Public companies are required to disclose risks that can affect the business and impact the stock. These disclosures are known as “Risk Factors”. Companies disclose these risks in their yearly (Form 10-K), quarterly earnings (Form 10-Q), or “foreign private issuer” reports (Form 20-F). Risk factors show the challenges a company faces. Investors can consider the worst-case scenarios before making an investment. TipRanks’ Risk Analysis categorizes risks based on proprietary classification algorithms and machine learning.

AquaBounty Technologies disclosed 54 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. AquaBounty Technologies reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q3, 2024

Risk Distribution

33% Finance & Corporate

22% Legal & Regulatory

19% Production

11% Macro & Political

7% Tech & Innovation

7% Ability to Sell

Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy

This chart displays the stock's most recent risk distribution according to category. TipRanks has identified 6 major categories: Finance & corporate, legal & regulatory, macro & political, production, tech & innovation, and ability to sell.

Risk Change Over Time

2020

S&P500 Average

Sector Average

Risks removed

Risks added

Risks changed

AquaBounty Technologies Risk Factors

New Risk (0)

Risk Changed (0)

Risk Removed (0)

No changes from previous report

The chart shows the number of risks a company has disclosed. You can compare this to the sector average or S&P 500 average.

The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.

Risk Highlights Q3, 2024

Main Risk Category

Finance & Corporate

With 18 Risks

Finance & Corporate

With 18 Risks

Number of Disclosed Risks

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

Recent Changes

0Risks added

0Risks removed

2Risks changed

Since Sep 2024

0Risks added

0Risks removed

2Risks changed

Since Sep 2024

Number of Risk Changed

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 3

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 3

See the risk highlights of AquaBounty Technologies in the last period.

Risk Word Cloud

The most common phrases about risk factors from the most recent report. Larger texts indicate more widely used phrases.

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 54

Finance & Corporate

Total Risks: 18/54 (33%)Below Sector Average

Share Price & Shareholder Rights7 | 13.0%

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1

Provisions in our corporate documents and Delaware law could have the effect of delaying, deferring, or preventing a change in control of us, even if that change may be considered beneficial by some of our stockholders.

The existence of some provisions of our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws or Delaware law could have the effect of delaying, deferring, or preventing a change in control of us that a stockholder may consider favorable. These provisions include: ?providing that the number of members of our Board of Directors is limited to a range fixed by our by-laws;?establishing advance notice requirements for nominations of candidates for election to our Board of Directors or for proposing matters that can be acted on by stockholders at stockholder meetings; and ?authorizing the issuance of "blank check" preferred stock, which could be issued by our Board of Directors to issue securities with voting rights and thwart a takeover attempt. As a Delaware corporation, we are also subject to provisions of Delaware law, including Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. Section 203 prevents some stockholders holding more than 15% of our voting stock from engaging in certain business combinations unless the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder was approved in advance by our Board of Directors, results in the stockholder holding more than 85% of our voting stock (subject to certain restrictions), or is approved at an annual or special meeting of stockholders by the holders of at least 66 2/3% of our voting stock not held by the stockholder engaging in the transaction. Any provision of our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws or Delaware law that has the effect of delaying or deterring a change in control could limit the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common stock and affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our common stock.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2

We may issue preferred stock with terms that could dilute the voting power or reduce the value of our common stock.

While we have no specific plan to issue preferred stock, our certificate of incorporation authorizes us to issue, without the approval of our stockholders, one or more series of preferred stock having such designation, relative powers, preferences (including preferences over our common stock respecting dividends and distributions), voting rights, terms of conversion or redemption, and other relative, participating, optional, or other special rights, if any, of the shares of each such series of preferred stock and any qualifications, limitations, or restrictions thereof, as our Board of Directors may determine. The terms of one or more classes or series of preferred stock could dilute the voting power or reduce the value of our common stock. For example, the repurchase or redemption rights or liquidation preferences we could assign to holders of preferred stock could affect the residual value of the common stock.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3

We are a "smaller reporting company" and a "non-accelerated filer" and we cannot be certain if applicable scaled disclosure requirements will make our shares of common stock less attractive to investors.

As a "smaller reporting company," we elected to comply with scaled disclosure requirements relative to companies that are not smaller reporting companies, including but not limited to, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our filings with the SEC. Under current SEC rules, we will continue to qualify as a "smaller reporting company" for so long as (i) we have a public float (i.e., the aggregate market value of common equity held by non-affiliates) of less than $250 million or (ii) our annual revenue is less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the aggregate market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million. In addition, under current SEC rules, we are not an "accelerated filer" and, therefore, are not required to include an auditor attestation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We cannot predict if investors will find our shares of common stock to be less attractive because we rely and may in the future continue to rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our shares of common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our shares of common stock, and our share price may be more volatile.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4

An active trading market for our common stock may not be sustained.

Although our common stock is currently listed and traded on Nasdaq, an active trading market for our common stock may not be maintained. If an active market for our common stock is not maintained, it may be difficult for stockholders to sell shares of our common stock. An inactive trading market may impair our ability to raise capital to continue to fund operations by selling shares and may impair our ability to acquire other companies or technologies by using our shares as consideration.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5

Our share price and our ability to raise additional funds may depend on our success in growing, or our perceived ability to grow, our GE Atlantic salmon successfully and profitably at commercial scale.

We have not yet demonstrated that we can grow our GE Atlantic salmon successfully or profitably at commercial scale. If we are unsuccessful in growing our salmon to harvest size, achieving our quality standards and selling the fish in the market at a profit from our commercial-scale facilities, or are perceived as being unable to do so prior to commercial-scale harvest and sale, we may lose credibility with the investor community and other funding sources, which could negatively impact the price of our common stock and our ability to raise additional funds.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6

We may not be able to maintain our listing on Nasdaq, which could limit investors' ability or willingness to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.

Even though our common stock is traded on Nasdaq, we cannot assure you that we will be able to comply with standards necessary to maintain such listing, which may result in our common stock being delisted from Nasdaq. If our common stock were no longer listed on Nasdaq, investors would experience impaired liquidity for our common stock, not only in the number of shares that could be bought and sold at a given price, which might be depressed by the relative illiquidity, but also through delays in the timing of transactions and reduction in media coverage. For example, investors might only be able to trade on one of the over-the-counter markets. In addition, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including: ?a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;?a limited amount of news and analyst coverage for us; and ?a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future. On October 31, 2022, we received a letter (the "Notice") from Nasdaq notifying us that, because the closing bid price for our common stock had been below $1.00 per share for the previous 30 consecutive business days, it no longer complied with the minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on Nasdaq. The Notice had no immediate effect on our listing or on the trading of our common stock. The Notice provided us with a compliance period of 180 calendar days, or until May 1, 2023, to regain compliance. We were subsequently granted an additional 180 calendar days, or until October 30, 2023, to regain compliance with the minimum $1.00 bid price per share requirement for continued listing on Nasdaq. To improve the price level of our common stock so that we could regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement, on October 12, 2023, our stockholders approved a reverse stock split of our common stock, and our Board of Directors approved a split ratio of 1-for-20. The reverse stock split was implemented on October 16, 2023 and on October 30, 2023, we received a notice from Nasdaq confirming that we had regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement. There can be no assurance that we will maintain compliance with the listing requirements. If we fail in the future to comply with Nasdaq listing rules, it could lead to the delisting of our common stock from Nasdaq and our common stock trading, if at all, only on the over-the-counter markets.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7

The price of our shares of common stock is likely to be volatile.

The share price of publicly traded emerging companies can be highly volatile and subject to wide fluctuations. The prices at which our common stock is quoted and the prices which investors may realize will be influenced by a large number of factors, some specific to our company and operations and some that may affect the quoted land-based fish farming industry, the biotechnology sector, or quoted companies generally. These factors could include variations in our operating results, publicity regarding the process of obtaining regulatory approval to commercialize our products, divergence in financial results from analysts' expectations, changes in earnings estimates by stock market analysts, overall market or sector sentiment, legislative changes in our sector, the performance of our research and development programs, large purchases or sales of our common stock, currency fluctuations, legislative changes in the bioengineering environment, future sales of our common stock or the perception that such sales could occur and general economic conditions. Certain of these events and factors are outside of our control. Stock markets have from time to time experienced severe price and volume fluctuations, which, if recurring, could adversely affect the market prices for our common stock.

Accounting & Financial Operations3 | 5.6%

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1

We do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future, and, accordingly, stockholders must rely on stock appreciation for any return on their investment.

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our common stock. We do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future and intend to retain all of our future earnings, if any, to finance the operations, development, and growth of our business. There can be no assurance that we will have sufficient surplus under Delaware law to be able to pay any dividends at any time in the future. As a result, absent payment of dividends, only appreciation of the price of our common stock, which may never occur, will provide a return to stockholders. You may also have to sell some or all of your shares of our common stock in order to generate cash flow from your investment in us.?

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2

Changed

We have a history of net losses and will likely incur future losses and may not achieve or maintain profitability.

In the period from incorporation to September 30, 2024, we have incurred cumulative net losses of approximately $286 million. These losses reflect our personnel, research and development, production and marketing costs. Our ability to realize revenues and the timing thereof are not certain, and achieving revenues does not assure that we will become profitable. We anticipate incurring additional losses until such time that we can generate significant increases to our revenues, and/or reduce our operating costs and losses. The size of our future net losses will depend, in part, on the rate of future expenditures and our ability to grow our business and increase our revenues. We expect our expenses to fluctuate as we transform our business.

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3

We have entered into agreements that require us to pay a significant portion of our future revenue to third parties.

In 2009, we received a grant from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency to fund a research program. A total of C$2.9 million was made available under the grant, and we received the entire amount through December 31, 2015. If we begin to generate revenue from any of the products from the research program, we must commence repayment of the outstanding loan in the form of a 10% royalty. These payments could negatively impact our ability to support our operations. Revenues from sales of our GE Atlantic salmon are not subject to the royalty.

Debt & Financing5 | 9.3%

Debt & Financing - Risk 1

Adverse developments affecting the financial services industry, including events or concerns involving liquidity, defaults or non-performance by financial institutions or transactional counterparties, could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments that affect financial institutions, transactional counterparties or other companies in the financial services industry or the financial services industry generally, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds or other similar risks, have in the past and may in the future lead to market-wide liquidity problems. Most recently, on March 10, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank, now a division of the First Citizens Bank, was closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") as receiver. Similarly, on March 8, 2023, Silvergate Capital Corp. announced its decision to voluntarily liquidate its assets and wind down its operations. Our access to funding sources and other credit arrangements in amounts adequate to finance or capitalize our current and projected future business operations could be significantly impaired by factors that affect us, the financial services industry or economy in general. These factors could include, among others, events such as liquidity constraints or failures, the ability to perform obligations under various types of financial, credit or liquidity agreements or arrangements, disruptions or instability in the financial services industry or financial markets, or concerns or negative expectations about the prospects for companies in the financial services industry. In addition, investor concerns regarding the U.S. or international financial systems could result in less favorable commercial financing terms, including higher interest rates or costs and tighter financial and operating covenants, or systemic limitations on access to credit and liquidity sources, thereby making it more difficult for us to acquire financing on acceptable terms or at all. Any decline in available funding or access to our cash and liquidity resources could, among other risks, adversely impact our ability to meet our operating expenses or financial obligations or fulfill our other obligations, result in breaches of our contractual obligations or result in violations of federal or state wage and hour laws. Any of these impacts, or any other impacts resulting from the factors described above or other related or similar factors, could have material adverse impacts on our liquidity and our business, financial condition or results of operations. We currently have cash and cash equivalents deposited in Citizens Bank, N.A. representing 85% of our total amounts and significantly in excess of federally insured levels. If any of the financial institutions in which we have deposited funds ultimately fails, we may lose our uninsured deposits at such financial institutions, and/or we may be required to move our accounts to another financial institution, which could cause operational difficulties, such as delays in making payments to our partners and employees, which could have an adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

Debt & Financing - Risk 2

The financing of our Ohio farm through the placement of municipal bonds may require restrictive debt covenants that could limit our control over the farm's operation and restrict our ability to utilize a portion of any cash that the farm generates.

We anticipate using both equity and debt to finance the construction and initial working capital for our Ohio farm. Debt financing will likely contain certain customary restrictive covenants that require us to maintain certain operating ratios and may restrict our use of any cash that is generated by the farm. The amount of debt used to finance the project may be significant and may require the use of a trustee to oversee the project funds and to monitor the project's performance and adherence to any restrictive covenants. Failure to meet the restrictive covenants over a period of time could result in more oversight by the trustee and a loss of some of our control over the operation, or in the extreme by the trustee stepping in to manage the farm's operation. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the ownership interests of holders of our common stock will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of holders of our common stock. Our term loan agreement with First Farmers Bank and Trust in the amount of $4 million contains certain customary restrictive covenants that limit our ability, including without limitation, to incur additional indebtedness and liens, merge with other companies or consummate certain changes of control, acquire other companies, engage in new lines of business and make certain investments, as well as financial covenants requiring us to maintain certain ratios with respect to our operations. Our ability to comply with these covenants may be affected by events beyond our control, and we may not be able to meet those covenants. A breach of any of these covenants could result in a default under the term loan agreement, which could cause all of the outstanding indebtedness under our term loan to become immediately due and payable. In that event, we would be required to disclose the default in our public filings, which could have an adverse effect on the price of our shares of common stock. These covenants could also limit our ability to seek capital through the incurrence of new indebtedness or, if we are unable to meet our obligations, require us to repay any outstanding amounts with sources of capital we may otherwise use to fund our business, operations and strategy.

Debt & Financing - Risk 3

Increases in interest rates have increased our expected borrowing costs and may also affect our ability to obtain working capital through borrowings, such as bank credit lines and public or private sales of debt securities.

We will seek to raise part of the funding necessary for construction of our Ohio farm, and other future farms, through debt financing. Increases in interest rates will increase the cost of our indebtedness for construction financing and may also affect our ability to obtain working capital through borrowings, such as bank credit lines and public or private sales of debt securities. This may result in lower liquidity, increased expense and difficulty in financing our expansion plans, reduced working capital and other adverse impacts on our business.

Debt & Financing - Risk 4

There can be no assurance that additional funds will be available on a timely basis, on acceptable terms, or at all, or that such funds, if raised, would be sufficient to enable us to continue to implement our business strategy.

We require new financing to provide liquidity for working capital and to fund the construction of our farm in Pioneer, Ohio. To meet this need, we have engaged an investment bank to pursue a range of funding and strategic alternatives, including the recently announced sale process for our Indiana farm, potential debt financing secured by our unencumbered assets and potential joint venture partnerships or other strategic transactions. There is no guarantee that additional funds will be available on a timely basis, on acceptable terms, or at all, or that such funds, if raised, would be sufficient to enable us to continue to implement our business strategy. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the ownership interests of holders of our common stock will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of holders of our common stock. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures, or declaring dividends. If we raise additional funds through government or other third-party funding, marketing and distribution arrangements or other collaborations, strategic alliances, or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs, or product candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. In addition, we may not be able to sell our Indiana farm for the price that we expect or on the timeline that we expect or at all. Furthermore, if we sell the Indiana farm for a price that is less than the book value of its assets, we will incur a loss on the sale.

Debt & Financing - Risk 5

Our current business plans include the need for substantial additional capital, and without it, we may not be able to implement our strategy as planned or at all.

Our strategy depends on our ability to develop and construct additional farms, including our partially constructed Ohio farm. Its construction, and others in the future, are contingent on our ability to raise capital, without which, we may be unable to construct such facilities as planned or at all. We may not be able to obtain the financing necessary to complete construction of our proposed facilities. We do not have the financial resources required to fully finance the construction of the Ohio farm. We will seek to raise part of these necessary funds through debt financing. Recent increases in interest rates have increased the borrowing costs for this financing, and any further increases before the financing is complete could further increase such costs. Volatility and/or declines in equity markets in general, and for our securities, may cause equity financing to be unavailable on acceptable terms or at all. We may also need further funding if there are delays in construction or increased construction costs at our construction site in Ohio. We may finance unanticipated construction costs by issuing equity securities or debt. The delay or failure of regulatory bodies to approve our construction plans, disruption and volatility in the financial markets, tighter credit markets and a downturn in the seafood market may negatively impact our ability to obtain financing. We may not have access to the required funding, or funding may not be available to us on acceptable terms. We estimate that the total project cost for the Ohio farm, including construction, land, insurance and ancillary costs will be in the range of $485 million to $495 million, substantially above our previously disclosed estimate, although this figure could continue to change as we finalize the design, finalize bids from contractors and continue with construction. For example, at least partially due to recent inflationary pressures, subcontractors for certain goods and services at our Ohio farm have submitted bids above the levels that we expected. As a result of these increases, and increased interest rates, we have raised our estimate for the total cost for the project, and we increased the amount of proposed debt financing. We have encountered cost increases in the expected construction cost of the Ohio farm and may encounter further unanticipated difficulties and cost overruns in constructing this farm and other future farms. Preparing cost and timing estimates for complex RAS farms is inherently difficult and subject to change based on a number of factors that we have experienced to date and may experience in the future, including design changes, increasing inflationary pressure on costs of materials and labor, the impact of health epidemics, such as COVID-19, construction delays, dependence on contractors, the impact of increasing interest rates on financing costs, customer requirements and unexpected complications. As a result, we may encounter unanticipated difficulties and the construction and development of our proposed farms may be more costly or time-consuming than we anticipate. These recent increases in the construction cost estimate have caused us to put construction on pause until we can evaluate the completion cost estimate and our financing strategy. There can be no guarantee that our attempts will be successful, and macro-economic conditions could worsen, which could result in further cost increases and further financing and construction-related delays.

Corporate Activity and Growth3 | 5.6%

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1

Changed

There is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

Since inception, we have incurred cumulative net losses and negative cash flows from operations and expect that this will continue for the foreseeable future. As of September 30, 2024, we had $500 thousand in cash and cash equivalents. Our ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon our ability to raise additional capital, and there can be no assurance that such capital will be available in sufficient amounts, on a timely basis, on acceptable terms, or at all. This raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date hereof. The accompanying financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business and do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Until such time as we reach profitability, we will require additional financing to fund our operations and execute our business plan. If we cannot continue as a going concern, our stockholders would likely lose most or all of their investment in us.

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2

We may pursue strategic acquisitions, investments or mergers that could have an adverse impact on our business if they are unsuccessful.

If appropriate opportunities become available, we may acquire, invest in or merge with businesses, assets, technologies, or products to enhance our business in the future. In connection with any future acquisitions, investments or mergers, we could: ?issue additional equity securities, which would dilute the ownership interest and voting power of our current stockholders;?incur substantial debt to fund the acquisitions; or ?assume significant liabilities. Acquisitions, investments or mergers involve numerous risks, including: ?difficulties integrating the purchased operations, technologies, or products;?unanticipated costs and other liabilities;?diversion of management's attention from our core business;?adverse effects on existing business relationships with current and/or prospective customers and/or suppliers;?risks associated with entering markets in which we have no or limited prior experience; and ?potential loss of key employees. We do not have extensive experience in managing the integration process, and we may not be able to successfully integrate any businesses, assets, products, technologies, or personnel that we might acquire in the future without a significant expenditure of operating, financial, and management resources. The integration process could divert management time from focusing on operating our business, result in a decline in employee morale, or cause retention issues to arise from changes in compensation, reporting relationships, future prospects, or the direction of the business. Certain transactions may require us to record goodwill and non-amortizable intangible assets that will be subject to impairment testing on a regular basis and potential periodic impairment charges, incur amortization expenses related to certain intangible assets, and incur large and immediate write-offs and restructuring and other related expenses, all of which could harm our operating results and financial condition. In addition, we may acquire companies that have insufficient internal financial controls, which could impair our ability to integrate the acquired company and adversely impact our financial reporting. If we fail in our integration efforts with respect to any of our acquisitions and are unable to efficiently operate as a combined organization, our business and financial condition may be adversely affected.

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 3

We may encounter difficulties managing our growth, which could adversely affect our business.

We could face a period of rapid growth following expansion of our production capability, which may place significant pressure on our management, sales, operational, and financial resources. The execution of our business plan and our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to manage current and planned expansion and on our ability to continue to implement and improve our operational management. Any failure to manage the planned growth may have a significant adverse effect on our business, financial condition, trading performance, and prospects.

Legal & Regulatory

Total Risks: 12/54 (22%)Above Sector Average

Regulation9 | 16.7%

Regulation - Risk 1

Atlantic salmon farming is restricted in certain states.

Concerns regarding the possible environmental impact from our GE Atlantic salmon have led some states to impose legislative and regulatory restrictions or bans on its farming. In addition, some states, such as Alaska, have enacted restrictions on Atlantic salmon farming generally. While we currently believe that many states offer excellent potential sites for our salmon production farms, if additional states adopt similar restrictions, or otherwise prohibit the rearing of our GE Atlantic salmon in those states, the number of potential sites available to us for production farms in the United States could be reduced.

Regulation - Risk 2

The markets in which we intend to sell our products are subject to significant regulations.

In addition to our FDA approval for the sale and consumption of our GE Atlantic salmon in the United States, we are also subject to state and local regulations and permitting requirements, which could impact or delay the commercialization and commencement of revenue generation from the sale of our salmon. International sales also are subject to rules and regulations promulgated by regulatory bodies within foreign jurisdictions. There can be no assurance that foreign, state, or local regulatory bodies will approve the sale and consumption of our product in their jurisdiction.

Regulation - Risk 3

We will be required to continue to comply with FDA and foreign regulations.

Even with the approval of our NADA and other regulatory applications for our GE Atlantic salmon, we must continue to comply with FDA and other regulatory requirements not only for manufacturing, but also for labeling, advertising, record keeping, and reporting to the FDA and other regulators of adverse events and other information. Failure to comply with these requirements could subject us to administrative or judicial enforcement actions, including but not limited to product seizures, injunctions, civil penalties, criminal prosecution, refusals to approve new products, or withdrawal of existing approvals, as well as increased product liability exposure, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Regulation - Risk 4

Our ability to generate revenue to support our operations depends on maintaining regulatory approvals for our GE Atlantic salmon and our farm sites and obtaining new approvals for farm sites and the sale of our products in other markets, the receipt of which is uncertain.

As a genetically engineered animal for human consumption, our GE Atlantic salmon required approval from the FDA in the United States and the Ministers of Health and Environment in Canada before it could be produced, sold, or consumed in those countries. Our FDA approval covers the production of our eggs in our hatchery in Canada and the grow-out of our eggs in our facilities in Indiana and Rollo Bay. FDA approvals will be needed for each additional facility we plan to operate. Additionally, we will require local regulatory approvals in other countries in which we hope to operate. There is no guarantee that we will receive or be able to maintain regulatory approvals from the FDA or other regulatory bodies or that there will not be a significant delay before approval. There is also no guarantee that any approvals granted will not be subject to onerous obligations in relation to matters such as production or labeling, or that any regulator will not require additional data prior to approval, which may be costly and time-consuming to acquire. The ability of the FDA to review and approve new products can be affected by a variety of factors, including government budget and funding levels and statutory, regulatory, and policy changes. Average review times at the agency have fluctuated in recent years as a result. In addition, government funding of other agencies on which our operations may rely is subject to the political process, which is inherently fluid and unpredictable. Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies may also slow the time necessary for new applications to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary government agencies, which would adversely affect our business. For example, in May 2021, the FDA released its Resiliency Roadmap for FDA Inspectional Oversight, which described the prioritization process for FDA inspections and oversight. We believe that our GE Atlantic salmon would be treated as a "tier 2 - higher priority" product, but not a "tier 1 - mission critical" product. This designation could potentially impact the ability of the FDA to timely review and process our regulatory submissions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Regulation - Risk 5

Ethical, legal, and social concerns about genetically engineered products could limit or prevent the use of our products and limit our revenues.

Our technologies include the use of genetic engineering. Public perception about the safety and environmental hazards of, and ethical concerns over, genetically engineered products could influence public acceptance of our technologies and products. Activist groups opposing the genetic engineering of organisms have in the past pressured a number of retail food outlets and grocery chains to publicly state that they will not carry genetically engineered Atlantic salmon, and they could file lawsuits to prevent the production and sale of our products. If we are not able to overcome the ethical, legal, and social concerns relating to genetic engineering, products using our technologies may not be accepted in the marketplace, and demand for our products could fall short of what we expect. These concerns could also result in increased expenses, regulatory scrutiny, delays, or other impediments to implementation of our business plan. The subject of genetically engineered products has received negative publicity, which has aroused public debate. This adverse publicity could lead to lawsuits against the production, distribution, and sale of genetically engineered products; greater regulation of those products; and trade restrictions on their importation. Further, there is a concern that products produced using our technologies could be perceived to cause adverse events, which could also lead to negative publicity.

Regulation - Risk 6

We require approvals and permits to construct and operate our farms, and any delay or denial of those approvals or permits could potentially delay or halt certain operations and commercial efforts.

We may not be able to obtain the approvals and permits that will be necessary in order to construct and operate our facilities as planned. We will need to obtain a number of required permits in connection with the hydrology, construction and operation of our farms, which is often a time-consuming process. We will also need to obtain FDA approval to grow our GE Atlantic salmon in the facility. Delays or conditions imposed in obtaining the required approvals and permits for our farms, have delayed and may further delay our expected construction completion, commercial stocking and first sale dates and/or lead to further cost increases. If we are unable to obtain the required approvals and permits for our farms, we will not be able to construct the farms. In addition, federal, state and local governmental requirements could substantially increase our costs, which could materially harm our results of operations and financial condition.

Regulation - Risk 7

The term "genetically engineered" will need to be included as part of the acceptable market name for our GE Atlantic salmon, and bioengineering disclosures will need to be provided at the retail level, in accordance with USDA regulations. These disclosures could negatively impact consumer acceptance.

Until the passage of the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Law in July 2016, which contained the requirement to establish the Disclosure Standard, our GE Atlantic salmon did not need to be labeled as containing a bioengineered product, because it had been deemed to be "substantially equivalent" to the conventional product. However, because some states either passed or considered new laws specifying varying requirements for labeling products sold at the retail level that contain bioengineered ingredients, the United States Congress passed the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Law in July 2016, requiring the USDA to establish a mandatory standard for disclosing foods that are or may be bioengineered. USDA issued the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard in December 2018. AquaBounty includes the bioengineered logo on its GE Atlantic salmon packaging, in accordance with the Disclosure Standard. In addition, the 2020 Appropriations Act, which was signed into law in December 2019, which was reintroduced and passed in 2021, 2022 and 2023, contained an amendment that requires that any bioengineered animal approved by FDA prior to the effective date of the Disclosure Standard shall include the words ‘‘genetically engineered'' prior to the existing acceptable market name. While the Company believes that this labeling requirement is unnecessary and redundant to the requirement of the Disclosure Standard, it complies with all applicable laws. Labeling requirements could cause consumers to view the label as either a warning or as an indication that GE Atlantic salmon is inferior to conventional Atlantic salmon, which could negatively impact consumer acceptance of our product.

Regulation - Risk 8

We or regulatory agencies approving our products may be sued by non-governmental organizations and others who are opposed to the development or commercialization of genetically engineered products.

There are many organizations in the United States and elsewhere that are fundamentally opposed to the development of genetically engineered products. These groups have a history of bringing legal action against companies attempting to bring new biotechnology products to market. On December 23, 2013, an application was filed by two NGOs with the Canadian Federal Court seeking judicial review to declare invalid the decision by the Canadian Minister of the Environment to publish in the Canadian Gazette a Significant New Activity Notice ("SNAN") with respect to our GE Atlantic salmon. Though the Canadian Federal Court dismissed this challenge, the petitioners filed an appeal of the ruling, which was subsequently dismissed by the Canadian Federal Court of Appeal on October 21, 2016. On March 30, 2016, a coalition of non-governmental organizations filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against the FDA, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and related individuals for their roles in the approval of our GE Atlantic salmon. Subsequently, the Fish and Wildlife Service was dismissed from the case, and AquaBounty joined the case as an intervenor to protect AquaBounty's interests. The coalition, including the Center for Food Safety and Friends of the Earth, claimed that the FDA had no statutory authority to regulate genetically engineered animals, and, if it did, the agency failed to adequately analyze and implement measures to mitigate ecological, environmental, and socioeconomic risks that could impact wild salmon and the environment, including the risk that our GE Atlantic salmon could escape and threaten endangered wild salmon stocks. In December 2019, the court found that FDA had authority/jurisdiction over genetically engineered animals and in November 2020, the judge remanded the Environmental Assessment (the approval) to FDA on National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA) grounds. In April 2021, the FDA/US Department of Justice filed a notice of appeal relating to several claims in that case, and subsequently withdrew the appeal, and the date to file appeals in the case has expired. The court decision from the Northern District of California does not have a current business impact on AquaBounty's egg production in Prince Edward Island, Canada, AquaBounty's salmon production in Albany, Indiana, or AquaBounty's sales of its fish.

Regulation - Risk 9

We may become subject to increasing regulation, changes in existing regulations, and review of existing regulatory decisions.

Regulations pertaining to genetically engineered animals are still developing and could change from their present state. In addition, new legislation could require new regulatory frameworks, changes in existing regulation, or re-evaluation of prior regulatory decisions. For example, despite the FDA's final determination that our GE Atlantic salmon may be sold without being labeled as a genetically engineered product, a provision added to the 2016 Omnibus Appropriations Act required the FDA to issue final guidance for such labeling. The FDA was therefore obligated to maintain an Import Alert starting in January 2016 that prohibited import of our GE Atlantic salmon until such guidance was finalized or the provision was no longer effective. On March 8, 2019, several months after the USDA promulgated its final rule establishing the Disclosure Standard, which included disclosure requirements for bioengineered foods, including our GE Atlantic salmon, the FDA lifted the Import Alert. Similarly, in July 2017, a bill was introduced in the United States Senate that could have, had it become law, required labeling unique to, as well as re-examination of the environmental assessments used by the FDA in its 2015 approval of the NADA for our GE Atlantic salmon. While this bill was reintroduced in January 2019 without the requirement for re-examination of those environmental assessments, any such legislatively imposed review of a completed regulatory process could result in new restrictions on, or delays in, commercialization of our product in the United States. We could be subject to increasing or more onerous regulatory hurdles as we attempt to commercialize our product, which could require us to incur significant additional capital and operating expenditures and other costs in complying with these laws and regulations. Our regulatory burdens could also increase if our GE Atlantic salmon are found, or believed, to grow to a larger final size than conventional Atlantic salmon. In addition, the 2020 Appropriations Act, which was signed into law in December 2019, and reintroduced and passed in 2021, 2022 and 2023, contained an amendment that requires that any bioengineered animal approved by FDA prior to the effective date of the Disclosure Standard shall include the words ‘‘genetically engineered'' prior to the existing acceptable market name. While the Company believes that this labeling requirement is unnecessary and redundant to the requirement of the Disclosure Standard, it will comply with all applicable laws. Additional regulatory and lawmaking activity within the United States and abroad could increase our costs and/or delay or prevent the production and sales of our GE Atlantic salmon.

Taxation & Government Incentives2 | 3.7%

Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1

Our ability to use net operating losses and other tax attributes to offset future taxable income may be subject to certain limitations.

In general, under Sections 382 and 383 of the U.S. Tax Code (the "Code"), a corporation that undergoes an "ownership change" is subject to limitations on its ability to utilize its pre-change net operating losses ("NOLs"), tax credits, or other tax attributes to offset future taxable income or taxes. For these purposes, an ownership change generally occurs where the aggregate stock ownership of one or more stockholders or groups of stockholders who owns at least 5% of a corporation's stock increases its ownership by more than 50 percentage points over its lowest ownership percentage within a specified testing period. In addition to limitations imposed by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a portion of our NOLs are subject to substantial limitations arising from previous ownership changes, and, if we undergo another ownership change, our ability to utilize NOLs could be further limited by Sections 382 and 383 of the Code. In addition, future changes in our stock ownership, many of which are outside of our control, could result in an ownership change under Sections 382 and 383 of the Code. Our NOLs may also be impaired under state law. Accordingly, we may not be able to utilize a material portion of our NOLs. Furthermore, our ability to utilize our NOLs is conditioned upon our attaining profitability and generating U.S. federal and state taxable income.

Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 2

We have received government research grants and loans in the past, but such grants and loans may not be available in the future.

We have in the past received government assistance in the form of research grants and loans to partially fund various research projects, including projects involving our GE Atlantic salmon. There can be no assurance that additional government assistance will be available in the future to help offset the cost of our research activities, in which case we would need to fund our research projects entirely from our available cash resources, which may be limited. This could delay progress on future product development and introduction. In addition, we may be subject to audit by the government agencies that provided research assistance to ensure that the funds were used in accordance with the terms of the grant or loan. Any audit of the use of these funds would require the expenditure of funds and result in the diversion of management's attention.

Environmental / Social1 | 1.9%

Environmental / Social - Risk 1

We may incur significant costs complying with environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations, and failure to comply with these laws and regulations could expose us to significant liabilities.

Our operations are subject to a variety of federal, state, local, and international laws and regulations governing, among other matters, the use, generation, manufacture, transportation, international shipment, storage, handling, disposal of, and human exposure to our products in both the United States and overseas, including regulation by governmental regulatory agencies, such as the FDA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We have incurred, and will continue to incur, capital and operating expenditures and other costs in the ordinary course of our business in complying with these laws and regulations. Additional laws and regulations could be adopted in the future further regulating our business.

Production

Total Risks: 10/54 (19%)Above Sector Average

Manufacturing4 | 7.4%

Manufacturing - Risk 1

If our products become contaminated, we may be subject to product liability claims and product recalls, which could adversely affect our financial results and damage our reputation.

Food safety issues (both actual and perceived) may have a negative impact on, the reputation of and demand for, our products. In addition to the need to comply with relevant food safety regulations, it is of critical importance that our products are safe and perceived as safe and healthy in all relevant markets. Our products may be subject to contamination by foreign materials or disease-producing organisms or pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and E. coli. These organisms and pathogens are found generally in the environment and there is a risk that one or more, as a result of food processing, could be present in our products. These organisms and pathogens also can be introduced to our products as a result of improper handling at the further-processing, foodservice or consumer level. These risks may be controlled, but may not be eliminated, by adherence to good manufacturing practices and finished product testing. We have little, if any, control over handling procedures once our products have been shipped for distribution. Even an inadvertent shipment of contaminated products may be a violation of law and may lead to increased risk of exposure to product liability claims, increased scrutiny and penalties, including but not limited to, injunctive relief and plant closings, by federal and state regulatory agencies, and adverse publicity, which could exacerbate the associated negative consumer reaction. Any of these occurrences may have an adverse effect on our financial results and the value of our brands. In addition, we may be required to recall some of our products if they spoil, become contaminated, are tampered with or are mislabeled. A widespread product recall could result in significant losses due to the costs of a recall, the destruction of product inventory and lost sales due to the unavailability of product for a period of time. Such a product recall also could result in adverse publicity, damage to our reputation, and a loss of consumer confidence in our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business results and the value of our brands.

Manufacturing - Risk 2

The loss of our GE Atlantic salmon broodstock could result in the loss of our commercial technology.

Our GE Atlantic salmon, or more specifically the breeding population of live fish, or broodstock, themselves, is a product of our combined intellectual property, which includes our trade secrets related to creating and maintaining the broodstock. Destruction of our salmon broodstock by whatever means could result in a significant delay to our operations while the broodstock was replenished. Live animals are subject to disease that may, in some cases, prevent or cause delay in the export of eggs to our farms. Disease organisms may be present but undetected and transferred inadvertently. In addition, our broodstock is kept at a limited number of facilities, and damage to or failure of critical systems at any one of those facilities could lead to the loss of a substantial percentage of our broodstock. Such events may cause loss of revenue, increased costs, or both. Though the broodstock could be reinstated, in whole or in part, using our technology and stored breeding reserves, the cost and time required to do so could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.

Manufacturing - Risk 3

If our technologies or products are stolen, misappropriated, or reverse engineered, others could use the technologies to produce competing technologies or products.

Third parties, including our collaborators, contractors, and others involved in our business often have access to, and may require that we grant interest in, our technologies. If our technologies or products were stolen, misappropriated, or reverse engineered, or if we are forced to grant broad interests in our technologies, they could be used by other parties that may be able to reproduce our technologies or products using our technologies for their own commercial gain. If this were to occur, it would be difficult for us to challenge this type of use, especially in countries with limited intellectual property protection. In addition, third parties granted interests in our technologies could seek to prevent or limit our use or commercialization of those technologies based on claims of partial ownership.

Manufacturing - Risk 4

Our business is affected by the quality and quantity of the salmon that we harvest.

We sell our products in a highly competitive market. Our ability to successfully sell our products, and the price that we receive, is highly dependent on the quality of the salmon that we produce. A number of factors can negatively affect the quality of the salmon that we sell, including the quality of our broodstock, water conditions in our farms, the food and additives consumed by our fish, population levels in the tanks, and the amount of time that it takes to bring a fish to harvest, including transportation and processing. We have experience operating RAS facilities and raising salmon, and while we actively monitor these factors using rigorous standard operating procedures, we cannot always ensure optimal growing conditions. Although fish grown in RAS production systems are not subject to the disease and parasite issues that can affect salmon grown in ocean pens, there is the potential for organisms that are ubiquitous to freshwater environments to become pathogenic if the fish are subjected to stressful conditions or there is an issue with biomass management. We maintain high standards for the quality of our product and if we determine that a harvest has not met such standards, we may be required to reduce our inventory and write down the value of the harvest to reflect net realizable value. Sub-optimal conditions could lead to smaller harvests and or lower quality fish. Conversely, if we experience better than expected growth rates, we may not be able to process and bring our fish to market in a timely manner, which may result in overcrowding that can cause negative health impacts and/or require culling our fish population. Further, if our salmon is perceived by the market to be of lower quality than other available sources of salmon or other fish, we may experience reduced demand for our products and may not be able to sell our products at the prices that we expect or at all. As we continue to expand our operations and build new farms, we potentially may face additional challenges with maintaining the quality of our products. We cannot guarantee that we will not face quality issues in the future, any of which could cause damage to our reputation, and a loss of consumer confidence in our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business results and the value of our brands.

Employment / Personnel1 | 1.9%

Employment / Personnel - Risk 1

If we lose key personnel, including key management personnel, or are unable to attract and retain additional personnel, it could delay our commercialization plans or harm our research and development efforts, and we may be unable to sell or develop our own products.

Our success depends substantially on the efforts and abilities of our officers and other key employees. The loss of any key members of our management, or the failure to attract or retain other key employees who possess the requisite expertise for the conduct of our business, could prevent us from developing and commercializing our products and executing on our business strategy. We may not be able to attract or retain qualified employees in the future due to the intense competition for qualified personnel among aquaculture, biotechnology, and other technology-based businesses, or due to the unavailability of personnel with the particular qualifications or experience necessary for our business. For production positions, effective training will be needed for new hires due to the overall lack of industry experience in land-based aquaculture in North America. If we are not able to attract, train, and retain the necessary personnel to accomplish our business objectives, we may experience staffing constraints that could adversely affect our ability to meet the demands of our customers in a timely fashion, adequately staff existing or new production facilities, or support our internal research and development programs. In particular, our production facilities require individuals experienced or trained in RAS-based aquaculture, and our product development programs are dependent on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled scientists. Competition for experienced production staff, scientists, and other technical personnel from numerous companies and academic and other research institutions may limit our ability to attract and retain such personnel on acceptable terms.

Supply Chain2 | 3.7%

Supply Chain - Risk 1

If we lose key vendors, including those necessary to complete the construction of our Ohio farm, or are unable to engage additional vendors, it could delay our construction or commercialization plans.

The completion of the construction of our Ohio farm depends on our construction and equipment vendors' willingness to continue to support the project once we are ready to resume construction. Due to the rising project cost estimate, we paused construction activities in July 2023, while we pursue additional financing. There can be no guarantee that our vendors will be available or willing to reengage construction activities on the project when we have completed our financing and are ready to resume construction. If our vendors are not ready to resume construction activities, or if we need to engage new vendors, it could delay our construction and commercialization plans.

Supply Chain - Risk 2

We remain dependent on third parties for the processing, distribution, and sale of our products.

At present, we rely on third parties to process our fish, deliver them to seafood vendors, and ultimately sell them to consumers. While we carefully select processors or other intermediaries in the supply chain, any failure on their part to maintain quality standards or proper food handling processes could subject us to product liability claims, product recalls, increased scrutiny from regulators, and loss of consumer confidence in the safety and quality of our products. Seafood vendors may reject our products due to their particular product or volume requirements, extract pricing concessions that reduce our margins, or fail to adequately promote and sell our products. Our reliance on third parties could therefore result in a reduction in our revenues, an increase in our costs, delays in commercialization, additional regulatory requirements, or negative public opinion that could impact future sales and growth.

Costs3 | 5.6%

Costs - Risk 1

A shutdown, material damage to any of our farms, or lack of availability of power, fuel, oxygen, eggs, water, or other key components needed for our operations, could result in our prematurely harvesting fish, a loss of a material percentage of our fish in production, a delay in our commercialization plans, and a material adverse effect on our operations, business results, reputation, and the value of our brands.

At present, we have farms in Albany, Indiana, and Prince Edward Island, Canada. As an interruption in the power, fuel, oxygen supply, water quality systems, or other critical infrastructure of an aquaculture facility for more than a short period of time can lead to the loss of a large number of fish, any shutdown of or damage to either of our farms-for example, due to weather or other natural disaster, shortages of key components to our operations due to a pandemic, reduction in water supply, contamination of our aquifers, interruption in services beyond our backup capacity, or human interference-could require us to prematurely harvest some or all of the fish at that farm or could result in a loss of a material percentage of our fish in production. In addition, any transportation-related or other accidents that may result in a spill of hazardous materials near our farms, which may contaminate the land and/or groundwater, may result in a loss of a material percentage of our fish and other material adverse effects on our operations. We also are dependent on egg availability and being able to ship genetically engineered Atlantic salmon eggs from Canada to the United States for production. If we had a disruption in our ability to produce our eggs in Canada or ship our eggs to the United States, due to border closings or some other event that would prevent us from importing the eggs to the United States, we would not be able to continue to stock our Indiana Farm with genetically engineered Atlantic salmon eggs. We cannot guarantee that any of these disruptions might not occur in the future, any of which could cause loss of salmon to sell, damage to our reputation, loss of consumer confidence in our products and company, and lost revenues, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business results and the value of our brands.

Costs - Risk 2

We may be required to write-down the value of our inventory if its net realizable value is less than its accumulated cost at the end of a reporting period.

Our fish in process inventory is a biological asset and is stated on our balance sheet at the lower of cost or net realizable value, where net realizable value is calculated as the estimated market price less the estimated costs of processing, packaging and transportation. Any adjustments to the carrying value of inventory are reported as a component of production costs on our income statement. Such adjustments may be material in any given period and could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Until such time as our net realizable value is consistently in excess of inventory costs, our inventory may be subject to significant market value risk.

Costs - Risk 3

Industry volatility can affect our earnings, especially due to fluctuations in commodity prices of salmon.

Profitability in the salmon industry is materially affected by the commodity price of salmon, and to a lesser extent, alternative proteins. These prices are determined by supply and demand factors and can fluctuate by season. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted market demand for salmon, which resulted in market prices falling by up to 40% for certain product presentations. Conversely, given the long grow-out cycle for raising salmon, disruptions in production can depress market supply and result in price increases.

Macro & Political

Total Risks: 6/54 (11%)Below Sector Average

Economy & Political Environment2 | 3.7%

Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1

Business, political, or economic disruptions or global health concerns could seriously harm our current or planned business and increase our costs and expenses.

Broad-based business or economic disruptions, political instability, or global health concerns could adversely affect our current or planned production, sale, distribution, research and development, and expansion. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic and its related adverse public health developments, including orders to shelter-in-place, travel restrictions, and mandated business closures adversely affected workforces, organizations, customers, economies, and financial markets globally, leading to an economic downturn and increased market volatility. It also disrupted the normal operations of many businesses, including ours. Global health concerns like the COVID-19 pandemic could in themselves result in social, economic, and labor instability in the countries in which we or the third parties with whom we engage operate. The COVID-19 pandemic and government measures taken in response had a significant impact, both direct and indirect, on businesses and commerce, as worker shortages occurred. These impacts included the shortage of packaging workers and transportation suppliers that we experienced, leading to slower and more expensive harvests and increased culling activity; supply chain disruptions; facility and production suspensions; and demand for certain goods and services, such as medical services and supplies spiked, while demand for other goods and services, including salmon in the institutional sales chain that includes restaurants fell, with a resulting drop in the prices for those goods and services. We were impacted by the reduction in food service demand for salmon due to the pandemic in the form of significantly lower than expected sales and a reduction in the value of our inventory. We cannot predict the scope and severity of business, political or economic disruptions or global health concerns. If we or any of the third parties with whom we engage, including suppliers, distributors, service providers, regulators, and overseas business partners, experience shutdowns or other disruptions again in the future, our ability to conduct our business in the manner and on the timelines presently planned could be materially and negatively impacted, our anticipated revenues could decrease, and our costs and expenses could continue to rise as a result of our efforts to address such disruptions.

Economy & Political Environment - Risk 2

Rising inflation rates could negatively impact our revenues and profitability.

Rising inflation rates could negatively impact our revenues and profitability if increases in the prices of our products or a decrease in consumer spending results in lower sales. In addition, if our costs increase and we are not able to pass along these price increases to our customers, our net income would be adversely affected, and the adverse impact may be material. Inflation rates, particularly in the United States, have increased to levels not seen in years. Increased inflation may result in increased construction costs for new farms, increased operating costs (including our labor costs), reduced liquidity, and limitations on our ability to access credit or otherwise raise debt and equity capital. Increases in interest rates, especially if coupled with reduced government spending and volatility in financial markets, may have the effect of further increasing economic uncertainty and heightening these risks.

Natural and Human Disruptions3 | 5.6%

Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1

Delays and defects may prevent the commencement of farm operations.

Delays and defects may cause our costs to increase to a level that would make one or more of our farms too expensive to construct or unprofitable. We may suffer significant delays or cost overruns at our farms that could prevent us from commencing operations as expected as a result of various factors. These factors include shortages of workers or materials, construction and equipment cost escalation, transportation constraints, adverse weather, unforeseen difficulties or labor issues, or changes in political administrations at the federal, state or local levels that result in policy change towards genetically engineered foods in general or our products and farms in particular. Defects in materials or workmanship could also delay the commencement of operations of our planned farms, increase production costs or negatively affect the quality of our products. Due to these or other unforeseen factors, we may not be able to proceed with the construction or operation of our farms in a timely manner or at all.

Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 2

Atlantic salmon farming is subject to disease outbreaks, which can increase the cost of production and/or reduce production harvests.

Salmon farming systems, particularly conventional, open sea-cage systems, are vulnerable to disease introduction and transmission, primarily from the marine environment or adjacent culture systems. The economic impact of disease to these production systems can be significant, as farmers must incur the cost of preventative measures, such as vaccines and antibiotics, and then, if the fish become infected, the cost of lost or reduced harvests. Although we produce and grow our GE Atlantic salmon in land-based, closed containment facilities, we are still at risk for potential disease outbreaks. We have implemented biosecurity measures in our facilities intended to prevent or mitigate disease impact, but there can be no assurance that any measures will be 100% effective.

Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 3

We may experience a significant fish mortality event in our broodstock or our production facilities that could impact the price of our common stock.

In recent periods, other companies in the land-based aquaculture industry have experienced fish mortality events that resulted in a decline in their share price. It is possible that our operations could experience a significant fish mortality event due to, among other causes, disease, pathogens, human error, intentional malfeasance, a weather event, loss of access to electricity or water, or damage to our farms, or other factors beyond our control. If we were to have a significant fish mortality event, this could lead to a reduction in production harvests, loss of broodstock, loss of revenue, increased production costs, and public relations damage, the result of which could impact the price of our common stock.

Capital Markets1 | 1.9%

Capital Markets - Risk 1

Our financial condition or results of operations may be adversely affected by international business risks, including exchange rate fluctuations.

The majority of our employees, including our research personnel, are currently located outside of the United States. As a consequence of the international nature of our business, we are exposed to risks associated with international operations. For example, we are based in the United States and present our financial statements in U.S. dollars, and the majority of our cash resources are held in U.S. dollars or in Canadian dollars. Some of our future expenses and revenues are expected to be denominated in currencies other than in U.S. dollars. Other risks include possible governmental restrictions of the movement of funds, limitation of contractual rights, or expropriation of assets without fair compensation. Therefore, movements in exchange rates to translate to foreign currencies and other international operational risks may have a negative impact on our reported results of operations, financial position, and cash flows.

Tech & Innovation

Total Risks: 4/54 (7%)Below Sector Average

Trade Secrets3 | 5.6%

Trade Secrets - Risk 1

We may not be able to enforce our intellectual property rights throughout the world.

The laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in certain foreign jurisdictions. The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, often do not favor the enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to bioengineering. This could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our patents or misappropriation of our other intellectual property rights. Proceedings to enforce our patent rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business. Accordingly, our efforts to protect our intellectual property rights in such countries may be inadequate.

Trade Secrets - Risk 2

Enforcing our intellectual property rights may be difficult and unpredictable.

Enforcing our intellectual property rights can be expensive and time consuming, and the outcome of such efforts can be unpredictable. If we were to initiate legal proceedings against a third party to enforce a patent covering one of our technologies, the defendant could counterclaim that our patent is invalid and/or unenforceable or assert that the patent does not cover its manufacturing processes, manufacturing components, or products. Furthermore, in patent litigation in the United States, defendant counterclaims alleging both invalidity and unenforceability are commonplace. Although we may believe that we have conducted our patent prosecution in accordance with the duty of candor and in good faith, the outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability during patent litigation is unpredictable. With respect to the validity of our patent rights, we cannot be certain, for example, that there is no invalidating prior art, of which we and the patent examiner were unaware during prosecution. If a defendant were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity and/or unenforceability, we would not be able to exclude others from practicing the inventions claimed therein. Such a loss of patent protection could have a material adverse impact on our business. Even if our patent rights are found to be valid and enforceable, patent claims that survive litigation may not cover commercially valuable products or prevent competitors from importing or marketing products similar to our own, or using manufacturing processes or manufacturing components similar to those used to produce the products using our technologies. Although we believe that we have obtained assignments of patent rights from all inventors, if an inventor did not adequately assign their patent rights to us, a third party could obtain a license to the patent from such inventor. This could preclude us from enforcing the patent against such a third party.

Trade Secrets - Risk 3

Our ability to compete may be negatively impacted if we do not adequately protect our proprietary technologies or if we lose some of our intellectual property rights.

Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain patents and maintain adequate protection of our intellectual property in the United States and abroad for our technologies and resultant products and potential products. We have adopted a strategy of seeking patent protection in the United States and abroad with respect to certain of the technologies used in or relating to our products; however, the patent to the technology covering our GE Atlantic salmon, which we license under a global, perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive license from Genesis Group, Inc., an affiliate of Memorial University of Newfoundland, and an affiliate of the Hospital for Sick Children of Toronto, expired in August 2013. We expect to protect our proprietary technology in regard to our GE Atlantic salmon through a combination of in-house know-how and the deterrence of the regulatory process that would need to be completed for a competing product to be commercialized, which we believe provides us with a competitive advantage. There can be no guarantee that this strategy will be successful. We also rely on trade secrets to protect our technologies, particularly in cases when we believe patent protection is not appropriate or obtainable. However, trade secrets are difficult to protect, and we may not be able to adequately protect our trade secrets or other proprietary or licensed information. While we require our employees, academic collaborators, consultants, and other contractors to enter into confidentiality agreements with us, if we cannot maintain the confidentiality of our proprietary and licensed technologies and other confidential information, our ability and that of our licensor to receive patent protection, and our ability to protect valuable information owned or licensed by us may be imperiled.

Cyber Security1 | 1.9%

Cyber Security - Risk 1

Security breaches, cyber-attacks and other disruptions could compromise our information, expose us to fraud or liability, or interrupt our operations, which would cause our business and reputation to suffer.

In the ordinary course of our business, we use third-party, cloud-based servers and networks to store sensitive data, including our proprietary business and financial information; general business information regarding our customers, suppliers, and business partners; and personally identifiable information of our employees; and to operate our farm equipment. The security of our network and the storage and maintenance of sensitive information is critical to our operations. Despite our security measures, our and our third-party providers' information technology and infrastructure are subject and vulnerable to cyber-attacks by hackers, such as social engineering/phishing, malware (including ransomware), malfeasance by insiders, human or technological error, and as a result of bugs, misconfigurations or exploited vulnerabilities in software or hardware. A breach of our or our third-parties' security could compromise our and/or their networks, and the information stored could be accessed, manipulated, publicly disclosed, lost, or stolen. Any such access, manipulation, disclosure, or loss of information could result in errors in our records, fraudulent use of our financial information or theft of assets, legal claims or proceedings (such as class actions), regulatory investigations and enforcement actions, liability under laws that protect the privacy of personal information (including fines and penalties), theft of our intellectual property, damage to our reputation and/or significant system restoration or remediation and future compliance costs. In addition, our systems could be the subject of denial of service or other interference, which could disrupt our operations and commercial transactions. There can also be no assurance that our cybersecurity risk management program and processes, including our policies, controls or procedures, will be fully implemented, complied with or effective in protecting our systems and information. In addition, with the continued automation of our farm operations, there is the possibility of exposure to critical assets or sensitive information loss stemming from a cyber-attack on communication interfaces with third-party providers, which could adversely impact our farm operations. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect our business, revenues, and competitive position.

Ability to Sell

Total Risks: 4/54 (7%)Below Sector Average

Competition1 | 1.9%

Competition - Risk 1

Competitors and potential competitors may develop products and technologies that make ours obsolete or garner greater market share than ours.

We do not believe that we have a direct competitor for bioengineered, growth-enhanced Atlantic salmon. However, the market for Atlantic salmon is dominated by a group of large, multinational corporations with entrenched distribution channels. Competitors may be able to reduce the grow-out times for their conventional sea-cage and RAS farming operations, thus lowering our competitive advantages and reducing their costs. Our ability to compete successfully will depend on our ability to demonstrate that our GE Atlantic salmon is superior to and/or less expensive than other products available in the market. Certain of our competitors may be better funded than we are and/or benefit from government support and other incentives that are not available to us. At least in part due to these financial advantages, our competitors may be able to develop competing and/or superior products and compete more aggressively and sustain that competition over a longer period of time than we can. As more companies develop new intellectual property in our markets, a competitor could acquire patents or other rights that may limit our ability to successfully market our product.

Demand2 | 3.7%

Demand - Risk 1

High customer concentration exposes us to various risks faced by our major customers and may subject us to significant fluctuations or declines in revenues.

A limited number of our major customers have contributed a significant portion of our revenues in the past. Our revenue from the top three largest customers accounted for approximately 76% and 68% of our total revenues in the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Although we continually seek to diversify our customer base, we cannot assure you that the proportion of the revenue contribution from these customers to our total revenues will decrease in the near future. Dependence on a limited number of major customers will expose us to the risks of substantial losses and may increase our accounts receivable and extend its turnover days if any of them reduces or ceases business with us. Any one of the following events, among others, may cause material fluctuations or declines in our revenues and have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects: ?an overall decline in the business of one or more of our significant customers;?the decision by one or more of our significant customers to switch to our competitors;?the reduction in the prices for our products agreed by one or more of our significant customers; or ?the failure or inability of any of our significant customers to make timely payment to us.

Demand - Risk 2

We may have limited success in gaining consumer acceptance of our products.

There is an active and vocal group of opponents to genetically engineered products who wish to ban or restrict the technology and who, at a minimum, hope to sway consumer perceptions and acceptance of this technology. Their efforts include regulatory legal challenges and labeling campaigns for genetically engineered products, as well as application of pressure to multiple channels of distribution including, but not limited to distributors, food service operators, and consumer retail outlets seeking a commitment not to carry genetically engineered Atlantic salmon. We may not be able to overcome the negative consumer perceptions that these organizations have instilled against our products.

Sales & Marketing1 | 1.9%

Sales & Marketing - Risk 1

The successful development of our business depends on our ability to efficiently and cost-effectively produce and sell salmon at large commercial scale.

Although we have over two decades of experience in successfully raising Atlantic salmon in land-based systems, we have only begun to produce them at commercial scale. Our business plans depend on our ability to increase our production capacity through the development of larger farms. We have limited experience constructing, ramping up, and managing such large, commercial-scale facilities, and we may not have anticipated all of the factors or costs that could affect our production, harvest, sale, and delivery of salmon at such a scale. For example, our salmon may not perform as expected when raised at very large commercial scale, we may encounter operational challenges for which we are unable to identify a workable solution, control deficiencies may surface, our vendors may experience capacity constraints, or our production cost and timeline projections may prove to be inaccurate. Any of these could decrease process efficiency, create delays, and increase our costs. We are also subject to volatility in market demand and prices, such as the disruption to the salmon market and the resulting reduction in market prices for salmon that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, competitive pressures, customer volatility and the possible inability to secure established and ongoing customer partnerships and contracts, may result in a lack of buyers for our fish. Customers of our fish may not wish to follow our terms and conditions of sale, potentially resulting in a violation of labeling or disclosure laws, improper food handling, nonpayment for product, and similar issues. The competitive landscape for salmon may create challenges in securing competitive pricing for our salmon to reach our competitive goals. In addition, it is possible that we may not be able to service our customers to meet their expectations regarding fish quality, ongoing harvest supply availability, order processing fill rate, on time or correct deliveries, potential issues with third-party processors, and other factors, which could impact our relationships with customers, our reputation, and our business results.

See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.

FAQ

What are “Risk Factors”?

Risk factors are any situations or occurrences that could make investing in a company risky.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that publicly traded companies disclose their most significant risk factors. This is so that potential investors can consider any risks before they make an investment.

They also offer companies protection, as a company can use risk factors as liability protection. This could happen if a company underperforms and investors take legal action as a result.

It is worth noting that smaller companies, that is those with a public float of under $75 million on the last business day, do not have to include risk factors in their 10-K and 10-Q forms, although some may choose to do so.

How do companies disclose their risk factors?

Publicly traded companies initially disclose their risk factors to the SEC through their S-1 filings as part of the IPO process.

Additionally, companies must provide a complete list of risk factors in their Annual Reports (Form 10-K) or (Form 20-F) for “foreign private issuers”.

Quarterly Reports also include a section on risk factors (Form 10-Q) where companies are only required to update any changes since the previous report.

According to the SEC, risk factors should be reported concisely, logically and in “plain English” so investors can understand them.

How can I use TipRanks risk factors in my stock research?

Use the Risk Factors tab to get data about the risk factors of any company in which you are considering investing.

You can easily see the most significant risks a company is facing. Additionally, you can find out which risk factors a company has added, removed or adjusted since its previous disclosure. You can also see how a company’s risk factors compare to others in its sector.

Without reading company reports or participating in conference calls, you would most likely not have access to this sort of information, which is usually not included in press releases or other public announcements.

A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.

What are all the risk factor categories?

TipRanks has identified 6 major categories of risk factors and a number of subcategories for each. You can see how these categories are broken down in the list below.

1. Financial & Corporate

Accounting & Financial Operations - risks related to accounting loss, value of intangible assets, financial statements, value of intangible assets, financial reporting, estimates, guidance, company profitability, dividends, fluctuating results.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights – risks related to things that impact share prices and the rights of shareholders, including analyst ratings, major shareholder activity, trade volatility, liquidity of shares, anti-takeover provisions, international listing, dual listing.
Debt & Financing – risks related to debt, funding, financing and interest rates, financial investments.
Corporate Activity and Growth – risks related to restructuring, M&As, joint ventures, execution of corporate strategy, strategic alliances.

2. Legal & Regulatory

Litigation and Legal Liabilities – risks related to litigation/ lawsuits against the company.
Regulation – risks related to compliance, GDPR, and new legislation.
Environmental / Social – risks related to environmental regulation and to data privacy.
Taxation & Government Incentives – risks related to taxation and changes in government incentives.

3. Production

Costs – risks related to costs of production including commodity prices, future contracts, inventory.
Supply Chain – risks related to the company’s suppliers.
Manufacturing – risks related to the company’s manufacturing process including product quality and product recalls.
Human Capital – risks related to recruitment, training and retention of key employees, employee relationships & unions labor disputes, pension, and post retirement benefits, medical, health and welfare benefits, employee misconduct, employee litigation.

4. Technology & Innovation

Innovation / R&D – risks related to innovation and new product development.
Technology – risks related to the company’s reliance on technology.
Cyber Security – risks related to securing the company’s digital assets and from cyber attacks.
Trade Secrets & Patents – risks related to the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and to infringement claims against the company as well as piracy and unlicensed copying.

5. Ability to Sell

Demand – risks related to the demand of the company’s goods and services including seasonality, reliance on key customers.
Competition – risks related to the company’s competition including substitutes.
Sales & Marketing – risks related to sales, marketing, and distribution channels, pricing, and market penetration.
Brand & Reputation – risks related to the company’s brand and reputation.

6. Macro & Political

Economy & Political Environment – risks related to changes in economic and political conditions.
Natural and Human Disruptions – risks related to catastrophes, floods, storms, terror, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic/COVID-19.
International Operations – risks related to the global nature of the company.
Capital Markets – risks related to exchange rates and trade, cryptocurrency.

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