2022
|
|
|
13,063
|
|
|
|
12,451
|
|
|
|
6.96
|
|
|
|
1.21
|
|
May 18, 2022
|
|
|
5,750
|
|
|
|
5,301
|
|
|
|
7.84
|
|
|
|
1.38
|
|
July 31, 2022
|
|
|
171,114
|
|
|
|
103,381
|
|
|
|
4.00
|
|
|
|
1.58
|
|
September 14, 2022
|
|
|
74,156
|
|
|
|
64,216
|
|
|
|
5.52
|
|
|
|
1.70
|
|
November 19, 2022
|
|
|
12,500
|
|
|
|
521
|
|
|
|
6.00
|
|
|
|
1.88
|
|
June 6, 2023
|
|
|
14,063
|
|
|
|
8,789
|
|
|
|
7.36
|
|
|
|
2.43
|
|
September 4, 2023
|
|
|
12,813
|
|
|
|
6,204
|
|
|
|
4.00
|
|
|
|
2.68
|
|
April 2, 2024
|
|
|
107,500
|
|
|
|
52,500
|
|
|
|
3.36
|
|
|
|
3.26
|
|
June 27, 2024
|
|
|
6,250
|
|
|
|
4,688
|
|
|
|
3.36
|
|
|
|
3.49
|
|
July 24, 2024
|
|
|
148,344
|
|
|
|
15,453
|
|
|
|
4.00
|
|
|
|
3.57
|
|
September 27, 2024
|
|
|
312,500
|
|
|
|
98,828
|
|
|
|
6.00
|
|
|
|
3.74
|
|
October 22, 2024
|
|
|
12,500
|
|
|
|
5,078
|
|
|
|
5.28
|
|
|
|
3.81
|
|
July 24, 2025
|
|
|
113,125
|
|
|
|
24,076
|
|
|
|
4.00
|
|
|
|
4.57
|
|
August 10, 2025
|
|
|
12,500
|
|
|
|
2,083
|
|
|
|
4.00
|
|
|
|
4.61
|
|
November 19, 2024
|
|
|
12,500
|
|
|
|
260
|
|
|
|
6.00
|
|
|
|
3.89
|
|
|
|
|
1,353,825
|
|
|
|
719,895
|
|
|
|
4.70
|
|
|
|
2.53
|
|
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
11.
|
SHARE
CAPITAL AND RESERVES (continued)
|
|
d)
|
Share
purchase warrants
|
A
continuity schedule of outstanding share purchase warrants is as follows:
|
|
Number
Outstanding
|
|
|
Weighted
Average Exercise Price
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Balance –
December 31, 2017
|
|
|
1,711,690
|
|
|
|
4.80
|
|
Exercised
|
|
|
(153,750
|
)
|
|
|
2.56
|
|
Expired
|
|
|
(517,000
|
)
|
|
|
6.40
|
|
Issued
|
|
|
427,598
|
|
|
|
6.24
|
|
Balance
– December 31, 2018
|
|
|
1,468,538
|
|
|
|
4.96
|
|
Exercised
|
|
|
(154,990
|
)
|
|
|
2.72
|
|
Expired
|
|
|
(347,732
|
)
|
|
|
3.20
|
|
Issued
|
|
|
2,349,365
|
|
|
|
5.12
|
|
Balance – December
31, 2019
|
|
|
3,315,181
|
|
|
|
5.28
|
|
Exercised
|
|
|
(1,056,143
|
)
|
|
|
2.40
|
|
Expired
|
|
|
(438,948
|
)
|
|
|
4.32
|
|
Issued
|
|
|
872,532
|
|
|
|
6.13
|
|
Balance
– December 31, 2020
|
|
|
2,692,622
|
|
|
|
5.88
|
|
During
the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company:
|
i)
|
On
February 17, 2020, the Company, completed a unit private placement which included 75,000
share purchase warrants exercisable at $6.40 per share for a period of two years. The share
purchase warrants were determined to have a fair value of $Nil using the residual value method.
|
|
ii)
|
On
July 17, 2020, the Company, completed a unit private placement which included 172,532 share
purchase warrants exercisable at $4.00 per share for a period of two years. The share purchase
warrants were determined to have a fair value of $55,210 using the residual value method.
|
|
ii)
|
On
November 17, 2020, the Company, completed a unit private placement which included. 625,000
share purchase warrants exercisable at $4.00 per share for a period of two years.
|
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
11.
|
SHARE
CAPITAL AND RESERVES (continued)
|
|
d)
|
Share
purchase warrants
|
During
the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company:
|
i)
|
On February 14, 2019, the
Company completed a unit private placement which included 624,228 share purchase warrants exercisable at $4.80 per share for a period
of two years. The share purchase warrants were determined to have a fair value of $199,753 using the residual value method.
|
|
ii)
|
On February 14, 2019, the
Company completed a unit private placement which included 43,696 broker warrants exercisable at $2.88 per share for a period of two
years. The share purchase warrants were determined to have a fair value of $61,843 using the Black Scholes option pricing model.
|
|
iii)
|
On July 26, 2019, the Company
completed a unit private placement which included 1,094,844 share purchase warrants exercisable at $5.60 per share for a period of
two years. The share purchase warrants were determined to have a fair value of $Nil using the residual method.
|
|
iv)
|
On July 26, 2019, the Company
issued 14,088 agent warrants exercisable to purchase additional shares at a price of $5.60 per share for a period of 24 months from
closing. The agent warrants were determined to have a fair value of $20,985.
|
|
v)
|
On August 9, 2019, the
Company completed a unit private placement which included 284,093 share purchase warrants exercisable at $5.60 per share for a period
of two years. The share purchase warrants were determined to have a fair value of $Nil using the residual method.
|
|
vi)
|
The Company issued 288,416
warrants at a value of $159,778 for the acquisition of Newco shares (Note 7).
|
During
the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company:
|
i)
|
On March
29, 2018 and April 12, 2018, completed a unit private placement which included 383,120 share purchase warrants exercisable at $6.40
per share for a period of two years. The share purchase warrants were determined to have a fair value of $140,531 using
the residual value method.
|
|
ii)
|
On March
29, 2018 and April 12, 2018, completed a unit private placement which included 44,463 brokers’ warrants exercisable at $4.80
per share for a period of two years. The broker warrants were determined to have a fair value of $116,226 using the Black
Scholes option pricing model.
|
The
Company used the following assumptions in calculating the fair value of the warrants for the period ended:
|
|
December 31,
2019
|
|
|
December 31,
2018
|
|
Risk-free interest rate
|
|
|
1.77
|
%
|
|
|
1.85
|
%
|
Expected life of options
|
|
|
2.0 years
|
|
|
|
2.0 years
|
|
Expected dividend yield
|
|
|
Nil
|
|
|
|
Nil
|
|
Volatility
|
|
|
107.14
|
%
|
|
|
86.44
|
%
|
Weighted average fair value per warrant
|
|
$
|
0.64
|
|
|
$
|
2.56
|
|
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
11.
|
SHARE
CAPITAL AND RESERVES (continued)
|
|
d)
|
Share
purchase warrants
|
At
December 31, 2020, the Company had share purchase warrants outstanding as follows:
Expiry
Date
|
|
Warrants
Outstanding
|
|
|
Exercise
Price
|
|
|
Weighted
Average Remaining Life
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
(years)
|
|
February
13, 2021
|
|
|
75,000
|
|
|
|
6.40
|
|
|
|
0.13
|
*
|
February
14, 2021
|
|
|
247,133
|
|
|
|
4.80
|
|
|
|
0.13
|
*
|
February
14, 2021
|
|
|
6,883
|
|
|
|
2.88
|
|
|
|
0.13
|
*
|
July 26,
2021
|
|
|
952,117
|
|
|
|
5.60
|
|
|
|
0.57
|
|
July 26,
2021
|
|
|
9,866
|
|
|
|
5.60
|
|
|
|
0.57
|
|
August 9,
2021
|
|
|
247,841
|
|
|
|
5.60
|
|
|
|
0.63
|
|
March 17,
2022
|
|
|
356,250
|
|
|
|
6.40
|
|
|
|
1.21
|
|
July 17,
2022
|
|
|
172,532
|
|
|
|
6.40
|
|
|
|
1.54
|
|
November
17, 2022
|
|
|
625,000
|
|
|
|
6.40
|
|
|
|
1.88
|
|
|
|
|
2,692,622
|
|
|
|
5.88
|
|
|
|
0.97
|
|
On
September 30, 2016, the Company issued 625,250 performance warrants with a fair value of $1,725,496. These performance warrants vested
during the year ended December 31, 2019.
At
December 31, 2020, the Company had performance warrants outstanding as follows:
Expiry
Date
|
|
Performance
Warrants
Outstanding
|
|
|
Performance
Warrants
Exercisable
|
|
|
Exercise
Price
|
|
|
Remaining
Life
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
(years)
|
|
June
30, 2021
|
|
|
625,250
|
|
|
|
625,250
|
|
|
|
4.00
|
|
|
|
0.50
|
|
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
12.
|
RELATED
PARTY TRANSACTIONS
|
The
following summarizes the Company’s related party transactions, not disclosed elsewhere in these consolidated financial statements,
during the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. Key management personnel includes the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”),
Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), directors and officers and companies controlled or significantly influenced by them.
Key
Management Personnel
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
2018
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Short-term
employee benefits paid or accrued to the CEO of the Company, including share-based compensation vested for incentive stock options
and performance warrants.
|
|
|
375,858
|
|
|
|
382,002
|
|
|
|
434,543
|
|
Short-term
employee benefits paid or accrued to the CFO of the Company, including share-based compensation vested for incentive stock options
|
|
|
366,818
|
|
|
|
262,432
|
|
|
|
150,706
|
|
Short-term
employee benefits paid or accrued to a member of the advisory board of the Company, including share-based compensation vested for
incentive stock options and performance warrants.
|
|
|
290,314
|
|
|
|
62,209
|
|
|
|
297,445
|
|
Short-term
employee benefits paid or accrued to the Chief Technical Officer of the Company, including share-based compensation vested for incentive
stock options and performance warrants.
|
|
|
403,626
|
|
|
|
297,140
|
|
|
|
238,456
|
|
Short-term
employee benefits paid or accrued to certain directors and officers of the Company including share-based compensation vested for
incentive stock options and performance warrants.
|
|
|
440,000
|
|
|
|
442,757
|
|
|
|
101,456
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
1,876,616
|
|
|
|
1,446,540
|
|
|
|
1,222,606
|
|
Other
Related Party Payments
Lease
payments of $84,000 (2019 - $84,000; 2018 - $76,000) were paid or accrued to a corporation that shares management in common with the
Company.
Amounts
Outstanding
|
a)
|
At
December 31, 2020, a total of $757,265 (December 31, 2019 - $492,181) was included in accounts
payable and accrued liabilities owing to officers, directors, or companies controlled by
them. These amounts are unsecured and non-interest bearing.
|
|
b)
|
At
December 31, 2020 a total of $6,220,254 (December 31, 2019 - $5,470,000) of long term notes
was payable to a director, a member of the advisory board and the CEO of the Company (Note
10).
|
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
13.
|
FINANCIAL
INSTRUMENTS AND RISK MANAGEMENT
|
Financial
risk management
Financial
instruments measured at fair value are classified into one of three levels in the fair value hierarchy according to the relative reliability
of the inputs used to estimate the fair values. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are:
|
Level 1
|
–
|
Unadjusted
quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
|
|
|
|
|
|
Level 2
|
–
|
Inputs other than quoted
prices that are observable for the asset or liability either directly or indirectly; and
|
|
|
|
|
|
Level 3
|
–
|
Inputs that are not based
on observable market data.
|
The
Board of Directors has overall responsibility for the establishment and oversight of the Company’s risk management framework. The
Company’s financial instruments consist of cash, receivables, restricted deposit, accounts payable and accrued liabilities and
notes payable.
The
fair value of cash, receivables, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their book values because of the short-term nature
of these instruments. The fair value of notes payable approximates its book value as it was discounted using a market rate of interest.
Credit
risk
Credit
risk is the risk of financial loss to the Company if a counterparty to a financial instrument fails to meet its payment obligations.
The Company has no material counterparties to its financial instruments with the exception of the financial institutions which hold its
cash. The Company manages its credit risk by ensuring that its cash is placed with a major financial institution with strong investment
grade ratings by a primary ratings agency. The Company’s receivables consist of goods and services tax due from the government.
Financial
instrument risk exposure
The
Company is exposed in varying degrees to a variety of financial instrument related risks. The Board approves and monitors the risk management
processes.
Liquidity
risk
The
Company’s cash is invested in business accounts which are available on demand, The Company has raised additional capital subsequent
to December 31, 2020 (Note 19). Accordingly, the Company’ cash position is not sufficient to meet all financial liabilities currently
outstanding and expected to be incurred over the next twelve months.
Interest
rate risk
The
Company’s bank account earns interest income at variable rates and the notes payable bear interest at the prime lending rate. A
1% change in interest rates would have no significant impact on profit or loss for the year ended December 31, 2020.
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
13.
|
FINANCIAL
INSTRUMENTS AND RISK MANAGEMENT (continued)
|
Foreign
exchange risk
Foreign
currency exchange rate risk is the risk that the fair value of financial instruments or future cash flows will fluctuate because of changes
in foreign exchange rates. The Company operates in Canada and the United States.
The
Company was exposed to the following foreign currency risk as of December
31, 2020, December 31, 2019, and December 31, 2018:
|
|
December 31,
2020
|
|
|
December 31,
2019
|
|
|
December
31, 2018
|
|
|
|
(US$)
|
|
|
(US$)
|
|
|
(US$)
|
|
Cash
|
|
|
86,800
|
|
|
|
72,097
|
|
|
|
25,689
|
|
Lease obligations
|
|
|
(741,868
|
)
|
|
|
(768,563
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
|
|
|
(1,092,402
|
)
|
|
|
(445,660
|
)
|
|
|
(543,790
|
)
|
|
|
|
(1,747,470
|
)
|
|
|
(1,142,126
|
)
|
|
|
(518,101
|
)
|
As of December 31, 2020, with other
variables unchanged, a +/- 10% change in the United States dollar to Canadian dollar exchange rate would impact the Company’s profit
or loss by $220,000 (December 31, 2019 - $148,000; December 31, 2018 - $71,000).
|
14.
|
MANAGEMENT
OF CAPITAL
|
The
Company manages its capital structure and makes adjustments to it, based on the funds available to the Company. Capital consists of items
within equity (deficiency). The Board of Directors does not establish quantitative return on capital criteria for management, but rather
relies on the expertise of the Company's management to sustain future development of the business. The Company is not subject to any
externally imposed capital requirements.
The
Company remains dependent on external financing to fund its activities. In order to sustain its operations, the Company will spend its
existing cash on hand and raise additional amounts as needed until the business generates sufficient revenues to be self-sustaining.
Management reviews its capital management approach on an ongoing basis and believes that this approach, given the relative size of the
Company, is reasonable.
In
order to maximize ongoing corporate development efforts, the Company does not pay out dividends. The Company’s investment policy
is to keep its cash treasury invested in certificates of deposit with major financial institutions.
There
have been no changes to the Company’s approach to capital management during the year ended December 31, 2020.
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
15.
|
GEOGRAPHICAL
SEGMENTED INFORMATION
|
The
Company is engaged in one business activity, being the development of a business-to-business software platform that allows video game
publishers and developers to offer prize-based matches of their games to their players. Revenue earned during the year ended December
31, 2020 is from one customer based in the United States and receivables of $484,790 are due from that customer.
Details
of identifiable assets by geographic segments are as follows:
|
|
Restricted
deposits
|
|
|
Deposits
|
|
|
Property
and equipment
|
|
|
Intangible
assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December
31, 2020
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Canada
|
|
$
|
11,497
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
44,316
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
USA
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
127,812
|
|
|
|
581,622
|
|
|
|
2,256,903
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
11,497
|
|
|
$
|
127,812
|
|
|
$
|
625,938
|
|
|
$
|
2,256,903
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December
31, 2019
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Canada
|
|
$
|
11,500
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
119,797
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
USA
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
129,897
|
|
|
|
829,201
|
|
|
|
2,780,347
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
11,500
|
|
|
$
|
129,897
|
|
|
$
|
948,998
|
|
|
$
|
2,780,347
|
|
|
16.
|
SUPPLEMENTAL
CASH FLOW INFORMATION
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
2018
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Non-cash investing and financing
activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contribution
benefit on low interest rate notes (Note 9)
|
|
|
228,497
|
|
|
|
182,299
|
|
|
|
500,921
|
|
Shares
issued to acquire Newco shares (Note 6)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,892,012
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Deferred
financing cost included in accrued expenses
|
|
|
423,392
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Residual
value of units
|
|
|
55,210
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
78,957
|
|
Fair
value of broker warrants
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
116,226
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
paid during the year
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
56,144
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Income
taxes paid during the year
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
17.
|
LEASE
OBLIGATIONS AND COMMITMENTS
|
Lease Liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
Lease liabilities recognized as
of January 1, 2019
|
|
|
1,469,664
|
|
Lease payments made
|
|
|
(359,119
|
)
|
Interest expense on lease
liabilities
|
|
|
104,384
|
|
Foreign
exchange adjustment
|
|
|
(92,529
|
)
|
Lease liabilities recognized as of January 1, 2020
|
|
|
1,122,400
|
|
Lease payments made
|
|
|
(409,819
|
)
|
Interest expense on lease
liabilities
|
|
|
80,637
|
|
Foreign
exchange adjustment
|
|
|
39,767
|
|
|
|
|
832,985
|
|
Less:
current portion
|
|
|
(271,669
|
)
|
At December
31, 2020
|
|
|
561,316
|
|
On
August 1, 2015, the Company entered into a cost sharing arrangement agreement for the provision of office space and various administrative
services. In May of 2018, the Company extended the cost sharing arrangement to June of 2021 at a monthly fee of $7,000 plus GST per month.
Year
|
|
Amount
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
2022
|
|
|
49,000
|
|
On
September 6, 2017, the Company entered into a rental agreement for office space in Los Angeles, USA. Under the terms of the agreement
the Company will pay monthly rent starting at US$17,324 commencing on October 1, 2017 until September 30, 2022.
Year
|
|
Amount
|
|
|
|
US($)
|
|
2021
|
|
|
251,384
|
|
2022
|
|
|
260,185
|
|
2023
|
|
|
131,576
|
|
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
a)
|
Provision
for Income Taxes
|
A
reconciliation of income taxes at statutory rates with the reported taxes is as follows:
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
2018
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Loss
for the year
|
|
|
(9,271,160
|
)
|
|
|
(9,627,605
|
)
|
|
|
(9,373,171
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expected income tax (recovery)
|
|
|
(2,503,000
|
)
|
|
|
(2,599,000
|
)
|
|
|
(2,531,000
|
)
|
Change in statutory, foreign
tax, foreign exchange rates and other
|
|
|
369,000
|
|
|
|
528,000
|
|
|
|
(96,000
|
)
|
Permanent differences
|
|
|
541,000
|
|
|
|
345,000
|
|
|
|
180,000
|
|
Share issue costs
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(154,000
|
)
|
|
|
(121,000
|
)
|
Adjustment to prior years
provision versus statutory tax returns
|
|
|
(47,000
|
)
|
|
|
4,157,000
|
|
|
|
(1,026,000
|
)
|
Change
in unrecognized deductible temporary differences
|
|
|
1,640,000
|
|
|
|
(2,277,000
|
)
|
|
|
3,594,000
|
|
Income
tax expense
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
The
significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets that have not been included on the consolidated statement of financial
position are as follows:
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
2018
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Non-capital losses
carry-forward
|
|
|
10,519,000
|
|
|
|
9,054,000
|
|
|
|
17,116,000
|
|
Exploration and evaluation
assets
|
|
|
1,910,000
|
|
|
|
1,919,000
|
|
|
|
1,929,000
|
|
Share issuance costs
|
|
|
141,000
|
|
|
|
200,000
|
|
|
|
109,000
|
|
Debt with accretion
|
|
|
(91,000
|
)
|
|
|
(127,000
|
)
|
|
|
(139,000
|
)
|
Intangible assets
|
|
|
1,736,000
|
|
|
|
1,605,000
|
|
|
|
623,000
|
|
Allowable capital losses
|
|
|
4,819,000
|
|
|
|
4,749,000
|
|
|
|
82,000
|
|
Property
and equipment
|
|
|
83,000
|
|
|
|
77,000
|
|
|
|
34,000
|
|
|
|
|
19,117,000
|
|
|
|
17,477,000
|
|
|
|
19,754,000
|
|
Unrecognized
deferred tax assets
|
|
|
(19,117,000
|
)
|
|
|
(17,477,000
|
)
|
|
|
(19,754,000
|
)
|
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES
TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019
(Expressed
in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
18.
|
INCOME
TAXES (continued)
|
The
significant components of the Company’s temporary differences, unused tax credits and unused tax losses that have not been included
on the consolidated statement of financial position are as follows:
Temporary
Differences
|
|
2020
|
|
|
Expiry
Date Range
|
|
2019
|
|
|
Expiry
Date Range
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
|
Non-capital
losses available for future periods - US
|
|
|
19,962,000
|
|
|
2036
to indefinite
|
|
|
15,498,000
|
|
|
2036
to indefinite
|
Non-capital
losses available for future periods - Canada
|
|
|
23,094,000
|
|
|
2026
to 2040
|
|
|
21,005,000
|
|
|
2026
to 2039
|
Allowable
capital losses
|
|
|
17,847,000
|
|
|
No
expiry date
|
|
|
17,588,000
|
|
|
No
expiry date
|
Property
and equipment
|
|
|
354,000
|
|
|
No
expiry date
|
|
|
327,000
|
|
|
No
expiry date
|
Intangible
asset
|
|
|
8,267,000
|
|
|
No
expiry date
|
|
|
7,642,000
|
|
|
No
expiry date
|
Exploration
and evaluation assets
|
|
|
7,075,000
|
|
|
No
expiry date
|
|
|
7,108,000
|
|
|
No
expiry date
|
Share
issuance costs
|
|
|
521,000
|
|
|
2040
to 2044
|
|
|
740,000
|
|
|
2040
to 2043
|
Tax
attributes are subject to review, and potential adjustment, by tax authorities.
|
i)
|
On
January 21, 2021, the Company completed a public offering and issued 1,472,000 units at a
price of USD $7.50 USD per unit per unit for total proceeds of USD $11,040,000. Each unit
consisted of one common share, one Unit A warrant and one Unit B warrant, each to purchase
one common share at USD $7.50 per share until January 21, 2023. In connection with the offering,
the Company incurred $517,360 in deferred financing costs as of December 31, 2020.
|
|
ii)
|
Subsequent
to December 31, 2020, the Company issued 215,341 units to a director in exchange for the
forgiveness of $1,889,865 of notes and accrued interest of $184,441.
|
|
iii)
|
Subsequent
to December 31, 2020, the Company’s warrant and option holders had exercised 899,056
warrants at an average exercise price of $3.32 per share for total proceeds of $2,787,138
|
|
iv)
|
Subsequent
to December 31, 2020, the Company repaid $477,619 of notes payable outstanding.
|
CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED
MARCH 31, 2021
Versus Systems Inc.
Condensed Interim Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
(Expressed in Canadian Dollars)
(Unaudited - prepared by management)
|
|
March 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ASSETS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
|
|
|
14,023,971
|
|
|
|
2,965,957
|
|
Receivables (Note 4)
|
|
|
107,233
|
|
|
|
603,870
|
|
Deferred financing costs (Note 3)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
517,360
|
|
Prepaids
|
|
|
499,264
|
|
|
|
23,675
|
|
|
|
|
14,630,468
|
|
|
|
4,110,862
|
|
Restricted deposit (Note 5)
|
|
|
11,497
|
|
|
|
11,497
|
|
Deposits
|
|
|
126,605
|
|
|
|
127,812
|
|
Property and equipment (Note 6)
|
|
|
541,996
|
|
|
|
625,938
|
|
Intangible assets (Note 8)
|
|
|
2,213,634
|
|
|
|
2,256,903
|
|
Total Assets
|
|
|
17,524,200
|
|
|
|
7,133,012
|
|
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (Note 9 and 12)
|
|
|
1,267,112
|
|
|
|
1,894,825
|
|
Notes payable (Note 10)
|
|
|
1,480,780
|
|
|
|
2,975,747
|
|
Lease liability (Note 17)
|
|
|
249,290
|
|
|
|
271,669
|
|
Current liabilities
|
|
|
2,997,182
|
|
|
|
5,142,241
|
|
Non-current liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lease liability (Note 17)
|
|
|
493,031
|
|
|
|
561,316
|
|
Notes payable (Note 10)
|
|
|
2,100,017
|
|
|
|
2,906,838
|
|
Total liabilities
|
|
|
5,590,230
|
|
|
|
8,610,395
|
|
Equity (Deficit)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share capital (Note 11)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common shares
|
|
|
125,540,108
|
|
|
|
108,788,385
|
|
Class “A” shares
|
|
|
37,927
|
|
|
|
37,927
|
|
Reserves (Note 11)
|
|
|
11,767,846
|
|
|
|
11,513,554
|
|
Deficit
|
|
|
(117,611,498
|
)
|
|
|
(114,270,214
|
)
|
|
|
|
19,734,383
|
|
|
|
6,069,652
|
|
Non-controlling interest (Note 7)
|
|
|
(7,800,413
|
)
|
|
|
(7,547,035
|
)
|
|
|
|
11,933,970
|
|
|
|
(1,477,383
|
)
|
Total Liabilities and Equity
|
|
|
17,524,200
|
|
|
|
7,133,012
|
|
Nature of operations (Note 1)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Commitments (Note 17)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subsequent events (Note 18)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
These condensed interim consolidated financial statements
were authorized for issue by the Board of Directors on May 17, 2021. They are signed on behalf of the Board of Directors by:
/s/ Matthew Pierce
|
|
/s/ Brian
Tingle
|
Director
|
|
Director
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed
interim consolidated financial statements.
Versus Systems Inc.
Condensed Interim Consolidated Statements of Loss and Comprehensive
Loss
(Expressed in Canadian Dollars)
(Unaudited - prepared by management)
|
|
Three Months Ended
|
|
|
Three Months Ended
|
|
|
|
March 31,
|
|
|
March 31,
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
REVENUES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues
|
|
|
421
|
|
|
|
260
|
|
EXPENSES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amortization (Note 6)
|
|
|
83,942
|
|
|
|
83,665
|
|
Amortization of intangible assets (Note 8)
|
|
|
417,131
|
|
|
|
540,430
|
|
Consulting fees (Note 12)
|
|
|
108,295
|
|
|
|
189,501
|
|
Foreign exchange loss
|
|
|
(8,378
|
)
|
|
|
214,374
|
|
Office and miscellaneous expenses
|
|
|
236,102
|
|
|
|
285,150
|
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
80,953
|
|
|
|
59,486
|
|
Interest expense on lease obligations (Note 17)
|
|
|
14,839
|
|
|
|
9,467
|
|
Professional fees (Note 11)
|
|
|
756,677
|
|
|
|
90,575
|
|
Salaries and wages (Note 10 and 12)
|
|
|
1,212,200
|
|
|
|
607,840
|
|
Sales and marketing
|
|
|
258,092
|
|
|
|
11,899
|
|
Software delivery costs
|
|
|
73,850
|
|
|
|
98,706
|
|
Share-based compensation (Note 11)
|
|
|
254,292
|
|
|
|
291,761
|
|
|
|
|
(3,487,573
|
)
|
|
|
(2,482,594
|
)
|
Finance expense (Note 10)
|
|
|
(107,090
|
)
|
|
|
(86,130
|
)
|
Loss and comprehensive loss
|
|
|
(3,594,663
|
)
|
|
|
(2,568,724
|
)
|
Loss and comprehensive loss attributable to:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shareholders
|
|
|
(3,341,285
|
)
|
|
|
(1,716,408
|
)
|
Non-controlling interest
|
|
|
(253,378
|
)
|
|
|
(852,316
|
)
|
|
|
|
(3,594,663
|
)
|
|
|
(2,568,724
|
)
|
Basic and diluted loss per common share attributable to Versus Systems Inc.
|
|
|
(0.31
|
)
|
|
|
(0.20
|
)
|
Weighted average common shares outstanding
|
|
|
10,733,586
|
|
|
|
8,775,671
|
|
The accompanying notes are an integral
part of these condensed interim consolidated financial statements.
Versus Systems Inc.
Condensed Interim Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
(Deficit)
(Expressed in Canadian Dollars)
(Unaudited - prepared by management)
|
|
Number
of
|
|
|
Number
of
|
|
|
Share
Capital
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
Common
|
|
|
Class
“A”
|
|
|
Common
|
|
|
Class
“A”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
subscriptions
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-controlling
|
|
|
Equity
|
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Reserves
|
|
|
Deficit
|
|
|
received
|
|
|
Equity
|
|
|
Interest
|
|
|
(Deficit)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Balance at December
31, 2019
|
|
|
8,455,525
|
|
|
|
5,057
|
|
|
|
99,505,558
|
|
|
|
37,927
|
|
|
|
9,832,386
|
|
|
|
(106,521,638
|
)
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
|
|
3,154,232
|
|
|
|
(6,024,450
|
)
|
|
|
(2,870,218
|
)
|
Shares issued
in private placement
|
|
|
150,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
Share subscriptions received
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(300,000
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Contribution
benefit
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
85,332
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
85,332
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
85,332
|
|
Exercise of warrants
|
|
|
326,460
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
633,500
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
633,500
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
633,500
|
|
Stock-based
compensation
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
291,761
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
291,761
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
291,761
|
|
Loss
and comprehensive loss
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(1,716,408
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(1,716,408
|
)
|
|
|
(852,316
|
)
|
|
|
(2,568,724
|
)
|
Balance
at
March 31, 2020
|
|
|
8,931,985
|
|
|
|
5,057
|
|
|
|
100,739,058
|
|
|
|
37,927
|
|
|
|
10,209,479
|
|
|
|
(108,238,046
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
2,748,417
|
|
|
|
(6,876,766
|
)
|
|
|
(4,128,349
|
)
|
Shares issued
in private placement
|
|
|
797,532
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
3,028,899
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
55,210
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
3,084,109
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
3,084,109
|
|
Share subscriptions received
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Contribution
benefit
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
143,165
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
143,165
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
143,165
|
|
Exercise of warrants
|
|
|
729,683
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
3,949,593
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
3,949,593
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
3,949,593
|
|
Shares issued
for services and investment
|
|
|
270,636
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,047,782
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,047,782
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,047,782
|
|
Exercise of options
|
|
|
3,750
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
23,053
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(9,953
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
13,100
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
13,100
|
|
Stock-based
compensation
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,115,653
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,115,653
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,115,653
|
|
Loss
and comprehensive loss
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(6,032,167
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(6,032,167
|
)
|
|
|
(670,269
|
)
|
|
|
(6,702,436
|
)
|
Balance
at December 31, 2020
|
|
|
10,733,586
|
|
|
|
5,057
|
|
|
|
108,788,385
|
|
|
|
37,927
|
|
|
|
11,513,554
|
|
|
|
(114,270,214
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
6,069,652
|
|
|
|
(7,547,035
|
)
|
|
|
(1,477,383
|
)
|
Shares issued
in public offering
|
|
|
1,472,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
13,926,651
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
13,926,651
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
13,926,651
|
|
Share issuance costs
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(2,004,112
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(2,004,112
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(2,004,112
|
)
|
Shares issued
in exchange for debt
|
|
|
215,341
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,044,378
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,044,378
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,044,378
|
|
Contribution
benefit
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Exercise of warrants
|
|
|
645,961
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
2,784,805
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
2,784,805
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
2,784,805
|
|
Exercise of options
|
|
|
22,674
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Stock-based
compensation
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
254,292
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
254,292
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
254,292
|
|
Loss
and comprehensive loss
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(3,341,285
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(3,341,285
|
)
|
|
|
(253,378
|
)
|
|
|
(3,594,663
|
)
|
Balance
at
March 31, 2021
|
|
|
13,089,562
|
|
|
|
5,057
|
|
|
|
125,540,108
|
|
|
|
37,927
|
|
|
|
11,767,846
|
|
|
|
(117,611,498
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
19,734,383
|
|
|
|
(7,800,413
|
)
|
|
|
11,933,970
|
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of
these condensed interim consolidated financial statements.
Versus Systems Inc.
Condensed Interim Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Expressed in Canadian Dollars)
(Unaudited - prepared by management)
|
|
Three
Months Ended
|
|
Three Months
Ended
|
|
|
|
March
31,
|
|
|
March
31,
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss for the year
|
|
|
(3,594,663
|
)
|
|
|
(2,568,724
|
)
|
Items not affecting cash:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amortization (Note 6)
|
|
|
2,748
|
|
|
|
6,188
|
|
Amortization of intangible assets (Note 8)
|
|
|
417,131
|
|
|
|
540,430
|
|
Amortization of right-of-use assets (Note 6)
|
|
|
83,942
|
|
|
|
77,477
|
|
Finance expense
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
86,130
|
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
121,929
|
|
|
|
68,953
|
|
Effect of foreign exchange
|
|
|
(8,291
|
)
|
|
|
(10,800
|
)
|
Forgiveness on government loan (Note 10)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Share-based compensation
|
|
|
254,292
|
|
|
|
291,761
|
|
Changes in non-cash working capital items:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Receivables
|
|
|
496,637
|
|
|
|
28,331
|
|
Prepaids and deposits
|
|
|
(475,590
|
)
|
|
|
12,584
|
|
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
|
|
|
(627,710
|
)
|
|
|
499,481
|
|
Cash used in operating activities
|
|
|
(3,329,575
|
)
|
|
|
(968,189
|
)
|
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from notes payable
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
550,000
|
|
Repayment of notes payable
|
|
|
(364,500
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
Proceeds from share issuances
|
|
|
13,926,651
|
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
Payments for lease liabilities
|
|
|
(98,753
|
)
|
|
|
(91,676
|
)
|
Proceeds from exercise of warrants
|
|
|
2,784,805
|
|
|
|
633,500
|
|
Payments of share issuance costs
|
|
|
(1,486,752
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
Cash provided by financing activities
|
|
|
14,761,451
|
|
|
|
1,391,824
|
|
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Development of intangible assets
|
|
|
(373,862
|
)
|
|
|
(508,217
|
)
|
Cash used in investing activities
|
|
|
(373,862
|
)
|
|
|
(508,217
|
)
|
Change in cash during the period
|
|
|
11,058,014
|
|
|
|
(84,582
|
)
|
Cash - Beginning of period
|
|
|
2,965,957
|
|
|
|
99,209
|
|
Cash - End of period
|
|
|
14,023,971
|
|
|
|
14,627
|
|
Supplemental
Cash Flow Information (Note 16)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed
interim consolidated financial statements.
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
Versus Systems Inc. (the “Company”)
was continued under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) effective January 2, 2007. The Company’s head office and registered
and records office is 1558 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 3J4, Canada. The Company’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ
under the symbol “VS”. The Company’s Unit A warrants are traded on NASDAQ under “VSSYW”.
The Company is engaged in the technology
sector and is developing a business-to-business software platform that allows video game publishers and developers to offer prize-based
matches of their games to their players.
These condensed interim consolidated
financial statements have been prepared on the assumption that the Company will continue as a going concern, meaning it will continue
in operation for the foreseeable future and will be able to realize assets and discharge liabilities in the ordinary course of operations.
Different bases of measurement may be appropriate if the Company is not expected to continue operations for the foreseeable future. As
of March 31, 2021, the Company has not achieved positive cash flow from operations and is not able to finance day to day activities through
operations. During the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company completed a public offering with total proceeds of approximately
US$11 million. The Company estimates that it has adequate financial resources for the next twelve months. The Company’s continuation
as a going concern is dependent upon its ability to attain profitable operations and generate funds therefrom and/or raise equity capital
or borrowings sufficient to meet current and future obligations. These consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments
to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the
Company be unable to continue as a going concern. These adjustments could be material.
COVID-19 Pandemic
In March 2020 the World Health Organization
declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. This contagious disease outbreak, which has continued to spread, and any related adverse public health
developments, has adversely affected workforces, economies, and financial markets globally, potentially leading to an economic downturn.
Although it is not possible to reliably
estimate the length or severity of these developments and their financial impact to the date of approval of these financial statements,
these conditions could have a significant adverse impact on the Company’s financial position and results of operations for future
periods.
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
Statement of compliance
These condensed interim consolidated
financial statements, including comparatives, have been prepared in accordance with IAS 34, Interim Financial Reporting, as issued by
the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) and the interpretations of the IFRS Interpretations committee. They do
not include all disclosures required by International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) for annual financial statements,
and therefore should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December
31, 2020, prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB.
These condensed interim consolidated
financial statements were authorized for issue by the Board of Directors on May 17, 2021.
Basis of measurement
These condensed interim consolidated
financial statements have been prepared on a historical cost basis, except for financial instruments classified as financial instruments
at fair value. In addition, these condensed financial statements have been prepared using the accrual basis of accounting except for
cash flow information.
Functional and presentation currency
These condensed interim consolidated
financial statements are presented in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted, which is the functional currency of the Company and its
subsidiaries.
Basis of consolidation
These condensed interim consolidated
financial statements include the accounts of Versus Systems Inc. and its subsidiaries, from the date control was acquired. Control exists
when the Company possesses power over an investee, has exposure to variable returns from the investee and has the ability to use its power
over the investee to affect its returns. All inter-company balances and transactions, and any unrealized income and expenses arising from
inter-company transactions, are eliminated on consolidation. For partially owned subsidiaries, the interest attributable to non-controlling
shareholders is reflected in non-controlling interest. Adjustments to non-controlling interest are accounted for as transactions with
owners and adjustments that do not involve the loss of control are based on a proportionate amount of the net assets of the subsidiary.
Name of Subsidiary
|
|
Place of Incorporation
|
|
Proportion of
Ownership Interest
|
|
|
Principal Activity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Versus Systems (Holdco) Inc.
|
|
United States of America
|
|
|
66.8
|
%
|
|
Holding Company
|
Versus Systems UK, Ltd.
|
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|
66.8
|
%
|
|
Sales Company
|
Versus LLC
|
|
United States of America
|
|
|
66.8
|
%
|
|
Technology Company
|
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
2.
|
BASIS OF PRESENTATION
(continued)
|
Significant Accounting Judgments,
Estimates and Assumptions
The preparation of these condensed
interim consolidated financial statements requires management to make certain estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported
amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements. Estimates and assumptions are continually evaluated
and are based on historical experience and management’s assessment of current events and other facts and circumstances that are
considered to be relevant. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
Significant assumptions about the
future and other sources of estimation uncertainty that management has made at the end of the reporting year, that could result in a material
adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities in the event that actual results differ from assumptions made, relate to,
but are not limited to, the following:
i) Deferred
income taxes
Deferred tax assets, including those
arising from un-utilized tax losses, require management to assess the likelihood that the Company will generate sufficient taxable earnings
in future periods in order to utilize recognized deferred tax assets. Assumptions about the generation of future taxable profits depend
on management’s estimates of future cash flows. In addition, future changes in tax laws could limit the ability of the Company to
obtain tax deductions in future periods. To the extent that future cash flows and taxable income differ significantly from estimates,
the ability of the Company to realize the net deferred tax assets recorded at the reporting date could be impacted.
ii) Economic
recoverability and probability of future economic benefits of intangible assets
Management has determined that intangible
asset costs which were capitalized may have future economic benefits and may be economically recoverable. Management uses several criteria
in its assessments of economic recoverability and probability of future economic benefits including anticipated cash flows and estimated
economic life.
iii)
Valuation of share-based compensation
The Company uses the Black-Scholes
Option Pricing Model for valuation of share-based compensation. Option pricing models require the input of subjective assumptions including
expected price volatility, interest rate, and forfeiture rate. Changes in the input assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimate
and the Company’s earnings and equity reserves.
iv)
Depreciation and Amortization
The Company’s intangible assets
and equipment are depreciated and amortized on a straight-line basis, taking into account the estimated useful lives of the assets and
residual values. Changes to these estimates may affect the carrying value of these assets, net loss, and comprehensive income (loss) in
future periods.
v) Determination
of functional currency
The functional currency of the Company
and its subsidiaries is the currency of the primary economic environment in which each entity operates. Determination of the functional
currency may involve certain judgments to determine the primary economic environment. The functional currency may change if there is a
change in events and conditions which determines the primary economic environment.
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
2.
|
BASIS OF PRESENTATION (continued)
|
Significant Accounting Judgments,
Estimates and Assumptions (continued)
vi) Revenue
Recognition
The Company’s contracts with
customers may include promises to transfer multiple products and services. For these contracts, the Company accounts for individual performance
obligations separately if they are capable of being distinct and distinct within the context of the contract. Determining whether products
and services are considered distinct performance obligations may require significant judgment. Judgment is also required to determine
the stand-alone selling price, for each distinct performance obligation.
|
3.
|
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
|
Basic and diluted loss per share
Basic earnings (loss) per share is
computed by dividing net earnings (loss) available to common shareholders by the weighted average number of shares outstanding during
the reporting periods. Diluted earnings (loss) per share is computed similar to basic earnings (loss) per share except that the weighted
average shares outstanding are increased to include additional shares for the assumed exercise of stock options and warrants, if dilutive.
The number of additional shares is calculated by assuming that outstanding stock options and warrants were exercised and that the proceeds
from such exercises were used to acquire common stock at the average market price during the reporting periods. Potentially dilutive
options and warrants excluded from diluted loss per share totalled 6,964,198 (2020 – 4,671,713).
Property
and Equipment
Property and
equipment is recorded at cost less accumulated amortization and any impairments. Amortization is calculated based on the estimated residual
value and estimated economic life of the specific assets using the straight-line method over the period indicated below:
Asset
|
|
Rate
|
Computers
|
|
Straight line, 3 years
|
Right of use assets
|
|
Shorter of useful life or lease term
|
Financial instruments
Classification
The Company classifies its financial
instruments in the following categories: at fair value through profit and loss (“FVTPL”), at fair value through other comprehensive
income (loss) (“FVTOCI”), or at amortized cost. The Company determines the classification of financial assets at initial recognition.
The classification of debt instruments is driven by the Company’s business model for managing the financial assets and their contractual
cash flow characteristics. Equity instruments that are held for trading are classified as FVTPL. For other equity instruments, on the
day of acquisition the Company can make an irrevocable election (on an instrument-by-instrument basis) to designate them as FVTOCI. Financial
liabilities are measured at amortized cost, unless they are required to be measured at FVTPL (such as instruments held for trading or
derivatives) or the Company has opted to measure them at FVTPL.
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
3.
|
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
|
Financial
Instrument
The following table shows the classification
of financial instruments:
Financial assets/liabilities
|
|
Classification IFRS 9
|
Cash
|
|
FVTPL
|
Receivables
|
|
Amortized cost
|
Restricted deposit
|
|
Amortized cost
|
Deposit
|
|
Amortized cost
|
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
|
|
Amortized cost
|
Notes payable
|
|
Amortized cost
|
Measurement
Financial assets and liabilities
at amortized cost
Financial assets and liabilities at
amortized cost are initially recognized at fair value plus or minus transaction costs, respectively, and subsequently carried at amortized
cost less any impairment.
Financial assets and liabilities
at FVTPL
Financial assets and liabilities carried
at FVTPL are initially recorded at fair value and transaction costs are expensed in profit or loss. Realized and unrealized gains and
losses arising from changes in the fair value of the financial assets and liabilities held at FVTPL are included in profit or loss in
the period in which they arise.
Impairment of financial assets
at amortized cost
An ‘expected credit loss’
impairment model applies which requires a loss allowance to be recognized based on expected credit losses. The estimated present value
of future cash flows associated with the asset is determined and an impairment loss is recognized for the difference between this amount
and the carrying amount as follows: the carrying amount of the asset is reduced to estimated present value of the future cash flows associated
with the asset, discounted at the financial asset’s original effective interest rate, either directly or through the use of an allowance
account and the resulting loss is recognized in profit or loss for the period.
In a subsequent period, if the amount
of the impairment loss related to financial assets measured at amortized cost decreases, the previously recognized impairment loss is
reversed through profit or loss to the extent that the carrying amount of the investment at the date the impairment reversed does not
exceed what the amortized cost would have been had the impairment not been recognized.
Derecognition
Financial assets
The Company derecognizes financial
assets only when the contractual rights to cash flows from the financial assets expire, or when it transfers the financial assets and
substantially all of the associated risks and rewards of ownership to another entity. Gains and losses on derecognition are generally
recognized in profit or loss.
As at March 31, 2021, the Company
does not have any derivative financial assets and liabilities.
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
3.
|
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
|
Intangible assets excluding goodwill
Intangible assets acquired separately
are carried at cost at the time of initial recognition. Intangible assets acquired in a business combination and recognized separately
from goodwill are initially recognized at their fair value at the acquisition date. Expenditure on research activities is recognized as
an expense in the period in which it is incurred.
Intangibles with a finite useful life
are amortized and those with an indefinite useful life are not amortized. The useful life is the best estimate of the period over which
the asset is expected to contribute directly or indirectly to the future cash flows of the Company. The useful life is based on the duration
of the expected use of the asset by the Company and the legal, regulatory or contractual provisions that constrain the useful life and
future cash flows of the asset, including regulatory acceptance and approval, obsolescence, demand, competition and other economic factors.
If an income approach is used to measure the fair value of an intangible asset, the Company considers the period of expected cash flows
used to measure the fair value of the intangible asset, adjusted as appropriate for Company-specific factors discussed above, to determine
the useful life for amortization purposes. If no regulatory, contractual, competitive, economic or other factors limit the useful life
of the intangible to the Company, the useful life is considered indefinite.
Intangibles with a finite useful life
are amortized on the straight-line method unless the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible asset are consumed or used
up are reliably determinable. The Company evaluates the remaining useful life of intangible assets each reporting period to determine
whether any revision to the remaining useful life is required. If the remaining useful life is changed, the remaining carrying amount
of the intangible asset will be amortized prospectively over the revised remaining useful life. The Company’s intangible asset is
amortized on a straight-line basis over 3 years. In the year development costs are incurred, amortization is based on a half year.
Deferred Financing Costs
Deferred financing costs consist primarily
of direct incremental costs related to the Company’s public offering of its common stock, which was completed in January 2021. Upon
completion of the Company’s public offering any deferred cost was offset against the proceeds of the offering. The Company incurred
$517,360 of deferred financing cost during the year ended December 31, 2020.
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
3.
|
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
|
Impairment of intangible assets
excluding goodwill
An internally-generated intangible
asset arising from development (or from the development phase of an internal project) is recognized if, and only if, all of the following
have been demonstrated:
|
(a)
|
the technical feasibility of completing the intangible asset so that it will be available for use or sale;
|
|
(b)
|
the intention to complete the intangible asset and use or sell it;
|
|
(c)
|
the ability to use or sell the intangible asset;
|
|
(d)
|
how the intangible asset will generate probable future economic benefits;
|
|
(e)
|
the availability of adequate technical, financial and other resources to complete the development and to use or sell the intangible asset; and
|
|
(f)
|
the ability to measure reliably the expenditure attributable to the intangible asset during its development.
|
The amount initially recognized for
internally-generated intangible assets is the sum of the costs incurred from the date when the intangible assets first meet the recognition
criteria listed above. If no future economic benefit is expected before the end of the life of assets, the residual book value is expensed.
Subsequent to initial recognition, internally-generated intangible assets are reported at cost. Where no internally-generated intangible
asset can be recognized, development costs are recognized as an expense in the period in which it is incurred.
At the end of each reporting period,
the Company reviews the carrying amounts of its intangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have
suffered impairment losses. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit (“CGU”) to which
the asset belongs is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment losses (if any).
Where a reasonable and consistent basis
of allocation can be identified, corporate assets (assets other than goodwill that contribute to the future cash flows of both the CGU
under review and other CGUs) are also allocated to individual CGUs, or otherwise they are allocated to the smallest group of CGUs for
which a reasonable and consistent allocation basis can be identified.
Recoverable amount is the higher of
fair value less costs to sell and value in use. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present
value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the
asset for which the estimates of future cash flows have not been adjusted.
If the recoverable amount of an asset
(or CGU) is estimated to be less than its carrying amount, the carrying amount of the asset (or CGU) is reduced to its recoverable amount.
Where impairment losses subsequently
reverse, the carrying amount of the asset (or CGU) is increased to the revised estimate of its recoverable amount, such that the increased
carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined had no impairment losses been recognized for the asset
(or CGU) in prior years. A reversal of impairment losses is recognized immediately in profit or loss.
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
3.
|
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
|
Income taxes
Tax expense recognized in profit or
loss comprises the sum of current tax and deferred tax not recognized in other comprehensive income or directly in equity.
Current Income Tax
Current income tax assets and/or liabilities
comprise those claims from, or obligations to, fiscal authorities relating to the current or prior reporting periods that are unpaid at
the reporting date. Current tax is payable on taxable profit, which differs from profit or loss in the financial statements. Calculation
of current tax is based on tax rates and tax laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the end of the reporting period.
Deferred income tax
Deferred income taxes are calculated
based on temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities
are calculated, without discounting, at tax rates that are expected to apply to their respective period of realization, provided they
are enacted or substantively enacted by the end of the reporting period.
Deferred tax assets are recognized
to the extent that it is probable that they will be able to be utilized against future taxable income. Deferred tax assets and liabilities
are offset only when the Company has a right and intention to offset current tax assets and liabilities from the same taxation authority.
Changes in deferred tax assets or
liabilities are recognized as a component of tax income or expense in profit or loss, except where they relate to items that are recognized
in other comprehensive income or directly in equity, in which case the related deferred tax is also recognized in other comprehensive
income or equity, respectively.
Leases
Leases are recognized as a right-of-use
asset and a corresponding liability at the date at which the leased asset is available for use by the Company. Assets and liabilities
arising from a lease are initially measured on a present value basis. Right-of-use assets are measured at cost comprising
the following:
- the amount of the initial measurement
of lease liability;
- any lease payments made at or before
the commencement date less any lease incentives received;
- any initial direct costs; and
- restoration costs.
The Company assesses whether a contract
is or contains a lease, at inception of a contract. The Company recognizes a right-of-use asset and a corresponding lease liability with
respect to all lease agreements in which it is the lessee. The lease liability is initially measured at the present value of the lease
payments that are not paid at the commencement date, discounted by using the rate implicit in the lease. If this rate cannot be readily
determined, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate.
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
3.
|
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
|
Leases
The lease liability is subsequently
measure by increasing its carrying amount to reflect interest on the lease liability (using the effective interest method) and by reducing
the carrying amount to reflect lease payments made. The right-of-use asset is depreciated over the shorter of the lease term and the useful
life of the underlying asset. The company applies IAS 36, Impairment of Assets, to determine whether the asset is impaired and account
for any identified impairment loss.
As a practical expedient, IFRS 16
permits a lease not to separate non-lease components, and instead account for any lease and associated non-lease components as a single
arrangement. The Company has not used this practical expedient, and accordingly allocates the consideration in the contract to lease and
non-lease components based on the stand-alone price of the lease component and aggregate stand-alone price of the non-lease components.
Variable rents that do not depend
on an index or rate are not included in the measurement of the lease liability and the right-of-use asset. The related payments are recognized
as an expense in the period in which the event or condition that triggers those payments occurs and are presented as such in the statements
of income and comprehensive income.
Provisions
A provision is recognized
if, as a result of a past event, the Company has a present legal or constructive obligation that can be estimated reliably and it is
probable that an outflow of economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation. Provisions are determined by discounting
the expected future cash flows at a pre-tax rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks
specific to the liability.
Government grant
Government
grant is recognized when there is reasonable assurance that the Company will comply with any conditions attached to the grant and the
grant will be received. Government grant is recognized in profit or loss to offset the corresponding expenses on a systematic basis over
the periods in which the Company recognizes expenses for the related costs for which the grants are intended to compensate, which in the
case of grants related to assets requires setting up the grant as deferred income or deducting it from the carrying amount of the asset.
Non-controlling interest
Non-controlling interest in the Company’s
less than wholly owned subsidiary is classified as a separate component of equity. On initial recognition, non-controlling interest is
measured at the fair value of the non-controlling entity’s contribution into the related subsidiary. Subsequent to the original
transaction date, adjustments are made to the carrying amount of non-controlling interest for the non-controlling interest’s share
of changes to the subsidiary’s equity.
Changes in the Company’s ownership
interest in a subsidiary that do not result in a loss of control are recorded as equity transactions. The carrying amount of non-controlling
interest is adjusted to reflect the change in the non-controlling interest’s relative interest in the subsidiary, and the difference
between the adjustment to the carrying amount of non-controlling interests and the Company’s share of proceeds received and/or consideration
paid is recognized directly in equity and attributed to owners of the Company.
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
3.
|
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
|
Valuation of equity units issued
in private placements
The Company has adopted a residual
value method with respect to the measurement of shares and warrants issued as private placement units. The residual value method first
allocates value to the most easily measurable component based on fair value and then the residual value, if any, to the less easily measurable
component.
The fair value of the common shares
issued in private placements is determined to be the more easily measurable component and are valued at their fair value. The balance,
if any, is allocated to the attached warrants. Any fair value attributed to the warrants is recorded as warrant reserve. If the warrants
are exercised, the related amount is reclassified as share capital. If the warrants expire unexercised, the related amount remains in
the warrant reserve.
Share-based Compensation
The Company grants stock options to
acquire common shares of the Company to directors, officers, employees and consultants. An individual is classified as an employee when
the individual is an employee for legal or tax purposes, or provides services similar to those performed by an employee.
The fair value of stock options is
measured on the date of grant, using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, and is recognized over the vesting period. Consideration
paid for the shares on the exercise of stock options is credited to capital stock.
In situations where equity instruments
are issued to non-employees and some or all of the goods or services received by the entity as consideration cannot be specifically identified,
they are measured at fair value of the share-based payment.
Otherwise, share-based payments are
measured at the fair value of goods or services received.
Revenue Recognition
In general, the Company recognizes
revenue when the amount of revenue can be reliably measured, it is probable that future economic benefits will flow to the Company, where
there is evidence of an arrangement, when the selling price is fixed or determinable, and when specific criteria have been met or there
are no significant remaining performance obligations for each of the Company’s activities as described below. Foreseeable losses,
if any, are recognized in the year or period in which the loss is determined.
The Company earns revenue in two primary
ways: 1) development and maintenance of custom-built software or other professional services, or 2) the sale of advertising.
The Company recognizes revenues received
from the development and maintenance of custom-built software and other professional services provided upon the satisfaction of its performance
obligation in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those services. Performance
obligations can be satisfied either at a single point in time or over time. For those performance obligations that are satisfied
at a single point in time, the revenue is recognized at that time. For each performance obligation satisfied over time, the Company recognizes
revenue by measuring the progress toward complete satisfaction of that performance obligation.
For revenues received from the sales
of advertising, the Company is deemed the agent in its revenue agreements. The Company does not own or obtain control of the digital advertising
inventory. The Company recognizes revenues upon the achievement of agreed-upon performance criteria for the advertising inventory, such
as a number of views, or clicks. As the Company is acting as an agent in the transaction, the Company recognizes revenue from sales of
advertising on a net basis, which excludes amounts payable to partners under the Company’s revenue sharing agreements.
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
3.
|
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
|
Revenue recognition
The Company’s contracts with
customers may include promises to transfer multiple products and services. For these contracts, the Company accounts for individual performance
obligations separately if they are capable of being distinct and distinct within the context of the contract. Determining whether products
and services are considered distinct performance obligations may require significant judgment. Judgment is also required to determine
the stand-alone selling price, for each distinct performance obligation.
As the Company’s performance
obligations are satisfied within 12 months, the Company has elected the practical expedients under IFRS 15, which allows the Company not
to record any significant financing component as a result of financing any of its arrangements and not to capitalize cost incurred to
obtain a contract.
Deferred Revenue
Revenue recognition of sales is recorded
on a monthly basis upon delivery or as the services are provided. Cash received in advance for services are recorded as deferred revenue
based on the proportion of time remaining under the service arrangement as of the reporting date.
Foreign Exchange
The functional currency is the currency
of the primary economic environment in which the entity operates and has been determined for each entity within the Company. The functional
currency for the Company and its subsidiaries is the Canadian dollar. The functional currency determinations were conducted through an
analysis of the consideration factors identified in IAS 21, The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates.
Transactions in currencies other than
the Canadian dollar are recorded at exchange rates prevailing on the dates of the transactions. At the end of each reporting period, the
monetary assets and liabilities of the Company and its subsidiaries that are denominated in foreign currencies are translated at the rate
of exchange at the date of the statement of financial position while non-monetary assets and liabilities are translated at historical
rates. Revenues and expenses are translated at the exchange rates approximating those in effect on the date of the transactions. Exchange
gains and losses arising on translation are included in the statement of profit or loss.
Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Comprehensive income (loss) consists
of net income (loss) and other comprehensive income (loss) and represents the change in shareholders’ equity (deficiency) which
results from transactions and events from sources other than the Company’s shareholders. Net loss is the same as comprehensive loss
for the years presented.
As of March 31, 2021 accounts receivable
consist of share subscription receivable ($67,266) and GST receivable ($39,966). As of December 31, 2020 accounts receivable consists
of amounts due from one customer ($484,790), GST receivable ($29,080) and share subscription receivable ($90,000). There has been no provision
for doubtful accounts for the years presented. During 2020, the Company entered into an Accounts Receivable Purchase and Security Agreement
(the “Factor Agreement”) with full recourse. Pursuant to the Factor Agreement, the factor advances funds to the Company for
the right to collect cash flows from factored accounts receivable and charges fees for its services. The factor advances funds to the
Company at 90% of accounts receivable factored. The outstanding balance bears a daily interest rate of 0.05%. As of December 31, 2020,
100% of the monies owed were collected by the Company and the factoring agent under the terms of the Factor Agreement. The Company expensed
the fees and interest charged by the factoring agent as a loss on factoring within its financial statements, which totaled $50,306 during
the twelve month period ended December 31, 2020.
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
As at March 31, 2021, restricted deposits
consisted of $11,497 (2020 - $11,497) held in a guaranteed investment certificate as collateral for a corporate credit card.
|
6.
|
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
|
|
|
|
|
|
Right of Use
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Computers
|
|
|
Asset
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Cost
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At December 31, 2019
|
|
|
114,739
|
|
|
|
1,217,109
|
|
|
|
1,331,848
|
|
Additions
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
At December 31, 2020
|
|
|
114,739
|
|
|
|
1,217,109
|
|
|
|
1,331,848
|
|
Additions
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
At March 31, 2021
|
|
|
114,739
|
|
|
|
1,217,109
|
|
|
|
1,331,848
|
|
Accumulated amortization
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At December 31, 2019
|
|
|
86,324
|
|
|
|
296,526
|
|
|
|
382,850
|
|
Amortization for the year
|
|
|
24,062
|
|
|
|
298,998
|
|
|
|
323,060
|
|
At December 31, 2020
|
|
|
110,386
|
|
|
|
595,524
|
|
|
|
705,910
|
|
Amortization for the period
|
|
|
2,748
|
|
|
|
81,194
|
|
|
|
83,942
|
|
At March 31, 2021
|
|
|
113,134
|
|
|
|
676,718
|
|
|
|
789,852
|
|
Carrying amounts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At December 31, 2020
|
|
|
4,353
|
|
|
|
621,585
|
|
|
|
625,938
|
|
At March 31, 2021
|
|
|
1,605
|
|
|
|
540,391
|
|
|
|
541,996
|
|
|
7.
|
NON-CONTROLLING INTEREST IN
VERSUS LLC
|
As of December 31, 2018, the Company
held a 41.3% ownership interest in Versus LLC, a privately held limited liability company organized under the laws of the state of Nevada.
The Company consolidates Versus LLC as a result of having full control over the voting shares. Versus LLC is a technology company that
is developing a business-to-business software platform that allows video game publishers and developers to offer prize-based matches of
their games to their players.
On May 21, 2019, the Company acquired
an additional 25.2% interest in Versus LLC in exchange for 574,009 common shares of the Company and 287,005 share purchase warrants that
are exercisable at $3.20 per share until June 30, 2019. The common shares and the share purchase warrants were determined to have a fair
value of $1,882,749 and $156,389, respectively. As a result, the Company increased its ownership interest to 66.5% and recorded the excess
purchase price over net identifiable liabilities of $4,644,719 against reserves. The effect on non-controlling interest was a reduction
of $2,605,582.
On June 21, 2019, the Company acquired
an additional 0.3% interest in Versus LLC in exchange for 2,825 common shares of the Company and 1,412 share purchase warrants that are
exercisable at $3.20 per share until June 30, 2019. The common shares and the share purchase warrants were determined to have a fair value
of $9,263 and $3,389, respectively. As a result, the Company increased its ownership interest to 66.8% and recorded the excess purchase
price over net identifiable assets of $34,714 against reserves. The effect on non-controlling interest was a reduction of $22,061.
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
7.
|
NON-CONTROLLING INTEREST IN
VERSUS LLC (continued)
|
The following table presents summarized
financial information before intragroup eliminations for the non-wholly owned subsidiary as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020:
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2020
|
|
Non-controlling interest percentage
|
|
33.2%
|
|
|
33.2%
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
|
|
|
10,992,283
|
|
|
|
1,012,081
|
|
Non-current
|
|
|
2,857,014
|
|
|
|
2,974,249
|
|
|
|
|
13,849,297
|
|
|
|
3,986,330
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
|
|
|
973,692
|
|
|
|
1,325,230
|
|
Non-current
|
|
|
39,674,272
|
|
|
|
22,510,724
|
|
|
|
|
40,647,965
|
|
|
|
23,835,954
|
|
Net liabilities
|
|
|
(26,798,668
|
)
|
|
|
(19,849,624
|
)
|
Non-controlling interest
|
|
|
(7,800,413
|
)
|
|
|
(7,547,035
|
)
|
Loss and comprehensive loss
|
|
|
(3,341,285
|
)
|
|
|
(4,586,099
|
)
|
Loss and comprehensive loss attributed to non-controlling interest
|
|
|
(253,378
|
)
|
|
|
(1,522,585
|
)
|
Intangible assets are comprised of
a business-to-business software platform that allows video game publishers and developers to offer prize-based matches of their games
to their players. the Company continues to develop new apps, therefore additional costs were capitalized during the year ended December
31, 2020.
|
|
Software
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Cost
|
|
|
|
At December 31, 2019
|
|
|
11,737,067
|
|
Additions
|
|
|
1,183,528
|
|
At December 31, 2020
|
|
|
12,920,595
|
|
Additions
|
|
|
373,861
|
|
At March 31, 2021
|
|
|
13,294,456
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accumulated amortization
|
|
|
|
|
At December 31, 2019
|
|
|
8,956,720
|
|
Amortization
|
|
|
1,706,972
|
|
At December 31, 2020
|
|
|
10,663,692
|
|
Amortization
|
|
|
417,130
|
|
At March 31, 2021
|
|
|
11,080,822
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carrying amounts
|
|
|
|
|
At December 31, 2019
|
|
|
2,780,347
|
|
At December 31, 2020
|
|
|
2,256,903
|
|
At March 31, 2021
|
|
|
2,213,634
|
|
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
9.
|
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AND ACCRUED LIABILITIES
|
The Company’s accounts payable
and accrued liabilities are comprised of the following:
|
|
March 31,
2021
|
|
|
December 31,
2020
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Accounts payable
|
|
|
516,642
|
|
|
|
716,177
|
|
Due to related parties
|
|
|
205,154
|
|
|
|
716,808
|
|
Accrued liabilities
|
|
|
545,316
|
|
|
|
461,840
|
|
|
|
|
1,267,112
|
|
|
|
1,894,825
|
|
During the three month period ended
March 31, 2021, the Company exchanged 215,341 shares of common stock in exchange for a principal reduction of debt in the amount of $1,879,577
and $164,801 of accrued interest. In addition, the Company repaid $529,300 of principal. As at March 31, 2021, the Company had recorded
$110,978 in accrued interest which was included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities.
During the year ended December 31,
2020, the Company issued unsecured notes payable for total proceeds of $1,261,254 from director and officers of the Company who are also
shareholders. The loans bear interest at the prime rate which was 2.45% to 3.95% per annum at December 31, 2020, compounded annually and
payable quarterly, and had a maturity date of three years from the date of issuance. The notes were considered below the Company’s
estimated market borrowing rate of 10% and as such, a contribution benefit of $228,497 was recorded in reserves. As of December 31, 2020,
the Company had recorded $472,107 in accrued interest which was included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities.
During the three months ended March
31, 2021, the Company recorded finance expense of $107,090 (2020 - $86,130), related to bringing the notes to their present value.
|
|
Amount
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Balance at January 1, 2020
|
|
|
4,814,767
|
|
Proceeds
|
|
|
1,261,254
|
|
Repayments
|
|
|
(336,000
|
)
|
Contribution benefit
|
|
|
(228,497
|
)
|
Finance expense
|
|
|
371,061
|
|
Balance, December 31, 2020
|
|
|
5,882,585
|
|
Proceeds
|
|
|
-
|
|
Repayments
|
|
|
(2,408,878
|
)
|
Contribution benefit
|
|
|
-
|
|
Finance expense
|
|
|
107,090
|
|
Balance, March 31, 2021
|
|
|
3,580,797
|
|
Current
|
|
|
1,480,780
|
|
Non-current
|
|
|
2,100,017
|
|
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
10.
|
NOTES PAYABLE (continued)
|
In May 2020, the Company received loan
proceeds in the aggregate amount of $829,937 (USD$610,247) under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). The PPP, established
as part of the CARES Act within the United States of America in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, provides for loans to qualifying businesses.
A portion of the loans and accrued interest are forgivable as long as the borrower uses the loan proceeds for eligible purposes, including
payroll, benefits, rent and utilities, and maintains its payroll levels. The amount of loan forgiveness will be reduced if the borrower
terminates employees or reduces salaries. No collateral or guarantees were provided in connection with the PPP loans.
The unforgiven portion of the PPP loans
is payable over two years at an interest rate of 1%, with a deferral of payments for the first nine months. The Company used the proceeds
for purposes consistent with the PPP. For the year ended December 31, 2020 the Company had incurred eligible payroll cost of $829,937
which were fully offset against the loan balance. Of the total loan balance, $228,269 was applied towards payroll cost capitalized as
intangible assets during the year ended December 31, 2020.
|
11.
|
SHARE CAPITAL AND RESERVES
|
a) Authorized share
capital
An unlimited
number of common shares without par value and 5,057 Class “A” shares, Series 1. The Class “A” shares, Series 1
are non-voting and are convertible into common shares at any time on the basis of 6.67 common shares for each Class “A” Series
I share held.
b) Issued share
capital
During the three month period ended March 31, 2021, the
Company:
|
i)
|
issued, 1,472,000 units at a price of USD $7.50 USD per unit per unit for total proceeds of USD $11,040,000.
Each unit consisted of one common share, one Unit A warrant and one Unit B warrant, Unit A warrants allow the purchaser to purchase one
common share at USD $7.50 per share until January 20, 2026. Unit B warrants allow the purchaser to purchase one common share at USD $7.50
per share until January 20, 2022. In connection with the offering, the Company incurred $2,004,112 in issuance costs as part of the transaction.
|
|
ii)
|
issued, 668,635 common shares pursuant to exercise of 645,961 warrants and 22,674 stock options for total
proceeds of $2,799,805.
|
|
iii)
|
Issued, 215,341 units consisting of one share of common share and one Unit A warrant and one Unit B warrant
in exchange for the forgiveness of $2,044,378 of debt and accrued interest.
|
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company:
|
i)
|
issued, 150,000 units at a price of $4.00 per unit for total proceeds of $600,000. Each unit consisted of one common share and a one half share purchase warrant for each share purchased. Each whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at a price of $6.40 until February 17, 2021.
|
|
ii)
|
issued, 172,532 units at a price of $4.00
per unit for total proceeds of $690,125. Each unit consisted of one common share and one share purchase warrant
for each share purchased. Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at a price of $6.40 until July 17,
2022.
|
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
11.
|
SHARE CAPITAL AND RESERVES (continued)
|
|
iii)
|
issued, 625,000 units at a price of $4.00 per unit for total proceeds of $2,500,000. Each unit consisted of one common share and a one half share purchase warrant for each share purchased. Each whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at a price of $6.40 until November 17, 2022
|
|
iv)
|
entered into a Mutual Investment Agreement with Animoca Brands Inc. (Animoca) in which the Company issued 181,547 shares of the Company’s common stock with a value of $698,557 in exchange for 4,327,431 shares of Animoca common stock. On the same date, the Company issued an additional 89,088 shares of the Company’s common stock with a value of $349,225 to Animoca in exchange for services (included in professional fees). The Company subsequently sold all of its shares of Animoca and recognized a loss of $508,050.
|
|
v)
|
issued, 1,058,993 common shares pursuant to exercise of 1,056,143 warrants and 3,750 stock options for total proceeds of $4,596,193.
|
Escrow
At March 31, 2021, 313 common shares
(December 31, 2020 – 313) of the Company are held in escrow due to misplaced share certificates originally issued to three individual
shareholders.
c) Stock options
The Company may grant incentive stock
options to its officers, directors, employees and consultants. The Company has implemented a rolling Stock Option Plan (the “Plan”)
whereby the Company can issue up to 10% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company. Options have a maximum term of ten
years and vesting is determined by the Board of Directors.
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
11.
|
SHARE CAPITAL AND RESERVES (continued)
|
c) Stock options (continued)
A continuity schedule of outstanding
stock options is as follows:
|
|
Number Outstanding
|
|
|
Weighted Average
Exercise Price
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Balance – December 31, 2019
|
|
|
1,013,399
|
|
|
|
5.12
|
|
Granted
|
|
|
470,083
|
|
|
|
4.11
|
|
Exercised
|
|
|
(3,750
|
)
|
|
|
3.49
|
|
Forfeited
|
|
|
(125,907
|
)
|
|
|
6.04
|
|
Balance –December 31, 2020
|
|
|
1,353,825
|
|
|
|
4.70
|
|
Granted
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Exercised
|
|
|
(60,000
|
)
|
|
|
4.32
|
|
Forfeited
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Balance – March 31, 2021
|
|
|
1,293,825
|
|
|
|
4.71
|
|
During the three months ended March
31, 2021, no stock options were granted by the Company. During the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company recorded share-based
compensation of $254,292 (March 31, 2020 - $291,761) relating to options vested during the year.
During the year ended December 31,
2020, 470,083 stock options were granted by the Company with a fair value of $1,216,228 (or $2.69 per option). During the year ended December
31, 2020, the Company recorded share-based compensation of $1,407,414 (December 31, 2019 - $826,360) relating to options vested during
the year.
The Company used the following assumptions in calculating
the fair value of stock options for the year ended December 31, 2020:
|
|
|
December 31,
2020
|
|
Risk-free interest rate
|
|
|
0.26% - 0.37%
|
|
Expected life of options
|
|
|
2.0 – 5.0 years
|
|
Expected dividend yield
|
|
|
Nil
|
|
Volatility
|
|
|
79.44% - 87.79%
|
|
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
11.
|
SHARE CAPITAL AND RESERVES (continued)
|
c) Stock options (continued)
At March 31, 2021, the Company had
incentive stock options outstanding as follows:
Expiry Date
|
|
Options
Outstanding
|
|
|
Options
Exercisable
|
|
|
Exercise
Price
|
|
|
Weighted Average
Remaining Life
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
(years)
|
|
July 13, 2021
|
|
|
265,147
|
|
|
|
260,576
|
|
|
|
4.32
|
|
|
|
0.28
|
|
March 17, 2022
|
|
|
13,063
|
|
|
|
13,063
|
|
|
|
6.96
|
|
|
|
0.96
|
|
May 18, 2022
|
|
|
5,750
|
|
|
|
5,750
|
|
|
|
7.84
|
|
|
|
1.13
|
|
July 31, 2022
|
|
|
171,114
|
|
|
|
114,075
|
|
|
|
4.00
|
|
|
|
1.33
|
|
September 14, 2022
|
|
|
74,156
|
|
|
|
74,156
|
|
|
|
5.52
|
|
|
|
1.45
|
|
November 19, 2022
|
|
|
12,500
|
|
|
|
1,042
|
|
|
|
6.00
|
|
|
|
1.63
|
|
June 6, 2023
|
|
|
14,063
|
|
|
|
9,668
|
|
|
|
7.36
|
|
|
|
2.18
|
|
September 4, 2023
|
|
|
12,813
|
|
|
|
6,807
|
|
|
|
4.00
|
|
|
|
2.43
|
|
April 2, 2024
|
|
|
107,500
|
|
|
|
58,750
|
|
|
|
3.36
|
|
|
|
3.01
|
|
June 27, 2024
|
|
|
6,250
|
|
|
|
6,250
|
|
|
|
3.36
|
|
|
|
3.24
|
|
July 24, 2024
|
|
|
148,344
|
|
|
|
24,725
|
|
|
|
4.00
|
|
|
|
3.32
|
|
September 27, 2024
|
|
|
312,500
|
|
|
|
117,969
|
|
|
|
6.00
|
|
|
|
3.49
|
|
October 22, 2024
|
|
|
12,500
|
|
|
|
6,094
|
|
|
|
5.28
|
|
|
|
3.56
|
|
July 24, 2025
|
|
|
113,125
|
|
|
|
27,084
|
|
|
|
4.00
|
|
|
|
4.32
|
|
August 10, 2025
|
|
|
12,500
|
|
|
|
3,646
|
|
|
|
4.00
|
|
|
|
4.36
|
|
November 19, 2024
|
|
|
12,500
|
|
|
|
2,083
|
|
|
|
6.00
|
|
|
|
3.64
|
|
|
|
|
1,293,825
|
|
|
|
731,738
|
|
|
|
4.68
|
|
|
|
2.28
|
|
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
11.
|
SHARE CAPITAL AND RESERVES (continued)
|
d) Share purchase
warrants
A continuity schedule of outstanding
share purchase warrants is as follows:
|
|
Number Outstanding
|
|
|
Weighted Average
Exercise Price
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Balance – December 31, 2019
|
|
|
3,315,181
|
|
|
|
5.28
|
|
Exercised
|
|
|
(1,056,143
|
)
|
|
|
2.40
|
|
Expired
|
|
|
(438,948
|
|
|
|
4.32
|
|
Issued
|
|
|
872,532
|
|
|
|
6.13
|
|
Balance – December 31, 2020
|
|
|
2,692,622
|
|
|
|
5.88
|
|
Exercised
|
|
|
(757,803
|
)
|
|
|
5.51
|
|
Expired
|
|
|
(14,378
|
)
|
|
|
4.73
|
|
Issued
|
|
|
3,374,682
|
|
|
|
9.68
|
|
Balance – March 31, 2021
|
|
|
5,295,123
|
|
|
|
8.23
|
|
During the three month period ended March 31, 2021, the
Company:
|
i)
|
On January 21, 2021 Company completed a public offering and issued 1,472,000 units at a price of USD $7.50
USD per unit per unit for total proceeds of USD $11,040,000. Each unit consisted of one common share, one Unit A warrant and one Unit
B warrant, each to purchase one common share for a total of 2,944,00 warrants issued at USD $7.50 (CAD$9.68) per share until January 21,
2023.
|
|
ii)
|
On January 21, 2021 the Company entered into a debt exchange agreement and exchanged 215,341 shares of
common stock for the reduction of $2,044,378 of debt and accrued interest. As part of the agreement the Company also issued 215,341 Unit
A warrants and 215,341 Unit B warrants issued at USD $7.50 (CAD $9.68) per share until January 21, 2023.
|
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company:
|
iii)
|
On February 17, 2020, the Company, completed a unit private placement which included 75,000 share purchase
warrants exercisable at $6.40 per share for a period of two years. The share purchase warrants were determined to have a fair value of
$Nil using the residual value method.
|
|
iv)
|
On July 17, 2020, the Company, completed a unit private placement which included 172,532 share purchase
warrants exercisable at $4.00 per share for a period of two years. The share purchase warrants were determined to have a fair value of
$55,210 using the residual value method.
|
|
v)
|
On November 17, 2020, the Company, completed a unit private placement which included. 625,000 share purchase
warrants exercisable at $4.00 per share for a period of two years.
|
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
11.
|
SHARE CAPITAL AND RESERVES (continued)
|
d) Share purchase warrants (continued)
The Company used the following
assumptions in calculating the fair value of the warrants for the period ended:
|
|
December 31,
2020
|
|
Risk-free interest rate
|
|
|
1.77
|
%
|
Expected life of options
|
|
|
2.0 years
|
|
Expected dividend yield
|
|
|
Nil
|
|
Volatility
|
|
|
107.14
|
%
|
Weighted average fair value per warrant
|
|
$
|
0.04
|
|
At March 31, 2021, the Company had
share purchase warrants outstanding as follows:
Expiry Date
|
|
Warrants
Outstanding
|
|
|
Exercise
Price
|
|
|
Weighted Average
Remaining Life
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
(years)
|
|
July 26, 2021
|
|
|
825,151
|
|
|
|
5.60
|
|
|
|
0.32
|
|
August 9, 2021
|
|
|
225,341
|
|
|
|
5.60
|
|
|
|
0.36
|
|
January 20, 2022
|
|
|
1,666,008
|
|
|
|
9.68
|
|
|
|
0.80
|
|
March 17, 2022
|
|
|
343,750
|
|
|
|
6.40
|
|
|
|
0.96
|
|
July 17, 2022
|
|
|
172,532
|
|
|
|
6.40
|
|
|
|
1.30
|
|
November 17, 2022
|
|
|
375,000
|
|
|
|
6.40
|
|
|
|
1.63
|
|
January 20, 2026
|
|
|
1,687,341
|
|
|
|
9.68
|
|
|
|
4.81
|
|
|
|
|
5,295,123
|
|
|
|
8.23
|
|
|
|
2.07
|
|
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
11.
|
SHARE CAPITAL AND RESERVES (continued)
|
e) Performance warrants
On September 30, 2016, the Company
issued 625,250 performance warrants with a fair value of $1,725,496. These performance warrants vested during the year ended December
31, 2019.
At March 31, 2021, the Company had
performance warrants outstanding as follows:
Expiry Date
|
|
Performance Warrants
Outstanding
|
|
|
Performance Warrants
Exercisable
|
|
|
Exercise
Price
|
|
|
Remaining Life
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
(years)
|
|
June 30, 2021
|
|
|
375,250
|
|
|
|
375,250
|
|
|
|
4.00
|
|
|
|
0.25
|
|
|
12.
|
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
|
The following summarizes the Company’s
related party transactions, not disclosed elsewhere in these consolidated financial statements, during the three months ended March 31,
2021 and 2020. Key management personnel includes the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”)
and certain directors and officers and companies controlled or significantly influenced by them.
Key Management
Personnel
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Short-term employee benefits paid or accrued to the CEO of the Company, including share-based compensation vested for incentive stock options and performance warrants.
|
|
|
77,278
|
|
|
|
127,334
|
|
Short-term employee benefits paid or accrued to the CFO of the Company, including share-based compensation vested for incentive stock options and performance warrants.
|
|
|
85,425
|
|
|
|
87,477
|
|
Short-term employee benefits paid or accrued to a member of the advisory board of the Company, including share-based compensation vested for incentive stock options and performance warrants.
|
|
|
66,363
|
|
|
|
20,736
|
|
Short-term employee benefits paid or accrued to the Vice President of Engineering of the Company, including share-based compensation vested for incentive stock options and performance warrants.
|
|
|
93,775
|
|
|
|
99,046
|
|
Short-term employee benefits paid or accrued to certain directors and officers of the company, including share-based compensation vested for incentive stock options and performance warrants.
|
|
|
105,842
|
|
|
|
73,793
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
428,683
|
|
|
|
408,386
|
|
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
12.
|
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS (continued)
|
Other Related Party Payments
Office sharing and occupancy costs
of $21,000 (2020 - $21,000) were paid or accrued to a corporation that shares management in common with the Company.
Amounts Outstanding
|
a)
|
At March 31, 2021, a total of $205,154 (December 31, 2020 - $757,265) was included in accounts payable
and accrued liabilities owing to officers, directors, or companies controlled by them. These amounts are unsecured and non-interest bearing.
|
|
b)
|
At March 31, 2021, a total of $3,665,210 (December 31, 2020 - $6,220,254) of long term notes was payable
to a director and the CEO of the Company (Note 9).
|
|
13.
|
FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND RISK MANAGEMENT
|
Financial risk management
Financial instruments measured at fair
value are classified into one of three levels in the fair value hierarchy according to the relative reliability of the inputs used to
estimate the fair values. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are:
Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices
in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
Level 2 – Inputs other than
quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability either directly or indirectly; and
Level 3 – Inputs that are not based
on observable market data.
The Board of Directors
has overall responsibility for the establishment and oversight of the Company’s risk management framework. The Company’s financial
instruments consist of cash, receivables, restricted deposit, accounts payable and accrued liabilities and notes payable.
The fair value of cash, receivables,
accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their book values because of the short-term nature of these instruments. The fair
value of notes payable approximates its book value as it was discounted using a market rate of interest.
Credit risk
Credit risk is
the risk of financial loss to the Company if a counterparty to a financial instrument fails to meet its payment obligations. The Company
has no material counterparties to its financial instruments with the exception of the financial institutions which hold its cash. The
Company manages its credit risk by ensuring that its cash is placed with a major financial institution with strong investment grade ratings
by a primary ratings agency. The Company’s receivables consist of goods and services tax due from the government.
Financial instrument risk exposure
The Company is
exposed in varying degrees to a variety of financial instrument related risks. The Board approves and monitors the risk management processes.
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
13.
|
FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND RISK MANAGEMENT (continued)
|
Liquidity risk
The Company’s
cash is invested in business accounts which are available on demand. The Company has raised additional capital during the three months
ended March 31, 2021.
Interest rate risk
The Company’s
bank account earns interest income at variable rates and the notes payable bear interest at the prime lending rate. The fair value of
its portfolio is relatively unaffected by changes in short-term interest rates. A 1% change in interest rates would have no significant
impact on profit or loss for the three month period ended March 31, 2021.
Foreign exchange risk
Foreign currency exchange rate risk
is the risk that the fair value of financial instruments or future cash flows will fluctuate because of changes in foreign exchange rates.
The Company operates in Canada and the United States.
The Company was exposed to the following
foreign currency risk as at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020:
|
|
March 31,
2021
|
|
|
December 31,
2020
|
|
|
|
(US$)
|
|
|
(US$)
|
|
Cash
|
|
|
10,992,283
|
|
|
|
86,800
|
|
Lease Obligations
|
|
|
(681,948
|
)
|
|
|
(741,868
|
)
|
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
|
|
|
(714,782
|
)
|
|
|
(1,092,402
|
)
|
|
|
|
9,595,553
|
|
|
|
(1,747,470
|
)
|
As at March 31, 2021, with other variables
unchanged, a +/- 10% change in the United States dollar to Canadian dollar exchange rate would impact the Company’s net loss by
$1,209,000 (December 31, 2020 - $220,000).
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
14.
|
Management of Capital
|
The Company manages its capital structure
and makes adjustments to it, based on the funds available to the Company. Capital consists of items within equity (deficiency). The Board
of Directors does not establish quantitative return on capital criteria for management, but rather relies on the expertise of the Company's
management to sustain future development of the business. The Company is not subject to any externally imposed capital requirements.
The Company remains dependent on external
financing to fund its activities. In order to sustain its operations, the Company will spend its existing cash on hand and raise additional
amounts as needed until the business generates sufficient revenues to be self-sustaining. Management reviews its capital management approach
on an ongoing basis and believes that this approach, given the relative size of the Company, is reasonable.
In order to maximize ongoing corporate
development efforts, the Company does not pay out dividends. The Company’s investment policy is to keep its cash treasury invested
in certificates of deposit with major financial institutions.
There have been no changes to the
Company’s approach to capital management during the three month period ended March 31, 2021.
|
15.
|
GEOGRAPHICAL SEGMENTED
INFORMATION
|
The Company is engaged in one business
activity, being the development of a business-to-business software platform that allows video game publishers and developers to offer
prize-based matches of their games to their players. Revenue earned during the year ended December 31, 2020 is from one customer based
in the United States and receivables of $484,790 are due from that customer. No revenue was earned from the same customer for the three
months ended March 31, 2021.
Details of identifiable assets by
geographic segments are as follows:
|
|
Restricted
deposits
|
|
|
Deposits
|
|
|
Property and
equipment
|
|
|
Intangible
assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
March 31, 2021
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Canada
|
|
$
|
11,497
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
25,221
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
USA
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
126,605
|
|
|
|
516,775
|
|
|
|
2,234,549
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
11,497
|
|
|
$
|
126,905
|
|
|
$
|
541,996
|
|
|
$
|
2,234,549
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31, 2020
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Canada
|
|
$
|
11,497
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
44,316
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
USA
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
127,812
|
|
|
|
581,622
|
|
|
|
2,256,903
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
11,497
|
|
|
$
|
127,812
|
|
|
$
|
625,938
|
|
|
$
|
2,256,903
|
|
|
16.
|
SUPPLEMENTAL CASH
FLOW INFORMATION
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contribution benefit on low interest rate notes (Note 9)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
85,332
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Interest paid during the year
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income taxes paid during the year
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
VERSUS SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)
|
|
|
17.
|
LEASE OBLIGATIONS AND COMMITMENTS
|
Lease Liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
Lease liabilities recognized as of January 1, 2020
|
|
|
1,122,400
|
|
Lease payments made
|
|
|
(409,819
|
)
|
Interest expense on lease liabilities
|
|
|
80,637
|
|
Foreign exchange adjustment
|
|
|
39,767
|
|
Lease liabilities recognized as of January 1, 2021
|
|
|
832,985
|
|
Lease payments made
|
|
|
(98,753
|
)
|
Interest expense on lease liabilities
|
|
|
14,839
|
|
Foreign exchange adjustment
|
|
|
(6,750
|
)
|
|
|
|
742,321
|
|
Less: current portion
|
|
|
(249,290
|
)
|
At March 31, 2021
|
|
|
493,031
|
|
On August 1, 2015, the Company entered
into a cost sharing arrangement agreement for the provision of office space and various administrative services. In May of 2018, the Company
extended the cost sharing arrangement to July of 2022 at a monthly fee of $7,000 plus GST per month.
Year
|
|
Amount
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
2021 (remaining)
|
|
|
28,000
|
|
On September 6, 2017, the Company
entered into a rental agreement for office space in Los Angeles, USA. Under the terms of the agreement the Company will pay US$17,324
per month commencing on October 1, 2017 until June 30, 2023.
Year
|
|
Amount
|
|
|
|
(US$)
|
|
2021 (remaining)
|
|
|
189,970
|
|
2022
|
|
|
260,185
|
|
2023
|
|
|
131,576
|
|
A) March 31,
2021 to May 17, 2021, the Company’s warrant and option holders had exercised 188,304 warrants and options at an average exercise
price of $4.04 per share for total proceeds of $760,743.
B)On May 12,
2021, the Company entered into a definitive agreement with Xcite Interactive to acquire 100% of Xcite’s capital stock. The definitive
agreement calls for the Company to purchase 100% of Xcite for USD $19 million in Versus stock less a net working capital adjustment and
a $2.25M retention pool for Xcite employees. Xcite will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Versus Systems.
3,353,349
Shares
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
,
2021
PART
II—INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS
Item
6. Indemnification of directors and officers
Sections
159 to 164 of the BCBCA authorize companies to indemnify past and present directors, officers and certain other individuals for the liabilities
incurred in connection with their services as such (including costs, expenses and settlement payments) unless such individual did not
act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the company and, in the case of a criminal or administrative proceeding,
if such individual did not have reasonable grounds for believing his or her conduct was lawful. In the case of a suit by or on behalf
of the corporation, a court must approve the indemnification.
Our
articles require us to indemnify directors and officers to the extent required by law.
We
have entered into agreements with our directors and certain officers, or an Indemnitee, to indemnify the Indemnitee, to the fullest extent
permitted by law and subject to certain limitations, against all liabilities, costs, charges and expenses reasonably incurred by an Indemnitee
in an action or proceeding to which the Indemnitee was made a party by reason of the Indemnitee being an officer or director of (i) our
company or (ii) an organization of which we are a shareholder or creditor if the Indemnitee serves such organization at our request.
We
maintain insurance policies relating to certain liabilities that our directors and officers may incur in such capacity.
Item
7. Recent sales of unregistered securities
During
the past three years, we have issued securities in the following transactions, each of which was exempt from the registration requirements
of the Securities Act. Except for the common shares that were issued upon the exercise of our warrants, all of the below-referenced securities
were issued pursuant to the exemption from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and are deemed to be restricted securities
for purposes of the Securities Act. There were no underwriters or placement agents employed in connection with any of these transactions.
Use of the exemption provided in Section 4(a)(2) for transactions not involving a public offering is based on the following facts:
|
●
|
Neither we nor any person
acting on our behalf solicited any offer to buy or sell securities by any form of general solicitation or advertising.
|
|
●
|
The recipients were either
accredited or otherwise sophisticated individuals who had such knowledge and experience in business matters that they were capable
of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in our securities.
|
|
●
|
The recipients had access
to business and financial information concerning our company.
|
|
●
|
All
securities issued were issued with a restrictive legend and may only be disposed of pursuant to an effective registration or exemption
from registration in compliance with federal and state securities laws.
|
The
common shares that were issued upon the exercise of our warrants were issued pursuant to the exemption from registration under Section
3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and are deemed to be restricted securities for purposes of the Securities Act.
The
number of common shares issued or issuable in each transaction, and the price per common share in each transaction, has been adjusted
to give effect to the one-for-16 reverse share split of the common shares to be effected on December 15, 2020.
Units
and Common Shares Issuances
2021
During the three month period
ending March 31, 2021, we:
|
i)
|
Issued, 162,394 common shares pursuant to the cashless exercise of warrants and stock options for total proceeds of $0.
|
2020
During
the year ending December 31, 2020, we:
|
i)
|
Issued, 150,000 units at
a price of $4.00 per unit for total proceeds of $600,000. Each unit consisted of one common share and a one half share purchase warrant
for each share purchased. Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at a price of $6.40 until February
13, 2021.
|
|
ii)
|
entered into a Mutual Investment
Agreement with Animoca Brands Inc. in which we issued 189,797 common shares with a value of $698,446 in exchange for 4,327,431 shares
of Animoca Brands common stock. On the same date, we issued an additional 80,839 common shares with a value of $349,225 to Animoca
Brands in exchange for marketing services. We subsequently sold all of our shares of Animoca Brands and recognized a loss of $508,050.
|
|
iii)
|
issued, 927,149 common
shares pursuant to the exercise of warrants and stock options for total proceeds of $4,184,572.
|
|
iv)
|
issued, 172,532 units at
a price of $4.00 per unit for total proceeds of $690,125.
|
|
v)
|
issued, 625,000 units at
a price of $4.00 per unit for total proceeds of $2,500,000. Each unit consisted of one common share and one share purchase warrant
wherein each whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share at a price of $6.40 until November 17, 2023.
|
2019
During
the year ended December 31, 2019, we:
|
i)
|
issued, 624,228 units pursuant
to a private placement at a price of $2.88 per unit for total proceeds of $1,797,778. Each unit consisted of one common share and
one common share warrant for each share purchased. Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at a
price of $4.80 until February 14, 2021.
|
|
ii)
|
issued, 1,094,844 units
pursuant to a private placement at a price of $3.20 per unit for total proceeds of $3,503,500. Each unit consisted of one common
share and a one common share warrant for each share purchased. Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common
share at a price of $5.60 until July 26, 2021.
|
|
iii)
|
issued, 284,091 units at
a price of $3.52 per unit for total proceeds of $1,000,000. Each unit consisted of one common share and one common share warrant
for each share purchased. Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at a price of $5.60 until August
9, 2021.
|
|
iv)
|
issued 576,834 common shares
at a value of $1,892,012 on acquisition of Opal Energy (Holdco) Corp.
|
|
v)
|
issued 158,115 common shares
pursuant to the exercise of share purchase warrants and stock options for total proceeds of $425,417.
|
2018
During
the year ended December 31, 2018, we:
|
i)
|
issued, 766,229 units at
a price of $4.80 per unit for total proceeds of $3,677,900. Each unit consisted of one common share and a one half common share warrant
for each share purchased. Each whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at a price of $6.40 until
April 12, 2020. A residual value of $78,957 was allocated to the warrants.
|
|
ii)
|
issued 154,990 common shares
pursuant to the exercise of share purchase warrants for total proceeds of $384,000.
|
Warrants
Issuances
2021
During the quarter ending
March 31, 2021, we issued certain number of warrants as listed below:
|
i)
|
On January 20, 2021, in connection with the Public Offering, we entered into an agreement with Lake Street Capital Markets, LLC, the underwriter in the Public Offering, and the Selling Shareholder pursuant to which we sold to the Underwriter an additional 192,000 Unit A Warrants and 192,000 Unit B Warrants in a private placement, for aggregate consideration of $20,000, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement. The share purchase warrants were determined to have a fair value of $Nil using the residual value method.
|
2020
During
the year ending December 31, 2020, we issued certain number of warrants as listed below:
|
i)
|
On February 13, 2020, we
completed a unit private placement which included 75,000 share purchase warrants exercisable at $6.40 per share for a period of two
years. The share purchase warrants were determined to have a fair value of $Nil using the residual value method.
|
|
ii)
|
On November 17, 2020, we
completed a unit private placement which included 625,000 share purchase warrants exercisable at $4.00 per share for a period of
two years. The share purchase warrants were determined to have a fair value of $Nil using the residual value method.
|
2019
During
the year ended December 31, 2019, we issued certain number of warrants as listed below:
|
i)
|
On February 14, 2019, we
completed a unit private placement which included 624,228 share purchase warrants exercisable at $4.80 per share for a period of
two years. The share purchase warrants were determined to have a fair value of $199,753 using the residual value method.
|
|
ii)
|
On February 14, 2019, we
completed a unit private placement which included 43,696 broker warrants exercisable at $2.88 per share for a period of two years.
The share purchase warrants were determined to have a fair value of $61,843 using the Black Scholes option pricing model.
|
|
iii)
|
On July 26, 2019, we completed
a unit private placement which included 1,094,849 share purchase warrants exercisable at $5.60 per share for a period of two years.
The share purchase warrants were determined to have a fair value of $Nil using the residual method.
|
|
iv)
|
On July 26, 2019, we issued
14,088 agent warrants exercisable to purchase additional shares at a price of $5.60 per share for a period of 24 months from closing.
The agent warrants were determined to have a fair value of $20,985.
|
|
v)
|
On August 9, 2019, we completed
a unit private placement which included 284,093 share purchase warrants exercisable at $5.60 per share for a period of two years.
The share purchase warrants were determined to have a fair value of $Nil using the residual method.
|
|
vi)
|
During 2019, we issued
288,417 warrants at a value of $159,778 for the acquisition of the shares of Opal Energy (Holdco) Corp.
|
2018
During
the year ended December 31, 2018, we issued certain number of warrants as listed below:
|
i)
|
On March 29, 2018 and April
12, 2018, we completed a unit private placement which included 383,115 share purchase warrants exercisable at $6.40 per share for
a period of two years. The share purchase warrants were determined to have a fair value of $140,531 using the residual value method.
|
|
ii)
|
On
March 29, 2018 and April 12, 2018, we completed a unit private placement which included 44,460 brokers’ warrants exercisable at
$4.80 per share for a period of two years. The broker warrants were determined to have a fair value of $116,226 using the Black Scholes
option pricing model.
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Notes
Issuances
2021
During the three month period
ended March 31, 2021, the Company exchanged 215,341 shares of common stock in exchange for a principal reduction of debt in the amount
of $1,879,577 and $164,801 of accrued interest. In addition, the Company repaid $529,300 of principal. As at March 31, 2021, the Company
had recorded $110,978 in accrued interest which was included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities.
2020
During
the year ended December 31, 2020, we issued unsecured notes payable for total proceeds of CDN$1,258,307 from our directors and officers
who are also shareholders. The loans bear interest at the prime rate which was 2.45% per annum for the nine months ended September 30,
2020, compounded annually and payable quarterly, and had a maturity date of three years from the date of issuance. As at September 30,
2020, we had recorded $417,553 in accrued interest which was included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities.
2019
During
the year ended December 31, 2019, we issued unsecured notes payable for total proceeds of CDN$2,633,667 from director and officers of
the Company who are also a shareholders. The loans bear interest at the prime rate which was 3.95% per annum at December 31, 2019, compounded
annually and payable quarterly, and had a maturity date of three years from the date of issuance. As at December 31, 2019, the Company
had recorded $249,496 in accrued interest which was included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities.
2018
During
the year ended December 31, 2018, we issued unsecured notes payable for total proceeds of CDN$2,780,000 from one of our directors who
is also a shareholder. The loans bear interest at prime rate compounded annually and payable quarterly, and have a maturity date of three
years from the date of issuance.
During
the year ended December 31, 2018, we issued unsecured notes payable for total proceeds of US$230,000 from a director and officer of our
company who is also a shareholder. The loans bear interest at prime rate compounded annually and payable quarterly, and have a maturity
date of three years from the date of issuance.
Item
8. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
(a)
The following documents are filed as part of this registration statement:
EXHIBIT
INDEX
The
following documents are filed as part of this registration statement:
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|
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Incorporation
by Reference
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Exhibit
Number
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Exhibit
Description
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Form
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Filing
Date
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Exhibit
Number
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1.1
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Form of Underwriting Agreement
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F-1/A
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12/14/2020
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1.1
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3.1
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Notice of Articles of Versus Systems Inc.
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F-1
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11/20/2020
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3.1
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3.2
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Articles of Versus Systems Inc.
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F-1
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11/20/2020
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3.1
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4.1
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Specimen Stock Certificate evidencing common shares.
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F-1/A
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1/11/2021
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4.1
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4.2
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Warrant Agent Agreement dated January 20, 2021 between Versus System Inc. and Computershare, including forms of Unit A Warrants and Unit B Warrants.
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6-K
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1/21/2021
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99.2
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4.3
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Representative Warrant Agreement dated January 20, 2021.
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F-1/A
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12/14/2020
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4.3
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5.1
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Opinion of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin, LLP.
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*
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10.1
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Form of Loan Agreement, including form of promissory note, between Versus Systems Inc. and Brian Tingle.
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F-1
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11/20/2020
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10.1
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10.2
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Form of Loan Agreement, including form of promissory note, between Versus Systems Inc. and The Sandoval Pierce Family Trust Established May 20, 2015.
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F-1
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11/20/2020
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10.2
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10.3
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Employment Agreement dated as of June 30, 2016 among Versus Systems Inc. (formerly Opal Energy Corp.), Matthew D. Pierce and Versus LLC.
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F-1
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11/20/2020
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10.3
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10.4
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Employment Agreement dated as of May 1, 2019 among Versus Systems Inc., Craig C. Finster and Versus LLC.
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F-1
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11/20/2020
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10.4
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10.5
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Employment Agreement dated as of May 1, 2020 among Versus Systems Inc., Keyvan Peymani and Versus LLC.
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F-1
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11/20/2020
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10.5
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10.6
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Form of Warrant of Versus Systems Inc.
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F-1
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11/20/2020
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10.6
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10.7
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Versus Systems Inc. 2017 Stock Option Plan.
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F-1
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11/20/2020
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10.7
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10.8
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Acquisition Agreement dated as of March 16, 2016 among Versus Systems Inc. (formerly Opal Energy Corp.), Versus Systems (Holdco) Corp. (formerly Opal Energy (Holdco) Corp.), Versus LLC and the selling members of Versus LLC
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F-1
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11/20/2020
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10.8
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10.9#
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Software License, Marketing and Linking Agreement dated as of March 6, 2019 between HP Inc. and Versus LLC.
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F-1
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11/20/2020
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10.9
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10.10
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Agreement and Plan of Merger among Versus Systems Inc., Wonkavision Merger Sub Inc., Xcite Interactive, Inc. and Front Range Ventures, LLC, dated May 11, 2021.
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*
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#
|
Portions of this exhibit
have been redacted in compliance with Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K. Schedules, exhibits and similar supporting attachments to
this exhibit are omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. The Registrant agrees to furnish a supplemental copy of any
omitted schedule or similar attachment to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request.
|
Item
9. Undertakings
The
undersigned hereby undertakes:
To
provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements, certificates in such denominations and registered
in such names as required by the underwriter to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.
Insofar
as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons
of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred
or paid by a director, officer, or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding)
is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will,
unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction
the question of whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.
The
undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
|
(1)
|
For purposes of determining
any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration
statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or
(4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
|
|
(2)
|
For the purpose of determining
any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed
to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall
be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
|
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form F-1 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in Vancouver, British Columbia on May 28, 2021.
|
VERSUS
SYSTEMS INC.
|
|
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By:
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/s/
Matthew Pierce
|
|
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Name:
|
Matthew
Pierce
|
|
|
Title:
|
Chief
Executive Officer
|
|
|
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(Principal
Executive Officer)
|
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in
the capacities and on the dates indicated:
Name
|
|
Title
|
|
Date
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ Matthew Pierce
|
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Director and Chief Executive Officer
|
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May 28, 2021
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Matthew Pierce
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(principal executive officer)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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/s/ Craig Finster
|
|
President and Chief Financial Officer
|
|
May 28, 2021
|
Craig Finster
|
|
(principal financial officer and principal accounting officer)
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|
|
|
|
|
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/s/ *
|
|
Director
|
|
May 28, 2021
|
Keyvan Peymani
|
|
|
|
|
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|
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/s/ *
|
|
Director
|
|
May 28, 2021
|
Brian Tingle
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ *
|
|
Director
|
|
May 28, 2021
|
Michelle Gahagan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ *
|
|
Director
|
|
May 28, 2021
|
Paul Vlasic
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ Jennifer
Prince
|
|
Director
|
|
May 28, 2021
|
Jennifer Prince
|
|
|
|
|
*
By:
|
/s/
Matthew Pierce
|
|
|
Matthew Pierce
|
|
|
Attorney-in-fact
|
|
Signature
of Authorized U.S. Representative of Registrant
Pursuant to the requirements
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned, the duly authorized representative in the United States of Versus Systems
Inc. has signed this registration statement on May 28, 2021.
|
By:
|
/s/
Matthew Pierce
|
|
|
Name:
|
Matthew
Pierce
|
|
|
Title:
|
Chief
Executive Officer
|
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