Hempacco Co. Inc. filed SEC Form 8-K: Notice of Delisting or Failure to Satisfy a Continued Listing Rule or Standard; Transfer of Listing

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C.

_____________________

FORM 8-K

_____________________

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): July 16, 2024

(619) 779-0715

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 3.01 Notice of Delisting or Failure to Satisfy a Continued Listing Rule or Standard; Transfer of Listing.

On July 16, 2024, Hempacco Co., Inc. (the “Company”) received a written notice (the “Notice”) from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) indicating that the Company is not in compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Bid Price Requirement”). The Notice does not result in the immediate delisting of the Company’s common stock from The Nasdaq Capital Market.

The Nasdaq Listing Rules require listed securities to maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share, and, based upon the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock for the prior 30 consecutive business days (May 30, 2024 to July 15, 2024), the Company no longer met this requirement. The Nasdaq rules provide the Company a compliance period of 180 calendar days from the date of the Notice in which to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement. As a result, the date by which the Company has to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement is January 13, 2025. If at any time prior to January 13, 2025, the bid price of the Company’s common stock closes at or above $1.00 per share for a minimum of ten consecutive business days, the Nasdaq staff (the “Staff”) will provide the Company with a written confirmation of compliance and the matter will be closed.

Alternatively, if the Company fails to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement prior to the expiration of the initial period, the Company may be eligible for an additional 180 calendar day compliance period, provided (i) it meets the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other applicable requirements for initial listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market (except for the Bid Price Requirement), and (ii) it provides written notice to Nasdaq of its intention to cure this deficiency during the second compliance period by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary. In the event the Company does not regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement prior to the expiration of the initial period, and if it appears to the Staff that the Company will not be able to cure the deficiency, or if the Company is not otherwise eligible, the Staff will provide the Company with written notification that its securities are subject to delisting from The Nasdaq Capital Market. At that time, the Company may appeal the delisting determination to a hearings panel.

The Company intends to monitor the closing bid price of its common stock and is considering its options to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement. The Company’s receipt of the Notice does not affect the Company’s business, operations or reporting requirements with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

If the Company’s common stock ultimately were to be delisted for any reason, it could negatively impact the Company by (i) reducing the liquidity and market price of the Company’s common stock; (ii) reducing the number of investors willing to hold or acquire the Company’s common stock, which could negatively impact the Company’s ability to raise equity financing; (iii) limiting the Company’s ability to use a registration statement to offer and sell freely tradable securities, thereby preventing the Company from accessing the public capital markets; and (iv) impairing the Company’s ability to provide equity incentives to its employees.

Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This Current Report on Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company’s beliefs and expectations relating to the Company’s common stock closing bid price, regaining compliance with the Bid Price Requirement, and whether the Company’s common stock will remain listed on Nasdaq. These forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of the Company’s management with respect to future events, only speak as of the date that they are made and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as “future,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “continue,” “can,” “may,” “look forward,” “aim,” “hopes,” and similar terms, although not all forward-looking statements contain such words or expressions. Actual results could differ significantly from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, a material delay in the Company’s financial reporting, the possibility that the Company is unable to regain compliance with, or thereafter continue to comply with, Nasdaq’s listing rules, or experience violations of additional listing rules, the possibility that Nasdaq may deny the Company’s pending appeal and delist the Company’s securities and other factors contained in the “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in the Company’s filings with the SEC from time to time, including, but not limited to, its Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the impact of circumstances or events that may arise after the date of the forward-looking statements, or other changes over time, except as required by law.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunder duly authorized.