EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 1539850
Filing Year: 2023
Filename: 1539850_10-K_2023_0001493152-23-012700.json

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Item 1. Business
Starco Brands, Inc. (formerly Insynergy Products, Inc.), which we refer to as “the Company,” “our Company,” “STCB”, “we,” “us” or “our,” was incorporated in the State of Nevada on January 26, 2010 under the name Insynergy, Inc. On September 7, 2017, the Company filed an Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation to change the corporate name to Starco Brands, Inc. The Board determined the change of the Company’s name was in the best interests of the Company due to changes in our current and anticipated business operations at that time. In July 2017, the Company entered into a licensing agreement with The Starco Group (“TSG”), located in Los Angeles, California. TSG is a private label and branded aerosol and liquid fill manufacturer with manufacturing assets in the following verticals: DIY/Hardware, paints, coatings and adhesives, household, hair care, disinfectants, automotive, motorcycle, arts & crafts, personal care cosmetics, personal care FDA, sun care, food, cooking oils, beverages, and spirits and wine. Upon entering into the licensing agreement with TSG, the Company pivoted to commercializing novel consumer products manufactured by TSG.
In 2022, the Company embarked on a strategy to grow its consumer product line offerings through the acquisition of multiple subsidiaries with established behavior changing products and brands. With an increased product line and its existing partner relationships, the Company is expanding its verticals and consumer base.
Executive Overview
In July 2017, our Board of Directors entered into a licensing agreement with TSG to pursue a new strategic marketing plan involving commercializing leading edge products with the intent to sell them through brick and mortar and online retailers. We are a company whose mission is to create behavior-changing products and brands. Our core competency is inventing brands, marketing, building trends, pushing awareness and social marketing. The licensing agreement with TSG provided STCB with certain products on an exclusive and royalty-free basis and other products on a non-exclusive and royalty basis, in the categories of food, household cleaning, air care, spirits and personal care.
The current CEO and owner of TSG, Ross Sklar, was named the CEO of STCB in August of 2017. Mr. Sklar has spent his career commercializing technology in industrial and consumer markets. Mr. Sklar has built teams of manufacturing personnel, research and development, and sales and marketing professionals over the last 20 years and has grown TSG into a successful and diversified manufacturer supplying a wide range of products to some of the largest retailers in the United States. As the Company continues to grow the number of products and brands under the STCB umbrella, it will continue to leverage its relationship with TSG to streamline its product manufacturing.
Product Development
We have conducted extensive research and have identified specific channels to penetrate with a portfolio of novel technologies. We are now executing on this vision and, since our inception, have launched and /or served as the marketer of record for various product lines.
Winona®
STCB is the marketer of record, but not the owner of record of, the Winona® Butter Flavor Popcorn Spray. STCB provides marketing services for Winona pursuant to a licensing agreement, and through its relationship with TSG and their marketing partner Deutsch Marketing, launched a new label in June 2019 for Winona throughout Walmart stores. Winona Popcorn Spray is also sold in H-E-B grocery stores. STCB also launched the Winona Popcorn Spray on Amazon through our strategic partner Pattern (formally iServe), who is a stockholder in STCB. Sales grew significantly in 2021 and 2022, the Company expects sales to continue to grow in this space as management plans to increase the Company’s sales personnel in 2023 for this product line.
Whipshots™
In December 2021, the Company launched a new product line consisting of vodka-infused, whipped-cream aerosols, under the brand name “Whipshots.” The launch event was held at Art Basel in Miami and garnered over 1 billion impressions world-wide. The Company launched the product on whipshots.com with a limited quantity of cans to be sold each day for the month of December. Whipshots™ sold out every single day of the month. The Company launched brick and mortar retail distribution in the first quarter of 2022 and signed a distribution agreement with RNDC, one of the largest spirits distributors in the nation. The Company also announced a distribution deal with GoPuff and BevMo. Throughout 2022, STCB entered into Distribution Agreements with various distributors pursuant to which such distributors will act as the exclusive distributors of Whipshots™ in various geographic locations. Initially the Company introduced three flavors of Whipshots™ to the market - Vanilla, Mocha and Caramel. In November 2022 the Company introduced a new flavor, Peppermint, as a Limited Time seasonal item. The Company plans to continue to offer various additional Limited Time flavors in 2023. Whipshots™ is produced by Temperance Distilling Company, of which Sklar is a majority shareholder.
Breathe®
The Breathe® Household cleaning aerosol line was an environmentally friendly line of household cleaning aerosol products. It was the world’s first aerosol household cleaning line to be approved by the EPA’s Safer Choice program. This line is biodegradable and is propelled by nitrogen, which makes up approximately 80% of the earth’s breathable air. Breathe was named Partner of the Year by the EPA’s Safer Choice Program and also achieved the Good Housekeeping Seal of approval.
STCB also launched the Breathe® Hand Sanitizer Spray in April 2020. The invention was created and patents were filed by Alim Enterprises, LLC, (“AE”) an entity owned by Mr. Sklar. Originally the technology was developed for Blue Cross Laboratories, LLC, (“BCL”) a personal care consumer products manufacturer owned by Mr. Sklar’s TSG. The product was developed as a result of supply chain collapse during the Covid-19 outbreak and increased demand for hand sanitizers. The traditional packaging components used in manufacturing hand sanitizer became very difficult to procure. BCL, located in Santa Clarita, California, is an at scale manufacturer that started approximately 50 years ago with personal care products, including hand sanitizer. Due to the outbreak of Covid-19, many traditional component supply chains became overly stressed and BCL could not source enough bottles and caps. Through Mr. Sklar’s AE, the concept of a spray hand sanitizer was invented.
The product was being manufactured by BOV Solutions, a division of TSG that is an at scale FDA, CFR210/211 manufacturer of aerosol and OTC products. The Breathe Hand Sanitizer Spray could only be made in an FDA facility that had at scale aerosol capabilities. The product was sold through BOV Solutions and TSG’s existing distribution footprints in the United States. STCB launched the product in April 2020 via a press release in partnership with Dollar General, announcing its distribution in each of their 15,000+ stores. STCB also partnered with Wegmans, HLA and J Winkler. The product was distributed through The Home Depot, Lowes, American Pharmacy, AutoZone, The Farm Shop, Harris Teeter, UNFI, Kehe, Macy’s, Smart & Final, Weeks and others.
Betterbilt Chemical’s Kleen Out®
STCB was also the marketer of record, but not the owner of record of, Betterbilt Chemical’s Kleen Out® branded drain opener and provided marketing services for Betterbilt pursuant to a marketing agreement. In December 2022, STCB and TSG mutually agreed to end the marketing agreement for Betterbilt Chemical’s Kleen Out® drain opener.
Material Events During 2021
WhipshotsTM and WhipshotzTM Trademarks
On September 8, 2021, Whipshots LLC, a Wyoming limited liability company (“Whipshots”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of STCB entered into an Intellectual Property Purchase Agreement effective August 24, 2021, with Penguins Fly, LLC, a Pennsylvania limited liability company (“Seller”). The Agreement provided that Seller would sell the trademarks “Whipshotz” and “Whipshots”, the accompanying domain and social media handles of the same nomenclature, and certain intellectual property, documents, digital assets, customer data and other transferable rights under non-disclosure, non-compete, non-solicitation and confidentiality contracts benefiting the purchased intellectual property and documents (collectively, the “Acquired Assets”) to Whipshots. The purchase price for the Acquired Assets will be payable to Seller, over the course of seven years, based on a sliding scale percentage of gross revenues actually received by us solely from our sale of Whipshots/Whipshotz Products. The payment are subject to a minimum amount in each contract year and a maximum aggregate amount.
WhipshotsTM Licensing/Marketing
On September 14, 2021, Whipshots LLC entered into a License Agreement (the “Washpoppin License Agreement”) with Washpoppin Inc., a New York corporation (“Licensor”). Pursuant to the Washpoppin License Agreement, Licensor licensed certain Licensed Property (as defined therein) of the recording artist professionally known as “Cardi B” (the “Artist”) to us.
As part of the Washpoppin License Agreement, in exchange for royalty rates based on Net Sales (as defined therein) during each applicable contract period, the Licensor warrants to cause the Artist to attend certain in person events, media interviews, participate in the development of the Licensed Products (as defined therein), and promote the Licensed Products through social media posts on the Artist’s social media platforms. We have committed to a minimum royalty payment under the Agreement of an aggregate of $3,300,000 subject to Licensor’s satisfaction of its obligations.
Distribution Agreements
In November of 2021, we entered into separate Distribution Agreements (each a “Distribution Agreement” and, collectively, the “Distribution Agreements”) with each of (i) National Distributing Company, Inc., a Georgia corporation, (ii) Republic National Distributing Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and (iii) Young’s Market Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (each a “Distributor” and, collectively, the “Distributors”) each with an effective date as of November 1, 2021. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreements, the Distributors will act as the exclusive distributor for STCB in the Territories set forth on Exhibit B for the Products set forth on Exhibit A, to each such Distribution Agreement, as amended from time to time. The foregoing Distribution Agreements cover 20 U.S. States and the District of Columbia.
Pursuant to the terms of the Distribution Agreements, the Distributors will serve as the exclusive distributors in such Territories for WhipshotsTM. The Distribution Agreements provide the Distributors rights to expand the Territories and Products covered under each such Distribution Agreement as we expand our product lines and distribution channels. The expansion of Territories and Products may be exercised under various rights, including rights of first refusal to serve as an exclusive distributor of new Products in new Territories. The Company has also agreed to grant the Distributors “most favored nations” pricing providing for the lowest price available across the United States and its territories and possessions (the “US Territory”), and to grant Distributors any volume or other discounts that are offered to any other distributor in the US Territory by us, provided such action is not a violation of applicable law.
Broker Agreements
In November of 2021, we entered into separate Broker Agreements (each a “Broker Agreement” and, collectively, the “Broker Agreements”) with both Republic National Distributing Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and Young’s Market Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (each a “Broker” and, collectively, the “Brokers”) each with an effective date as of November 1, 2021. Pursuant to the Broker Agreements, the Broker will act as the exclusive broker for us in the Territories set forth on Exhibit B for the Products set forth on Exhibit A, to each such Broker Agreement, as amended from time to time. Each Broker will receive a commission rate of 10%. The foregoing Broker Agreements cover 15 U.S. States.
In December 2021, the Company pursued financing via a Regulation A offering which was qualified on December 9, 2021. The Company engaged The Dalmore Group to assist as the broker dealer of record in this process, in which up to 56,818,181 shares of Class A common stock may be sold to the public at a per share price of $1.00. The Regulation A offering terminated in December 2022 and no further sales of Class A common stock are being sold pursuant to that offering. During the offering period, the Company sold 151,250 shares of Class A common stock at $1.00 per share.
Materials Events During 2022 and prior to the filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K
Acquisitions
In 2022, STCB embarked on a strategy to grow its consumer product line offerings through acquiring existing behavior changing products and brands.
On September 12, 2022, STCB, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Starco Merger Sub Inc. (“Merger Sub”), completed its acquisition (the “AOS Acquisition”) of The AOS Group Inc., a Delaware corporation (“AOS”). The AOS Acquisition consisted of Merger Sub merging with and into AOS, with AOS being the surviving corporation. AOS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of STCB. AOS is the maker of Art of Sport premium body and skincare products engineered to power and protect athletes and brings over the counter respiratory, sun care, women and children, pain management, performance supplements, food, beverage and apparel product lines under STCB auspices.
On December 29, 2022, STCB, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Starco Merger Sub II, Inc. (“Merger Sub”), completed its acquisition (the “Skylar Acquisition”) of Skylar Body, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Skylar Inc.”) through the merger of Merger Sub with and into Skylar Inc. Immediately following the Skylar Acquisition Skylar Inc. merged with and into Skylar Body, LLC (“Skylar”) a wholly-owned subsidiary of STCB, with Skylar as the surviving entity. Skylar is a wholly-owned subsidiary of STCB. Skylar is the maker of fragrances that are hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive skin.
On February 15, 2023, STCB,, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Starco Merger Sub I, Inc. (“Merger Sub”), completed its acquisition (the “Soylent Acquisition”) of Soylent Nutrition, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Soylent”). The Soylent Acquisition consisted of Merger Sub merging with and into Soylent, with Soylent being the surviving corporation. Soylent is a wholly-owned subsidiary of STCB. Soylent is the maker of a wide range of plant-based “complete nutrition” and “functional food” products with a lineup of plant-based convenience shakes, powders and bars that contain proteins, healthy fats, functional amino acids and essential nutrients.
Competition
The household, personal care and beverage consumer products market in the U.S. is mature and highly competitive. Our competitive set has grown with our recent acquisitions and consists of consumer products companies, including large and well-established multinational companies as well as smaller regional and local companies. These competitors include Johnson & Johnson, The Procter & Gamble Company, Unilever, Diageo, CytoSport, Inc., Abbott Nutrition, Nestlé, Owyn, Clean Reserve, The 7 Virtues and others. Within each product category, most of our products compete with other widely advertised brands and store brand products.
Competition in our product categories is based on a number of factors including price, quality and brand recognition. We benefit from the strength of our brands, a differentiated portfolio of quality branded and store brand products, as well as significant capital investment in our manufacturing facilities. We believe the strong recognition of the Whipshots brand and Soylent brand among U.S. consumers gives us a competitive advantage.
Growth Strategy
As long as the Company can raise capital, the Company plans to launch other products in spray foods and condiments, over the counter respiratory, air care, skin care, sun care, hair care, personal care, pain management, performance supplements, plant-based convenience shakes, powders and bars, apparel, fragrances, spirits and beverages over the next 36 months. Financing growth and launching of new products through our key subsidiaries is key to the Company’s ability to raise further capital.
We will need to rely on sales of our Class A common stock and other sources of financing to raise additional capital. The purchasers and manner of any share issuance will be determined according to our financial needs and the available exemptions to the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Company will utilize the marketing capabilities of Hearst Media with its co-branding arrangement on some of its products. This provides significant support for our current retail and online distribution. We also plan to raise capital in the future through a compliant offering.
We continue to strive towards becoming a leading brand owner and third-party marketer of cutting edge technologies in the consumer products marketplace whose success is expected to increase stockholder value. The Company will continue to evaluate this and other opportunities to further set its strategy for 2023 and beyond.
For more information and to view our products, you may visit our websites at www.starcobrands.com, www.breathecleaning.com, www.breathesanitizer.com, www.whipshots.com, www.bingeworthyflavor.com, www.artofsport.com, www.skylar.com and www.soylent.com.
Offices
Our principal executive offices are located at 250 26th Street, Suite 200, Santa Monica, California, 90402, and our telephone number is (323) 266-7111. Our website is www.starcobrands.com and the Company makes its SEC reports available on the website. Our internet website and the information contained therein or connected thereto are not intended to be incorporated by reference into this Annual Report.
Employees
STCB currently has no full-time employees but uses independent contractors and consultants and contributed services from related parties on an as needed basis. Skylar currently has 11 full-time employees. Soylent currently has 21 full-time employees. We believe that our employee relations are good.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and, as such, are not required to provide the information under this Item; however, we have chosen to include the following risk factors.
The Company is still subject to all the same risks that all companies in its business, and all companies in the economy, are exposed to. These include risks relating to economic downturns, political and economic events, pandemics and government lockdowns and technological developments (such as cyber-attacks and the ability to prevent those attacks). Additionally, early-stage companies are inherently more risky than more developed companies. You should consider general risks as well as specific risks when deciding whether to invest.
Risks Related to Our Company and its Business
We are reliant on related parties for some of our revenues, manufacturing certain of our products, and much of our administrative activities.
Starco Brands has no full-time employees and uses independent contractors and consultants, and uses contributed services from related parties on an as needed basis for a majority of the administration of Company operations, and as set forth in these Risk Factors, some of our revenues and manufacturing depend on the operations of related parties.
We are highly dependent on the services of Ross Sklar, our Chief Executive Officer.
We are highly dependent on the services of Ross Sklar, our Chief Executive Officer. Although Mr. Sklar spends significant time with the Company and is highly active in our management, he does not devote his full time and attention to the Company. Mr. Sklar also currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of The Starco Group (“TSG”) and is Chairman of Temperance Distilling Company (“Temperance”), among other positions and activities.
We are effectively controlled by Ross Sklar. As a result, Mr. Sklar has the ability to prevent or cause a change in control or approve, prevent or influence certain actions by us.
As of April 17, 2023, Mr. Sklar beneficially controls, directly or indirectly, shares of the Company’s Class A common stock representing approximately 81.9% of the outstanding voting power of the Class A common stock.
As a result of his stock ownership and various voting agreements, Mr. Sklar has the ability to exercise significant control and influence over our business, including almost all matters requiring stockholder approval (e.g., the election of directors, amendments to the Articles of Incorporation, and significant corporate transactions, such as a merger or other sale of our Company or its securities or assets) for the foreseeable future.
We rely on related parties and our business could be adversely affected if relationships with such related parties change, are terminated, or are not renewed.
The Company is dependent on The Starco Group which is owned by our CEO, Ross Sklar. There is no assurance that TSG will produce, supply or distribute sufficient quantities of those products needed by the Company. Difficulties in developing alternative sources of supply, if required, or failure of TSG to provide the products to the Company would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, and result of operations.
We have incurred significant net losses and have only recently begun generating profits. We cannot assure you that we will continue to achieve profitable operations.
We have historically incurred significant net losses since inception. We generated net income of $977,858 in the year ended December 31, 2022, had a net loss of $2,325,074 for the year ended December 31, 2021, had net income of $543,286 for the year ended December 31, 2020 and had net losses of $139,964 and $441,951 for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, we had an accumulated deficit of $17,578,219. We may not be able to maintain profitability, and may incur significant losses again in the future for a number of reasons, including unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, and delays, and other unknown events.
We cannot assure you that we will achieve sustainable operating profits as we continue to expand our brand and product offerings, further develop our marketing efforts, and otherwise implement our growth initiatives. Any failure to achieve and maintain profitability would have a materially adverse effect on our ability to implement our business plan, our results and operations, and our financial condition, and could cause the value of our Class A common stock to decline, resulting in a significant or complete loss of your investment.
If we do not obtain adequate capital funding or improve our financial performance, we may not be able to continue as a going concern.
The report of our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended December 31, 2022 included herein contains an explanatory paragraph indicating that there is substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a going concern as a result of recurring losses from operations. This report is dated April 17, 2023. Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, which contemplate that we will continue to operate as a going concern. Our consolidated financial statements do not contain any adjustments that might result if we are unable to continue as a going concern. Our ability to continue as a going concern will be determined by our ability to continue generating revenues from our operations, which will enable us to fund our expansion plans and realize our business objectives. If we are unable to continue to grow our revenue and to and sustain profitability, we may not be able to continue as a going concern.
Our success depends on our ability to uphold the reputation of our brands and our clients’ brands, which will depend on the effectiveness of our marketing, our product quality, and our client experience.
We believe that ours and our company-clients’ brand image and brand awareness is vital to the success of our business. We also believe that maintaining and enhancing the image of ours and our clients’ brands, particularly in new markets where we have limited brand recognition, is important to maintaining and expanding ours and our clients’ customer base. As we execute our acquisition and growth strategy, our ability to successfully expand into new markets or to maintain the strength and distinctiveness of the image of ours and our clients’ brands, our existing markets will be adversely impacted if we fail to connect with ours and our clients’ target customers. Among other things, we rely on our marketing, strategy, and media partners, as well as social media platforms, such as Instagram and Twitter, to help implement our marketing strategies and promote ours and our clients’ brands. Ours and our clients’ brands and reputation may be adversely affected if we fail to achieve these objectives, if ours or our clients’ public image was to be tarnished by negative publicity, if we fail to deliver innovative and high-quality products acceptable to our customers, or if we face a product recall. Negative publicity regarding the production methods of our manufacturer The Starco Group or those of the client-companies we work with could adversely affect our reputation and sales. Additionally, while we devote considerable efforts and resources to protecting our and our clients’ intellectual property, if these efforts are not successful the value of our brand may be harmed. Any harm to our brand and reputation could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
If we are unable to anticipate consumer preferences and successfully develop and introduce new, innovative and updated products, we may not be able to maintain or increase our sales or achieve profitability.
Our success depends to a significant degree on our ability to timely identify and originate product trends as well as to anticipate and react to changing consumer demands. All of our products are subject to changing consumer preferences and we cannot predict such changes with any certainty. Product trends in the food, household cleaning, air care, spirits and personal care markets can change rapidly. We will need to anticipate, identify and respond quickly to changing trends and consumer demands in order to provide the products our customers seek and maintain the image of our brands. If we cannot identify changing trends in advance, fail to react to changing trends or misjudge the market for a trend, our sales could be adversely affected, and we may be faced with a substantial amount of unsold inventory or missed opportunities. As a result, we may be forced to mark down our merchandise in order to dispose of slow-moving inventory, which may result in lower profit margins, negatively impacting our financial condition and results of operations.
Even if we are successful in anticipating consumer demands, our ability to adequately react to and execute on those demands will in part depend upon our continued ability to develop and introduce high-quality products. If we fail to introduce products in the categories that consumers want, demand for our products could decline and our brand image could be negatively impacted. Our failure to effectively introduce new products and enter into new product categories that are accepted by consumers could result in excess inventory, inventory write-downs, decreases in gross margins and a decrease in net revenues, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
Our ability to anticipate consumer preferences also goes hand-in-hand with our ability to provide effective marketing services for our clients. If we are unable to predict what might be attractive to the target consumers of our client’s products, our marketing efforts in connection with those products may be unsuccessful, which would negatively affect our reputation within the industry, and negatively affect our operating results.
An economic downturn or economic uncertainty in the United States may adversely affect consumer discretionary spending and demand for our products.
Our operating results are affected by the relative condition of the United States economy as many of our products may be considered discretionary items for consumers. In an economic downturn, our customers may reduce their spending and purchases due to job loss or fear of job loss, foreclosures, bankruptcies, higher consumer debt and interest rates, reduced access to credit, falling home prices, increased taxes, and/or lower consumer confidence. Consumer demand for our products may not reach our targets, or may decline, when there is an economic downturn or economic uncertainty. Current, recent past, and future conditions may also adversely affect our pricing and liquidation strategy; promotional activities, product liquidation, and decreased demand for consumer products could affect profitability and margins. Online customer traffic is difficult to forecast. As a consequence, sales, operating, and financial results for a particular period are difficult to predict, and, therefore, it is difficult to forecast expected results for future periods. Any of the foregoing factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition and could adversely affect our stock price.
Additionally, many of the effects and consequences of U.S. and global financial and economic conditions could potentially have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and capital resources, including the ability to raise additional capital, if needed, or could otherwise negatively affect our business and financial results. For example, global economic conditions may also adversely affect our suppliers’ access to capital and liquidity with which to maintain their inventory, production levels, and product quality and to operate their businesses, all of which could adversely affect our supply chain. Market instability could make it more difficult for us and our suppliers to accurately forecast future product demand trends, which could cause us to carry too much or too little merchandise in various product categories.
Additionally, inflationary factors such as increases in the costs to purchase products, acquire mineral rights and overhead costs may adversely affect our operating results. A continued high rate of inflation in the future may have an adverse effect on our ability to maintain current levels of gross margin and selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues if the selling prices of our services do not increase with these increased costs.
Our results of operations could be materially harmed if we are unable to accurately forecast demand for our products.
To ensure adequate inventory supply, our manufacturers, TSG and Temperance, forecast inventory needs and estimate future demand for particular products on our behalf. Their ability to accurately forecast demand for our products could be affected by many factors, including an increase or decrease in demand for our products or for products of our competitors, their failure to accurately forecast acceptance of new products, product introductions by competitors, unanticipated changes in general market conditions, and weakening of economic conditions or consumer confidence in future economic conditions. Inventory levels in excess of customer demand may result in inventory write-downs or write-offs and the sale of excess inventory at discounted prices or in less preferred distribution channels, which could impair our brand image and have an adverse effect on gross margin, which ultimately impacts our revenues. In addition, if the manufacturers underestimate the demand for our products, they may not be able to produce products to meet our customer requirements, and this could result in delays in the shipment of our products and our ability to recognize revenue, lost sales, as well as damage to our reputation and distributor relationships.
In addition, our growth strategy has resulted in STCB acquiring three subsidiaries through mergers, in each case expanding our product line offerings. Each of AOS, Skylar and Soylent bring a new demographic of consumer to the forefront of the STCB consumer products space, spanning premium body and skincare products, to hypoallergenic fragrances, and plant-based complete nutrition. If under our stewardship we are unable to accurately forecast the demand for these new product lines we may damage brand image for these new segments.
We operate in a highly competitive market and the size and resources of some of our competitors may allow them to compete more effectively than we can, resulting in a loss of our market share and a decrease in our net revenue.
The categories in which we operate are highly competitive, both in the U.S. and globally, as a limited number of large manufacturers compete for consumer acceptance, limited retail shelf space and e-commerce opportunities. Because of the highly competitive environment in which we operate as well as increasing retailer concentration, our retailer customers, including online retailers, frequently seek to obtain pricing concessions or better trade terms, resulting in either reduction of our margins or losses of distribution to lower cost competitors. Competition is based upon brand perceptions, product performance and innovation, customer service and price. Our ability to compete effectively may be affected by a number of factors, including:
● We face competition from large, established companies, including The Procter & Gamble Company, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Diageo and others, that have significantly greater financial, marketing, research and development and other resources and greater market share than we do, which provides them with greater scale and negotiating leverage with retailers;
● Our competitors may have lower production, sales and distribution costs, and higher profit margins, which may enable them to offer aggressive retail discounts and other promotional incentives; and
● Our competitors may be able to obtain exclusive distribution rights at particular retailers or favorable in-store placement.
In general, the greater capabilities of these large competitors in these areas enable them to better withstand periodic product campaign failures, and more general downturns in the industry, compete more effectively on the basis of price and production and more quickly develop or locate and license new products. In addition, new companies may enter the markets in which we expect to compete, further increasing competition in our industry.
We rely on licensing agreements with The Starco Group and Temperance Distilling Company.
We are party to a licensing agreement (the “TSG Licensing Agreement”) with TSG dated July 12, 2017. Pursuant to this agreement, STCB licenses to TSG the exclusive right to manufacture and sell STCB’s products, which it may sell under the brand names owned by STCB. In return, TSG pays STCB royalties based on TSG’s unit sales of the products licensed by STCB to TSG pursuant to the TSG Licensing Agreement. Most of the Company’s products are manufactured and sold by TSG pursuant to this Licensing Agreement. As such, we are reliant on the TSG Licensing Agreement with TSG for a significant portion of our business. In addition, due to the close relationship of the Company and TSG, the deal terms that the Company has procured under this TSG Licensing Agreement (relating to manufacturing and royalties the Company receives on product sales by TSG) are very favorable to the Company, and would be difficult to replicate with another third-party manufacturer. Further, if for some reason the Company wanted to switch to an alternative provider for the manufacturing and selling of Company products, the TSG Licensing Agreement grants TSG an exclusive right to the products of the Company, and therefore the Company would be unable to change to another manufacturer without the consent of TSG or a breach by TSG of the terms of the TSG Licensing Agreement. Under the terms of the TSG Licensing Agreement, the agreement expires December 31, 2028, but may be terminated by either party immediately upon the material breach of the TSG Licensing Agreement by the other party. If TSG were to assert a breach of the TSG Licensing Agreement by the Company, and was successful in terminating the TSG Licensing Agreement, it could have a material adverse effect on the Company and its operating results.
We are party to a licensing agreement with Temperance Distilling Company (the “TDC Agreement”), dated January 24, 2022. In the TDC Agreement, STCB licenses to Temperance the right to manufacture and sell products using the brand name Whipshots. In return, Temperance agrees to pay STCB royalties based on net unit sales of products licensed by STCB to Temperance. At this time, Temperance is the sole manufacturer for Whipshots products, thus we are reliant on the TDC Agreement for all royalties related to the Whipshots products.
Certain of our products rely on a single manufacturer.
Whipshots, a significant contributor to our revenue for fiscal year 2022, is manufactured by Temperance. Temperance is responsible for the procurement of all raw materials and components required to manufacture Whipshots. Due to the unique nature of Whipshots, the Company is reliant on Temperance as the manufacturer of Whipshots and would not be able to easily find a comparable third-party manufacturer if needed. The operations of Temperance can be subject to additional risks beyond our control, including shipping delays, labor disputes, trade restrictions, tariffs and embargos, or any other change in local conditions. Temperance may experience a significant disruption in the supply or raw materials from current sources and, in the event of such a disruption, it may be unable to locate alternative materials suppliers of comparable quality at an acceptable price, or at all. There have occasionally been, and there may again in the future be, shipments of products by Temperance to the Company’s customers that fail to comply with our specifications or that fail to conform to our quality control standards or those of our customers. Under these circumstances, we may incur substantial expense to remedy the problems and may be required to obtain replacement products. If we fail to remedy any such problem in a timely manner, we risk the loss of net revenue resulting from the inability to sell those products and related increased administrative and shipping costs. Additionally, if the unacceptability of our products is not discovered until after such products are purchased by our customers, our customers could lose confidence in our products or we could face a product recall. In such an event our brand reputation may be negatively impacted which could negatively impact our results of operations.
Notwithstanding our acquisitions, TSG remains a material manufacturer of a significant number of our products, including procuring raw materials for such products. As a result, the Company is still reliant to a meaningful degree on TSG for the production of Company products, and might not easily be able to find a comparable third-party manufacturer for such products. In addition, the operations of TSG can be subject to risks beyond our control, including shipping delays, labor disputes, trade restrictions, tariffs and embargos, or any other change in local conditions. TSG may experience a significant disruption in the supply or raw materials from current sources and, in the event of such a disruption, it may be unable to locate alternative materials suppliers of comparable quality at an acceptable price, or at all. There have occasionally been, and there may again in the future be, shipments of products by TSG to the Company’s customers that fail to comply with our specifications or that fail to conform to our quality control standards or those of our customers. Under these circumstances, we may incur substantial expense to remedy the problems and may be required to obtain replacement products. If we fail to remedy any such problem in a timely manner, we risk the loss of net revenue resulting from the inability to sell those products and related increased administrative and shipping costs. Additionally, if the unacceptability of our products is not discovered until after such products are purchased by our customers, our customers could lose confidence in our products or we could face a product recall. In such an event our brand reputation may be negatively impacted which could negatively impact our results of operations.
Our sales and gross margins may decline as a result of increasing product costs and may not keep up with inflation.
Our business is subject to significant pressure on costs and pricing caused by many factors, including intense competition, constrained sourcing capacity and related inflationary pressure, pressure from consumers to reduce the prices we charge for our products, and changes in consumer demand. These factors may cause us to experience increased costs, reduce our prices to consumers or experience reduced sales in response to increased prices, any of which could cause our operating margin to decline if we are unable to offset these factors with reductions in operating costs and could have a material adverse effect on our financial conditions, operating results and cash flows.
In addition, the United States and the countries in which our products are produced or sold internationally have imposed and may impose additional quotas, duties, tariffs, or other restrictions or regulations, or may adversely adjust prevailing quota, duty or tariff levels. Countries impose, modify and remove tariffs and other trade restrictions in response to a diverse array of factors, including global and national economic and political conditions, which make it impossible for us to predict future developments regarding tariffs and other trade restrictions. Trade restrictions, including tariffs, quotas, embargoes, safeguards, and customs restrictions, could increase the cost or reduce the supply of products available to us or may require us to modify our supply chain organization or other current business practices, any of which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our operations are largely dependent on TSG’s network of warehouses and distribution centers, and the loss of, or disruption in, such a warehouse and distribution center and other factors affecting the distribution of our products could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.
TSG manufactures a meaningful portion of the Company’s products and sells those products to a variety of distributors, retailers and end users at wholesale or retail amounts. As such, our warehouse, fulfillment and distribution functions are handled by TSG. Our current fulfillment/distribution operations are substantially dependent on the continued retention of these facilities. Any significant interruption in the operation of a warehouse and fulfillment/distribution center due to natural disasters, accidents, system issues or failures, or other unforeseen causes that materially impair our ability to access or use such a facility, could delay or impair the ability to distribute products and fulfill online orders, which could cause sales to decline.
Our margins may decline as a result of increasing freight costs.
Freight costs are impacted by changes in fuel prices through surcharges, among other factors. Fuel prices and surcharges affect freight costs both on inbound freight from suppliers to the distribution center as well as outbound freight from the distribution center to stores/shops, supplier returns and third-party liquidators, and shipments of product to customers. The cost of transporting our products for distribution and sale is also subject to fluctuation due in large part to the price of oil. Our products must be transported by third parties over large geographical distances and an increase in the price of oil can significantly increase costs. Manufacturing delays or unexpected transportation delays can also cause us to rely more heavily on airfreight to achieve timely delivery to our customers, which significantly increases freight costs. Increases in fuel prices, surcharges, and other potential factors may increase freight costs. Since the Company receives a royalty on all of its product sales based on the total unit sales of the product minus costs, one of which is freight costs, these fluctuations may increase our cost of products and have an adverse effect on our margins, results of operations and financial condition.
If we fail to adequately protect our intellectual property rights, competitors may manufacture and market similar products, which could adversely affect our market share and results of operations.
All of our product sales are from products bearing proprietary trademarks and brand names. In addition, we own or license patents and patent applications for certain products we sell. We rely on trademark, trade secret, patent and copyright laws to protect our intellectual property rights. There is a risk that we will not be able to obtain and perfect or maintain our own intellectual property rights or, where appropriate, license intellectual property rights necessary to support new product introductions. In addition, even if such rights are protected in the U.S., the laws of some other countries in which our products are or may be sold do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the U.S. Our intellectual property rights could be invalidated, circumvented or challenged in the future, and we could incur significant costs in connection with legal actions relating to such rights. As patents expire, we could face increased competition or decreased royalties, either of which could negatively impact our operating results. If other parties infringe our intellectual property rights, they may dilute the value of our brands in the marketplace, which could diminish the value that consumers associate with our brands and harm our sales.
We may be subject to liability if we infringe upon the intellectual property rights of third parties.
We may be subject to liability if we infringe upon the intellectual property rights of third parties. If we were to be found liable for any such infringement, we could be required to pay substantial damages and could be subject to injunctions preventing further infringement. Such infringement claims could harm our brand image.
Our business involves the potential for product liability and other claims against us, which could affect our results of operations and financial condition and result in product recalls or withdrawals.
We face exposure to claims arising out of alleged defects in our products, including for property damage, bodily injury or other adverse effects. We do not currently maintain product liability insurance, which puts us at a greater risk of harm to our business operations should we receive a monetary judgment against us in relation to a product liability lawsuit. We intend on obtaining product liability insurance in the future. However, even with product liability insurance, we would not be covered against all types of claims, particularly claims other than those involving personal injury or property damage or claims that exceed the amount of insurance coverage. Further, we may not be able to maintain such insurance in sufficient amounts, on desirable terms, or at all, in the future. In addition to the risk of monetary judgments not covered by insurance, product liability claims could result in negative publicity that could harm our products’ reputation and in certain cases require a product recall. Product recalls or product liability claims, and any subsequent remedial actions, could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, brand value, results of operations and financial condition.
Our failure to comply with trade and other regulations could lead to investigations or actions by government regulators and negative publicity.
The labeling, distribution, importation, marketing and sale of our products are subject to extensive regulation by various federal agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and state attorneys general in the U.S., as well as by various other federal, state, provincial, local and international regulatory authorities in the locations in which our products are distributed or sold. If we fail to comply with those regulations, we could become subject to significant penalties or claims or be required to recall products, which could negatively impact our results of operations and disrupt our ability to conduct our business, as well as damage our brand image with consumers. In addition, the adoption of new regulations or changes in the interpretation of existing regulations may result in significant unanticipated compliance costs or discontinuation of product sales and may impair the marketing of our products, resulting in significant loss of net revenues.
Should we choose to pursue international sales, we will be subject to compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, and other anti-bribery laws applicable to our operations. Although we have policies and procedures to address compliance with the FCPA and similar laws, there can be no assurance that all of our employees, agents and other partners will not take actions in violations of our policies. Any such violation could subject us to sanctions or other penalties that could negatively affect our reputation, business and operating results.
Our future success depends on our key executive officers and our ability to attract, retain, and motivate qualified personnel.
Our future success largely depends upon the continued services of our executive officers and management team, especially our Chief Executive Officer, Ross Sklar. If one or more of our executive officers are unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we may not be able to replace them readily, if at all. Additionally, we may incur additional expenses to recruit and retain new executive officers. If any of our executive officers joins a competitor or forms a competing company, we may lose some or all of our customers. Finally, we do not maintain “key person” life insurance on any of our executive officers. Because of these factors, the loss of the services of any of these key persons could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations, and thereby an investment in our stock.
In addition, our continuing ability to attract and retain highly qualified personnel, especially employees with experience in branding and marketing, will also be critical to our success because we will need to hire and retain additional personnel as our business grows. There can be no assurance that we will be able to attract or retain highly qualified personnel. We face significant competition for skilled personnel in our industries. This competition may make it more difficult and expensive to attract, hire, and retain qualified managers and employees. Because of these factors, we may not be able to effectively manage or grow our business, which could adversely affect our financial condition or business. As a result, the value of your investment could be significantly reduced or completely lost.
If the technology-based systems that give our customers the ability to shop with us online do not function effectively, our operating results could be materially adversely affected.
A portion of our customers shop with us through our e-commerce websites, which currently sells certain of our Skylar and Soylent products. While many of our products are sold in retail stores, increasingly, customers are using tablets and smart phones to shop online, and we do plan on increasing our product offerings on ecommerce websites in the future. Any failure on our part to provide an attractive, effective, reliable, user-friendly e-commerce platform that offers a wide assortment of merchandise with rapid delivery options and that continually meet the changing expectations of online shoppers could place us at a competitive disadvantage, result in the loss of sales, harm our reputation with customers, and could have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.
Security breaches and other disruptions could compromise our information and expose us to liability, which would cause our business and reputation to suffer.
In the ordinary course of our business, we collect and store sensitive data, including intellectual property, our proprietary business information, and financial and other personally identifiable information of our customers and employees. The secure processing, maintenance, and transmission of this information is critical to our operations and business strategy. Despite our security measures, our information technology and infrastructure may be vulnerable to attacks by hackers or breached due to employee error, malfeasance, or other disruptions. Any such breach could compromise our networks and the information stored there could be accessed, publicly disclosed, lost, or stolen. Advanced attacks are multi-staged, unfold over time, and utilize a range of attack vectors with military-grade cyber weapons and proven techniques, such as spear phishing and social engineering, leaving organizations and users at high risk of being compromised. The vast majority of data breaches, whether conducted by a cyber attacker from inside or outside of the organization, involve the misappropriation of digital identities and user credentials. These credentials are used to gain legitimate access to sensitive systems and high-value personal and corporate data. Many large, well-known organizations have been subject to cyber-attacks that exploited the identity vector, demonstrating that even organizations with significant resources and security expertise have challenges securing their identities. Any such access, disclosure, or other loss of information could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, regulatory penalties, a disruption of our operations, damage to our reputation, or a loss of confidence in our business, any of which could adversely affect our business, revenues, and competitive position.
Organizations face growing regulatory and compliance requirements.
New and evolving regulations and compliance standards for cyber security, data protection, privacy, and internal IT controls are often created in response to the tide of cyber-attacks and will increasingly impact organizations. Existing regulatory standards require that organizations implement internal controls for user access to applications and data. In addition, data breaches are driving a new wave of regulation with stricter enforcement and higher penalties. Regulatory and policy-driven obligations require expensive and time-consuming compliance measures. The fear of non-compliance, failed audits, and material findings has pushed organizations to spend more to ensure they are in compliance, often resulting in costly, one-off implementations to mitigate potential fines or reputational damage. Any substantial costs associated with failing to meet regulatory requirements, combined with the risk of fallout from security breaches, could have a material adverse effect on our business and brand.
Acquisition opportunities may present themselves that in hindsight did not achieve the positive results anticipated by our management.
From time to time, acquisition opportunities have, and may in the future, become available to us. Those opportunities may involve the acquisition of specific assets, like intellectual property or inventory, or may involve the assumption of the business operations of another entity. If the performance of our recent acquisitions, AOS, Skylar or Soylent, do not produce positive results, the dilution to stockholders from the share issuances and any interest rate on debt held by such subsidiary, may prove detrimental to our financial results and the performance of your particular shares.
Our goal with any future acquisition is that any acquisition should be able to contribute neutral to positive net income to the company after integration. To effect these future acquisitions, we will likely be required to obtain lender financing or issue additional shares of stock in exchange for the shares of the target entity. If the performance of the acquired assets or entity does not produce positive results for the company, the terms of the acquisition, whether it is interest rate on debt, or additional dilution of stockholders, may prove detrimental to the financial results of the company, or the performance of your particular shares.
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, or other pandemics, may have an impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, or COVID-19, was reported and spread across the globe, including the United States, and in March 2020 was declared to be a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 intensified and the United States, Europe and Asia implemented severe travel restrictions, social distancing and government imposed lockdowns. The impacts of the outbreak continue to evolve.
The ongoing and/or indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic could further affect general economic conditions, our business and results of operations. Future developments would dictate the type and level of these potential impacts, which are highly uncertain and are difficult to predict.
If a future pandemic or health epidemic was to arise, if there is a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic or if there are other lingering effects of the pandemic, that could adversely impact our business and results of operations in a number of ways, including but not limited to:
● A shutdown, disruption or less than full utilization of one or more of our manufacturers, warehousers or distributors’ facilities, or disruption in our supply chain or customer base, including but not limited to, as a result of illness, government restrictions or other workforce disruptions;
● The failure of third parties on which we rely, including but not limited to those that supply our raw materials and other necessary operating materials, manufacturers and independent contractors, to meet their obligations to us, or significant disruptions in their ability to do so;
● New or escalated government or regulatory responses in markets where we manufacture, sell or distribute our products, or in the markets of third parties on which we rely, could prevent or disrupt our business operations;
● Significant reductions or volatility in demand for one or more of our products, which may be caused by, among other things: the temporary inability of consumers to purchase our products due to illness, quarantine or other travel restrictions, or financial hardship; or other pandemic related restrictions impacting consumer behavior;
● An inability to respond to or capitalize on increased demand, including challenges and increased costs associated with adding capacity with our manufacturers;
● A change in demand for or availability of our products as a result of retailers, distributors or carriers modifying their inventory, fulfillment or shipping practices; and
● The unknown duration and magnitude of a pandemic and all of its related impacts.
These and other impacts of a pandemic have and could have the effect of heightening many of the other risk factors disclosed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The ultimate impact depends on the severity and duration of the pandemic and actions taken by governmental authorities and other third parties in response, each of which is uncertain and difficult to predict. Any of these disruptions could adversely impact our business and results of operations.
We have reported material weaknesses in internal controls in the past.
We have reported material weaknesses in internal controls over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, and we cannot provide any assurances that additional material weaknesses will not be identified in the future or that we can effectively remediate our reported weaknesses. If our internal controls over financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures are not effective, there may be errors in our financial statements that could require a restatement, or our filings may not be timely, and investors may lose confidence in our reported financial information.
Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley requires us to evaluate the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting every quarter and as of the end of each year, and to include a management report assessing the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting in each Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer, do not expect that our internal control over financial reporting will prevent all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system’s objectives will be met. Furthermore, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the controls. Over time, controls may become inadequate because changes in the conditions or deterioration in the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may occur. Because the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
As a result, we cannot assure you that additional significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting will not be identified in the future or that we can effectively remediate our reported weaknesses. Any failure to maintain or implement required new or improved controls, or any difficulties we may encounter in their implementation, could result in significant deficiencies or material weaknesses, cause us to fail to timely meet our periodic reporting obligations, or result in material misstatements in our consolidated financial statements. Any such failure could also adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations regarding disclosure controls and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting required under Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley and the rules promulgated thereunder. The existence of material weaknesses could result in errors in our consolidated financial statements and subsequent restatements of our consolidated financial statements, cause us to fail to timely meet our reporting obligations and cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information.

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ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
Not applicable.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Item 2. Properties.
Our principal offices are located at 250 26th Street, Suite 200, Santa Monica, California, 90402.

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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
None.

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ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
PART II

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ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchase of Equity Securities.
Market Information
Our Class A common stock is listed to trade on the OTC Markets Group OTCQB tier under the symbol “STCB.” Any over-the-counter market quotations reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-downs or commissions, and may not necessarily represent actual transactions.
Our Class A common stock shares are subject to Section 15(g) and Rule 15g-9 of the Securities and Exchange Act, commonly referred to as the “penny stock” rule. The rule defines penny stock to be any equity security that has a market price less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. These rules may restrict the ability of broker-dealers to trade or maintain a market in our Class A common stock and may affect the ability of stockholders to sell their shares. Broker-dealers who sell penny stocks to persons other than established customers and accredited investors must make a special suitability determination for the purchase of the security. Accredited investors, in general, include individuals with assets in excess of $1,000,000 (not including their personal residence) or annual income exceeding $200,000 or $300,000 together with their spouse, and certain institutional investors. The rules require the broker-dealer to receive the purchaser’s written consent to the transaction prior to the purchase and require the broker-dealer to deliver a risk disclosure document relating to the penny stock prior to the first transaction. A broker-dealer also must disclose the commissions payable to both the broker-dealer and the registered representative, and current quotations for the security. Finally, monthly statements must be sent to customers disclosing recent price information for the penny stocks.
On April 17, 2023, the closing price for our Class A common stock as reported on the OTCQB was $0.12. As of such date, we had 469,468,966 shares of Class A common stock issued and outstanding. We had no shares of Class B common stock or Preferred Stock outstanding.
Holders
As of April 17, 2023, we had 309 stockholders of record, which does not include stockholders who hold shares in “street accounts” of securities brokers.
Dividends
We have not paid cash or stock dividends and have no present plan to pay any dividends, intending instead to reinvest our earnings, if any. For the foreseeable future, we expect to retain any earnings to finance the operation and expansion of our business and the payment of any cash dividends on our Class A common stock is unlikely.
Equity Compensation Plans.
We currently do not have any equity compensation plans under which our equity securities are authorized for issuance.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
All sales of unregistered Class A common stock of the Company during fiscal year 2022 and through the date of this report were made in reliance upon Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and are set forth below:
Date Shares of Common Stock Issuable1 Cash Proceeds / Value in Kind from Shares Issuable Recipient(s) of Shares
September 12, 2022 66,318,954 $ 12,600,601 15 entities
18 individuals
December 29, 2022 96,446,442 $ 19,289,300 15 entities
22 individuals
December 29, 2022 2,857,142 $ 571,400 1 entity
February 15, 2023 196,525,715 $ 68,784,000 21 entities
4 individuals
Shares calculated are initial closing + indemnification holdback + contingent shares, since these were accounted for in the Form D offering/Cash proceeds calculations. If the contingent shares have been deemed unlikely to occur, they have been removed from the shares of Common Stock issuable.
On December 9, 2021, the Company’s common stock offering under Regulation A+ (“Reg A”) was qualified by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) to raise capital for up to 56,818,181 shares at a price of $1.00 per share, for a maximum of $56,818,181. Of that amount, $11,363,636 were qualified to be sold by selling stockholders. The Company closed on subscriptions from its Reg A share offering as of December 31, 2022 in the amount of 151,250 shares of common stock none of which were sold by existing shareholders.
All sales of unregistered warrants to purchase common stock of the Company were made in reliance upon Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
Date Warrants to Purchase Shares of Common Stock Consideration Exercise Price Recipient(s) of Shares
September 12, 2022 33,150,000 Consulting and Marketing Services $ 0.19 14 individuals
November 1, 2022 100,000 Consulting Services $ 0.20 1 individual
November 3, 2022 5,000,000 Consulting Services $ 0.19 1 entity
December 29, 2022 285,714 Funding Fee for Loan Origination $ 0.01 1 individual
March 3, 2023 114,286 Funding Fee for Loan Origination $ 0.01 1 individual
Issuer Purchase of Securities.
On June 13, 2021, the Company entered into Separation Agreements (the “Separation Agreements”) with Sanford Lang (“Mr. Lang”) and Martin Goldrod (“Mr. Goldrod”) whereas, effective as of June 16, 2021, Mr. Lang and Mr. Goldrod each resigned from their positions as members of the Board of Directors in exchange for certain separation benefits (the “Separation Benefits”). As consideration for the Separation Benefits, and not in addition to same, the Company agreed to purchase an amount of the shares of the Company per month from Mr. Lang and Mr. Goldrod at a price per share that when aggregated with all shares purchased in each month would equal monthly Separation Benefit payments of $7,950 to Mr. Lang and monthly Separation Benefit payments of $3,000 to Mr. Goldrod (the “Repurchases”). The Repurchases made during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022 are set forth below.
Period Total Number of
Shares Purchased
Average Price
Paid Per Share
Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans
or Programs
Approximate Dollar Value of Shares That May Yet Be Purchased Under the
Plans or Programs
10/1/2022 - 10/31/2022 90,955 $ 0.12 848,039 $ 219,000
11/1/2022 - 11/30/2022 57,889 $ 0.19 905,928 $ 208,050
12/1/2022 - 12/31/2022 61,192 $ 0.18 967,120 $ 197,100

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Item 6. [Reserved].

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
The following discussion and analysis of the consolidated results of operations and financial condition of Starco Brands, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 and for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and the notes to those financial statements that are included elsewhere in this Annual Report following Item 16 (“Form 10-K Summary”). References in this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” to “us,” “we,” “our,” and similar terms refer to Starco Brands, Inc. This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the federal securities laws. The events described in forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report may not occur. Generally these statements relate to business plans or strategies, projected or anticipated benefits or other consequences of our plans or strategies, projected or anticipated benefits from acquisitions that may be made by us, or projections involving anticipated revenues, earnings or other aspects of our operating results. The words “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” and “continue,” and their opposites and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We caution you that these statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and are subject to a number of uncertainties, risks and other influences, many of which are beyond our control, which may influence the accuracy of the statements and the projections upon which the statements are based. Factors that could cause our actual results of operations and financial condition to differ materially are set forth in Item 1A, “Risk Factors” section of this annual report on Form 10-K.
We caution that these factors could cause our actual results of operations and financial condition to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements we make and that investors should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of such factors. Further, we cannot assess the impact of each such factor on our results of operations or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.
Business Overview
Starco Brands, Inc. (formerly Insynergy Products, Inc.), which we refer to as “the Company,” “our Company,” “STCB,” “we,” “us” or “our,” was incorporated in the State of Nevada on January 26, 2010 under the name Insynergy, Inc. On September 7, 2017, the Company filed an Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation to change the corporate name to Starco Brands, Inc. The Board determined the change of the Company’s name was in the best interests of the Company due to changes in our current and anticipated business operations at that time. In July 2017, the Company entered into a licensing agreement with The Starco Group (“TSG”), located in Los Angeles, California. TSG is a private label and branded aerosol and liquid fill manufacturer with manufacturing assets in the following verticals: DIY/Hardware, paints, coatings and adhesives, household, hair care, disinfectants, automotive, motorcycle, arts & crafts, personal care cosmetics, personal care FDA, sun care, food, cooking oils, beverages, and spirits and wine. Upon entering into the licensing agreement with TSG, the Company pivoted to commercializing novel consumer products manufactured by TSG.
In 2022, the Company embarked on a strategy to grow its consumer product line offerings through the acquisition of multiple subsidiaries with established behavior changing products and brands. With an increased product line and its existing partner relationships, the Company is expanding its verticals and consumer base.
Executive Overview
In July 2017, our Board of Directors entered into a licensing agreement with TSG to pursue a new strategic marketing plan involving commercializing leading edge products with the intent to sell them through brick and mortar and online retailers. We are a company whose mission is to create behavior-changing products and brands. Our core competency is inventing brands, marketing, building trends, pushing awareness and social marketing. The licensing agreement with TSG provided STCB with certain products on an exclusive and royalty-free basis and other products on a non-exclusive and royalty basis, in the categories of food, household cleaning, air care, spirits and personal care.
The current CEO and owner of TSG, Ross Sklar, was named the CEO of STCB in August of 2017. Mr. Sklar has spent his career commercializing technology in industrial and consumer markets. Mr. Sklar has built teams of manufacturing personnel, research and development, and sales and marketing professionals over the last 20 years and has grown TSG into a successful and diversified manufacturer supplying a wide range of products to some of the largest retailers in the United States. As the Company continues to grow the number of products and brands under the STCB umbrella, it will continue to leverage its relationship with TSG to streamline its product manufacturing.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021
December 31,
December 31,
Change
Revenues
$ 7,812,728
$ 673,329
$ 7,139,399
Cost of goods sold
776,127
-
776,127
Gross profit
7,036,601
673,329
6,363,272
Operating expenses:
Compensation expense
1,175,267
285,837
889,430
Professional fees
1,822,927
460,363
1,362,564
Marketing, General and administrative
2,756,808
1,159,520
1,597,288
Marketing, related party
131,614
1,058,210
(926,596 )
Total operating expense
5,886,616
2,963,930
2,922,686
Income (loss) from operations
1,149,985
(2,290,601 )
Other expense:
Interest expense
68,721
30,973
37,748
Other expense
103,406
3,500
99,906
Total other expense
172,127
34,473
137,654
Income (loss) before provisions for income taxes
977,858
(2,325,074 )
3,302,932
Provision for income taxes
-
-
-
Net income (loss)
977,858
(2,325,074 )
3,302,932
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest
167,891
(73,909)
241,800
Net income (loss) attributable to Starco Brands
$ 809,967
$ (2,251,165 )
$ 3,061,132
Revenues
For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recorded revenues of $7,812,728 compared to $673,329 for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $7,139,299 or 1,060%. Royalty revenue represented 87% and 100%, or $6.8 million and $0.7 million, respectively, of all revenues with the remaining $1.0 million and $0 of revenue generated from product sales coming from our wholly owned subsidiary, AOS. This increase in the current period was largely due to growth in royalties from sales of Whipshots™ augmented by sales of AOS products from the date of its acquisition and partially offset by declines in sales of Breathe sanitizer and cleaning products during the period, which was not marketed during the same period last year, which consisted mainly of sales of breath cleansing products. The royalty rate that the Company paid varies on a per product basis of wholesale sales of our branded and non-corporate owned licensed products. Revenues are from our marketing licensing agreements with TSG and other affiliated companies for various products mentioned above. The increase in the current period is primarily due to initial volume sales of our Whipshots™, partially offset by declines in sales of Breathe cleaning and sanitizer products.
Operating Expenses
For the year ended December 31, 2022, compensation expense increased $889,430, or 311% to $1,175,267 compared to $285,837 for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase is a result of increases in spending on independent contractors and contributed services to support the launch and growth of Whipshots™.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company incurred $1,822,927 in professional fees compared to $460,363 in the prior period, an increase of $1,362,564, or 296%. Professional fees are mainly for accounting, auditing and legal services associated with our quarterly filings as a public company and advisory and valuation services. Professional fees are mainly for accounting, auditing and legal services associated with the acquisition of AOS, our merger activity, and our quarterly filings as a public company, and advisory and valuation services. The increase in 2022 is primarily due to an increase in banking, acquisition legal, and audit fees related to the acquisitions of AOS and Skylar, and to a lesser extent, corporate legal and audit fees.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company incurred $2,756,808 in marketing, general and administrative expense as compared to $1,159,520 for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $1,598,288, or 138%. The increase can be attributed to an increase in spending on marketing, including initial license payments related to the promotional launch for Whipshots™. Additionally, the increase in spending can be attributed to an increase in stock-based compensation related to the warrants issued during the year ended December 31, 2022.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company incurred $131,614 in Marketing, related party expenses as compared to $1,058,210 for the year ended December 31, 2022, a decrease of $926,596. The decrease for the period can be attributed to our no longer classifying marketing expense from a third-party firm as related party once our EVP of marketing joined the Company full time in February 2022 and ceased being affiliated with the third-party firm.
Other Income and Expense
For the year ended December 31, 2022, we had total other expense of $172,127 compared to other income of $34,473 for the year ended December 31, 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company had interest expense of $68,721 and merger related and other expenses of $103,406. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company had interest expense of $30,973 and a non-cash loss on assets of $3,500, without any offset from subleasing income or gains on extinguishment of debt.
Net Income (Loss)
For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recorded a net income of $977,858 as compared to net loss of $2,325,074 for the year ended December 31, 2021. The change from a net loss to net income is primarily the result of the increase in our royalty revenues partially offset by increased marketing and general expenses.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As reflected in the accompanying consolidated financial statements, the Company has an accumulated deficit of $17,578,219 at December 31, 2022. We received net cash of $2,223,392 from financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022, due primarily to $2,472,500 of loan advances from Ross Sklar, our CEO and $151,250 of equity investments from unaffiliated parties, less share repurchases of $131,400 and other repayment activity. This compared to net cash received from financing activities of $1,518,421, primarily from related party advances of $1,447,272 and $600,000 of equity investments from unaffiliated parties for the year ended December 31, 2021. A majority of our financing activity consisted of payments to and from related parties.
Our net cash provided by operating activities was $377,777 for the year ended December 31, 2022. Operating expenses for 2022 totaling $5,886,616 include items such as marketing and administrative costs, consultant compensation, insurance, legal and other professional fees, compliance and website maintenance.
On January 24, 2020, STCB executed a promissory note for $100,000 with Ross Sklar, CEO. The note bears interest at 4% per annum, compounds monthly, is unsecured, and matures two years from the original date of issuance. This loan was subsequently amended to mature on July 19, 2023. On June 28, 2021, STCB executed an additional promissory note with Ross Sklar in the principal amount of $100,000 with the same terms as the January 24, 2020 note and a maturity date of June 28, 2023. On September 17, 2021, STCB executed a third promissory note with Ross Sklar in the principal amount of $500,000 with the same terms as the prior notes and a maturity date of September 17, 2023. On December 13, 2021, STCB executed a fourth promissory note with Ross Sklar in the principal amount of $500,000 with the same terms as the prior notes and a maturity date of December 12, 2023. As of December 31, 2021, there was $1,200,000 of principal and $8,626 of accrued interest due on these notes. On February 14, 2022, STCB executed a fifth promissory note with Ross Sklar in the principal amount of $472,500 with the same terms as the prior notes and a maturity date of February 14, 2024. This note is also convertible into the Company’s common stock at the lender’s option and a conversion price of $0.29 per share. On December 29, 2022, STCB executed a sixth promissory note with Ross Sklar in the principal amount of $2,000,000. This note bears interest at Prime + 4% per annum, compounds monthly, is secured, matures on August 1, 2023, and included warrants to purchase 285,714 shares of the Company’s common stock at a price of $0.01 per share.
Going Concern
The audited consolidated financial statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company has an accumulated deficit of approximately $17.6 million at December 31, 2022 including the impact of its net income of approximately $1.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The Company’s ability to continue with this trend is unknown. The Company’s ability to raise additional capital through the future issuances of common stock and/or debt financing is unknown. On December 29, 2022, the Company issued Ross Sklar, CEO, a related party, a $2,000,000 note payable due August 1, 2023 (see Note 7), in exchange for funds of $2 million which were used as consideration to consummate the Skylar Acquisition. The obtainment of additional financing and the successful development of the Company’s contemplated plan of operations, to the attainment of profitable operations are necessary for the Company to continue operations. These conditions and the ability to successfully resolve these factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The consolidated financial statements of the Company do not include any adjustments that may result from the outcome of these aforementioned uncertainties.
Working Capital Surplus
December 31,
December 31,
Current assets
$ 7,971,639
$ 1,245,942
Current liabilities
7,690,876
2,811,233
Working capital surplus (deficiency)
$ 280,763
$ (1,565,291 )
The increase in current assets is primarily due to the increase in cash on hand of $1,141,508, as well as an increase in accounts receivable of $2,381,466 and an increase in inventory of $3,033,653. In 2021, the Company had no inventory. The increase in current liabilities is primarily a result of the increase in accounts payable of $2,652,908 and an increase in notes payable to related party of $3,055,713.
Cash Flows
Year Ended
December 31,
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
$ 377,777
$ (1,837,240 )
Net cash used in investing activities
(1,459,661 )
(115,640 )
Net cash provided by financing activities
2,223,392
1,518,421
Increase (decrease) in cash
$ 1,141,508
$ (434,459 )
Operating Activities
Net cash provided by operating activities was $377,777 for the year ended December 31, 2022 and was primarily due to an increase of accounts receivable of $1,932,956, which was partially offset by an increase of other payables and accrued liabilities of $772,074 and a decrease of prepaid expenses and other assets of $700,061.
Net cash used in operating activities was $1,837,240 for the year ended December 31, 2021 and was primarily due to the net loss of $2,325,074.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities was $1,459,661 for the year ended December 31, 2022 and was primarily due to cash paid in acquisition of business, net of $1,459,661.
Net cash used in investing activities was $115,640 for the year ended December 31, 2021 and was primarily due to the purchase of intangibles of $20,000 and payments on note receivable from related party of $95,640.
Financing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2022, net cash provided by financing activities was $2,223,392, which includes $2,472,500 from advances from related parties and $150,494 from the proceeds of common stock.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, net cash provided by financing activities was $1,518,421, which includes $1,447,272 from advances from related parties and $600,000 from the proceeds of common stock.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have not entered into any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources and would be considered material to investors.
Effects of Inflation
Inflationary factors such as increases in the costs to acquire goods and overhead costs may adversely affect our operating results. Although we do not believe that inflation has had a material impact on our financial position or results of operations to date, a high rate of inflation in the future may have an adverse effect on our ability to maintain current levels of gross margin and selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues if the selling prices of our services do not increase with these increased costs.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in conformity with US GAAP. The preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, costs, expense and related disclosures. These estimates and assumptions are often based on historical experience and judgements that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances at the time made. However, all such estimates and assumptions are inherently uncertain and unpredictable, and actual results may differ. It is possible that other professionals, applying their own judgement to the same facts and circumstances, could develop and support alternative estimates and assumptions that could result in material changes to our operating results and financial condition. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis.
We consider our critical accounting estimates to include the assumptions and estimates associated with timing for revenue recognition, testing goodwill for impairment, recoverability of long-lived assets, income taxes, fair value of contributed services, and assumptions used in the Black-Scholes valuation methods, such as expected volatility, risk-free interest rate and expected dividend rate. Our significant accounting policies are more fully described in the notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements. We believe that the following accounting policies and estimates are critical to our business operations and understanding our financial results.
Acquisition Accounting
We account for acquisitions in accordance with the acquisition method of accounting pursuant to ASC 805, Business Combinations. Accordingly, for each acquisition, we record the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date, and recognize the excess of the consideration paid over the fair value of the net assets acquired as goodwill. For each acquisition, the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed is determined based on assumptions that reasonable market participants would use to value the assets in the principal (or most advantageous) market.
In determining the fair value of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed in connection with acquisitions, management engages third-party valuation experts. Management is responsible for these internal and third-party valuations and appraisals.
Revenue Recognition
STCB and its subsidiaries currently earn a majority of their revenue as royalties from the licensing agreements it has with TSG, a related entity, and other related parties. STCB licenses the right for TSG to manufacture and sell certain Starco Brands products. The amount of the licensing revenue received varies depending upon the product and the royalty percentage is determined beforehand in each agreement. The Company recognizes its revenue under these licensing agreements only when sales are made by TSG or other related parties to a third party.
AOS, one of STCB’s wholly owned subsidiaries, earns its revenues through the sale of premium body and skincare products. Revenue from retail sales is recognized at shipment to the retailer. Revenue from eCommerce sales, including Amazon Fulfillment by Amazon (“Amazon FBA”), is recognized upon shipment of merchandise.
Skylar, one of STCB’s wholly owned subsidiaries, earns its revenues through the sale of fragrances. Revenue from retail sales is recognized at shipment to the retailer. Revenue from eCommerce sales, including Amazon Fulfillment by Amazon (“Amazon FBA”), is recognized upon shipment of merchandise.
The Company applies the following five-step model in order to determine this amount: (i) identification of the promised goods in the contract; (ii) determination of whether the promised goods are performance obligations, including whether they are distinct in the context of the contract; (iii) measurement of the transaction price, including the constraint on variable consideration; (iv) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations; and (v) recognition of revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies each performance obligation.
The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that the entity will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the licensee transferring goods or services to the customer. Once a contract is determined to be within the scope of ASC 606 at contract inception, the Company reviews the contract to determine which performance obligations the Company’s licensee must deliver and which of these performance obligations are distinct. The Company recognizes as revenues the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when the performance obligation is satisfied or as it is satisfied. Generally, the Company’s licensee’s performance obligations are transferred to customers at a point in time, typically upon delivery.
Goodwill Impairment
Goodwill as of the acquisition date is measured as the excess of consideration transferred over the net of the acquisition date fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. While we use our best estimates and assumptions to accurately value assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date, our estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement.
We review goodwill for impairment at least annually or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. Our goodwill impairment test may require the use of qualitative judgements and fair-value techniques, which are inherently subjective. Impairment loss, if any, is recorded when the fair value of goodwill is less than its carrying value for each reporting unit.
No impairment losses related to goodwill were recognized for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Recoverability of Long-Lived Assets
We review intangible assets, property, equipment and software with finite lives for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset or asset group to future undiscounted cash flows that the asset or asset group is expected to generate. If assets are determined to be impaired, the impairment loss to be recognized equals the amount by which the carrying value of the asset or group of assets exceeds its fair value. Significant estimates include but are not limited to future expected cash flows, replacement cost and discount rates. There were no impairment losses related to long-lived assets for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Income Taxes
The Company follows Section 740-10-30 of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification, which requires recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the consolidated financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are based on the differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the fiscal year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance to the extent management concludes it is more likely than not that the assets will not be realized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the fiscal years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the Statements of Income in the period that includes the enactment date.
The Company adopted section 740-10-25 of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“Section 740-10-25”) with regards to uncertainty income taxes. Section 740-10-25 addresses the determination of whether tax benefits claimed or expected to be claimed on a tax return should be recorded in the consolidated financial statements. Under Section 740-10-25, the Company may recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the consolidated financial statements from such a position should be measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent (50%) likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Section 740-10-25 also provides guidance on de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties on income taxes, accounting in interim periods and requires increased disclosures. The Company had no material adjustments to its liabilities for unrecognized income tax benefits according to the provisions of Section 740-10-25.
Contributed Services
The Company uses contributed services from related parties on an as needed basis for a portion of Company operations. Depending on the amount of time related parties spend working on STCB, the Company allocates a percentage of the related parties’ salaries to be accounted for as contributed services expense.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
The Company has implemented all new accounting pronouncements that are in effect. These pronouncements did not have any material impact on the consolidated financial statements unless otherwise disclosed, and the Company does not believe that there are any other new accounting pronouncements that have been issued that might have a material impact on its consolidated financial position or results of operations.

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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
Not applicable.

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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
The financial statements required by this Item 8 of this Annual Report are included in this Annual Report following Item 16 (“Form 10-K Summary”). As a smaller reporting company, we are not required to provide supplementary financial information.

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ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
Changes in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant
On March 8, 2022, our Board of Directors received formal notice that our independent auditors, Haynie & Company (“Haynie”), had made the decision to resign as our independent accountants effective March 8, 2022. On March 11, 2022, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to accept the resignation.
Haynie audited the financial statements of the Company for the two years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The report of Haynie on such financial statements, dated April 15, 2021, did not contain an adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion and was not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles.
For the two fiscal years and subsequent interim periods though the date of Haynie’s resignation, there had been no disagreements with the former accountants on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreement, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Haynie, would have caused them to make reference thereto in their report on the financial statements.
During the two fiscal years and the interim period to the date of Haynie’s resignation, there had been no reportable events, as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-B.
During the Company’s fiscal year 2020 and 2021, and since then, Haynie has not advised the Company that any of the following exist or are applicable:
(1) That the internal controls necessary for the Company to develop reliable financial statements do not exist, that information has come to their attention that has led them to no longer be able to rely on management’s representations, or that has made them unwilling to be associated with the financial statements prepared by management.
(2) That the Company needs to expand significantly the scope of its audit, or that information has come to their attention that if further investigated may materially impact the fairness or reliability of a previously issued audit report or the underlying financial statements or any other financial presentation, or cause them to be unwilling to rely on management’s representations or be associated with the Company’s financial statements for the foregoing reasons or any other reason, or
(3) That they have advised the Company that information has come to their attention that they have concluded materially impacts the fairness or reliability of either a previously issued audit report or the underlying financial statements for the foregoing reasons or any other reason.
We have provided Haynie a copy of the disclosure made in response to Item 4.01 on our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on March 15, 2022 and requested that Haynie provide a letter addressed to the Securities & Exchange Commission confirming their agreement with the disclosure contained herein. Pursuant to our request, Haynie provided the letter which is attached as Exhibit 16.1 thereto.
New Independent Accountants
On March 11, 2020, Macias Gini & O’Connell LLP (“MGO”), Certified Public Accountants of Irvine, California, were appointed by the Company to audit our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021. During the two fiscal years and the subsequent interim periods preceding their appointment as independent accountants, neither the Company nor anyone on its behalf consulted MGO regarding (1) the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on the Company’s consolidated financial statements, and MGO did not provide either a written report or oral advice to the Company that was an important factor considered by the Company in reaching a decision as to any accounting, auditing, or financial reporting issue, (2) any matter that was either the subject of a disagreement with Haynie on accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure or auditing scope or procedures, which, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Haynie, would have caused Haynie to make reference to the matter in their report, or a “reportable event” as described in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K of the SEC’s rules and regulations.

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ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as that term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act), that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures. In designing disclosure controls and procedures, our management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible disclosure controls and procedures. The design of any disclosure controls and procedures also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance of achieving the desired control objectives.
Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we are required to perform an evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act, as of December 31, 2022.
Management has completed such evaluation and has concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by us in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures. As a result of the material weakness in internal controls over financial reporting described below, we concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2022 were not effective.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Our internal control over financial reporting is a process designed under the supervision of our principal executive and principal financial officer and effected by our Board of Directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of our consolidated financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with GAAP.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. In addition, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Material Weaknesses in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022 based on the framework established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this assessment, management has determined that our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022 was not effective.
A material weakness, as defined in the standards established by the Sarbanes-Oxley is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
The ineffectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting was due to the following material weaknesses, which we had previously reported as of December 31, 2021, and which have not yet been remediated:
● Lack of an audit committee
● Lack of corporate documentation
● Fulfillment of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer roles by the same person
Management’s Plan to Remediate the Material Weaknesses
During the year ended December 31, 2022, Management has been implementing and continues to implement measures designed to ensure that control deficiencies contributing to the material weakness are remediated, such that these controls are designed, implemented, and operating effectively. The remediation actions include:
● The full time Controller hired in 2022 will expand on controls implemented around segregation of duties for cash transactions and continue to strengthen corporate documentation and controls, and the overall financial reporting process,
● Formal appointment of a Chief Financial Officer in the first half of 2023, who will be overseeing the financial reporting process and implementation of enhanced controls and governance,
● Engagement of separate external financial consulting firms to continue to enhance financial reporting, financial operations, internal controls/ segregation of duties; as well as improve tax analysis and reporting,
● Management plans to begin a search in 2023 to expand the Board of Directors to include a member qualified to sit on an Audit Committee.
Management will continue to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of our internal controls and procedures over financial reporting on an ongoing basis and is committed to taking further action and implementing additional enhancements or improvements, as necessary and as funds allow.
This Annual Report does not include an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by our independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission that exempt smaller reporting companies from this requirement.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Other than described above there have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during our fourth quarter of 2022 that have materially affected, or that are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

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ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 9B. Other Information.
None.

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ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
Directors and Executive Officers
The following table sets forth the names and ages of our current directors and named executive officers. Our bylaws require that the total number of directors constituting our Board of Directors shall be not less than one (1) nor more than seven (7), to serve until the earlier occurrence of the election of his or her successor at the next meeting of stockholders, death, resignation or removal by the Board of Directors. Our executive officers are appointed by our Board of Directors and serve at its discretion. There are no family relationships among our directors, executive officers, or director nominees.
Name
Age
Position
Term of Director/Officer
Ross Sklar
President, CEO, Interim Chief Financial Officer, Chairman of the Board and Director
August 2015 until next annual meeting
Darin Brown
Executive Vice President, Director
June 2020 until next annual meeting
Demir Vangelov
Director
February 2022 until next annual meeting
David Dreyer
Executive Vice President of Marketing
June 2020 until next appointment of officers by the Board of Directors
Ross Sklar was appointed to fill a vacancy on our Board on August 13, 2015. Mr. Sklar is the founder and current Chief Executive Officer of The Starco Group, located in Los Angeles, California. On August 9, 2017, Mr. Sklar was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Starco Brands. He started The Starco Group in January 2010. The Starco Group is a diversified aerosol and liquid fill producer of private label and branded industrial and consumer products that manufactures for almost every consumer category. For over 15 years Mr. Sklar has developed technology in industrial and consumer markets. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Manitoba.
Darin Brown joined the Company as a Director on June 4, 2020, and was appointed as its Executive Vice President in July 2020. Mr. Brown has over 20 years of experience in chemical operations and consumer package goods distribution experience. He also currently serves as Executive Vice President of Operations for The Starco Group, which is a position he has held since February 2012. Mr. Brown has exceptional leadership experience, having overseen teams of over 200 people during his time at The Starco Group.
Demir Vangelov joined the Company as a Director on February 15, 2022 in connection with the Soylent Acquisition. Mr. Vangelov has 15 years of experience in the food industry. He was a member of the board of directors and the Chief Executive Officer of Soylent Nutrition, Inc., a privately held, plant-based food company. Mr. Vangelov joined Soylent as its Chief Financial Officer in June 2018 and was promoted to Chief Executive Officer in February 2020, when he was also appointed to Soylent’s board. Soylent was acquired by Starco Brands, Inc. in February 2023.
David Dreyer joined the Company as an Executive Vice President of Marketing on June 4, 2020 and was promoted to Chief Marketing Officer in February 2022. Dreyer brings over twenty years of experience working with Blue Chip Brands to the team at Starco Brands. Upon receiving his MS in Integrated Marketing from Northwestern University, Dreyer started his career with Honda and internet pioneer Stamps.com. Dreyer then migrated over to the agency side of the business, working for industry standouts Deutsch, TBWA/Chiat/Day, The Woo and Media Arts Lab. His roster of brands that he has worked with also speaks for itself, as Dreyer feels privileged to have worked with brands such as Apple, Pepsi, Pizza Hut, Dr. Pepper, Snapple, Infinity, The GRAMMY’s, Jimmy Dean and TOMS. In his spare time, Dreyer is a Professor of Advertising at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication, where he loves introducing students to the world of advertising and helping them find their footing in the industry.
Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings
None of our officer nor directors, promoters or control persons have been involved in the past ten years in any of the following:
(1) Any bankruptcy petition filed by or against any business of which such person was a general partner or executive officer either at the time of the bankruptcy or within two years prior to that time;
(2) Any conviction in a criminal proceeding or being subject to a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses);
(3) Being subject to any order, judgment or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, or any court of competent jurisdiction, permanently or temporarily enjoining, barring, suspending or otherwise limiting his involvement in any type of business, securities or banking activities; or
(4) Being found by a court of competent jurisdiction (in a civil action), the Commission or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to have violated a federal or state securities or commodities law, and the judgment has not been reversed, suspended, or vacated.
Compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires our directors, executive officers and persons who own more than ten percent of our common stock, to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of common stock. Officers, directors and ten-percent or greater beneficial owners are required by SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) reports they file. Based upon a review of those forms and representations regarding the need for filing for the year ended December 31, 2022, we believe all necessary forms have been filed.
Corporate Governance
We do not have a standing nominating committee for directors, nor do we have an audit committee with an audit committee financial expert serving on that committee. Our entire Board of Directors, act as our nominating and audit committee.
Code of Ethics
The Company has not yet adopted a code of ethics as until recently it had an inconsequential number of employees at the parent and subsidiary levels. We intend to adopt a code of ethics in the future.

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ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
The following table provides information as to cash compensation of all executive officers of the Company, for each of the Company’s last two fiscal years.
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
Name and principal position Year Salary ($)(1) Bonus ($) Stock Awards ($) Option Awards ($) Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($) Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings ($) All Other Compensation ($) Total ($)
Ross Sklar, $ 10,000 $ 1,000
$ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 11,000
CEO, Interim CFO and Director $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0
Darin Brown, $ 93,500 $ 1,000
$ 0 $ 0 $ 491,742 $ 0 $ 0 $ 586,242
VP, Director $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0
Demir Vangelov, Director $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0
David Dreyer, $ 262,500 $ 1,000
$ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 263,500
VP $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0
(1) The compensation reported in 2022 under Salary was payable to the officers under consulting compensation as 1099-NEC wages.
Employment Agreements
STCB has no formal employment agreements in place at this time.
Director Compensation
The Company does not have any arrangement for compensation of our directors for any services provided as director, including services for committee participation or for special assignments.

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ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
Securities Under Equity Compensation Plans
The Company does not have any securities authorized for issuance under any equity compensation plans approved by our stockholders and any equity compensation plans not approved by our stockholders as of December 31, 2022.
Beneficial Ownership
The following table lists the beneficial ownership of our outstanding Class A common stock by our management and each person or group known to us to own beneficially more than 5% of our voting common stock. Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and generally includes voting or investment power with respect to securities. Based on these rules, two or more persons may be deemed to be the beneficial owners of the same securities. Except as indicated by footnote, the persons named in the table below have sole voting power and investment power with respect to the shares of Class A common stock shown as beneficially owned by them. The percentage of beneficial ownership is based on 469,312,080 shares of common stock outstanding as of April 17, 2023.
Title of Class Name of
Beneficial Owner
Amount of Beneficial Ownership Percent of Class
Class A common Stock Ross Sklar 93,723,446 20.0 %
Class A common Stock David Dreyer 4,000,000 0.9 %
Class A common Stock Darin Brown 2,000,000 0.4 %
Class A common Stock Demir Vangelov 12,617,857 (1) 2.7 %
Class A common Stock GV 2016 GP, L.L.C. 57,535,013 (2) 12.3 %
Class A common Stock Andreessen Horowitz Fund IV, L.P. 46,278,004 (3) 9.9 %
Class A common Stock The Production Board, LLC 35,671,708 (4) 7.6 %
Class A common Stock Lightspeed Venture Partners XI, L.P. 30,979,630 (5) 6.6 %
Class A common Stock Upfront VI, L.P. 23,594,338 (6) 5.0 %
Directors and executive officers as a group
(4 persons) 112,341,303 5.0 %
(1) Mr. Vangelov holds theses shares indirectly through Hamilton Start, LLC. Mr. Vangelov’s shares are subject to that certain Voting Agreement, by and among Starco Brands, Inc., Ross Sklar, and the stockholders of the Company listed on Schedule A thereto, dated February 15, 2023.
(2) GV 2016 GP, L.L.C. holds theses shares indirectly through GV 2016, L.P. Hamilton Start, LLC. GV 2016 GP, L.L.C’s shares are subject to that certain Voting Agreement, by and among Starco Brands, Inc., Ross Sklar, and the stockholders of the Company listed on Schedule A thereto, dated February 15, 2023.
(3) Andreessen Horowitz Fund IV, L.P.’s shares are subject to that certain Voting Agreement, by and among Starco Brands, Inc., Ross Sklar, and the stockholders of the Company listed on Schedule A thereto, dated February 15, 2023
(4) The Production Board, LLC’s shares are subject to that certain Voting Agreement, by and among Starco Brands, Inc., Ross Sklar, and the stockholders of the Company listed on Schedule A thereto, dated February 15, 2023.
(5) Lightspeed Venture Partners XI, L.P.’s shares are subject to that certain Voting Agreement, by and among Starco Brands, Inc., a Nevada corporation, and the stockholders listed on Schedule A thereto, dated September 12, 2022.
(6) Upfront VI, L.P.’s shares are subject to that certain Voting Agreement, by and among Starco Brands, Inc. and the stockholders listed on Schedule A thereto, dated December 29, 2022.

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ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
Related Party Transactions
The following information summarizes transactions we have either engaged in for the past two fiscal years or propose to engage in, involving our executive officers, directors, more than 5% stockholders, or immediate family members of these persons. These transactions were negotiated between related parties without “arm’s length” bargaining and, as a result, the terms of these transactions may be different than transactions negotiated between unrelated persons.
During the year ended December 31, 2017, Sanford Lang, STCB’s former Chairman and CEO, advanced STCB $289,821 to pay for general operating expenses. The advance required a monthly interest payment of $2,545 and was due on demand. In June 2021, Sanford Lang and Martin Goldrod (former directors and executive officers of STCB) executed agreements with STCB whereby the advance from Mr. Lang and all other amounts owed to each were repaid and both Mr. Lang and Mr. Goldrod resigned from the Board of Directors. Further, for a period of 36 months beginning in July 2021, STCB will repurchase an aggregate of $10,950 of shares each month from Mr. Lang and Mr. Goldrod, with the share price for each purchase to be set according to the volume weighted average price of trades in the stock over the last 10 days of the month. As of December 31, 2022 STCB has repurchased an aggregate of $197,100 to Mr. Lang and Mr. Goldrod per the agreements and effected the corresponding share transfers.
As of December 31, 2021, STCB owed TSG $72,843 for expenses paid by TSG on behalf of STCB for expenses to launch licensed brands. This obligation was satisfied in 2022 such that there is no further obligation for this matter. In addition, in 2022 STCB satisfied additional obligations to TSG and its subsidiaries totaling $203,539 for expenses paid on behalf of STCB or funds advanced to the Company to pay for other operating expenses. TSG is owned by Ross Sklar, CEO. The Company did not incur any expenses paid by TSG on behalf of STCB during the year ended December 31, 2022.
On January 24, 2020, STCB executed a promissory note (“January 24, 2020”), for $100,000 with Ross Sklar, CEO. The January 24, 2020 Note bore interest at 4% per annum, compounded monthly, was unsecured, and matured two years from the original date of issuance. On July 19, 2022, the Company and Mr. Sklar, agreed to amend and restate the January 24, 2020 Note. Mr. Sklar agreed to extend the term of the January 24, 2020 Note through the entry into a First Amended and Restated Promissory Note (the “Amended Note”) in exchange for the Company paying the accrued and unpaid interest under the January 24, 2020 Note, including during the period following maturity date of the January 24, 2020 Note (January 24, 2022 through July 19, 2022). In exchange for extending the term, Mr. Sklar waived the default interest rate of ten percent (10%) and agreed to interest accrual at the standard four percent (4%) rate during the period following maturity. The Amended Note carries a guaranteed 4% interest rate, matures on July 19, 2024, and has a 10% interest rate on a default of repayment at maturity. The Company, at its option, may prepay the Amended Note, in whole or in part, without prepayment penalty of any kind, and the obligations under the Amended Note will accelerate in full upon an Event of Default (as defined in the Amended Note).
On June 28, 2021, STCB executed an additional promissory note (“June 28, 2021 Note”), with Mr. Sklar in the principal amount of $100,000 with the same terms as the January 24, 2020 Note and a maturity date of June 28, 2023. On September 17, 2021, STCB executed a third promissory note (“September 17, 2021 Note”), with Mr. Sklar in the principal amount of $500,000 with the same terms as the January 24, 2020 Note and a maturity date of September 17, 2023. On December 13, 2021, STCB executed a fourth promissory note (“December 13, 2021 Note”), with Mr. Sklar in the principal amount of $500,000 with the same terms as the January 24, 2020 Note and a maturity date of December 12, 2023.
On February 14, 2022, STCB executed a fifth promissory note (“February 14, 2022 Note”), in favor of Mr. Sklar, in the principal sum of $472,500, in exchange for a cash advance in the amount of $300,000 and payment of Company costs in the amount of $172,500. As with the January 24, 2020 note between the Company and our CEO, the February 14, 2022 Note bears interest at 4% per annum, is unsecured, and matures two years from the original date of issuance. This note may also convert into shares of Company Class A common stock at the 10-day volume weighted average trading price of the Company Class A common stock for the 10-day period prior to the issuance of the Note, which was calculated as $0.29 per share.
On December 29, 2022 STCB entered into a financing transaction with Mr. Sklar consisting of a secured promissory note (the “December 29, 2022 Note”), warrants (the “December 29, 2022 Warrants”) to purchase common stock of the Company (the “Common Stock”), and a security agreement (the “ December 29, 2022 Security Agreement”) to secure the obligations under the December 29, 2022 Note (the foregoing agreements and transactions contemplated thereby, collectively, the “Financing”). The entry into the Financing was approved by the disinterested directors of the Company and was entered into to provide the Company with short-term liquidity to fund non-ordinary course business transactions and acquisitions.
The December 29, 2022 Note executed by STCB had a the principal sum of $2,000,000, and carries a floating interest rate comprised of the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate (re-assessed on the first day of each month) plus 4% (for a then current floating interest rate of 11.5%). The December 29, 2022 Note matures on August 1, 2023 and has a default interest rate equal to the then current interest rate plus 5%. The Company, at its option, may prepay the December 29, 2022 Note, in whole or in part, without prepayment penalty of any kind. In connection with the December 29, 2022 Note, the Company entered into the December 29, 2022 Security Agreement to secure the December 29, 2022 Note obligations and issued the December 29, 2022 Warrants as a funding fee to obtain the loaned funds.
The December 29, 2022 Security Agreement, by and between the Company and Sklar to provide security interests to Sklar to secure the obligations underlying the December 29, 2022 Note. A security interest in the Collateral (as defined in the Security Agreement) has been granted to Mr. Sklar to secure the repayment of all principal, interest, costs, expenses and other amounts now or hereafter due under the December 29, 2022 Note by the maturity date. Mr. Sklar is authorized to file financing statements to perfect the security interest in the Collateral without authentication by the Company.
The December 29, 2022 Warrants, consist of warrants to purchase 285,714 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.01 per share. The number of shares of common stock for which the December 29, 2022 Warrants are exercisable and the exercise price may be adjusted upon any event involving subdivisions, combinations, distributions, recapitalizations and like transactions. Pursuant to the December 29, 2022 Warrant, the warrant and the right to purchase securities upon the exercise of the December 29, 2022 Warrant will terminate on December 29, 2027. The December 29, 2022 Warrants are fully vested as of the date of grant and may be exercised through cash or cashless exercise.
As of December 31, 2022, there was $3,672,500 of principal and $6,960 of accrued interest due on these notes, respectively.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company incurred $131,614 of marketing expense from The Woo while David Dryer, the EVP of Marketing, was also Managing Director at The Woo. Mr. Dreyer left the Woo in February 2022 .
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company recognized revenue of $7,812,728 and $673,329, respectively. There were $2,107,015 of accounts receivable and accrued accounts receivable from TSG and Temperance as of December 31, 2022.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company advanced $95,640 to Temperance as a note and related to its initial production of Whipshots. The note carries no interest and is payable on demand.
Voting Agreements
On September 12, 2022, in connection with the closing of the AOS Acquisition, the Company entered into a Voting Agreement (the “AOS Voting Agreement”) with certain stockholders. The AOS Voting Agreement generally requires that the stockholders subject to the AOS Voting Agreement vote or cause to be voted their shares of Class A common stock, and execute and deliver written consents and otherwise exercise all voting rights with respect to their shares of Class A common stock in the same manner as Mr. Sklar votes or gives his consent, provided that such manner does not adversely affect such stockholder in a manner different from the effect on other holders of Class A common stock. In addition, in connection with the AOS Voting Agreement, the stockholders delivered irrevocable proxies to Mr. Sklar. The AOS Voting Agreement terminates (a) automatically upon the listing of the Company’s Class A common stock on the Nasdaq Stock Market or New York Stock Exchange, (b) with the written consent of each of the parties signatories thereto, (c) automatically in the event that Mr. Sklar owns less than 30% of the issued and outstanding common stock of the Company and is no longer the Company’s chief executive officer, or (d) automatically in the event the Company voluntarily commences any bankruptcy or similar proceedings or has commenced against it any bankruptcy or similar proceedings that are not dismissed within 60 days of such commencement.
On November 7, 2022, STCB entered into a Voting Agreement with Sanford Lang (a former director of STCB), pursuant to which, among other things, Mr. Lang would vote his shares in the same manner as Mr. Sklar votes or gives his consent, provided that such manner does not adversely affect such stockholder in a manner different from the effect on other holders of Class A common stock. On that same date, STCB entered into a Voting Agreement with Martin Goldrod (a former director of STCB), pursuant to which, among other things, Mr. Goldrod would vote his shares in the same manner as Mr. Sklar votes or gives his consent, provided that such manner does not adversely affect such stockholder in a manner different from the effect on other holders of Class A common stock.
On December 29, 2022, in connection with the closing of the Skylar Acquisition, STCB entered into a Voting Agreement (the “Skylar Voting Agreement”) with certain former stockholders. The Skylar Voting Agreement generally requires that the stockholders subject to the Skylar Voting Agreement vote or cause to be voted their shares of Class A common stock, and execute and deliver written consents and otherwise exercise all voting rights with respect to their shares of Class A common stock in the same manner as Mr. Sklar votes or gives his consent, provided that such vote or action does not disproportionately or adversely affect the stockholder in a manner different from the effect on other holders of Class A common stock. In addition, in connection with the Skylar Voting Agreement, the stockholders delivered irrevocable proxies to Mr. Sklar. The Skylar Voting Agreement terminates (a) automatically upon the listing of the Class A common stock on the Nasdaq Stock Market or New York Stock Exchange, (b) with the written consent of each of the parties signatories thereto, (c) automatically in the event that both of the following conditions are met: (i) Mr. Sklar is no longer Starco’s chief executive officer and (ii) Sklar is no longer a member of the Board of Directors of STCB, or (d) automatically in the event Starco voluntarily commences any bankruptcy or similar proceedings or has commenced against it any bankruptcy or similar proceedings that are not dismissed within 60 days of such commencement.
On February 15, 2023 in connection with the closing of the Soylent Acquisition, STCB entered into a Voting Agreement (the “Soylent Voting Agreement”) with Mr. Sklar and certain other stockholders of STCB. The Soylent Voting Agreement generally requires that the stockholders (other than Mr. Sklar) for a period of one year vote or cause to be voted their shares of Class A common stock, and execute and deliver written consents and otherwise exercise all voting rights with respect to their shares of Class A common stock in the same manner as Mr. Sklar votes or gives his consent, provided that such vote or action does not disproportionately or adversely affect the other stockholders subject to the Soylent Voting Agreement in a manner different from the effect on other holders of Class A common stock. In addition, in connection with the Soylent Voting Agreement, the stockholders (other than Mr. Sklar) delivered irrevocable proxies to Mr. Sklar for one year. The Soylent Voting Agreement also requires the stockholders and Mr. Sklar for a period of two years to vote all shares such person has voting control over in favor of the election of (i) a Soylent stockholder director which shall initially be Demir Vangelov, (ii) Ross Sklar and (iii) such other person as may be designated by Mr. Sklar from time to time. The Soylent Voting Agreement contemplates standard preemptive rights to ensure anti-dilution protections for the parties for three (3) years. The Voting Agreement shall be effective for three (3) years from February 15, 2023 but terminates (a) automatically upon the listing of the Class A common stock on the Nasdaq Stock Market or New York Stock Exchange, (b) with the written consent of each of the parties signatories thereto, (c) automatically in the event that both of the following conditions are met: (i) Mr. Sklar is no longer STCB’s chief executive officer and (ii) Mr. Sklar owns less than 20% of the issued and outstanding Class A Common stock of Starco, or (d) automatically in the event Starco voluntarily commences any bankruptcy or similar proceedings or has commenced against it any bankruptcy or similar proceedings that are not dismissed within 60 days of such commencement.
Accounting for Mr. Sklar’s personal share holdings, and each of the referenced voting agreements, Mr. Sklar effectively controls approximately 82.0% of the total voting power of STCB.
Director Independence
At this time, the Company does not have a policy that its directors or a majority be independent of management. The Company currently has three directors. It is the intention of the Company to implement a policy in the future that a majority of the Board member be independent of the Company’s management as the members of the board of director’s increases following further implementation of the Company’s business plan.

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ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services.
Audit Fees
Macias Gini & O’Connell LLP (“MGO”) has served as our independent registered public accountants for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. The following is a summary of the fees billed or expected to be billed to us by MGO for professional services rendered with respect to the fiscal years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:
MGO
Audit fees (1) $ 300,000 $ 75,000
Audit-related fees (2) 155,000 -
Tax fees (3)
-
All other fees (4)
-
$ 455,000 $ 75,000
(1) Audit Fees consist of fees billed and expected to be billed for services rendered for the audit of our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the review of our condensed consolidated financial statements included in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.
(2) Audit-related fees represent professional services rendered for assurance and related services by the accounting firm that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our consolidated financial statements that are not reported under “Audit Fees.”
(3) Tax Fees consist of fees billed for professional services related to preparation of our U.S. federal and state income tax returns and tax advice.
(4) All Other Fees consist of fees billed for products and services provided by our independent registered public accountants, other than those disclosed above.
Pre-Approval Policies
Our Board of Directors approves the engagement of the auditor before the firm renders audit and non-audit services. Since the Company does not have an audit committee, we do not rely on pre-approval policies and procedures.
PART IV

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ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit No.
Exhibit Description
2.1 (*)†
Agreement and Plan of Merger, by and among (i) Starco Brands, Inc., a Nevada corporation, (ii) Starco Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation, (iii) The AOS Group Inc., a Delaware corporation, and (iv) Matthias Metternich, solely in his capacity as the Company Stockholder Representative of The AOS Group stockholders, dated September 12, 2022, filed as Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on September 15, 2022.
2.2 (*)†
Agreement and Plan of Merger, by and among (i) Starco Brands, Inc., a Nevada corporation, (ii) Starco Merger Sub II, Inc., a Delaware corporation, (iii) Skylar Body, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, (iv) Skylar Body, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and (v) Shareholder Representative Services LLC, solely in its capacity as the representative of the Company Holders, dated December 29, 2022, filed as Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on January 4, 2023.
2.3 (*)†
Agreement and Plan of Merger, by and among Starco Brands, Inc., Starco Merger Sub I Inc., Soylent Nutrition, Inc., and Hamilton Start, LLC, solely in its capacity as stockholders’ representative and solely for purposes of Article IX, Article X, Section 2.08 and Section 6.11 therein, dated February 14, 2023, filed as Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on February 21, 2023.
3.1 (#)
Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of Starco Brands, Inc.
3.2 (*)
Amended and Restated Bylaws of Starco Brands, Inc., filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on July 1, 2022.
4.1 (*)†
Registration Rights Agreement, by and between Starco Brands, Inc., a Nevada corporation, and the Investors listed on Schedule A thereto, dated September 12, 2022, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on September 15, 2022.
4.2 (*)†
Voting Agreement, by and among Starco Brands, Inc., a Nevada corporation, and the stockholders listed on Schedule A thereto, dated September 12, 2022, filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on September 15, 2022.
4.3 (*)†
Registration Rights Agreement, by and between Starco Brands, Inc., a Nevada corporation, and the Investors listed on Schedule A thereto, dated December 29, 2022, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on January 4, 2023.
4.4 (*)
Voting Agreement, by and among Starco Brands, Inc., a Nevada corporation, and the stockholders listed on Schedule A thereto, dated December 29, 2022, filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on January 4, 2023.
4.5 (*)
Registration Rights Agreement, by and between Starco Brands, Inc., and Hamilton Start, LLC in its capacity as Stockholder Representative on behalf of the Investors (as defined therein) dated February 15, 2023, filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on February 21, 2023.
4.6 (*)
Voting Agreement, by and among Starco Brands, Inc., Ross Sklar, and the stockholders of the Company listed on Schedule A thereto, dated February 15, 2023, filed as Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on February 21, 2023.
10.1 (*)
Form of Indemnification Agreement by and between Starco Brands, Inc. and each of its current directors, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on February 21, 2023.
10.2 (*)(+)
Brand License Agreement, by and between Starco Brands, Inc. and The Starco Group, effective as of July 12, 2017, filed as Exhibit 6.2 to the Company’s Regulation A+ offering statement filed with the Commission on August 31, 2021.
10.3 (*)(+)
License Agreement by and between Sklar Holdings, Inc., and Starco Brands, Inc. executed April 1, 2018, filed as Exhibit 99.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on February 19, 2021.
10.4 (*)(+)
License Agreement by and between Winona Pure, Inc. and Starco Brands, Inc. executed April 1, 2018, filed as Exhibit 99.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on February 19, 2021
10.5 (*)(+)
License Agreement by and between Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. and Starco Brands, Inc. executed October 15, 2020, filed as Exhibit 99.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on November 20, 2020.
10.6 (*)(+)
License Agreement by and between Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. and Starco Brands, Inc. executed April 24, 2020, filed as Exhibit 99.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on November 20, 2020.
10.7 (*)
Memorandum of Understanding Regarding the Launch of Breathe Hand Sanitizer, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on June 12, 2020.
10.8 (*)(+)
License Agreement, by and between Whipshots LLC, Washpoppin Inc., and “Cardi B,” dated as of September 14, 2021.
10.9 (*)(+)
Intellectual Property Purchase Agreement, by and between Whipshots LLC and PENGUINS FLY, LLC, dated as of August 24, 2021, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on September 14, 2021.
10.10 (*)
Form of Distribution Agreement, by and between Starco Brands, Inc. and “Distributor”, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on November 10, 2021.
10.11 (*)
Form of Broker Agreement, by and between Starco Brands, Inc. and “Broker”, filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on November 10, 2021.
10.12 (*)
Separation Agreement dated June 13, 2021 between Starco Brands, Inc. and Sanford Lang, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed with the Commission on July 22, 2021.
10.13 (*)
Separation Agreement dated June 13, 2021 between Starco Brands, Inc. and Martin Goldrod, filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed with the Commission on July 22, 2021.
10.14 (*)
First Amended and Restated Promissory Note issued in favor of Ross Sklar, dated July 19, 2022, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on July 20, 2022.
10.15 (*)
Promissory Note issued in favor of Ross Sklar, dated June 28, 2021, filed as Exhibit 6.12 to the Company’s Regulation A+ offering statement filed with the Commission on October 20, 2021.
10.16 (*)
Promissory Note issued in favor of Ross Sklar, dated September 17, 2021, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on September 23, 2021.
10.17 (*)
Promissory Note issued in favor of Ross Sklar, dated December 13, 2021, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on December 15, 2021.
10.18 (*)
Promissory Note issued in favor of Ross Sklar, dated February 14, 2021, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on February 22, 2022.
10.19 (*)
Secured Promissory Note issued in favor of Ross Sklar, dated December 29, 2022, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on January 5, 2023.
10.20 (*)
Secured Promissory Note issued in favor of Ross Sklar, dated March 3, 2023, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on March 9, 2023.
10.21 (*)
Security Agreement, by and between Starco Brands, Inc. and Ross Sklar, dated December 29, 2022, filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on January 5, 2023.
10.22 (*)
Security Agreement, by and between Starco Brands, Inc. and Ross Sklar, dated March 3, 2023, filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on March 9, 2023.
10.23 (*)
Warrant to Purchase Common Stock, issued to Ross Sklar, dated December 29, 2022, filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on January 5, 2023.
10.24 (*)
Warrant to Purchase Class A Common Stock, issued to Ross Sklar, dated March 3, 2023, filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on March 9, 2023.
10.25 (#)(+)
License Agreement by and between Starco Brands, Inc. and Temperance Distilling Company, executed January 24, 2022.
16.1 (*)
Letter to SEC from Haynie & Company, dated March 14, 2022, filed as Exhibit 16.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on March 14, 2022.
21.1 (#)
Subsidiaries of the Company.
31.1 (#)
Certification of Chief Executive Officer required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a).
31.2 (#)
Certification of Chief Financial Officer required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a).
32.1 (#)
Certification of Chief Executive Officer required by Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) and 18 U.S.C. 1350.
32.2 (#)
Certification of Chief Financial Officer required by Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) and 18 U.S.C. 1350.
101.INS
Inline XBRL Instance Document (the Instance Document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document).
101.SCH
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.
101.CAL
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.
101.DEF
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.
101.LAB
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.
101.PRE
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Presentation Linkbase Document.
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).
(#) Filed herewith.
(*) Incorporated by reference to the filing indicated.
(+) In accordance with Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K, certain schedules (or similar attachments) to this exhibit may have been omitted from this filing. The Registrant will provide a copy of any omitted schedule to the SEC or its staff upon request.
In accordance with Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K, certain provisions or terms of the Agreement may have been redacted. The Registrant will provide an unredacted copy of the exhibit on a supplemental basis to the SEC or its staff upon request.
† Certain of the exhibits and schedules to this exhibit have been omitted in accordance with Regulation S-K Item 601(b)(2). The Registrant agrees to furnish a copy of all omitted exhibits and schedules to the SEC upon its request.
(##) The certifications attached as Exhibits 32.1 and 32.2 that accompany this report, are not deemed filed with the SEC and are not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of Starco Brands, Inc. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date of this report irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing.