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.
Top KingWin disclosed 77 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Top KingWin reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.
Risk Overview Q4, 2022
Risk Distribution
35% Finance & Corporate
27% Legal & Regulatory
14% Ability to Sell
9% Macro & Political
8% Production
6% Tech & Innovation
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
2022
Q4
S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
Risks added
Risks changed
Top KingWin 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 Q4, 2022
Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 27 Risks
Finance & Corporate
With 27 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
77
S&P 500 Average: 31
77
S&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Dec 2022
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Dec 2022
Number of Risk Changed
0
S&P 500 Average: 2
0
S&P 500 Average: 2
See the risk highlights of Top KingWin 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 77
Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 27/77 (35%)Below Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights12 | 15.6%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
As an "emerging growth company" under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or JOBS Act, we are permitted to, and intend to, rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements.
As an "emerging growth company" under the JOBS Act, we are permitted to, and intend to, rely 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 $1.07 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 3-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 our Class A Ordinary Shares less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our Class A Ordinary Shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Class A Ordinary Shares and the trading price of our Class A 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.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
Shares eligible for future sale may adversely affect the market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares, as the future sale of a substantial amount of outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares in the public marketplace could reduce the price of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
The market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares could decline as a result of sales of substantial amounts of our Class A Ordinary Shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur. In addition, these factors could make it more difficult for us to raise funds through future offerings of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
An aggregate of 10,963,040 Class A Ordinary Shares are outstanding, including 2,750,000 Class A Ordinary Shares sold in our recent initial public offering that are freely transferable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act. The non-free trading Class A Ordinary Shares are "restricted securities" as defined in Rule 144, which may be sold without registration under the Securities Act to the extent permitted by Rule 144 or other exemptions under the Securities Act.
All of our officers and directors and holders of 5% or more of our Class A Ordinary Shares on a fully diluted and converted basis prior to our recent initial public offering have agreed not to sell our Class A Ordinary Shares for a period of six months following the effective date of the registration statement in connection with the initial public offering, subject to extension under specified circumstances. Class A Ordinary Shares subject to these lock-up agreements will become eligible for sale in the public market upon expiration of these lock-up agreements, subject to limitations imposed by Rule 144 under the Securities Act.
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 our Class A Ordinary Shares, the market price for the Class A Ordinary Shares and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our Class A Ordinary Shares will be influenced by research or reports that industry or securities analysts publish about our business. If industry or securities analysts decide to cover us and in the future downgrade our Class A Ordinary Shares, the market price for our Class A 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 our Class A Ordinary Shares to decline.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
We may experience extreme stock price volatility unrelated to our actual or expected operating performance, financial condition or prospects, making it difficult for prospective investors to assess the rapidly changing value of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
Recently, there have been instances of extreme stock price run-ups followed by rapid price declines and strong stock price volatility with a number of recent initial public offerings, especially among companies with relatively smaller public floats. As a relatively small-capitalization company with relatively small public float, we may experience greater stock price volatility, extreme price run-ups, lower trading volume and less liquidity than large-capitalization companies. In particular, our Class A Ordinary Shares may be subject to rapid and substantial price volatility, low volumes of trades and large spreads in bid and ask prices. Such volatility, including any stock-run up, may be unrelated to our actual or expected operating performance, financial condition or prospects, making it difficult for prospective investors to assess the rapidly changing value of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
In addition, if the trading volumes of our Class A Ordinary Shares are low, persons buying or selling in relatively small quantities may easily influence prices of our Class A Ordinary Shares. This low volume of trades could also cause the price of our Class A Ordinary Shares to fluctuate greatly, with large percentage changes in price occurring in any trading day session. Holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares may also not be able to readily liquidate their investment or may be forced to sell at depressed prices due to low volume trading. Broad market fluctuations and general economic and political conditions may also adversely affect the market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares. As a result of this volatility, investors may experience losses on their investment in our Class A Ordinary Shares. A decline in the market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares also could adversely affect our ability to issue additional Class A Ordinary Shares or other securities and our ability to obtain additional financing in the future. No assurance can be given that an active market in our Class A Ordinary Shares will develop or be sustained. If an active market does not develop, holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares may be unable to readily sell the Class A Ordinary Shares they hold or may not be able to sell their Class A Ordinary Shares at all.
Furthermore, the stock market in general, and the market prices for companies with operations in China in particular, have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the operating performance of such companies. The securities of some China-based companies that have listed their securities in the United States have experienced significant volatility since their initial public offerings in recent years, including, in some cases, substantial declines in the trading prices of their securities. The trading performances of these companies' securities after their offerings may affect the attitudes of investors towards China-based companies listed in the United States in general, which consequently may impact the trading performance of our Class A Ordinary Shares, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition, any negative news or perceptions about inadequate corporate governance practices or fraudulent accounting, corporate structure or other matters of other China-based companies may also negatively affect the attitudes of investors towards China-based companies in general, including us, regardless of whether we have engaged in any inappropriate activities.
In addition to the above factors, the price and trading volume of the Class A Ordinary Shares may be highly volatile due to multiple factors, including the following:
- regulatory developments affecting us, our clients or our industry;- conditions in the financing advisory industry in China;- announcements of studies and reports relating to the quality of our service offerings or those of our competitors; - investor perceptions about us, our business and in general companies with operations in China;- changes in the economic performance or market valuations of other financing advisory companies; - general economic and securities market conditions;- actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations and changes or revisions of our expected results; - the financial projections we may provide to the public, any changes in these projections or our failure to meet these projections; - the absence of cash dividends on our Class A Ordinary Shares;- changes in financial estimates by securities research analysts;- announcements by us or our competitors of new product and service offerings, acquisitions, strategic relationships, joint ventures or capital commitments;- additions to or departures of our senior management;- detrimental negative publicity about us, our management or our industry;- fluctuations of exchange rates between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar;- release or expiry of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares; - the development and sustainability of an active trading market for our Class A Ordinary Shares;- sales or perceived potential sales of additional Class A Ordinary Shares; and - The COVID-19 pandemic, the ensuing economic recessions and deterioration in the credit market in many countries.
Other than the aforementioned potential factors that may affect the price and trading volume of our Class A Ordinary Shares, there are no known factors that may add to this risk.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
Recent joint statement by the SEC and the PCAOB, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and an act passed by the US Senate all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB.
In May 2013, the PCAOB announced that it had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on Enforcement Cooperation with the CSRC, and the PRC Ministry of Finance, which establishes a cooperative framework between the parties for the production and exchange of audit documents relevant to investigations undertaken by the PCAOB, the CSRC or the PRC Ministry of Finance in the United States and the PRC, respectively. The PCAOB continues to be in discussions with the CSRC, and the PRC Ministry of Finance to permit joint inspections in the PRC of audit firms that are registered with PCAOB and audit Chinese companies that trade on U.S. exchanges.
On December 7, 2018, the SEC and the PCAOB issued a joint statement highlighting continued challenges faced by the U.S. regulators in their oversight of financial statement audits of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China. The joint statement reflects a heightened interest in an issue that has vexed U.S. regulators in recent years. On April 21, 2020, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and PCAOB Chairman William D. Duhnke III, along with other senior SEC staff, released a joint statement highlighting the risks associated with investing in companies based in or have substantial operations in emerging markets including China. The joint statement emphasized the risks associated with lack of access for the PCAOB to inspect auditors and audit work papers in China and higher risks of fraud in emerging markets.
On June 4, 2020, the U.S. President issued a memorandum ordering the President's Working Group on Financial Markets, or the PWG, to submit a report to the President within 60 days of the memorandum that includes recommendations for actions that can be taken by the executive branch and by the SEC or PCAOB on Chinese companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges and their audit firms, in an effort to protect investors in the U.S.
On August 6, 2020, the PWG released a report recommending that the SEC take steps to implement the five recommendations outlined in the report. In particular, to address companies from jurisdictions that do not provide the PCAOB with sufficient access to fulfil its statutory mandate, or Non-Cooperating Jurisdictions ("NCJs"), the PWG recommends enhanced listing standards on U.S. stock exchanges. This would require, as a condition to initial and continued exchange listing, PCAOB access to work papers of the principal audit firm for the audit of the listed company. Companies unable to satisfy this standard as a result of governmental restrictions on access to audit work papers and practices in NCJs may satisfy this standard by providing a co-audit from an audit firm with comparable resources and experience where the PCAOB determines it has sufficient access to audit work papers and practices to conduct an appropriate inspection of the co-audit firm. There is currently no legal process under which such a co-audit may be performed in China. The report permits the new listing standards to provide for a transition period until January 1, 2022 for listed companies, but would apply immediately to new listings once the necessary rulemakings and/or standard-setting are effective. The measures in the PWG Report are presumably subject to the standard SEC rulemaking process before becoming effective. On August 10, 2020, the SEC announced that SEC Chairman had directed the SEC staff to prepare proposals in response to the PWG Report, and that the SEC was soliciting public comments and information with respect to these proposals. If we fail to meet the new listing standards before the deadline specified thereunder due to factors beyond our control, we could face possible de-listing from the Nasdaq Capital Market, deregistration from the SEC and/or other risks, which may materially and adversely affect, or effectively terminate, our Class A Ordinary Shares trading in the United States.
On March 24, 2021, the SEC announced that it had adopted interim final amendments to implement congressionally mandated submission and disclosure requirements of the Act. The interim final amendments will apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an Annual Report on Forms 10-K, 20-F, 40-F or N-CSR with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that the PCAOB has determined it is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in that jurisdiction. The SEC will implement a process for identifying such a registrant and any such identified registrant will be required to submit documentation to the SEC establishing that it is not owned or controlled by a governmental entity in that foreign jurisdiction, and will also require disclosure in the registrant's Annual Report regarding the audit arrangements of, and governmental influence on, such a registrant.
Furthermore, the HFCA Act, which requires that the PCAOB be permitted to inspect the issuer's public accounting firm within three years, may result in the delisting of our Company in the future if the PCAOB is unable to inspect our accounting firm at such future time.
In addition, on June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the AHFCAA, which, if signed into law, would amend the HFCA Act and require 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 consecutive years.
On November 5, 2021, the SEC approved the PCAOB's Rule 6100, Board Determinations Under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. Rule 6100 provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the HFCA Act, whether it 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 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a Determination Report which found that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in: (1) mainland China, and (2) Hong Kong. The lack of access to the PCAOB inspection in China prevents the PCAOB from fully evaluating audits and quality control procedures of the auditors based in China. As a result, the investors may be deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of these accounting firms' audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject to PCAOB inspections, which could cause existing and potential investors in our stock to lose confidence in our audit procedures and reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements.
On August 26, 2022, a Statement of Protocol was signed by the PCAOB, the CSRC and the Ministry of Finance of the PRC governing inspections and investigations of audit firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong (the "Statement of Protocol"). Pursuant to the Statement of Protocol, the PCAOB conducted inspections on select registered public accounting firms subject to the Determination Report in Hong Kong between September and November 2022. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB board announced that it has completed the inspections, determined that it had complete access to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong, and voted to vacate the Determination Report. On December 29, 2022, the CAA was signed into law by President Biden. The CAA contained, among other things, an identical provision to the AHFCAA, which reduces the number of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the HFCA Act from three years to two.
Our former auditor, Friedman LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm that issued the audit report for the years ended December 31, 2021 included in this Annual Report, 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. Friedman LLP is headquartered in Manhattan, New York, with no branches or offices outside of the United States, and has been inspected by the PCAOB on a regular basis.
Our current auditor, Marcum Asia CPAs LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm that issued the audit report for the years ended December 31, 2022 included in this Annual Report, 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. Marcum Asia CPAs LLP is headquartered in Manhattan, New York, and is subject to inspection by the PCAOB on a regular basis.
Friedman LLP and Marcum Asia CPAs LLP are not identified in the report issued by PCAOB on December 16, 2021 as a firm subject to the PCAOB's determination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the future, if there is any regulatory change or step taken by PRC regulators that does not permit Friedman LLP or Marcum Asia CPAs LLP to provide audit workpapers to the PCAOB for inspection or investigation, or the PCAOB re-evaluates its determination as a result of any obstruction with the implementation of the Statement of Protocol in the future, you may be deprived of the benefits of such inspection which could result in limitation or restriction to our access to the U.S. capital markets and trading of our securities on a national exchange or "over-the-counter" markets may be prohibited under the HFCA Act. In addition, under the HFCA Act, our securities may be prohibited from trading on the Nasdaq or other U.S. stock exchanges if our auditor is not inspected by the PCAOB for three consecutive years, which could be reduced to two consecutive years if the AHFCAA, passed by the U.S. Senate on June 22, 2021, is signed into law, and this ultimately could result in our Class A Ordinary Shares being delisted by the exchange. Furthermore, we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us after considering the effectiveness of our 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.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6
There are significant legal and other obstacles to obtaining information needed for shareholder investigations or litigation outside China or otherwise with respect to foreign entities.
We conduct substantially all of our business operations in China, and a majority of our directors and senior management are based in China, which is an emerging market. The SEC, U.S. Department of Justice and other authorities often have substantial difficulties in bringing and enforcing actions against non-U.S. companies and non-U.S. persons, including company directors and officers, in certain emerging markets, including China. Additionally, our public shareholders may have limited rights and few practical remedies in emerging markets where we operate. While shareholder claims are common in the United States, including class action securities law and fraud claims, shareholders are generally difficult to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in many emerging markets, including China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to obtaining information needed for shareholder investigations or litigation outside China or otherwise with respect to foreign entities. Although the local 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, the regulatory cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the Unities States has not been efficient in the absence of a mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. According to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law which became effective in March 2020, no foreign securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC. Accordingly, without the consent of the competent PRC securities regulators and relevant authorities, no organization or individual may provide the documents and materials relating to securities business activities to foreign securities regulators.
As a result, our 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 public shareholders of a company incorporated in the United States.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7
You may be unable to present proposals before annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings not called by shareholders.
Cayman Islands law provides shareholders with only limited rights to convene a general meeting and does not provide shareholders with any right to put any proposal before a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in a company's articles of association. Our articles of association allow our shareholders holding shares representing in aggregate not less than 10 percent of our voting share capital in issue, to convene a general meeting of our shareholders, in which case our directors are obliged to call such meeting. Advance notice of at least 7 days is required for the convening of our general meetings. A quorum required for a meeting of shareholders consists of at least one shareholder present or by proxy, representing a majority of the paid up voting share capital in the Company.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8
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 Cayman Islands law.
We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. Our corporate affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum of association and articles of association, the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands (the "Companies Act") and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from the common law of England, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding, on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. It may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United States in the event that you believe that your rights have been infringed under the U.S. federal securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of the PRC may render you unable to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers. For more information regarding the relevant laws of the Cayman Islands and the PRC. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws than the United States. Some U.S. states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law than the Cayman Islands. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States. There is no statutory recognition in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of the Cayman Islands will in certain circumstances recognize and enforce a non-penal judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits.
Shareholders of Cayman Islands exempted companies like us have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records or to obtain copies of lists of shareholders of these companies. Our directors have discretion under our articles of association to determine whether or not, and under what conditions, our corporate records may be inspected by our shareholders, but are not obliged to make them available to our shareholders. This may make it more difficult for you to obtain the information needed to establish any facts necessary for a shareholder motion or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest.
Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, differ significantly from requirements for companies incorporated in other jurisdictions such as the United States. To the extent we choose to follow home country practice with respect to corporate governance matters, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would under rules and regulations applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.
As a result of all of the above, our 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 public shareholders of a company incorporated in the United States.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9
As a "controlled company" under the rules of the Nasdaq Capital Market, we may choose to exempt our company from certain corporate governance requirements that could have an adverse effect on our public shareholders.
Mr. Ruilin Xu, our chairman of the board of directors and our chief executive officer, beneficially owns 4.38% of our total issued and outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares and 100%% of our total issued and outstanding Class B Ordinary Shares, representing 87.91% of our total voting power. As such, Mr. Xu controls matters subject to a vote by our shareholders. Under Rule 4350I of the Nasdaq Capital Market, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a "controlled company" and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including the requirement that a majority of our directors be independent, as defined in the Nasdaq Capital Market Rules, and the requirement that our compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees consist entirely of independent directors. Although we do not intend to rely on the "controlled company" exemption under the Nasdaq listing rules, we could elect to rely on this exemption in the future. If we elect to rely on the "controlled company" exemption, a majority of the members of our board of directors might not be independent directors and our nominating and corporate governance and compensation committees might not consist entirely of independent directors. Accordingly, during any time we remain a controlled company relying on the exemption and during any transition period following a time when we are no longer a controlled company, you would not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq Capital Market corporate governance requirements. Our status as a controlled company could cause our Class A Ordinary Shares to look less attractive to certain investors or otherwise harm our trading price.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 10
The dual-class structure of our ordinary shares has the effect of concentrating voting control with our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, directors and their affiliates.
Each of our Class B Ordinary Shares has 20 votes per share, and each of our Class A Ordinary Shares has 1 vote per share. Mr. Ruilin Xu, our chairman of the board of directors and our chief executive officer, beneficially owns 4.38% of our total issued and outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares and 100% of our total issued and outstanding Class B Ordinary Shares, representing 87.91% of our total voting power. Because of the twenty-to-one voting ratio between our Class B and Class A Ordinary Shares, the holder of our Class B Ordinary Shares will continue to control a majority of the combined voting power of our ordinary share and therefore be able to control all matters submitted to our shareholders for approval so long as the collective voting power of the shares of Class B Ordinary Shares represent more than 50% of the voting power of all outstanding shares of our Class A and Class B Ordinary Shares. As a result, until such time as his collective voting power is below 50%, Mr. Xu as the controlling shareholder has substantial influence over our business, including decisions regarding mergers, consolidations and the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, election of directors and other significant corporate actions, such as (i) making amendments to our certificate of incorporation and by-laws, (ii) whether to issue additional Class A Ordinary Shares, including to himself, (iii) employment decisions, including compensation arrangements, and (iv) whether to enter into material transactions with related parties. The interests of Mr. Xu as the controlling shareholder may differ from the interests of our other shareholders. He may take actions that are not in the best interests of us or our other shareholders. These corporate actions may be taken even if they are opposed by our other shareholders. Further, concentration of ownership of our Class B Ordinary Shares may discourage, prevent or delay the consummation of change of control transactions that shareholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which shareholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. Future issuances of Class B Ordinary Shares may also be dilutive to the holders of Class A Ordinary Shares. As a result, the market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares could be adversely affected. The concentration in the ownership of our ordinary shares will limit the ability of holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares to influence corporate matters for the foreseeable future and may cause a material decline in the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 11
We are an "emerging growth company" and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our Class A Ordinary Shares less attractive to investors.
We are an "emerging growth company" as defined in the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not "emerging growth companies" including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We cannot predict if investors will find our Class A Ordinary Shares less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our Class A Ordinary Shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Class A Ordinary Shares and our stock price may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an "emerging growth company" can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. An "emerging growth company" can therefore delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We are choosing to follow the extended transition period, and as a result, we will delay adoption of certain new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 12
We have a limited operating history and are subject to the risks encountered by early-stage companies.
Our operating entity, Tiancheng Jinhui, was established in October 2018. As a development-stage company, our business strategies and model are constantly being tested by the market and operating results, and we work to adjust our allocation of resources accordingly. As such, our business may be subject to significant fluctuations in operating results in terms of amounts of revenues and percentages of total with respect to the business segments.
We are, and expect for the foreseeable future to be, subject to all the risks and uncertainties, inherent in a development-stage business. As a result, we must establish many functions necessary to operate a business, including expanding our managerial and administrative structure, assessing and implementing our marketing program, implementing financial systems and controls and personnel recruitment. Accordingly, you should consider our prospects in light of the costs, uncertainties, delays and difficulties frequently encountered by companies with a limited operating history. These risks and challenges are, among other things:
- we may require additional capital to develop and expand our operations which may not be available to us when we require it;- our marketing and growth strategy may not be successful;- our business may be subject to significant fluctuations in operating results; and - we may not be able to attract, retain and motivate qualified professionals.
Our future growth will depend substantially on our ability to address these and the other risks described in this Annual Report. If we do not successfully address these risks, our business would be significantly harmed.
Accounting & Financial Operations5 | 6.5%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
The Financial Action Task Force's Increased Monitoring of the Cayman Islands.
In February 2021, the Cayman Islands was added to the Financial Action Task Force ("FATF") list of jurisdictions whose anti-money laundering practices are under increased monitoring, commonly referred to as the "FATF grey list." When the FATF places a jurisdiction under increased monitoring, it means the country has committed to resolve swiftly the identified strategic deficiencies within agreed timeframes and is subject to increased monitoring during that timeframe. In its October 2021 plenary, the FATF recognized the progress made by the Cayman Islands to improve its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regime. Despite this recognition, it is unclear how long this designation will remain in place and what ramifications, if any, the designation will have for the Company.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
We are a "foreign private issuer," and our disclosure obligations differ from those of U.S. domestic reporting companies. As a result, we may not provide you the same information as U.S. domestic reporting companies or we may provide information at different times, which may make it more difficult for you to evaluate our performance and prospects.
We are a foreign private issuer and, as a result, we are not subject to the same requirements as U.S. domestic issuers. Under the Exchange Act, we will be subject to reporting obligations that, to some extent, are more lenient and less frequent than those of U.S. domestic reporting companies. For example, we will not be required to issue quarterly reports or proxy statements. We will not be required to disclose detailed individual executive compensation information. Furthermore, our directors and executive officers will not be required to report equity holdings under Section 16 of the Exchange Act and will not be subject to the insider short-swing profit disclosure and recovery regime. As a foreign private issuer, we will also be exempt from the requirements of Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure) which, generally, are meant to ensure that select groups of investors are not privy to specific information about an issuer before other investors. However, we will still be subject to the anti-fraud and anti-manipulation rules of the SEC, such as Rule 10b-5 under the Exchange Act. Since many of the disclosure obligations imposed on us as a foreign private issuer differ from those imposed on U.S. domestic reporting companies, you should not expect to receive the same information about us and at the same time as the information provided by U.S. domestic reporting companies.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3
If our financial condition deteriorates, we may not meet continued listing standards on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
The Nasdaq Capital Market also requires companies to fulfill specific requirements in order for their shares to continue to be listed. If our Class A Ordinary Shares are delisted from the Nasdaq Capital Market at some later date, our shareholders could find it difficult to sell our Class A Ordinary Shares. In addition, if our Class A Ordinary Shares are delisted from the Nasdaq Capital Market at some later date, we may apply to have our Class A Ordinary Shares quoted on the Bulletin Board or in the "pink sheets" maintained by the National Quotation Bureau, Inc. The Bulletin Board and the "pink sheets" are generally considered to be less efficient markets than the Nasdaq Capital Market. In addition, if our Class A Ordinary Shares are delisted at some later date, our Class A Ordinary Shares may be subject to the "penny stock" regulations. These rules impose additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers that sell low-priced securities to persons other than established clients and institutional accredited investors and require the delivery of a disclosure schedule explaining the nature and risks of the penny stock market. As a result, the ability or willingness of broker-dealers to sell or make a market in our Class A Ordinary Shares might decline. If our Class A Ordinary Shares are delisted from the Nasdaq Capital Market at some later date or become subject to the penny stock regulations, it is likely that the price of our Class A Ordinary Shares would decline and that our shareholders would find it difficult to sell their shares.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 4
Our lack of effective internal controls over financial reporting may affect our ability to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud which may affect the market for and price of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
Prior to our initial public offering, we were a private company with limited accounting personnel and other resources with which to address our internal controls and procedures. We recently became a public company in the United States subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires that we include a report from management on our internal control over financial reporting in our annual report on Form 20-F. In addition, once we cease to be an "emerging growth company" as such term is defined in the JOBS Act, our independent registered public accounting firms must attest to and report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. In connection with the audits of our consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we and our independent registered public accounting firms identified material weaknesses and 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 a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The material weaknesses identified are: (i) inadequate segregation of duties for certain key functions due to limited staff and resources; (ii) lack of documented policies and controls (including IT controls and cybersecurity framework) which enable management and other personnel to understand and carry out their internal control responsibilities; (iii) lack of audit committee and internal audit function to establish formal risk assessment process and internal control framework; and (iv) lack of accounting staff and resources with appropriate knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("U.S. GAAP") and SEC reporting and compliance requirements.
We intend to implement measures designed to improve our internal control over financial reporting to address the underlying causes of these material weaknesses, including (i) hiring more qualified staff to fill up the key roles in the operations; (ii) setting up a financial and system control framework with formal documentation of polices and controls in place; and (iii) hiring additional qualified financial professionals such as corporate controller familiar with U.S. GAAP to increase the number of qualified financial reporting personnel and monitor daily transaction recording and general ledger work. We will not be able to fully remediate these material weaknesses until these steps have been completed and have been operating effectively for a sufficient period of time. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in pursuing these measures, or that these measures will significantly improve or remediate the material weaknesses described above.
In addition, in the course of preparing our financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we and our independent registered public accounting firms identified two significant deficiencies: (i) lack of evidence or track to show management's review performance; and (ii) lack of documentary evidence of proper review or approval process to ensure the list of related parties is complete. To address these significant deficiencies, we plan to adopt a remediation plan to set up a management's review system with requirements to leave accounting supervisor /manager or management's signature after reviewing financial statements and the list of related parties. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in pursuing the measures, or that the measures will significantly improve or remediate the significant deficiencies described above.
We cannot assure you that the measures we have taken to date, and actions we may take in the future, will be sufficient to remediate the control deficiencies that led to the material weaknesses and significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting or that they will prevent or avoid potential future material weaknesses or significant deficiencies. Our current controls and any new controls that we develop may become inadequate because of changes in conditions in our business. Further, material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting may be discovered in the future. If we fail to remediate our current or future material weaknesses or significant deficiencies or to meet the demands that will be placed upon us as a public company, including the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we may be unable to accurately report our financial results, or report them within the timeframes required by law, our consolidated financial statements may be restated, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares could be materially and adversely affected, the Class A Ordinary Shares may be suspended or delisted from Nasdaq, and our reputation, results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected. Failure to comply with Section 404 could also potentially subject us to sanctions or investigations by the SEC or other regulatory authorities.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 5
Because we do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future, you must rely on price appreciation of the Class A Ordinary Shares for return on your investment.
We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any future earnings in the future 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 our Class A Ordinary Shares as a source for any future dividend income.
Our board of directors has discretion as to whether to distribute dividends, subject to certain restrictions under Cayman Islands law, namely that our company may only pay dividends out of profits or share premium; provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in our company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. In addition, our shareholders may by ordinary resolution declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our board of directors. 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 our Class A Ordinary Shares will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of our Class A Ordinary Shares. There is no guarantee that our Class A Ordinary Shares will appreciate in value in the future or even maintain the price at which you purchased the Class A Ordinary Shares. You may not realize a return on your investment in our Class A Ordinary Shares and you may even lose your entire investment in our Class A Ordinary Shares.
Debt & Financing5 | 6.5%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
We face uncertainty with respect to indirect transfers of equity interests in PRC resident enterprises by their non-PRC holding companies.
On February 3, 2015, the SAT issued the Public Notice Regarding Certain Corporate Income Tax Matters on Indirect Transfer of Properties by Non-Tax Resident Enterprises, or SAT Bulletin 7. SAT Bulletin 7 extends its tax jurisdiction to transactions involving the transfer of taxable assets through offshore transfer of a foreign intermediate holding company. In addition, SAT Bulletin 7 has introduced safe harbors for internal group restructurings and the purchase and sale of equity through a public securities market. SAT Bulletin 7 also brings challenges to both foreign transferor and transferee (or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer) of taxable assets, as such persons need to determine whether their transactions are subject to these rules and whether any withholding obligation applies.
On October 17, 2017, the SAT issued the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues Concerning the Withholding of Non-resident Enterprise Income Tax at Source, or SAT Bulletin 37, which came into effect on December 1, 2017. The SAT Bulletin 37 further clarifies the practice and procedure of the withholding of non-resident enterprise income tax.
Where a non-resident enterprise transfers taxable assets indirectly by disposing of the equity interests of an overseas holding company, which is an "Indirect Transfer", the non-resident enterprise as either transferor or transferee, or the PRC entity that directly owns the taxable assets, may report such Indirect Transfer to the relevant tax authority. Using a "substance over form" principle, the PRC tax authority may disregard the existence of the overseas holding company if it lacks a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of reducing, avoiding or deferring PRC tax. As a result, gains derived from such Indirect Transfer may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax, and the transferee or other person who pays for the transfer is obligated to withhold the applicable taxes currently at a rate of 10% for the transfer of equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise. Both the transferor and the transferee may be subject to penalties under PRC tax laws if the transferee fails to withhold the taxes and the transferor fails to pay the taxes.
We face uncertainties as to the reporting and other implications of certain past and future transactions where PRC taxable assets are involved, such as offshore restructuring, sale of the shares in our offshore subsidiaries and investments. Our company may be subject to filing obligations or taxed if our company is transferor in such transactions, and may be subject to withholding obligations if our company is transferee in such transactions, under SAT Bulletin 7 and/or SAT Bulletin 37. For transfer of shares in our company by investors who are enterprises outside of mainland China, our PRC subsidiary may be requested to assist in the filing under SAT Bulletin 7 and/or SAT Bulletin 37. As a result, we may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with SAT Bulletin 7 and/or SAT Bulletin 37 or to request the relevant transferors from whom we purchase taxable assets to comply with these circulars, or to establish that our company should not be taxed under these circulars, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Debt & Financing - Risk 2
We may need additional capital and may sell additional Class A Ordinary Shares or other equity securities or incur indebtedness, which could result in additional dilution to our 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. The sale of additional equity securities or equity-linked debt securities could result in additional dilution to our 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 3
We may rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiary to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiary to make payments to us could have a material and adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business.
We may rely principally on dividends and other distributions on equity from our PRC subsidiary for our cash requirements, including for services of any debt we may incur.
Our PRC subsidiary's ability to distribute dividends is based upon their distributable earnings. Current PRC regulations permit our PRC subsidiary to pay dividends to their respective shareholders only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, our PRC subsidiary is required to draw 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a common reserve, which may stop drawing its after-tax profits if the aggregate balance of the common reserve has already accounted for over 50 percent of its registered capital. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends. If our PRC subsidiary incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other payments to us. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiary to distribute dividends or other payments to their respective shareholders could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends or otherwise fund and conduct our business.
In addition, the Enterprise Income Tax 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 enterprises outside of mainland China unless otherwise exempted or reduced according to treaties or arrangements between the PRC central government and governments of other countries or regions where the enterprises outside of mainland China are incorporated.
Debt & Financing - Risk 4
To the extent any funds or assets in the business is in mainland China or Hong Kong or a mainland China or Hong Kong entity, the funds or assets may not be available to fund operations or for other use outside of mainland China or Hong Kong.
To the extent funds are generated in our PRC operating subsidiary, and may need to be used to fund operations outside of mainland China, such funds may not be available due to limitations placed by the PRC government. Furthermore, to the extent assets (other than cash) in our business are located in mainland China or held by a mainland China entity, the assets may not be available to fund operations or for other use outside of mainland China due to interventions in or the imposition of restrictions and limitations on the ability of us and our subsidiaries to transfer assets by the PRC government. Based on our understanding of the Hong Kong laws and regulations, as of the date of this Annual Report, there is no restriction imposed by the Hong Kong government on the transfer of capital within, into and out of Hong Kong (including funds from Hong Kong to mainland China), except transfer of funds involving money laundering and criminal activities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if certain PRC laws and regulations, including existing laws and regulations and those enacted or promulgated in the future were to become applicable to our Hong Kong subsidiary in the future, and to the extent cash is generated in our Hong Kong subsidiary, and to the extent assets (other than cash) in our business are located in Hong Kong or held by a Hong Kong entity and may need to be used to fund operations outside of Hong Kong, such funds or assets may not be available due to interventions in or the imposition of restrictions and limitations on the ability of us and our subsidiaries to transfer funds or assets by the PRC government. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that the PRC government will not intervene or impose restrictions or limitations on our ability to transfer or distribute cash, which could result in an inability or prohibition on making transfers or distributions to entities outside of mainland China and Hong Kong and adversely affect our business.
Debt & Financing - Risk 5
We may need additional capital, and we may be unable to obtain such capital in a timely manner or on acceptable terms, or at all.
We may require additional capital from time to time to grow our business, including to better serve our clients, develop new service offerings, enhance our data collection and analytics capabilities and online platforms, improve our operating and technology infrastructure or conduct acquisition of complementary businesses and technologies. Accordingly, we may need to sell additional equity or debt securities. Future issuances of equity or equity-linked securities could significantly dilute our existing Shareholders, and any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences and privileges superior to those of holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares. The incurrence of debt financing would result in increased debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations or our ability to pay dividends to our shareholders.
Our ability to obtain additional capital is subject to a variety of uncertainties, including:
- our market position and competitiveness in the equity investment service industry;- our future profitability, overall financial condition, results of operations and cash flows;- general market conditions for fundraising activities by equity investment service providers in China; and - economic, political and other conditions in China and internationally.
We may be unable to obtain additional capital in a timely manner or on acceptable terms or at all. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing on terms satisfactory to us when we require it, our ability to continue to support our business growth could be significantly impaired, and our business and prospects could be materially and adversely affected.
Corporate Activity and Growth5 | 6.5%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
We may undertake mergers, acquisition or investments to diversify or expand our business, which may pose risks to our business and dilute the ownership of our existing shareholders, and we may not realize the anticipated benefits of these mergers, acquisition or investments.
As part of our growth and service diversification strategy, we may evaluate opportunities to acquire or invest in other business in the industry. Mergers, investment or acquisitions that we may enter in the future entail a number of risks that could materially and adversely affect our business, operating and financial results, including, among others:
- problems integrating the acquired operations, technologies or products into our existing business;- diversion of management's time and attention from our core business;- adverse effect on our existing business relationships with clients;- need for financial resources above our planned investment levels;- failures in realizing anticipated synergies;- difficulties in retaining business relationships with suppliers and clients of the acquired company;- risks associated with entering markets in which we lack experience;- potential loss of key employees of the acquired company; and - potential write-offs of acquired assets.
Our failure to address these risks successfully may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Any such acquisition or investment will likely require a significant amount of capital investment, which would decrease the amount of cash available for working capital or capital expenditures. In addition, if we use our equity securities to pay for acquisitions; the value of your Class A Ordinary Shares may be diluted. If we borrow funds to finance acquisitions, such debt instruments may contain restrictive covenants that can, among other things, restrict us from distributing dividends.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2
Our consulting business is dependent on our ability to identify, execute and complete projects successfully and is subject to various risks.
The transactions that we generally advise on, including equity and debt financing, as well as mergers and acquisitions, may be subject to review and approvals by various regulatory authorities. The results and timing of necessary regulatory approvals are beyond our or involving parties' control. Any failure to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals for these transactions in a timely manner may cause substantial delays to, or even the termination of, relevant transactions. In addition, the successful conclusion of transactions depends upon a number of other factors, such as market trends and investors' decisions, many of which are beyond our control. We generally charge consulting fees or commissions based on a certain percentage of the deal size, and we are generally entitled to receive payment of such fees or commissions only after the successful completion of the relevant transaction. If a transaction is not completed as scheduled or at all for any reason, we may not be able to receive fees or commissions for services that we have provided in a timely manner or at all, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Furthermore, we may face increasing challenges in terms of deal execution, client development, pricing and legal risks in light of the constantly evolving regulatory framework and the market conditions. If we are unable to adapt our business strategies to such economic and legal challenges, we may not be able to compete effectively, which could in turn materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 3
The implementation of our expansion plan may not be successful and may lead to increases in our costs and expenses, which may adversely affect our profitability, business, results of operations and financial condition.
As part of our growth strategies, we intend to, among others, expand our geographical coverage in China. There is no assurance that we can successfully implement such strategies to capture the market demand or that such strategies can be implemented according to our proposed schedules and estimated costs, due to various factors, such as the sufficiency of financial resources, and our ability to employ sufficient and competent personnel. In addition, benefits to be generated from such expansion plan, such as increase in revenue, may not be as expected due to factors beyond our control, such as changes in general market conditions and client demands, the economic and political environment in the areas where we intend to expand into. Furthermore, in carrying out our expansion plan, we expect to incur additional costs and expenses, such as employee benefit expenses, selling and marketing expenses, rental expenses and depreciation and amortization. Our plan to strengthen our sales and marketing efforts through online advertisement placements and sales and marketing employee recruitment is also expected to result in an increase in our selling and marketing expenses. Such factors may cause a delay in realizing the benefits of our expansion plan and an increase in our overall costs and expenses, or even prevent us from generating sufficient earnings to cover the costs and hence, our results of operations, in particular our profitability, may be adversely affected.
The continued expansion of our business may also place significant strain on our managerial, operational, technological, financial and other resources. To manage and support our growth, we may need to improve our existing operational and administrative systems, improve our financial and management controls, and enhance our ability to recruit, train and retain additional qualified personnel. All of these endeavors will require substantial attention and time from management and may incur significant additional expenditures. We cannot assure you that we will be able to manage our future growth effectively and efficiently, and our ability to capitalize on new business opportunities may be materially and adversely affected if we fail to do so, which could in turn materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
In view of the above-mentioned uncertainties, there is no assurance that our expansion plan will materialize, or be completed by the predetermined timeframe, or that our objectives will be fully or partially achieved. In the event that we fail to implement our expansion plan as planned, or our expansion plan fails to achieve expected benefits, our profitability, results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 4
Our historical growth may not be indicative of our future performance, which is dependent upon factors beyond our control such as market conditions of the equity investment industry in China.
Our revenue increased by 372% from $1,333,930 in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 to $6,294,667 in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, but revenues decreased by 50% or $3,172,343, from $6,294,667 in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 to $3,122,324 in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022. Despite a decrease in 2022 compared to that for 2021, our revenue for 2022 data still shows a significant increase compared to that for 2020. Our historical growth rate and results may not be indicative of our future growth or performance, and we cannot assure you that we will grow at the same rate as we did in the past or avoid any decline. There is inherent risk in using our historical financial information to project or estimate our financial performance in the future, as it only reflects our past performance under particular conditions. We may not be able to sustain our historical growth rate, revenue, gross margin and return on net assets for various reasons, some of which are beyond our control, including deterioration in the market conditions of the equity investment industry in China, macro-economic measures taken by the PRC government to manage economic growth and intensified competition in the industry. If we fail to successfully address any of the foregoing risks and uncertainties, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected. In addition, our future performance will depend in part on our ability to effectively manage our growth and deal with any and all issues that may potentially hinder our growth. As our operations grow in scale, scope and complexity, we will need to improve and upgrade our systems and infrastructure, which will require significant expenditures and allocation of valuable management resources. If we fail to maintain the necessary level of discipline or fail to allocate limited resources effectively in our organization as it grows, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. To effectively manage our growth, we will also need to implement a variety of new and upgraded operational, technological and financial systems, procedures and controls, including the improvement of our accounting, actuarial, claims and other internal management systems and the enhancement of our compliance and risk control capabilities. The expansion of our business may increase our exposure to liquidity risk, credit risk and operational risk. We expect that we will need to continue to devote substantial financial, operational and technical resources to managing our growth and implementing our business strategies. In order to attain and maintain profitability, we will need to recruit, develop and retain skilled and experienced personnel, which will increase our cost. Our results of operations and financial condition may not always meet the expectations of public market analysts or investors, and may vary from period to period due to a variety of factors beyond our control, which could cause the price of our Class A Ordinary Shares to decline.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 5
We will incur increased costs as a result of being a public company.
As a new public company, we expect to incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, as well as rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and the Nasdaq Capital Market, impose various requirements on the corporate governance practices of public companies. As a company with less than $1.235 billion in net 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.
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. 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. 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.
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 21/77 (27%)Above Sector Average
Regulation13 | 16.9%
Regulation - Risk 1
PRC laws and regulations governing our current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain. Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system, including uncertainties regarding the enforcement of laws, and sudden or unexpected changes in laws and regulations in China with little advance notice could have a material adverse effect on us and limit the legal protections available to you and us.
There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations including, but not limited to, the laws and regulations governing our business and the enforcement and performance of our arrangements with clients in certain circumstances. The laws and regulations are sometimes vague and may be subject to future changes, and their official interpretation and enforcement could be unpredictable, with little advance notice. The effectiveness and interpretation of newly enacted laws or regulations, including amendments to existing laws and regulations, may be delayed, and our business may be affected if we rely on laws and regulations which are subsequently adopted or interpreted in a manner different from our current understanding of these laws and regulations. New laws and regulations that affect existing and proposed future businesses may also be applied retroactively. We cannot predict what effect the interpretation of existing or new PRC laws or regulations may have on our business.
The PRC legal system is based on written statutes. Prior court decisions are encouraged to be used for reference but it remains unclear to what extent the prior court decisions may impact the current court ruling as the encouragement policy is new and there is limited judicial practice in this regard. We conduct our business primarily through our subsidiary established in China.
This subsidiary is generally subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investment in China. However, since these 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 involves uncertainties, which may limit legal protections available to us. In addition, any new changes in PRC laws and regulations related to foreign investment in China could affect the business environment and our ability to operate our business in China. 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, etc. The Opinions and any related implementing rules to be enacted may subject us to compliance requirement in the future. In addition, some regulatory requirements issued by certain PRC government authorities may not be consistently applied by other government authorities (including local government authorities), thus making strict compliance with all regulatory requirements impractical, or in some circumstances impossible. For example, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce the legal protection that we enjoy either by law or contract. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to predict the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. These uncertainties may impede our ability to enforce the contracts we have entered into with our business partners, clients and suppliers. In addition, such uncertainties, including any inability to enforce our contracts, together with any development or interpretation of PRC law that is adverse to us, could materially and adversely affect our business and operations. Furthermore, intellectual property rights and confidentiality protections in China may not be as effective as in the United States or other more developed countries and the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all and may have retroactive effects. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of any of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such unpredictability towards our contractual, property, and procedural rights could adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations. We cannot predict the effect of future developments in the PRC legal system, including the promulgation of new laws, changes to existing laws or the interpretation or enforcement thereof, or the preemption of local regulations by national laws. These uncertainties could limit the legal protections available to us and other foreign investors, including you. In addition, any litigation in China may be protracted and result in substantial costs and diversion of our resources and management attention.
The PRC government has significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of our business and may intervene or influence our operations as the government deems appropriate to further regulatory, political and societal goals. The PRC government has recently published new policies that significantly affected certain industries such as the education and internet industries, and we cannot rule out the possibility that it will in the future release regulations or policies regarding our industry that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Furthermore, if China adopts more stringent standards with respect to certain areas such as corporate social responsibilities, we may incur increased compliance costs or become subject to additional restrictions in our operations. We cannot predict the effects of future developments in the PRC legal system on our business operations, including the promulgation of new laws, or changes to existing laws or the interpretation or enforcement thereof. These uncertainties could limit the legal protections available to us and our investors, including you.
Regulation - Risk 2
Because all of our operations are in China, our business is subject to the complex and rapidly evolving laws and regulations there. The PRC government may exercise significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of our business and may intervene in or influence our operations at any time, which could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
As a business operating in the PRC, we are subject to the laws and regulations of the PRC, which can be complex and evolve rapidly. The PRC government has the power to exercise significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of our business, and the regulations to which we are subject may change rapidly and with little notice to us or our shareholders. As a result, the application, interpretation, and enforcement of new and existing laws and regulations in the PRC are often uncertain. In addition, these laws and regulations may be interpreted and applied inconsistently by different agencies or authorities, and inconsistently with our current policies and practices. New laws, regulations, and other government directives in the PRC may also be costly to comply with, and such compliance or any associated inquiries or investigations or any other government actions may:
- Delay or impede our development,- Result in negative publicity or increase our operating costs,- Require significant management time and attention, and - Subject us to remedies, administrative penalties and even criminal liabilities that may harm our business, including fines assessed for our current or historical operations, or demands or orders that we modify or even cease our business practices.
The promulgation of new laws or regulations, or the new interpretation of existing laws and regulations, in each case that restrict or otherwise unfavorably impact the ability or manner in which we conduct our business and could require us to change certain aspects of our business to ensure compliance, which could decrease demand for our services, reduce revenues, increase costs, require us to obtain more licenses, permits, approvals or certificates, or subject us to additional liabilities. To the extent any new or more stringent measures are required to be implemented, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected as well as materially decrease the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
Furthermore, if the PRC government determines that our corporate structure does not comply with PRC regulations, or if these regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future, our Class A Ordinary Shares may decline significantly in value or become worthless if the determinations, changes or interpretations result in impermissibility of our corporate structure and our inability to assert control over the assets of our PRC subsidiary that accordingly conduct all or substantially all of our operations.
The Chinese government has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy. Our ability to operate in China may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to customer rights, taxation, employment, property and other matters. The central or local governments of China 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 us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in Chinese properties. Given recent statements by the Chinese government indicating an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, any such action could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
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. Such future administrative measure or actions may have material adverse effects on future offering of our securities to investors, our listing in the U.S. or our business operation, for example in the event that it is required that we should obtain permission from the Chinese government to offer our securities to investors or list on U.S. exchanges, it is unpredictable whether such permission can be obtained by us, as the case may be, or, if permission is obtained, whether it could be later denied or rescinded. If we, including our subsidiaries, do not receive or maintain such permissions or approvals, or inadvertently conclude that such permissions or approvals are not required, it could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer our securities to investors, list in the U.S. and cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or become worthless. As of the date of this Annual Report, we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions from PRC government authorities in connection with the Opinions.
On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China (the "SCNPC"), promulgated the PRC Data Security Law, which took effect in September 2021. The PRC Data Security Law imposes data security and privacy obligations on entities and individuals carrying out data activities, and introduces a data classification and hierarchical protection system based on the importance of data in economic and social development, and the degree of harm it will cause to national security, public interests, or legitimate rights and interests of individuals or organizations when such data is tampered with, destroyed, leaked, illegally acquired or used. The PRC Data Security Law also provides for a national security review procedure for data activities that may affect national security and imposes export restrictions on certain data an information.
In early July 2021, regulatory authorities in China launched cybersecurity investigations with regard to several China-based companies that are listed in the United States. In July 2021, the Chinese cybersecurity regulator launched the investigation on three Internet platforms.
On November 14, 2021, the CAC released the Regulations on the Network Data Security Management (Draft for Comments) (the "Data Security Management Regulations Draft"), to solicit public opinion and comments. Pursuant to the Data Security Management Regulations Draft, data processor holding more than one million users' individual information shall be subject to cybersecurity review before listing abroad. Data processing activities refers to activities such as the collection, retention, use, processing, transmission, provision, disclosure, or deletion of data. According to the latest amended Cybersecurity Review Measures, which was promulgated on December 28, 2021 and became effective on February 15, 2022, and replaced the Cybersecurity Review Measures promulgated on April 13, 2020, online platform operator holding more than one million users' individual information shall be subject to cybersecurity review before listing abroad. Since the Cybersecurity Review Measures is new, the implementation and interpretation thereof is not yet clear. As of the date of this Annual Report, we have not been informed by any PRC governmental authority of any requirement that we file for approval.
On July 30, 2021, the State Council promulgated the Regulations on the Protection of the Security of Critical Information Infrastructure, or the Regulations, which took effect on September 1, 2021. The Regulations supplement and specify the provisions on the security of critical information infrastructure as stated in the Cybersecurity Review Measures. The Regulations provide, among others, that protection department of certain industry or sector shall notify the operator of the critical information infrastructure in time after the identification of certain critical information infrastructure.
On August 20, 2021, the SCNPC promulgated the Personal Information Protection Law of the PRC, or the Personal Information Protection Law, which took effect in November 2021. As the first systematic and comprehensive law specifically for the protection of personal information in the PRC, the Personal Information Protection Law provides, among others, that (i) an individual's consent shall be obtained to use sensitive personal information, such as biometric characteristics and individual location tracking, (ii) personal information operators using sensitive personal information shall notify individuals of the necessity of such use and impact on the individual's rights, and (iii) where personal information operators reject an individual's request to exercise his or her rights, the individual may file a lawsuit with a People's Court.
On February 17, 2023, the CSRC issued the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (the "Trial Administrative Measures") and relevant supporting guidelines (collectively, the "New Administrative Rules Regarding Overseas Listings"), which came into force since March 31, 2023. According to the new administrative rules, among other things, a domestic company in the PRC that seeks to offer and list securities in overseas markets shall fulfill the filing procedure with the CSRC as per requirement thereof. Initial public offerings or listings in overseas markets shall be filed with the CSRC within 3 working days after the relevant application is submitted overseas. If an issuer offers securities in the same overseas market where it has previously offered and listed securities subsequently, filings shall be made with the CSRC within 3 working days after the offering is completed. Upon occurrence of any material event, such as change of control, investigations or sanctions imposed by overseas securities regulatory agencies or other relevant competent authorities, change of listing status or transfer of listing segment, or voluntary or mandatory delisting, after an issuer has offered and listed securities in an overseas market, the issuer shall submit a report thereof to CSRC within 3 working days after the occurrence and public disclosure of such event. Further, an overseas securities company that serves as a sponsor or lead underwriter for overseas securities offering and listing by domestic companies shall file with the CSRC within 10 working days after signing its first engagement agreement for such business, and submit to the CSRC, no later than January 31 each year, an Annual Report on its business activities in the previous year associated with overseas securities offering and listing by domestic companies. If an overseas securities company has entered into engagement agreements before the effectuation of the Trial Administrative Measures and is serving in practice as a sponsor or lead underwriter for overseas securities offering and listing by domestic companies, it shall file with the CSRC within 30 working days after the Trial Administrative Measures take effect.
On February 24, 2023, the CSRC promulgated the Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (the "Confidentiality and Archives Administration Provisions"), which also became effective on March 31, 2023. The Confidentiality and Archives Administration Provisions set out rules, requirements and procedures relating to provision of documents, materials and accounting archives for securities companies, securities service providers, overseas regulators and other entities and individuals in connection with overseas offering and listing, including without limitation to, domestic companies that carry out overseas offering and listing (either in direct or indirect means) and the securities companies and securities service providers (either incorporated domestically or overseas) that undertake relevant businesses shall not leak any state secret and working secret of government agencies, or harm national security and public interest, and a domestic company shall first obtain approval from competent authorities according to law, and file with the secrecy administrative department at the same level, if it plans to, either directly or through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide any documents and materials that contain state secrets or working secrets of government agencies. Working papers produced in the Chinese mainland by securities companies and securities service providers in the process of undertaking businesses related to overseas offering and listing by domestic companies shall be retained in the Chinese mainland. Where such documents need to be transferred or transmitted to outside the Chinese mainland, relevant approval procedures stipulated by regulations shall be followed.
Given that the above mentioned newly promulgated laws, regulations and policies were recently promulgated or issued, their interpretation, application and enforcement are subject to substantial uncertainties.
Regulation - Risk 3
Under the rules for cross-border provision and examination of auditing records and other materials in connection with overseas securities issuance and listing in the PRC, the PRC government may impose more stringent requirement for domestic Chinese companies to share business and accounting records with foreign auditing firms and other securities service institutions, which could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to continue to offer our Ordinary Shares to investors and could cause the value of our Ordinary Shares to significantly decline or become worthless.
The Confidentiality and Archives Administration Provisions promulgated by the CSRC on February 24, 2023, which became effective on March 31, 2023, require that, before providing or publicly disclosing documents and materials involving state secrets or government work secrets to securities companies, securities service institutions, or overseas regulators, the domestic enterprises shall seek approval from the relevant government regulators, and make filings with the secret protection administration at the same level.
The Confidentiality and Archives Administration Provisions expand the scope of the regulations from "state secrets" to "state secrets and work secrets of government agencies." However, the provisions do not define the scope of such secrets, but merely provide that in case where it is unclear or disputed as to whether state secrets are involved, the relevant state secret protection regulator shall make final the determination; in case where it is unclear or disputed as to whether government work secrets are involved, the relevant government regulator shall make final the determination.
The Confidentiality and Archives Administration Provisions mandates that domestic enterprises needs to follow due procedures in compliance with applicable national regulations before furnishing accounting records or copies of accounting records to relevant securities companies, securities service institutions, and overseas regulators. Working papers produced in the Chinese mainland by securities companies and securities service providers in the process of undertaking businesses related to overseas offering and listing by domestic companies shall be retained in the Chinese mainland. Where such documents need to be transferred or transmitted to outside the Chinese mainland, relevant approval procedures stipulated by regulations shall be followed.
Since the Confidentiality and Archives Administration Provisions are newly promulgated, and the interpretation and implementation are not very clear, we cannot assure you that whether we will be required to undergo any approval, filing or other procedures in relation to the provision of auditing records and other materials in connection with our listing on the Nasdaq or we will be able to receive clearance of such regulatory requirements in a timely manner, or at all, in the future. The PRC regulatory authorities may impose fines and penalties upon our operations in the PRC, limit our operating privileges in the PRC, or take other actions that could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition, results of operations, reputation and prospects, as well as the trading price of our Ordinary Shares. The CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies may also require us, or make it advisable for us, to terminate our listing. Any failure of us to fully comply with new regulatory requirements may significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to continue to offer the Class A Ordinary Shares, cause significant disruption to our business operations, severely damage our reputation, materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations, and cause the Class A Ordinary Shares to significantly decline in value or become worthless.
Regulation - Risk 4
Recently introduced economic substance legislation of the Cayman Islands may impact the Company or its operations.
The Cayman Islands, together with several other non-European Union jurisdictions, have recently introduced legislation aimed at addressing concerns raised by the Council of the European Union as to offshore structures engaged in certain activities which attract profits without real economic activity. Effective January 1, 2019, the International Tax Co-operation (Economic Substance) Act, 2018 (the "Substance Law") and issued Regulations and Guidance Notes came into force in the Cayman Islands introducing certain economic substance requirements for "relevant entities" which are engaged in certain "relevant activities," which in the case of exempted companies incorporated before January 1, 2019, will apply in respect of fiscal years commencing July 1, 2019, onwards. A "relevant entity" includes an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands; however, it does not include an entity that is tax resident outside the Cayman Islands. Accordingly, for so long as the Company is a tax resident outside the Cayman Islands, it is not required to satisfy the economic substance test under the Substance Law. Although it is presently anticipated that the Substance Law will have little material impact on the Company or its operations, as the legislation is new and remains subject to further clarification and interpretation it is not currently possible to ascertain the precise impact of these legislative changes on the Company.
Regulation - Risk 5
The transfer of funds, dividends and other distributions between us and our subsidiaries is subject to restriction.
As a holding company, we may rely on transfer of funds, dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our subsidiaries in mainland China and Hong Kong for our cash and financing requirements.
As of the date of this Annual Report, there has been no cash flows, including dividends, transfers and distributions, between KingWin and its subsidiaries. In the future, cash proceeds raised from overseas financing activities, will be transferred by us to our subsidiaries via capital contributions or shareholder loans, as the case may be. Such cash proceeds will be transferred by KingWin to KingWin BVI, and then KingWin HK, then transferred to Tiancheng Jinhui, via capital contributions or shareholder loans, as the case may be.
We intend to keep any future earnings to re-invest in and finance the expansion of the business of the PRC operating entity, and we do not anticipate that any cash dividends will be paid in the foreseeable future to our U.S. investors. Under Cayman Islands law, a Cayman Islands company may pay a dividend on its shares out of profits of the company or its share premium amount or a combination of both, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in the company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. In order for us to pay dividends to our shareholders, we may rely on the distribution of profits of the PRC operating entity to the Hong Kong subsidiary. PRC regulations currently permit the payment of dividends only out of accumulated profits, as determined in accordance with accounting standards and PRC regulations. The PRC government imposes controls on the conversion of RMB into foreign currencies and the remittance of currencies out of the PRC. In addition, the Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules provide that a withholding tax at a rate of 10% will be applicable to dividends payable by Chinese companies to enterprises outside of mainland China unless reduced under treaties or arrangements between the PRC central government and the governments of other countries or regions where the enterprises outside of mainland China are tax resident.
Foreign currency exchange regulation in the PRC is primarily governed by Foreign Exchange Administration Regulations, most recently revised by the State Council on August 5, 2008, Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Policies of Foreign Exchange Administration on Direct Investment issued by SAFE on February 13, 2015 and most recently amended on December 30, 2019, and the Provisions on the Administration of Settlement, Sale and Payment of Foreign Exchange promulgated by the People's Bank of China on June 20, 1996. Currently, RMB is convertible for current account items, including the distribution of dividends, interest payments, trade and service related foreign exchange transactions. Renminbi is generally freely convertible for payments of current account items, such as trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, interest and dividend payments, but not freely convertible for capital account items, such as direct investment, loan or investment in securities outside China, unless prior approval of State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or the SAFE, or its local office has been obtained. Capital investments by foreign enterprises are also subject to the regulations of the National Development and Reform Commission of China (the "NDRC"), the MOFCOM and the SAFE.
Therefore, KingWin and its subsidiaries may experience difficulties in completing the administrative procedures necessary to obtain and remit foreign currency for the payment of dividends from our profits, if any.
Regulation - Risk 6
Failure to comply with relevant regulation regarding the leased property of our PRC subsidiary may cause interruptions to its business operations.
As of the date of this Annual Report, the construction plan for one leased property of our PRC subsidiary is inconsistent with the project planning permit, and there may be risks that the lessor would be punished by the relevant authorities due to inconsistency, and therefore our PRC subsidiary may not be able to continue to occupy and use such property. Our PRC subsidiary may be forced to relocate. We cannot assure you that our PRC subsidiary will be able to find a suitable replacement sites on terms acceptable to it on a timely basis.
Regulation - Risk 7
PRC regulation of loans and direct investment by offshore holding companies to PRC entities may delay or prevent us from using the proceeds of our recent initial public offering to make loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.
We are an offshore holding company conducting our operations in China through our subsidiary established in China. We may make loans to our PRC subsidiary subject to the approval from governmental authorities and limitation of amount, or we may make additional capital contributions to our wholly foreign-owned subsidiary in China.
Any loans to our wholly foreign-owned subsidiary in China, which are treated as foreign-invested enterprises under PRC law, are subject to PRC regulations and foreign exchange loan registrations. For example, loans by us to our wholly foreign-owned subsidiary in China to finance their activities must be registered with the local counterpart of SAFE. In addition, a foreign invested enterprise shall use its capital pursuant to the principle of authenticity and self-use within its business scope. The capital of a foreign invested enterprise shall not be used for the following purposes: (i) directly or indirectly used for payment beyond the business scope of the enterprises or the payment prohibited by relevant laws and regulations; (ii) directly or indirectly used for investment in securities or investments other than banks' principal-secured products unless otherwise provided by relevant laws and regulations; (iii) the granting of loans to non-affiliated enterprises, except where it is expressly permitted in the business license; and (iv) paying the expenses related to the purchase of real estate that is not for self-use (except for the foreign-invested real estate enterprises).
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 June 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 banks 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 China, 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. 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 issue 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 recent initial public offering, to our PRC subsidiary, which may adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business in China. On October 23, 2019, the SAFE promulgated the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Further Promoting the Convenience of Cross-border Trade and Investment, or the SAFE Circular 28, which, among other things, allows all foreign-invested companies to use Renminbi converted from foreign currency-denominated capital for equity investments in China, as long as the equity investment is genuine, does not violate applicable laws, and complies with the negative list on foreign investment. However, since the SAFE Circular 28 is newly promulgated, it is unclear how SAFE and competent banks will carry this out in practice.
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 to our PRC subsidiary or future capital contributions by us to our wholly foreign-owned subsidiary in China. As a result, uncertainties exist as to our ability to provide prompt financial support to our PRC subsidiary when needed. If we fail to complete such registrations or obtain such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds that we received from our recent initial public 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 our business.
Regulation - Risk 8
If we become directly subject to the recent scrutiny involving U.S.-listed Chinese companies, we may have to expend significant resources to investigate and or defend the matter, which could harm our business operations, stock price and reputation and could result in a complete loss of your investment in us.
Recently, U.S. public companies that have substantially all of their operations in China have been the subject of intense scrutiny by investors, financial commentators and regulatory agencies. Much of the scrutiny has centered around financial and accounting irregularities and mistakes, a lack of effective internal controls over financial reporting and, in many cases, allegations of fraud. As a result of the scrutiny, the publicly traded stock of many U.S. listed China-based companies that have been the subject of such scrutiny has sharply decreased in value. Many of these companies are now subject to shareholder lawsuits and or SEC enforcement actions that are conducting internal and or external investigations into the allegations. If we become the subject of any such scrutiny, whether any allegations are true or not, we may have to expend significant resources to investigate such allegations and or defend our company. Such investigations or allegations will be costly and time-consuming and distract our management from our business plan and could result in our reputation being harmed and our stock price could decline as a result of such allegations, regardless of the truthfulness of the allegations.
Regulation - Risk 9
U.S. regulatory bodies may be limited in their ability to conduct investigations or inspections of our operations 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 our operations 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 10
PRC regulations relating to the establishment of offshore special purpose companies by PRC residents may subject our PRC resident beneficial owners or our PRC subsidiary to liability or penalties, limit our ability to inject capital into our PRC subsidiary, limit our PRC subsidiary's ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits to us, or may otherwise adversely affect us.
In July 2014, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents' Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment Through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, to replace the Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Residents' Financing and Roundtrip Investment Through Offshore Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 75, which ceased to be effective upon the promulgation of SAFE Circular 37. SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents (including PRC individuals and PRC corporate entities) to register with SAFE or its local branches in connection with their direct or indirect offshore investment activities. SAFE Circular 37 is applicable to our shareholders who are PRC residents and may be applicable to any offshore acquisitions that we make in the future.
Under SAFE Circular 37, PRC residents who make, or have prior to the implementation of SAFE Circular 37 made, direct or indirect investments in offshore SPVs, will be required to register such investments with SAFE or its local branches. In addition, any PRC resident who is a direct or indirect shareholder of an SPV is required to update its filed registration with the local branch of SAFE with respect to that SPV, to reflect any material change. Moreover, any subsidiary of such SPV in China is required to urge the PRC resident shareholders to update their registration with the local branch of SAFE. If any PRC shareholder of such SPV fails to make the required registration or to update the previously filed registration, the subsidiary of such SPV in China may be prohibited from distributing its profits or the proceeds from any capital reduction, share transfer or liquidation to the SPV, and the SPV may also be prohibited from making additional capital contributions into its subsidiary in China. On February 13, 2015, the SAFE promulgated a Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Foreign Exchange Administration Policy on Direct Investment, or SAFE Notice 13, which became effective on June 1, 2015. Under SAFE Notice 13, applications for foreign exchange registration of inbound foreign direct investments and outbound overseas direct investments, including those required under SAFE Circular 37, will be filed with qualified banks instead of SAFE. The qualified banks will directly examine the applications and accept registrations under the supervision of SAFE.
Some of our shareholders that we are aware of are subject to SAFE regulations. As of the date hereof, the PRC resident shareholders have completed foreign exchange registration under the SAFE Circular 37 and other related rules. However, we cannot assure you that all of these shareholders may continue to make required filings or updates in a timely manner, or at all. We can provide no assurance that we are or will in the future continue to be informed of identities of all PRC residents holding direct or indirect interest in our company. Any failure or inability by such shareholders to comply with SAFE regulations may subject us to fines or legal sanctions, such as restrictions on our cross-border investment activities or our PRC subsidiary's ability to distribute dividends to, or obtain foreign exchange-denominated loans from, our company or prevent us from making distributions or paying dividends. As a result, our business operations and our ability to make distributions to you 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. For example, we may be subject to a more stringent review and approval process with respect to our foreign exchange activities, such as remittance of dividends and foreign-currency-denominated borrowings, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. 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 future acquisition strategy and could adversely affect our business and prospects.
Regulation - Risk 11
Certain PRC regulations may make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions.
Among other things, the M&A Rules and Anti-Monopoly Law established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex. Such regulation requires, among other things, that State Administration for Market Regulation (the "SAMR") be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor acquires control of a PRC domestic enterprise or a foreign company with substantial PRC operations, if certain thresholds under the Provisions of the State Council on the Standard for Declaration of Concentration of Business Operators, issued by the State Council in 2008, are triggered. Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law requires that transactions which involve the national security, the examination on the national security shall also be conducted according to the relevant provisions of the State. In addition, PRC Measures for the Security Review of Foreign Investment which became effective in January 2021 require acquisitions by foreign investors of PRC companies engaged in military-related or certain other industries that are crucial to national security be subject to security review before consummation of any such acquisition. We may pursue potential strategic acquisitions that are complementary to our business and operations.
Complying with the requirements of these regulations to complete such transactions could be time-consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval or clearance from the MOFCOM, may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.
Regulation - Risk 12
Non-compliance with law on the part of any third parties with which we conduct business could disrupt our business and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Third parties with which we conduct business, such as third-party content providers and marketing service clients, may be subject to regulatory penalties or punishments because of their regulatory compliance failures or may be infringing upon other parties' legal rights, which may, directly or indirectly, disrupt our business. Although we conduct review of legal formalities and certifications before entering into contractual relationships with third parties, and use our best efforts to take measures to reduce the risks that we may be exposed to in case of any non-compliance by third parties, we cannot be certain whether such third party has violated any regulatory requirements or infringed or will infringe any other parties' legal rights. For example, content providers may submit copyrighted content that they have no right to distribute, and we may not be able to identify all instances of copyright infringement. In the event we release content that violates copyrights of a third party on our online platforms, we may be required to pay damages to compensate such third party. Even though we have the contractual right to seek indemnification from the relevant content provider for such payment, there can be no assurance that we will be able to enforce such right. As a result, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. Similarly, advertisement content provided by our clients may also not be in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
We cannot rule out the possibility of incurring liabilities or suffering losses due to any non-compliance by third parties. We cannot assure you that we will be able to identify irregularities or non-compliance in the business practices of third parties we conduct business with, or that such irregularities or non-compliance will be corrected in a prompt and proper manner. Any legal liabilities and regulatory actions affecting third parties involved in our business may affect our business activities and reputations, and may in turn affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Regulation - Risk 13
Our failure to obtain necessary permits for our offline industry events may subject us to adjustment or cancellation of industry events and may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
While no license is required for holding offline events in general under PRC laws and regulations, we may be required to obtain an event-specific security permit or make relevant filings for large-scale mass activities each time before we hold an offline industry event if the estimated number of participants exceeds a certain number of people. Although we will endeavor to obtain all necessary permits or complete all required filings according to our estimate of the condition of each specific event and currently we do not plan to hold large-scale events requiring security permits or filings, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain relevant permits or complete relevant filings in a timely manner or at all in order to organize our offline industry events as planned, as the regulatory practices with respect to an offline industry event may vary from time to time and the local authorities retain broad discretion in enforcing the relevant requirements. In addition, the permit requirements in China are constantly evolving, and we may be subject to more stringent regulatory requirements due to political or economic changes in the future. If we fail to obtain relevant permits or complete relevant filings to organize our offline industry events as planned, we may have to adjust our event coverage and other arrangements, or even cancel the relevant events. If our offline industry events are reduced in size or even canceled, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected. Even if we have obtained all prerequisite permits or completed all required filings, government authorities may unexpectedly suspend our scheduled offline industry events due to a variety of reasons beyond our control. Local police security authorities may prevent participants from entering our offline industry events and impose administrative penalties on us if the visitor flow exceeds the prescribed limit. Such abrupt suspensions and restrictions might adversely affect the brand-building and networking activities of our industry clients, which in turn could discourage them from participating in our future events and materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities5 | 6.5%
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1
We may be held liable for injuries to individual participants of our offline industry events, which may materially and adversely affect our reputation, business, results of operations and financial condition.
We take event security seriously, and make every effort to ensure the safety of the participants during our offline industry events, such as industry-wide forums and outdoor challenges. However, we cannot guarantee that no physical injury will occur during our offline industry events, for which we could be held liable. Under the PRC laws and regulations, the organizer of a large-scale group activity shall bear tort liability for damages to a third party arising from such organizer's failure to fulfill its security obligations. If the act of a third party results in damage to others in a large-scale group activity, the organizer that failed to fulfill security obligations shall also bear supplementary liability. Therefore, we might face negligence claims alleging that we fail to maintain our facilities or to supervise our employees. In addition, if any participants of our offline events commit acts of violence, we could also face allegations that we failed to provide adequate security or were otherwise responsible for his or her actions. Additionally, our offline events may be perceived to be unsafe, which may discourage prospective sponsors, participants and media companies from attending. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 2
We may be subject to liability claims for any inappropriate or illegal content in our courses and any misconduct of our instructors or employees, which could cause us to incur legal costs and damage our reputation.
We implement strict monitoring procedures to remove inappropriate or illegal content in our courses. However, we cannot assure you that there will be no inappropriate or illegal materials included in our offline or online courses. Therefore, we may face civil, administrative or criminal liability if an individual or corporate, governmental or other entity believes that the content of our courses violates any laws, regulations or governmental policies or infringes upon its legal rights. In addition, in the event of accident or injuries or other harm to our clients or other people during our course offerings, including those caused by or otherwise arising from the actions or negligence of our employees or instructors, we could face negligence claims for inadequate security measures or lack of supervision of employees or instructors. Even if such claim is not successful, defending such claim may cause us to incur substantial costs. Moreover, any accusation of inappropriate or illegal content in our courses and any misconduct of our instructors or employees could lead to significant negative publicity, which could harm our reputation and future business prospects.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 3
We may be involved in legal proceedings or arbitration claims, and the court rulings or arbitration award may not be favorable to us.
We were not and currently are not involved in any litigation or arbitration proceedings pending or, to our knowledge, threatened against us or any of our directors that could have a material and adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition or results of operations. Therefore, no provision was made for legal proceedings or arbitration claims. However, we cannot assure you that there will not be such proceedings or claims in the future or any proceedings or claims during the ordinary course of our business (including but not limited to those in relation to contract disputes between us and our clients). We may also bring legal proceedings against others. We may incur enormous legal costs and, if the outcomes of these legal proceedings or arbitration claims are unfavorable to us, we may be confronted with significant legal liabilities, waste enormous legal costs incurred, and/or suffer financial or reputational damages, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 4
The due diligence that we undertake in the course of our business operations is inherently limited and may not reveal all facts that may be relevant.
In the course of providing consulting services, we endeavor to conduct due diligence review that we deem reasonable and appropriate based on relevant regulatory and market standards, as well as the facts and circumstances applicable to each deal. When conducting due diligence, we are often required to evaluate critical and complex business, financial, tax, accounting, environmental, regulatory and legal issues. Outside consultants, such as legal advisors and accountants, may be involved in the process in varying degrees depending on the type of deal. Nevertheless, when conducting due diligence and making an assessment, we are limited to the resources available, including information provided by the potential clients and, in some circumstances, third-party investigators. Our due diligence may not reveal or highlight all relevant facts and issues that may be necessary or helpful in evaluating potential risks, which may subject us to inaccurate assessment regarding financing opportunities and growth prospects of the potential clients. Moreover, such an investigation will not necessarily result in the successful completion of a deal, which may increase our costs and therefore materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 5
You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing actions in China against us or our management.
We conduct substantially all of our operations in China, and substantially all of our assets are located in China, which is an emerging market. In addition, other than our independent director Kenneth K. Cheng, all of our directors and officers are nationals or residents of countries other than the United States, and a substantial portion of the assets of these persons is located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for our shareholders to effect service of process upon us or those persons inside the PRC.
It may also be difficult for you to enforce the U.S. courts judgments obtained in U.S. courts, including judgments based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us and our officers and directors, many of whom are not residents in the United States, and whose significant part of assets are located outside of the United States. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands or the PRC, respectively, 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. In addition, it is uncertain whether such Cayman Islands or PRC courts would entertain original actions brought in the courts of the Cayman Islands or the PRC against us or such persons predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state.
Specifically, regarding judgment enforcement in the PRC, 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 reciprocal 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 of the PRC. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the U.S.
Taxation & Government Incentives2 | 2.6%
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1
If we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders.
Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with its "de facto management body" within the PRC is considered a "resident enterprise" and will be subject to the enterprise income tax on its global income at the rate of 25%. The implementation rules define the term "de facto management body" as the body that exercises full and substantial control and overall management over the business, productions, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. In 2009, the State Administration of Taxation, or SAT, issued a circular, known as SAT Circular 82, which provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the "de facto management body" of a PRC-controlled enterprise that is incorporated offshore is located in China. Although this circular applies only to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups, not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreigners, the criteria set forth in the circular may reflect the SAT's general position on how the "de facto management body" text should be applied in determining the tax resident status of all offshore enterprises. According to SAT Circular 82, an offshore incorporated enterprise controlled by a PRC enterprise or a PRC enterprise group will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having its "de facto management body" in China, and will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on its global income only if all of the following conditions are met: (i) the primary location of the day-to-day operational management is in the PRC; (ii) decisions relating to the enterprise's financial and human resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel in the PRC; (iii) the enterprise's primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholder resolutions are located or maintained in the PRC; and (iv) at least 50% of voting board members or senior executives habitually reside in the PRC.
We believe our company is not a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. 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." If the PRC tax authorities determine that our company is a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes, we would be subject to PRC enterprise income on our worldwide income at the rate of 25%. Furthermore, we would be required to withhold a 10% tax from dividends we pay to our shareholders that are non-resident enterprises. In addition, non-resident enterprise shareholders (including the common shareholders) may be subject to PRC tax on gains realized on the sale or other disposition of the common stock, if such income is treated as sourced from within the PRC. Furthermore, if we are deemed a PRC resident enterprise, dividends paid to our non-PRC individual shareholders (including the common shareholders) and any gain realized on the transfer of the common stock or ordinary shares by such shareholders may be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 20% (which, in the case of dividends, may be withheld at source by us). These rates may be reduced by an applicable tax treaty, but it is unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of our company 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 our Class A Ordinary Shares.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 2
We may be classified as a passive foreign investment company, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
We do not expect to be treated as a passive foreign investment company ("PFIC") for U.S. federal income tax purposes for the current taxable year or in the foreseeable future. However, the application of the PFIC rules is subject to uncertainty in several respects, and we cannot assure you the U.S. Internal Revenue Service will not take a contrary position. Furthermore, this is a factual determination that must be made annually after the close of each taxable year. If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. holder holds our Class A Ordinary Shares, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could apply to such U.S. holder, including increased U.S. federal income tax liability and additional reporting requirements. Our status as a PFIC is a fact-intensive determination made on an annual basis. Accordingly, our U.S. counsel expresses no opinion with respect to our PFIC status and also expresses no opinion with regard to our expectations regarding our PFIC status.
Environmental / Social1 | 1.3%
Environmental / Social - Risk 1
We face risk related to our collection and use of data, which could result in regulatory actions, litigations and negative publicity about privacy and data protection practices.
Our data capabilities are fundamental to our business operation. We face risks inherent in collecting and handling large volumes of data and in protecting the security of such data. We could be subject to attacks to our systems by outside parties or fraudulent or inappropriate behaviors by our employees or business partners. Third parties may also gain access to our data using computer malware, viruses, spamming, phishing attacks or other means. Data breaches or any misconduct during the process of collection, storage and use of data, could result in a violation of applicable data privacy and protection laws and regulations in China, and subject us to regulatory actions, investigations or litigations. We could incur significant costs in investigating and defending against them and we could be subject to negative publicity about our privacy and data protection practices that may affect our reputation in the marketplace. Our potential risk related to our collection and use of data could require us to implement measures to reduce our exposure to liability, which may require us to expend substantial resources and limit the attractiveness of our data and other services to clients.
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 11/77 (14%)Above Sector Average
Competition3 | 3.9%
Competition - Risk 1
Increasing competition within our industries could have an impact on our business prospects.
We operate in an industry where new competitors can easily enter into since there are no significant barriers to entry. We also face many competitors in the knowledge sharing industry where a number of competitors have been in business longer than us. Competing companies may have significantly greater financial and other resources than we have and may offer services that are more attractive to prospective clients; and increased competition would have a negative impact on both our revenues and our profit margins.
Competition - Risk 2
The industry in which we operate is highly fragmented and intensively competitive, and if we fail to compete effectively with current or future competitors, our business, results of operations and financial conditions could be materially and adversely affected.
The equity investment service industry in China is highly fragmented and intensely competitive. Market players in the equity investment service industry primarily include service platforms for equity investment industry, referring to service providers which offer two or more types of equity investment services, and other service providers. Our ability to grow and stand out among our peers and competitors in this highly fragmented industry depends on many factors, including our ability to expand our geographical coverage in China, to improve our offline service offerings and enhance online-offline synergy. We cannot assure you that we will achieve any of the foregoing goals, and the failure to achieve such goals could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Moreover, the highly fragmented market has presented significant likelihood for market consolidation. If one or more of our competitors, especially other top players in the market, were to merge or partner with another of our competitors, the change in the competitive landscape could also adversely affect our ability to compete effectively or may even cause us to lose our leading position in the market, which may in turn materially and adversely affect our reputation, business, results of operations and financial condition.
Competition - Risk 3
We may not be able to successfully compete with our competitors, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The equity investment service industry in China is becoming increasingly competitive, and we expect it to remain so. We compete primarily with other equity investment service providers including data service providers, online advertising service providers, offline event service providers, consulting service providers, training service providers, etc. As China's equity investment service industry continues to evolve and grow, we may face increased competition from new market entrants. We compete based on a number of factors, including industry experience and insights, ability to adapt to evolving needs of our clients, brand recognition, network, price, breadth of services offered, level of service integration and technology capabilities. If we fail to compete effectively against our competitors, our business, results of operations and financial condition would be materially and adversely affected. Our competitors may operate with different business models, have different cost structures, participate selectively in different market segments or offer a wider range of products and services. They may ultimately prove more successful or more adaptable to new regulatory, technological and other developments. Some of our current and potential competitors may have significantly more financial, technical, marketing and other resources than we do and may be able to devote greater resources to the development, promotion, sale and support of their products and services. Our competitors may also have longer operating histories, more extensive client base, greater brand recognition and broader partner relationships than us. Additionally, a current or potential competitor may acquire one or more of our existing competitors or form a strategic alliance with one or more of our competitors. Our competitors may also from time to time solicit our employees in order to compete in each of our business lines; and certain of our services are newly developed and may fail to compete effectively and achieve market adoption. If we are unable to compete effectively with our competitors, we could experience a decline of our market share, which in turn would materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Demand1 | 1.3%
Demand - Risk 1
We have a substantial client concentration, with a limited number of clients accounting for a substantial portion of our revenues.
We derive a significant portion of our revenues from a few major clients. For the year ended December 31, 2022, three major clients, Chongqing Longjinyun Enterprise Management Partnership (Limited Partnership), Qingdao Yingmanli Enterprise Management Partnership (Limited Partnership) and Qingdao Jinxinfu Enterprise Management Partnership (Limited Partnership), accounted for 21%, 20% and 16% of the Company's revenues respectively. The contract with Chongqing Longjinyun Enterprise Management Partnership (Limited Partnership), dated August 22, 2022, has a term of one year, and will expire on August 21, 2023. The contract with Qingdao Yingmanli Enterprise Management Partnership (Limited Partnership), dated March 1, 2022, has a term of one year and expired on February 28, 2023. The contract with Qingdao Jinxinfu Enterprise Management Partnership (Limited Partnership), dated March 1, 2022, has a term of one year and expired on February 28, 2023.
In the year ended December 31, 2021, two major clients, Zhangjiajie Zhenghang Commercial Partnership (Limited Partnership) and Guangzhou Tiancheng Capital Management Group Co., Ltd., accounted for 15% and 14% of the Company's revenues, respectively. The contract with Zhangjiajie Zhenghang Commercial Partnership (Limited Partnership), dated November 29, 2021, has a term of one year and expired on November 28, 2022. The contract with Guangzhou Tiancheng Capital Management Group Co., Ltd., dated July 6, 2021, has a term of one year and expired on July 5, 2022. In the year ended December 31, 2020, three clients, Guangzhou Tiancheng Capital Management Group Co., Ltd., Chongqing Yangyiyang Enterprise Management Co., Ltd., and Chongqing Qiyun Biotechnology Co., Ltd., each accounted for 17%, 13% and 10% of the Company's revenues, respectively. The contract with Chongqing Yangyiyang Enterprise Management Co., Ltd., dated June 30, 2020, had a term of one year and expired on June 29, 2021. The contract with Chongqing Qiyun Biotechnology Co., Ltd., dated December 1, 2020, had a term of one year and expired on November 30, 2021.
In addition, as of December 31, 2022, no major client had a balance due to the Company. However, Chongqing Jiangbei District Taishangsai Enterprise Management Partnership (Limited Partnership) accounted for 54% of the Company's accounts receivable. The contract with Chongqing Jiangbei District Taishangsai Enterprise Management Partnership (Limited Partnership), dated August 29, 2022, has a term of one year and expired on August 28, 2023. Other than this, no other client's balance accounted for more than 10% of accounts receivables. As of December 31, 2021, two clients, Zhangjiajie Zhenghang Commercial Partnership (Limited Partnership) and Guangzhou Bohua Enterprise Management Consulting Co., Ltd., accounted for 37% and 27% of the Company's accounts receivable, respectively. The contract with Guangzhou Bohua Enterprise Management Consulting Co., Ltd., dated December 1, 2021, has a term of one year and expired on November 30, 2022. As of December 31, 2020, two clients, Chongqing Yangyiyang Enterprise Management Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Qiyun Biotechnology Co., Ltd., each accounted for 35% and 31% of the Company's accounts receivable, respectively.
Inherent risks exist whenever a large percentage of total revenues are concentrated with a limited number of clients. It is not possible for us to predict the future level of demand for our services that will be generated by these clients or the future demand for our services by these clients in the marketplace. If any of these clients declines our services due to market, economic or competitive conditions, it could have an adverse effect on our margins and financial position, and could negatively affect our revenues and results of operations.
Sales & Marketing6 | 7.8%
Sales & Marketing - Risk 1
If we are unable to retain existing clients or attract new ones, or to attract sufficient spending from our clients, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
In order to increase our revenue and maintain our growth, we must retain existing clients and attract new ones, and encourage their usage of our services. As is common in the industry, we do not have long-term service agreements with our clients with respect to each of our business lines. A substantial portion of our revenue comes from agreements that are on a project-by-project basis or for a term of one year or shorter, such as agreements for customized reports and marketing skills training. Revenue from these agreements is not recurrent in nature, which exposes us to the risks of uncertainty and potential volatility with respect to our revenue. Our success depends in large part on our ability to continue to offer high-quality services through our service platform in a cost-effective manner. To this end, we must continue to expand our offline service offerings and keep abreast of user preferences and market trends. Clients may cease their usage of our services or may only be willing to purchase our services at reduced prices if we do not deliver services in an effective manner, or if they do not believe that their spending with us will generate a competitive return or effect as compared to alternative service providers, which will adversely affect our business. Our ability to retain existing clients and attract new ones also depends on the following factors, some of which are out of our control:
- our brand recognition and market presence;- the competitiveness of our pricing and payment terms for our clients, which may, in turn, be constrained by our capital and financial resources;- the market acceptance of new services and functionalities we may introduce;- mergers, acquisitions or other consolidation among market players; and - the effects of domestic and global economic conditions on the development of the equity investment industry generally.
If we are unable to retain our existing clients and attracting new clients due to any of the foregoing factors, our business will be adversely affected. Further, if our existing clients decrease or cease their usage of our services, we may be unable to acquire new clients that spend similarly or even more for our services, and our ability to maintain and/or grow our revenue may be materially and adversely affected.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 2
Our clients with rapidly evolving business may face inherent risks and uncertainties, which could adversely affect their demands for our services.
We are dedicated to serving, among others, entrepreneurs and growth enterprises and investors, whose businesses and prospects are constantly changing and rapidly evolving. As China has witnessed significant economic development and transformation in recent years, an increasing number of innovative business models have emerged, which further contributes to China's economic growth and the prosperity of the equity investment industry. However, there are significant risks and uncertainties with respect to the growth and sustained profitability of these emerging businesses. The short-term growth of new businesses may not be as fast as we expect, while the long-term viability and prospects of new business models remain relatively untested. Our future business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on the development of these new businesses and the performance of our clients, which is in turn subject to the following factors:
- our clients' ability to enhance their existing products and services, to introduce new products and services that meet market preferences, and to expand their markets;- the complex regulatory landscape and governmental measures affecting the emerging businesses in China;- our clients' ability to incorporate technological advancements and predict and adapt to market changes;- the appeal of the new businesses to continue to attract, retain, manage and motivate the key talents; and - the global and domestic economic fluctuations and market trends.
Most of these factors are beyond the control of our clients and ourselves. For example, if new regulatory measures impose strict licensing requirements on emerging businesses in which our clients operate, they may incur substantial cost in obtaining the requisite licenses and suffer declines in their profits. Moreover, if they are unable to meet the licensing requirements, they may be compelled to discontinue successful business operations, or be subject to warnings, fines and confiscation of gains. Such significant business interruptions may reduce our clients' demand for our services, and therefore, materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 3
Our failure to honor our obligations may lead to our refund obligation, client dissatisfaction, or even clients' disputes with us, which may adversely affect our reputation, business, results of operations and financial condition.
Clients for customized reports, offline industry events and offline course offerings generally prepay us a majority of the total contract values upon signing. Our contract liabilities primarily consisted of these prepayments. We had contract liabilities of $187,630 and $587,396 as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021. As of the same date, we had cash of $2,654,185 and $3,816,940, respectively. Our contract liabilities are generally not refundable. However, if we fail to honor our obligations in respect of our contract liabilities, clients may request to cancel their agreements with us or ask for a partial or full refund, which may lead to our refund obligation, client dissatisfaction or even clients' disputes with us. In the event that we are required to refund some or all of the prepayments from our clients pursuant to the contract provisions, we may not have the cash or other available resources to fulfill the refund obligation. Even if we are able to fulfill the refund obligation from available resources, we may need to seek additional sources of capital to fund our operations, which funding may not be available when needed or on acceptable terms. In either of those circumstances, our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation may be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, in the future, clients may elect not to prepay us for our services in which case we would have to find other sources of funding for our operations, capital expenditures and expansion plans, which would be costly as compared to the aforementioned cost-free client prepayment funding and which may not be available when needed or on acceptable terms.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 4
If we fail to help facilitate the brand-building and networking of the sponsors and participants of our offline industry events due to factors beyond our control, our operational and financial results might suffer.
Sponsors and participants are attracted to our offline industry events due to the brand-building and networking prospects. The brand-building and networking results at our offline industry events might fail to meet the expectation of those sponsors and participants due to factors beyond our control, including among others, changes in the regulatory environment, a downturn or unfavorable development in the equity investment industry in China, overall domestic or global economic downturn and the resulting decrease in investment ability and willingness, and contingencies that occur on event dates such as inclement weather or sudden public security measures which affect our ability to host the events effectively, or at all. Other factors may also affect our ability to host satisfactory offline industry events, such as conflicts with other local events, road traffic control, outbreaks of contagious disease or the potential for infection, or acts of nature, such as earthquakes, storms, and typhoons. If we fail to help facilitate the brand-building and networking of offline industry event sponsors and participants, they might be less inclined to participate in our future events, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 5
If we are not able to continue to retain and attract clients to purchase our course offerings, our business and prospects will be materially and adversely affected.
Our ability to continue to attract clients to purchase our course offerings are critical to the continued success and growth of our corporate business training services. This in turn will depend on several factors, including our ability to engage high-level industry practitioners as our instructors, continue to develop, adapt or enhance quality of our course offerings to meet the evolving demands of our existing or prospective clients, and effectively market our course offerings and enhance our brand awareness to a broader base of prospective clients. We may not always be able to meet our clients' expectations due to a variety of reasons, many of which are outside of our control. We may face client dissatisfaction due to our clients' perceptions that we fail to help them achieve their learning goals, as well as our clients' overall dissatisfaction with the quality of our course offerings and our instructors. We must also manage our growth while maintaining consistent and high course quality, and respond effectively to competitive pressures. If we are unable to continue to retain and attract clients to purchase our course offerings, our revenue for corporate business training services may decline, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 6
We may lose our foreign private issuer status in the future, which could result in significant additional costs and expenses.
The determination of our status as a foreign private issuer is made annually on the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter. We would lose our foreign private issuer status if (1) a majority of our outstanding voting securities are directly or indirectly held of record by U.S. residents, and (2) a majority of our shareholders or a majority of our directors or management are U.S. citizens or residents, a majority of our assets are located in the United States, or our business is administered principally in the United States. If we were to lose our foreign private issuer status, the regulatory and compliance costs to us under U.S. securities laws as a U.S. domestic issuer may be significantly higher. We may also be required to modify certain of our policies to comply with corporate governance practices associated with U.S. domestic issuers, which would involve additional costs.
Brand / Reputation1 | 1.3%
Brand / Reputation - Risk 1
The success of our business depends on our ability to maintain and enhance our brand.
We believe that maintaining and enhancing our brand is significant to the success of our business. Our operational and financial performance is highly dependent on the strength of our well-recognized brand, which is critical for forging long-term relationships with China's investors, entrepreneurs and growth enterprises, and governmental agencies at low client acquisition cost. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain and enhance our brand and remain our leadership position in China's equity investment service industry. In addition, negative publicity about us, our services, operations and our management could threaten the perception of our brand. We may receive negative publicity, including negative Internet and blog postings about our Company, our business, our management, our services or our affiliates. Such negative publicity may come from malicious harassment or unfair competition acts by third parties. We may even be subject to government or regulatory investigation as a result of such negative publicity and may be required to spend significant time and incur substantial costs to defend ourselves, and we may not be able to conclusively refute each of the allegations within a reasonable period of time, or at all. Harm to our reputation and client confidence can also arise for many other reasons, including misconduct of our employees or any third parties we conduct business with. As a result, our brand may suffer in the marketplace, our operational and financial performance may be negatively affected and the price of our Class A Ordinary Shares may decline.
Macro & Political
Total Risks: 7/77 (9%)Below Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment2 | 2.6%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
A severe or prolonged downturn in Chinese or global economy could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
The global macroeconomic environment is facing challenges, including the US-China trade war, the end of quantitative easing and start of interest rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve, the economic slowdown in the Eurozone since 2014, uncertainties over the impact of Brexit and the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine. The Chinese economy has shown slower growth since 2012 compared to the previous decade and the trend may continue. There is considerable uncertainty over the long-term effects of the expansionary monetary and fiscal policies adopted by the central banks 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 market volatility. There have also been concerns on the relationship between China and other countries, including the surrounding Asian countries, which may potentially have economic effects. Recent international trade disputes, including tariff actions announced by the United States, China and certain other countries, and the uncertainties created by such disputes may cause disruptions in the international flow of goods and services and may adversely affect the Chinese economy as well as global markets and economic conditions. In addition, the recent market panics over the global outbreak of COVID-19 and the drop in oil prices materially and negatively affected the global financial markets, which may cause slowdown of the global economy. 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. Any severe or prolonged slowdown in Chinese or the global economy may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 2
Changes in China's economic, political or social conditions or government policies, which could occur quickly with little advance notice, could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.
Substantially all of our assets and operations are located in the PRC. Accordingly, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be influenced to a significant degree by political, economic and social conditions in the PRC generally. The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the level of government involvement, development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange, monetary and tax policies, allocation of resources, and regulation of the growth of the general or specific market and a host of other government policies such as those that encourage or restrict investment in certain industries by foreign investors. Although the PRC government has implemented measures 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, a substantial portion of productive assets in the PRC is still owned by the 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's economic growth through allocating resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies.
While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth over past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. Any adverse changes in economic conditions in the PRC, in the policies of the PRC government or in the laws and regulations in the PRC, which may occur quickly with little advance notice, could have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of the PRC. Such developments could adversely affect our business and operating results, lead to a reduction in demand for our services and adversely affect our competitive position. The PRC government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these 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. In addition, in the past the PRC government has implemented certain measures, including interest rate adjustment, to control the pace of economic growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity in the PRC, which may adversely affect our business and operating results. In addition, although these government involvements have been instrumental in China's significant growth, if the PRC government's current or future policies fail to help the Chinese economy achieve further growth, our growth rate or strategy, our results of operations could also be adversely affected as a result.
International Operations1 | 1.3%
International Operations - Risk 1
Cayman Islands was added to the EU AML High-Risk Third Countries List.
On March 13, 2022, the European Commission ("EC") updated its list of ‘high-risk third countries' ("EU AML List") identified as having strategic deficiencies in their anti-money laundering/counter-terrorist financing regimes to add nine countries, including the Cayman Islands. The EC has noted it is committed to there being a greater alignment between the EU AML List and the FATF listing process. The addition of the Cayman Islands to the EU AML List is a direct result of the inclusion of the Cayman Islands on the FATF grey list in February 2021. It is unclear how long this designation will remain in place and what ramifications, if any, the designation will have for the Company.
Natural and Human Disruptions1 | 1.3%
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1
The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flow. Other epidemics or outbreaks of infectious diseases may have a similar impact.
In March 2020, the World Health Organization categorized COVID-19 as a pandemic. The spread of the outbreak has caused significant disruptions in the U.S. and global economies, and the impact may continue to be significant during the rest of the calendar year and potentially beyond. We are subject to risks and uncertainties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects of a subvariant of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, which may spread faster than the original Omicron variant, as well as the effects of any new variants and subvariants which may develop, including any actions taken by governments to avoid the spread of the virus, could affect our results of operations. Because most of our business training courses are taught in indoor conference rooms, in response to the restrictions on large-scale gathering activities imposed by local governments in China, we recently had to cancel or delay a large number of our originally booked business training courses. We continue to evaluate the global risks and the slowdown in business activity related to COVID-19, including the potential impacts on our employees, clients and financial results. The COVID-19 pandemic or other epidemics or outbreaks of infectious diseases could materially adversely impact our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity in several ways. In particular, the continued spread of COVID-19 and efforts to contain the virus could:
- impair the Company's ability to manage day-to-day operations and service delivery;- impact client demand of our services;- cause disruptions in or closures of the Company's operations or those of its clients;- impact global liquidity and the availability of capital;- cause limitations on our employees' ability to work and travel;- impact the availability of qualified personnel;- increase cybersecurity risks as remote working environments may be less secure and more susceptible to hacking attacks, including phishing and social engineering attempts that seek to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic; and - cause other unpredictable events.
Capital Markets3 | 3.9%
Capital Markets - Risk 1
Fluctuations in exchange rates could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the price of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
Our revenues and expenditures are denominated in RMB, whereas our reporting currency is the USD. As a result, fluctuations in the exchange rate between the USD and RMB will affect the relative purchasing power, in RMB terms, of our USD assets. Our reporting currency is the USD, while the functional currency for our PRC subsidiary is RMB. Gains and losses from the re-measurement of assets and liabilities receivable or payable in RMB are included in our consolidated statements of operations. The re-measurement has caused the USD value of our results of operations to vary with exchange rate fluctuations, and the USD value of our results of operations will continue to vary with exchange rate fluctuations. A fluctuation in the value of RMB relative to the USD could reduce our profits from operations and the translated value of our net assets when reported in USD in our financial statements. This change in value could negatively impact our business, financial condition, or results of operations as reported in USD. In the event that we decide to convert our RMB into USD to make payments for dividends on our Class A Ordinary Shares or for other business purposes, appreciation of the USD against the RMB will harm the USD amount available to us. In addition, fluctuations in currencies relative to the periods in which the earnings are generated may make it more difficult to perform period-to-period comparisons of our reported results of operations.
The value of the RMB against the USD and other currencies is affected by, among other things, changes in China's political and economic conditions and China's foreign exchange policies. On July 21, 2005, the PRC government changed its decades-old policy of pegging the value of the RMB to the USD, and the RMB appreciated more than 20% against the USD over the following three years. However, the People's Bank of China, or PBOC, regularly intervenes in the foreign exchange market to limit fluctuations in RMB exchange rates and achieve policy goals. Between July 2008 and June 2010, the exchange rate between the RMB and the USD had been stable and traded within a narrow range. Since June 2010, the RMB has fluctuated against the USD, at times significantly and unpredictably. Since October 1, 2016, Renminbi has joined the International Monetary Fund ("IMF")'s basket of currencies that make up the Special Drawing Right ("SDR") and includes the USD, the Euro, the Japanese yen, and the British pound. In the fourth quarter of 2016, the RMB depreciated significantly in the backdrop of a surging USD and persistent capital outflows of China. With the development of the foreign exchange market and progress towards interest rate liberalization and Renminbi internationalization, the PRC government may announce further changes to the exchange rate system. We cannot assure you that the Renminbi will not appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the USD in the future. It is difficult to predict how market forces or the PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between the Renminbi and the USD in the future.
There remains significant international pressure on the PRC government to adopt a flexible currency policy. Any significant appreciation or depreciation of the RMB may materially and adversely affect our revenues, earnings and financial position, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, our Class A Ordinary Shares in USD. For example, to the extent that we need to convert USD we receive from our initial public offering into RMB to pay our operating expenses, appreciation of the RMB against the USD would adversely affect the RMB amount we would receive from the conversion. Conversely, a significant depreciation of the RMB against the USD may significantly reduce the USD equivalent of our earnings, which in turn could adversely affect the price of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
Very limited hedging options are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. To date, we have not entered into any hedging transactions to reduce our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk. While we may decide to enter into hedging transactions in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these hedges may be limited. We may not be able to hedge our exposure adequately. In addition, our currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert RMB into foreign currency. As a result, fluctuations in exchange rates may have a material adverse effect on the price of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
Capital Markets - Risk 2
Governmental control of currency conversion may limit our ability to utilize our revenues effectively and affect the value of your investment.
The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the Renminbi into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. We receive substantially all of our revenues in Renminbi. Under our current corporate structure, we may primarily rely on dividend payments from our PRC subsidiary to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have. Under 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 of SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. Specifically, under the existing exchange restrictions, without prior approval of SAFE, cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiary in China may be used to pay dividends to our company. However, approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities is required, in principle, where RMB 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. As a result, we need to obtain SAFE approval to use cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiary to pay off their respective debt in a currency other than Renminbi owed to entities outside China, or to make other capital expenditure payments outside China in a currency other than Renminbi. The PRC government may at its discretion restrict access to foreign currencies for current account transactions in the future. 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 to our shareholders, including holders of the Class A Ordinary Shares.
Capital Markets - Risk 3
Fluctuation in the value of the Renminbi and other currencies may have a material adverse effect on the value of your investment.
Our financial statements are expressed in USD. However, all of our revenues and expenses are denominated in Renminbi (RMB). Our exposure to foreign exchange risk primarily relates to the limited cash denominated in currencies other than the functional currencies of each entity. We do not believe that we currently have any significant direct foreign exchange risk and have not hedged exposures denominated in foreign currencies or any other derivative financial instruments. However, the value of your investment in our Class A Ordinary Shares will be affected by the foreign exchange rate between USD and RMB because the primary value of our business is effectively denominated in RMB, while the Class A Ordinary Shares will be traded in USD.
The value of the RMB against the USD and other currencies is affected by, among other things, changes in China's political and economic conditions and China's foreign exchange policies. The People's Bank of China regularly intervenes in the foreign exchange market to limit fluctuations in RMB exchange rate and achieve certain exchange rate targets, and through such intervention kept the USD-RMB exchange rate relatively stable.
As we may rely on dividends paid to us by our PRC subsidiary, any significant revaluation of the RMB may have a material adverse effect on our revenues and financial condition, and the value of any dividends payable on our Class A Ordinary Shares in foreign currency terms. For example, if we decide to convert our RMB into USD for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our Class A Ordinary Share or for other business purposes, appreciation of the USD against the RMB would have a negative effect on the USD amount available to us. Furthermore, appreciation or depreciation in the value of the RMB relative to the USD would affect our financial results reported in USD terms without giving effect to any underlying change in our business or results of operations. We cannot predict the impact of future exchange rate fluctuations on our results of operations and may incur net foreign exchange losses in the future. In addition, our foreign currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert into foreign currencies.
Production
Total Risks: 6/77 (8%)Below Sector Average
Employment / Personnel3 | 3.9%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
Our business could suffer if we are unable to retain or hire quality in-house writers and editors.
We maintain a professional in-house content creation team to create high-quality original content. We intend to continue to invest resources in our in-house writer and editorial team to maintain and improve content creation capabilities. Nevertheless, the demand and competition for talents is intense in our industry, particularly for skilled writers and editors. Therefore, we may need to offer high compensations and additional benefits to maintain a skilled in-house content creation team, which could increase our expenses. If we fail to compete effectively for talents, or to retain existing writers or editors, or fail to otherwise maintain an in-house content creation team at reasonable costs, our in-house content creation capabilities would be negatively affected. If we are unable to offer high-quality original content in a cost-effective manner, our user experience may be adversely affected, and we may suffer from reduced user traffic. Our business, results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected as a result.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 2
If we lose the services of any of our key executive officers and other key employees, or are unable to retain, recruit and hire experienced staff, our ability to effectively manage and execute our operations and meet our strategic objectives could be harmed.
Our future success depends on the continued service of our key executive officers and other key employees. We benefit from the leadership of a strong management team with proven vision, rich professional work experience, and extensive knowledge of China's corporate business training industry and corporate consulting industry. We also rely on a number of key personnel for the development and operation of our business. In addition, we will need to continue attracting and retaining skilled and experienced staff for our businesses to maintain our competitiveness. If one or more of our key personnel are unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we may not be able to replace them easily or at all and may incur additional expenses to recruit and train new personnel, our business could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, if any of our executive officers or key employees joins a competitor or forms a competing company, we may lose know-how, trade secrets and clients. Substantially all of our employees, including each of our executive officers and key employees, have entered into confidentiality agreements with us, which contains customary non-compete provisions. Although non-compete provisions are generally enforceable under PRC laws, PRC legal practice regarding the enforceability of such provisions is not as well-developed as in countries such as the United States. Thus, if we need to enforce our rights under the non-compete provisions, we cannot assure you that a PRC court would enforce such provisions. If we lose the services of any of our key executive officers, senior management, or are unable to retain, recruit and hire experienced staff, our ability to effectively manage and execute our operations and meet our strategic objectives could be harmed.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 3
Non-compliance with labor-related laws and regulations of the PRC and increases in labor costs in the PRC may have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operation.
We have been subject to stricter regulatory requirements in terms of entering into labor contracts with our employees and paying various statutory employee benefits, including pensions, housing fund, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and childbearing insurance to designated government agencies for the benefit of our employees. Pursuant to the PRC Labor Contract Law, or the Labor Contract Law, that became effective in January 2008 and was last amended in December 2012 and its implementing rules that became effective in September 2008, employers are subject to stricter requirements in terms of signing labor contracts, minimum wages, paying remuneration, determining the term of employees' probation and unilaterally terminating labor contracts. In the event that we decide to terminate some of our employees or otherwise change our employment or labor practices, the Labor Contract Law and its implementation rules may limit our ability to effect those changes in a desirable or cost-effective manner, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Furthermore, the Labor Contract Law sets forth additional restrictions and increases the costs involved with dismissing employees. In addition, for employees whose employment contracts include noncompetition terms, the Labor Contract Law requires us to pay monthly compensation after such employment is terminated, which will increase our operating expenses. We expect that our labor costs, including wages and employee benefits, will continue to increase. 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 believe our current practice complies with the Labor Contract Law and its amendments. However, the relevant governmental authorities may take a different view and impose fines on us.
As the interpretation and implementation of labor-related laws and regulations are still evolving, we cannot assure you that our employment practice does not and will not violate labor-related laws and regulations in China, which may subject us to labor disputes or government investigations. If we are deemed to have violated relevant labor laws and regulations, we could be required to provide additional compensation to our employees and be subject to orders by competent labor authorities for rectification, and failure to comply with the orders may further subject us to administrative fines. We may also be subject to late fees and fines in relation to the under-withheld individual income tax. In any of such events, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Costs3 | 3.9%
Costs - Risk 1
Our business may be negatively affected by the potential obligations if PRC subsidiary fails to comply with social insurance and housing provident fund related laws and regulations.
Our PRC subsidiary is required by PRC labor-related laws and regulations to pay various statutory employee benefits, including pensions insurance, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance and housing provident fund, to designated government agencies for the benefit of its employees and associates. In October 2010, SCNPC promulgated the Social Insurance Law of PRC, effective on July 1, 2011 and amended on December 29, 2018. On April 3, 1999, the State Council promulgated the Regulations on the Administration of Housing Provident Fund, which was amended on March 24, 2002 and March 24, 2019. Companies registered and operating in China are required under the Social Insurance Law of PRC and the Regulations on the Administration of Housing Provident Fund to apply for social insurance registration and housing provident fund deposit registration within thirty (30) days of their establishment and to pay for their employees different social insurance including pension insurance, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance as well as housing provident fund to the extent required by law. Our PRC subsidiary could be subject to orders by competent labor authorities for rectification if it fails to comply with such social insurance and housing provident fund related laws and regulations, and failure to comply with the orders may further subject to administrative fines. The relevant government agencies may examine whether an employer has made adequate payments of the requisite statutory employee benefits, and employers who fail to make adequate payments may be subject to late payment fees, fines and/or other penalties.
Our PRC subsidiary does not make contributions in full for the social insurance fund and housing provident fund for its employees as required under the relevant PRC laws and regulations. Although it has not received any order or notice from the local authorities nor any claims or complaints from its current and former employees regarding its non-compliance in this regard, we cannot assure you that it will not be subject to any order to rectify non-compliance in the future, nor can we assure you that there are no, or will not be any, employee complaints regarding social insurance payment or housing provident fund contributions against it, or that it will not receive any claims in respect of social insurance payment or housing provident fund contributions under the PRC laws and regulation. In addition, our PRC subsidiary may incur additional costs to comply with such laws and regulations by the PRC Government or relevant local authorities. Any such development could materially and adversely affect its business, financial condition and results of operations.
Costs - Risk 2
We may not be able to maintain or increase our course fee level.
Our revenue generated from corporate business training services are affected by the pricing of our training courses. We determine our course fees primarily based on the demand for our courses, the cost of our operations, the course fees charged by our competitors, our pricing strategy to gain market share and general economic conditions in the PRC. Leveraging our long-standing industry expertise and comprehensive course offerings, we offer high-end equity investment training services and charge premium fees comparable to trainings services of the same category for our course. Although we charge premium course fees for our courses compared with the majority of the equity investment training service providers, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to maintain or increase our course fees in the future without adversely affecting the demand for our corporate business training services.
Costs - Risk 3
Our insurance coverage may not be adequate, which could expose us to significant costs and business disruption.
We have maintained insurance policies covering damages to certain of our properties. However, insurance companies in China generally do not offer as extensive an array of insurance products as insurance companies do in countries with more developed economies. Consequently, we do not maintain sufficient business interruption insurance, business liability insurance or key man life insurance, which are not mandatory under PRC laws. Any business disruption, litigation or natural disasters, or any significant damages to our equipment or facilities may cause to incur substantial costs and divert our resources, and we may have no insurance to cover such losses. As a result, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 5/77 (6%)Below Sector Average
Innovation / R&D2 | 2.6%
Innovation / R&D - Risk 1
Our improvements of our existing services and introduction of new services may not be successful or may fall short of expected results.
Our success depends in large part on our ability to improve our existing services, introduce new services and enhance our market competitiveness. The success of any improvement or new service depends on a number of factors, including actual performance, pricing level, market competition, industry trend and client demand, many of which are beyond our control. However, our future plans may require us to devote significant financial and managerial resources, and we cannot assure you that we will achieve our goals to successfully improve our existing services and achieve market acceptance of our new services, which could compromise our ability to serve our users and clients effectively. If our equity investment services become less attractive to existing and potential users and clients, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 2
We may not be able to timely develop our courses in a cost-effective manner to make them appealing to existing and prospective clients, or at all.
As our training courses cover topics regarding China's rapidly evolving equity investment industry, we work closely with our instructors on developing, updating and improving our course materials to stay abreast of the latest development trends in each subsector of the industry. The adjustments, updates and expansions of our existing course content and the development of new course materials may not be accepted by existing or prospective clients. Even if we are able to develop acceptable new course materials, we may not be able to introduce them as quickly as clients require or as quickly as our competitors introduce competing offerings. Furthermore, offering new course materials or upgrading existing ones may require us to commit significant resources and make significant investments in course content development. If we are unsuccessful in pursuing course content development and upgrading opportunities due to the financial constraints, failure to attract qualified instructors, or other factors, our ability to attract and retain clients could be impaired and our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
Trade Secrets2 | 2.6%
Trade Secrets - Risk 1
Third parties may claim that we infringed their proprietary intellectual property rights, which could cause us to incur significant legal expenses and prevent us from promoting our services.
We could be involved in litigation related to allegations of infringement of intellectual property rights. While we screen content offered in our service offerings to avoid potential intellectual property right infringement, we may not be able to identify all instances of infringement, especially those arising from content we source from others. Third parties may claim that, as the service provider delivering such contents, we are also liable for any infringement upon the third parties' rights jointly with the content providers. We typically rely on representations from third-party content providers that their contents do not infringe upon third parties' intellectual property rights and on indemnification should any such representations become inaccurate and we suffer damages as a result, including any damages resulting from third-party claims. However, indemnification may not be adequate in recovering our loss if the contents we deliver indeed infringe upon valid patents, trademarks, copyrights or other intellectual property rights. Moreover, third parties may also claim that the software or technologies we currently use in our business operations infringe their intellectual property rights, which may subject us to potential liabilities. We have implemented operational protocols to use our best efforts to ensure compliance with intellectual property laws. However, there can be no assurance that third-party right holders will not assert intellectual property infringement or other related claims against us in the future. Defending against these claims is costly and can impose a significant burden on our management and resources. Such claims may harm our reputation. Any liability or expenses resulting from such claims, or necessary changes to our services to reduce the risk of future liability, may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Trade Secrets - Risk 2
Unauthorized use of our intellectual property by third parties, and the expenses incurred in protecting our intellectual property rights, may adversely affect our business, reputation and competitive edge. Intellectual property is crucial to our competitiveness and success.
Unauthorized use of our intellectual property may adversely affect our business and reputation. We rely on a combination of contractual restrictions, confidentiality procedures, and intellectual property registrations to protect our intellectual property rights. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, third parties may attempt to copy or otherwise obtain or use our intellectual property, including seeking court declaration that they do not infringe upon our intellectual property rights. Monitoring unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult and costly, and the steps we have taken may not fully prevent misappropriation of our intellectual property. We may not be able to detect all such websites in a timely manner and, even if we could, technological measures may be insufficient to stop their operations, and could require us to expend significant financial or other resources. Furthermore, the practice of intellectual property rights enforcement action by Chinese regulatory authorities is at its early stage of development and is subject to significant uncertainty. We may have to resort to litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights, which could result in substantial costs and diversion of our resources, and thus may adversely affect our business. In addition, there is no assurance that we will be able to enforce our intellectual property rights effectively or otherwise prevent others from the unauthorized use of our intellectual property. Failure to adequately protect our intellectual property could materially and adversely affect our brand name and reputation, and our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Cyber Security1 | 1.3%
Cyber Security - Risk 1
Recent greater oversight by the CAC over data security, particularly for companies seeking to list on a foreign exchange, could adversely impact our business and our securities offering.
On December 28, 2021, the CAC, together with 12 other governmental departments of the PRC, jointly promulgated the Cybersecurity Review Measures, which became on February 15, 2022. The Cybersecurity Review Measures provides that, in addition to critical information infrastructure operators that intend to purchase Internet products and services, data processing operators engaging in data processing activities that affect or may affect national security must be subject to cybersecurity review by the Cybersecurity Review Office of the PRC. According to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, a cybersecurity review assesses potential national security risks that may be brought about by any procurement, data processing, or overseas listing. The Cybersecurity Review Measures further requires that critical information infrastructure operators and data processing operators that possess personal data of at least one million users must apply for a review by the Cybersecurity Review Office of the PRC before conducting listings in foreign countries.
On November 14, 2021, the CAC published the Data Security Management Regulations Draft, which provides that data processing operators engaging in data processing activities that affect or may affect national security must be subject to network data security review by the relevant Cyberspace Administration of the PRC. According to the Data Security Management Regulations Draft, data processing operators who possess personal data of at least one million users or collect data that affects or may affect national security must be subject to network data security review by the relevant Cyberspace Administration of the PRC. On July 7, 2022, the CAC promulgated the Measures for the Security Assessment of Outbound Data Transfers, or the Measures, which will become effective from September 1, 2022. The Measures shall apply to the security assessment of the provision of important data and personal information collected and generated by data processors in the course of their operations within the territory of the PRC by such data processors to overseas recipients. The Measures stipulates the circumstances under which security assessment of outbound data transfers should be declared, including: (i) outbound transfer of important data by a data processor; (ii) outbound transfer of personal information by a critical information infrastructure operator or a personal information processor who has processed the personal information of more than one million people; (iii) outbound transfer of personal information by a personal information processor who has made outbound transfers of the personal information of one million people cumulatively or the sensitive personal information of 10,000 people cumulatively since January 1 of the previous year; or (iv) other circumstances where an application for the security assessment of an outbound data transfer is required as prescribed by the national cyberspace administration authority. Based on the relevant regulations relating to outbound data transfer in the Cybersecurity Law, the Data Security Law, and the Personal Information Protection Law, the Measures provide the scope, conditions and procedures of security assessment of outbound data transfer and thereby provide specific guidelines for security assessment of outbound data transfers.
We believe that we are in compliance with the current data security, cybersecurity, and other regulations and policies issued by the CAC, and we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions from the CAC or other PRC governmental authorities for violation of those regulations or policies to date. However, since many of those regulations or policies are relatively new, there remains significant uncertainty as to their interpretation and implementation. If PRC governmental authorities interpret or implement those regulations or policies in a way different from us and conclude that there are violations by us in the future, or new laws, regulations, rules, or detailed implementation and interpretation are adopted that result in noncompliance by us, we may be subject to fines, penalties or other sanctions, which may have a significant adverse impact on our financial position, operations and the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares. As of the date of this Annual Report, we have not received any notice from any authorities identifying our PRC subsidiary as a critical information infrastructure operator or requiring us to go through cybersecurity review or network data security review by the CAC. We believe that our listing in the U.S. will not be affected by the Cybersecurity Review Measures, Data Security Management Regulations Draft or the Measures, and our PRC operations will not be subject to cybersecurity review or network data security review by the CAC, because our business does not rely on the collection of user data or implicate cybersecurity and we do not possess more than one million users' individual information. There remains uncertainty, however, as to how the Cybersecurity Review Measures, the Data Security Management Regulations Draft and the Measures will be interpreted or implemented and whether the PRC regulatory agencies, including the CAC, may adopt new laws, regulations, rules, or detailed implementation and interpretation related to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, the Data Security Management Regulations Draft and the Measures. If any such new laws, regulations, rules, or implementation and interpretation come into effect, we will take all reasonable measures and actions to comply and to minimize the adverse effect of such laws on us. We cannot guarantee, however, that we will not be subject to cybersecurity review or network data security review in the future.
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.