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.
EZGO Technologies disclosed 81 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. EZGO Technologies reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.
Risk Overview Q3, 2023
Risk Distribution
36% Finance & Corporate
30% Legal & Regulatory
15% Production
7% Tech & Innovation
6% Ability to Sell
6% Macro & Political
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
S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
Risks added
Risks changed
EZGO 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, 2023
Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 29 Risks
Finance & Corporate
With 29 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
81
-1
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
81
-1
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
1Risks added
2Risks removed
11Risks changed
Since Sep 2023
1Risks added
2Risks removed
11Risks changed
Since Sep 2023
Number of Risk Changed
11
-12
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
11
-12
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
See the risk highlights of EZGO 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 81
Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 29/81 (36%)Below Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights19 | 23.5%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
Techniques employed by short sellers may drive down the market price of the ordinary shares
Short selling is the practice of selling securities that the seller does not own but rather has borrowed from a third party with the intention of buying identical securities back at a later date to return to the lender. The short seller hopes to profit from a decline in the value of the securities between the sale of the borrowed securities and the purchase of the replacement shares, as the short seller expects to pay less in that purchase than it received in the sale. As it is in the short seller's interest for the price of the security to decline, many short sellers publish, or arrange for the publication of, negative opinions and allegations regarding the relevant issuer and its business prospects in order to create negative market momentum and generate profits for themselves after selling a security short. These short attacks have, in the past, led to selling of shares in the market. If we were to become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we could have to expend a significant amount of resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend ourselves. While we would strongly defend against any such short seller attacks, we may be constrained in the manner in which we can proceed against the relevant short seller by principles of freedom of speech, applicable state law or issues of commercial confidentiality.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
The sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of EZGO's ordinary shares could adversely affect their market price.
Sales of substantial amounts of EZGO's ordinary shares in the public market in the future, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of EZGO's ordinary shares and could materially impair our ability to raise capital through equity offerings in the future. EZGO's ordinary shares are freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and shares held by EZGO's existing shareholders may also be sold in the public market in the future subject to the restrictions in Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act and the applicable lock-up agreements. We cannot predict what effect, if any, market sales of securities held by EZGO's significant shareholders or any other shareholder or the availability of these securities for future sale will have on the market price of EZGO's ordinary shares.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they adversely change their recommendations regarding EZGO's ordinary shares, the market price for EZGO's ordinary shares and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for EZGO's ordinary shares will be influenced by research or reports that industry or securities analysts publish about our business. If one or more analysts who cover us downgrade EZGO's ordinary shares, the market price for EZGO's ordinary shares would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease to cover us or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the market price or trading volume for EZGO's ordinary shares to decline.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
An active trading market for EZGO's ordinary shares may not continue and the trading price for EZGO's ordinary shares may fluctuate significantly.
We cannot assure you that a liquid public market for EZGO's ordinary shares will continue. If an active public market for EZGO's ordinary shares does not continue, the market price and liquidity of EZGO's ordinary shares may be materially and adversely affected. We can provide no assurance that the trading price of EZGO's ordinary shares will not decline. As a result, EZGO's shareholders and potential investors in EZGO's securities may experience a significant decrease in the value of their ordinary shares.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
In the event that EZGO's ordinary shares are delisted from Nasdaq, U.S. broker-dealers may be discouraged from effecting transactions in EZGO's ordinary shares because they may be considered penny stocks and thus be subject to the penny stock rules.
The SEC has adopted a number of rules to regulate "penny stock" that restricts transactions involving stock which is deemed to be penny stock. Such rules include Rules 3a51-1, 15g-1, 15g-2, 15g-3, 15g-4, 15g-5, 15g-6, 15g-7, and 15g-9 under the Exchange Act. These rules may have the effect of reducing the liquidity of penny stocks. "Penny stocks" generally are equity securities with a price of less than $5.00 per share (other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or quoted on Nasdaq if current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system). EZGO's ordinary shares could be considered to be a "penny stock" within the meaning of the rules. The additional sales practice and disclosure requirements imposed upon U.S. broker-dealers may discourage such broker-dealers from effecting transactions in shares of EZGO's ordinary shares, which could severely limit the market liquidity of such ordinary shares and impede their sale in the secondary market.
A U.S. broker-dealer selling a penny stock to anyone other than an established customer or "accredited investor" (generally, an individual with a net worth in excess of $1,000,000 or an annual income exceeding $200,000, or $300,000 together with his or her spouse) must make a special suitability determination for the purchaser and must receive the purchaser's written consent to the transaction prior to sale, unless the broker-dealer or the transaction is otherwise exempt. In addition, the "penny stock" regulations require the U.S. broker-dealer to deliver, prior to any transaction involving a "penny stock", a disclosure schedule prepared in accordance with SEC standards relating to the "penny stock" market, unless the broker-dealer or the transaction is otherwise exempt. A U.S. broker-dealer is also required to disclose commissions payable to the U.S. broker-dealer and the registered representative and current quotations for the securities. Finally, a U.S. broker-dealer is required to submit monthly statements disclosing recent price information with respect to the "penny stock" held in a customer's account and information with respect to the limited market in "penny stocks".
The market for "penny stocks" has suffered in recent years from patterns of fraud and abuse. Such patterns include (i) control of the market for the security by one or a few broker-dealers that are often related to the promoter or issuer; (ii) manipulation of prices through prearranged matching of purchases and sales and false and misleading press releases; (iii) "boiler room" practices involving high-pressure sales tactics and unrealistic price projections by inexperienced sales persons; (iv) excessive and undisclosed bid-ask differentials and markups by selling broker-dealers; and (v) the wholesale dumping of the same securities by promoters and broker-dealers after prices have been manipulated to a desired level, resulting in losses to EZTO's shareholders. Our management is aware of the abuses that have occurred historically in the penny stock market. Although we do not expect to be in a position to dictate the behavior of the market or of broker-dealers who participate in the market, management will strive within the confines of practical limitations to prevent the described patterns from being established with respect to EZGO's securities.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6
The market price of EZGO's ordinary shares has recently declined significantly, and EZGO's ordinary shares could be delisted from the Nasdaq or trading could be suspended.
The listing of EZGO's ordinary shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market is contingent on our compliance with the Nasdaq Capital Market's conditions for continued listing. On October 19, 2023, we announced that we received written notification, or the Notification Letter, from Nasdaq on October 18, 2023 that we were not in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement of US$1.00 per share under the Nasdaq Listing Rules (the "Minimum Bid Price Requirement"). In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rules, we were required to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement within 180 calendar days, or by April 15, 2024. To regain compliance, EZGO's ordinary shares were required to have had a closing bid price of at least US$1.00 for a minimum of 10 consecutive trading days or before April 15, 2024. There can be no assurance that we will be able to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid price Requirement, without having to effect a reverse share split of EZGO's ordinary shares, or maintain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, after we have regained compliance, even if we implement a reverse share split.
We cannot assure you that we will be able to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement under the Nasdaq Listing Rules, or that we will not receive other deficiency notifications from Nasdaq in the future. A decline in the closing price of EZGO's ordinary shares could result in a breach of the requirements for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. If we do not maintain compliance, Nasdaq could commence suspension or delisting procedures in respect of EZGO's ordinary shares. The commencement of suspension or delisting procedures by an exchange remains at the discretion of such exchange and would be publicly announced by the exchange. If a suspension or delisting were to occur, there would be significantly less liquidity in the suspended or delisted securities. In addition, our ability to raise additional necessary capital through equity or debt financing would be greatly impaired. Furthermore, with respect to any suspended or delisted ordinary shares, we would expect decreases in institutional and other investor demand, analyst coverage, market making activity and information available concerning trading prices and volume, and fewer broker-dealers would be willing to execute trades with respect to such ordinary shares. A suspension or delisting would likely decrease the attractiveness of EZGO's ordinary shares to investors and cause the trading volume of EZGO's ordinary shares to decline, which could result in a further decline in the market price of EZGO's ordinary shares.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7
If the custodians or authorized users of our controlling non-tangible assets, including chops and seals, fail to fulfill their responsibilities, or misappropriate or misuse these assets, our business and operations may be materially and adversely affected.
Under PRC law, legal documents for corporate transactions, including agreements and contracts that our business relies on, are executed using the chop or seal of the signing entity or with the signature of a legal representative whose designation is registered and filed with the relevant local branch of the State Administration for Market Regulation, formerly known as the State Administration for Industry and Commerce ("SAIC"). We generally execute legal documents by affixing chops or seals, rather than having the designated legal representatives sign the documents.
We use two major types of chops: corporate chops and finance chops. Chops are seals or stamps used by a PRC company to legally authorize documents, often in place of a signature. We use corporate chops generally for documents to be submitted to government agencies, such as applications for changing business scope, directors or company name, and for legal letters. We use finance chops generally for making and collecting payments, including issuing invoices. Use of corporate chops must be approved by our legal department and administrative department, and use of finance chops must be approved by our finance department. The chops of our subsidiaries and the VIE are generally held by the relevant entities so that documents can be executed locally. Although we usually utilize chops to execute contracts, the registered legal representatives of our subsidiaries and the VIE have the apparent authority to enter into contracts on behalf of such entities without chops, unless such contracts set forth otherwise.
In order to maintain the physical security of our chops, we generally have them stored in secured locations accessible only to the designated key employees of our legal, administrative or finance departments. Our designated legal representatives generally do not have access to the chops. Although we have approval procedures in place and monitor our key employees, including the designated legal representatives of our subsidiaries and the VIE, the procedures may not be sufficient to prevent all instances of abuse or negligence. In addition, we also separate the authorized user of chops from the keeper of keys to the storage room and install security camera for the storage room. There is a risk that our key employees or designated legal representatives could abuse their authority, for example, by binding our subsidiaries and the VIE with contracts against our interests, as we would be obligated to honor these contracts if the other contracting party acts in good faith in reliance on the apparent authority of our chops or signatures of our legal representatives. If any designated legal representative obtains control of the chop in an effort to obtain control over the relevant entity, we would need to have a shareholder or board resolution to designate a new legal representative to take legal action to seek the return of the chop, apply for a new chop with the relevant authorities, or otherwise seek legal remedies for the legal representative's misconduct. If any of the designated legal representatives obtains and misuses or misappropriates our chops and seals or other controlling intangible assets for whatever reason, we could experience disruption to our normal business operations. We may have to take corporate or legal action, which could involve significant time and resources to resolve the matter, while distracting management from our operations, and our business operations may be materially and adversely affected.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8
Changed
Judgments obtained against us by EZGO's shareholders may not be enforceable.
We are a BVI company and substantially all of our assets are located outside of the United States. Substantially all of our current operations are conducted in China. In addition, certain of our directors and officers reside outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for you to effect service of process within the United States or elsewhere outside China upon these persons. It may also be difficult for you to enforce in China or BVI courts judgments obtained in U.S. courts based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us and our officers and directors, most of whom are not residents in the United States and the substantial majority of whose assets are located outside of the United States. It may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us in the BVI if you believe your rights under the U.S. securities laws have been infringed. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the BVI or China would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts against us or such persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state and it is uncertain whether such BVI or China courts would hear original actions brought in the BVI or China against us or such persons predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9
Changed
EZGO's principal shareholders have substantial influence over our company. Their interests may not be aligned with the interests of EZGO's other shareholders, and they could prevent or cause a change of control or other transactions.
As of the date of this annual report, our executive officers and directors, together with each of EZGO's principal shareholders owning 5% or more of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, beneficially own approximately 7,063,380 ordinary shares, or approximately 6.9% of our outstanding ordinary shares.
Accordingly, EZGO's executive officers and directors, together with principal shareholders owning 5% or more of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, could have a significant influence in determining the outcome of any corporate transaction or other matter submitted to the shareholders for approval, including mergers, consolidations, the election of directors and other significant corporate actions. In cases where their interests are aligned and they vote together, these principal shareholders will also have the power to prevent or cause a change in control. Without the consent of some or all of these principal shareholders, we may be prevented from entering into transactions that could be beneficial to us or EZGO's minority shareholders. In addition, our directors and officers could violate their fiduciary duties by diverting business opportunities from us to themselves or others. The interests of EZGO's principal shareholders may differ from the interests of EZGO's other shareholders. The concentration in the ownership of EZGO's ordinary shares may cause a material decline in the value of EZGO's ordinary shares.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 10
Changed
The trading price of EZGO's ordinary shares may be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to EZGO's shareholders and potential investors.
The trading price of EZGO's ordinary shares may be volatile and could fluctuate widely due to factors beyond our control. This may happen because of broad market and industry factors, like the performance and fluctuation of the market prices of other companies with business operations located mainly in China that have listed their securities in the United States. A number of Chinese companies have listed or are in the process of listing their securities on U.S. stock markets. The securities of some of these companies have experienced significant volatility, including price declines in connection with their initial public offerings. The trading performances of these Chinese companies' securities after their offerings may affect the attitudes of investors toward Chinese companies listed in the United States in general and consequently may impact the trading performance of EZGO's ordinary shares, regardless of our actual operating performance.
In addition to market and industry factors, the price and trading volume for EZGO's ordinary shares may be highly volatile for factors specific to our own operations, including the following:
- variations in our revenues, earnings, cash flow and data related to our user base or user engagement;- announcements of new investments, acquisitions, strategic partnerships or joint ventures by us or our competitors;- announcements of new product and service offerings, solutions and expansions by us or our competitors;- changes in financial estimates by securities analysts;- detrimental adverse publicity about us or our industry;- additions or departures of key personnel;- release of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding equity securities or sales of additional equity securities; and - potential litigation or regulatory investigations.
Any of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the volume and price at which EZGO's ordinary shares will trade.
In the past, shareholders of public companies often brought securities class action suits against those companies following periods of instability in the market price of their securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management's attention and other resources from our business and operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit, which could harm our results of operations. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 11
Changed
We may not be able to maintain our listing on Nasdaq which could limit EZGO's shareholders' and potential investors' ability to make transactions in EZGO's securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
EZGO's ordinary shares are listed on Nasdaq. We cannot assure you that EZGO's ordinary shares will continue to be listed on Nasdaq in the future. In order to continue listing EZGO's securities on Nasdaq, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and share price levels. Generally, we must (i) maintain a minimum amount in shareholders' equity (generally above $2,500,000), maintain a minimum market value of listed securities (generally above $35,000,000) or have a minimum net income from operations for the prior year of for two of the preceding years (generally above $500,000); and (ii) a minimum number of publicly held shares (generally greater than 500,000) and a minimum number of public shareholders (generally greater than 300 shareholders). EZGO's ordinary shares also cannot have a bid price of less than $1.00. Moreover, we must comply with certain listing standards regarding the independence of our board of directors and members of our audit committee. We intend to fully comply with these requirements, but we may not be able to meet these requirements in the future.
If Nasdaq delists EZGO's securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list EZGO's securities on another national securities exchange, we expect EZGO's securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
- a limited availability of market quotations for EZGO's securities;- reduced liquidity for EZGO's securities;- a determination that EZGO's ordinary shares are "penny stocks" which will require brokers trading in EZGO's ordinary shares to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for EZGO's securities;- a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and - a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a U.S. federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as "covered securities." Because EZGO's ordinary shares are listed on Nasdaq, such securities will be covered securities. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of EZGO's securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. Further, if we were no longer listed on Nasdaq, EZGO's securities would not be covered securities and we would be subject to regulations in each state in which we offer EZGO's securities.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 12
EZGO is a BVI company and, because judicial precedent regarding the rights of shareholders is more limited under BVI law than under U.S. law, you may have less protection for your shareholder rights than you would under U.S. law.
Our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association as amended and restated from time to time, the BVI Business Company Act, 2004 (as amended) ("BVI Act") and the common law of the BVI. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under BVI law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the BVI. The common law of the BVI is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the BVI as well as that from English common law, which has persuasive, but not binding, authority on a court in the BVI. The rights of EZGO's shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under BVI law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the BVI has a different body of securities laws than the United States. In addition, some U.S. states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law than the BVI. There is no statutory recognition in the BVI of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of the BVI will in certain circumstances recognize and enforce a non-penal judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits. As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as shareholders of a U.S. public company.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 13
As a company incorporated in the BVI, we are relying on certain home country practices in relation to corporate governance matters that differ significantly from Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. These practices may afford less protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards.
As a business company incorporated in the BVI that is listed on Nasdaq, EZGO is subject to Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. However, Nasdaq rules permit a foreign private issuer like EZGO to follow the corporate governance practices of its home country. Certain corporate governance practices in the BVI, which is EZGO's home country, may differ significantly from Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards, including, but not limited to, board of directors independent requirements, director nomination procedures, compensation committee matters. EZGO is following its home country law instead of the Nasdaq listing rules that require EZGO to obtain shareholder approval for certain dilutive events, such as certain transactions other than a public offering involving issuances of a 20% or greater interest in the company, and acquisitions of the stock or assets of another company. As a result, EZGO's shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would enjoy under Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 14
The shareholders of the VIE may have potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.
The interests of the shareholders of the VIE in their capacities as such shareholders may differ from the interests of our company as a whole, as what is in the best interests of the VIE, including matters such as whether to distribute dividends or to make other distributions to fund our offshore requirement, may not be in the best interests of our company. There can be no assurance that when conflicts of interest arise, any or all of these shareholders will act in the best interests of our company or those conflicts of interest will be resolved in our favor. In addition, these shareholders may breach or cause the VIE and its subsidiaries to breach or refuse to renew the existing contractual arrangements with us.
Currently, we do not have arrangements to address potential conflicts of interest that the shareholders of the VIE may encounter, on one hand, and as a beneficial owner of our company, on the other hand. We, however, could, at all times, exercise our option under the exclusive option agreement to cause them to transfer all of their equity ownership in the VIE to a PRC entity or individual designated by us as permitted by the then applicable PRC laws. In addition, if such conflicts of interest arise, we could also, in the capacity of attorney-in-fact of the then existing shareholders of the VIE as provided under the power of attorney, directly appoint new directors of the VIE. We rely on the shareholders of the VIE to comply with PRC laws and regulations, which protect contracts and provide that directors and executive officers owe a duty of loyalty to our company and require them to avoid conflicts of interest and not to take advantage of their positions for personal gains, and the laws of the BVI, which provide those directors have a duty of care and a duty to act honestly in good faith with a view to our best interests. However, the legal frameworks of both China and BVI do not provide guidelines on resolving conflicts with other corporate governance regimes. If we cannot resolve any conflicts of interest or disputes between us and the shareholders of the VIE, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could result in the disruption of our business and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 15
Any failure by the VIE or its shareholders to perform their obligations under our contractual arrangements with them would have a material adverse effect on our business.
We, through our WFOE in the PRC, have entered into a series of contractual arrangements with the VIE and its shareholders. For a description of these contractual arrangements, see "Item 3. Key Infomation - Contractual Arrangements and Corporate Structure." If the VIE or its shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under these contractual arrangements, we may incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements. We may also have to rely on legal remedies under PRC laws, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, which we cannot assure you will be effective under PRC laws. For example, if the shareholders of the VIE were to refuse to transfer their equity interests in the VIE to us or our designee when we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, or if they were otherwise to act in bad faith toward us, then we may have to take legal actions to compel them to perform their contractual obligations.
All the agreements under our contractual arrangements are governed by PRC laws and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in China. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC laws and any disputes would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures. The legal system in the PRC is not as developed as in some other jurisdictions, such as the U.S. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. Meanwhile, there are very few precedents and formal guidelines as to how contractual arrangements in the context of a VIE should be interpreted or enforced under PRC laws. There remain significant uncertainties regarding the ultimate outcome of such arbitration should legal action become necessary. In addition, under PRC laws, rulings by arbitrators are final and parties cannot appeal arbitration results in court unless such rulings are revoked or determined unenforceable by a competent court. If the losing parties fail to carry out the arbitration awards within a prescribed time limit, the prevailing parties may only enforce the arbitration awards in PRC courts through arbitration award recognition proceedings, which would require additional expenses and delay. In the event that we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or if we encounter significant delay or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to enforce our rights to determine the most significant economic activities and receive the majority of the economic benefits of the VIE, most importantly, our ability to consolidate the financial statements of the VIE with the financial statements of our holding company, EZGO under U.S. GAAP, and relevant rights and licenses held by us which we require in order to operate our business, and our ability to conduct our business may be negatively affected. See "- Risks Related to Doing Business in China - Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to you and us."
The arbitration provisions under these contractual arrangements have no effect on the rights of EZGO's shareholders to pursue claims against us under the United States federal securities laws.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 16
You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through U.S. courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under BVI law.
EZGO is a company incorporated under the laws of the BVI. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts against our directors or officers.
Our corporate affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the BVI Act and the common law of the BVI. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under BVI law are governed by the BVI Act and the common law of the BVI. The common law of the BVI is derived from English common law, and while the decisions of the English courts are of persuasive authority, they are not binding on a court in the BVI. The rights of EZGO's shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under BVI law may not be as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the BVI has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and some states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. In addition, while statutory provisions do exist in BVI law for derivative actions to be brought in certain circumstances, shareholders in BVI companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States. The circumstances in which any such action may be brought, and the procedures and defenses that may be available with respect to any such action, may result in the rights of shareholders of a BVI company being more limited than those of shareholders of a company organized in the United States. Accordingly, shareholders may have fewer alternatives available to them if they believe that corporate wrongdoing has occurred.
The BVI courts are also unlikely:
- to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States based on certain civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws where that liability is in respect of penalties, taxes, fines or similar fiscal or revenue obligations of the company; and - to impose liabilities against us, in original actions brought in the BVI, based on certain civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws that are penal in nature.
There is no statutory recognition in the BVI of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of the BVI will in certain circumstances recognize such a foreign judgment and treat it as a cause of action in itself which may be sued upon as a debt at common law so that no retrial of the issues would be necessary provided that:
- the U.S. court issuing the judgment had jurisdiction in the matter and the company either submitted to such jurisdiction or was resident or carrying on business within such jurisdiction and was duly served with process;- The judgement is final and for a liquidated sum;- the judgment given by the U.S. court was not in respect of penalties, taxes, fines or similar fiscal or revenue obligations of the company;- in obtaining judgment there was no fraud on the part of the person in whose favor judgment was given or on the part of the U.S. court;- recognition or enforcement of the judgment would not be contrary to public policy in the BVI; and - the proceedings pursuant to which judgment was obtained were not contrary to natural justice.
As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by our board of directors, management or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a U.S. company.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 17
Provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our shares and could entrench management.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association contain provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that shareholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include a staggered board of directors and the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred shares, which may make the removal of management more difficult and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our shares.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 18
It may be difficult for overseas shareholders and/or regulators to conduct investigation or collect evidence within China.
Shareholder claims or regulatory investigation that are common in the United States generally are difficult to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to providing information needed for regulatory investigations or litigation initiated outside China. Although the authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities regulatory authorities of another country or region to implement cross-border supervision and administration, such cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the Unities States may not be efficient in the absence of mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. Furthermore, according to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law, or Article 177, which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC. While detailed interpretation of or implementation rules under Article 177 have yet to be promulgated, the inability for an overseas securities regulator to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within China may further increase difficulties faced by you in protecting your interests.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 19
Changed
EZGO's ordinary shares may be delisted under the HFCA Act if the PCAOB is unable to adequately inspect audit documentation located in China. The delisting of EZGO's ordinary shares, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect EZGO's ordinary shares. Additionally, the inability of the PCAOB to conduct adequate inspections deprives EZGO's shareholders with the benefits of such inspections. Furthermore, AHFCA Act amended the HFCA Act and requires the SEC to prohibit an issuer's securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three.
The HFCA Act was enacted on December 18, 2020. The HFCA Act states if the SEC determines that a company has filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspection by the PCAOB for three consecutive years beginning in 2021, the SEC shall prohibit such ordinary shares from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over the counter trading market in the U.S.
On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCA Act. A company will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies it as having a "non-inspection" year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. The SEC is assessing how to implement other requirements of the HFCA Act, including the listing and trading prohibition requirements described above. Furthermore, AHFCA Act amended the HFCA Act and requires the SEC to prohibit an issuer's securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three, and thus, would reduce the time before EZGO's securities may be prohibited from trading or delisted. On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB adopted a final rule implementing the HFCA Act, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the HFCA Act, whether the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction.
On December 2, 2021, the SEC adopted final amendments to its rules implementing the HFCA Act. Such final rules establish procedures that the SEC will follow in (i) determining whether a registrant is a "Commission-Identified Issuer" (a registrant identified by the SEC as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in that jurisdiction) and (ii) prohibiting the trading of an issuer that is a Commission-Identified Issuer for three consecutive years under the HFCA Act. The SEC began identifying Commission-Identified Issuers for the fiscal years beginning after December 18, 2020. A Commission-Identified Issuer is required to comply with the submission and disclosure requirements in the annual report for each year in which it was identified. If a registrant is identified as a Commission-Identified Issuer based on its annual report for the fiscal year ended, for example, September 30, 2021, the registrant will be required to comply with the submission or disclosure requirements in its annual report filing covering the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022. As of the date of this annual report, we have not been, and do not expect to be identified by the SEC under the HFCA Act.
On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued its determination report that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and in Hong Kong, because of positions taken by PRC authorities in those jurisdictions, and the PCAOB included in the report of its determination a list of the accounting firms that are headquartered in mainland China or Hong Kong. This report does not include our former auditors, MarcumAsia and Briggs & Veselka, or our current auditor, Wei Wei.
On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it had signed the Statement of Protocol with the CSRC and the MOF. The terms of the Statement of Protocol would grant the PCAOB complete access to audit work papers and other information so that it may inspect and investigate PCAOB-registered accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it has secured complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and voted to vacate the previous 2021 determination report to the contrary. As a result, we do not expect to be identified as a "Commission-Identified Issuer" under the HFCA Act for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022 after we file our annual report on Form 20-F for such fiscal year. However, whether the PCAOB will continue to conduct inspections and investigations completely to its satisfaction of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong is subject to uncertainty and depends on a number of factors out of our, and our auditor's control including positions taken by authorities of the PRC. The PCAOB is expected to continue to demand complete access to inspections and investigations against accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong in the future and states that it has already made plans to resume regular inspections in early 2023 and beyond. The PCAOB is required under the HFCA Act to make its determination on an annual basis with regards to its ability to inspect and investigate completely accounting firms based in the mainland China and Hong Kong. The possibility of being a "Commission-Identified Issuer" and risk of delisting could continue to adversely affect the trading price of our securities. Should the PCAOB again encounter impediments to inspections and investigations in mainland China or Hong Kong as a result of positions taken by any authority in either jurisdiction, the PCAOB will make determinations under the HFCA Act as and when appropriate.
Furthermore, various equity-based research organizations have recently published reports on China-based companies after examining their corporate governance practices, related party transactions, sales practices and financial statements, and these reports have led to special investigations and listing suspensions on U.S. national exchanges. Any similar scrutiny on us, regardless of its lack of merit, could cause the market price of EZGO's ordinary shares to fall, divert management resources and energy, cause us to incur expenses in defending ourselves against rumors, and increase the premiums we pay for director and officer insurance.
Our former auditor, MarcumAsia, an independent registered public accounting firm, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. MarcumAsia is headquartered in Manhattan, New York, and is subject to inspection by the PCAOB on a regular basis with the last inspection in 2020.
Our former auditor, Briggs & Veselka, the independent registered public accounting firm that issued one of the audit reports included in this annual report, an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and an U.S.-based accounting firm registered with the PCAOB, was subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. Briggs & Veselka was headquartered in Houston, Texas, and was subject to inspection by the PCAOB with the last inspection in 2019. Briggs & Veselka's withdrawal of its registration with the PCAOB became effective on May 24, 2022.
Our current auditor as of the date of this annual report, Wei Wei, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. Wei Wei is headquartered in Flushing, New York, and is subject to inspection by the PCAOB on a regular basis with the last inspection in February 2022.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the future, if there is any regulatory change or step taken by PRC regulators that does not permit our auditor to provide audit documentations located in China to the PCAOB for inspection or investigation, EZGO's shareholders may be deprived of the benefits of such inspection. Any audit reports not issued by auditors that are completely inspected by the PCAOB, or a lack of PCAOB inspections of audit work undertaken in China that prevents the PCAOB from regularly evaluating our auditors' audits and their quality control procedures, could result in a lack of assurance that our financial statements and disclosures are adequate and accurate, then such lack of inspection could cause EZGO's securities to be delisted from the stock exchange. The recent developments would add uncertainties to our offering pursuant to a prospectus and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us after considering the effectiveness of such auditor's audit procedures and quality control procedures, adequacy of personnel and training, or sufficiency of resources, geographic reach or experience as it relates to the audit of our financial statements.
The SEC may propose additional rules or guidance that could impact us if such auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspection. For example, on August 6, 2020, the President's Working Group on Financial Markets, or the PWG, issued, to the then President of the United States, the Report on Protecting United States Investors from Significant Risks from Chinese Companies. This report recommended the SEC implement five recommendations to address companies from jurisdictions that do not provide the PCAOB with sufficient access to fulfill its statutory mandate. Some of the concepts of these recommendations were implemented with the enactment of the HFCA Act. However, some of the recommendations were more stringent than the HFCA Act. For example, if a company's auditor was not subject to PCAOB inspection, the report recommended that the transition period before a company would be delisted would end on January 1, 2022.
The SEC has announced that the SEC staff is preparing a consolidated proposal for the rules regarding the implementation of the HFCA Act and to address the recommendations in the PWG report. It is unclear when the SEC will complete its rulemaking and when such rules will become effective and what, if any, of the PWG recommendations will be adopted. The implications of this possible regulation in addition to the requirements of the HFCA Act are uncertain. While we understand that there has been dialogue among the CSRC, the SEC and the PCAOB regarding the inspection of PCAOB-registered accounting firms in China, there can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with requirements imposed by U.S. regulators. Such uncertainty could cause the market price of EZGO's ordinary shares to be materially and adversely affected, and EZGO's securities could be delisted and prohibited from being traded on a national securities exchange earlier than would be required by the HFCA Act. If EZGO's securities are unable to be listed on another securities exchange by then, such a delisting would substantially impair the ability to sell or purchase EZGO's ordinary shares when desired, and the risk and uncertainty associated with a potential delisting would have a negative impact on the price of EZGO's ordinary shares.
Should the PCAOB be unable to fully conduct inspections in China, which prevents it from fully evaluating the audits and quality control procedures of our independent registered public accounting firm, we, EZGO's shareholders and potential investors in EZGO's securities may be deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections. Any inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China could make it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our independent registered public accounting firm's audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject to the PCAOB inspections, which could cause EZGO's shareholders and potential investors in our shares to lose confidence in our audit procedures and reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements, which could materially and adversely affect the value of in its securities. Further, new laws and regulations or changes in laws and regulations in both the United States and China could affect our ability to list EZGO's ordinary shares on Nasdaq, which could materially impair the market for and market price of its ordinary shares.
Accounting & Financial Operations6 | 7.4%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
Changed
If our internal control over financial reporting or our disclosure controls and procedures are not effective, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results, prevent fraud or file our periodic reports in a timely manner, which may cause EZGO's shareholders and potential investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information and may lead to a decline in the value of EZGO's securities.
As a publicly traded company, we are required to comply with the SEC's rules implementing Sections 302 and 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which require that we maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures. In particular, we must perform system and process evaluation, document our controls and perform testing of our key controls over financial reporting to allow management and, once we are no longer an "emerging growth company," our independent registered public accounting firm to report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. In connection with the preparation of our financial statements for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2021, 2022 and 2023, we identified material weaknesses and other control deficiencies including significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are not able to comply with the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner, or if we or our independent registered public accounting firm identify deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses, the value of EZGO's securities would likely decline, and we could be subject to lawsuits, sanctions or investigations by regulatory authorities, which would require additional financial and management resources.
Implementing the appropriate changes to our internal controls may distract our senior management and employees, result in substantial costs to implement new processes or modify our existing processes and require significant time to complete. Any difficulties or delays in implementing the system could impact our ability to timely report our financial results. In addition, we currently rely on a manual process in some areas which increases our exposure to human error or intervention in reporting our financial results. For these reasons, we may encounter difficulties in the timely and accurate reporting of our financial results, which would impact our ability to provide EZGO's shareholders and potential investors with information in a timely manner. As a result, EZGO's shareholders and potential investors could lose confidence in our reported consolidated financial information, and the value of EZGO's securities could decline.
In addition, any such changes do not guarantee that we will be effective in maintaining the adequacy of our internal controls, and any failure to maintain that adequacy could prevent us from accurately reporting our financial results.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we fail to develop and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud.
In connection with the preparation of our financial statements for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2021, 2022 and 2023, we have identified material weaknesses and other control deficiencies including significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting. As defined in the standards established by the PCAOB, a "material weakness" is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
As of and for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, one material weakness that has been identified related to our lack of sufficient financial reporting and accounting personnel with appropriate knowledge of U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting requirements to properly address complex U.S. GAAP accounting issues and to prepare and review our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures to fulfill U.S. GAAP and SEC financial reporting requirements. The other material weakness that has been identified related to our lack of key monitoring mechanisms such as internal control department to oversee and monitor Company's risk management, business strategies and financial reporting procedures.
We have already taken some steps and have continued to implement measures to remediate the material weakness identified, including but not limited to (a) continuing our efforts to set up the internal audit department, and enhance the effectiveness of the internal control system; and (b) pertaining to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; and (c) implementing regular and continuous U.S. GAAP accounting and financial reporting training programs for our accounting and financial reporting personnel. For details on these initiatives, please see "Item 15. Controls and Procedures - (b) Internal Control Over Financial Reporting."
Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we are required to file a report by our management on our internal control over financial reporting, including an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm. However, while we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to include an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm.
We cannot be certain that these measures will successfully remediate the material weakness or that other material weaknesses will not be discovered in the future. If we fail to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment, it could result material misstatements in our financial statements and we could fail to meet our reporting obligations, which would likely cause EZGO's shareholders and potential investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information. This could in turn limit our access to capital markets, harm our results of operations, and lead to a decline in the trading price of EZGO's ordinary shares. Additionally, ineffective internal control over financial reporting could expose us to increased risk of fraud or misuse of corporate assets and subject us to potential delisting from the stock exchange on which we list, regulatory investigations and civil or criminal sanctions. We may also be required to restate our financial statements from prior periods.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3
We are an early-stage company of e-bicycle products and charging piles with a limited operating history. Our limited operating history in the industry may not provide an adequate basis to judge our future prospects and results of operations for this segment, and may increase the risk of your investment.
We launched our business in 2014 and started focusing on the current business of e-bicycle products and charging piles in August 2019. Our limited history may not provide a meaningful basis for EZGO's shareholders and potential investors to evaluate our business, financial performance and prospects of our business. Potential customers may not be familiar with our market and may have difficulty distinguishing our products and services from those of our competitors. Convincing potential new customers of the value of our products and services is critical to increasing the volume of sales facilitated through our website and to the success of our business. If we fail to educate potential customers about the value of our products and services, if the market for our services does not develop as we expect, or if we fail to address the needs of our target market in China or elsewhere, our business and results of operations will be harmed.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 4
We may incur losses in the future.
We had net loss of approximately $3.41 million, $7.47 million and $7.26 million for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2021, 2022 and 2023. We anticipate that our operating expenses (such as sale expense, marketing expense and research and development expense), together with general administrative expenses of a growing public company, will increase proportionally in the foreseeable future as we seek to maintain and continue to grow our business, attract potential customers and further enhance our product offering. These efforts may prove more expensive than we currently anticipate, and we may not succeed in increasing our revenue sufficiently to offset these higher expenses. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, we may incur net losses in the future and may be unable to achieve or maintain profitability on an interim or annual basis for the foreseeable future.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 5
Because we do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future, you must rely on price appreciation of EZGO's ordinary shares for return on your investment.
We currently retain all of our available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, we do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Therefore, you should not rely on an investment in EZGO's ordinary shares as a source for any future dividend income.
Our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends. Even if our board of directors decides to declare and pay dividends, the timing, amount and form of future dividends, if any, will depend on, among other things, our future results of operations and cash flow, our capital requirements and surplus, the amount of distributions, if any, received by us from our subsidiaries, our financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. Accordingly, the return on your investment in EZGO's ordinary shares will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of EZGO's ordinary shares. There is no guarantee that EZGO's ordinary shares will appreciate in value in the future or even maintain the price at which you purchased EZGO's ordinary shares. You may not realize a return on your investment in EZGO's ordinary shares and you may even lose your entire investment.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 6
We may lose the ability to use and enjoy assets held by the VIE that are material to the operation of our business if the entity goes bankrupt or becomes subject to a dissolution or liquidation proceeding.
The VIE holds substantially all of our assets. Under the contractual arrangements, the VIE and its shareholders may not cause it to, in any manner, sell, transfer, mortgage or dispose of its assets or its legal or beneficial interests in the business without our prior consent. However, in the event that the shareholders of the VIE breach these contractual arrangements and voluntarily liquidate the VIE, or the VIE declares bankruptcy and all or part of its assets become subject to liens or rights of third-party creditors, or are otherwise disposed of without our consent, we may be unable to continue some or all of our business activities, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If the VIE undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, independent third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of these assets, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Debt & Financing2 | 2.5%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
Changed
We may need additional capital and may sell additional ordinary shares or other equity securities or incur indebtedness, which could result in additional dilution to EZGO's shareholders or increase our debt service obligations.
We may require additional cash resources due to changed business conditions or other future developments, including any investments or acquisitions we may decide to pursue. If our cash resources are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity or debt securities or obtain a credit facility. The sale of additional equity securities or equity-linked debt securities could result in additional dilution to EZGO's shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations. We cannot assure you that financing will be available in amounts or terms acceptable to us, if at all.
Debt & Financing - Risk 2
Restrictive covenants related to our previous registered direct offering may restrict our ability to obtain future financing.
Under the securities purchase agreement with certain accredited investors (the "previous registered direct offering investors") in connection with the previous registered direct offering, we are prohibited from entering into any Variable Rate Transaction (defined below) until such date that no warrants in connection with the previous registered direct offering remain outstanding. "Variable Rate Transaction" means a transaction in which the company (i) issues or sells any debt or equity securities that are convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or include the right to receive additional ordinary shares either (A) at a conversion price, exercise price or exchange rate or other price that is based upon and/or varies with the trading prices of or quotations for the ordinary shares at any time after the initial issuance of such debt or equity securities, or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange price that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial issuance of such debt or equity security or upon the occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly related to the business of the company or the market for the ordinary shares or (ii) enters into, or effects a transaction under, any agreement, including, but not limited to, an equity line of credit, whereby the company may issue securities at a future determined price.
In addition, we granted the previous registered direct offering investors a 30% right of participation (on a pro-rata basis) with respect to any debt or equity linked financings undertaken by us for one year following the closing of the previous registered direct offering. These participation rights could severely impact our ability to engage investment bankers to structure a financing transaction and raise additional financing on favorable terms. Furthermore, negotiating and obtaining a waiver to these participation rights may either not be possible or may be costly to us.
Corporate Activity and Growth2 | 2.5%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
If we are unable to manage our growth or execute our strategies effectively, our business and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.
To accommodate our growth, we anticipate that we will need to implement a variety of new and upgraded operational and financial systems, procedures, and controls, including the improvement of our accounting and other internal management systems. We will also need to continue to expand, train, manage and motivate our workforce and manage our relationships with customers and third-party suppliers. All of these endeavors involve risks, and will require substantial management effort and significant additional expenditures. We may not be able to manage our growth or execute our strategies effectively, and any failure to do so may have a material adverse effect on our business and prospects.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2
As an "emerging growth company" under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or JOBS Act, we are permitted to, and relying on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements.
As an "emerging growth company" under the JOBS Act, we are permitted to, and relying on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements. We are an emerging growth company until the earliest of:
- the last day of the fiscal year during which we have total annual gross revenues of $1.235 billion or more;- the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of our initial public offering;- the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt; or - the date on which we are deemed a "large accelerated issuer" as defined under the federal securities laws.
For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to public companies that are not "emerging growth companies" including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for up to five fiscal years after the date of our initial public offering. We cannot predict if investors will find EZGO's ordinary shares less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find EZGO's ordinary shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for EZGO's ordinary shares and the trading price of EZGO's ordinary shares may be more volatile. In addition, our costs of operating as a public company may increase when we cease to be an emerging growth company.
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 24/81 (30%)Above Sector Average
Regulation16 | 19.8%
Regulation - Risk 1
We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties, and changes in PRC regulation of internet retailers.
The PRC government extensively regulates the Internet industry, including foreign ownership of, and the licensing and permit requirements pertaining to, companies in the Internet industry. These internet-related laws and regulations are relatively new and evolving, and their interpretation and enforcement involve significant uncertainties. As a result, in certain circumstances it may be difficult to determine what actions or omissions may be deemed to be in violation of applicable laws and regulations. Issues, risks, and uncertainties relating to PRC government regulation of the Internet industry include, but are not limited to, the following:
- The online commerce industry in China is still in an early-stage of development and the PRC laws applicable to the industry are still evolving. Due to the lack of clarity under the existing PRC regulatory regime, we may be required to comply with additional legal and licensing requirements. For example, we are providing mobile applications to mobile device users and we are in the process of applying for the valued-added telecommunications business operating license for electronic data interchange business, or the EDI License. It is uncertain if our PRC subsidiaries will be required to obtain a separate valued-added telecommunications business operating license for Internet content provision, or the ICP License in addition to the EDI License. Although we believe that we are not required to obtain such separate license which is in line with the current market practice, there can be no assurance that we will not be required to apply for an operating license for our mobile applications in the future.
- The evolving PRC regulatory system for the Internet industry may lead to the establishment of new regulatory agencies. For example, in May 2011, the State Council announced the establishment of a new department, the State Internet Information Office (with the involvement of the State Council Information Office, the MIIT, and the Ministry of Public Security). The primary role of this new agency is to facilitate the policy-making and legislative development in this field to direct and coordinate with the relevant departments in connection with online content administration and to deal with cross-ministry regulatory matters in relation to the Internet industry.
- New laws and regulations may be promulgated that will regulate internet activities, including online retail. If these new laws and regulations are promulgated, additional licenses may be required for EZGO's operations. If EZGO's operations do not comply with these new regulations at the time they become effective, or if EZGO fails to obtain any licenses required under these new laws and regulations, it could be subject to penalties.
The interpretation and application of existing PRC laws, regulations and policies and possible new laws, regulations or policies relating to the internet industry have created substantial uncertainties regarding the legality of existing and future foreign investments in, and the businesses and activities of, internet businesses in China, including EZGO's business through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China. We cannot assure you that the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries have obtained all the permits or licenses required for conducting our business in China or will be able to maintain existing licenses or obtain new ones.
Regulation - Risk 2
The PRC government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which EZGO conducts its business activities through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China. The PRC government may also intervene or influence EZGO's operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China at any time, which could result in a material change in its operations and its ordinary shares could decline in value or become worthless.
Based on the advice of our PRC counsel, DeHeng Law Offices (Shenzhen), that we are currently not required to obtain approval from Chinese authorities for listing on U.S exchanges, nor the execution of the VIE Agreements. However, if the VIE or the holding company were required to obtain approval in the future and were denied permission from Chinese authorities for listing on U.S. or other foreign exchanges, EZGO will not be able to continue listing on a U.S. or other foreign exchange, continue to offer its securities to investors, or materially affect the interest of investors and cause significantly depreciation of the price of its ordinary shares.
The Chinese government has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. Our ability to operate in China may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, environmental regulations, land use rights, property, and other matters. The central or local governments of these jurisdictions may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our part to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations. Accordingly, government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally planned economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant effect on economic conditions in China or particular regions thereof, and could require EZGO to divest ourselves of any interest it then holds in its operations in China. Accordingly, the Chinese government may intervene or influence EZGO's operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China at any time, which could result in a material change in its operations and/or the value of the securities EZGO has registered.
For example, the Chinese cybersecurity regulator announced on July 2, 2021, that it had begun an investigation of Didi Global Inc. (NYSE: DIDI) and two days later ordered that the company's app be removed from smartphone app stores. Similarly, EZGO's business segments may be subject to various government and regulatory interference in the regions in which it operates through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China. We could be subject to regulation by various political and regulatory entities, including various local and municipal agencies and government sub-divisions. We may incur increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply.
Furthermore, it is uncertain when and whether we will be required to obtain permission from the PRC government for listing on U.S. or other foreign exchanges, or enter into VIE Agreements in the future, and even when such permission is obtained, whether it will be denied or rescinded. Although, in the opinion of our PRC legal counsel, DeHeng Law Offices (Shenzhen), we are currently not required to obtain permission from any of the PRC central or local government and has not received any denial for listing on the U.S. or other foreign exchange or enter into VIE Agreements, EZGO's operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, by existing or future laws and regulations relating to its business or industry. Recent statements by the Chinese government indicating an intent, and the PRC government may take actions to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, which could significantly limit or completely hinder EZGO's ability to offer or continue to offer its securities to investors and cause the value of its securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
Regulation - Risk 3
Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to you and us.
Our PRC subsidiaries are subject to various PRC laws and regulations generally applicable to companies in China. The PRC legal system is based on written statutes. Unlike common law systems, it is a system in which legal cases have limited value as precedents. In the late 1970s, the PRC government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws and regulations governing economic matters in general. The overall effect of legislation over the past four decades has significantly increased the protections afforded to various forms of foreign or private-sector investment in China.
As relevant laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involve uncertainties.
From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published in a timely manner or at all) that may have retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such uncertainties, including uncertainty over the scope and effect of our contractual, property (including intellectual property) and procedural rights, and any failure to respond to changes in the regulatory environment in China could materially and adversely affect EZGO's business through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China and impede its ability to continue its operations.
Recently, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the "Opinions on Severely Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities According to Law," or the Opinions, which was made available to the public on July 6, 2021. The Opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities, and the need to strengthen the supervision over overseas listings by Chinese companies. Effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems will be taken to deal with the risks and incidents of China-concept overseas listed companies, and cybersecurity and data privacy protection requirements and similar matters. The Opinions remain unclear on how the law will be interpreted, amended, and implemented by the relevant PRC governmental authorities, but the Opinions and any related implementing rules to be enacted may subject us to compliance requirements in the future.
On December 28, 2021, the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021 version) was promulgated and will become effective on February 15, 2022, which iterates that any "online platform operators" controlling personal information of more than one million users which seeks to list in a foreign stock exchange should also be subject to cybersecurity review. We do not believe EZGO's operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China would be considered an "operator of critical information infrastructure" or "data processor" as mentioned above, however, the revised draft of the Measures for Cybersecurity Review is in the process of being formulated and the Opinions remain unclear on how it will be interpreted, amended, and implemented by the relevant PRC governmental authorities. Thus, it is still uncertain how PRC governmental authorities will regulate overseas listing in general and whether we are required to obtain any specific regulatory approvals. Furthermore, if the CSRC or other regulatory agencies later promulgate new rules or explanations requiring that EZGO obtains their approvals for any follow-on offering, EZGO may be unable to obtain such approvals which could significantly limit or completely hinder its ability to offer or continue to offer its securities to its investors.
On February 17, 2023, the CSRC issued the Overseas Listing Regulations. The Overseas Listing Regulations are applicable to overseas securities offerings and/or listings conducted by issuers who are (i) PRC domestic companies and (ii) companies incorporated overseas with substantial operations in the PRC. The Overseas Listing Regulations stipulate that such issuer shall fulfill the filing procedures within three working days after it makes an application for initial public offering and listing in an overseas stock market. The Overseas Listing Regulations may subject us to additional compliance requirements in the future, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to get the clearance of filing procedures under the Overseas Listing Regulations on a timely basis, or at all. Any failure of us to fully comply with new regulatory requirements may significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer our securities, cause significant disruption to our business operations, and severely damage our reputation, which would materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations and cause our securities to significantly decline in value or become worthless.
Furthermore, the PRC government authorities may strengthen oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers like us. Such actions taken by the PRC government authorities may intervene or influence EZGO's operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China at any time, which are beyond its control. Therefore, any such action may adversely affect EZGO's operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China and significantly limit or hinder its ability to offer or continue to offer its securities to investors and reduce the value of such securities.
Uncertainties regarding the enforcement of laws and the fact that rules and regulations in China can change quickly with little advance notice, along with the risk that the Chinese government may intervene or influence EZGO's operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China at any time, or may exert more control over offerings conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers could result in a material change in its operations, financial performance and/or the value of EZGO's ordinary shares or impair its ability to raise money.
Regulation - Risk 4
Changed
The CSRC issued the Overseas Listing Regulations for China-based companies seeking to offer its securities in foreign markets. The Chinese government may exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and foreign investment in China-based issuers, which could significantly limit or completely hinder EZGO's ability to continue to offer its ordinary shares to investors and could cause the value of its securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
On February 17, 2023, the CSRC issued the Overseas Listing Regulations, which became effective on March 31, 2023. The Overseas Listing Regulations lay out the filing regulation arrangement for both direct and indirect overseas listing, and clarify the determination criteria for indirect overseas listing in overseas markets.
The Overseas Listing Regulations are applicable to overseas securities offerings and/or listings conducted by issuers who are (i) PRC domestic companies and (ii) companies incorporated overseas with substantial operations in the PRC. The Overseas Listing Regulations stipulate that such issuer shall fulfill the filing procedures within three working days after it makes an application for initial public offering and listing in an overseas stock market. Among other things, if an overseas listed issuer intends to effect any follow-on offering in an overseas stock market, it should, through its major operating entity incorporated in the PRC, submit filing materials to the CSRC within three working days after the completion of the offering. The required filing materials shall include, but not be limited to, (1) filing report and relevant commitment letter and (2) domestic legal opinions.
In addition, an overseas offering and listing is prohibited under any of the following circumstances: (1) that the intended securities offering and listing is specifically prohibited by national laws and regulations and relevant provisions; (2) that the intended securities offering and listing may constitute a threat to or endangers national security as reviewed and determined by competent authorities under the State Council in accordance with law; (3) that, in the past three years, the domestic enterprise or its controlling shareholders or actual controllers have committed corruption, bribery, embezzlement, misappropriation of property, or other criminal offenses disruptive to the order of the socialist market economy; (4) that the domestic enterprise is currently under judicial investigation for suspicion of criminal offenses or is under investigation for suspicion of major violations, and there are no clear conclusions yet; and (5) that there are material ownership disputes over the equity of the domestic enterprise held by the controlling shareholder, a shareholder controlled by the controlling shareholder or the actual controller. The Overseas Listing Regulations stipulate the legal consequences for breaches, including failure to fulfill filing obligations or engaging in fraudulent filing behavior, which may result in a fine ranging from RMB1 million to RMB10 million, and in cases of severe violations, the relevant responsible persons may also be barred from entering the securities market.
The Overseas Listing Regulations may subject us to additional compliance requirements in the future, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to get the clearance of filing procedures under the Overseas Listing Regulations on a timely basis, or at all. We believe that none of the situations that would clearly prohibit overseas offering and listing applies to us. In reaching this conclusion, based on the advice of our PRC counsel, DeHeng Law Offices (Shenzhen), that there is uncertainty inherent in relying on an opinion of counsel in connection with whether we are required to obtain permissions from the Chinese government that is required to approve of EZGO's operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China and/or offering. Any failure of EZGO to fully comply with new regulatory requirements may significantly limit or completely hinder EZGO's ability to continue to offer its securities to investors, cause significant disruption to its business operations, and severely damage its reputation, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations and cause its securities, including the securities EZGO has registered for sale in a prospectus, to significantly decline in value or become worthless.
Regulation - Risk 5
U.S. regulatory bodies may be limited in their ability to conduct investigations or inspections of EZGO's operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China.
Any disclosure of documents or information located in China by foreign agencies may be subject to jurisdiction constraints and must comply with China's state secrecy laws, which broadly define the scope of "state secrets" to include matters involving economic interests and technologies. There is no guarantee that requests from U.S. federal or state regulators or agencies to investigate or inspect EZGO's operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China will be honored by us, by entities who provide services to us or with whom we associate, without violating PRC legal requirements, especially as those entities are located in China. Furthermore, under the current PRC laws, an on-site inspection of our facilities by any of these regulators may be limited or prohibited.
Regulation - Risk 6
The M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.
The M&A Rules discussed in the preceding risk factor and related regulations and rules concerning mergers and acquisitions established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex. For example, the M&A Rules require that MOFCOM be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise, if (i) any important industry is concerned, (ii) such transaction involves factors that have or may have impact on the national economic security, or (iii) such transaction will lead to a change in control of a domestic enterprise which holds a famous trademark or PRC time-honored brand, (iv) or in circumstances where overseas companies established or controlled by PRC enterprises or residents acquire affiliated domestic companies. Mergers, acquisitions or contractual arrangements that allow one market player to take control of or to exert decisive impact on another market player must also be notified in advance to the MOFCOM when the threshold under the Provisions on Thresholds for Prior Notification of Concentrations of Undertakings, or the Prior Notification Rules, issued by the State Council in August 2008 is triggered.
We have relied on the opinion of our PRC counsel, DeHeng Law Offices (Shenzhen), that we do not need to obtain prior approval from the CSRC pursuant to the M&A Rules. However, uncertainties still exist as to how the M&A Rules will be interpreted and implemented, and we may subject to any new laws, rules, and regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations in any form relating to the M&A Rules. If the CSRC or other PRC regulatory body subsequently determines that we need to obtain the CSRC's approval for any future offering or if the CSRC or any other PRC government authorities promulgates any interpretation or implements rules before our listing that would require us to obtain CSRC or other governmental approvals for any future offering, we may face adverse actions or sanctions by the CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies. In any such event, these regulatory agencies may impose fines and penalties on EZGO's operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China, limit its operating privileges in China, delay or restrict the repatriation of the proceeds from any future offering into the PRC or take other actions that could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations, reputation and prospects, as well as its ability to complete any future offering. The CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies may also take actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, to halt any future offering before settlement and delivery. Consequently, if you engage in market trading or other activities in anticipation of and prior to settlement and delivery, you do so at the risk that such settlement and delivery may not occur.
In addition, the security review rules issued by the MOFCOM that became effective in September 2011 specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors that raise "national defense and security" concerns and mergers and acquisitions through which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise "national security" concerns are subject to strict review by the MOFCOM, and the rules prohibit any activities attempting to bypass a security review, including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement. Furthermore, according to the security review, foreign investments that would result in acquiring the actual control of assets in certain key sectors, such as critical agricultural products, energy and resources, equipment manufacturing, infrastructure, transport, cultural products and services, information technology, Internet products and services, financial services, and technology sectors, are required to obtain approval from designated governmental authorities in advance.
In the future, EZGO may grow its business by acquiring complementary businesses. Complying with the requirements of the above-mentioned regulations and other relevant rules to complete such transactions could be time-consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval from the MOFCOM or its local counterparts may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions. It is unclear whether EZGO's business operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China would be deemed to be in an industry that raises "national defense and security" or "national security" concerns. However, the MOFCOM or other government agencies may publish explanations in the future determining that EZGO's business through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China is in an industry subject to the security review, in which case our future acquisitions in the PRC, including those by way of entering into contractual control arrangements with target entities, may be closely scrutinized or prohibited. EZGO's ability to expand its business or maintain or expand its market share through future acquisitions would as such be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, according to the M&A Rules, if a PRC entity or individual plans to merge or acquire its related PRC entity through an overseas company legitimately incorporated or controlled by such entity or individual, such a merger and acquisition will be subject to examination and approval by the MOFCOM. There is a possibility that the PRC regulators may promulgate new rules or explanations requiring that we obtain the approval of the MOFCOM or other PRC governmental authorities for our completed or ongoing mergers and acquisitions. There is no assurance that, if we plan to make an acquisition, we can obtain such approval from the MOFCOM or any other relevant PRC governmental authorities for our mergers and acquisitions, and if we fail to obtain those approvals, we may be required to suspend our acquisition and be subject to penalties. Any uncertainties regarding such approval requirements could have a material adverse effect on EZGO's business, results of operations and corporate structure.
In addition, on July 6, 2021, the relevant PRC government authorities made public the Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities in Accordance with the Law. These opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas listings by China-based companies and proposed to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems to deal with the risks and incidents faced by China-based overseas-listed companies. As these opinions were recently issued, official guidance and related implementation rules have not been issued yet and the interpretation of these opinions remains unclear at this stage. If the CSRC or other regulatory agencies later promulgate new rules or explanations requiring that EZGO obtains their approvals for any future follow-on offering, EZGO may be unable to obtain such approvals which could significantly limit or completely hinder its ability to offer or continue to offer its securities to its investors outside China.
Regulation - Risk 7
Changed
Operating as a publicly traded company in the United States subjects us to additional rules and regulations, require us to incur substantial costs and require substantial management attention. In addition, our management team has limited experience managing a public company.
As a publicly traded company in the United States, we incur substantial legal, accounting, director and officer insurance and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. For example, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), the applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and the rules and regulations of the SEC. The Nasdaq listing requirements, as well as other applicable securities rules and regulations, also apply to us. We need to establish and maintain effective disclosure and financial controls and make changes to our corporate governance practices. Compliance with these requirements will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time consuming.
Most of our management and other personnel have little experience managing a public company and preparing public filings. In addition, we expect that our management and other personnel will need to divert attention from other business matters to devote substantial time to the reporting and other requirements of being a public company. In particular, we expect to incur significant expense and devote substantial management effort to complying with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We may need to hire additional accounting and financial staff with appropriate public company experience and technical accounting knowledge.
In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management's time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us and our business may be adversely affected.
These new rules and regulations may make it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and in the future, we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee, compensation committee, and nominating and corporate governance committee, and qualified senior management.
By disclosing information in this annual report and in filings required of a public company, our business and financial condition become visible, which we believe may result in threatened or actual litigation, including by competitors and other third parties. If those claims are successful, our business could be seriously harmed. Even if the claims do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, the time and resources needed to resolve them could divert our management's resources and seriously harm our business.
Regulation - Risk 8
Our PRC subsidiaries are subject to restrictions on paying dividends or making other payments to us, which may restrict our ability to satisfy our liquidity requirements, and any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to make remittance to pay dividends to us could limit our ability to access cash generated by the operations of those entities.
EZGO is a company incorporated in the BVI structured as a holding company. EZGO may need dividends and other distributions on equity from our PRC subsidiaries to satisfy EZGO's liquidity requirements. Current PRC regulations permit our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to EZGO only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, EZGO's PRC subsidiaries are required to set aside at least 10% of their respective accumulated profits each year, if any, to fund certain reserve funds until the total amount set aside reaches 50% of their respective registered capital. EZGO's PRC subsidiaries may also allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to employee welfare and bonus funds at their discretion. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends. Furthermore, if our PRC subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other payments to us. Any limitation on the ability of EZGO's subsidiaries to distribute dividends or to make payments to it may restrict EZGO's ability to satisfy its liquidity requirements.
In addition, the EIT Law, and its implementation rules provide that a withholding tax rate of up to 10% will be applicable to dividends payable by Chinese companies to non-PRC-resident enterprises unless otherwise exempted or reduced according to treaties or arrangements between the PRC central government and governments of other countries or regions where the non-PRC-resident enterprises are incorporated.
Regulation - Risk 9
We are a foreign private issuer and, as a result, will not be subject to U.S. proxy rules and will be subject to more lenient and less frequent Exchange Act reporting obligations than a U.S. issuer.
Because we qualify as a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act, we are exempted from certain provisions of the Exchange Act that are applicable to U.S. public companies, including:
- the sections of the Exchange Act that regulate the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act;- the sections of the Exchange Act that require insiders to file public reports of their stock ownership and trading activities and impose liability on insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and - the rules under the Exchange Act that require the filing of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q containing unaudited financial and other specified information and current reports on Form 8-K upon the occurrence of specified significant events.
In addition, foreign private issuers are not required to file their annual report on Form 20-F until 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, while U.S. domestic issuers that are not large accelerated filers or accelerated filers are required to file their annual report on Form 10-K within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year. Foreign private issuers are also exempt from Regulation FD, aimed at preventing issuers from making selective disclosures of material information. As a result, you may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are not foreign private issuers.
Regulation - Risk 10
Our current corporate structure and business operations may be affected by the newly enacted Foreign Investment Law which does not explicitly classify whether a VIE that is controlled through contractual arrangements would be deemed as foreign-invested enterprises if it is ultimately "controlled" by foreign investors.
On March 15, 2019, the National People's Congress, China's national legislative body, approved the Foreign Investment Law, which took effect on January 1, 2020. Since it is relatively new, uncertainties exist in relation to its interpretation. The Foreign Investment Law does not explicitly classify whether variable interest entities that are controlled through contractual arrangements would be deemed as foreign-invested enterprises if they are ultimately "controlled" by foreign investors. However, it has a catch-all provision under definition of "foreign investment" that includes investments made by foreign investors in China through other means as provided by laws, administrative regulations, or the State Council. Therefore, it still leaves leeway for future laws, administrative regulations, or provisions of the State Council to provide for contractual arrangements being viewed as a form of foreign investment. Therefore, there can be no assurance that our control over the VIE through contractual arrangements will not be deemed as foreign investment in the future.
The Foreign Investment Law grants national treatment to foreign-invested entities, except for those foreign-invested entities that operate in industries specified as either "restricted" or "prohibited" from foreign investment in a "negative list" that is yet to be published. It is unclear whether the "negative list" to be published will differ from the current Special Administrative Measures for Market Access of Foreign Investment (Negative List). The Foreign Investment Law provides that foreign-invested entities operating in "restricted" or "prohibited" industries will require market entry clearance and other approvals from relevant PRC government authorities. If our control over the VIE through contractual arrangements are deemed as foreign investment in the future, and any business of the VIE is "restricted" or "prohibited" from foreign investment under the "negative list" effective at the time, we may be deemed to be in violation of the Foreign Investment Law, the contractual arrangements that allow us to have control over the VIE may be deemed as invalid and illegal, and we may be required to unwind such contractual arrangements and/or restructure our business operations, any of which may have a material adverse effect on our business operation.
Furthermore, if future laws, administrative regulations, or provisions mandate further actions to be taken by companies with respect to existing contractual arrangements, we may face substantial uncertainties as to whether we can complete such actions in a timely manner, or at all. Failure to take timely and appropriate measures to cope with any of these or similar regulatory compliance challenges could materially and adversely affect our current corporate structure and business operations.
Regulation - Risk 11
If the PRC government deems that the contractual arrangements in relation to the VIE do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries or other PRC regulations, or if these regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future, the securities EZGO has registered may decline in value or become worthless if the determinations, changes, or interpretations result in its inability to assert contractual rights over the assets of its PRC subsidiaries or the VIE that conducts a substantial part of EZGO's operations.
Because EZGO is a business company incorporated in the BVI, it is classified as a foreign enterprise under PRC laws and regulations, and EZGO's WFOE in the PRC is a foreign-invested enterprise ("FIE"). Changzhou EZGO has entered into a series of contractual arrangements with the VIE and its shareholders, which enable us to (i) have rights of determination over the most significant economic activities of the VIE, (ii) receive the majority of the economic benefits of the VIE, most importantly, the ability to consolidate the financial statements of the VIE with the financial statements of EZGO under U.S. GAAP, of which we are a primary beneficiary of the VIE for accounting purposes, and (iii) have an exclusive option to purchase all or part of the equity interests and assets in the VIE when and to the extent permitted by PRC law. As a result of these contractual arrangements, we have the contractual rights to determine the most significant economic activities, receive the majority of the economic benefits and are the primary beneficiary of the VIE and hence consolidate its financial results as the VIE under U.S. GAAP. For a description of these contractual arrangements, see "Item 3. Key Information-Contractual Arrangements and Corporate Structure-Contractual Arrangements with the VIE and Its Shareholders."
We believe that our corporate structure and contractual arrangements comply with the current applicable PRC laws and regulations. Based on the advice of our PRC counsel, DeHeng Law Offices (Shenzhen), that based on its understanding of the relevant laws and regulations, each of the contracts among our wholly-owned PRC subsidiary, Changzhou EZGO, the VIE and its shareholders is valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms. However, there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations, including the M&A Rules and the relevant regulatory measures concerning the telecommunications industry. There can be no assurance that the PRC government authorities, such as MOFCOM or MIIT, or other authorities that regulate online services providers and other participants in the telecommunications industry, would agree that our corporate structure or any of the above contractual arrangements comply with PRC licensing, registration or other regulatory requirements, with existing policies or with requirements or policies that may be adopted in the future. PRC laws and regulations governing the validity of these contractual arrangements are uncertain and the relevant government authorities have broad discretion in interpreting these laws and regulations.
If our corporate structure and contractual arrangements are deemed by the MIIT, the MOFCOM or other regulators that have competent authority, to be illegal, either in whole or in part, we may lose our rights to determine the most significant economic activities and the majority of the economic benefits of the VIE, most importantly, the ability to consolidate the financial statements of the VIE with the financial statements of our holding company, EZGO under U.S. GAPP, for which we are a primary beneficiary of the VIE, and have to modify such structure to comply with regulatory requirements. However, there can be no assurance that we can achieve this without material disruption to EZGO's business primarily through the VIE and its subsidiaries in China. Further, if our corporate structure and contractual arrangements are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, the relevant regulatory authorities would have broad discretion in dealing with such violations, including:
- revoking our business and operating licenses;- levying fines on us;- confiscating any of our income that they deem to be obtained through illegal operations;- shutting down our services;- discontinuing or restricting EZGO's operations in China;- imposing conditions or requirements with which we may not be able to comply;- requiring us to change our corporate structure and contractual arrangements;- restricting or prohibiting our use of the proceeds from overseas offering to finance the VIE's business and operations; and - taking other regulatory or enforcement actions that could be harmful to our business.
The PRC government has broad discretion in determining rectifiable or punitive measures for non-compliance with or violations of PRC laws and regulations. The PRC government could disallow the variable interest entity structure, which would likely result in a material change in EZGO's operations primarily through the VIE and its subsidiaries in China and/or value of its securities, including that it could cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless. The VIE agreements have never been tested in a court of law in China. If the PRC government deems that our contractual arrangements in relation to the VIE do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations. If the PRC government determines that we or the VIE do not comply with applicable law, it could revoke the VIE's business and operating licenses, require the VIE to discontinue or restrict the VIE's operations, restrict the VIE's right to collect revenues, block the VIE's websites, require the VIE to restructure its operations, impose additional conditions or requirements with which the VIE may not be able to comply, impose restrictions on the VIE's business operations, or take other regulatory or enforcement actions against the VIE that could be harmful to its business. Any of these or similar occurrences could significantly disrupt our or the VIE's business operations or restrict the VIE from conducting a substantial portion of its business operations, which could materially and adversely affect the VIE's business, financial condition and results of operations. If any of these occurrences results in our inability to determine the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact its economic performance, and/or our failure to receive the economic benefits from the VIE, we may not be able to consolidate the VIE in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In addition, EZGO's securities may decline in value or become worthless if it is unable to consolidate the VIE's operations and financial results in our financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP as the primary beneficiary since the VIE and its subsidiaries conduct a significant part of EZGO's operations.
Regulation - Risk 12
Changes in U.S. and Chinese regulations or in relations between the United States and China may adversely impact our business, our operating results, our ability to raise capital and the market price of EZGO's ordinary shares. Any such changes may take place quickly and with very little notice
The U.S. government, including the SEC, has recently made statements and taken certain actions that may lead to significant changes to U.S. and international relations, and will impact companies with connections to the United States or China. It is unknown whether and to what extent new tariffs (or other new laws or regulations will be adopted, or the effect that any such actions would have on us or our industry and users. Although cross-border business may not be an area of our major focus, if we increase the selling of our products internationally in the future, any unfavorable government policies on international trade, such as capital controls or tariffs, may affect the demand for our products and services, impact the competitive position of our products or prevent us from being able to sell products in certain countries. If any new tariffs, legislation and/or regulations are implemented, or if existing trade agreements are renegotiated or, in particular, if the U.S. government takes retaliatory trade actions due to the recent U.S.-China trade tension, such changes could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations.
In addition, the SEC has issued statements primarily focused on companies with significant China-based operations, such as us. For example, on July 30, 2021, Gary Gensler, Chairman of the SEC, issued a Statement on Investor Protection Related to Recent Developments in China, pursuant to which Chairman Gensler stated that he has asked the SEC staff to engage in targeted additional reviews of filings for companies with significant China-based operations. The statement also addressed risks inherent in companies with variable interest entity structure. It is possible that the Company's filings with the SEC may be subject to enhanced review by the SEC and this additional scrutiny could affect our ability to effectively raise capital in the United States.
In response to the SEC's July 30, 2021 statement, the CSRC announced on August 1, 2021, that "[i]t is our belief that Chinese and U.S. regulators shall continue to enhance communication with the principle of mutual respect and cooperation, and properly address the issues related to the supervision of China-based companies listed in the U.S. so as to form stable policy expectations and create benign rules framework for the market." While the CSRC will continue to collaborate "closely with different stakeholders including investors, companies, and relevant authorities to further promote transparency and certainty of policies and implementing measures," it emphasized that it "has always been open to companies' choices to list their securities on international or domestic markets in compliance with relevant laws and regulations." If any new legislation, executive orders, laws and/or regulations are implemented, if the U.S. or Chinese governments take retaliatory actions due to the recent U.S.-China tension or if the Chinese government exerts more oversight and control over securities offerings that are conducted in the United States, such changes could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, our ability to raise capital and the market price of EZGO's ordinary shares.
Regulation - Risk 13
We are subject to changing law and regulations regarding regulatory matters, corporate governance and public disclosure that have increased both our costs and the risk of non-compliance.
We are subject to rules and regulations by various governing bodies, including, for example, the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are charged with the protection of investors and the oversight of companies whose securities are publicly traded, and to new and evolving regulatory measures under applicable law. Our efforts to comply with new and changing laws and regulations have resulted in and are likely to continue to result in, increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from revenue generating activities to compliance activities.
Moreover, because these laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance becomes available. This evolution may result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and additional costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to our disclosure and governance practices. If EZGO fails to address and comply with these regulations and any subsequent changes, EZGO may be subject to penalty and its business through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China may be harmed.
Regulation - Risk 14
PRC regulation on loans to, and direct investment in, PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control in currency conversion may delay or prevent us from using the proceeds of our initial public offering or follow-on offering to make loans to or make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand EZGO's business.
EZGO is a company incorporated in the BVI structured as a holding company conducting its operations in China through its PRC subsidiaries. As permitted under PRC laws and regulations, in utilizing the proceeds of its initial public offering or follow-on offering, EZGO may make loans to its PRC subsidiaries subject to the approval from governmental authorities and limitation of amount, or EZGO may make additional capital contributions to its PRC subsidiaries. Furthermore, loans by EZGO to its PRC subsidiaries to finance their activities cannot exceed the difference between their respective total project investment amount and registered capital or 2.5 times of their net worth and capital contributions to its PRC subsidiaries are subject to the requirement of making necessary filings in the Foreign Investment Comprehensive Management Information System and registration with other governmental authorities in China.
The SAFE promulgated the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming the Administration of Foreign Exchange Settlement of Capital of Foreign-invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 19, effective on June 1, 2015, in replacement of the Circular on the Relevant Operating Issues Concerning the Improvement of the Administration of the Payment and Settlement of Foreign Currency Capital of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, the Notice from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Relevant Issues Concerning Strengthening the Administration of Foreign Exchange Businesses, and the Circular on Further Clarification and Regulation of the Issues Concerning the Administration of Certain Capital Account Foreign Exchange Businesses. According to SAFE Circular 19, the flow and use of the RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested company is regulated such that RMB capital may not be used for the issuance of RMB entrusted loans, the repayment of inter-enterprise loans or the repayment of bank loans that have been transferred to a third party. Although SAFE Circular 19 allows RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested enterprise to be used for equity investments within the PRC, it also reiterates the principle that RMB converted from the foreign currency-denominated capital of a foreign-invested company may not be directly or indirectly used for purposes beyond its business scope. Thus, it is unclear whether the SAFE will permit such capital to be used for equity investments in the PRC in actual practice. The SAFE promulgated the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming and Standardizing the Foreign Exchange Settlement Management Policy of Capital Account, or SAFE Circular 16, effective on June 9, 2016, which reiterates some of the rules set forth in SAFE Circular 19, but changes the prohibition against using RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested company to issue RMB entrusted loans to a prohibition against using such capital to grant loans to non-associated enterprises. Violations of SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16 could result in administrative penalties. SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16 may significantly limit our ability to transfer any foreign currency we hold, including the net proceeds from our initial public offering or follow-on offering, to our PRC subsidiaries, which may adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand EZGO's business in the PRC through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries.
In light of the various requirements imposed by PRC regulations on loans to, and direct investment in, PRC entities by offshore holding companies, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the necessary government registrations or obtain the necessary government approvals on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future loans by us to our PRC subsidiaries or with respect to future capital contributions by us to our PRC subsidiaries. If we fail to complete such registrations or obtain such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds from our initial public offering or follow-on offering and to capitalize or otherwise fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand EZGO's business.
Regulation - Risk 15
PRC regulations relating to foreign exchange registration of overseas investment by PRC residents may subject our PRC resident beneficial owners or our PRC subsidiaries to liability or penalties, limit our ability to inject capital into these subsidiaries, limit PRC subsidiaries' ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits to us, or may otherwise adversely affect us.
On July 4, 2014, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Relating to Domestic Resident's Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, which replaced the former Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration for PRC Residents to Engage in Financing and Inbound Investment via Overseas Special Purpose Vehicles (generally known as SAFE Circular 75) promulgated by SAFE on October 21, 2005. On February 13, 2015, SAFE further promulgated the Circular on Further Simplifying and Improving the Administration of the Foreign Exchange Concerning Direct Investment, or SAFE Circular 13, which took effect on June 1, 2015. This SAFE Circular 13 has amended SAFE Circular 37 by requiring PRC residents or entities to register with qualified banks rather than SAFE or its local branch in connection with their direct establishment or indirect control of an offshore entity established for the purpose of overseas investment or financing with such PRC residents' legally owned assets or equity interests in domestic enterprises or offshore assets or interests. Qualified local banks will directly examine and accept foreign exchange registration for overseas direct investment, including the initial foreign exchange registration and amendment registration, under SAFE Circular 37 from June 1, 2015.
These circulars further require amendment to the registration in the event of any significant changes with respect to the special purpose vehicle, such as an increase or decrease of capital contributed by PRC residents, share transfer or exchange, merger, division, or other material events. In the event that a PRC resident holding interests in a special purpose vehicle fails to complete the required SAFE registration, the PRC subsidiary of that special purpose vehicle may be prohibited from making profit distributions to the offshore parent and from carrying out subsequent cross-border foreign exchange activities, and the special purpose vehicle may be restricted in its ability to contribute additional capital into its PRC subsidiary. Furthermore, it is unclear how this regulation, and any future regulation concerning offshore or cross-border transactions, will be interpreted, amended, and implemented by the relevant PRC government authorities, and we cannot predict how these regulations will affect EZGO's business operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China or future strategy. Failure to comply with the various SAFE registration requirements described above could result in liability under PRC law for evasion of foreign exchange controls. This may have a material adverse effect on EZGO's business, financial condition, and results of operations.
According to SAFE Circular 37 and SAFE Circular 13, EZGO's shareholders or beneficial owners who are PRC residents are subject to SAFE Circular 37 or other foreign exchange administrative regulations in respect of their investment in our company. To the best of our knowledge, EZGO's PRC resident shareholders who directly or indirectly hold shares in our BVI holding company and who are known to us have completed the application for foreign exchange registrations for their foreign investment in our company in accordance with SAFE Circular 37 and SAFE Circular 13. We have taken steps to notify significant beneficial owners of ordinary shares whom we know are PRC residents of their filing obligations. However, we may not at all times be fully aware or informed of the identities of all EZGO's shareholders or beneficial owners that are required to make such registrations, and we may not always be able to compel them to comply with all relevant foreign exchange regulations. As a result, we cannot assure you that all of EZGO's shareholders or beneficial owners who are PRC residents will at all times comply with, or in the future make or obtain any applicable registrations or approvals required by all relevant foreign exchange regulations. The failure or inability of such individuals to comply with the registration procedures set forth in these regulations may subject us to fines or legal sanctions, restrictions on our cross-border investment activities or our PRC subsidiaries' ability to distribute dividends to, or obtain foreign-exchange-dominated loans from, our company, or prevent us from making distributions or paying dividends. As a result, EZGO's business operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China and its ability to make distributions to EZGO's shareholders could be materially and adversely affected.
Furthermore, as these foreign exchange regulations are still relatively new and their interpretation and implementation have been constantly evolving, it is unclear how these regulations, and any future regulation concerning offshore or cross-border transactions, will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant government authorities. We cannot predict how these regulations will affect EZGO's business operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China or future strategy. In addition, if we decide to acquire a PRC domestic company, we cannot assure you that we or the owners of such company, as the case may be, will be able to obtain the necessary approvals or complete the necessary filings and registrations required by the foreign exchange regulations. This may restrict our ability to implement our acquisition strategy and could adversely affect EZGO's business through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China and prospects.
Regulation - Risk 16
Restrictions on currency exchange or outbound capital flows may limit our ability to utilize our PRC revenue effectively.
All of our revenue is denominated in Renminbi. The Renminbi is currently convertible under the "current account," which includes dividends, trade, and service-related foreign exchange transactions, but requires approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities or designated banks under the "capital account," which includes foreign direct investment and loans, such as loans we may secure from our onshore subsidiaries. Currently, our PRC subsidiaries, a foreign invested enterprise, may purchase foreign currency for settlement of "current account transactions," including payment of dividends to us, without the approval of the SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. However, the relevant PRC governmental authorities may limit or eliminate our ability to purchase foreign currencies in the future for current account transactions.
Since 2016, PRC governmental authorities have imposed more stringent restrictions on outbound capital flows, including heightened scrutiny over "irrational" overseas investments for certain industries, as well as over four kinds of "abnormal" offshore investments, which are:
- investments through enterprises established for only a few months without substantive operation;- investments with amounts far exceeding the registered capital of onshore parent and not supported by its business performance shown on financial statements;- investments in targets that are not related to onshore parent's main business; and - investments with abnormal sources of Renminbi funding suspected to be involved in illegal transfer of assets or illegal operation of underground banking.
On January 26, 2017, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Further Improving Reform of Foreign Exchange Administration and Optimizing Genuineness and Compliance Verification, which tightened the authenticity and compliance verification of cross-border transactions and cross-border capital flow. In addition, the Outbound Investment Sensitive Industry Catalogue (2018) lists certain sensitive industries that are subject to the National Development and Reform Commission ("NDRC") pre-approval requirements prior to remitting investment funds offshore, which subjects us to increased approval requirements and restrictions with respect to our overseas investment activity. Since a significant amount of our PRC revenue is denominated in Renminbi, any existing and future restrictions on currency exchange or outbound capital flows may limit our ability to utilize revenue generated in Renminbi to fund EZGO's business activities outside of the PRC, make investments, service any debt we may incur outside of China or pay dividends in foreign currencies to EZGO's shareholders, including holders of EZGO's ordinary shares.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities2 | 2.5%
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1
Added
None of EZGO, its directors, officers, advisors or service providers (including the organization which provides registered office services in the BVI) will bear any responsibility for any delay caused in mail reaching the forwarding address.
Mail addressed to EZGO and received at its registered office will be forwarded unopened to the forwarding address supplied by EZGO to be dealt with. None of EZGO, its directors, officers, advisors or service providers (including the organization which provides registered office services in the BVI) will bear any responsibility for any delay howsoever caused in mail reaching the forwarding address.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 2
You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing actions in China against us or our management named in this annual report based on foreign laws.
EZGO is a company incorporated under the laws of the BVI, and EZGO conduct substantially all of its operations in China through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries and substantially all of its assets are located in China. In addition, a majority of EZGO's current directors and officers, including Mr. Jianhui Ye, Mr. Zebin Zhao, Ms. Peiyao Jin, Mr. Guanghui Yang and Mr. Guanneng Lai are nationals and residents of the PRC and a substantial portion of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for you to effect service of process upon us or those persons inside mainland China. It may also be difficult for you to enforce in U.S. courts judgments obtained in U.S. courts based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us and our officers and directors as none of them currently resides in the United States or has substantial assets located in the United States. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the PRC would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts against us or such persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state.
The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other forms of written arrangement with the United States that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, the PRC courts will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our directors and officers if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC laws or national sovereignty, security, or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States.
Taxation & Government Incentives5 | 6.2%
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1
Enhanced scrutiny over acquisition transactions by the PRC tax authorities may have a negative impact on potential acquisitions we may pursue in the future.
Pursuant to the Notice on Strengthening Administration of Enterprise Income Tax for Share Transfers by Non-PRC Resident Enterprises, or SAT Circular 698, issued by the SAT on December 10, 2009, where a foreign investor transfers the equity interests of a resident enterprise indirectly via disposition of the equity interests of an overseas holding company, or an "indirect transfer," and such overseas holding company is located in a tax jurisdiction that (i) has an effective tax rate less than 12.5% or (ii) does not tax foreign income of its residents, the foreign investor shall report the indirect transfer to the competent tax authority. The PRC tax authority will examine the true nature of the indirect transfer, and if the tax authority considers that the foreign investor has adopted an "abusive arrangement" in order to avoid PRC tax, it may disregard the existence of the overseas holding company and re-characterize the indirect transfer and as a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer may be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of up to 10%.
On February 3, 2015, the SAT issued the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Several Issues Concerning the Enterprise Income Tax on Indirect Property Transfer by Non-Resident Enterprises, or SAT Bulletin 7, to supersede existing provisions in relation to the "indirect transfer" as set forth in SAT Circular 698, while the other provisions of SAT Circular 698 remain in force. Pursuant to SAT Bulletin 7, where a non-resident enterprise indirectly transfers properties such as equity in PRC resident enterprises without any justifiable business purposes and aiming to avoid the payment of enterprise income tax, such indirect transfer must be reclassified as a direct transfer of equity in PRC resident enterprise. To assess whether an indirect transfer of PRC taxable properties has reasonable commercial purposes, all arrangements related to the indirect transfer must be considered comprehensively and factors set forth in SAT Bulletin 7 must be comprehensively analyzed in light of the actual circumstances. SAT Bulletin 7 also provides that, where a non-PRC resident enterprise transfers its equity interests in a resident enterprise to its related parties at a price lower than the fair market value, the competent tax authority has the power to make a reasonable adjustment to the taxable income of the transaction.
On October 17, 2017, the SAT issued the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Matters Concerning Withholding of Income Tax of Non-resident Enterprises as Source, or SAT Bulletin 37, which repealed the entire SAT Circular 698 and the provision in relation to the time limit for the withholding agent to declare to the competent tax authority for payment of such tax of SAT Bulletin 7. Pursuant to SAT Bulletin 37, the income from a property transfer, as stipulated in the second item under Article 19 of the Law on Enterprise Income Tax, shall include the income derived from transferring such equity investment assets as stock equity. The balance of deducting the equity's net value from the total income from equity transfer shall be taxable income from equity transfer. Where a withholding agent enters into a business contract, involving the income specified in the third paragraph of Article 3 in the Law on Enterprise Income Tax, with a non-resident enterprise, the tax-excluding income of the non-resident enterprise will be treated as the tax-including income, based on which the tax payment will be calculated and remitted, if it is agreed in the contract that the withholding agent shall assume the tax payable.
There has been very limited application of SAT Bulletin 7 and SAT Bulletin 37 because these regulations were newly issued and came into force in February 2015 and in December 2017 respectively. During the effective period of SAT Circular 698, some intermediary holding companies were actually looked through by the PRC tax authorities, and consequently the non-PRC resident investors were deemed to have transferred the PRC subsidiary and PRC corporate taxes were assessed accordingly. It is possible that we or our non-PRC resident investors may become at risk of being taxed under SAT Bulletin 7 and SAT Bulletin 37 and may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with SAT Bulletin 7 and SAT Bulletin 37 or to establish that we or our non-PRC resident investors should not be taxed under SAT Bulletin 7 and SAT Bulletin 37, which may have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations or such non-PRC resident investors' investment in EZGO.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 2
There are significant uncertainties under the PRC EIT Law relating to the withholding tax liabilities of our PRC subsidiaries, and dividends payable by our PRC subsidiaries to our offshore subsidiaries may not qualify to enjoy certain treaty benefits.
Under the PRC EIT Law and its implementation rules, we, as a non-resident enterprise, that is, an enterprise lawfully incorporated pursuant to the laws of a foreign country (region) that has an office or premises established in China with no actual management functions performed in China, or an enterprise that has income derived from or accruing in China although it does not have an office or premises in China, will be subject to a withholding tax rate of 10%. Pursuant to a special arrangement between Hong Kong and mainland China, such rate may be reduced to 5% if a Hong Kong resident enterprise owns more than 25% of the equity interest in the PRC company. Changzhou EZGO is wholly owned by EZGO HK, EZGO's wholly-owned subsidiary. Accordingly, EZGO HK may qualify for a 5% tax rate in respect of distributions from Changzhou EZGO. Under the Notice of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues regarding the Administration of the Dividend Provision in Tax Treaties promulgated on February 20, 2009, the taxpayer needs to satisfy certain conditions to enjoy the benefits under a tax treaty. These conditions include: (1) the taxpayer must be the beneficial owner of the relevant dividends, and (2) the corporate shareholder to receive dividends from the PRC subsidiaries must have continuously met the direct ownership thresholds during the 12 consecutive months preceding the receipt of the dividends. Further, under Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues Relating to "Beneficial Owner" in Tax Treaties, which took effect on April 1, 2018, a "Beneficial Owner" shall mean a person who has ownership and control over the income and the rights and property from which the income is derived. To determine the "beneficial owner" status of a resident of the treaty counterparty who needs to enjoy the tax treaty benefits, a comprehensive analysis shall be carried out, taking into account actual conditions of the specific case.
Entitlement to a lower tax rate on dividends according to tax treaties or arrangements between the PRC central government and governments of other countries or regions is subject to State Administration of Taxation Circular 60 ("Circular 60"). Circular 60 provides that non-resident enterprises are not required to obtain pre-approval from the relevant tax authority in order to enjoy the reduced withholding tax. Instead, non-resident enterprises and their withholding agents may, by self-assessment and on confirmation that the prescribed criteria to enjoy the tax treaty benefits are met, directly apply the reduced withholding tax rate, and file necessary forms and supporting documents when performing tax filings, which will be subject to post-tax filing examinations by the relevant tax authorities. As a result, we cannot assure you that we will be entitled to any preferential withholding tax rate under tax treaties for dividends received from WFOE.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 3
Changed
Under the PRC EIT Law, we may be classified as a PRC "resident enterprise" for PRC enterprise income tax purposes. Such classification would likely result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and EZGO's non-PRC shareholders and has a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.
Under the PRC EIT Law, that became effective in January 2008 and was amended in February 2017 and December 2018, as well as its implementing rules, an enterprise established outside the PRC with "de facto management bodies" within the PRC is considered a "resident enterprise" for PRC enterprise income tax purposes and is generally subject to a uniform 25% enterprise income tax rate on its worldwide income. Under the implementation rules to the EIT Law, a "de facto management body" is defined as a body that has material and overall management and control over the manufacturing and business operations, personnel and human resources, finances and properties of an enterprise. In addition, a circular, known as SAT Circular 82, issued in April 2009 by the State Administration of Taxation, or the SAT, specifies that certain offshore incorporated enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups will be classified as PRC resident enterprises if the following are located or resident in the PRC: senior management personnel and departments that are responsible for daily production, operation and management; financial and personnel decision making bodies; key properties, accounting books, company seal, and minutes of board meetings and shareholders' meetings; and half or more of the senior management or directors having voting rights. Further to SAT Circular 82, the SAT issued a bulletin, known as SAT Bulletin 45, which took effect in September 2011, to provide more guidance on the implementation of SAT Circular 82 and clarify the reporting and filing obligations of such "Chinese-controlled offshore incorporated resident enterprises." SAT Bulletin 45 provides procedures and administrative details for the determination of resident status and administration on post-determination matters. Although both SAT Circular 82 and SAT Bulletin 45 only apply to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups, not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreign individuals, the determining criteria set forth in SAT Circular 82 and SAT Bulletin 45 may reflect the SAT's general position on how the "de facto management body" test should be applied in determining the tax resident status of offshore enterprises, regardless of whether they are controlled by PRC enterprises, PRC enterprise groups or by PRC or foreign individuals.
We do not believe that EZGO, as a company incorporated in the BVI, meets all of the conditions above thus we do not believe that EZGO is a PRC resident enterprise, though all members of our management team as well as the management team of our offshore holding company are located in China. However, if the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a PRC resident enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, a number of unfavorable PRC tax consequences could follow. First, we will be subject to the uniform 25% enterprise income tax on our world-wide income, which could materially reduce our net income. In addition, we will also be subject to PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations. However, the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term "de facto management body."
Finally, dividends payable by us to EZGO's shareholders and gains on the sale of our shares may become subject to PRC withholding tax, at a rate of 10% in the case of non-PRC enterprises or 20% in the case of non-PRC individuals (in each case, subject to the provisions of any applicable tax treaty), if such gains are deemed to be from PRC sources. It is unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of EZGO would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties between their country of tax residence and the PRC in the event that we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise. Any such tax may reduce the returns on your investment in the ordinary shares.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 4
There can be no assurance that we will not be a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for United States federal income tax purposes for any taxable year, which could subject United States investors in EZGO's ordinary shares to significant adverse United States income tax consequences.
A non-United States corporation, such as our company, will be classified as a PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes for any taxable year, if either (i) 75% or more of its gross income for such year consists of certain types of "passive" income or (ii) 50% or more of the value of its assets (determined on the basis of a quarterly average) during such year is attributable to assets that produce or are held for the production of passive income.
Based on our current composition of assets, subsidiaries and market capitalization (which will fluctuate from time to time), we do not expect to be or become a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, the determination of whether we will be or become a PFIC will depend, in part, upon the value of our goodwill and other unrecorded intangibles. Furthermore, the determination of whether we will be or become a PFIC will depend, in part, on the composition of our income and assets. Fluctuations in the market price of EZGO's ordinary shares may cause us to become a PFIC for the current or subsequent taxable years. The composition of our income and assets may also be affected by how, and how quickly, we use our liquid assets and the cash raised in our offerings. In addition, because there are uncertainties in the application of the relevant rules, it is possible that the Internal Revenue Service may challenge our classification of certain income and assets as non-passive or our valuation of our tangible and intangible assets.
Because determination of PFIC status is a fact-intensive inquiry made on an annual basis that depends upon the composition of our assets and income, no assurance can be given that we are not or will not become classified as a PFIC. If we were to be or become classified as a PFIC in any taxable year, a U.S. Holder (as defined in "Item 10. Additional Information – 10.E. Taxation - United States Federal Income Taxation") may incur significantly increased U.S. federal income tax on gain recognized on the sale or other disposition of EZGO's ordinary shares and on the receipt of distributions on the ordinary shares to the extent such gain or distributions is treated as an "excess distribution" under the U.S. federal income tax rules. Further, if we are classified as a PFIC for any year during which a U.S. Holder holds EZGO's ordinary shares, we generally will continue to be treated as a PFIC for all succeeding years during which such U.S. Holder holds EZGO's ordinary shares. You are urged to consult your tax advisor concerning the United States federal income tax consequences of acquiring, holding, and disposing of ordinary shares if we are or become classified as a PFIC. For more information, see "Item 10. Additional Information – 10.E. Taxation - United States Federal Income Taxation."
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 5
Contractual arrangements in relation to the VIE may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities and they may determine that the VIE owes additional taxes, which could negatively affect our financial condition and the value of your investment.
Under applicable PRC laws and regulations, arrangements and transactions among related parties may be subject to audit or challenge by the PRC tax authorities. The PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law, requires every enterprise in China to submit its annual enterprise income tax return together with a report on transactions with its related parties to the relevant tax authorities. The tax authorities may impose reasonable adjustments on taxation if they identify any related party transactions that are inconsistent with the arm's length principles. We may face material and adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine that the contractual arrangements among Changzhou EZGO, the VIE and its shareholders were not entered into on an arm's length basis in such a way as to result in an impermissible reduction in taxes under applicable PRC laws, regulations and rules, and adjust their income in the form of a transfer pricing adjustment. A transfer pricing adjustment could, among other things, result in a reduction of expense deductions recorded by Changzhou EZGO or the VIE for PRC tax purposes, which could in turn increase their tax liabilities without reducing their tax expenses. Furthermore, the PRC tax authorities may impose late payment fees and other penalties on Changzhou EZGO and the VIE for adjusted but unpaid taxes according to applicable regulations. Our financial position could be materially and adversely affected if the tax liabilities of Changzhou EZGO and the VIE increase, or if they are required to pay late payment fees and other penalties.
Environmental / Social1 | 1.2%
Environmental / Social - Risk 1
EZGO's business, through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China, is subject to complex and evolving Chinese laws and regulations regarding data privacy and security. Many of these laws and regulations are subject to change and uncertain interpretation, and could result in claims, penalties, changes to EZGO's business practices, increased cost of operations, damages to its reputation and brand, or otherwise harm its business through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China.
In the PRC, governmental authorities have enacted a series of laws and regulations to enhance the protection of data privacy and cybersecurity. The Cybersecurity Law of the PRC and relevant regulations require network operators, which may include us, to ensure the security and stability of the services provided via network and protect individual privacy and the security of personal data in general by requiring the consent of internet users prior to the collection, use or disclosure of their personal data. Under the Cybersecurity Law, the owners and administrators of networks and network service providers have various personal information security protection obligations, including restrictions on the collection and use of personal information of users, and they are required to take steps to prevent personal data from being divulged, stolen, or tampered with. Regulatory requirements regarding the protection of personal information are constantly evolving and can be subject to differing interpretations or significant changes, making the extent of our responsibilities in that regard uncertain. An example of such evolving regulatory requirements is the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021 version), which was promulgated on December 28, 2021 and took effect on February 15, 2022. The measures, among others, stipulate that any "online platform operators" controlling personal information of more than one million users which seeks to list in a foreign stock exchange should also be subject to cybersecurity review by the CAC. The cybersecurity review, among others, evaluates the potential risks of critical information infrastructure, core data, important data, or a large amount of personal information being influenced, controlled or maliciously used by foreign governments after the overseas listing of an operator. The procurement of network products and services, data processing activities and overseas listing should also be subject to the cybersecurity review if the CAC concerns or they potentially pose risks to national security. Our PRC counsel, DeHeng Law Offices (Shenzhen), is of the view that EZGO is not subject to the cybersecurity review by the CAC, since (i) the cybersecurity review is not applicable to further equity or debt offerings by companies that have completed their initial public offerings in the United States; (ii) data processed in EZGO's business operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China do not have a bearing on national security and may not be classified as core or important data by the PRC governmental authorities. However, we cannot assure you that the PRC governmental authorities will not hold opposing views or interpretations regarding the applicability of the cybersecurity review to us. As of the date of this annual report, we have not been identified as an "operator of critical information infrastructure" by any PRC governmental authority, nor have we been informed by any PRC governmental authority to undergo a cybersecurity review.
In addition, the Data Security Law of the People's Republic of China (the "Data Security Law") was promulgated by the SCNPC on June 10, 2021 and took effect on September 1, 2021. Further, on July 7, 2022, the CAC released the Measures for the Security Assessment of Cross-Border Data, which will become effective on September 1, 2022. According to the Measures for the Security Assessment of Cross-Border Data, where a data processor provides data abroad under any of the following circumstances, it shall apply for exit security assessment of data to the national cyberspace administration through the local provincial cyberspace administration: (i) the data processor provides important data abroad; (ii) the operators of key information infrastructure and data processors that process the personal information of more than 1 million people provide personal information abroad; (iii) data processors who have provided 100,000 personal information or 10,000 sensitive personal information abroad since January 1 of last year provide personal information abroad; and (iv) other situations required for security assessment as stipulated by the state cyberspace administration. Given the recency of the issuance of the Measures for the Security Assessment of Cross-Border Data and their pending effectiveness, there is a general lack of guidance and substantial uncertainties exist with respect to their interpretation and implementation. On November 14, 2021, the CAC released the Regulations on Cyber Data Security Management (Draft for Comments), or the draft regulations, which shall apply to the processing of personal and organizational data out of the territory of China, under the following circumstances: (i) for the purpose of providing products or services in the PRC; (ii) conducting analysis and evaluation of domestic individuals and organizations; (iii) processing of important domestic data; or (iv) other circumstances provided by laws and administrative regulations. The draft regulations classify data into three categories–general data, important data and core data. Data processors that transfer data collected and generated in the PRC outside of the territory of China are required to prepare a data security assessment report to the local cyberspace administration if (i) the data to be transmitted outside of the territory of China include important data, (ii) critical information technology infrastructure operators and data processors holding over one million users that transfer data outside the territory of China, or (iii) other circumstances that the CAC deems necessary. Meanwhile, a data processor that transfers personal information and important data out of the territory of China shall report to the local cyberspace administration of the following in the past calendar year: (i) the identities and contact information of all data receivers, (ii) the types, quantities and purposes of the transmitted data, (iii) the locations and periods of storage as well as the scope and method of use of the transmitted data, (iv) user complaints and the corresponding treatments related to the transmitted data, (v) violation of data security and the corresponding treatments related to the transmitted data, (vi) the re-transmission of the transmitted data, and (vii) other circumstances that the CAC deems necessary. A maximum of RMB10 million can be imposed on a data processor that is in violation of the draft regulations. It is uncertain whether and when the abovementioned draft measures and regulations will be adopted, and if adopted, whether the final version will contain the same provisions as the draft regulations.
The Data Security Law and the Cybersecurity Law, together with other relevant regulations, are promulgated to jointly regulate China's online spheres in relation to personal information cybersecurity protection. There remain uncertainties regarding the further interpretation and implementation of those laws and regulations. Despite our efforts to comply with applicable laws, regulations and other obligations relating to privacy, data protection and information security, we cannot assure you that we will be compliant with such new laws, regulations and obligations in all respects, and we may be ordered to rectify and terminate any actions that are deemed non-compliant by the regulatory authorities and become subject to fines and other sanctions. As of the date of this annual report, we have not been involved in any investigations on cybersecurity review made by the CAC on such basis, and we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions in such respect. We believe that that we are compliant with the regulations and policies that have been issued by the CAC to date.
In order for us to maintain or achieve compliance with applicable laws as they come into effect, it may require substantial expenditures of resources to continually evaluate our policies and processes and adapt to new requirements that are or become applicable to us. Complying with any additional or new regulatory requirements may impose significant burdens and costs on EZGO's operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China or require it to alter its business practices. While we strive to protect our users' privacy and data security and to comply with data protection laws and regulations applicable to us, however, we cannot assure that our existing user information protection system and technical measures will be considered sufficient under all applicable laws and regulations in all respects. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with applicable data privacy laws and regulations, including in relation to the collection of necessary end-user consents and providing end-users with sufficient information with respect to our use of their personal data, may result in fines and penalties imposed by regulators, governmental enforcement actions (including enforcement orders requiring us to cease collecting or processing data in a certain way), litigation and/or adverse publicity. Proceedings against us-regulatory, civil or otherwise-could force us to spend money and devote resources in the defense or settlement of, and remediation related to, such proceedings. EZGO's business operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China could be adversely affected if the existing or future laws and regulations are interpreted or implemented in a manner that is inconsistent with our current business practices or requires changes to these practices.
Production
Total Risks: 12/81 (15%)Below Sector Average
Manufacturing3 | 3.7%
Manufacturing - Risk 1
Our products are subject to safety and other standards and failure to satisfy such mandated standards would have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results.
All e-bicycles must comply with the safety and other standards of the market where the e-bicycles are sold. In China, e-bicycles must meet or exceed all mandated safety and other standards, including national and local standards. Under these standards, the Company is required to conduct rigorous testing and use approved materials and equipment. On April 15, 2019, the State Administration for Market Regulatory and the National Standardization Administration of China jointly promulgated the Regulation on Safety Technical Specification for Electric Bicycles and announced the new standard GB11761-2018 was effective, or the National New Standard, replacing the old standard GB17761-1999. Although we follow the regulatory requirements and have obtained the 3C certificates issued by Certification Center of Light Industry Council, our new models e-bicycles may fail to meet the National New Standard.
In addition, our batteries must comply with the national standard GB/T 36972-2018 Lithium Batteries for Electric Bicycles, which was officially released on December 28, 2018 and implemented on July 1, 2019. Lithium batteries that do not meet standard may be returned by customers, harm our reputation and subject us to additional regulatory actions. While there is no national standard for charging pile, if the customers are not satisfied with our products, the products may be returned. This could harm our relationship with our business partners and reputation in the industry. Any of these occurrences could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial results.
Manufacturing - Risk 2
We may be subject to product liability claims if people or properties are harmed by our products and we may be compelled to undertake product recalls or take other actions, which could adversely affect our brand image and results of operations.
We are subject to product liability claims for our products sold or rented through online and offline channels. As a result, sales and/or rentals of such products on our platform could expose us to product liability claims relating to personal injury or property damage and may require product recalls or other actions. Third-parties subject to such injury or damage may bring claims or legal proceedings against us as retailer, and manufacturer and lessor of the products. In the future, we may at various times, voluntarily or involuntarily, initiate a recall if any of our products, including any systems or parts sourced from our suppliers, prove to be defective or noncompliant with applicable laws and regulations. Such recalls, whether voluntary or involuntary or caused by systems or components engineered or manufactured by us or our suppliers, could involve significant expense and could adversely affect our brand image in our target markets, as well as our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
Manufacturing - Risk 3
Our products and services may experience quality problems from time to time, which could result in decreased sales, adversely affect our results of operations and harm our reputation.
Our products and services may contain design and manufacturing defects. There can be no assurance that we will be able to detect and fix all defects in the products and services we offer. Failure to do so could result in lost in revenue, significant warranty and other expenses and harm to our reputation.
Additionally, we source and purchase key components in our operations and production of e-bicycles from third-party and related party suppliers, such as tires, motors and controllers. Currently, we purchase most of the e-bicycles and components for Jiangsu Cenbird from a related party. We cannot assure you that the quality and functions of these key components supplied by suppliers will be consistent with and maintained at our high standard. Any defects or quality issues in these key components or any noncompliance incidents associated with these third-party suppliers could result in quality issues with our e-bicycles and hence compromise our brand image and results of operations.
Employment / Personnel4 | 4.9%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
Competition for our employees is intense, and we may not be able to attract and retain the highly skilled employees needed to support our business.
As we continue to experience growth, we believe our success depends on the efforts and talents of our employees, including management team and financial personnel. Our future success depends on our continued ability to attract, develop, motivate and retain highly qualified and skilled employees. Competition for highly skilled personnel is extremely intense. We may not be able to hire and retain these personnel at compensation levels consistent with our existing compensation and salary structure. Many of the companies with which we compete for experienced employees have greater resources than we do and may be able to offer more attractive terms of employment.
In addition, we invest significant time and expense in training our employees, which increases their value to competitors who may seek to recruit them. If we fail to retain our employees, we could incur significant expenses in hiring and training their replacements, and the quality of our services and our ability to serve customers could diminish, resulting in a material adverse effect on our business.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 2
Our success depends on our ability to retain our core management team and other key personnel.
Our performance depends on the continued service and performance of our directors and senior management as they are expected to play an important role in guiding the implementation of our business strategies and future plans. If any of our directors or any members of our senior management were to terminate their service or employment, there can be no assurance that we would be able to find suitable replacements in a timely manner, at acceptable cost or at all. The loss of services of key personnel or the inability to identify, hire, train and retain other qualified and managerial personnel in the future may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Additionally, we rely on our research and development personnel for product development and technology innovation. If any of our key research and development personnel were to leave us, we cannot assure you that we can secure equally competent research and development personnel in a timely manner, or at all.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 3
Failure to make adequate contributions to various employee benefit plans and withhold individual income tax on employees' salaries as required by PRC regulations may subject us to penalties.
Companies operating in China are required to participate in various government-mandated employee benefit contribution plans, including certain social insurance, housing funds and other welfare-oriented payment obligations, and contribute to the plans in amounts equal to certain percentages of salaries, including bonuses and allowances, of EZGO's employees up to a maximum amount specified by the local government from time to time at locations where EZGO, through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China, operates its businesses. The requirement of employee benefit contribution plans has not been implemented consistently by the local governments in China given the different levels of economic development in different locations. Companies operating in China are also required to withhold individual income tax on employees' salaries based on the actual salary of each employee upon payment. We may be subject to late fees and fines in relation to the underpaid employee benefits and under-withheld individual income tax, EZGO's financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 4
The enforcement of the PRC Labor Contract Law and other labor-related regulations in the PRC may adversely affect EZGO's business through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China and its results of operations.
The PRC Labor Law and the Labor Contract Law require that employers must execute written employment contracts with full-time employees. All employers must compensate their employees with wages equal to at least the local minimum wage standards. Violations of the PRC Labor Law and the Labor Contract Law may result in the imposition of fines, compensations and other administrative sanctions, and serious violations may constitute criminal offenses.
The PRC Labor Contract Law became effective and was implemented on January 1, 2008, which was amended on December 28, 2012. It has reinforced the protection of employees who, under the PRC Labor Contract Law, have the right, among others, to enter into written labor contracts, to enter into labor contracts with no fixed terms under certain circumstances, to receive overtime wages and to terminate or alter terms in labor contracts. According to the PRC Social Insurance Law, which became effective on July 1, 2011, and the Administrative Regulations on the Housing Funds, companies operating in China are required to participate in pension insurance, work-related injury insurance, medical insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance and housing funds plans, and the employers must pay all or a portion of the social insurance premiums and housing funds for their employees.
As the interpretation and implementation of these laws and regulations are still evolving, our employment practice may not at all times be deemed in compliance with the new laws and regulations. If we are subject to severe penalties or incur significant liabilities in connection with labor disputes or investigations, EZGO's business through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China and results of operations may be adversely affected.
Supply Chain2 | 2.5%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
We rely substantially on external suppliers and third-party delivery service providers for our e-bicycles, charging piles and batteries.
We purchase certain key components and raw material, including tires, motors, headlight, panel frame and controllers, from external suppliers for use in our production of e-bicycles on a purchase order basis. We also rely on external suppliers to manufacture the charging piles and supply batteries or components of our batteries. The continuous and stable supply of these components, raw materials and products that meet our standards is crucial to our operations and production. We cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain our existing relationships with these suppliers and continue to be able to source key components and raw materials we use in our e-bicycles on a stable basis and at a reasonable price or at all. For example, our suppliers may increase the prices for the components or materials we purchase and/or experience disruptions in their production of the components or materials. In addition, natural disasters or pandemics, such as the COVID-19 outbreak, interrupted numerous supply chains in China, for companies operating in China as well as for international companies.
We also rely on third party delivery companies to delivery products sold on our online shops. Interacting with and coordinating the activities of a number of delivery companies are complicated and any major interruptions to or failures in these third-parties' shipping services could prevent the timely or successful delivery of our products. These interruptions may be due to unforeseen events that are beyond our control or the control of these third-party delivery companies, such as inclement weather, natural disasters, transportation interruptions or labor unrest or shortage. If our products are not delivered on time or are delivered in a damaged state, customers may refuse to accept our products and have less confidence in our services. Thus, we may lose customers, and our financial condition and reputation could suffer. Delivery of our products could also be affected or interrupted by the merger, acquisition, insolvency or government shutdown of the delivery companies we engage to make deliveries, especially those local companies with relatively small business scales. The occurrence of any of these problems, alone or together, could damage our reputation and materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
We incur significant costs related to procuring components and raw materials and delivery services. The prices for the components and raw materials fluctuate depending on factors beyond our control including market conditions and demand for these components and materials. Substantial increases in the prices for the components or raw materials we use in producing our e-bicycle or any interruptions of delivery services would increase our costs and reduce our margins.
Supply Chain - Risk 2
We rely on contractual arrangements with the VIE and its shareholders to operate our business, which may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control and otherwise have a material adverse effect as to our business.
We rely on contractual arrangements with the VIE and its shareholders to operate our business. For a description of these contractual arrangements, see "Item 3. Key Infomation - Contractual Arrangements and Corporate Structure." All of our revenue is attributed to the VIE. These contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over the VIE. If the VIE or its shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under these contractual arrangements, our recourse to the assets held by the VIE is indirect and we may have to incur substantial costs and expend significant resources to enforce such arrangements in reliance on legal remedies under PRC law. These remedies may not always be effective, particularly in light of uncertainties in the PRC legal system. Furthermore, in connection with litigation, arbitration or other judicial or dispute resolution proceedings, assets under the name of any of record holder of equity interest in the VIE, including such equity interest, may be put under court custody. As a consequence, we cannot be certain that the equity interest will be disposed pursuant to the contractual arrangement or ownership by the record holder of the equity interest.
All of these contractual arrangements are governed by PRC law and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in the PRC. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC laws and any disputes would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures. The legal environment in the PRC is not as developed as in other jurisdictions, such as the U.S. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. In the event that we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or if we encounter significant time delays or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, it would be very difficult for us to enforce any of rights of determination over the most significant economic activities and receive the majority of the economic benefits of the VIE including, most importantly, our ability to consolidate the financial statements of the VIE with the financial statements of our holding company under U.S. GAAP, EZGO, and our ability to conduct our business and our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. See "- Risks Related to Doing Business in China - Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to you and us."
Costs3 | 3.7%
Costs - Risk 1
We have incurred increased costs as a result of being a public company, particularly after we cease to qualify as an "emerging growth company."
We are a public company and, as a result, have incurred significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and Nasdaq, impose various requirements on the corporate governance practices of public companies. As a company with less than US$1.235 billion in revenues for our last fiscal year, we qualify as an "emerging growth company" pursuant to the JOBS Act. An emerging growth company may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include exemption from the auditor attestation requirement under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 in the assessment of the emerging growth company's internal control over financial reporting and permission to delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies.
We expect these rules and regulations to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some corporate activities more time-consuming and costly. After we are no longer an "emerging growth company," we expect to incur significant expenses and devote substantial management effort toward ensuring compliance with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the other rules and regulations of the SEC. For example, as a result of becoming a public company, we will need to increase the number of independent directors and adopt policies regarding internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures. We also expect that operating as a public company will make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. In addition, we will incur additional costs associated with our public company reporting requirements. It may also be more difficult for us to find qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers. We are currently evaluating and monitoring developments with respect to these rules and regulations, and we cannot predict or estimate with any degree of certainty the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.
In the past, shareholders of a public company often brought securities class action suits against the company following periods of instability in the market price of that company's securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management's attention and other resources from our business and operations, which could harm our results of operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Costs - Risk 2
We are subject to a variety of costs and risks due to our continued expansion internationally that may not be successful and could adversely affect our profitability and operating results.
Our e-bicycles are manufactured for sales and distribution mostly in China. We are continuing to expand the international market, although our current international market share is relatively small compared to our domestic business. Currently, we promote our products to the international market through online promotion. Developing the international market requires continuous investment in marketing expenses. International expansion represents a large opportunity to further grow our business and enhance our competitive position, and is one of our core strategies.
We may enter into new geographic markets where we have limited or no experience in marketing, selling, and localizing and deploying our e-bicycles. International expansion has required and will continue to require us to invest significant capital and other resources and our efforts may not be successful. International sales and operations may be subject to risks such as:
- limited brand recognition (compared with our home market in China);- costs associated with establishing new distribution networks;- difficulty to find qualified partners for overseas distribution;- inability to anticipate foreign consumers' preferences and customs;- difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations;- burdens of complying with a wide variety of local laws and regulations, including personal data protection, battery, motor, packaging and labelling;- political and economic instability;- trade restrictions;- lesser degrees of intellectual property protection;- tariffs and customs duties and the classifications of our goods by applicable governmental bodies; and - a legal system subject to undue influence or corruption.
The occurrence of any of these risks could negatively affect our international business and consequently our business and operating results. In addition, the concern over these risks may also prevent us from entering into or releasing certain of our e-bicycles in certain markets.
Costs - Risk 3
We have limited insurance coverage, which could expose us to significant costs and business disruption.
We are exposed to various risks associated with our business and operations, and we have limited liability insurance coverage. A successful liability claim against us due to injuries or damages suffered by our users could materially and adversely affect our reputation, results of operations and financial conditions. Even if unsuccessful, such a claim could cause us adverse publicity, require substantial costs to defend, and divert the time and attention of our management. In addition, we do not have any business disruption insurance. Any business disruption event could result in substantial costs to us and a diversion of our resources.
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 6/81 (7%)Below Sector Average
Innovation / R&D2 | 2.5%
Innovation / R&D - Risk 1
If we fail to adopt new technologies or adapt our e-bicycles to changing customer requirements or the industry standards, our business may be materially and adversely affected.
To remain competitive, we must continue to enhance and improve the functionality and features of our e-bicycles. The production cycle of e-bicycles from research and development stage to implementation stage takes significant time. The changes in customer requirements and preferences, frequent introductions of new products and services embodying new technologies and the emergence of new industry standards and practices, any of which could render our existing technologies and products obsolete. Our success will depend, in part, on our ability to identify, develop, acquire or license leading technologies useful in our business, and respond to technological advances and new industry standards and practices in a cost-effective and timely way. The development of e-bicycles or other proprietary technology entails significant technical and business risks. We may not be able to use new technologies effectively or adapt our projects and proprietary technologies to meet customer requirements or new industry standards. If we are unable to adapt in a cost-effective and timely manner a response to changing market conditions or customer requirements, whether for technical, legal, financial, or other reasons, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 2
If we fail to develop and introduce new models of e-bicycle products in anticipation of market demand in a timely and cost-effective manner, our competitive position and ability to generate revenues may be materially and adversely affected.
Recently, our primary focus has been new models of e-bicycle products. As a new player in the e-bicycle industry, we face intense competition from current industry leaders. The introduction of new products is subject to risks and uncertainties. Unexpected technical, operational, logistical, regulatory, or other problems could delay or prevent the introduction of one or more new products. Moreover, we cannot assure you that any of these new products will match the quality or popularity of those developed by our competitors, and achieve widespread market acceptance or generate the desired level of income for our customers.
Meanwhile, offering new products requires us to make investments in research and development, recruit and train additional qualified workers, and increase marketing efforts. In addition, some manufactures, including the large companies in this industry, like Aima and Yadea, have developed low-end and low-cost models which are sold at approximate RMB1,000 per vehicle (without battery). Since most of the e-bicycle users are low-income workers, we may encounter difficulties with the creation of the new products and in offering new products, we may face new risks and challenges that we are not familiar with. Furthermore, we may experience difficulties in recruiting or otherwise identifying qualified workers to develop the new products. If we are unable to offer new products in a timely and cost-effective manner, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
Trade Secrets3 | 3.7%
Trade Secrets - Risk 1
We may be subject to intellectual property infringement claims, which may be expensive to defend and may disrupt our business and operations.
We cannot be certain that our operations or any aspects of our business do not or will not infringe upon or otherwise violate patents, copyrights or other intellectual property rights held by third parties. We have been, and from time to time in the future may be, subject to legal proceedings and claims relating to the intellectual property rights of others. In addition, there may be other third-party intellectual property that is infringed by our products, services or other aspects of our business. There could also be existing patents of which we are not aware that our products may inadvertently infringe. Holders of patents purportedly relating to some aspect of our products or business, if any such holders exist, may seek to enforce such patents against us in China, the United States or any other jurisdictions. Further, the application and interpretation of China's patent laws and the procedures and standards for granting patents in China are still evolving and are uncertain, and PRC courts or regulatory authorities may not agree with our analysis. If we are found to have violated the intellectual property rights of others, we may be subject to liability for our infringement activities or may be prohibited from using such intellectual property, and we may incur licensing fees or be forced to develop alternatives of our own. In addition, we may incur significant expenses, and may be forced to divert management's time and other resources from our business and operations to defend against these third-party infringement claims, regardless of their merits. Infringement of our intellectual property rights or successful licensing claims made against us may result in significant monetary liabilities and may materially disrupt our business and operations by restricting or prohibiting our use of the intellectual property in question.
Trade Secrets - Risk 2
As our patents may expire and may not be extended, our patent applications may not be granted and our patent rights may be contested, circumvented, invalidated or limited in scope, our patent rights may not protect us effectively.
As of the date of this annual report, we own eight registered patents relating to various aspects of our operations. The rights granted under any issued patents, however, may not provide us with proprietary protection or competitive advantages. The claims under any patents that issue from our patent applications may not be broad enough to prevent others from developing technologies that are similar or that achieve results similar to ours. It is also possible that the intellectual property rights of others will bar us from licensing. Numerous patents owned by others exist in the fields in which we have developed and are developing our technology. These patents and patent applications might have priority over our patent applications and could subject our patent applications to invalidation. Finally, in addition to those who may claim priority, any of our existing patents may also be challenged by others on the basis that they are otherwise invalid or unenforceable. Any failure in extending our existing patents, or if our patent rights were to be contested, circumvented, invalidated or limited in scope could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Trade Secrets - Risk 3
We may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which could harm our business and competitive position.
We regard our trademarks, domain names, trade secrets, proprietary technologies and other intellectual property as critical to our business. We rely on a combination of intellectual property laws and contractual arrangements, including confidentiality agreements with our employees, partners and others, to protect our proprietary rights. As of the date of this annual report, we have obtained eight registered patents from the PRC related to technologies used in our battery cell manufacturing, battery packing and two-stroke permanent magnet engines as well as e-bicycle manufacturing. We have also registered 14 trademarks with the China Trademark Office and have right to use one registered "Cenbird" trademark, and 12 copyright registrations with the PRC. See "Item 4B. Business Overview – Intellectual Property."
It is often difficult to register, maintain and enforce intellectual property rights in China. Statutory laws and regulations are subject to judicial interpretation and enforcement and may not be applied consistently due to the lack of clear guidance on statutory interpretation. Accordingly, we may not be able to effectively protect our intellectual property rights or to enforce our contractual rights in China. Policing any unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult and costly and the steps we have taken may be inadequate to prevent the misappropriation of our intellectual property. In the event that we resort to litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights, such litigation could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our managerial and financial resources. We can provide no assurance that we will prevail in such litigation. In addition, our trade secrets may be leaked or otherwise become available to, or be independently discovered by, our competitors. Any failure in protecting or enforcing our intellectual property rights could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Cyber Security1 | 1.2%
Cyber Security - Risk 1
Any significant cybersecurity incident or disruption of our information technology systems or those of third-party partners could materially damage user relationships and subject us to significant reputational, financial, legal and operation consequences.
We depend on our information technology systems, as well as those of third parties, to develop new products and services, host and manage our services, store data and process transactions. Any material disruption or slowdown of our systems or those of third parties whom we depend upon could cause outages or delays in our services, particularly in the form of interruption of services delivered by our website, which could harm our brand and adversely affect our operating results. If changes in technology cause our information technology systems, or those of third parties whom we depend upon, to become obsolete, or if our or their information systems are inadequate to handle our growth, we could lose users, and our business and operating results could be adversely affected.
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 5/81 (6%)Below Sector Average
Competition1 | 1.2%
Competition - Risk 1
We face intense competition in the charging pile market, and if we fail to compete effectively, we may lose market share and customers.
New and enhanced technologies may increase the competition in the charging pile industry. Increased competition may reduce our profitability, market share, customer base and brand recognition. There can be no assurance that we will be able to compete successfully against current or future competitors, and such competitive pressures may have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Demand1 | 1.2%
Demand - Risk 1
We are dependent upon our core customers for substantial portions of the sale and rental of our e-bicycles and batteries. Any interruption in our relationship with our core customers could materially and adversely affect our growth and financial condition.
We relied on three major customers in sales of batteries, including Ningbo Yiqi New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Chengdu Baiya Technologies Co., Ltd. and Changzhou Copidi Energy Co., Ltd., each accounted for approximately 51%, 26% and 16%, respectively, of our sales of lithium batteries for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023. We relied on our three major customers in sales of batteries, including Ningbo Yiqi New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Weichen Technology Co., Ltd., and Changzhou Copidi Energy Co., Ltd., each accounted for approximately 29%, 23% and 23%, respectively, of our sales of lithium batteries for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022. We relied on our three major customers in sales of batteries, including Zhejiang Weichen Technology Co., Ltd., Changzhou Copidi Energy Co., Ltd., and Guangxi Anneng Technology Co., Ltd., each accounted for approximately 52%, 28% and 8%, respectively, of our sales of lithium batteries for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021.
We relied on our two major customers in sales of e-bicycles, including Piesat Information Technology Co., Ltd. and Jiangsu Biyaqiao Motorcycle Sales Co., Ltd., each accounted for approximately 35% and 20%, respectively, of our e-bicycles sales revenue for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023. We relied on our two major customers in sales of e-bicycles, including Jiangsu Biyaqiao Motorcycle Sales Co., Ltd. and Wenzhou Longwan Yongzhong Tengbu Bicycle Firm, each accounted for approximately 22% and 13%, respectively, of our e-bicycles sales revenue for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022. We relied on three major customers, including Henan Young Man Industries Trade Co., Ltd., Beijing 70 Generation Co., Ltd., and Wenzhou Longwan Yongzhong Tengbu Bicycle Firm, each accounted for approximately 17%, 11% and 9%, respectively, of our e-bicycles sales revenue for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021. Any disputes with our business partners could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Sales & Marketing3 | 3.7%
Sales & Marketing - Risk 1
The wide variety of payment methods that we accept subjects us to third-party payment processing-related risks.
We accept payments using a variety of methods, including bank transfers, online payments with debit cards issued by banks in China, and payment through third-party online payment platforms such as Alipay and WeChat Pay. We may be subject to fraud and other illegal activities in connection with the various payment methods we accept, including online payments. In addition, we are subject to various rules, regulations and requirements, regulatory or otherwise, governing electronic funds transfers, which could change or be reinterpreted to make it difficult or impossible for us to comply. If we fail to comply with these rules or requirements, we may be subject to fines and higher transaction fees and lose our ability to accept debit card payments from our customers, process electronic funds transfers or facilitate other types of online payments, and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 2
Our marketing strategy of appealing to and growing sales to a more diversified group of users may not be successful.
Our marketing is aimed at reinforcing customer perceptions of our brand as a premium e-bicycles brand and leasing service provider. We aim to provide users with a good user experience, including by providing our users with access to a full suite of services conveniently through our online website and services stores. We cannot assure you that our services or our efforts to engage with our users using both our online and offline channels, will be successful, which could impact our revenues as well as our customer satisfaction and marketing.
To grow the business over the long term, we must be successful in selling products and services and promoting our brand experience to a broader and more users. We must also execute our diversification strategy without adversely impacting the strength of the brand with core users. Failure to successfully drive demand for our e-bicycles may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 3
We may lose our foreign private issuer status in the future, which could result in significant additional costs and expenses.
As discussed above, we are a foreign private issuer, and therefore, we are not required to comply with all of the periodic disclosure and current reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. The determination of foreign private issuer status is made annually on the last business day of an issuer's most recently completed second fiscal quarter, and, accordingly, the next determination will be made with respect to us on March 31, 2024. In the future, we would lose our foreign private issuer status if (1) more than 50% of our outstanding voting securities are owned by U.S. residents and (2) a majority of our directors or executive officers are U.S. citizens or residents, or we fail to meet additional requirements necessary to avoid loss of foreign private issuer status. If we lose our foreign private issuer status, we will be required to file with the SEC periodic reports and registration statements on U.S. domestic issuer forms, which are more detailed and extensive than the forms available to a foreign private issuer. We will also have to mandatorily comply with U.S. federal proxy requirements, and EZGO's officers, directors and principal shareholders will become subject to the short-swing profit disclosure and recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition, we will lose our ability to rely upon exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements under the listing rules of the Nasdaq. As a U.S. listed public company that is not a foreign private issuer, we will incur significant additional legal, accounting and other expenses that we will not incur as a foreign private issuer.
Macro & Political
Total Risks: 5/81 (6%)Below Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment3 | 3.7%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
Changes in China's economic, political, or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on EZGO's business and operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China.
Currently substantially all of EZGO's business operations are conducted in China through the WFOE, the VIE and the VIE's subsidiaries, and substantially all of EZGO's sales are made in China. Accordingly, EZGO's business through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be influenced to a significant degree by political, economic, and social conditions in China generally and by continued economic growth in China as a whole.
China's economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the level of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the PRC government has implemented measures since the late 1970's emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets, and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, which are generally viewed as a positive development for foreign business investment, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still owned by the PRC government. In addition, the PRC government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. The PRC government also exercises significant control over the PRC economic growth through allocating resources, controlling payments of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy, and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies.
While China's economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy, and the rate of growth has been slowing down. Some of the governmental measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy, but may have a negative effect on us. For example, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations. Any stimulus measures designed to boost the Chinese economy may contribute to higher inflation, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. For example, certain operating costs and expenses, such as employee compensation and office operating expenses, may increase as a result of higher inflation. In addition, the PRC government has implemented in the past certain measures to control the pace of economic growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity, which in turn could lead to a reduction in demand for EZGO's products and services provided through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China, and consequently have a material adverse effect on its businesses, financial condition, and results of operations. The purchase price of steel, one of main raw materials for EZGO e-bicycles production, kept stable from October 2021 to September 2022. Although the purchase price of cathode material, one of main raw materials for EZGO lithium battery production, continues rising in 2022, EZGO was able to pass those costs to end consumers by raising the selling price of products. As a result, recent inflationary pressures have not materially impacted EZGO's operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 2
Changed
The PRC government could prevent the cash maintained from leaving the PRC, restrict deployment of the cash into the business of the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries and restrict the ability to pay dividends to U.S. shareholders, which could materially adversely affect EZGO's operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China.
The PRC government controls the conversion of Renminbi into foreign currencies and the remittance of currencies out of the PRC. We receive substantially all of our revenues in Renminbi, and most of our cash is in Renminbi. Under our corporate structure, EZGO, a BVI holding company, primarily relies on dividend payments from our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements it may have. Under the existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and trade- and-service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from the SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. As such, under the existing exchange restrictions, cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiaries is able to be paid as dividends in foreign currencies to EZGO without prior approval from the SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. However, approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities is required where Renminbi is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. The PRC government may also at its discretion in the future restrict access to foreign currencies for current account transactions. There is no assurance that the PRC government will not intervene or impose restrictions on the ability of us, our subsidiaries or the VIE to transfer cash. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our foreign currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies from the PRC subsidiary to the offshore subsidiaries, across borders, and to EZGO's shareholders, including the U.S. shareholders. These foreign exchange restrictions and limitations could prevent the cash maintained from leaving the PRC, and restrict our ability to pay dividends to EZGO and the U.S. shareholders.
There are limitations on our PRC subsidiaries' and the VIE's ability to distribute earnings to their respective shareholders. On the one hand, under the current PRC laws and regulations, our PRC subsidiaries may pay dividends only out of their accumulated profits. In addition, our PRC subsidiaries are required to set aside at least 10% of their accumulated after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund certain statutory reserve funds, until the aggregate amount of such fund reaches 50% of their registered capital. Our PRC subsidiaries may at their discretion allocate a portion of their after-tax profits to staff welfare and bonus funds in accordance with relevant PRC rules and regulations. These reserve funds and staff welfare and bonus funds cannot be distributed as cash dividends. Moreover, if the PRC subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us. On the other hand, through the VIE Agreements among Changzhou EZGO, the VIE and its shareholders, we receive substantially all of the economic benefits of the VIE, most importantly, the ability to consolidate the financial statements of the VIE with the financial statements of our holding company, EZGO under U.S. GAAP, for which we are the primary beneficiary of the VIE for accounting purposes, in consideration for the services provided by Changzhou EZGO. For more information, see "Item 3. Key Information-Contractual Arrangements and Corporate Structure" in this annual report. The VIE agreements are not equivalent to equity ownership, and may limit our ability to settle amounts owed by the VIE under the VIE agreements. For example, the contractually bound shareholders of the VIE could potentially breach their contractual agreements with us by failing to fulfill their contractual obligations, failing to act in our interest, or acting to the detriment of our interest. Moreover, as these shareholders, rather than Changzhou EZGO, are the actual shareholders of the VIE, we are unable to independently exercise any rights as a shareholder of the VIE and force the VIE to distribute its earnings to us. In addition, the legality or enforceability of the VIE agreements have never been tested in a court of law in China. If any relevant contractual provisions were to ultimately be held unenforceable by the PRC courts or other governmental authorities, such uncertainty could result in us facing a reduced ability or complete inability to receive the economic benefits of the business operations of the VIE. These restrictions and limitations could limit our ability to settle amounts owed under the VIE agreements and our subsidiaries' ability to pay dividends.
In addition, any transfer of funds by EZGO to our PRC subsidiaries, either as a shareholder loan or as an increase in the registered capital, is subject to a series of procedural requirements imposed by SAFE, SAMR, MOFCOM, or their local counterparts. This may hinder or delay EZGO's deployment of cash into its subsidiaries' and the VIE' business, which could result in a material and adverse effect on EZGO's operations through the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries in China.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 3
Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by a downturn in the global or Chinese economies.
Because our sales may depend on customers' levels of disposable income, perceived job prospects and willingness to spend, our business and prospects may be affected by economic conditions in China or globally. Although the Chinese economy has grown steadily in the past decade, there is considerable uncertainty over the long-term effects of the expansionary monetary and fiscal policies adopted by the People's Bank of China and financial authorities of some of the world's leading economies, including the United States and China. There have been concerns over unrest and terrorist threats in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, which have resulted in volatility in oil and other markets. There have also been concerns on the relationship among China and other Asian countries, which may result in or intensify potential conflicts in relation to territorial disputes. In addition, the economic conditions in China are sensitive to global economic conditions, as well as changes in domestic economic and political policies and the expected or perceived overall economic growth rate in China. A decline in the economic prospects in the mechanics and other industries could alter current or prospective customers' spending priorities. We cannot assure you that e-bicycles' spending in general or with respect to our product offerings in particular will increase, or not decrease, from current levels. Therefore, a slowdown in China's economy or the global economy may lead to a reduction in demand for e-bicycles, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Natural and Human Disruptions1 | 1.2%
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1
The occurrence of natural disasters may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The occurrence of natural disasters, including hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, and pandemic disease may adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations. The potential impact of a natural disaster on our results of operations and financial position is speculative and would depend on numerous factors. The extent and severity of these natural disasters determines their effect on a given economy. Although the long-term effect of diseases such as the COVID-19 "coronavirus," H5N1 "avian flu," or H1N1, the swine flu, cannot currently be predicted, previous occurrences of avian flu and swine flu had an adverse effect on the economies of those countries in which they were most prevalent. An outbreak of a communicable disease in our market could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, and timely reporting obligations under Regulation S-X and Regulation S-K following our business combination. We cannot assure you that natural disasters will not occur in the future or that our business, financial condition and results of operations will not be adversely affected.
Capital Markets1 | 1.2%
Capital Markets - Risk 1
Fluctuations in exchange rates could result in foreign currency exchange losses to us.
The value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in political and economic conditions and the foreign exchange policy adopted by the PRC government. In August 2015, the People's Bank of China, or PBOC, changed the way it calculates the mid-point price of Renminbi against the U.S. dollar, requiring the market-makers who submit for reference rates to consider the previous day's closing spot rate, foreign-exchange demand and supply as well as changes in major currency rates. In 2017, the value of the Renminbi appreciated by approximately 6.3% against the U.S. dollar; and in 2018, the Renminbi depreciated by approximately 5.7% against the U.S. dollar. From the end of 2018 through the end of September 2021, the value of the Renminbi appreciated by approximately 5.20% against the U.S. dollar. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy, including any interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve, may impact the exchange rate between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar in the future. There remains significant international pressure on the PRC government to adopt a more flexible currency policy, including from the U.S. government, which has threatened to label China as a "currency manipulator," which could result in greater fluctuation of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar. However, the PRC government may still at its discretion restrict access to foreign currencies for current account transactions in the future. Therefore, it is difficult to predict how market forces or government policies may impact the exchange rate between the RMB and the U.S. dollar or other currencies in the future. In addition, the PBOC regularly intervenes in the foreign exchange market to limit fluctuations in RMB exchange rates and achieve policy goals. If the exchange rate between RMB and U.S. dollar fluctuates in unanticipated manners, our results of operations and financial condition, and the value of, and dividends payable on, EZGO's shares in foreign currency terms may be adversely affected. EZGO may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to its shareholders. Appreciation of RMB to the U.S. dollar will result in exchange loss, while depreciation of RMB to the U.S. dollar will result in exchange gain.
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.