EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 1566610
Filing Year: 2022
Filename: 1566610_10-K_2022_0001493152-22-008470.json

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Overview
We are a Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) applications platform developer. Our platform is comprised of a suite of interactive video-based sales enablement business software products marketed on a subscription basis. Our applications, available in both mobile and desktop versions, are offered as a fully integrated suite, as well as on a standalone basis, and include verbCRM, our Customer Relationship Management (“CRM”) application, verbLEARN, our Learning Management System application, verbLIVE, our Live Stream eCommerce application, verbPULSE, our business/augmented intelligence notification and sales coach application, and verbTEAMS, our self-onboarding video-based CRM and content management application for professional sports teams, small business, and solopreneurs, with seamless synchronization with Salesforce, that also comes bundled with verbLIVE, and more recently, we introduced verbMAIL, our interactive video-based sales communication tool integrated into Microsoft Outlook.
We use the term “client” and “customer” interchangeably throughout this Annual Report.
Our Technology
Our suite of applications can be distinguished from other sales enablement applications because our applications utilize our proprietary interactive video technology as the primary means of communication between sales and marketing professionals and their customers and prospects. Moreover, the proprietary data collection and analytics capabilities of our applications inform our users on their devices in real time, when and for how long their prospects have watched a video, how many times such prospects watched it, and what they clicked on, which allows our users to focus their time and efforts on ‘hot leads’ or interested prospects rather than on those that have not seen such video or otherwise expressed interest in such content. Users can create their hot lead lists by using familiar, intuitive ‘swipe left/swipe right’ on-screen navigation. Our clients report that these capabilities provide for a much more efficient and effective sales process, resulting in increased sales conversion rates. We developed the proprietary patent-pending interactive video technology, as well as several other patent-issued and patent-pending technologies that serve as the unique foundation for all our platform applications.
Our Products
verbCRM combines the capabilities of CRM lead-generation, content management, and in-video ecommerce capabilities in an intuitive, yet powerful tool for both inexperienced as well as highly skilled sales professionals. verbCRM allows users to quickly and easily create, distribute, and post videos to which they can add a choice of on-screen clickable icons which, when clicked, allow viewers to respond to the user’s call-to-action in real-time, in the video, while the video is playing, without leaving or stopping the video. For example, our technology allows a prospect or customer to click on a product they see featured in a video and impulse buy it, or to click on a calendar icon in the video to make an appointment with a salesperson, among many other features and functionalities designed to eliminate or reduce friction from the sales process for our users. The verbCRM app is designed to be easy to use and navigate and takes little time and training for a user to begin using the app effectively. It usually takes less than four minutes for a novice user to create an interactive video from our app. Users can add interactive icons to pre-existing videos, as well as to newly created videos shot with practically any mobile device. verbCRM interactive videos can be distributed via email, text messaging, chat app, or posted to popular social media directly and easily from our app. No software download is required to view Verb interactive videos on virtually any mobile or desktop device, including smart TVs.
verbLEARN is an interactive, video-based learning management system that incorporates all of the clickable in-video technology featured in our verbCRM application and adapts them for use by educators for video-based education. verbLEARN is used by enterprises seeking to educate a large sales team or a customer base about new products, or elicit feedback about existing products. It also incorporates Verb’s proprietary data collection and analytics capabilities that inform users in real time when and for how long the viewers watched the video, how many times they watched it, and what they clicked on, in addition to adding gamification features that enhance the learning aspects of the application.
verbLIVE builds on popular video-based platforms such as Facebook Live, Zoom, WebEx, and Go2Meeting, among others, by adding Verb’s proprietary interactive in-video ecommerce capabilities - including an in-video Shopify shopping cart integrated for Shopify account holders - to our own live stream video broadcasting application. verbLIVE is a next-generation live stream platform that allows hosts to utilize a variety of novel sales-driving features, including placing interactive icons on-screen that appear on the screens of all viewers, providing in-video click-to-purchase capabilities for products or services featured in the live video broadcast, in real-time, driving friction-free selling. verbLIVE also provides the host with real-time viewer engagement data and interaction analytics. verbLIVE is entirely browser-based, allowing it to function easily and effectively on all devices without requiring the host or the viewers to download software, and is secured through end-to-end encryption.
verbPULSE is a business/augmented intelligence notification-based sales enablement platform feature set that tracks users’ interactions with current and prospective customers and then helps coach users by telling them what to do next in order to close the sale, virtually automating the selling process.
verbTEAMS is our interactive, video-based CRM for professional sports teams, small-and medium-sized businesses, and solopreneurs. verbTEAMS also incorporates verbLIVE as a bundled application. verbTEAMS features self-sign-up, self-onboarding, self-configuring, content management system capabilities, user level administrative capabilities, and high-quality analytics capabilities in both mobile and desktop platforms that sync with one another. It also has a built-in one-click sync capability with Salesforce.
We continue to invest in the future of interactive livestreaming. Following are some of our recent initiatives:
MARKET is a centralized online destination where shoppers could explore scores of shoppable livestream events, and over time - thousands, across numerous product and service categories, being hosted by people from all over the world, always on - 24/7 - where shoppers could communicate with the hosts, asking questions about products in real-time - through an on-screen chat visible to all shoppers - that allows shoppers who have invited their friends and family to join them there to share the experience - to communicate directly with each other in real time, and then simply click on a non-intrusive - in-video overlay to place items in an on-screen shopping cart for purchase - all without interrupting the video. Shoppers can visit any number of other shoppable events to meet up and chat with friends, old and new, and together watch, shop and chat with the hosts, discover new products and services, and become part of an immersive entertaining shopping experience. Throughout the experience, the shopping cart follows shoppers seamlessly from event to event, shoppable video to shoppable video, host to host, product to product.
The MARKET business model is a simple but next-level B to B play. It is a multi-vendor platform, with a single follow-me style unified shopping cart, and robust ecommerce capabilities with the tools for consumer brands, big box brick and mortar stores, boutiques, influencers and celebrities to connect with their clients, customers, their fans, followers, and prospects by providing a unique, interactive social shopping experience that we believe could keep them coming back and engaged for hours.
A big differentiator for MARKET is that it also provides an online meeting place for friends and family to meet, chat, shop and enjoy a fun, immersive shopping experience in real time together from anywhere and everywhere in the world. MARKET will provide vendors with extensive business building analytics capabilities not available on, and not shared by many operators of other social media sites who regard that information as valuable proprietary property. All vendors on MARKET will retain this valuable intelligence for their own, unlimited use.
MARKET allows vendors an opportunity to reach not only the shoppers they invite to the site from their own client and contact lists, but also those shoppers who came to the site independently who will discover these vendors as they browse through the many other shoppable events hosted simultaneously on MARKET 24/7, from around the world. We believe our revenue model will be attractive to vendors and will consist of SaaS recurring revenue as well as a share of revenue generated through sales on the platform.
MARKET will also incorporate a modified version of our verbLIVE Attribution technology, allowing vendors who so choose, to leverage extremely powerful, built-in affiliate marketing capabilities. Non-vendor visitors to the site can search for those vendors that have activated the Attribution feature for their events and be compensated when people they referred to that vendor, purchase products or services during that vendor’s shopping event. We expect that this feature, unique to MARKET, will drive many more shoppers who will be referred from all over the world, producing a cross-pollination effect enhancing the revenue opportunities for all MARKET vendors, while also creating an attractive income generating opportunity for non-vendor MARKET patrons.
MARKET is an entirely new platform, built wholly independently and separate from our verbLIVE sales platform, representing what we believe is the state of the art of shoppable video technology. It will utilize an ultra-low latency private global CDN network that we control, allowing us to deliver a high-quality experience and platform performance capabilities. We also believe that MARKET will expose vendors to our entire suite of sales enablement products, such as verbMAIL, among others, that could drive new cross selling revenue opportunities.
verbTV is an online destination for shoppable entertainment. Whereas MARKET is a social shopping experience, verbTV is a destination for those seeking commercial-free television content, such as concerts, game shows, sports, including e-sports, sitcoms, podcasts, special events, news, including live events, and other forms of video entertainment that is all interactive and shoppable. verbTV represents an entirely new distribution channel for all forms of content by a new generation of content creators looking for greater freedom to explore the creative possibilities that a native interactive video platform can provide for their audience. We believe content creators may also enjoy greater revenue opportunities through the native ecommerce capabilities the platform provides to sponsors and advertisers who will enjoy real-time monetization, data collection and analytics. Through verbTV, sponsors and advertisers will be able to accurately measure the ROI from their marketing spend, instead of relying on decades-old, imprecise viewership information.
At launch, verbTV will feature the popular business pitch show “2 Minute Drill” currently shown on Amazon Prime and Bloomberg TV. However, verbTV will host a shoppable version of the 12 episodes of the upcoming Season 3. Each episode is a fast-paced reality show where 5-6 entrepreneurs competing for $50,000 in cash and prizes, have 2 minutes to impress the judges with the best investor pitch. Our CEO is one of the judges on the show. Expected to air in early 2022, verbTV viewers will be able to click on-screen and purchase the products and services of the contestants featured on the show, among other contemplated interactive features. Dave Meltzer, the creator of the show, and Co-founder of Sports 1 Marketing and the former CEO of the renowned Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment agency, has signed-on with Verb to produce other interactive and shoppable entertainment for verbTV. Other such partnerships, as well as a creator program, are currently in progress.
Verb Partnerships and Integrations
verbMAIL for Microsoft Outlook is a product of our partnership with Microsoft and is available as an add-in to Microsoft Outlook for Outlook and Office 365 subscribers. verbMAIL allows users to create interactive videos seamlessly within Outlook by clicking the verbMAIL icon in the Outlook toolbar. The videos are automatically added to an email and can be sent easily through Outlook using the user’s contacts they already have in Outlook. The application allows users to easily track viewer engagement and together with other features represents an effective sales tool available for all Outlook users worldwide. Currently offered without charge, a subscription-based paid version with a suite of enhanced features for sales and marketing professionals is slated for release later this year.
Salesforce Integration. We have completed and deployed the integration of verbLIVE into Salesforce and have launched a joint marketing campaign with Salesforce to introduce the verbLIVE plug-in functionality to current Salesforce users. We have also developed a verbCRM sync application for Salesforce users that is currently being utilized by at least one of our large enterprise clients and the verbLIVE plug-in is now being offered to all Salesforce users on a monthly subscription fee basis while we work to build adoption rates.
Popular Enterprise Back-Office System Integrations. We have integrated verbCRM into systems offered by 19 of the most popular direct sales back-office system providers, such as Direct Scale, Exigo, By Design, Thatcher, Multisoft, Xennsoft, and Party Plan. Direct sales back-office systems provide many of the support functions required for direct sales operations, including payroll, customer genealogy management, statistics, rankings, and earnings, among other direct sales financial tracking capabilities. The integration into these back-office providers, facilitated through our own API development, allows single sign-on convenience for users, as well as enhanced data analytics and reporting capabilities for all users. Our experience confirms that our integration into these back-end platforms accelerates the adoption of verbCRM by large direct sales enterprises that rely on these systems and as such, we believe this represents a competitive advantage.
Non-Digital Products and Services
Historically, we provided certain non-digital services to some of our enterprise clients such as printing and fulfillment services. We designed and printed welcome kits and starter kits for their marketing needs and provided fulfillment services, which consisted of managing the preparation, handling and shipping of our client’s custom-branded merchandise they use for marketing purposes at conferences and other events. We also managed the fulfillment of our clients’ product sample packs that verbCRM users order through the app for automated delivery and tracking to their customers and prospects.
In May 2020, we executed a contract with Range Printing (“Range”), a company in the business of providing enterprise class printing, sample assembly, warehousing, packaging, shipping, and fulfillment services. Pursuant to the contract, through an automated process we have established for this purpose, Range receives orders for samples and merchandise from us as and when we receive them from our clients and users, and print, assemble, store, package and ship such samples and merchandise on our behalf. The Range contract provides for a service fee arrangement based upon the specific services to be provided by Range that is designed to maintain our relationship with our clients by continuing to service their non-digital needs, while eliminating the labor and overhead costs associated with the provision of such services by us.
Our Market
Historically, our client base consisted primarily of multi-national direct sales enterprises to whom we provide white-labeled, client-branded versions of our products. During the year ended December 31, 2021, our client base expanded to include large enterprises in the life sciences sector, professional sports franchises, educational institutions, and not-for-profit organizations, as well as clients in the entertainment industry and the burgeoning CBD industry, among other business sectors. As of December 31, 2021, we provided subscription-based application services to approximately 150 enterprise clients for use in over 100 countries, in over 48 languages, which collectively account for a user base generated through more than 3.1 million downloads of our verbCRM application. Among the new business sectors targeted for this year are medical equipment and pharmaceutical sales, armed services and government institutions, small businesses and individual entrepreneurs.
Revenue Generation
A description of our principal revenue generating activities is as follows:
1. Digital Revenue which is divided into two main categories:
a. SaaS recurring digital revenue based on contract-based subscriptions to our verb app products and platform services which include verbCRM, verbLEARN, verbLIVE, verbPULSE, and verbTeams. The revenue is recognized over the subscription period.
b. Non-SaaS, non-recurring digital revenue, which is revenue generated by the use of our app products and in-app purchases, such as sampling and other services obtained through the app. The revenue for samples is recognized upon completion and shipment, while the design fees are recognized when the service has been rendered and the app is delivered to the customer.
2. Non-digital revenue, which is revenue we generate from non-app, non-digital sources through ancillary services we provide as an accommodation to our clients and customers. These services, which we now outsource to a strategic partner as part of a cost reduction plan we instituted in 2020, include design, printing services, fulfillment and shipping services. The revenue is recognized upon completion and shipment of products or fulfillment to customers.
Distribution Methods
We distribute our services through the following methods:
● Prospective customers and clients can subscribe to our applications on a monthly or annual contract through a simple, web-based sign-up form accessible on our website (https://www.verb.tech), as well as through interactive sign-up links that we distribute via email, text messaging and through social media;
● Enterprise users that subscribe to our verbCRM software service can distribute custom-branded sign-up links to their internal and external staff via email or other electronic means;
● We have entered into partnership agreements with other CRM providers to incorporate our interactive video technology into such other CRM providers’ software platforms to be offered to their existing and prospective client base for an additional monthly recurring fee, which fee is shared with us. In January 2018, we entered into such an agreement with Oracle America, Inc. to integrate our interactive video technology into their NetSuite platform on a revenue-share basis. In February 2018, we entered into a similar agreement with Adobe Marketo to integrate our interactive video technology into their platform on a revenue-share basis. On January 23, 2019, we entered into an agreement with Microsoft to integrate our interactive video technology into Microsoft’s Office 365 services product line, beginning with its email platform Outlook and their internal communications platform TEAMS. On February 4, 2019, we entered into a revenue share partnership agreement with Salesforce.com to integrate our interactive video technology into the Salesforce.com CRM platform;
● We have entered into license and partnership agreements with digital marketing companies and advertising agencies to resell our Verb interactive video technology to their existing and prospective client bases for monthly fees which fees are shared with us. In March 2018, we entered into such an agreement with DR2Marketing, LLC to use and resell our applications to their clients on a revenue-share basis;
● We expect to enter into partnership agreements with large cloud services providers, to bundle our application with such providers’ other applications offered to their existing and prospective global customer base in order to generate greater utilization fees from such customers’ need for more data storage and bandwidth required by video-based applications. For example, under our agreement with Microsoft, their value-added cloud services resellers may choose to bundle our application for resale to their respective customer bases; and
● We employ a direct sales team, as well as outside sales consultants.
Our Historical Background
Verb Technology Company, Inc. is a SaaS application platform developer, incorporated in 2012 in the state of Nevada.
On February 1, 2019, we implemented a 1-for-15 reverse stock split of our common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (our “common stock”). As a result of the reverse stock split, every 15 shares of our pre-split common stock were combined and reclassified into one share of our common stock. Our consolidated financial statements have been recast to reflect the 1-for-15 reverse stock split of our common stock.
In April 2019, we acquired Sound Concepts Inc. (“Sound Concepts”) pursuant to an agreement and plan of merger. As a result of the merger, Sound Concepts merged with and into our wholly owned subsidiary, NF Acquisition Company, LLC. Upon completion of the merger, NF Acquisition Company, LLC changed its name to Verb Direct, LLC (“Verb Direct”).
On September 4, 2020, Verb Acquisition Co., LLC (“Verb Acquisition”), a subsidiary of the Company, entered into a membership interest purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with Ascend Certification, LLC, dba SoloFire (“SoloFire”).
On October 18, 2021, we established verbMarketplace, LLC (“Market LLC”), a Nevada limited liability company. Market LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company established for our MARKET platform.
Our common stock and common stock purchase warrants trade on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbols “VERB” and “VERBW,” respectively. Our Internet website address is https://www.verb.tech.
Marketing
We utilize our own proprietary interactive video platform as the foundation of our ongoing marketing initiatives. Our initiatives include, among other things, daily, broad-based social media engagement by a dedicated team of full-time employees and outside consultants; management of our interactive video-based website; and interactive video-based email campaigns and television commercials. In addition, the 19 direct sales back-office systems providers with whom we have integrated verbCRM, market our applications to their customers and prospects in exchange for finders’ fees.
Competition
CRM software generated more than $69 billion in sales revenue throughout the world in 2020, accounts for the largest share in the overall enterprise software market, and is the third fastest growing according to a 2020 market share update from Gartner. We compete in the CRM applications industry, as well as in the video conferencing/webinar industry. We believe that CRM applications that incorporate our proprietary Verb interactive video technology provide significant competitive advantages over the CRM applications that do not. Salesforce, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, and Adobe, the long-term leaders in the CRM sector, collectively account for approximately 36% of industry sales. These companies, as well as many others, have numerous differences in feature sets and functionality, but all share certain basic attributes. Most of them were designed before the advent and proliferation of mobile phones, social media, and the technology behind the current ubiquity of video over the internet and more recently on mobile devices. While many of them have attempted to incorporate video capabilities into their respective CRM platforms, sometimes in ‘‘bolt-on’’ fashion, we do not believe any of them has done so in a manner that is as effective as our interactive in-video ecommerce platform that allows users to place clickable calls-to-action right in the video, including into users’ pre-existing sales and product videos. In addition, Verb’s interactive videos are viewable on both mobile and desktop devices regardless of operating system and without the need to download a proprietary player or program.
We also compete in the video webinar and ecommerce solution provider sectors. The webinar sector is dominated by Zoom, WebEx, and Go2Meeting, among others. The ecommerce solution provider sector is dominated by Shopify, among others. However, we believe our verbLIVE application provides a superior solution for users seeking to use video webinars as a sales tool because our in-video clickable icons provide seamless in-video ecommerce capabilities that are not offered by either Zoom (or other large webinar providers) or Shopify. We believe verbLIVE represents a unique solution that combines the best features of Zoom and Shopify in a single application, offering users a more friction-free and effective selling experience. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the market share, marketing strength, and established positions in the marketplace of our competitors may prevent us from obtaining a large share of these markets.
Intellectual Property
Our policy is to protect our technology through, among other things, a combination of patents, trade secrets and copyrights. We primarily rely upon trade secrets and copyrighted proprietary software, code, and know-how to protect our interactive video technology platform and associated applications. We have taken security measures to protect our trade secrets and proprietary know-how, to the extent possible. Our means of protecting our proprietary rights may not prove to be adequate and our competitors may independently develop technology or products that are similar to ours or that compete with ours. Trade secret and copyright laws afford only limited protection for our technology and products. The laws of many countries do not protect our proprietary rights to as great an extent as do the laws of the United States. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may attempt to obtain and use information that we regard as proprietary. Third parties may also design around our proprietary rights, which may render our protected technology and products less valuable, if the design around is favorably received in the marketplace.
We recently filed a provisional patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) with respect to providing interactive video streams involving interactive buttons which we utilize in our video products. However, our provisional patent application may not result in the issuance of a patent, or may result in narrow claims, which may limit the protection we are attempting to obtain. We also hold a number of granted patents in two families with pending continuations. A first family relates to systems and methods for enhanced networking, conversion tracking, and conversion attribution. This family contains two issued patents (U.S. Pat. No. 9,792,380, issued October 17, 2017; and U.S. Pat. No. 10,467,317, issued Nov. 5, 2019) and a pending continuation. A second family relates to systems and methods for generating a custom campaign. This family contains one issued patent (U.S. Pat. No. 10,643,247, issued May 5, 2020) and a pending continuation. These existing patents and any future patents that may be issued to us, may not protect commercially important aspects of our technology. Furthermore, the validity and enforceability of such patents may be challenged by third parties, which may result in our patents being invalidated or modified by the PTO, various legal actions against us, the need to develop or obtain alternative technology or appropriate licenses under third-party patents, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all.
We control access to our proprietary technology by entering into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees and contractors, and confidentiality agreements with third parties. Despite our precautions, we cannot assure you that our technology platform and products do not infringe patents held by others or that they will not in the future. Litigation may be necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights, to protect our trade secrets, to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others, or to defend against claims of infringement, invalidity, misappropriation, or other claims.
Research and Development
We incurred $12,345,000 and $7,933,000 of research and development expenses during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. In addition to the amounts expensed in 2021, the Company capitalized $4,348,000 of costs associated with the development of MARKET. These costs consist of expenditures for the research and development of new products and technology. They are primarily expenses to vendors contracted to perform research projects and development of our interactive video-based sales enablement platform and associated applications.
Suppliers
While most of our design, development, and engineering team is U.S.-based, we currently utilize a small group of dedicated full-time and part-time off-shore experienced professionals for some of the coding and maintenance of our software. We believe we have mitigated the risks associated with managing an external team of software development professionals by incorporating experienced internal management and oversight, as well as appropriate systems, protocols, controls, and procedures to ensure the protection and integrity of all our applications. We have also ensured access to additional qualified professionals to provide like or complementary services on an as-needed basis.
Dependence on Key Customers
Based on our current business and anticipated future activities as described in this Annual Report, we do not have any customers that represent more than 10% of our 2021 revenue.
Government Regulation
Our software and services are subject to certain legal, regulatory and other requirements. These laws are complex and evolving. Various U.S. federal and state laws govern many of our business activities, including, without limitation, the processing of payments and handling of consumer information. Despite our significant efforts to comply with all applicable requirements, there can be no guarantee that our efforts will be sufficient or that existing laws, rules or other requirements will not be interpreted, revised, augmented or rewritten in a way that adversely affects our regulated business activities, which comprise a significant majority of our overall business. For additional information related to these risk-related issues, refer to the section entitled “Risk Factors” within this Annual Report.
Human Capital Management
As of March 25, 2022, we had 107 full-time statutory employees, five part-time employees, and 55 independent contractors. We engage independent contractors on an as-needed basis to provide specific expertise in areas of software design, development and coding, content creation, audio and video editing, video production services, and other business functions, including marketing and accounting. None of our employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement. We have had no labor-related work stoppages and believe our relationship with our employees, both full-time and part-time, consultants, and independent contractors, is satisfactory.
We believe our people are at the heart of our success and our customers’ success. We endeavor to not only attract and retain talented employees, but also to provide a challenging and rewarding environment to motivate and develop our valuable human capital. We look to our talented employees to lead and foster various initiatives that support our company culture including those related to diversity, equity and inclusion. In addition, we rely heavily on our talented team to execute our growth plans and achieve our long-term strategic objectives.
We provide competitive compensation and benefits for our employees. Our compensation packages may include base salary, commission or annual performance-based bonuses, and share-based compensation. We also offer general employee medical, dental, and vision insurance, health savings and flexible spending accounts, mental health resources, paid time off, paid family leave, life and disability insurance, and 401(k) plan matching contributions. These programs and our overall compensation packages seek to attract and retain talented employees.
We take the health and welfare of our employees very seriously and have encouraged safe practices designed to stem the infection and spread of COVID-19 within our workforce and beyond and to maintain the mental health and well-being of our employees. Beginning in March 2020, in an effort to protect our employees and comply with applicable government orders, we restricted non-essential employee travel and transitioned our employees to a remote work environment. We currently expect the majority of our employees will continue working remotely at least through the end of 2022. We are committed to our employees returning to the workplace in the long-term.
Impact of COVID-19 on Our Business and Industry
Governments and businesses around the world continue to take actions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and its variants, including, but not limited to, shelter-in-place orders, quarantines, significant restrictions on travel, as well as restrictions that prohibit many employees from going to work. Uncertainty with respect to the economic effects of the pandemic has introduced significant volatility in the financial markets.
Despite increased vaccine distribution programs and loosening of COVID-19-related restrictions in the regions in which we operate during the year ended December 31, 2021, both the pandemic and ongoing containment and mitigation measures have had, and are likely to continue to have, an adverse impact on the global and U.S. economies, the severity and duration of which are uncertain. As such, our business, operations and financial condition has been, and we anticipate will continue to be, adversely impacted by reduced demand for our applications and non-digital services, as well as reduced access to capital. To mitigate the adverse impact COVID-19 may have on our business and operations, we implemented a number of measures to strengthen our financial position, including eliminating, reducing, or deferring non-essential expenditures. However, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will impact our business, financial conditions, and results of operations in the future remains uncertain and will be affected by a number of factors, including the duration and extent of the pandemic, the emergence of variants to COVID-19 the duration and extent of imposed or recommended containment and mitigation measures, the extent, duration, and effective execution of government stabilization and recovery efforts, including those from the successful distribution of effective vaccines.
The COVID-19 pandemic may have long-term effects on the nature of the office environment and remote working. This may present operational and workplace culture challenges that may adversely affect our business. Throughout the year ended December 31, 2021 and through the filing of this Annual Report, we have encouraged safe practices designed to stem the infection and spread of COVID-19 within our workforce and beyond and to maintain the mental health and well-being of our employees.
We began the year ended December 31, 2021 with healthy demand for our products, including our SaaS products, many of which are designed to enable our customers to manage their businesses virtually. Our non-digital business was negatively impacted in the year ended December 31, 2021 as events and sales opportunities were cancelled or shifted to a virtual environment due to the pandemic. Although the impact has not been material to date, a prolonged downturn in economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our customers and demand for our services.
We continue to actively communicate with and listen to our customers to ensure we are responding to their needs in the current environment with innovative solutions that will not only be beneficial now but also over the long-term. We monitor developments related to COVID-19 and remain flexible in our response to the challenges presented by the pandemic.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Our short and long-term success is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors that are difficult to predict or beyond our control. As a result, investing in the Company’s common stock involves substantial risk. The Company’s stockholders should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, in addition to the other information contained in or incorporated by reference into this Annual Report, as well as the other information we file with the SEC from time to time. The risks described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also impair our business operations and financial results. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be adversely affected. In such case, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment. Our filings with the SEC also contain forward-looking statements that involve risks or uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated or contemplated by these forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including the risks we face described below, as well as other variables that could affect our operating results. Past financial performance should not be considered to be a reliable indicator of future performance, and investors should not use historical trends to anticipate results or trends in future periods.
Risks Related to Our Business
We have incurred significant net losses and cannot assure you that we will achieve or maintain profitable operations.
We have incurred recurring losses since our inception in 2012. Our net loss was $34,486,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021 and $24,956,000 for the year ended December 31, 2020. To date, we have funded our operations through cash collected from sales of our products and services, offerings of our equity securities, and debt financing. We have devoted substantially all of our resources to the design, development and commercialization of our products, the scaling of our technology and infrastructure, and our marketing and sales efforts. We may continue to incur significant losses in the future for a number of reasons, including unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, and delays, and other unknown events.
To implement our business strategy and achieve consistent profitability, we need to, among other things, increase sales of our products and the gross profit associated with those sales, undertake increased technology and production efforts to support our business and increase our marketing and sales efforts to drive an increase in the number of customers and clients utilizing our services. These expenditures may make it more difficult to achieve and maintain profitability. In addition, our efforts to grow our business may be more expensive than we expect, and we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue to offset increased operating expenses. If we are forced to reduce our expenses, our growth strategy could be compromised. To offset these anticipated increased operating expenses, we will need to generate and sustain significant revenue levels in future periods in order to become profitable, and, even if we do, we may not be able to maintain or increase our level of profitability.
Accordingly, we cannot assure you that we will achieve sustainable operating profits as we continue to expand our infrastructure, restructure our balance sheet, 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 common stock, to decline, resulting in a significant or complete loss of your investment.
Our independent registered public accounting firm’s reports for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 have raised substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a going concern.
Our independent registered public accounting firm indicated in its report on our audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 that there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. A “going concern” opinion indicates that the financial statements have been prepared assuming we will continue as a going concern and do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets, or the amounts and classification of liabilities that may result if we do not continue as a going concern. Therefore, you should not rely on our consolidated balance sheet as an indication of the amount of proceeds that would be available to satisfy claims of creditors, and potentially be available for distribution to stockholders, in the event of liquidation. The presence of the going concern note to our financial statements may have an adverse impact on the relationships we are developing and plan to develop with third parties as we continue the commercialization of our products and could make it challenging and difficult for us to raise additional financing, all of which could have a material adverse impact on our business and prospects and result in a significant or complete loss of your investment.
If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow from operations to operate our business and pay our debt obligations as they become due, we may need to seek to borrow additional funds, dispose of our assets, or reduce or delay capital expenditures. There can be no assurance that we will ever be profitable or that debt or equity financing will be available to us in the amounts, on terms, and at times deemed acceptable to us, if at all. The issuance of additional equity securities by us would result in a significant dilution in the equity interests of our current stockholders. Obtaining commercial loans, assuming those loans would be available, would increase our liabilities and future cash commitments. If we are unable to obtain financing in the amounts and on terms deemed acceptable to us, we may be unable to continue our business, as planned, and as a result may be required to scale back or cease operations for our business, the results of which would be that our stockholders would lose some or all of their investment. Our audited consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classifications of liabilities that may result should we be unable to continue as a going concern. For additional information, please refer to the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Liquidity and Capital Resources - Going Concern,” as well as Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included within this Annual Report.
Public health threats, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters and other events beyond our control, have had and may continue to have a significant negative impact on our business, sales, results of operations and financial condition.
Public health threats and other highly communicable diseases and outbreaks could adversely impact our operations, the operations of our customers, suppliers, distributors and other business partners, as well as the healthcare system in general. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to severe disruptions in general economic activities, as businesses and federal, state, and local governments take increasingly broad actions to mitigate this public health crisis. We have experienced disruption to our business, both in terms of disruption of our operations and the adverse effect on overall economic conditions. These conditions have had significant negative impacts on all aspects of our business. Our business is dependent on the continued health and productivity of our employees, including our software engineers, sales staff and corporate management team. Individually and collectively, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have had, and may continue to have, a material adverse effect on our business, sales, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, our business operations are subject to interruption by natural disasters, fire, power shortages, pandemics and other events beyond our control. Although we maintain crisis management and disaster response plans, such events could make it difficult or impossible for us to deliver our services to our customers and could decrease demand for our services.
Additionally, our liquidity could be negatively impacted if these conditions continue for a significant period of time and we may be required to pursue additional sources of financing to obtain working capital, maintain appropriate inventory levels, and meet our financial obligations. Capital and credit markets have been disrupted by the crisis and our ability to obtain any required financing is not guaranteed and largely dependent upon evolving market conditions and other factors. Depending on the continued impact of the crisis, further actions may be required to improve our cash position and capital structure.
The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic, or other public health threats, natural disasters or catastrophic events, ultimately impacts our business, sales, results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including, but not limited to, the duration and spread of the outbreak, its severity, the actions to contain the virus or treat its impact, and how quickly and to what extent normal economic and operating conditions can resume. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, we may continue to experience significant impacts to our business as a result of its global economic impact, including any economic downturn or recession that has occurred or may occur in the future.
Our ability to grow and compete in the future will be adversely affected if adequate capital is not available to us or not available on terms favorable to us.
We have limited capital resources. We have financed our operations entirely through equity investments by founders and other investors and the incurrence of debt, and we expect to continue to finance our operations in the same manner in the foreseeable future. Our ability to continue our normal and planned operations, to grow our business, and to compete in our industry will depend on the availability of adequate capital. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain additional funding from those or other sources when or in the amounts needed, on acceptable terms, or at all. If we raise capital through the sale of equity, or securities convertible into equity, it would result in dilution to our then-existing stockholders, which could be significant depending on the price at which we may be able to sell our securities. If we raise additional capital through the incurrence of additional indebtedness, we would likely become subject to further covenants restricting our business activities, and holders of debt instruments may have rights and privileges senior to those of our then-existing stockholders. In addition, servicing the interest and principal repayment obligations under debt facilities could divert funds that would otherwise be available to support development of new programs and marketing to current and potential new clients. If we are unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, we could be forced to delay, reduce, or eliminate development of new programs or future marketing efforts, or reduce or discontinue our operations. Any of these events could significantly harm our business, financial condition, and prospects.
Our indebtedness, and the agreements governing such indebtedness, subject us to required debt service payments, as well as financial restrictions and operating covenants, any of which may reduce our financial flexibility and affect our ability to operate our business.
From time to time, we have financed our liquidity needs in part from borrowings made under various credit agreements. As of December 31, 2021, the aggregate outstanding balance of our notes payable was $5,096,000. Additionally, in January 2022 we entered into a securities purchase agreement with three institutional investors (collectively, the “Note Holders”) providing for the sale and issuance of an aggregate original principal amount of $6,300,000 in convertible notes due 2023 (each, a “Note,” and, collectively, the “Notes,” and such financing, the “Note Offering”), as well as a security agreement with the Note Holders in connection with the Note Offering, pursuant to which we granted a security interest to the Note Holders in substantially all of our assets.
The agreements underlying these transactions contain certain financial restrictions, operating covenants, and debt service requirements. Our failure to comply with obligations under these agreements, or inability to make required debt service payments, could result in an event of default under the agreements. A default, if not cured or waived, could permit a lender to accelerate payment of the loan, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, financial condition, and liquidity. Further, if our debt is accelerated, we cannot be certain that funds will be available to pay the debt or that we will have the ability to refinance the debt on terms satisfactory to us or at all. If we are unable to repay or refinance the accelerated debt, we could become insolvent and seek to file for bankruptcy protection, which would have a material adverse impact on our financial condition.
In addition, the covenants in our credit agreements could limit our ability to engage in transactions that would be in our best interest, or otherwise respond to changing business and economic conditions, and may therefore have a material impact on our business. For example, our borrowings will require debt service payments, which could require us to divert funds identified for other purposes to such debt service payments. Further, if we cannot generate sufficient cash flow from operations to service our debt, we may need to refinance the debt, dispose of its assets, or reduce or delay expenditures. Alternatively, we may be required to issue equity to obtain necessary funds, which would be dilutive to our stockholders. We do not know whether we would be able to take any of these actions on a timely basis or at all.
Our current or future level of indebtedness could affect our operations in several ways, including the following:
● the covenants contained in current or future agreements governing outstanding indebtedness may limit our ability to borrow additional funds, refinance debt, dispose of assets, and make certain investments;
● debt covenants may also affect our flexibility in planning for, and reacting to, changes in the economy and in our industry;
● a high level of debt would increase our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions;
● a significant level of debt may place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that are less leveraged and, therefore, may be able to take advantage of opportunities that our indebtedness would prevent us from pursuing; and
● a high level of debt may impair our ability to obtain additional financing in the future for working capital, debt service requirements, acquisitions, or other purposes.
For additional information refer to the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Liquidity and Capital Resources,” as well as Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.
The success of our business is dependent upon our ability to maintain and expand our customer base and our ability to convince our customers to increase the use of our services and/or platform. If we are unable to expand our customer base and/or the use of our services and/or platform by our customers declines, our business will be harmed.
Our ability to expand and generate revenue depends, in part, on our ability to maintain and expand our relationships with existing customers and convince them to increase their use of our platform. If our customers do not increase their use of our platform, then our revenue may not grow and our results of operations may be harmed. It is difficult to predict customers’ usage levels accurately and the loss of customers or reductions in their usage levels may have a negative impact on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. If a significant number of customers cease using, or reduce their usage of, our platform, then we may be required to spend significantly more on sales and marketing than we currently plan to spend in order to maintain or increase revenue. These additional expenditures could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Most of our customers do not have long-term contractual financial commitments to us and, therefore, most of our customers could reduce or cease their use of our platform at any time without penalty or termination charges.
The market in which we operate is intensely competitive and, if we do not compete effectively, our operating results could be harmed.
The market for CRM applications is intensely competitive and rapidly changing, barriers to entry are relatively low, and many of our competitors, including Salesforce.com, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP SE, and Adobe, which collectively account for approximately 36% of industry sales, have greater name recognition, longer operating histories, and larger marketing budgets, as well as substantially greater financial, technical, and other resources, than we do. In addition, many of our potential competitors have established marketing relationships and access to larger customer bases, and have major distribution agreements with consultants, system integrators, and resellers. As a result, our competitors may be able to respond more effectively than we can to new or changing opportunities, technologies, standards, customer requirements, competitive pressures, or challenges within the financial markets. Furthermore, because of these advantages, even if our products and services are more effective than the products and services that our competitors offer, potential customers might accept competitive products and services in lieu of purchasing our products and services. If we do not compete effectively against our current and future competitors, our operating results could be harmed.
We may not be able to increase the number of our strategic relationships or grow the revenues received from our current strategic relationships.
We have entered into certain strategic relationships with other marketing and CRM platforms, such as Oracle NetSuite and Adobe Market, to incorporate and integrate our interactive video technology, and are actively seeking additional strategic relationships. There can be no assurance, however, that these strategic relationships will result in material revenues for us or that we will be able to generate any other meaningful strategic relationships. If we are not able to increase the number of our strategic relationships or grow the revenues received from our current strategic relationships, our operating results could be harmed.
We may not be able to develop enhancements and new features to our existing service or acceptable new services that keep pace with technological developments.
If we are unable to develop enhancements to, and new features for, our sales enablement applications that keep pace with rapid technological developments, such as verbLIVE, our business will be harmed. The success of enhancements, new features, and services depends on several factors, including the timely completion, introduction, and market acceptance of the feature or edition. Failure in this regard may significantly impair our revenue growth or harm our reputation. We may not be successful in either developing these modifications and enhancements or in timely bringing them to market at a competitive price or at all. Furthermore, uncertainties about the timing and nature of new network platforms or technologies, or modifications to existing platforms or technologies, could increase our research and development expenses. Any failure of our service to operate effectively with future network platforms and technologies could reduce the demand for our service, result in customer dissatisfaction, and harm our business.
Our ability to deliver our services is dependent on third party Internet providers.
The Internet’s infrastructure is comprised of many different networks and services that, by design, are highly fragmented and distributed. This infrastructure is run by a series of independent, third-party organizations that work together to provide the infrastructure and supporting services of the Internet under the governance of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Numbers and Names (“ICANN”) and the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (“IANA”), which is now related to ICANN.
The Internet has experienced, and will continue to experience, a variety of outages and other delays due to damages to portions of its infrastructure, denial-of-service attacks, or related cyber incidents. These scenarios are not under our control and could reduce the availability of the Internet to us or our customers for delivery of our services. Any resulting interruptions in our services or the ability of our customers to access our services could result in a loss of potential or existing customers and harm our business.
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, proprietary business information of our customers, including, credit card and payment information, and 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.
In addition, we are subject to numerous federal, state, provincial and foreign laws regarding privacy and protection of data. Some jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring companies to notify individuals of data security breaches involving certain types of personal data and our agreements with certain customers require us to notify them in the event of a security incident. Evolving regulations regarding personal data and personal information, including the General Data Protection Regulation, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”), and the recently passed California Privacy Rights Act, which amends the CCPA and has many provisions that will go into effect on January 1, 2023, especially relating to classification of IP addresses, machine identification, location data and other information, may limit or inhibit our ability to operate or expand our business. Such laws and regulations require or may require us or our customers to implement privacy and security policies, permit consumers to access, correct or delete personal information stored or maintained by us or our customers, inform individuals of security incidents that affect their personal information, and, in some cases, obtain consent to use personal information for specified purposes.
We believe that we take reasonable steps to protect the security, integrity and confidentiality of the information we collect, use, store, and disclose, and we take steps to strengthen our security protocols and infrastructure, however, our information technology and infrastructure may be vulnerable to attacks by hackers or breached due to employee error, malfeasance, or other disruptions. We also could be negatively impacted by software bugs or other technical malfunctions, as well as employee error or malfeasance. Advanced cyber-attacks can be 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. 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, a loss of confidence in our business, early termination of our contracts and other business losses, indemnification of our customers, liability for stolen assets or information, increased cybersecurity protection and insurance costs, financial penalties, litigation, regulatory investigations and other significant liabilities, any of which could materially harm our business any of which could adversely affect our business, revenues, and competitive position.
Our success depends, in part, on the capacity, reliability, and security of our information technology hardware and software infrastructure, as well as our ability to adapt and expand our infrastructure.
The capacity, reliability, and security of our information technology hardware and software infrastructure are important to the operation of our current business, which would suffer in the event of system failures. Likewise, our ability to expand and update our information technology infrastructure in response to our growth and changing needs is important to the continued implementation of our new service offering initiatives. Our inability to expand or upgrade our technology infrastructure could have adverse consequences, including the delayed provision of services or implementation of new service offerings, and the diversion of development resources. We rely on third parties for various aspects of our hardware and software infrastructure. Third parties may experience errors or disruptions that could adversely impact us and over which we may have limited control. Interruption and/or failure of any of these systems could disrupt our operations and damage our reputation, thus adversely impacting our ability to provide our products and services, retain our current users, and attract new users. In addition, our information technology hardware and software infrastructure may be vulnerable to unauthorized access, misuse, computer viruses, or other events that could have a security impact. If one or more of such events occur, our customer and other information processed and stored in, and transmitted through, our information technology hardware and software infrastructure, or otherwise, could be compromised, which could result in significant losses or reputational damage. We may be required to expend significant additional resources to modify our protective measures or to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities or other exposures, and we may be subject to litigation and financial losses, any of which could substantially harm our business and our results of operations.
We are dependent on third parties to, among other things, maintain our servers, provide the bandwidth necessary to transmit content, and utilize the content derived therefrom for the potential generation of revenues.
We depend on third-party service providers, suppliers, and licensors to supply some of the services, hardware, software, and operational support necessary to provide some of our products and services. Some of these third parties do not have a long operating history or may not be able to continue to supply the equipment and services we desire in the future. If demand exceeds these vendors’ capacity, or if these vendors experience operating or financial difficulties or are otherwise unable to provide the equipment or services we need in a timely manner, at our specifications and at reasonable prices, our ability to provide some products and services might be materially adversely affected, or the need to procure or develop alternative sources of the affected materials or services might delay our ability to serve our users. These events could materially and adversely affect our ability to retain and attract users, and have a material negative impact on our operations, business, financial results, and financial condition.
We may not be able to find suitable software developers at an acceptable cost or at all.
We currently rely on certain key suppliers and vendors in the coding and maintenance of our software. We will continue to require such expertise in the future. Due to the current demand for skilled software developers, we run the risk of not being able to find or retain suitable and qualified personnel at an acceptable price, or at all. These risks may be greater now than in the past due to current general labor shortages in the United States. Without these developers, we may not be able to further develop and maintain our software, which is the most important aspect of our business development.
The success of our business is highly correlated to general economic conditions.
Demand for our products and services is highly correlated with general economic conditions, as a substantial portion of our revenue is derived from discretionary spending by individuals, which typically declines during times of economic instability. Declines in economic conditions in the United States or in other countries in which we operate, including declines as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and may operate in the future may adversely impact our financial results. Because such declines in demand are difficult to predict, we or our industry may have increased excess capacity as a result. An increase in excess capacity may result in declines in prices for our products and services. Our ability to grow or maintain our business may be adversely affected by sustained economic weakness and uncertainty, including the effect of wavering consumer confidence, high unemployment, and other factors. The inability to grow or maintain our business would adversely affect our business, financial conditions, and results of operations, and thereby an investment in our common stock.
Our failure to adequately protect our intellectual property rights could diminish the value of our products, weaken our competitive position and reduce our revenue, and infringement claims asserted against us or by us, could have a material adverse effect.
We regard the protection of our intellectual property, which includes patents, trade secrets, copyrights, trademarks and domain names, as critical to our success. We strive to protect our intellectual property rights by relying on federal, state and common law rights, as well as contractual restrictions. We enter into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees and contractors, and confidentiality agreements with parties with whom we conduct business in order to limit access to, and disclosure and use of, our proprietary information. However, these contractual arrangements and the other steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property may not prevent the misappropriation of our proprietary information or deter independent development of similar technologies by others.
We have two patents related to our system for providing access to, storing and distributing content, and we recently filed a provisional patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”), with respect to our interactive video technology. We have one patent related to methods for generating a custom campaign, and one continuation with respect to the same. Our provisional patent application may not result in the issuance of a patent, or certain claims may be rejected or may need to be narrowed, which may limit the protection we are attempting to obtain. In addition, our existing patents and any future patents that may be issued to us, may not protect commercially important aspects of our technology. Furthermore, the validity and enforceability of our patents may be opposed, challenged, or circumvented by third parties, including our competitors, which may result in our patents being invalidated or modified by the PTO, various legal actions against us, the need to develop or obtain alternative technology, or obtain appropriate licenses under third-party patents, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all.
We have registered domain names and trademarks in the United States and may pursue additional registrations both in and outside the United States. Effective trade secret, copyright, trademark, domain name and patent protection is expensive to develop and maintain, both in terms of initial and ongoing registration requirements and the costs of defending our rights. Notwithstanding our efforts, third parties may independently develop technology that is not covered by our patents, or that is similar to, or competes with, our technology. In addition, our intellectual property may be infringed or misappropriated by third parties, particularly in foreign countries where the laws and governmental authorities may not protect our proprietary rights as effectively as those in the United States. We may be required to protect our intellectual property in an increasing number of jurisdictions, a process that is expensive and may not be successful or which we may not pursue in every location.
Monitoring unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult and costly. Our efforts to protect our proprietary rights may not be adequate to prevent misappropriation of our intellectual property. Further, we may not be able to detect unauthorized use of, or take appropriate steps to enforce, our intellectual property rights. In addition, our competitors may independently develop similar technology. The laws in the United States and elsewhere change rapidly, and any future changes could adversely affect us and our intellectual property. Our failure to meaningfully protect our intellectual property could result in competitors offering services that incorporate our most technologically advanced features, which could seriously reduce demand for our products. In addition, we may in the future need to initiate infringement claims or litigation. Litigation, whether we are a plaintiff or a defendant, can be expensive, time-consuming and may divert the efforts of our technical staff and managerial personnel, which could harm our business, whether or not such litigation results in a determination that is unfavorable to us. In addition, litigation is inherently uncertain, and thus we may not be able to stop its competitors from infringing upon our intellectual property rights.
Natural disasters and other events beyond our control could materially adversely affect us.
Natural disasters or other catastrophic events may cause damage or disruption to our operations, international commerce and the global economy, and thus could have a strong negative effect on us. Our business operations are subject to interruption by natural disasters, fire, power shortages, pandemics and other events beyond our control. Although we maintain crisis management and disaster response plans, such events could make it difficult or impossible for us to deliver our services to our customers and could decrease demand for our services.
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, Chairman of our board of directors, and President, Mr. Rory J. Cutaia. 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.
Our continuing ability to attract and retain highly qualified personnel 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.
Risks Related to an Investment in Our Securities
Raising additional capital, including through future sales and issuances of our common stock, warrants or the exercise of rights to purchase common stock pursuant to our equity incentive plan could result in additional dilution of the percentage ownership of our stockholders, could cause our share price to fall and could restrict our operations.
We expect we will need significant additional capital in the future to continue our planned operations, including any potential acquisitions, hiring new personnel and continuing activities as an operating public company. To the extent we seek additional capital through a combination of public and private equity offerings and debt financings, our stockholders may experience substantial dilution. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the ownership interest of our existing stockholders may be diluted, and the terms may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of our stockholders. Debt and receivables financings may be coupled with an equity component, such as warrants to purchase shares of our common stock, which could also result in dilution of our existing stockholders’ ownership. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased fixed payment obligations and could also result in certain restrictive covenants, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt and other operating restrictions that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. A failure to obtain adequate funds may cause us to curtail certain operational activities, including sales and marketing, in order to reduce costs and sustain the business, and would have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
In addition, we have granted options to purchase shares of our common stock pursuant to our equity incentive plans and have registered 16,000,000 shares of common stock underlying options and shares granted pursuant to our equity incentive plans. Sales of shares issued upon exercise of options granted under our equity compensation plans may result in material dilution to our existing stockholders, which could cause our price of our common stock to fall.
Our issuance of additional shares of preferred stock could adversely affect the market value of our common stock, dilute the voting power of common stockholders and delay or prevent a change of control.
Our board of directors have the authority to cause us to issue, without any further vote or action by the stockholders, up to an additional 14,994,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series, to designate the number of shares constituting any series, and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof, including dividend rights, voting rights, rights and terms of redemption, redemption price or prices and liquidation preferences of such series. As of March 25, 2022, we had no shares of preferred stock outstanding.
The issuance of shares of preferred stock with dividend or conversion rights, liquidation preferences or other economic terms favorable to the holders of preferred stock could adversely affect the market price for our common stock by making an investment in the common stock less attractive. For example, investors in the common stock may not wish to purchase common stock at a price above the conversion price of a series of convertible preferred stock because the holders of the preferred stock would effectively be entitled to purchase common stock at the lower conversion price causing economic dilution to the holders of common stock.
Further, the issuance of shares of preferred stock with voting rights may adversely affect the voting power of the holders of our other classes of voting stock either by diluting the voting power of our other classes of voting stock if they vote together as a single class, or by giving the holders of any such preferred stock the right to block an action on which they have a separate class vote even if the action were approved by the holders of our other classes of voting stock. The issuance of shares of preferred stock may also have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our company without further action by the stockholders, even where stockholders are offered a premium for their shares.
The market price of our common stock has been, and may continue to be, subject to substantial volatility.
The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including;
● volatility in the trading markets generally and in our particular market segment;
● limited trading of our common stock;
● actual or anticipated fluctuations in our results of operations;
● the financial projections we may provide to the public, any changes in those projections, or our failure to meet those projections;
● announcements regarding our business or the business of our customers or competitors;
● changes in accounting standards, policies, guidelines, interpretations, or principles;
● actual or anticipated developments in our business or our competitors’ businesses or the competitive landscape generally;
● developments or disputes concerning our intellectual property or our offerings, or third-party proprietary rights;
● announced or completed acquisitions of businesses or technologies by us or our competitors;
● new laws or regulations or new interpretations of existing laws or regulations applicable to our business;
● any major change in our board of directors or management;
● sales of shares of our common stock by us or by our stockholders;
● lawsuits threatened or filed against us; and
● other events or factors, including those resulting from war, incidents of terrorism, pandemics (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) or responses to these events.
Statements of, or changes in, opinions, ratings, or earnings estimates made by brokerage firms or industry analysts relating to the markets in which we operate or expect to operate could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock. In addition, the stock market as a whole, as well as our particular market segment, has from time to time experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations, which may affect the market price for the securities of many companies, and which often have appeared unrelated to the operating performance of such companies. Any of these factors could negatively affect our stockholders’ ability to sell their shares of common stock at the time and price they desire.
A decline in the price of our common stock could affect our ability to raise further working capital, which could adversely impact our ability to continue operations.
A prolonged decline in the price of our common stock could result in a reduction in the liquidity of our common stock and a reduction in our ability to raise capital. We may attempt to acquire a significant portion of the funds we need in order to conduct our planned operations through the sale of equity securities; thus, a decline in the price of our common stock could be detrimental to our liquidity and our operations because the decline may adversely affect investors’ desire to invest in our securities. If we are unable to raise the funds we require for all of our planned operations, we may be forced to reallocate funds from other planned uses and may suffer a significant negative effect on our business plan and operations, including our ability to develop new products or services and continue our current operations. As a result, our business may suffer, and we may be forced to reduce or discontinue operations. We also might not be able to meet our financial obligations if we cannot raise enough funds through the sale of our common stock and we may be forced to reduce or discontinue operations.
Because we do not intend to pay any cash dividends on our shares of common stock in the near future, our stockholders will not be able to receive a return on their shares unless and until they sell them.
We intend to retain a significant portion of any future earnings to finance the development, operation and expansion of our business. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the near future. The declaration, payment, and amount of any future dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors, and will depend upon, among other things, the results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition, operating and capital requirements, and other factors as our board of directors considers relevant. There is no assurance that future dividends will be paid, and, if dividends are paid, there is no assurance with respect to the amount of any such dividend. Unless our board of directors determines to pay dividends, our stockholders will be required to look to appreciation of our common stock to realize a gain on their investment. There can be no assurance that this appreciation will occur.
Because our directors and executive officers are among our largest stockholders, they can exert significant control over our business and affairs and have actual or potential interests that may depart from those of investors.
Certain of our executive officers and directors own a significant percentage of our outstanding capital stock. We estimate our executive officers and directors and their respective affiliates beneficially owned approximately 8.5% of our outstanding voting stock as of March 25, 2022. The holdings of our directors and executive officers may increase further in the future upon vesting or other maturation of exercise rights under any of the options or warrants they may hold or in the future be granted, or if they otherwise acquire additional shares of our common stock. The interests of such persons may differ from the interests of our other stockholders. As a result, in addition to their board seats and offices, such persons will have significant influence and control over all corporate actions requiring stockholder approval, irrespective of how our other stockholders may vote, including the following actions:
●
to elect or defeat the election of our directors;
● to amend or prevent amendment to our articles of incorporation or bylaws;
● to effect or prevent a merger, sale of assets or other corporate transaction; and
● to control the outcome of any other matter submitted to our stockholders for a vote.
This concentration of ownership by itself may have the effect of impeding a merger, consolidation, takeover, or other business consolidation, or discouraging a potential acquirer from making a tender offer for our common stock, which in turn could reduce our stock price or prevent our stockholders from realizing a premium over our stock price.
Our common stock has been categorized as “penny stock,” which may make it more difficult for investors to sell their shares of common stock due to suitability requirements.
The SEC has adopted regulations which generally define a “penny stock” to be any equity security that has a market price (as defined) less than $5.00 per share or an exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. Our securities are covered by the penny stock rules, which impose additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell to persons other than established customers and “accredited investors”. The term “accredited investor” refers generally to institutions with assets in excess of $5,000,000 or individuals with a net worth in excess of $1,000,000 or annual income exceeding $200,000 or $300,000 jointly with their spouse. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from the rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document in a form prepared by the SEC that provides information about penny stocks and the nature and level of risks in the penny stock market. The broker-dealer also must provide the customer with current bid and offer quotations for the penny stock, the compensation of the broker-dealer and its salesperson in the transaction and monthly account statements showing the market value of each penny stock held in the customer’s account. The bid and offer quotations, and the broker-dealer and salesperson compensation information, must be given to the customer orally or in writing prior to effecting the transaction and must be given to the customer in writing before or with the customer’s confirmation. In addition, the penny stock rules require that prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from these rules, the broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive the purchaser’s written agreement to the transaction. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity in the secondary market for the stock that is subject to these penny stock rules. Consequently, these penny stock rules may affect the ability of broker-dealers to trade our securities. We believe that the penny stock rules discourage investor interest in and limit the marketability of our common stock.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. has adopted sales practice requirements that historically may have limited a stockholder’s ability to buy and sell our common stock, which could depress the price of our common stock.
In addition to the “penny stock” rules described above, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has adopted rules that require that, in recommending an investment to a customer, a broker-dealer must have reasonable grounds for believing that the investment is suitable for that customer. Prior to recommending speculative low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status, investment objectives, and other information. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability that speculative low-priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. Thus, the FINRA requirements historically has made it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our common stock, which could limit your ability to buy and sell our common stock, have an adverse effect on the market for our shares, and thereby depress our price per share of common stock.
The elimination of monetary liability against our directors, officers, and employees under Nevada law and the existence of indemnification rights for our obligations to our directors, officers, and employees may result in substantial expenditures by us and may discourage lawsuits against our directors, officers, and employees.
Our articles of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions permitting us to eliminate the personal liability of our directors and officers to us and our stockholders for damages for the breach of a fiduciary duty as a director or officer to the extent provided by Nevada law. In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and officers to provide such indemnification rights. We may also have contractual indemnification obligations under any future employment agreements with our officers. The foregoing indemnification obligations could result in us incurring substantial expenditures to cover the cost of settlement or damage awards against directors and officers, which we may be unable to recoup. These provisions and the resulting costs may also discourage us from bringing a lawsuit against directors and officers for breaches of their fiduciary duties and may similarly discourage the filing of derivative litigation by our stockholders against our directors and officers even though such actions, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders.
Anti-takeover effects of certain provisions of Nevada state law hinder a potential takeover of us.
Nevada has a business combination law that prohibits certain business combinations between Nevada corporations and “interested stockholders” for three years after an “interested stockholder” first becomes an “interested stockholder,” unless the corporation’s board of directors approves the combination in advance. For purposes of Nevada law, an “interested stockholder” is any person who is (i) the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of ten percent or more of the voting power of the outstanding voting shares of the corporation or (ii) an affiliate or associate of the corporation and at any time within the three previous years was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of ten percent or more of the voting power of the then-outstanding shares of the corporation. The definition of the term “business combination” is sufficiently broad to cover virtually any kind of transaction that would allow a potential acquirer to use the corporation’s assets to finance the acquisition or otherwise to benefit its own interests rather than the interests of the corporation and its other stockholders.
The potential effect of Nevada’s business combination law is to discourage parties interested in taking control of us from doing so if these parties cannot obtain the approval of our board of directors. Both of these provisions could limit the price investors would be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock.
Our bylaws contain an exclusive forum provision, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents.
Our bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the state and federal courts in the State of Nevada shall be the exclusive forum for any litigation relating to our internal affairs, including, without limitation: (a) any derivative action brought on behalf of us, (b) any action asserting a claim for breach of fiduciary duty to us or our stockholders by any current or former officer, director, employee, or agent of us, or (c) any action against us or any current or former officer, director, employee, or agent of us arising pursuant to any provision of the Nevada Revised Statutes, the articles of incorporation, or the bylaws.
For the avoidance of doubt, the exclusive forum provision described above does not apply to any claims arising under the Securities Act or Exchange Act. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder, and Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
The choice of forum provision in our bylaws may limit our stockholders’ ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that they find favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers, employees and agents even though an action, if successful, might benefit our stockholders. The applicable courts may also reach different judgments or results than would other courts, including courts where a stockholder considering an action may be located or would otherwise choose to bring the action, and such judgments or results may be more favorable to us than to our stockholders. With respect to the provision making the state and federal courts in the State of Nevada the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions, stockholders who do bring a claim in the state and federal courts in the State of Nevada could face additional litigation costs in pursuing any such claim, particularly if they do not reside in or near Nevada. Finally, if a court were to find this provision of our bylaws inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

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ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Our California office is approximately 6,700 square feet and is located at 2210 Newport Blvd., Suite 200, Newport Beach, California 92663. Our office houses our executive and administrative operations under an operating lease that expires on May 31, 2027 for monthly rent of approximately $35,000. We believe that our facility is sufficient to meet our current needs and that suitable additional space will be available as and when needed.
On April 12, 2019, the Company acquired four office and warehouse leases in American Fork, Utah related to the operation of Verb Direct with an aggregate lease payment of $31,000 per month. The lessor of the office and warehouse area is JMCC Properties, which is an entity owned and controlled by the former shareholders and certain current officers of Verb Direct. On January 3, 2022, the Company entered into a termination agreement for certain offices and warehouse leases in Utah. Under the terms of the agreement, two of the building leases terminated on January 15, 2022 and the other two terminate on April 30, 2022, after which the Company is not obligated to make any payments related to these leases.

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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
For a discussion of our legal proceedings, refer to Note 21 “Commitments and Contingencies,” in the notes to our audited consolidated financial statements of this Annual Report.

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ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
ITEM 4a. INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
Directors and Executive Officers
Our directors and executive officers, their ages, positions held, and duration of such, are as follows:
Name
Position Held with Our Company
Age
Date First Elected or Appointed
Rory J. Cutaia
Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer, Secretary, and Director
October 16, 2014
Salman H. Khan
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
January 20, 2022
James P. Geiskopf
Lead Director
October 16, 2014
Philip J. Bond
Director
September 10, 2018
Kenneth S. Cragun
Director
September 10, 2018
Nancy Heinen
Director
December 20, 2019
Judith Hammerschmidt
Director
December 20, 2019
Jeffrey R. Clayborne
Former Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
July 15, 2016
Business Experience
The following is a brief account of the education and business experience of directors and executive officers during at least the past five years, indicating their principal occupation during the period, the name and principal business of the organization by which they were employed, and certain of their other directorships:
Rory J. Cutaia, Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Secretary
Rory J. Cutaia has served as our Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Secretary, since December 2012 upon the formation of Cutaia Media Group, LLC, in which roles he has continued to serve through our October 2014 acquisition of bBooth USA to the present, and served as our Treasurer from December 2012 to January 2022. Mr. Cutaia founded CMG in 2012 and bBooth, Inc. in 2014. In May 2014, CMG and bBooth, Inc. merged and became known as bBoothUSA, which entity was acquired in October 2014 by GSD, our predecessor. Prior to that, from October 2006 to August 2011, he was a partner and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Corinthian Capital Group, Inc. (“Corinthian”), a private equity fund based in New York City that invested in middle-market, U.S. based companies. During his tenure at Corinthian, from June 2008 to October 2011, Mr. Cutaia was the co-founder and Executive Chairman of Allied Fiber, Inc., a company engaged in the construction of a nation-wide fiber-optic network, and from June 2007 to August 2011, Mr. Cutaia was the Chief Executive Officer of GreenFields Coal Company, a company engaged in the deployment of technology to recycle coal waste and clean-up coal waste sites. Before joining Corinthian, from January 2000 to October 2006, he founded and was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Telx Group, Inc. (“Telx”), a company engaged in the telecom carrier inter-connection, co-location, and data center business, which he sold in 2006. Before founding Telx, he was a practicing lawyer with Shea & Gould, a prominent New York City law firm. Mr. Cutaia obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from the Fordham University School of Law in 1985 and his Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude, in business management from the New York Institute of Technology in 1982.
We believe that Mr. Cutaia is qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his knowledge of our current operations, in addition to his education and business experiences described above.
Salman H. Khan, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Salman H. Khan was appointed as Interim Chief Financial Officer, Principal Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer and Treasurer on January 20, 2022 after having joined the company in May 2021 as Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategic Planning where he worked closely with the Company’s CEO in connection with mergers and acquisitions and capital market activities. On March 30, 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors approved Mr. Khan’s appointment as the Company’s permanent Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Verb, Mr. Khan served as business division chief financial officer, among other senior executive level positions with Occidental Petroleum Corporation and its spinoff, California Resources Corporation, a NYSE listed company with a market capitalization of approximately $3.5 billion. Mr. Khan has more than 20 years of finance and accounting experience with eight years at Arthur Andersen, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young, where he served domestic and international clients in technology, media, telecommunications, entertainment, and biotechnology industries. Mr. Khan holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business and is a licensed chartered certified accountant (UK).
James P. Geiskopf, Lead Director
James P. Geiskopf has served as one of our directors since the formation of bBooth USA, in which role he has continued to serve through our October 2014 acquisition of bBooth USA by GSD, our predecessor, to the present. He also serves as our Lead Director. Mr. Geiskopf has 32 years of experience leading companies in the services industry. From 1975 to 1986, Mr. Geiskopf served as the Chief Financial Officer of Budget Rent a Car of Fairfield California and from 1986 to 2007, he served as its President and Chief Executive Officer. In 2007, he sold the franchise. Mr. Geiskopf served on the Board of Directors of Suisun Valley Bank from 1986 to 1993 and also served on the Board of Directors of Napa Valley Bancorp from 1991 to 1993, which was sold to a larger institution in 1993. Since 2014, Mr. Geiskopf has served on the board of directors of Currency Works, Inc., a public company that trades on the OTCQB. From June 2013 to March 16, 2017, the date of his resignation, Mr. Geiskopf served as a director of Electronic Cigarettes International Group, Ltd., or ECIG, a Nevada corporation, whose common stock was quoted on the over-the-counter market. ECIG filed a voluntary petition for relief under the provisions of Chapter 7 of Title 11 of the United States Code on March 16, 2017.
Mr. Geiskopf has significant and lengthy business experience including building, operating, and selling companies, serving on the boards of directors for several banks, and serving as a director and officer of several public companies. In these roles he acquired substantial business management, strategic, operational, human resource, financial, disclosure, compliance, and corporate governance skills. These were the primary reasons that we concluded that he should serve as one of our directors.
Philip J. Bond, Director
Philip J. Bond was appointed as one of our directors effective September 10, 2018. On the same date, he was appointed as Chairman of the Governance and Nominating Committee and to serve on the Audit, Compensation, and Governance and Nominating Committees. In 2018, Mr. Bond co-founded Potomac International Partners, Inc., a multidisciplinary consulting firm and currently serves as its President of Government Affairs. In 2009, TechAmerica, a U.S.-based technology trade association, was formed from the merger of AeA, the Cyber Security Industry Alliance, the Government Electronics & Information Technology Association, and the Information Technology Association of America. Mr. Bond was appointed as the President of TechAmerica at the date of the merger, and later, in 2010, was appointed as its Chief Executive Officer. Prior to the merger, Mr. Bond served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Information Technology Association of America from 2006 to 2008. From 2001 to 2005, Mr. Bond served as Undersecretary of Technology in the U.S. Department of Commerce for Technology. From 2002 to 2003, Mr. Bond served concurrently as Chief of Staff to Commerce Secretary Donald Evans. In his dual role, he worked closely with Secretary Evans to increase market access for U.S. goods and services and further advance America’s technological leadership at home and abroad. Mr. Bond oversaw the operations of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Office of Technology Policy, and the National Technical Information Service. During his tenure, the Technology Administration was the pre-eminent portal between the federal government and U.S. technology. Earlier in his career, Mr. Bond served as Senior Vice President of Government Relations for Monster Worldwide, the world’s largest online career site, and General Manager of Monster Government Solutions. Mr. Bond also served as Director of Federal Public Policy for the Hewlett-Packard Company; Senior Vice President for Government Affairs and Treasurer of the Information Technology Industry Council; as Chief of Staff to the late Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn (R-WA); Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs; Chief of Staff and Rules Committee Associate for Congressman Bob McEwen (R-OH); and as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs. Mr. Bond is a graduate of Linfield College in Oregon and now serves on the school’s board of trustees.
Mr. Bond has extensive experience in Washington D.C., where he is recognized for his leadership roles in the Executive branch of the government of the United States, at major high technology companies, and most recently as the Chief Executive Officer of TechAmerica, the largest technology advocacy association in the United States. Mr. Bond’s unique leadership experience and expertise in government relations, were the primary reasons that we concluded that he should serve as one of our directors.
Kenneth S. Cragun, Director
Kenneth S. Cragun was appointed as one of our directors effective September 10, 2018. On the same date, he was appointed as Chairman of the Audit Committee, and to serve on the Compensation and Governance and Nominating Committees. Mr. Cragun was appointed as Chief Financial Officer of BitNile Holdings, Inc. a diversified holding company, on August 19, 2020. Prior to his appointment as Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Cragun served as BitNile Holdings’ Chief Accounting Officer since October 1, 2018, and since January 2019, as the Senior Vice President of Finance for Alzamend Neuro, Inc., a biopharma company. Mr. Cragun also served as a partner of Hardesty, LLC, a national executive services firm. He was a partner of its Southern California Practice from October 2016 to October 2018. From January 2018 to September 2018, Mr. Cragun served as the Chief Financial Officer of CorVel Corporation, or CorVel. CorVel is an Irvine, California-based national provider of workers’ compensation solutions for employers, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and government agencies. Mr. Cragun is a two-time finalist for the Orange County Business Journal’s “CFO of the Year - Public Companies” and has more than 30 years of experience, primarily in the technology industry. He served as Chief Financial Officer of two NASDAQ-listed companies: Local Corporation (April 2009 to September 2016), formerly based in Irvine, California, which operated a U.S. top 100 website “Local.com” and, in June 2015, filed a voluntary petition in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California seeking relief under the provisions of Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code, or Bankruptcy Code, and Modtech Holdings, Inc. (June 2006 to March 2009), formerly based in Perris, California Mr. Cragun received his B.S. in Accounting from Colorado State University-Pueblo.
Mr. Cragun’s industry experience is vast with extensive experience in fast-growth environments and building teams in more than 20 countries. Mr. Cragun has led multiple financing transactions, including IPOs, PIPEs, convertible debt, term loans, and lines of credit. For these reasons, we believe that he will provide additional breadth and depth to our board of directors.
Nancy Heinen, Director
Nancy Heinen was appointed as one of our directors effective December 20, 2019. Ms. Heinen is currently a board member, investor, strategy consultant, and startup advisor with more than 25 years of experience in senior executive roles in Silicon Valley. In 1997, she was recruited by Steve Jobs to join the executive team of Apple Inc. (“Apple”), and assisted in its turnaround. During Ms. Heinen’s tenure at Apple, her responsibilities included all legal matters, including intellectual property litigation, acquisitions, corporate governance, and securities compliance, as well as global government affairs and corporate security. Previously, she served as General Counsel of NeXT Software, Inc., and Associate General Counsel at Tandem Computers, Inc. Ms. Heinen currently acts as Board Chair of First Place for Youth, is a board member and past board chair of SV2 - Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund, and serves on the advisory boards of Illuminate Ventures, University of California, Berkeley Center for Law and Business, and the Northern California Innocence Project. Ms. Heinen received her B.A. and J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley.
We believe that Ms. Heinen’s legal experience, coupled with her senior executive experience, will provide a benefit to us, our stockholders, and our board of directors.
Judith Hammerschmidt, Director
Judith Hammerschmidt was appointed as one of our directors effective December 20, 2019. Ms. Hammerschmidt has spent the last 37 years as an international attorney. She began her career as a Special Assistant to two Attorneys General of the United States, focusing on international matters of interest to the U.S. government, including negotiating treaties and agreements with foreign governments. She then joined Dickstein, Shapiro & Morin, LLP, a Washington, D.C. firm, where she represented companies around the world as they expanded internationally in highly regulated environments. Her clients included Guess? Inc., Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., the Receiver for Bank of Credit and Commerce International of the United Arab Emirates, Recycled Paper Products, Inc., and Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (“Herbalife”). She provided structuring, growth, and regulatory advice for these and other companies. She joined Herbalife as Vice President and General Counsel of Europe in 1994, becoming Executive Vice President and International Chief Counsel in 1996. In 2002, she was part of the management group that sold Herbalife. Since that time, she has served as outside counsel to a series of entrepreneurial companies looking to expand internationally, primarily in the food and drug/nutritional supplements space. In addition, Ms. Hammerschmidt was a Principal in JBT, LLC, a privately held company that owned “mindful dining” restaurants in the Washington, D.C. area. Those properties were sold in 2010. She expects to continue to act as outside counsel for small companies while serving on our board of directors.
We believe that Ms. Hammerschmidt’s legal experience, her client relationships, and her more than 30 years of experience in the direct sales industry, will provide a benefit to us, our stockholders, and our board of directors.
Jeffrey R. Clayborne, Former Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Jeffrey R. Clayborne served as our Chief Financial Officer from July 15, 2016. On January 20, 2022, Mr. Clayborne resigned from the Company. Pursuant to consulting and separation agreements, Mr. Clayborne continued as a consultant with the Company to assist with transition matters. Mr. Clayborne’s departure is not due to a dispute or disagreement with the Company.
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 PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information
Our common stock trades on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “VERB.”
Holders of Common Stock
As of March 25, 2022, there were approximately 88 holders of record of our common stock. These holders of record include depositories that hold shares of stock for brokerage firms which, in turn, hold shares of stock for numerous beneficial owners.
Dividends
We have never declared or paid dividends. We do not intend to pay cash dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future, but currently intend to retain any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. The payment of dividends if any, on our common stock will rest solely within the discretion of our board of directors and will depend, among other things, upon our earnings, capital requirements, financial condition, and other relevant factors. Pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement we entered into on January 12, 2022 with three institutional investors, which we disclosed on a Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 13, 2022, we are prohibited from declaring or paying a cash dividend or distribution on any of our common stock.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
During our fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, all sales of equity securities that were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, were previously reported in a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or in a Current Report on Form 8-K.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
None.

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Not applicable.

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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 our results of operations and financial condition for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and the other financial information that are included elsewhere in this Annual Report. This discussion includes forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties, such as our plans, objectives, expectations, and intentions. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties such as our plans, estimates, and beliefs. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements below. Factors that could cause or contribute to those differences in our actual results include, but are not limited to, those discussed below and those discussed elsewhere within this Annual Report, particularly in the section entitled “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and the Item entitled “Risk Factors.”
Overview
We are a Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) applications platform developer. Our platform is comprised of a suite of interactive video-based sales enablement business software products marketed on a subscription basis. Our applications, available in both mobile and desktop versions, are offered as a fully integrated suite, as well as on a standalone basis, and include verbCRM, our Customer Relationship Management (“CRM”) application, verbLEARN, our Learning Management System application, verbLIVE, our Live Stream eCommerce application, verbPULSE, our business/augmented intelligence notification and sales coach application, and verbTEAMS, our self-onboarding video-based CRM and content management application for professional sports teams, small business and solopreneurs, with seamless synchronization with Salesforce, that also comes bundled with verbLIVE, and more recently, we introduced verbMAIL, our interactive video-based sales communication tool integrated into Microsoft Outlook.
We use the term “client” and “customer” interchangeably throughout this Annual Report.
Our Technology
Our suite of applications can be distinguished from other sales enablement applications because our applications utilize our proprietary interactive video technology as the primary means of communication between sales and marketing professionals and their customers and prospects. Moreover, the proprietary data collection and analytics capabilities of our applications inform our users on their devices in real time, when and for how long their prospects have watched a video, how many times such prospects watched it, and what they clicked on, which allows our users to focus their time and efforts on ‘hot leads’ or interested prospects rather than on those that have not seen such video or otherwise expressed interest in such content. Users can create their hot lead lists by using familiar, intuitive ‘swipe left/swipe right’ on-screen navigation. Our clients report that these capabilities provide for a much more efficient and effective sales process, resulting in increased sales conversion rates. We developed the proprietary patent-pending interactive video technology, as well as several other patent-issued and patent-pending technologies that serve as the unique foundation for all our platform applications.
Our Products
verbCRM combines the capabilities of CRM lead-generation, content management, and in-video ecommerce capabilities in an intuitive, yet powerful tool for both inexperienced as well as highly skilled sales professionals. verbCRM allows users to quickly and easily create, distribute, and post videos to which they can add a choice of on-screen clickable icons which, when clicked, allow viewers to respond to the user’s call-to-action in real-time, in the video, while the video is playing, without leaving or stopping the video. For example, our technology allows a prospect or customer to click on a product they see featured in a video and impulse buy it, or to click on a calendar icon in the video to make an appointment with a salesperson, among many other features and functionalities designed to eliminate or reduce friction from the sales process for our users. The verbCRM app is designed to be easy to use and navigate and takes little time and training for a user to begin using the app effectively. It usually takes less than four minutes for a novice user to create an interactive video from our app. Users can add interactive icons to pre-existing videos, as well as to newly created videos shot with practically any mobile device. verbCRM interactive videos can be distributed via email, text messaging, chat app, or posted to popular social media directly and easily from our app. No software download is required to view Verb interactive videos on virtually any mobile or desktop device, including smart TVs.
verbLEARN is an interactive, video-based learning management system that incorporates all of the clickable in-video technology featured in our verbCRM application and adapts them for use by educators for video-based education. verbLEARN is used by enterprises seeking to educate a large sales team or a customer base about new products, or elicit feedback about existing products. It also incorporates Verb’s proprietary data collection and analytics capabilities that inform users in real time when and for how long the viewers watched the video, how many times they watched it, and what they clicked on, in addition to adding gamification features that enhance the learning aspects of the application.
verbLIVE builds on popular video-based platforms such as Facebook Live, Zoom, WebEx, and Go2Meeting, among others, by adding Verb’s proprietary interactive in-video ecommerce capabilities - including an in-video Shopify shopping cart integrated for Shopify account holders - to our own live stream video broadcasting application. verbLIVE is a next-generation live stream platform that allows hosts to utilize a variety of novel sales-driving features, including placing interactive icons on-screen that appear on the screens of all viewers, providing in-video click-to-purchase capabilities for products or services featured in the live video broadcast, in real-time, driving friction-free selling. verbLIVE also provides the host with real-time viewer engagement data and interaction analytics. verbLIVE is entirely browser-based, allowing it to function easily and effectively on all devices without requiring the host or the viewers to download software, and is secured through end-to-end encryption.
verbPULSE is a business/augmented intelligence notification-based sales enablement platform feature set that tracks users’ interactions with current and prospective customers and then helps coach users by telling them what to do next in order to close the sale, virtually automating the selling process.
verbTEAMS is our interactive, video-based CRM for professional sports teams, small-and medium-sized businesses and solopreneurs. verbTEAMS also incorporates verbLIVE as a bundled application. verbTEAMS features self-sign-up, self-onboarding, self-configuring, content management system capabilities, user level administrative capabilities, and high-quality analytics capabilities in both mobile and desktop platforms that sync with one another. It also has a built-in one-click sync capability with Salesforce.
We continue to invest in the future of interactive livestreaming. Following are some of our recent initiatives:
MARKET is a centralized online destination where shoppers could explore scores of shoppable livestream events, and over time - thousands, across numerous product and service categories, being hosted by people from all over the world, always on - 24/7 - where shoppers could communicate with the hosts, asking questions about products in real-time - through an on-screen chat visible to all shoppers - that allows shoppers who have invited their friends and family to join them there to share the experience - to communicate directly with each other in real time, and then simply click on a non-intrusive - in-video overlay to place items in an on-screen shopping cart for purchase - all without interrupting the video. Shoppers can visit any number of other shoppable events to meet up and chat with friends, old and new, and together watch, shop and chat with the hosts, discover new products and services, and become part of an immersive entertaining shopping experience. Throughout the experience, the shopping cart follows shoppers seamlessly from event to event, shoppable video to shoppable video, host to host, product to product.
The MARKET business model is a simple but next-level B to B play. It is a multi-vendor platform, with a single follow-me style unified shopping cart, and robust ecommerce capabilities with the tools for consumer brands, big box brick and mortar stores, boutiques, influencers and celebrities to connect with their clients, customers, their fans, followers, and prospects by providing a unique, interactive social shopping experience that we believe could keep them coming back and engaged for hours.
A big differentiator for MARKET is that it also provides an online meeting place for friends and family to meet, chat, shop and enjoy a fun, immersive shopping experience in real time together from anywhere and everywhere in the world. MARKET will provide vendors with extensive business building analytics capabilities not available on, and not shared by many operators of other social media sites who regard that information as valuable proprietary property. All vendors on MARKET will retain this valuable intelligence for their own, unlimited use.
MARKET allows vendors an opportunity to reach not only the shoppers they invite to the site from their own client and contact lists, but also those shoppers who came to the site independently who will discover these vendors as they browse through the many other shoppable events hosted simultaneously on MARKET 24/7, from around the world. We believe our revenue model will be attractive to vendors and will consist of SaaS recurring revenue as well as a share of revenue generated through sales on the platform.
MARKET will also incorporate a modified version of our verbLIVE Attribution technology, allowing vendors who so choose, to leverage extremely powerful, built-in affiliate marketing capabilities. Non-vendor visitors to the site can search for those vendors that have activated the Attribution feature for their events and be compensated when people they referred to that vendor, purchase products or services during that vendor’s shopping event. We expect that this feature, unique to MARKET, will drive many more shoppers who will be referred from all over the world, producing a cross-pollination effect enhancing the revenue opportunities for all MARKET vendors, while also creating an attractive income generating opportunity for non-vendor MARKET patrons.
MARKET is an entirely new platform, built wholly independently and separate from our verbLIVE sales platform, representing what we believe is the state of the art of shoppable video technology. It will utilize an ultra-low latency private global CDN network that we control, allowing us to deliver a high-quality experience and platform performance capabilities. We also believe that MARKET will expose vendors to our entire suite of sales enablement products, such as verbMAIL, among others, that could drive new cross selling revenue opportunities.
verbTV is an online destination for shoppable entertainment. Whereas MARKET is a social shopping experience, verbTV is a destination for those seeking commercial-free television content, such as concerts, game shows, sports, including e-sports, sitcoms, podcasts, special events, news, including live events, and other forms of video entertainment that is all interactive and shoppable. verbTV represents an entirely new distribution channel for all forms of content by a new generation of content creators looking for greater freedom to explore the creative possibilities that a native interactive video platform can provide for their audience. We believe content creators may also enjoy greater revenue opportunities through the native ecommerce capabilities the platform provides to sponsors and advertisers who will enjoy real-time monetization, data collection and analytics. Through verbTV, sponsors and advertisers will be able to accurately measure the ROI from their marketing spend, instead of relying on decades-old, imprecise viewership information.
At launch, verbTV will feature the popular business pitch show “2 Minute Drill” currently shown on Amazon Prime and Bloomberg TV. However, verbTV will host a shoppable version of the 12 episodes of the upcoming Season 3. Each episode is a fast-paced reality show where 5-6 entrepreneurs competing for $50,000 in cash and prizes, have 2 minutes to impress the judges with the best investor pitch. Our CEO is one of the judges on the show. Expected to air in early 2022, verbTV viewers will be able to click on-screen and purchase the products and services of the contestants featured on the show, among other contemplated interactive features. Dave Meltzer, the creator of the show, and Co-founder of Sports 1 Marketing and the former CEO of the renowned Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment agency, has signed-on with Verb to produce other interactive and shoppable entertainment for verbTV. Other such partnerships, as well as a creator program, are currently in progress.
Verb Partnerships and Integrations
verbMAIL for Microsoft Outlook is a product of our partnership with Microsoft and is available as an add-in to Microsoft Outlook for Outlook and Office 365 subscribers. verbMAIL allows users to create interactive videos seamlessly within Outlook by clicking the verbMAIL icon in the Outlook toolbar. The videos are automatically added to an email and can be sent easily through Outlook using the user’s contacts they already have in Outlook. The application allows users to easily track viewer engagement and together with other features represents an effective sales tool available for all Outlook users worldwide. Currently offered without charge, a subscription-based paid version with a suite of enhanced features for sales and marketing professionals is slated for release later this year.
Salesforce Integration. We have completed and deployed the integration of verbLIVE into Salesforce and have launched a joint marketing campaign with Salesforce to introduce the verbLIVE plug-in functionality to current Salesforce users. We have also developed a verbCRM sync application for Salesforce users that is currently being utilized by at least one of our large enterprise clients and the verbLIVE plug-in is now being offered to all Salesforce users on a monthly subscription fee basis while we work to build adoption rates.
Popular Enterprise Back-Office System Integrations. We have integrated verbCRM into systems offered by 19 of the most popular direct sales back-office system providers, such as Direct Scale, Exigo, By Design, Thatcher, Multisoft, Xennsoft, and Party Plan. Direct sales back-office systems provide many of the support functions required for direct sales operations, including payroll, customer genealogy management, statistics, rankings, and earnings, among other direct sales financial tracking capabilities. The integration into these back-office providers, facilitated through our own API development, allows single sign-on convenience for users, as well as enhanced data analytics and reporting capabilities for all users. Our experience confirms that our integration into these back-end platforms accelerates the adoption of verbCRM by large direct sales enterprises that rely on these systems and as such, we believe this represents a competitive advantage.
Non-Digital Products and Services
Historically, we provided certain non-digital services to some of our enterprise clients such as printing and fulfillment services. We designed and printed welcome kits and starter kits for their marketing needs and provided fulfillment services, which consisted of managing the preparation, handling and shipping of our client’s custom-branded merchandise they use for marketing purposes at conferences and other events. We also managed the fulfillment of our clients’ product sample packs that verbCRM users order through the app for automated delivery and tracking to their customers and prospects.
In May 2020, we executed a contract with Range Printing (“Range”), a company in the business of providing enterprise class printing, sample assembly, warehousing, packaging, shipping, and fulfillment services. Pursuant to the contract, through an automated process we have established for this purpose, Range receives orders for samples and merchandise from us as and when we receive them from our clients and users, and print, assemble, store, package and ship such samples and merchandise on our behalf. The Range contract provides for a service fee arrangement based upon the specific services to be provided by Range that is designed to maintain our relationship with our clients by continuing to service their non-digital needs, while eliminating the labor and overhead costs associated with the provision of such services by us.
Our Market
Historically, our client base consisted primarily of multi-national direct sales enterprises to whom we provide white-labeled, client-branded versions of our products. During the year ended December 31, 2021, our client base expanded to include large enterprises in the life sciences sector, professional sports franchises, educational institutions, and not-for-profit organizations, as well as clients in the entertainment industry, and the burgeoning CBD industry, among other business sectors. As of December 31, 2021, we provided subscription-based application services to approximately 150 enterprise clients for use in over 100 countries, in over 48 languages, which collectively account for a user base generated through more than 3.1 million downloads of our verbCRM application. Among the new business sectors targeted for this year are medical equipment and pharmaceutical sales, armed services and government institutions, small businesses and individual entrepreneurs.
Revenue Generation
A description of our principal revenue generating activities is as follows:
1. Digital Revenue which is divided into two main categories:
a. SaaS recurring digital revenue based on contract-based subscriptions to our verb app products and platform services which include verbCRM, verbLEARN, verbLIVE, verbPULSE, and verbTeams. The revenue is recognized over the subscription period.
b. Non-SaaS, non-recurring digital revenue, which is revenue generated by the use of our app products and in-app purchases, such as sampling and other services obtained through the app. The revenue for samples is recognized upon completion and shipment, while the design fees are recognized when the service has been rendered and the app is delivered to the customer.
2. Non-digital revenue, which is revenue we generate from non-app, non-digital sources through ancillary services we provide as an accommodation to our clients and customers. These services, which we now outsource to a strategic partner as part of a cost reduction plan we instituted in 2020, include design, printing services, fulfillment and shipping services. The revenue is recognized upon completion and shipment of products or fulfillment to customers.
Recent Developments
SoloFire Acquisition
In September 2020 we completed the acquisition of Ascend Certification, LLC, dba SoloFire (“SoloFire”), which develops and markets leading SaaS-based sales enablement applications for sales representatives of medical device, diagnostics and life sciences companies. SoloFire’s platform empowers sales and marketing teams by allowing them to efficiently find, show, share and track regulatory and industry compliant, accurate and up-to-date content. With SoloFire, content can be locally stored, making it accessible without Wi-fi or mobile data, which is often a challenge in hospital environments. The sales tools can be tailored to a company’s unique medical products, while creating personalized sales conversations with physicians and other stakeholders. In addition, insights from in-depth analytics capabilities enable sales and marketing teams to identify and replicate the content that most resonates with clients, driving higher conversion rates. We have begun combining Verb’s sales enablement solutions, including our interactive video and interactive livestream ecommerce features, with the SoloFire mobile and desktop applications to provide even more powerful tools for this exciting new target market.
Impact of COVID-19 on Our Business and Industry
Governments and businesses around the world continue to take actions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and its variants, including, but not limited to, shelter-in-place orders, quarantines, significant restrictions on travel, as well as restrictions that prohibit many employees from going to work. Uncertainty with respect to the economic effects of the pandemic has introduced significant volatility in the financial markets.
Despite increased vaccine distribution programs and loosening of COVID-19-related restrictions in the regions in which we operate during the year ended December 31, 2021, both the pandemic and ongoing containment and mitigation measures have had, and are likely to continue to have, an adverse impact on the global and U.S. economies, the severity and duration of which are uncertain. As such, our business, operations and financial condition has been, and we anticipate will continue to be, adversely impacted by reduced demand for our applications and non-digital services, as well as reduced access to capital. To mitigate the adverse impact COVID-19 may have on our business and operations, we implemented a number of measures to strengthen our financial position, including eliminating, reducing, or deferring non-essential expenditures. However, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will impact our business, financial conditions, and results of operations in the future remains uncertain and will be affected by a number of factors, including the duration and extent of the pandemic, the emergence of variants to COVID-19 the duration and extent of imposed or recommended containment and mitigation measures, the extent, duration, and effective execution of government stabilization and recovery efforts, including those from the successful distribution of effective vaccines.
The COVID-19 pandemic may have long-term effects on the nature of the office environment and remote working. This may present operational and workplace culture challenges that may adversely affect our business. Throughout the year ended December 31, 2021 and through the filing of this Annual Report, we have encouraged safe practices designed to stem the infection and spread of COVID-19 within our workforce and beyond and to maintain the mental health and well-being of our employees.
We began the year ended December 31, 2021 with healthy demand for our products, including our SaaS products, many of which are designed to enable our customers to manage their businesses virtually. Our non-digital business was negatively impacted in the year ended December 31, 2021 as events and sales opportunities were cancelled or shifted to a virtual environment due to the pandemic. Although the impact has not been material to date, a prolonged downturn in economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our customers and demand for our services.
We continue to actively communicate with and listen to our customers to ensure we are responding to their needs in the current environment with innovative solutions that will not only be beneficial now but also over the long-term. We monitor developments related to COVID-19 and remain flexible in our response to the challenges presented by the pandemic.
Results of Operations
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2020
The following is a comparison of the results of our operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:
Years Ended December 31,
Change
Revenue
Digital revenue
SaaS recurring subscription revenue $ 6,831,000 $ 5,114,000 $ 1,717,000
Other digital revenue 1,347,000 1,384,000 (37,000 )
Total digital revenue 8,178,000 6,498,000 1,680,000
Non-digital revenue
Design, printing, fulfillment, and shipping 2,346,000 3,467,000 (1,121,000 )
Total revenue 10,524,000 9,965,000 559,000
Cost of Revenue
Digital 2,249,000 1,416,000 833,000
Non-digital 2,255,000 3,385,000 (1,130,000 )
Total cost of revenue 4,504,000 4,801,000 (297,000 )
Gross margin 6,020,000 5,164,000 856,000
Operating expenses
Research and development 12,345,000 7,933,000 4,412,000
Depreciation and amortization 1,677,000 1,510,000 167,000
General and administrative 25,710,000 20,458,000 5,252,000
Total operating expenses 39,732,000 29,901,000 9,831,000
Loss from operations (33,712,000 ) (24,737,000 ) (8,975,000 )
Other income (expense), net
Other income, net 92,000 102,000 (10,000 )
Interest expense (2,575,000 ) (894,000 ) (1,681,000 )
Change in fair value of derivative liability 598,000 574,000 24,000
Debt extinguishment, net 1,112,000 - 1,112,000
Total other expense, net (773,000 ) (218,000 ) (555,000 )
Income tax 1,000 1,000 -
Net loss (34,486,000 ) (24,956,000 ) (9,530,000 )
Deemed dividend to Series A preferred stockholders (348,000 ) (3,951,000 ) 3,603,000
Net loss to common stockholders $ (34,834,000 ) $ (28,907,000 ) $ (5,927,000 )
Revenue
We continue to experience meaningful growth in our total digital revenue and SaaS subscription revenue. For the year ended December 31, 2021, our total digital revenue was 78% of total revenue compared with 65% for the year ended December 31, 2020. Total digital revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $8.2 million, an increase of 26% compared to $6.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily driven from SaaS recurring subscription-based revenue associated with our verbCRM, verbLEARN, verbTEAMS, verbLIVE, and verbPULSE applications totaling $6.8 million, an increase of 34% compared to $5.1 million reported for the year ended December 31, 2020. Other digital revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $1.3 million, compared to $1.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.
SaaS recurring subscription revenue as a percentage of total digital revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 84%, compared with 79% for the year ended December 31, 2020. Our SaaS recurring subscription revenues continue to grow year over year, which is a reflection of our systematic investment in our digital business.
We executed 55 new client contracts during the year ended December 31, 2021 with a guaranteed base value of $3.3 million. We expect to generate annual recurring revenue of approximately $1.5 million from these engagements, which is in addition to revenue that we anticipate recognizing from new and existing clients launching verbLIVE with Attribution, Pulse, and Learn, as well as revenue we expect from MARKET, verbTV, verbMAIL, and other as yet unannounced initiatives.
Total non-digital revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $2.3 million, compared to $3.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, which, is consistent with our strategy to focus on higher margin digital revenue versus our lower margin design, printing, fulfillment, and shipping legacy business.
The table below sets forth our quarterly revenues from the quarter ended December 31, 2019 through the quarter ended December 31, 2021, which reflects the trend of revenue over the past nine fiscal quarters:
2020 Quarterly Revenue 2021 Quarterly Revenue
Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
SaaS recurring subscription revenue $ 995,000 $ 1,057,000 $ 1,274,000 $ 1,478,000 $ 1,305,000 $ 1,461,000 $ 1,601,000 $ 1,846,000 $ 1,923,000
Other digital 344,000 400,000 406,000 360,000 218,000 340,000 209,000 510,000 288,000
Total digital revenue 1,339,000 1,457,000 1,680,000 1,838,000 1,523,000 1,801,000 1,810,000 2,356,000 2,211,000
Total non-digital revenue 1,146,000 897,000 972,000 1,022,000 576,000 725,000 582,000 544,000 495,000
Grand total $ 2,485,000 $ 2,354,000 $ 2,652,000 $ 2,860,000 $ 2,099,000 $ 2,526,000 $ 2,392,000 $ 2,900,000 $ 2,706,000
Cost of Revenue
Total cost of revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $4.5 million, compared to $4.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease in cost of revenue is primarily attributed to a decrease in non-digital costs offset by increased digital costs to support additional enterprise customers on the platform, increased users within our existing customer base, and free trials associated with verbLIVE and verbMAIL.
Gross Margin
Total gross margin for the year ended December 31, 2021, was $6.0 million, compared to $5.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Gross margin increased to 57% for the year ended December 31, 2021 versus 52% in 2020. We continue to earn higher margins due to a systematic focus on our SaaS and digital business, which has a higher margin than our non-digital business.
Operating Expenses
Research and development expenses were $12.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to $7.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Research and development expenses primarily consisted of fees paid to employees and vendors contracted to perform research projects and develop technology. The increase in research and development is attributed to the development of verbLIVE, our attribution feature, PULSE, enhancements to verbCRM, our verbMail integration with Microsoft Outlook, and our new MARKET platform.
Depreciation and amortization expenses were $1.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to $1.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase is due to a full year of amortization of SoloFire intangible assets as compared to only four months in 2020.
General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $25.7 million, as compared to $20.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in spending was to support growth, anticipated product launches, implementation of NetSuite ERP system, ongoing compliance with Sarbanes Oxley, and an additional eight months of SoloFire operations. The notable increases versus the year ended December 31, 2020, were increases in labor of $2.8 million, marketing and promotion of $1.1 million, professional services of $0.9 million, SoloFire of $0.5 million, and external software of $0.3 million, all offset by a decrease in share-based compensation of ($0.5) million.
Other income (expense), net, for the year ended December 31, 2021 was ($0.8) million, which was attributed to interest expense of ($2.6) million, offset by a net gain on extinguishment of a note payable of $1.1 million, change in the fair value of derivative liability of $0.6 million, and other income of $0.1 million. Other income (expense), net, for the year ended December 31, 2020 was ($0.2) million, which was attributed to interest expense of ($0.9) million, offset by a change in the fair value of derivative liability of $0.6 million and other income (expense), net of $0.1 million.
Use of Non-GAAP Measures - Modified EBITDA
In addition to our results under generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), we present Modified EBITDA as a supplemental measure of our performance. However, Modified EBITDA is not a recognized measurement under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income, income from operations or any other performance measure derived in accordance with GAAP or as an alternative to cash flow from operating activities as a measure of liquidity. We define Modified EBITDA as net income (loss), plus interest expense, depreciation and amortization, share-based compensation, financing costs and changes in fair value of derivative liability.
Management considers our core operating performance to be that which our managers can affect in any particular period through their management of the resources that affect our underlying revenue and profit generating operations that period. Non-GAAP adjustments to our results prepared in accordance with GAAP are itemized below. You are encouraged to evaluate these adjustments and the reasons we consider them appropriate for supplemental analysis. In evaluating Modified EBITDA, you should be aware that in the future we may incur expenses that are the same as or similar to some of the adjustments in this presentation. Our presentation of Modified EBITDA should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or non-recurring items.
Years Ended December 31,
Net loss $ (34,486,000 ) $ (24,956,000 )
Adjustments
Other income (92,000 ) (102,000 )
Share-based compensation 5,668,000 6,119,000
Interest expense 2,575,000 894,000
Change in fair value of derivative liability (598,000 ) (574,000 )
Debt extinguishment, net (1,112,000 ) -
Depreciation and amortization 1,677,000 1,510,000
Income tax 1,000 1,000
Total EBITDA adjustments 8,119,000 7,848,000
Modified EBITDA $ (26,367,000 ) $ (17,108,000 )
The $9.3 million decrease in Modified EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the same period in 2020, resulted from increased research and development costs, higher labor related costs to support growth, increased spending for marketing and promotion, and professional services.
We present Modified EBITDA because we believe it assists investors and analysts in comparing our performance across reporting periods on a consistent basis by excluding items that we do not believe are indicative of our core operating performance. In addition, we use Modified EBITDA in developing our internal budgets, forecasts and strategic plan; in analyzing the effectiveness of our business strategies in evaluating potential acquisitions; and in making compensation decisions and in communications with our board of directors concerning our financial performance. Modified EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, which includes, among others, the following:
● Modified EBITDA does not reflect our cash expenditures, or future requirements, for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;
● Modified EBITDA does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs;
● Modified EBITDA does not reflect future interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on our debts; and
● Although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future, and Modified EBITDA does not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Going Concern
We have incurred operating losses and negative cash flows from operations since inception. We incurred a net loss of $34,486,000 during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. We also utilized cash in operations of $25,862,000 during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. As a result, our continuation as a going concern is dependent on our ability to obtain additional financing until we can generate sufficient cash flows from operations to meet our obligations. We intend to continue to seek additional debt or equity financing to continue our operations. Subsequent to December 31, 2021, we entered into the following financing agreements:
Equity financing:
On January 12, 2022, we entered into a common stock purchase agreement (the “Common Stock Purchase Agreement”) with Tumim Stone Capital LLC (the “Investor”). Pursuant to the agreement, we have the right, but not the obligation, to sell to the Investor, and the Investor is obligated to purchase, up to $50,000,000 of newly issued shares (the “Total Commitment”) of our common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”) from time to time during the term of the agreement, subject to certain limitations and conditions. The Total Commitment is inclusive of 607,287 shares of common stock, valued at $750,000 at the time of issuance (the “Commitment Shares”), issued to the Investor as consideration for its commitment to purchase shares of common stock under the common stock purchase agreement.
The common stock purchase agreement initially precludes us from issuing and selling more than 14,747,065 shares of its common stock, including the Commitment Shares, which number of shares equals 19.99% of the common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the execution of the agreement, unless we obtain stockholder approval to issue additional shares, or unless certain exceptions apply.
Debt financing:
On January 12, 2022, we also entered into a securities purchase agreement with three institutional investors (collectively, the “Note Holders”) providing for the sale and issuance of an aggregate original principal amount of $6,300,000 in convertible notes due 2023 (each, a “Note,” and, collectively, the “Notes,” and such financing, the “Note Offering”). We and the Note Holders also entered into a security agreement, dated January 12, 2022, in connection with the Note Offering, pursuant to which we granted a security interest to the Note Holders in substantially all of its assets.
We received $6,000,000 in gross proceeds from the sale of the Notes. The Note Offering closed on January 12, 2022. The Notes bear interest of 6.0% per annum, have an original issue discount of 5.0%, mature 12 months from the closing date, and have an initial conversion price of $3.00, subject to adjustment in certain circumstances as set forth in the Notes.
Beginning on May 12, 2022, we are required to make nine monthly principal payments of $333,333, plus accrued interest, to the Note Holders, with the remaining principal amount of $3,300,000, plus accrued interest, due on the maturity date.
Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which implies we may not continue to meet our obligations and continue our operations for the next twelve months. Our continuation as a going concern is dependent upon our ability to obtain necessary debt or equity financing to continue operations until we begin generating positive cash flow. In addition, our independent registered public accounting firm, in its report on our December 31, 2021 consolidated financial statements, has raised substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
There is no assurance that we will ever be profitable or that debt or equity financing will be available to us in the amounts, on terms, and at times deemed acceptable to us, if at all. The issuance of additional equity securities by us would result in a significant dilution in the equity interests of our current stockholders. Obtaining commercial loans, assuming those loans would be available, would increase our liabilities and future cash commitments. If we are unable to obtain financing in the amounts and on terms deemed acceptable to us, we may be unable to continue our business, as planned, and as a result may be required to scale back or cease operations for our business, the results of which would be that our stockholders would lose some or all of their investment. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classifications of liabilities that may result should we be unable to continue as a going concern.
Overview
As of December 31, 2021, we had cash of $937,000. We estimate our operating expenses for the next twelve months may continue to exceed any revenue we generate, and we may need to raise capital through either debt or equity offerings to continue operations. Due to market conditions and the early stage of our operations, there is considerable risk that we will not be able to raise such financings at all, or on terms that are not dilutive to our existing stockholders. We can offer no assurance that we will be able to raise such funds. If we are unable to raise the funds we require for all of our planned operations, we may be forced to reallocate funds from other planned uses and may suffer a significant negative effect on our business plan and operations, including our ability to develop new products and continue our current operations. As a result, our business may suffer, and we may be forced to reduce or discontinue operations.
On February 5, 2020, we initiated our private placement, which is for the sale and issuance of up to five million shares of our common stock at a per-share price of $1.20, which amount represents a 20% discount to the $1.50 closing price of our common stock on that day, and is memorialized by a subscription agreement.
On March 31, 2020 we closed our private placement. In total we issued 4,237,833 shares of common stock and netted $4.4 million after fees and expenses.
On April 17, 2020, we received loan proceeds in the amount of approximately $1,218,000 under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). The PPP, established as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, provides for loans to qualifying businesses for amounts up to 2.5 times of the average monthly payroll expenses of the qualifying business. The loans and accrued interest are forgivable after eight weeks as long as the borrower uses the loan proceeds for eligible purposes, including payroll, benefits, rent and utilities, and maintains its payroll levels. The amount of loan forgiveness will be reduced if the borrower terminates employees or reduces salaries during the eight-week period. Subsequent to December 31, 2020 the entire note and accrued interest was forgiven.
On July 24, 2020, we concluded our public offering pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-239055) and issued and sold 12,545,453 shares of common stock (which included 1,636,363 shares of common stock sold pursuant to the exercise by the underwriters of an overallotment option). The net proceeds to us, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and direct offering expenses was $12,337,000.
On March 15, 2021 we completed a registered direct offering with institutional investors for the purchase and sale of 9,375,000 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $1.60 per share. Net proceeds were approximately $14,129,000.
In August 2021 and November 2021, we entered into two separate at-the-market issuance sales agreements (the “August 2021 ATM” and the “November 2021 ATM”, respectively) with Truist Securities, Inc., pursuant to our Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-252167). The August 2021 ATM was terminated in October 2021. In January 2022, the aggregate offering price of the shares of our common stock that may be sold under the November 2021 ATM was reduced from $30,000,000 to $7,300,000. The August 2021 and November 2021 ATM offerings are a follow-on offering of securities utilized by us in order to raise capital over a period of time. In an ATM offering, we sell newly issued shares into the trading market through our designated sales agent at prevailing market prices. Net proceeds were approximately $7,937,000.
The following is a summary of our cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:
Years Ended December 31,
Cash used in operating activities $ (25,862,000 ) $ (16,294,000 )
Cash used in investing activities (2,263,000 ) (88,000 )
Cash provided by financing activities 27,247,000 17,214,000
Increase/(decrease) in cash $ (878,000 ) $ 832,000
Cash Flows - Operating
For the year ended December 31, 2021, our cash flows used in operating activities amounted to $25.9 million, compared to cash used for the year ended December 31, 2020 of $16.3 million. The change is attributed to investment in future growth of the business, product development, inclusion of a full year of SoloFire operating expenses, professional services, a change in accounts receivable of ($1.2) million, a change in deferred incentive compensation of ($0.5) million, a change in other assets of ($0.2) million, and a change in operating lease liability of ($0.2) million. These were offset by changes in deferred revenue and customer deposits of $0.9 million, a change in accounts payable, accrued expenses, and accrued interest of $0.4 million and a change in prepaid expenses and other current assets of $0.4 million, compared to December 31, 2020.
Cash Flows - Investing
For the year ended December 31, 2021, our cash flows used from investing activities amounted to $2,263,000, which was primarily attributed to capitalized software development costs of $2,248,000. For the year ended December 31, 2020, our cash flows used from investing activities were $88,000, which was primarily attributed to property and equipment purchases of $317,000, offset by $229,000 of cash acquired from the acquisition of SoloFire.
Cash Flows - Financing
Our cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2021 amounted to $27.2 million, which represented $22.1 million of net proceeds from the issuance of shares of our common stock, proceeds from warrant exercises of $2.8 million, advances, net of repayments, on future receipts of $1.6 million, and proceeds from option exercises of $0.8 million, all offset by a ($15,000) payment for debt issuance costs. Our cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 amounted to $17.2 million, which represented $16.8 million of net proceeds from the issuance of shares of our common stock, proceeds from warrant exercises of $2.2 million, a paycheck protection program loan of $1.2 million, advances on future receipts of $728,000, and an economic injury disaster loan of $150,000, all offset by ($1.9) million of an acquisition note payable for SoloFire, ($1.8) million of payments against advances on future receipts, a ($100,000) principal payment on related party debt.
Notes Payable - Related Parties
We had the following related parties notes payable as of December 31, 2021:
Note Issuance Date Maturity Date Interest Rate Original Borrowing Balance at December 31, 2021
Note (A) December 1, 2015 February 8, 2023 12.0 % $ 1,249,000 $ 725,000
Note (B) December 1, 2015 April 1, 2017 12.0 % 112,000 -
Note (C) April 4, 2016 June 4, 2021 12.0 % 343,000 40,000
Total notes payable - related parties, net
765,000
Non-current
(725,000 )
Current
$ 40,000
(A) On December 1, 2015, we issued a convertible note payable to Mr. Rory J. Cutaia, our majority stockholder and Chief Executive Officer, to consolidate all loans and advances made by Mr. Cutaia to the Company as of that date. The note bears interest at a rate of 12% per annum, secured by the Company’s assets, and matured on February 8, 2021, as amended. A total of 30% of the original note balance or $375,000 was convertible to common stock and was converted in 2018 while the remaining note balance of $825,000 is not convertible. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we made payments of $100,000. On February 25, 2021, we extended the note to February 8, 2023 with no changes to the other terms of the note agreement. On May 19, 2021, the Board approved the ability to convert the note into equity at the discretion of the holder. The conversion price is the fair market value of our common stock on the day of conversion. As of December 31, 2021, the outstanding balance of the note amounted to $725,000.
(B) On December 1, 2015, we issued a note payable to a former member of our board of directors, in the amount of $112,000 representing unpaid consulting fees as of November 30, 2015. The note is unsecured, bears interest rate of 12% per annum, and matured in April 2017. As of December 31, 2021, the outstanding principal balance of the note was $0.
(C) On April 4, 2016, we issued a convertible note to Mr. Cutaia, in the amount of $343,000, to consolidate all advances made by Mr. Cutaia to the Company during the period December 2015 through March 2016. A total of 30% of the original note balance or $103,000 was convertible to common stock and was converted in 2018 while the remaining note balance of $240,000 is not convertible. The note, as amended, bears interest at a rate of 12% per annum, is secured by our assets, and matured on June 4, 2021. On May 19, 2021, the Board approved the ability to convert the note into equity at the discretion of the holder. The conversion price is the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the day of conversion. On May 19, 2021, $200,000 was converted into 194,175 shares of common stock. The conversion price was $1.03 that was the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the day of conversion. As of December 31, 2021, the outstanding balance of the note amounted to $40,000.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, we recorded total interest expense of $111,000 pursuant to the terms of the notes, paid $312,000 of principal on notes (B) and (C), and paid $135,000 of interest.
Deferred Incentive Compensation
Note Issuance Date Maturity Date Balance at
December 31, 2021
Rory J. Cutaia (A) December 23, 2019 50% on January 10, 2021, 50% on January 10, 2022 $ 215,000
Rory J. Cutaia (B) December 23, 2019 50% on January 10, 2021, 50% on January 10, 2022 161,000
Jeff Clayborne (A) December 23, 2019 50% on January 10, 2021, 50% on January 10, 2022 63,000
Jeff Clayborne (B) December 23, 2019 50% on January 10, 2021, 50% on January 10, 2022 82,000
Total deferred compensation payable - related parties, net 521,000
Non-current -
Current $ 521,000
(A) On December 23, 2019, we awarded Rory Cutaia, our Chief Executive Officer and Jeff Clayborne, our former Chief Financial Officer annual incentive compensation of $430,000 and $125,000, respectively, for services rendered. We have determined that it is in our best interest and in the best interest of our stockholders to defer payments to Messrs. Cutaia and Clayborne. 50% of the annual incentive compensation was paid on January 10, 2021, and the remaining 50% on January 20, 2022. See Note 22 in the consolidated financial statements for subsequent events.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company paid $278,000 of the outstanding balance. As of December 31, 2021, the outstanding balance amounted to $278,000.
(B) On December 23, 2019, we awarded Rory Cutaia, our Chief Executive Officer and Jeff Clayborne, our former Chief Financial Officer a bonus for the successful up-listing to The Nasdaq Capital Market and the acquisition of Verb Direct totaling $324,000 and $163,000, respectively. We have determined that it is in our best interest and in the best interest of our stockholders to defer payments to Messrs. Cutaia and Clayborne. 50% of the annual incentive compensation was paid on January 10, 2021, and the remaining 50% on January 20, 2022. See Note 22 in the consolidated financial statements for subsequent events.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, we paid $243,000 of the outstanding balance. As of December 31, 2021, the outstanding balance amounted to $243,000.
Advances on Future Receipts
We had the following advances on future receipts as of December 31, 2021:
Note Issuance Date Maturity Date Interest
Rate Original Borrowing Balance at
December 31, 2021
Note A October 29, 2021 April 28, 2022 5 % $ 2,120,000 $ 1,299,000
Note B October 29, 2021 July 25, 2022 28 % 3,808,000 2,993,000
Note C December 23, 2021 June 22, 2022 5 % 689,000 689,000
Total
$ 6,617,000 4,981,000
Debt discount
(800,000 )
Net
$ 4,181,000
(A)
On October 29, 2021, the Company received secured advances from an unaffiliated third party totaling $2,015,000 for the purchase of future receipts/revenues of $2,120,000. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement the unaffiliated third-party will auto withdraw an average of $353,000 from the Company’s operating account each month. The term of the agreement extends until the advances are paid in full. The notes did not bear any interest, however, the interest was imputed at a rate of 5% based on the face value of the notes and the proceeds received. As a result, the Company recorded a liability of $2,120,000 to account for the future receipts sold and a debt discount of $105,000 to account for the difference between the future receipts sold and the cash received. The debt discount was amortized over the term of the agreement.
(B) On October 29, 2021, the Company received secured advances from an unaffiliated third party totaling $2,744,000 for the purchase of future receipts/revenues of 3,808,000. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement the unaffiliated third-party will auto withdraw an aggregate of $19,040 from the Company’s operating account each banking day. The term of the agreement extends until the advances are paid in full. The notes did not bear any interest, however, the interest was imputed at a rate of 28% based on the face value of the note and the proceeds received. These advances are secured by the Company’s tangible and intangible assets. As a result, the Company recorded a liability of $3,808,000 to account for the future receipts sold and a debt discount of $1,064,000 to account for the difference between the future receipts sold and the cash received. The debt discount is being amortized over the term of the agreement using the effective interest rate method.
(C) On December 23, 2021, the Company received secured advances from an unaffiliated third party totaling $651,000 for the purchase of future receipts/revenues of $689,000. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement the unaffiliated third-party will auto withdraw an average of $115,000 from the Company’s operating account each month. The term of the agreement extends until the advances are paid in full. The notes did not bear any interest, however, the interest was imputed at a rate of 5% based on the face value of the notes and the proceeds received. As a result, the Company recorded a liability of $689,000 to account for the future receipts sold and a debt discount of $38,000 to account for the difference between the future receipts sold and the cash received. The debt discount is being amortized over the term of the agreement.
Critical Accounting Policies
Our financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, which require that we make certain assumptions and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of net revenue and expenses during each reporting period.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported periods. Significant estimates include assumptions made for reserves of uncollectible accounts receivable, assumptions made in valuing assets acquired in business combinations, impairment testing of goodwill and other long-lived assets, the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets, assumptions used in valuing derivative liabilities, assumptions used in valuing share-based compensation, and accruals for potential liabilities. Amounts could materially change in the future.
Revenue Recognition
The Company derives its revenue primarily from providing application services through the SaaS application, digital marketing and sales support services. The Company also derives revenue from the sale of customized print products and training materials, branded apparel, and digital tools, as demanded by its customers.
The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with Financial Accounting Standard Board’s (“FASB”) ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”). ASC 606 creates a five-step model that requires entities to exercise judgment when considering the terms of contract(s), which includes (1) identifying the contract(s) or agreement(s) with a customer, (2) identifying our performance obligations in the contract or agreement, (3) determining the transaction price, (4) allocating the transaction price to the separate performance obligations, and (5) recognizing revenue as each performance obligation is satisfied.
A description of our principal revenue generating activities is as follows:
1. Digital Revenue, which is divided into two main categories:
a. SaaS recurring digital revenue based on contract-based subscriptions to our verb app products and platform services which include verbCRM, verbLEARN, verbLIVE, verbTEAMS, and verbPULSE. The revenue is recognized straight-line over the subscription period.
b. Non-SaaS, non-recurring digital revenue, which is revenue generated by the use of our app products and in-app purchases, such as sampling and other services obtained through the app. The revenue for samples is recognized upon completion and shipment, while the design fees are recognized when the service has been rendered and the app is delivered to the customer.
2. Non-digital revenue, which is revenue we generate from non-app, non-digital sources through ancillary services we provide as an accommodation to our clients and customers. These services, which we now outsource to a strategic partner as part of a cost reduction plan we instituted in 2020, includes design, printing services, fulfillment and shipping services. The revenue is recognized upon completion and shipment of products or fulfillment to the customer.
Derivative Financial Instruments
The Company evaluates its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives. For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the consolidated statements of operations. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period. Derivative instrument liabilities are classified in the balance sheet as current or non-current based on whether or not net-cash settlement of the derivative instrument could be required within 12 months of the balance sheet date.
We use Level 2 inputs for our valuation methodology for the derivative liabilities as their fair values were determined by using a Binomial pricing model. Our derivative liabilities are adjusted to reflect fair value at each period end, with any increase or decrease in the fair value being recorded in results of operations as adjustments to fair value of derivatives.
Share-Based Compensation
The Company issues stock options and warrants, shares of common stock and restricted stock units as share-based compensation to employees and non-employees. The Company accounts for its share-based compensation in accordance with FASB ASC 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation. Share-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date, based on the estimated fair value of the award, and is recognized as expense over the requisite service period. The fair value of restricted stock units is determined based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of our common stock and is recognized as expense over the service period. Recognition of compensation expense for non-employees is in the same period and manner as if the Company had paid cash for services.
Goodwill
In accordance with FASB ASC 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other, we review goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets for impairment at least annually or whenever events or circumstances indicate a potential impairment. Our impairment testing is performed annually at December 31 (our fiscal year end). Impairment of goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets is determined by comparing the fair value of our reporting units to the carrying value of the underlying net assets in the reporting units. If the fair value of a reporting unit is determined to be less than the carrying value of its net assets, goodwill is deemed impaired and an impairment loss is recognized to the extent that the carrying value of goodwill exceeds the difference between the fair value of the reporting unit and the fair value of its other assets and liabilities.
Intangible Assets
We have certain intangible assets that were initially recorded at their fair value at the time of acquisition. The finite-lived intangible assets consist of developed technology and customer contracts. Indefinite-lived intangible assets consist of domain names. Intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortized using the straight-line method over their estimated useful life of five years.
We review all finite lived intangible assets for impairment when circumstances indicate that their carrying values may not be recoverable. If the carrying value of an asset group is not recoverable, we recognize an impairment loss for the excess carrying value over the fair value in our consolidated statements of operations.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
For a summary of our recent accounting policies, please refer to Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Supplemental Disclosures, of the Notes to Financial Statements commencing on page of this Annual Report for management’s discussion as to the impact of recent accounting pronouncements.

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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
Reference is made to the financial statements, which begin on page of this Annual Report.

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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
None.

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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 defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under 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 our principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
We carried out an evaluation under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and 15d- 15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of December 31, 2021. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2021.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over our financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act). Internal control over financial reporting is a process, including policies and procedures, designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Our management assessed our internal control over financial reporting using the criteria in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013), issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). Our system of internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements.
Based on the results of our evaluation, our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2021 to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no additional changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the year ended December 31, 2021 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Inherent Limitations on the Effectiveness of Controls
Management does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal control over financial reporting will prevent or detect all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control systems are met. Further, 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. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, no evaluation of internal control over financial reporting can provide absolute assurance that misstatements due to error or fraud will not occur or that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been or will be detected.
These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty and that breakdowns can occur because of a simple error or mistake. Controls can also be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the controls. The design of any system of controls is based in part on 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. Projections of any evaluation of controls effectiveness to future periods are subject to risks. Over time, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or deterioration in the degree of compliance with policies or procedures.

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ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
As further discussed in the Company’s Form 8K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 24, 2022, Mr. Salman H. Khan was appointed as the Company’s Interim Chief Financial Officer. On March 30, 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors approved Mr. Khan’s appointment as the Company’s permanent Chief Financial Officer. In connection with this appointment as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, the Company has agreed to provide Mr. Khan the following compensation: (1) annual base salary of $250,000 and (2) 300,601 restricted shares of the Company’s common stock granted, 75,150 of which shall vest on March 30, 2023, 75,150 of which shall vest on March 30, 2024, 75,150 of which shall vest on March 30, 2025, and 75,151 of which shall vest on March 30, 2026. Mr. Khan will also be eligible to receive an annual performance bonus of up to 50% of his base salary.
PART III

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ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from our proxy statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting, which will be filed with the SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 (the “2022 Proxy Statement”).

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ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from our 2022 Proxy Statement.

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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
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from our 2022 Proxy Statement.

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ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from our 2022 Proxy Statement.

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ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from our 2022 Proxy Statement.
PART IV

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ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a)(1) Financial Statements
Reference is made to the financial statements attached beginning on page of this Annual Report.
Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firms PCAOB ID NO: 572
Consolidated Balance Sheets
Consolidated Statements of Operations
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules
None.
(a)(3) Exhibits
Reference is made to the exhibits listed on the Index to Exhibits.