10-K 1 form10-k.htm

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

[X]	ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

[ ]	TRANSITION REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from _______________ to _______________

Commission file number: 001-37916

SRAX, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware

45-2925231

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

2629 Townsgate Road #215,

Westlake Village, CA 91361

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (323) 694-9800

Securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Class		Trading Symbol		Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Class A Common Stock, $0.001 par value		SRAX		Nasdaq Capital Market

Securities registered under Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

(Title of class)

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. [ ] Yes [X] No

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. [ ] Yes [X] No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. [X] Yes [ ] No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). [X] Yes [ ] No

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. [ ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer [ ]		Accelerated filer [ ]
Non-accelerated filer [X]		Smaller reporting company [X]
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. [ ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. [ ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). [ ] Yes [X] No

State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was sold, or the average bid and asked prices of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter. $32,811,898 based on the closing price of $2.54 on June 30, 2020

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date. 23,185,765 shares of Class A common stock are outstanding as of March 31, 2021.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to its 2021 annual meeting of shareholders (the “2021 Proxy Statement”) are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K where indicated. The 2021 Proxy Statement will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which this report relates.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

		Page No.
	Part I

Item 1.	Business.	1
Item 1A.	Risk Factors.	4
Item 1B.	Unresolved Staff Comments.	14
Item 2.	Description of Property.	14
Item 3.	Legal Proceedings.	14
Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures.	14

	Part II

Item 5.	Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.	15
Item 6.	Selected Financial Data.	17
Item 7.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.	17
Item 7A.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.	29
Item 8.	Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.	29
Item 9.	Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.	29
Item 9A.	Controls and Procedures.	29
Item 9B.	Other Information.	31

	Part III

Item 10.	Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.	31
Item 11.	Executive Compensation.	31
Item 12.	Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.	31
Item 13.	Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.	31
Item 14.	Principal Accounting Fees and Services.	31

	Part IV

Item 15.	Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.	31
Item 16.	Form 10-K Summary.3	36

PART I

We urge you to read this entire Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the “Risk Factors” section, the financial statements and the related notes included therein. As used in this Annual Report, unless context otherwise requires, the words “we,” “us,” “our,” “the Company,” “SRAX,” “Registrant” refer to SRAX, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Additionally, any reference to “LD Micro” refers to the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, LD Micro, Inc. and the assets used in its operations. Any reference to “BIGToken” and “BIGToken, Inc.”, or the “BIGToken Project” refer to the Company’s previously wholly owned subsidiary, BIGToken, Inc. and the assets used in its operations. BIGToken was divested pursuant to a share exchange agreement that closed on February 4, 2021. Also, any reference to “common share” or “common stock,” refers to our $0.001 par value Class A common stock.

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K that are not purely historical are considered to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: any projections of revenues, earnings, or other financial items; any statements of the strategies, plans and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning proposed new products or developments; any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance; any statements of belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Forward-looking statements may include the words “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “intend,” “continue,” “believe,” “expect” or “anticipate” and any other similar words. These statements represent our expectations, beliefs, anticipations, commitments, intentions, and strategies regarding the future and include, but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties outlined in Item 1.A Risk Factors and Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and those discussed in other documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations that are expressed in forward-looking statements within this report. The forward-looking statements included in this report speak only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

ITEM 1.

BUSINESS.

We are a technology firm focused on enhancing communications between public companies and their shareholders and investors. We currently have two distinct business units:

	●	Our unique SaaS platform, Sequire provides users many features which allow issuers to track their shareholders’ behaviors and trends, then use data-driven insights to engage with shareholders across marketing channels.

	●	Through LD Micro, we organize and host investor conferences within the micro and small- cap space, and plan to create several more niche events for the investor community.

Our endeavor provides our clients an integrated investor and shareholder analytics platform drove us to develop this platform, acquire LD Micro, and begin cultivating the Sequire Community. Each SRAX business unit delivers valuable insights that assist our clients with their investor relations and communications initiatives.

Sequire

In May of 2020 we rebranded our SaaS offering SRAX IR, as Sequire, emphasizing the platform’s strength to secure and acquire investors. The Sequire platform is a central hub where companies reach out and engage with shareholders, manage warrants, and identify potential investors.

This powerful software utilizes machine learning and advanced analytics to bring our clients actionable information that we believe can be used to maximize ROI through better investor and stockholder communications. Clients then have the ability to engage with targeted shareholder groups across marketing channels including email, social media, programmatic, and hyperlocal.

When interpreting data, clients can see gains and losses over time, buying/selling trends, total outstanding shares, new shareholders, and shareholders broken out by percentage. Based on this data, we can then build companies a customized communications campaign in which we use targeted ads and crafted messaging to reach the desired outcome for a client.

An important part of monitoring shareholders is the greater context of the investment landscape. Sequire features real-time level-two trading data, the ability to monitor competition, news alerts, and more. Additionally, Sequire’s functionality includes a custom survey feature that allows issuers to ask questions to all their shareholders at once or to specified groups.

The Sequire platform also allows users to manage warrants, attaining high-level insight by year and month, including a list of expiring and outstanding warrants. They can then calculate what their proceeds could be if those warrants were issued before they expire. Clients can also keep tabs on investor relations programs and corporate communication firms, all in one place.

We expanded the functionality of Sequire to include the hosting of virtual events, as more and more networking functions are being held in the digital space. Clients can attend an event held by industry guests or hold a conference themselves. They then have the ability to import contacts from those events directly into their own list for later use and targeting.

Virtual Events and LD Micro

LD Micro was originally founded in 2006 as an independent resource for the microcap world. It quickly grew into a premier event platform in the space, successfully connecting investors and promoting small cap businesses. In September of 2020, we acquired LD Micro, and hosted the 2020 Main Event on our Sequire Virtual Events platform. We are proud to say we had over 50K attendees and hosted webinars with 250 companies.

The LD Micro Main Event is one of the most influential conferences in the small-cap space, and our acquisition has been able to provide LD access to our growing database of 5M+ investors.

We are currently expanding our slate of events to include specialty conferences for individual industries such as: EdTech, FinTech, Minerals, Pharma, etc. Our retail investor community of 5M+ investors, and the ability to help educate investors with these events, is valuable to our investor community. Through the events platform, we have the ability to host a variety of virtual events and conferences including investor conferences, earnings calls, shareholder meetings, annual, investor/analyst days, corporate town halls, roadshows, and more. We see the Sequire Virtual Events platform growing into the premier investor event tool. Although the Covid-19 Pandemic certainly created growth in this space, we believe that virtual events are the future of targeted investor communication.

We are offering users a seamless, centrally managed virtual events solution that can be customized to any industry. Sequire Virtual Events has already demonstrated success with the LD Micro Main Event, and we will continue to devote resources to the growth of this area of our business.

Sequire Community

Building a thriving community is often an overlooked aspect of business. With a significant number of investors aware of the LDMicro brand, we are moving to ensure that those people become passionate advocates, engaging with each other on a wide range of topics.

We have plans to develop investor education tools, host professional investment events, and cultivate a mature, educated community. Our vision for the Sequire Community is that it becomes a place where people can communicate and network, to learn and grow as investors, and ultimately become brand advocates.

Marketing and sales

We market our services through our in-house sales and marketing team. Our team focuses on social media, including Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, public relations (PR), industry events and the creation of white papers which assist in our marketing efforts and are used as lead generation tools.

Intellectual property

We currently rely on a combination of trade secret laws and restrictions on disclosure to protect our intellectual property rights. Our success depends on the protection of the proprietary aspects of our technology as well as our ability to operate without infringing on the proprietary rights of others. We also enter into proprietary information and confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants and commercial partners and control access to, and distribution of, our software documentation and other proprietary information.

Government regulation

We are subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the United States that involve matters central to our business. Many of these laws and regulations are still evolving and being tested in courts and could be interpreted in ways that could harm our business. We are also subject to many of the laws that cover the securities industry and are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

These laws may involve privacy, data protection and personal information, rights of publicity, content, intellectual property, advertising, marketing, distribution, data security, data retention and deletion, electronic contracts and other communications, competition, protection of minors, consumer protection, product liability, taxation, economic or other trade prohibitions or sanctions, anti-corruption law compliance, securities law compliance, and online payment services. In particular, we are subject to federal, state, and foreign laws regarding privacy and protection of people’s data. Foreign data protection, privacy, content, competition, and other laws and regulations can impose different obligations or be more restrictive than those in the United States. U.S. federal and state and foreign laws and regulations, which in some cases can be enforced by private parties in addition to government entities, are constantly evolving and can be subject to significant change. As a result, the application, interpretation, and enforcement of these laws and regulations are often uncertain, particularly in the new and rapidly evolving industry in which we operate and may be interpreted and applied inconsistently from country to country and inconsistently with our current policies and practices.

Proposed or new legislation and regulations could also significantly affect our business. For example, the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) took effect in May 2018 and applies to all of our products and services used by people in Europe. The GDPR includes operational requirements for companies that receive or process personal data of residents of the European Union that are different from those previously in place in the European Union and includes significant penalties for non-compliance. The California Consumer Privacy Act, which took effect in January 2020, also establishes certain transparency rules and creates new data privacy rights for users. Similarly, there are a number of legislative proposals in the European Union, the United States, at both the federal and state level, as well as other jurisdictions that could impose new obligations or limitations in areas affecting our business, such as liability for copyright infringement. In addition, some countries are considering or have passed legislation implementing data protection requirements or requiring local storage and processing of data or similar requirements that could increase the cost and complexity of delivering our services.

We may become the subject of investigations, inquiries, data requests, requests for information, actions, and audits by government authorities and regulators in the United States, Europe, and around the world, particularly in the areas of privacy, data protection, law enforcement, consumer protection, and competition, as we continue to grow and expand our operations. We are currently, and may in the future be, subject to regulatory orders or consent decrees, including the modified consent order we entered into in July 2019 with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) which is pending federal court approval and which, among other matters, will require us to implement a comprehensive expansion of our privacy program. Orders issued by, or inquiries or enforcement actions initiated by, government or regulatory authorities could cause us to incur substantial costs, expose us to unanticipated civil and criminal liability or penalties (including substantial monetary remedies), interrupt or require us to change our business practices in a manner materially adverse to our business, divert resources and the attention of management from our business, or subject us to other remedies that adversely affect our business.

Employees

As of March 29, 2021, we had 153 full-time employees. We also employ services of certain consultants on an as needed basis. There are no collective bargaining agreements covering any of our employees.

Our history

We were originally organized in August 2009 as a California limited liability company under the name Social Reality, LLC, and we converted to a Delaware corporation effective January 1, 2012. Social Reality, LLC began business in May 2010. Upon the conversion, we changed our name to Social Reality, Inc. On August 15, 2019 we formally changed our Name to SRAX, Inc. During the second half of 2018, we sold our SRAXmd product line. In September of 2020, we acquired LD Micro as a wholly owned subsidiary. In February of 2021 we completed the divestiture of our BIGToken subsidiary and related product lines.

Additional information

We file annual and quarterly reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or the “Commission”). The public may read and copy any materials that we file with the Commission at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549, on official business days during the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330. The Commission also maintains an Internet site at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the Commission.

Other information about SRAX can be found on our website www.srax.com. Reference in this document to that website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on the website.

ITEM 1A.

RISK FACTORS.

Please consider the following risk factors carefully. If any one or more of the following risks were to occur, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations, and the market price of our securities could decrease significantly. Statements below to the effect that an event could or would harm our business (or have an adverse effect on our business or similar statements) mean that the event could or would have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations, which in turn could or would have a material adverse effect on the market price of our securities. Although we have organized the risk factors below under headings to make them easier to read, many of the risks we face involve more than one type of risk. Consequently, you should read all of the risk factors below carefully before making any decision to acquire or hold our securities.

Risks Related to our Business

We have a history of operating losses and there are no assurances we will report profitable operations in the foreseeable future.

For the year-ended December 31, 2020 we reported losses from operations and an accumulated deficit of $11,597,000 and $50,342,000, respectively. Our future success depends upon our ability to continue to grow our revenues, contain our operating expenses and generate profits. We do not have any long-term agreements with our customers. There are no assurances that we will be able to increase our revenues and cash flow to a level which supports profitable operations. We may continue to incur losses in future periods until such time, if ever, as we are successful in significantly increasing our revenues and cash flow beyond what is necessary to fund our ongoing operations and pay our obligations as they become due. If we are able to significantly increase our revenues in future periods, the rapid growth which we are pursuing will strain our organization and we may encounter difficulties in maintaining the quality of our operations. If we are not able to grow successfully, it is unlikely we will be able to generate sufficient cash from operations to pay our operating expenses and service our debt obligations or report profitable operations in future periods.

A pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease in the markets in which we operate or that otherwise impacts our facilities or advisors could adversely impact our business.

If a pandemic, epidemic, or outbreak of an infectious disease including the recent outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) or other public health crisis were to affect our operations, facilities or those of our customers or suppliers, our business could be adversely affected. A pandemic typically results in social distancing, travel bans and quarantine, and this may limit access to our facilities, customers, management, support staff and professional advisors. These factors, in turn, may not only materially impact our operations, financial condition and demand for our services but our overall ability to react timely to mitigate the impact of this event. Also, it may hamper our efforts to comply with our filing obligations with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Our auditors have expressed substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

Our auditors’ report on our December 31, 2020 consolidated financial statements expresses an opinion that our capital resources as of the date of their audit report were not sufficient to sustain operations or complete our planned activities for the upcoming year unless we raised additional funds. Based upon our cash position on December 31, 2020, there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern past the third quarter of 2021. Our ability to continue as a going concern is based on several factors; (i) our ability to sustain our current operating performance, and (ii) our ability to raise additional capital. If we are not successful with either of these, we may no longer be able to continue as a going concern and may cease operation or seek bankruptcy protection.

We may need to raise additional capital to pay our indebtedness as it comes due.

In June 2020, we entered into a securities purchase agreement with institutional investors for the issuance of approximately $16.1 million in principal of debentures. Pursuant to the terms of the debentures (subject to three (3) separate deferrals of six (6) months each in exchange for increased principal added to the Debentures), we will be required to begin making amortization payments on the debentures beginning on December 31, 2020. Payment of the debentures is secured by substantially all the assets and the intellectual property of the Company. Although we have recently achieved profitability, we may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow to repay the debentures as they come due. As of December 31, 2020, the outstanding balance of the debentures was approximately 9,386,000. Although a number of debentures have been converted, as of March 28, 2021, the outstanding balance of debentures is $3,800,000. If we are not able to generate enough cashflow through the operation of our business, we will need to raise additional capital through the sale of debt or equity or the sale of assets, in order to make the required amortization payments. If we are unable to make the required payments, or if we fail to comply with the various requirements and covenants of the debentures, we would be in default, which would permit the holders of the debentures to accelerate the maturity and require immediate repayment and lead to potential foreclosure on the assets securing the debt. If we are unable to refinance or repay our indebtedness as it becomes due, including upon an event of default, we may become insolvent and be unable to continue operations.

Our failure to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, has resulted in the need for us to restate previously issued financial statements. As a result, current and potential stockholders may lose confidence in our financial reporting, which could harm our business and value of our stock.

Or management has determined that, as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, we did not maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting based on criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control-Integrated Framework as a result of identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

Natural disasters, epidemic or pandemic disease outbreaks, trade wars, political unrest or other events could disrupt our business or operations or those of our development partners, manufacturers, regulators or other third parties with whom we conduct business now or in the future.

A wide variety of events beyond our control, including natural disasters, epidemic or pandemic disease outbreaks (such as the recent novel coronavirus outbreak), trade wars, political unrest or other events could disrupt our business or operations or those of our manufacturers, regulatory authorities, or other third parties with whom we conduct business. These events may cause businesses and government agencies to be shut down, supply chains to be interrupted, slowed, or rendered inoperable, and individuals to become ill, quarantined, or otherwise unable to work and/or travel due to health reasons or governmental restrictions. For example, California recently ordered most businesses closed, mandating work-from-home arrangements, where feasible, in response to the coronavirus pandemic. These limitations could negatively affect our business operations and continuity, and could negatively impact ability to timely perform basic business functions, including making SEC filings and preparing financial reports. If our operations or those of third parties with whom we have business are impaired or curtailed as a result of these events, the development and commercialization of our products and product candidates could be impaired or halted, which could have a material adverse impact on our business.

If we are unable to manage our marketing and advertising expenses, it could materially harm our results of operations and growth.

We plan to rely in part on our marketing and advertising efforts to attract new members. Our future growth and profitability, as well as the maintenance and enhancement of our brand, will depend in large part on the effectiveness and efficiency of our marketing and advertising strategies and expenditures. If we are unable to maintain our marketing and advertising channels on cost-effective terms, our marketing and advertising expenses could increase substantially, and our business, financial condition and results of operations may suffer. In addition, we may be required to incur significantly higher marketing and advertising expenses than we currently anticipate if excessive numbers of members withdraw their member data from our Database.

If we are unable to satisfy data privacy, protection, security, and other government- and industry-specific requirements, our growth could be harmed.

We need or may in the future need to comply with a number of data protection, security, privacy and other government- and industry-specific requirements, including those that require companies to notify individuals of data security incidents involving certain types of personal data. Security compromises could harm our reputation, erode user confidence in the effectiveness of our security measures, negatively impact our ability to attract new members, or cause existing users to withdraw their data from BIGToken.

Regulatory, legislative or self-regulatory developments regarding internet privacy matters could adversely affect our ability to conduct our business.

The United States and foreign governments have enacted, considered or are considering legislation or regulations that could significantly restrict our ability to collect, process, use, transfer and pool data collected from and about consumers and devices. Trade associations and industry self-regulatory groups have also promulgated best practices and other industry standards relating to targeted advertising. Various U.S. and foreign governments, self-regulatory bodies and public advocacy groups have called for new regulations specifically directed at the digital advertising industry, and we expect to see an increase in legislation, regulation and self-regulation in this area. The legal, regulatory and judicial environment we face around privacy and other matters is constantly evolving and can be subject to significant change. For example, the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, which was agreed by E.U. institutions in 2016 and came into effect after a two year transition period on May 25, 2018, updated and modernized the principles of the 1995 Data Protection Directive and significantly increases the level of sanctions for non-compliance. Data Protection Authorities will have the power to impose administrative fines of up to a maximum of €20 million or 4% of the data controller’s or data processor’s total worldwide turnover of the preceding financial year. Similarly, the E-Privacy Regulation, which was launched by the European Parliament in October 2016, could result in, once enacted, new rules and mechanisms for “cookie” consent. In addition, the interpretation and application of data protection laws in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere are often uncertain and in flux. Legislative and regulatory authorities around the world may decide to enact additional legislation or regulations, which could reduce the amount of data we can collect or process and, as a result, significantly impact our business. Similarly, clarifications of and changes to these existing and proposed laws, regulations, judicial interpretations and industry standards can be costly to comply with, and we may be unable to pass along those costs to our clients in the form of increased fees, which may negatively affect our operating results. Such changes can also delay or impede the development of new solutions, result in negative publicity and reputational harm, require significant incremental management time and attention, increase our risk of non-compliance and subject us to claims or other remedies, including fines or demands that we modify or cease existing business practices, including our ability to charge per click or the scope of clicks for which we charge. Additionally, any perception of our practices or solutions as an invasion of privacy, whether or not such practices or solutions are consistent with current or future regulations and industry practices, may subject us to public criticism, private class actions, reputational harm or claims by regulators, which could disrupt our business and expose us to increased liability. Finally, our legal and financial exposure often depends in part on our clients’ or other third parties’ adherence to privacy laws and regulations and their use of our services in ways consistent with visitors’ expectations. We rely on representations made to us by clients that they will comply with all applicable laws, including all relevant privacy and data protection regulations. We make reasonable efforts to enforce such representations and contractual requirements, but we do not fully audit our clients’ compliance with our recommended disclosures or their adherence to privacy laws and regulations. If our clients fail to adhere to our contracts in this regard, or a court or governmental agency determines that we have not adequately, accurately or completely described our own solutions, services and data collection, use and sharing practices in our own disclosures to consumers, then we and our clients may be subject to potentially adverse publicity, damages and related possible investigation or other regulatory activity in connection with our privacy practices or those of our clients.

Unfavorable media coverage could negatively affect our business.

Unfavorable publicity regarding, for example, our privacy practices, terms of service, regulatory activity, the actions of third parties, the use of our products or services for illicit, objectionable, or illegal ends or the actions of other companies that provide similar services to us, could adversely affect our reputation. Such negative publicity also could have an adverse effect on the size, engagement, and loyalty of our user base and result in user attrition which could adversely affect our business and financial results.

Our business is subject to complex and evolving U.S. and foreign laws and regulations regarding privacy, data protection, content, competition, consumer protection, and other matters. Many of these laws and regulations are subject to change and uncertain interpretation, and could result in claims, changes to our business practices, monetary penalties, increased cost of operations, or declines in user growth or engagement, or otherwise harm our business.

We are subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the United States and abroad that involve matters central to our business, such as privacy, data protection and personal information, rights of publicity, content, intellectual property, advertising, marketing, distribution, data security, data retention and deletion, electronic contracts and other communications, competition, protection of minors, consumer protection, taxation and securities law compliance. Expansion of our activities in certain jurisdictions, or other actions that we may take, may subject us to additional laws, regulations, or other government scrutiny. In addition, foreign data protection, privacy, content, competition, and other laws and regulations can impose different obligations or be more restrictive than those in the United States.

Additionally, as we allow European users, we are subject to the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), effective as of May 2018. The GDPR increases privacy rights for individuals in Europe, extends the scope of responsibilities for data controllers and data processors and imposes increased requirements and potential penalties on companies offering goods or services to individuals who are located in Europe or monitoring the behavior of such individuals (including by companies based outside of Europe). Noncompliance can result in penalties of up to the greater of €20 million, or 4% of global company revenues.

These U.S. federal and state and foreign laws and regulations, which in some cases can be enforced by private parties in addition to government authorities, are constantly evolving and can be subject to significant change. As a result, the application, interpretation, and enforcement of these laws and regulations are often uncertain, particularly in the newer industry in which we operate, and may be interpreted and applied inconsistently from country to country and inconsistently with our current policies and practices.

These laws and regulations, as well as any associated inquiries or investigations or any other government actions, may be costly to comply with and may delay or impede our international growth, result in negative publicity, increase our operating costs, require significant management time and attention, and subject us to remedies that may harm our business.

Security breaches and improper access to or disclosure of our data or user data, or other hacking and phishing attacks on our systems, could harm our reputation and adversely affect our business.

Our industry is prone to cyber-attacks by third parties seeking unauthorized access to our data or users’ data or to disrupt our ability to provide service. Any failure to prevent or mitigate security breaches and improper access to or disclosure of our data or user data, including personal information, content, or payment information from or to users, or information from marketers, could result in the loss or misuse of such data, which could harm our business and reputation and diminish our competitive position. In addition, computer malware, viruses, social engineering (predominantly spear phishing attacks), and general hacking have become more prevalent in our industry. As a result of recent attention and growth of, the size of our user base, and the types and volume of personal data on our systems, we believe that we are a particularly attractive target for such breaches and attacks. Our efforts to address undesirable activity may also increase the risk of retaliatory attacks. Such attacks may cause interruptions to the services we provide, degrade the user experience, cause users or marketers to lose confidence and trust in our products, impair our internal systems, or result in financial harm to us. Our efforts to protect our company data or the information we receive may also be unsuccessful due to software bugs or other technical malfunctions; employee, contractor, or vendor error or malfeasance; government surveillance; or other threats that evolve. In addition, third parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees or users to disclose information in order to gain access to our data or our users’ data. Cyber-attacks continue to evolve in sophistication and volume, and inherently may be difficult to detect for long periods of time. Although we are currently in the process of developing systems and processes that are designed to protect our data and user data, to prevent data loss and to prevent or detect security breaches, we cannot assure you that such measures will ultimately become operational or provide absolute security, and we may incur significant costs in protecting against or remediating cyber-attacks.

Affected users or government authorities could initiate legal or regulatory actions against us in connection with any actual or perceived security breaches or improper disclosure of data, which could cause us to incur significant expense and liability or result in orders or consent decrees forcing us to modify our business practices. Such incidents or our efforts to remediate such incidents may also result in a decline in our active user base or engagement levels. Any of these events could have a material and adverse effect on our business, reputation, or financial results.

If we were to lose or have limited access to certain platforms or data sources, we will lose our existing revenue from these platform and sources.

The loss of access to any platforms or data sources could limit our ability to effectively grow a portion of our operations. Our business would be harmed if these platforms:

	●	discontinues or limits access to its platform by us and other application developers;

	●	modify terms of service or other policies, including fees charged to, or other restrictions on, us or other application developers, or changes how the personal information of its users is made available to application developers;

	●	establishes more favorable relationships with one or more of our competitors; or

	●	develops its own competitive offerings.

We have benefited from Facebook’s strong brand recognition and large user base. Facebook has broad discretion to change its terms of service and other policies with respect to us and other developers, and any changes to those terms of service may be unfavorable to us. Facebook may also change its fee structure, add fees associated with access to and use of the Facebook platform, change how the personal information of its users is made available to application developers on the Facebook platform or restrict how Facebook users can share information with friends on their platform. In the event Facebook makes any changes in the future, we may have to modify the structure of our campaigns which could impact the effectiveness of our campaigns and adversely impact our results of operations in future periods.

We depend on the services of our executive officers and the loss of any of their services could harm our ability to operate our business in future periods.

Our success largely depends on the efforts and abilities of our executive officers, including Christopher Miglino, Michael Malone, and Christopher Lahiji, the president of our wholly owned subsidiary, LD Micro. We are a party to an employment agreement with each of Mr. Miglino, Mr. Malone and Mr. Lahiji. Although we do not expect to lose their services in the foreseeable future, the loss of any of them could materially harm our business and operations in future periods until such time as we were able to engage a suitable replacement.

If advertising on the Internet loses its appeal, our revenue could decline.

Our business model may not continue to be effective in the future for a number of reasons, including:

	●	our ability to create applications for our customers;

	●	internet advertisements and promotions are, by their nature, limited in content relative to other media;

	●	companies may prefer other forms of Internet advertising and promotions that we do not offer; and

	●	regulatory actions may negatively impact our business practices.

Weak economic conditions may reduce consumer demand for products and services.

A weak economy in the United States could adversely affect demand for advertising products, and services. A substantial portion of our revenue is derived from businesses that are highly dependent on discretionary spending by individuals, which typically falls during times of economic instability. Accordingly, the ability of our advertisers to increase or maintain revenue and earnings could be adversely affected to the extent that relevant economic environments remain weak or decline further. We currently are unable to predict the extent of any of these potential adverse effects.

Certain of our subsidiaries and business affiliates have operations outside of the United States that are subject to numerous operational risks.

Certain of our subsidiaries and business affiliates have operations in countries other than the United States. In many foreign countries, it is not uncommon to encounter business practices that are prohibited by certain regulations, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar laws. Although certain of our subsidiaries and business affiliates have undertaken compliance efforts with respect to these laws, their respective employees, contractors and agents, as well as those companies to which they outsource certain of their business operations, may take actions in violation of their policies and procedures. Any such violation, even if prohibited by the policies and procedures of these subsidiaries and business affiliates or the law, could have certain adverse effects on the financial condition of these subsidiaries and business affiliates. Any failure by these subsidiaries and business affiliates to effectively manage the challenges associated with the international operation of their businesses could materially adversely affect their, and hence our, financial condition.

In the event that we are unable to conduct business with certain third-party providers of data and information integral to our operations, our revenue and business prospects may suffer.

We rely on access to certain third-party providers of data in the investment sector in order for Sequire’s platform to function and provide meaningful data and insights for our customers. We have benefited from the data that these third-parties have provided to us on behalf of their customers. In the event that we lose access to these third-party providers, it would limit our ability to effectively market the Sequire platform and sell our services to our customers. In the event that these third-party providers change their terms or our ability to access their data on a cost-effective basis to us, our business may be materially harmed.

Competitors may create products that compete with Sequire platform and there can be no assurances that we’ll be able to protect our intellectual property related to Sequire.

The Sequire platform’s success depends heavily on our intellectual property and the continued development and innovation of the platform. Notwithstanding, there may be competitors seeking to compete by creating similar platforms with more aggressive pricing or lower cost structures, greater functionality, and by emulating the services provided by the Sequire platform. Furthermore, certain of the information that we implement in our Sequire platform is either publicly available or ascertained through third-party service providers for which no barrier to entry exists. Companies with significantly more resources than us may attempt to create competing products at lower prices. Furthermore, there can be no assurances that we are able to adequately defend our trade secrets or intellectual property rights with respect to competitors.

Risks Related to receipt of Securities for Services

We are not, and do not intend to become, regulated as an investment company under the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940 (and similar legislation in other jurisdictions) and if we are deemed an “investment company” under the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, applicable restrictions would make it impractical for us to operate as contemplated.

The U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules thereunder (and similar legislation in other jurisdictions) provide certain protections to investors and impose certain restrictions on companies that are registered as investment companies. Among other things, such rules limit or prohibit transactions with affiliates, impose limitations on the issuance of debt and equity securities and impose certain governance requirements. We have not been and do not intend to become regulated as an investment company and we intend to conduct its activities so it will not be deemed to be an investment company under the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940 (and similar legislation in other jurisdictions). In order

SEC Form 10-K filed by SRAX, Inc.