LEAT Leatt Corporation (QB)

Our business and financial performance may be adversely affected if our information technology systems fail to perform adequately or if they are the subject of a security breach or cyberattack.

We are a multinational company and rely on a variety of information technology systems in the ordinary course of business to manage business data, communications, supply chain, order entry and fulfilment, customer support, billing and payments. Our system and processes are potentially vulnerable to cybersecurity incidents, such as terrorist or hacker attacks, the introduction of malicious computer viruses, ransomware, falsification of banking and other information, insider risk, or other security breaches, including individual or advanced persistent cyber-attacks on our information technology infrastructure and attempts by others to gain access to our proprietary or sensitive information regarding our employees, suppliers and customers.

If there is a cybersecurity incident, we may suffer interruptions to our business and service, loss of assets or data, or reduced functionality, which could materially adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations. Many of our systems are not redundant, and our disaster recovery planning is not sufficient for every eventuality a cybersecurity incident could cause. Security breaches of our systems which allow inappropriate access to or inadvertent transfer of information and misappropriation or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information belonging to us or to our employees, customers, or suppliers could have an adverse impact on our results of operation. If a customer, supplier or employee alleges that a cyberattack caused or contributed to a loss or compromise of critical information, we could face significant harm to our reputation and financial condition. Any remedial costs or other liabilities related to information security system failures and cybersecurity incidents may not be fully insured or indemnified by other means.

While we attempt to mitigate cybersecurity risks by employing a number of proactive measures, including, technical security controls, enhanced data protection, advanced intrusion detection, targeted threat protection, maintenance of backup, protective systems and disaster recovery procedures, our systems remain potentially vulnerable to cybersecurity threats, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business. We believe our mitigation measures reduce, but cannot eliminate, the risk of a cybersecurity incident. Despite any precautions we may take, a cybersecurity incident could harm our reputation and financial condition and cause us to incur legal liability and increased costs to respond to such events. Our cyber liability insurance may not be sufficient to compensate us for losses that may result from interruptions in our services or asset or data loss as a result of cybersecurity incidents.

Global economic turmoil could negatively affect our domestic and international sales, results of operations, and financial condition.

Prolonged turmoil in the global economy, especially in the U.S., South America and Europe, including the conflict in Ukraine, could have a negative impact on our ability to conduct business outside the U.S. and on our financial condition. Our exposure to such risks may further increase if any of these economic conditions impact levels of consumer spending.

We sell our products through a global network of distributors and dealers who may may have difficulty clearing elevated stock, previously stockpiled in response to industry wide supply chain challenges, which in turn could slow new orders and affect our financial performance. If our customers were to experience slow growth or recession, we could see a drop-in demand for our products, difficulty in obtaining materials and supplies, difficulty in collecting accounts receivables, an increase in accounts receivable write-offs, and greater foreign exchange rate volatility affecting our profitability and cash flow. Customers may also purchase lower-cost products made by competitors and not resume purchasing our products even after economic conditions improve. While we employ comprehensive controls regarding global cash management to guard against cash or investment loss and to ensure our ability to fund our operations and commitments, a material disruption to the counterparties with whom we transact business could expose us to financial loss.

For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, annual revenues from sales to international customers were $59,020,266 and $52,337,504, or 77% and 72% of our total revenue, respectively. While we do not expect to see any significant material adverse impact on our distribution channels (discussed elsewhere in this report), if demand for our products fluctuates as a result of these economic conditions or otherwise, our revenue and gross margin could be harmed.

Our international operations expose us to foreign exchange risk and currency fluctuations affect our operating profits.

We are exposed to foreign exchange risk as our revenues and consolidated results of operations may be affected by fluctuations in foreign currency as we translate these currencies into U.S. dollars when we consolidate our financial results. Operating outside of the United States further exposes us to foreign exchange risk, which we monitor. We are most sensitive to changes in the exchange rates of the South African Rand (or ZAR), the Renminbi, the Euro and the U.S. dollar. Because of our primary operations in South Africa, a portion of our consolidated revenues are denominated in ZAR, certain of our assets are denominated in ZAR, and our research and marketing operations in South Africa utilize South African labor sources, so we have more ZAR expenses than we do sales in South Africa. A decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar in relation to the ZAR could increase our cost of doing business in South Africa. Alternatively, if the ZAR depreciates against the U.S. dollar, the value of our ZAR revenues, earnings and assets as expressed in our U.S. dollar financial statements will decline. In China we have more Renminbi expenses than we do sales, because we manufacture our products in China that we sell globally. A decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar in relation to the Renminbi could increase our cost of purchasing products in China. We have not entered into any hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our exposure to foreign exchange risk.

In Europe we have significantly more sales than we do expenses. Since 77% of our sales is derived outside the U.S. where the U.S. dollar is not the primary currency, significant fluctuations in exchange rates such as the strengthening of the dollar versus our customers' local currency can adversely affect our ability to remain competitive in those areas.

We engage in international manufacturing and sales which exposes us to trade restrictions and disruptions that could harm our business and competitive position.

We derive 77% of our revenues from international sales and we develop and primarily manufacture our products outside of the U.S. As a result, we are subject to risks associated with shipping products across borders, including shipping delays, customs duties, export quotas and other trade restrictions that could have a significant impact on our revenue and profitability.

Although there is more certainty regarding the outcome of BREXIT due to the withdrawal agreement that was concluded between the European Union and the United Kingdom on January 24, 2020, we continue to evaluate the potential effect of the United Kingdom's (UK) departure from the European Union (EU) (commonly referred to as "Brexit") on our business operations and financial results. We anticipate that Brexit may have adverse tax effects on movement of products or sustainment activities between the UK and EU. Additionally, Brexit may still have an impact the value of the pound sterling. If the pound sterling were to depress significantly against the U.S. dollar, this could negatively impact the ability of our UK customers to afford our products. Currently, we do not anticipate that Brexit will have a material impact on our operations or our financial results.

If we cannot deliver our products on a competitive and timely basis, our relationships with international customers will be damaged and our financial condition could also be harmed. The future imposition of, or significant increases in, the level of tariffs, custom duties, export quotas and other barriers and restrictions by the U.S. on China or other countries could disrupt our supply chain, increase the cost of our raw materials and therefore our pricing, and impose the burdens of compliance with foreign trade laws, any of which could potentially affect our bottom line and sales. While we are in continuous discussions with our manufacturers to ensure there are contingencies in place, we cannot assure you that we will not be adversely affected by changes in the trade laws of foreign jurisdictions where we sell and seek to sell our products.

Economic disruption resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed us to rising freight shipping and logistics costs that could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

The economic disruption resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on the global freight shipping industry and on the cost of shipping our products to our global network of distributors, dealers and customers, or their import agents, from warehouses in China. Over the past year, the strong rise in demand for Chinese exports has outpaced the availability of containers in Asia, creating a container shortage and huge backlogs in many freight markets around the world, including the U.S., the Middle East, and East Asia. These container shortages at Asian ports have exacerbated supply bottlenecks and further increased shipping costs, by up to 400% in some regions, as companies in Asia are reported to be paying premium rates to get containers back. Further compounding matters is the shortage of dockworkers and truck drivers available to load and unload containers at ports in Europe and the U.S. and to move them to other locations, resulting in congested ports. We are working closely with our supply chain management in Asia, our logistics service providers, and our freight forwarders, to streamline our global shipping and logistics processes, to mitigate any disruption to our operations. Continued disruption and pricing volatility in the global shipping and logistics industry could have a negative impact on our results of operations for the coming periods and beyond.

In order to grow at the pace expected by management, we may require additional capital to support our long-term growth strategies. If we are unable to obtain additional capital in future years, we may be unable to proceed with our plans and we may be forced to curtail our operations.

We currently meet our working capital requirements with cash flow provided by our operating activities, and we expect to continue doing so for the foreseeable future. Since November 2018, the Company has maintained a revolving line of credit agreement with a bank under which it now has access to a line of credit facility of $1,500,000 which remains available in full for advances through February 2024. However, in the future we may require additional working capital to support our long-term growth strategies, including identifying suitable targets for horizontal or vertical mergers or acquisitions so as to enhance the overall productivity and benefit from economies of scale. If the uncertainty arising out of domestic and global economic conditions and the ongoing tightening of domestic credit markets persist, we may not be able to generate adequate cash flows or obtain adequate levels of additional financing, whether through equity financing, debt financing or other sources. Even if we are able to get additional financing, it might not be on terms that are favorable to the Company. Furthermore, additional financings could result in significant dilution to our earnings per share or the issuance of securities with rights superior to our current outstanding securities, including registration rights. If we are unable to raise additional financing, we may be unable to implement our long-term growth strategies, develop or enhance our products and services, take advantage of future opportunities or respond to competitive pressures on a timely basis, if at all. In addition, a lack of additional financing could force us to substantially curtail operations.

A substantial amount of our sales revenue is derived from sales to a limited number of customers, and our business will suffer if sales to these customers decline.

We have derived a significant portion of our revenue from a limited number of customers, however none of our customers account for more than 10% of our consolidated revenues. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, our largest customer accounted for approximately 9% and 10% of our annual U.S. revenue, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, and 2021, $45,030 or 0.3% and $254,477 or 2% of our accounts receivable, was due from this customer. For both the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, our international revenue derived outside of the U.S. was earned from one customer that accounted for approximately 12% and 10% of our annual international revenue. As of December 31, 2022, and 2021, $1,812,924 or 11% and $1,273,532 or 10% of our accounts receivable, respectively, was due from this international customer. We do not have long term contractual arrangements with most of these wholesale customers. The loss of one or more of these customers could damage our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Significant fluctuations in fuel prices could have an adverse impact on our business and operations.

A significant portion of our revenue is derived from international sales and so significant fluctuations in fuel prices could adversely affect our business and operations. While fluctuations in fuel prices could lead to higher commuter costs which may encourage the increased use of motorcycles and bicycles as alternative modes of transportation and lead to an increase in the market for our protection products, significant fluctuations in world fuel prices could significantly increase the price of shipping or transporting our products which we may not be able to pass on to our customers.

Expansion of our business may put added pressure on our management, financial resources and operational infrastructure impeding our ability to meet any increased demand for our products and possibly hurting our operating results.

Our business plan is to significantly grow our operations to meet anticipated growth in demand for existing products, and by the introduction of new product offerings. Our planned growth includes the construction of several new production lines to be put into operation over the next five years. Growth in our business may place a significant strain on our personnel, management, financial systems and other resources. We may be unable to successfully and rapidly expand sales to potential customers in response to potentially increasing demand or control costs associated with our growth. To accommodate any such growth and compete effectively, we may need to obtain additional funding to improve information systems, procedures and controls and expand, train, motivate and manage our employees, and such funding may not be available in sufficient quantities, if at all. If we are not able to manage these activities and implement these strategies successfully to expand to meet any increased demand, our operating results could suffer.

We rely on patent and trade secret laws that are complex and difficult to enforce and we may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of our intellectual property. If we are not able to adequately secure and protect our patent, trademark and other proprietary rights our business may be materially affected.

The continued success of our business is dependent on our intellectual property portfolio consisting of globally registered trademarks, design patents and utility patents related to the Leatt-Brace®. We also rely on nondisclosure agreements and other methods to protect our intellectual property rights. However, the steps we have taken may be inadequate to prevent the misappropriation of our technology. In addition, the validity and breadth of claims in protective gear technology patents involve complex legal and factual questions and, therefore, the extent of their enforceability and protection is highly uncertain. Issued patents or patents based on pending patent applications or any future patent applications may not exclude competitors or may not provide a competitive advantage to us. In addition, patents issued or licensed to us may not be held valid if subsequently challenged and others may claim rights in or ownership of such patents. Reverse engineering, unauthorized copying or other misappropriation of our technologies could enable third parties to benefit from our technologies without paying us. We cannot assure you that our competitors have not developed or will not develop similar products, will not duplicate our products, or will not design around any patents issued to or licensed by us. We believe that a loss of these rights would harm or cause a material disruption to our business and, our corporate strategy is to aggressively take legal action against any violators of our intellectual property rights, regardless of where they may be.

We depend on key personnel, and turnover of key employees and senior management could harm our business.

Our future business and results of operations depend in significant part upon the continued contributions of our key technical and senior management personnel, including specifically, Dr. Christopher Leatt, our Chairman and Research and Development Consultant and the licensor of some of our intellectual property, Sean Macdonald, our Chief Executive Officer and President, Erik Olsson, our International General Manager and Todd Repsher, our U.S. General Manager (collectively, "Key Personnel"). Our future also depends in significant part upon our ability to attract and retain additional qualified management, technical, marketing and sales and support personnel for our operations. To address this risk, we have taken out key man insurance on our Key Personnel. However, if we lose any of our Key Personnel, if any of them fails to perform in their current position, or if we are unable to attract and retain skilled personnel as needed to support business operations from time to time, our business could suffer. In addition, significant turnover of Key Personnel in our senior management could significantly deplete our institutional knowledge held by them. We depend on the skills and abilities of these Key Personnel in managing the development, manufacturing, technical, marketing and sales aspects of our business, any part of which could be harmed by further turnover.

We face an inherent business risk of exposure to product liability claims that could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

Because of the nature of our products, we face an inherent business risk of exposure to product liability claims arising from the claimed failure of our products to prevent the types of personal injury or death against which they are designed to protect. Plaintiffs may also advance other legal theories supporting claims that our products or actions resulted in harm to them. We maintain product liability insurance policies with a self-insured retention to attempt to manage this risk worldwide. But although we maintain product liability insurance coverage, there can be no absolute assurance that our coverage limits will be sufficient to cover any successful product liability claims made against us now or in the future. Furthermore, our insurance coverage does not include damages which may be assessed against us for willful and/or intentional injury, or for exemplary or punitive damages. Any claim or aggregation of claims substantially in excess of our insurance coverage, or any substantial claim not covered by insurance, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. These claims also have a negative impact on the renewal our product liability insurance policy and the premiums.

We may not be able to adequately finance the significant costs associated with the development of new protective equipment products.

The products in the protective equipment market can change dramatically with new technological advancements. We are currently conducting research and development on new products, which requires a substantial outlay of capital. To remain competitive, we must continue to incur significant costs in product development, equipment, facilities and invest in research and development of new products. These costs may increase, resulting in greater fixed costs and operating expenses. In addition to research and development costs, we could be required to expend substantial funds for and commit significant resources to the following: additional engineering and other technical personnel; advanced design, production and test equipment; manufacturing services that meet changing customer needs; technological changes in manufacturing processes; working capital and; manufacturing capacity. Our future operating results will depend, to a significant extent, on our ability to continue to provide new and competitive products that compare favorably on the basis of cost and performance with the design and manufacturing capabilities of competitive third-party technologies. We will need to sufficiently increase our net sales to offset these increased costs, the failure of which would negatively affect our operating results.

We may be exposed to potential risks relating to our internal controls over financial reporting and our ability to have those controls attested to by our independent auditors.

As directed by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or SOX 404, the SEC adopted rules requiring public companies to include a report of management on the company's internal controls over financial reporting in their annual reports, including Form 10-K. Under current law, we became subject to the requirements of SOX 404 beginning with our annual report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 and since becoming a U.S. public company, we have evaluated our internal control systems in order to allow our management to meet these requirements, including for this annual report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022. We can provide no assurance that we will comply with all of the requirements imposed thereby in the coming years. In the event that we ever identify significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in our internal controls that we cannot remediate in a timely manner, investors and others may lose confidence in the reliability of our financial statements.

We are an "emerging growth company," and have availed ourselves of scaled public company reporting requirements and requirements for stockholder approval and advice applicable to emerging growth companies, which could make our common stock less attractive to investors.

We are an "emerging growth company," as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. For as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including not being required to comply with the independent auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, 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. We intend to take advantage of these reporting exemptions and requirements of stockholder advisory votes and approvals until we are no longer an emerging growth company.

We could be an "emerging growth company" for up to five years after the first sale of our common equity securities pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, which we expect will be pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-8 or on Form S-1. However, if certain events occur prior to the end of such five-year period, including if we become a "large accelerated filer," our annual gross revenues exceed $1 billion or we issue more than $1 billion of non-convertible debt in any three-year period, we would cease to be an "emerging growth company" prior to the end of such five-year period. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive if we choose to rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result of any choice we make to reduce future disclosure, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.

Unseasonable weather may disrupt our operations and may reduce consumer demand for our products.

Our products are primarily designed for outdoor use and unseasonable weather could lead to increased expenses and a reduction in our sales revenue. Unseasonable weather and prolonged, extreme temperatures, such as hurricanes, winter storms, earthquakes, floods, heat waves, and other natural disasters may affect consumer participation in outdoor sporting activities and adversely impact their demand for our products. In addition, severe weather could disrupt operation of our facilities and cause service outages, production delays and property damage that require us to incur additional expenses. Such weather conditions may also affect our ability to deliver our products to our customers or may require them to close certain stores temporarily, thereby reducing sales. As a result, unseasonable weather in any of our markets could negatively impact our net revenues.

Natural or man-made catastrophic events may disrupt our business and negatively impact our results of operation.

We are exposed to natural or man-made catastrophic events that may disrupt our business and may reduce consumer demand for our products. A disruption or failure of our systems or operations in the event of a natural disaster, health pandemic, such as the outbreak and global spread of COVID-19 or the coronavirus, or a man-made catastrophic event could cause delays in completing sales, continuing production or performing other critical functions of our business, particularly if a catastrophic event occurred at our primary manufacturing locations or our distributor locations worldwide. Any of these events could severely affect our ability to conduct normal business operations and, as a result, our operating results could be adversely affected. There may also be secondary impacts that are unforeseeable, such as impacts on our consumers and on consumer purchasing behavior, which could cause delays in new orders, delays in completing sales or even order cancellations. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we believe the extent of the impact to our operations will be primarily driven by the severity and duration of the pandemic, the pandemic's impact on the U.S. and global economies and the timing, scope and effectiveness of federal, state and local governmental responses to the pandemic. Due to strong consumer demand for outdoor product categories, we did not see any significant material negative impact of COVID-19 on the Company's results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022.

We remain cautiously optimistic that ongoing efforts to increase the availability of new COVID-19 vaccines worldwide will mitigate the spread of the virus throughout Europe and the U.S. (our largest markets) and bring about an end to global quarantines. The continued mutation and spread of the virus, economic headwinds caused by global quarantines, or the occurrence of any other catastrophic events, could have a negative impact on our sales revenue for the coming periods and beyond.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR INDUSTRY

We may not be able to maintain or improve our competitive position because of strong competition in the personal protective equipment industry, and we expect this competition to continue to intensify.

We face competition from other global manufacturers and distributors who provide personal protective equipment to users of motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, motor racing cars and other helmeted sports. Some of our international competitors are larger than we and possess greater name recognition, assets, personnel, sales and financial resources. These entities may be able to respond more quickly to changing market conditions by developing new products and services that meet customer requirements or are otherwise superior to our products and services and may be able to more effectively market their products than we can because they have significantly greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. They may also be able to devote greater resources than we can to the development, promotion and sale of their products. Increased competition could require us to reduce our prices, result in our receiving fewer customer orders, and result in our loss of market share. We cannot assure you that we will be able to distinguish ourselves in a competitive market. To the extent that we are unable to successfully compete against existing and future competitors, our business, operating results and financial condition would be materially adversely affected.

If we are unable to develop competitive new products our future results of operations could be adversely affected.

Our future revenue stream depends to a large degree on our ability to utilize our technology in a way that will allow us to offer new types of safety products to a broader client base. We will be required to make investments in research and development in order to continue to develop new products, enhance our products and achieve market acceptance. We may incur problems in the future in innovating and introducing new and innovative products or, if developed, such products may not achieve significant customer acceptance. If we are unable to successfully define, develop and introduce competitive new products or improve on existing ones, our future results of operations would be adversely affected.

The value of our brand and sales of our products could be diminished if we, the individuals who use our products or the sport and activity categories in which our products are used, are associated with negative publicity.

Our success depends on the value of our brand. Our brand could be adversely affected if our public image or reputation were to be tarnished by negative publicity. Many athletes and other public individuals use our products and actions taken by such persons that harm the reputations of activities they participate in could also harm our brand image and result in a material decrease in our revenues and net income, which could have a negative effect on our financial condition and liquidity. In addition, negative publicity resulting from severe injuries or death occurring in the sports or activities in which our products are used and negatively impacts the popularity of such sport or activity, could have a subsequent negative effect on our net sales of products used in that sport or activity.

We may not be able to receive certain industry certifications and accreditation for our products.

We have obtained certification and approvals for certain of our products, including approval of our new knee brace as a Class 1 medical device by both the U.S. FDA and the UK's Medicine and Healthcare Regulatory Products Agency (MHRA), and approval of our shoulder brace as a Class 1 medical device by the U.S. FDA. All our products are compliant with applicable European Union directives, or CE certified, where appropriate. All Leatt Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) products are CE Certified showing compliance with European Economic Community (EEC) directive 89/686/EEC that imposes mandatory accreditation of all Personal Protective Equipment products offered for sale in the EEC. This includes the Company's Leatt-Brace® and body protection products. We have also obtained certifications for our helmets depending on the market, for the U.S. market our motorcycle helmets comply with the DOT (FMVSS 218) helmet safety standard and our bicycle helmets comply with EN1078, as well as CPSC 1203. Our downhill specific bicycle helmets also comply with ASTM F1952. For our Australian Market our bicycle helmet complies with AS/NZS 2063. For the UK market our motorcycle helmets comply with ACU Gold and our Moto 3.5 helmets comply with JIS T 8133 for the Japanese Market. For the Brazilian market our Moto 7.5 and Moto 3.5 helmets complies with NBR 7471. We are currently in the process of applying to certify our Moto 3.5 helmet and latest helmet model Moto 7.5 to the CCC standard in China. We also voluntarily submitted our GPX neck brace to be tested by the in-house engineers of BMW Motorrad (Germany) and to be reviewed by KTM (Austria).

We believe that such testing, while not mandatory, will provide validation for our product's performance, however, there is no guarantee that our products will receive DOT, EN1078, CPSC 1203, ASTM F1952, AS/NZS 2063, ACU Gold, CE Certification or meet BMW testing standards. Our failure to meet testing standards could cause reputational harm and have a negative effect on net sales of products.

RISKS RELATED TO DOING BUSINESS IN NON-US JURISDICTIONS

We face risks associated with doing business in non-US jurisdictions.

We have affiliates, and our products are manufactured in and distributed from facilities, located in foreign countries, including countries in Asia and South Africa. International operations are subject to certain risks inherent in doing business abroad, including: exposure to political, social and economic instability; expropriation and nationalization; withholding and other taxes on remittances and other payments by subsidiaries; difficulties in enforcement of contract and intellectual property rights; exposure to foreign current exchange rates, interests rates and inflation; investment restrictions or requirements; and export and import restrictions.

We continue to monitor any adverse impact that the outbreak of war in Ukraine and the subsequent institution of sanctions against Russia by the US and several European leaders may have on the global economy in general and on our business operations and that of our suppliers and customers, in particular. For example, a prolonged conflict may have unintended consequences such as increased inflation, fuel and transportation costs and an increase in bad debt expense from doubtful accounts receivable balances owed by affected customers. We will continue to monitor this fluid situation and develop contingencies as necessary to address any disruptions to our business operations as they develop.

We are highly dependent on our foreign affiliates for their production capabilities and increasing our foreign operations and business relationships are important elements of our strategy. As a result, our exposure to the risks described above may be greater in the future. The likelihood of such occurrences and their potential impact on us varies from country to country and are unpredictable.

Our operations and assets in China are subject to significant political and economic uncertainties.

Changes in PRC laws and regulations, or their interpretation, or the imposition of confiscatory taxation, restrictions on currency conversion, imports and sources of supply, devaluations of currency or the nationalization or other expropriation of private enterprises could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Under its current leadership, the Chinese government has been pursuing economic reform policies that encourage private economic activity and greater economic decentralization. There is no assurance, however, that the Chinese government will continue to pursue these policies, or that it will not significantly alter these policies from time to time without notice.

We may have limited legal recourse under PRC law if disputes arise under our outsourcing manufacturing arrangements with third parties.

The Chinese government has enacted some laws and regulations dealing with matters such as corporate organization and governance, foreign investment, commerce, taxation and trade. However, their experience in implementing, interpreting and enforcing these laws and regulations is limited, and our ability to enforce commercial claims or to resolve commercial disputes is unpredictable. If our outsourcing manufacturing arrangements are unsuccessful or other adverse circumstances arise from these arrangements, we face the risk that our third-party manufacturers may dishonor our purchase orders or unwritten arrangements. The resolution of these matters may be subject to the exercise of considerable discretion by agencies of the Chinese government and forces unrelated to the legal merits of a particular matter or dispute may influence their determination. Any rights we may have to specific performance, or to seek an injunction under PRC law, in either of these cases, are severely limited, and without a means of recourse by virtue of the Chinese legal system, we may be unable to prevent these situations from occurring. The occurrence of any such events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our potential inability to adequately protect our intellectual property during the outsource manufacturing of our products in China could negatively impact our performance.

Our products are manufactured predominantly in China through third-party outsource manufacturing arrangements. We rely on our third-party manufacturers to implement customary manufacturer safeguards onsite, such as the use of confidentiality agreements with employees, to protect our proprietary information and technologies during the manufacturing process, however, these safeguards may not effectively prevent unauthorized use of such information and technical knowhow or prevent such manufacturers from retaining them. The legal regime governing intellectual property rights in China is relatively weak and it is often difficult to create and enforce intellectual property rights or protect trade secrets there. We face risks that our proprietary information may not be afforded the same protection in China as it is in countries with well-developed intellectual property laws, and local laws may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to enforce and determine the scope of our proprietary rights in China, and failure to obtain or maintain trade secret protection could adversely affect our competitive business position.

We may be exposed to liabilities under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Chinese anti-corruption laws, and any determination that we violated these laws could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act, or FCPA, and other laws that prohibit improper payments or offers of payments to foreign governments and their officials and political parties by U.S. persons and issuers as defined by the statute, for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. We have operations and agreements with third parties worldwide and such activities create the risk of unauthorized payments or offers of payments by the employees, consultants, sales agents or distributors of our Company, even though they may not always be subject to our control. It is our policy to implement safeguards to discourage these practices by our employees. However, our existing safeguards and any future improvements may prove to be less than effective, and the employees, consultants, sales agents or distributors of our Company may engage in conduct for which we might be held responsible. Violations of the FCPA or Chinese anti-corruption laws may result in severe criminal or civil sanctions, and we may be subject to other liabilities, which could negatively affect our business, operating results and financial condition. In addition, the U.S. government may seek to hold our Company liable for successor liability in connection with FCPA violations committed by companies in which we invest or that we acquire.

Your ability to bring an action against us, and those of our officers and directors who are based in South Africa, or to enforce a judgment against us or recover assets in our possession may be difficult since any such action or recovery of assets would be an international matter, involving South African laws and geographic and temporal disparities.

We conduct substantial operations in South Africa through our foreign registered branch and a substantial portion of our assets are located outside of the United States. In addition, all but two of our management personnel reside in South Africa. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or these individuals in the United States in the event that you believe that your rights have been violated under applicable law or otherwise. Even if an action of this type is successfully brought, the laws of the United States and of South Africa may render a judgment unenforceable.

RISKS RELATING TO OUR COMMON STOCK

There is not now, and there may not ever be, an active market for our common stock and we cannot assure you that the common stock will become liquid or that it will be listed on a securities exchange.

There currently is no active market for our common stock. We plan to list our common stock on a national exchange as soon as practicable, however, we cannot assure you that we will be able to meet the initial listing standards of any national exchange, or that we will be able to maintain any such listing. Until our common stock is listed on an exchange, we expect that it would be eligible to continue being quoted in the over-the-counter market maintained by the OTC Markets Group Inc. In this venue, however, an investor may find it difficult to obtain accurate quotations as to the market value of the common stock and trading of our common stock may be extremely sporadic. For example, several days may pass before any shares may be traded. A more active market for the common stock may never develop. In addition, if we failed to meet the criteria set forth in SEC regulations, various requirements would be imposed by law on broker-dealers who sell our securities to persons other than established customers and accredited investors. Consequently, such regulations may deter broker-dealers from recommending or selling the common stock, which may further affect its liquidity. This would also make it more difficult for us to raise additional capital.

Our holding company structure may limit the payment of dividends.

We have no direct business operations, other than our ownership of our subsidiaries. While we have no immediate intention of paying dividends, should we decide in the future to do so, as a holding company, our ability to pay dividends and meet other obligations depends upon the receipt of dividends or other payments from our operating subsidiaries and other holdings and investments. In addition, our operating subsidiaries, from time to time, may be subject to restrictions on their ability to make distributions to us, including as a result of restrictive covenants in loan agreements, restrictions on the conversion of local currency into U.S. dollars or other hard currency and other regulatory restrictions as discussed below. If we determine that we will pay dividends to the holders of our common stock, we cannot assure that such dividends will be paid on a timely basis. As a result, you will not receive any return on your investment prior to selling your shares in our company and, for the other reasons discussed in this "Risk Factors" section, you may not receive any return on your investment even when you sell your shares in our company and your shares may become worthless. If future dividends are paid in ZAR, fluctuations in the exchange rate for the conversion of ZAR into U.S. dollars may reduce the amount received by U.S. stockholders upon conversion of the dividend payment into U.S. dollars.

The Company's officers, directors and affiliates collectively have the power to make all major decisions regarding the Company without the need to get consent from any stockholder or other person. This discretion could lead to decisions that are not necessarily in the best interests of minority shareholders.

Our Company's officers, directors and affiliates collectively own 46.16% of our common stock (including our preferred stock which converts on a one-for-one basis to common stock, but vote on a one-for-one hundred basis to common stock). Our officers and directors, therefore, has the power to make all major decisions regarding our affairs, including decisions regarding whether or not to issue stock and for what consideration, whether or not to sell all or substantially all of our assets and for what consideration and whether or not to authorize more stock for issuance or otherwise amend our charter or bylaws. Our officers and directors are in a position to elect all of our directors and to dictate all of our policies.

From May 15, 2015 through October 31, 2021, the Company was party to a consulting agreement, dated July 8, 2015, between the Company and Innovate Services Limited, or Innovate, a Seychelles limited company in which Dr. Leatt is an indirect beneficiary, pursuant to which, as amended, Innovate served as the Company's exclusive research, development and marketing consultant, in exchange for a monthly fee of $42,233; provided that Dr. Leatt personally performs the services to be performed by Innovate under the agreement. Either party had the right to terminate the agreement for convenience, upon six months' prior written notice, or by the Company immediately without notice in the event of Innovate's breach of an obligation under the contract or if Dr. Leatt could no longer perform the services. On November 8, 2021, the Company terminated the agreement with Innovate, effective October 31, 2021, in connection with the wind-up of Innovate's business operations. The termination of the agreement with Innovate will not have an adverse effect on the Company's research and development operations as the Company simultaneously entered into a new consulting agreement with Innovation Services Limited, Jersey limited company beneficially owned by Dr. Leatt, for the same research, development and marketing services, and on substantially the same terms and conditions as the terminated agreement. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company recognized an aggregate of $0 and $422,330, respectively, in consulting fees to Innovate.

On November 8, 2021, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with Innovation Services Limited, a Jersey limited company in which, Dr. Christopher Leatt, the Company's founder and chairman, is an indirect beneficiary. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, Innovation has agreed to serve as the Company's exclusive research, development and marketing consultant, in exchange for a monthly fee of $42,233; provided, however, that Dr. Leatt must remain an Innovation director and beneficiary of a majority of its ownership interests during the term of the agreement, and Dr. Leatt must remain the Company's primary point of contact responsible for the oversight, review and delivery of the services to be performed by Innovation under the agreement. Innovation may increase its monthly fees, on an annual basis, by no greater than the lesser of: (a) two and one-half percent (2.5%) of the prior year's annualized fee; or (b) a percentage equal to then-applicable annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) published by the United States Department of Labor's bureau of labor statistics, plus one-half percent (0.5%). The parties further agreed that all intellectual property generated in connection with the services provided under the consulting agreement will be the sole property of the Company. The consulting agreement was effective as of November 1, 2021, and will continue unless terminated by either party in accordance with its terms. Either party has the right to terminate the consulting agreement upon 6 months' prior written notice, except that the consulting agreement may be terminated by the Company immediately without notice if the services to be performed by Innovation cease to be performed by Dr. Leatt, if beneficial ownership in Innovation by Dr. Leatt's and his immediate family members decreases, or for any other material breach of the agreement. The parties have agreed to settle any dispute under the consulting agreement by submission to JAMS for final and binding arbitration pursuant to its Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures and in accordance with the Expedited Procedures in those Rules. The Company also simultaneously entered into a side letter agreement, dated November 8, 2021, with Dr. Leatt, pursuant to which Dr. Leatt agreed, among other things: (1) not to perform services similar to the services provided under the agreement for any current or future, direct or indirect competitor of the Company or any similar company; (2) not to solicit any current or future employees of the Company for employment with Innovation or any other entity with which he may become affiliated, or to contact or solicit any current or future stockholder or investor of the Company in connection with any matter that is not directly related to the ongoing or future business operations of the Company; and (3) that he will apprise the Company of any business opportunity that he becomes aware of that could benefit the Company so that the Company, can in its sole discretion, make a determination regarding whether to pursue such opportunity in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders. Dr. Leatt further agreed to continue dedicating a majority of his time on matters related to performance of his duties as a director of the Company and to the fulfillment of his obligations to the Company's research and development efforts under the consulting agreement, and the Company will have the right to adjust the amount of the fees payable under the consulting agreement to the extent of any substantial diminution in his fulfillment of such duties and obligations. The foregoing description of the Consulting Agreement and Side Letter Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Consulting Agreement and the Side Letter Agreement, copies of which are filed as Exhibits 10.1 and 10.2, respectively, hereto and are incorporated by reference in this report. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company recognized an aggregate of $519,468 and $84,466, respectively, in consulting fees to Innovation.

Pursuant to a Premium Finance Agreement, dated May 27, 2022, between the Company and Aon Premium Finance, LLC, or APF, the Company is obligated to pay APF an aggregate sum of $80,233 in eleven monthly payments on a sliding scale, as follows, $37,381, $37,381, $1,172, $1,172, $1,172 and thereafter six payments of $326, at a 6.360% annual interest rate, commencing on June 1, 2022 and ending on April 1, 2023. Any late payment during the term of the agreement would be assessed a late penalty of 5% of the payment amount due, and in the event of default APF has the right to accelerate the payment due under the agreement. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had not defaulted on its payment obligations under this agreement.

Pursuant to a Premium Finance Agreement, dated September 20, 2022, between the Company and Aon Premium Finance, the Company is obligated to pay APF an aggregate sum of $138,470 in seven payments of $19,781, at a 6.360% annual interest rate, commencing on October 1, 2022 and ending on April 1, 2023. Any late payment during the term of the agreement will be assessed a late penalty of 5% of the payment amount due, and in the event of default APF has the right to accelerate the payment due under the agreement. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had not defaulted on its payment obligations under this agreement.

Pursuant to a Premium Finance Agreement, dated October 25, 2022, between the Company and Aon Premium Finance, the Company is obligated to pay APF an aggregate sum of $1,235,372 in ten payments of $123,537, at a 8.250% annual interest rate, commencing on December 1, 2022 and ending on September 1, 2023. Any late payment during the term of the agreement will be assessed a late penalty of 5% of the payment amount due, and in the event of default APF has the right to accelerate the payment due under the agreement. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had not defaulted on its payment obligations under this agreement.

Pursuant to a Premium Finance Agreement, dated November 22, 2022, between the Company and Aon Premium Finance, the Company is obligated to pay APF an aggregate sum of $32,451 in ten payments of $3,369, at a 8.250% annual interest rate, commencing on December 1, 2022 and ending on September 1, 2023. Any late payment during the term of the agreement will be assessed a late penalty of 5% of the payment amount due, and in the event of default APF has the right to accelerate the payment due under the agreement. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had not defaulted on its payment obligations under this agreement.

On November 19, 2018, the Company entered into a $1,000,000 revolving line of credit agreement with a bank. Payments for the advances under the line bear interest at the LIBOR Daily Floating Rate plus 2.5 percentage points commencing January 1, 2019. The line of credit matured on November 19, 2020, at which time the unpaid principal, interest, or other charges outstanding under the agreement are due and payable. On November 5, 2020, the Company executed an amendment to the line of credit to extend the line of credit facility through November 19, 2021. The amendment took retroactive effect to October 27, 2020 and introduced an index floor so that payments for any future advances will bear interest at the greater of the LIBOR Daily Floating Rate or an Index Floor of 1.25 percentage points plus 2.5 percentage points. Obligations under the line of credit are secured by equipment and fixtures in the United States of America, accounts receivable and inventory of Leatt Corporation and Two-Eleven Distribution, LLC. On March 1, 2021, we executed a second amendment to the line of credit. The amendment took retroactive effect to February 17, 2021, extended the line of credit facility through February 28, 2022 and increased the revolving line of credit to $1,500,000. Effective January 21, 2022, the Company executed an amendment to the line of credit to extend the line of credit facility through February 29, 2023 and to replace interest determined by LIBOR Daily Floating Rate with the Bloomberg Short-Term Bank Yield Index rate. Effective January 20, 2023, the Company executed an amendment to the line of credit to extend the line of credit facility through February 29, 2024. As of December 31, 2022, there were no advances of the line of credit leaving $1,500,000 of the line of credit available for advance.

On December 29, 2021, Two Eleven entered into a Loan and Security agreement with a bank, effective December 17, 2021, to finance equipment. The Equipment Note financed under the Loan and Security Agreement has a total value of $272,519, payable in 36 consecutive monthly installments commencing February 5, 2022, and continuing to January 5, 2025. Interest shall accrue on the entire principal amount of this Equipment Note outstanding from time to time at a fixed rate of 3.5370% per annum. The principal and interest amount of each payment shall be $7,990. As of December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively, $192,291 and $272,519 of the Equipment Note was outstanding.

On December 20, 2022, Two Eleven entered into a Loan and Security Agreement with a bank, effective December 1, 2022, to finance certain equipment owned by Two Eleven. The note issued under the agreement, the Equipment Note, has a total value of $58,075, payable by Two Eleven in 36 consecutive monthly installments, commencing on February 5, 2023, and continuing through to January 5, 2026. Interest will accrue on the entire principal amount of the Equipment Note outstanding from time to time at a fixed rate of 7.8581% per annum, and the principal and interest amount of each installment payment will be $1,816. As of December 31, 2022, all $58,075 of the Equipment Note was outstanding.

Critical Accounting Policies

Our discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We have identified the following as the items that require the most significant judgment and often involve complex estimation: revenue recognition, estimating allowances for doubtful accounts receivable, inventory valuation, impairment of long-lived assets, leases and accounting for income taxes.

Revenue and Cost Recognition - The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC 606 "Revenues from Contracts with Customers". As such the Company has and will continue to review its performance obligations in terms of material customer contractual arrangements in order to verify that revenue is recognized when performance obligations are satisfied on a periodic basis.

All manufacturing of Leatt products is performed by third party subcontractors that are predominately based in China.

The Company's products are sold worldwide to a global network of distributors and dealers, and directly to consumers when there are no dealers or distributors in their geographic area or where consumers choose to purchase directly via the Company's e-commerce website (collectively the "customers").

Revenues from product sales are recognized when earned, net of applicable provisions for discounts and returns and allowances in the event of product defect where no exchange of product is possible. Revenues are recognized when our performance obligations are satisfied as evidenced by transfer of control of promised goods to our customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. Product royalty income, representing less than 1% of total revenues, is recorded as the underlying product sales occur, in accordance with the related licensing arrangements.

Our standard distributor payment terms range from pre-payment in full to sixty (60) days after shipment and subsequent sales of our products by distributors have no effect on the amount and timing of payments due to us, however, in limited instances, qualified distributors and dealers may be granted extended payment terms during selected order periods. In performing such evaluations, the Company utilizes historical experience, sales performance, and credit risk requirements. Furthermore, products purchased by distributors may not be returned to the Company in the event that any such distributor relationship is terminated.

Since the Company (through its wholly-owned subsidiary) serves as the distributor of Leatt products in the United States, the Company records its revenue and related cost of revenue for its product sales in the United States upon shipment of the merchandise to the dealer or to the ultimate consumer when there is no dealer in the geographic area or the consumer chooses to purchase directly from the Company's e-commerce website and the sales order was received directly from, and paid by, the ultimate consumer. Since the Company (through its South African branch) serves as the distributor of Leatt products in South Africa, the Company records its revenue and related cost of revenue for its product sales in South Africa upon shipment of the merchandise from the branch to the dealer. The Company's standard terms and conditions of sale for non-consumer direct or web-based sales do not allow for product returns other than under warranty.

Sales totaling $2,509,534 were deferred as all the requirements to have a contract with the customer in accordance with ASC 606 had not been met as of December 31, 2022. The shipped goods associated with these deferred sales are included in the caption deferred asset, net of an allowance for potential loss of $105,071.

International sales (other than in the United States and South Africa) are generally drop-shipped directly from our consolidation warehouse or third-party manufacturer to the international distributors. Revenue and related cost of revenue is recognized at the time of shipment from the manufacturer's port when the shipping terms are Free On Board ("FOB") shipping point, Cost and Freight ("CFR") or Cost and Insurance to named place ("CIP") as legal title and risk of loss to the product pass to the distributor. Sales to all customers (distributors, dealers and consumers) are generally final; however, in limited instances, product may be returned and exchanged due to product quality issues. Historically, returns due to product quality issues have not been material and there have been no distributor terminations that resulted in product returns. Cost of revenues also includes royalty fees associated with sales of Leatt-Brace products. Product royalty income is recorded as the underlying product sales occur, in accordance with the related licensing arrangements.

The Company reviews the reserves for customer returns at each reporting period and adjusts them to reflect data available at that time. To estimate reserves for returns, the Company estimates the expected returns and claims based on historical rates as well as events and circumstances that indicate changes to historical rates of product returns and claims. Historically, returns due to product quality issues have not been material and there have been no distributor terminations that resulted in product returns. The provision for estimated returns at December 31, 2022 and 2021 were $0 and $0, respectively.

Sales commissions are expensed when incurred, which is generally at the time of sale or cash received from customers, because the amortization period would have been one year or less. These costs are recorded in commissions and consulting expenses within operating expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income.

Shipping and handling activities associated with outbound freight, after control over a product has transferred to a customer, are accounted for as a fulfilment cost and are included in revenues and cost of revenues in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income.

Revenue recognized from contracts with customers is recorded net of sales taxes, value added taxes, or similar taxes that are collected on behalf of local taxing authorities.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable - Accounts receivable consist of amounts due to the Company from normal business activities. Credit is granted to substantially all distributors on an unsecured basis. We continuously monitor collections and payments from customers and maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts receivable based upon the expected credit lossess determined utilizing historical experience and any specific customer collection issues that have been identified. In determining the amount of the allowance, we are required to make certain estimates and assumptions. Accounts receivable balances that are still outstanding after we have used reasonable collection efforts are written off as uncollectible. While such credit losses have historically been minimal, within our expectations and the provisions established, we cannot guarantee that we will continue to experience the same credit loss rates that we have in the past. A significant change in the liquidity or financial position of any of our significant customers could have a material adverse effect on the collectability of our accounts receivable and our future operating results. The allowance for doubtful accounts at December 31, 2022 was $743,621 and at December 31, 2021 was $291,584.

Inventory Valuation - Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined using the first-in first-out (FIFO) method. Inventory consists primarily of finished goods. Shipping and handling costs are included in the cost of inventory. In assessing the inventory value, we make estimates and judgments regarding reserves required for product obsolescence, aging of inventory and other issues potentially affecting the saleable condition of products. In performing such evaluations, we utilize historical experience as well as current market information. The reserve for obsolescence at December 31, 2022 was $105,072 and at December 31, 2021 was $116,183.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets - Our long-lived assets include property and equipment. We evaluate our long-lived assets for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that an asset may be impaired. In evaluating an asset for recoverability, we estimate the future cash flow expected to result from the use of the asset and eventual disposition. If the expected future undiscounted cash flow is less than the carrying amount of the asset, an impairment loss, equal to the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the asset, is recognized. We have determined there were no impairment charges during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.

Operating Leases - The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at contract inception. Operating leases are included in the right-of-use assets ("ROU''), and lease liability obligations are included in the Company's consolidated balance sheets. ROU assets represent the Company's right to use an underlying asset of the lease term and lease liability obligations represent its obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date, based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As the Company's leases typically do not provide an implicit rate, the Company estimates its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The Company uses the implicit rate when readily determinable. The ROU asset also includes any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives and lease direct costs. The Company's lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Income Taxes - As part of the process of preparing our consolidated financial statements, we are required to estimate our income tax provision (benefit) in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. This process involves estimating our current income tax provision (benefit) together with assessing temporary differences resulting from differing treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities, which are included within our consolidated balance sheets. We regularly evaluate our ability to recover the reported amount of our deferred income taxes considering several factors, including our estimate of the likelihood of the Company generating sufficient taxable income in future years during the period over which the temporary differences reverse.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 2, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a full description of recent accounting pronouncements, including the respective dates of adoption, or expected adoption and effects on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on its financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that is material to its stockholders.