UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For
the fiscal year ending
OR
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from ______________ to ______________
Commission
File No.
(Exact name of the small business issuer as specified in its charter)
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
OTC Markets |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Title of each class | ||
Common Stock, par value $0.0001 |
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well- known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 during the preceding twelve (12) months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports),
and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive Data
File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding twelve (12) months (or for such
shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See the definition of “accelerated filer” and “large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |
☐ | Smaller reporting company | |||
Emerging growth company |
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
If
securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant
included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No
The
aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the closing price as
of December 31, 2023, of $0.0298 per share, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed fourth quarter, was
approximately $
The number of shares of Common Stock, $0.0001 par value of the registrant, outstanding as of October 15, 2024, was .
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Form 10-K”) contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact are “forward-looking statements” for purposes of federal and state securities laws, including, but not limited to, any projections of earnings, revenue, or other financial items; any statements of the plans, strategies, and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning proposed new products or developments; any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance; any statements of belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Although we believe the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results could differ materially from those projected or assumed in any of our forward-looking statements. Our future financial condition, operations results, and forward-looking statements are subject to change, inherent risks, and uncertainties.
Forward-looking statements may include the words “may,” “could,” “will,” “estimate,” “intend,” “continue,” “believe,” “expect,” “desire,” “goal,” “should,” “objective,” “seek,” “plan,” “strive” or “anticipate,” as well as variations of such words or similar expressions, or the negatives of these words. These forward-looking statements present our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this Form 10-K. Except for our ongoing obligation to disclose material information as required by federal securities laws, we do not intend and undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes will likely vary materially from those indicated.
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PART I
ITEM 1. | BUSINESS |
Overview
Under Delaware laws, the founders incorporated the Company as Forex Development Corporation on January 21, 2016. On February 27, 2018, the Company changed its name to FDCTech, Inc. The name change reflects the Company’s commitment to expanding its products and services in the FX and financial markets for OTC brokers. The Company provides innovative and cost-efficient financial technology (‘fintech’) and business solutions to OTC Online Brokerages (“customers”).
The Company intends to build a diversified global financial services company driven by proprietary Condor trading technologies, complementary regulatory licenses, and a proven executive team. The Company plans to acquire, integrate, transform, and scale legacy financial service companies. The Company believes its proprietary technology and software development capabilities allow legacy financial services companies immediate exposure to –forex, stocks, ETFs, commodities, social/copy trading, and other high-growth fintech markets.
From December 2021 onwards, the Company expects to grow from its acquisition strategy, specializing in buying and integrating small to mid-size legacy financial services companies. The Company intends to build a diversified global software-driven financial services company. The Company plans to acquire, integrate, transform, and scale legacy financial service companies. The Company replaces conventional legacy software infrastructure with its regulatory-grade proprietary Condor trading technologies, intending to improve end-user experience, increase client retention, and realize cost synergies.
Currently, we have three primary business segments: (1) Technology and Software Development, (2) Wealth Management, and (3) Investment and Margin Brokerage Business.
Technology & Software Development – Condor Trading Technology
The Company secures and earns revenues by signing an agreement with its customers. The Company considers a signed agreement with its customers, a binding contract with the customer, or other similar documentation reflecting the terms and conditions under which the Company will provide products or services as persuasive evidence of an arrangement. Each agreement is specific to the customer and clearly defines each party’s fee schedule, duties and responsibilities, renewal and termination terms, confidentiality agreement, dispute resolution, and other clauses necessary for such a contract. The material terms of customer contracts depend on the nature of services and solutions. Each contract is specific to the customer and clearly defines each party’s fee schedule, duties and responsibilities, renewal and termination terms, confidentiality agreement, dispute resolution, and other clauses necessary for such a contract.
The Company is a technology provider and software developer for digital assets. The Company does not mine any digital assets or trade or act as a counterparty in digital assets in the United States. Consequently, the Company does not intend to register as a custodian with state or federal regulators, including but not limited to obtaining a money service business or money transmitter license with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and respective State’s money transmission laws. The Company also does not need to register under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as a national securities exchange, an alternative trading system, or a broker-dealer since the Company is not a broker-dealer nor does it intend to become a broker-dealer. Customers sometimes compensate us in Bitcoin through our custodian, Gemini Trust Company, LLC (“Gemini”). Gemini is a licensed New York trust company that undergoes regular bank exams and is subject to cybersecurity audits conducted by the New York Department of Financial Services.
We are a development company in the financial technology sector with limited operations. The Company has prepared consolidated financial statements on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the settlement of liabilities and commitments in the ordinary business course.
The Company has no patents or trademarks on its proprietary technology solutions.
The Company has three sources of revenue.
● | Technology Solutions – The Company licenses its proprietary and sometimes resells third-party technologies to customers. Our proprietary technology includes but is not limited to Condor Risk Management Back Office (“Condor Risk Management”), Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform (previously known as Condor FX Pro Trading Terminal), Condor Pricing Engine, Digital Assets Web Trader Platform, and other digital assets-related solutions. | |
● | Customized Software Development – The Company develops software for Customers with unique requirements outlined in the Software Development Agreement (“Agreement”). | |
● | Consulting Services—The Company’s turnkey business solutions include Start-Your-Own brokerage (“SYOB”), Start-Your-Own Prime Brokerage (“SYOPB”), and FX/OTC liquidity solutions. |
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In the retail foreign exchange trading space, where individuals speculate on the exchange rate between different currencies, our customers are forex brokerages, prime of prime brokers, prime brokers, and banks. The Company generates revenues by licensing its trading technology infrastructure, including but not limited to trading platforms (desktop, web, mobile), back office, and CRM and banking integration technology.
The Company acts as an adviser/strategic consultant and reseller of its proprietary technologies in the digital assets and blockchain space. The Company expects to generate additional revenue from its digital asset-related solutions. Such solutions include revenues from the development of a custom digital assets exchange platform for customers, the sale of the non-exclusive source code of the digital assets exchange platform to third parties, white-label fees of digital assets exchange platforms, and the sale of aggregated digital assets data price feed from various digital assets exchanges to OTC brokers. The Company initially plans to develop the technology architecture of the digital assets exchange platform for its customers. The initial capital required to produce such technologies comes from our customers as the Company takes on design-build software development projects for customers. The Company develops these projects to meet the customer’s design criteria and performance requirements.
The Company has completed the Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform, previously known as the Condor FX Trading Platform. The Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform is a regulatory-grade trading platform targeted at day traders and retail investors. The industry characterized such platforms by their ease of use and helpful features, such as the simplified front-end (user interface/user experience), back-end (reporting system), news feeds, and charting system. The Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform includes risk management (dealing desk, alert system, margin calls, etc.), a pricing engine (best bid/ask), and connectivity to multiple liquidity providers or market makers. We have tailored the Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform to markets such as forex, stocks, commodities, digital assets, and other financial products.
The Company released, marketed, and distributed its Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform in the second quarter of the fiscal year, December 31, 2019. The Company has developed the Condor Back Office API to integrate third-party CRM and banking systems into Condor Back Office.
The Company has ten (10) licensing agreements for its Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform. The Company continuously negotiates additional licensing agreements with several retail online brokers to use the Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform. Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform is available in desktop, web, and mobile versions.
The Company’s upgraded Condor Back Office (Risk Management) meets various jurisdictions’ regulatory requirements. Condor Back Office meets the directives under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II/MiFIR), legislation by the European Securities and Market Authority (ESMA) implemented across the European Union on January 3, 2018.
The Company is developing the Condor Investing & Trading App, a simplified trading platform for traders with varied experiences in trading stocks, ETFs, and other financial markets from their mobile phones. The Company expects to commercialize the Condor Investing & Trading App by the end of the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024.
The Company had developed NFT Marketplace, a decentralized NFT marketplace, a multichain platform with a lazy minting option to reduce and limit unnecessary blockchain usage fees, also known as gas fees. The Company did not commercialize the NFT Marketplace in the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, as the market for NFT has slowed considerably.
The Company and its subsidiary, ADS, intend to develop a digital wealth management company, initially including a Robo Advice Platform catering to Australia’s wealth management industry. The Company does not expect to commercialize the Robo Advice Platform.
The consolidated revenues for Technology and Software Development for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022 were $1,811,423 and $626,600, respectively.
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Wealth Management – AD Advisory Services Pty Ltd.
On December 22, 2021, the Company entered into a Share Exchange Agreement (the “Agreement”) with AD Financial Services Pty Ltd ACN 628 331 117 of Level 38/71 Eagle St, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 4000 (“ADFP” or “Target”). According to the Agreement, the Company acquired a controlling interest of fifty-one percent (51.00%) of ADFP’s issued and outstanding shares of capital stock in exchange for 45,000,000 (the “Consideration”) newly issued “restricted” common shares. The operating and licensed entity of ADFP is AD Advisory Services Pty Ltd. (“ADS”). ADFP owns one hundred percent (100.00%) equity interest in ADS. As a result, the Company owns 51.00% of ADS. The Company closed the acquisition on December 22, 2021, and combined the financial statements of ADS in its annual report, 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 28, 2022.
AD Advisory Services Pty Ltd. (ADS) is an Australian-regulated wealth management company with 28 financial advisors and $530+ million in funds under advice. ADS provides licensing solutions for financial advisers and accountants in Australia and offers financial planners different licensing, compliance, and education solutions to meet their practice’s specific needs.
ADS’ consolidated revenues for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022 were $5,927,424 and $5,827,731, respectively.
Margin Brokerage (Europe) – Alchemy Markets Ltd.
On December 31, 2022, the Company announced the sales purchase agreement (“Agreement”) under which the Company acquired a 50.10% equity interest in New Star Capital Trading Ltd., a British Virgin Island company (“New Star”) and its operating subsidiary Alchemy Markets Ltd. (“AML”), formerly known as NSFX Ltd (“NSFX”). AML is an investment firm regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA).
The Company will assume a business acquisition loan liability of $350,000 to purchase the controlling interest in AML. The Company amended the Agreement to June 30, 2023, to comply with the BVI Companies Act requirement for the change of ownership. The Company closed the acquisition as of June 30, 2023, and consolidated the fair value of AML’s assets and liabilities from June 30, 2023.
AML has furnished the Company with its audited balance sheet for the fiscal year ending November 30, 2021, and 2020 (the “Balance Sheet Date”). AML provided the related audited statements of operations, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the fiscal years ending November 30, 2021, and 2020. AML has no liabilities other than (i) liabilities reflected in the financial statements and (ii) liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business from the balance sheet date. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is the auditor of AML.
The Company completed the acquisition of the remaining 49.90% of the issued and outstanding shares of Alchemy Markets Holdings Ltd (Alchemy BVI), formerly known as New Star and its subsidiary AML on November 30, 2023 (“Acquisition Date”), from Alchemy Prime Holdings Ltd. (APHL), through an exchange for 833,621 Series B preferred convertible stocks (“Series B Preferred Stock”) valued at $1,175,406.
Mr. Gope S. Kundnani (“Kundnani”) is the (sole) natural person holding one hundred percent (100%) shareholding in the APHL. Kundnani (“Control Person”) is also a controlling shareholder in the Company.
AML is authorized to deal with its account (market maker) as a Category 3 licensed entity by the MFSA, receive and transmit orders for retail and professional clients, and hold and control clients’ money and assets. AML trading platform services in the English, French, German, Italian, and Arabic-speaking markets, whereby customers can trade in currency, commodity, equity, and digital assets-linked derivatives in real time. AML is authorized countries to do business include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
AML’s consolidated revenues for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022 were $4,351,474 and $0, respectively. The Company has consolidated revenue of AML from July 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023.
Margin Brokerage (UK) – Alchemy Prime Ltd.
The Company”) completed the acquisition of 100.00% of the issued and outstanding shares of Alchemy Prime Limited (“APL”) on November 30, 2023 (“Acquisition Date”) from APHL, through an exchange for 966,379 Series B Preferred Stock valued at $1,362,594.
Kundnani is the (sole) natural person holding one hundred percent (100%) shareholding in the APHL. Kundnani (“Control Person”) is also a controlling shareholder in the Company.
APL is an investment firm regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (‘FCA’). It provides investment advice, acts as agent and principal, safeguards and administers assets in forex, equity, commodities, spread bets, and other financial assets, and is authorized to do business in several countries, including England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
APL’s consolidated revenues for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022 were $664,579 and $0, respectively. The Company has consolidated APL’s revenue from December 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023.
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Termination of CIM Acquisition
On July 19, 2022, the Company signed a non-binding letter of intent to acquire fifty-one percent (51.00%) equity interest in CIM Securities, LLC (“CIM Securities”), a FINRA and SIPC member firm. On September 30, 2022, the Company signed a definitive agreement pending regulatory approval, paid a $20,000 non-refundable deposit, and transferred $180,000 to the escrow account to complete the transaction. The Company filed the CMA form with FINRA in February 2023. Once the Company receives approval from FINRA and pays the balance of $180,000, it will start consolidating income statements and balance sheets as it holds the controlling interest in CIM Securities.
At July 31, 2023, the Company sent the notice of termination of the purchase agreement to CIM Securities as future events may result in a change of ownership in the CMA application. The Company believes that this would cause further delays in the approval process. Our board has mandated the management team to concentrate on expanding and developing our core non-US forex business to maximize shareholder value.
Settlement of the FRH Group Note
Between February 22, 2016, and April 24, 2017, the Company borrowed $1,000,000 from FRH Group, a founder and principal shareholder (“FRH”). The Company executed Convertible Promissory Notes, due between February 28, 2018, and April 24, 2019. The Notes were initially convertible into common stock at $0.10 per share but discounted under certain circumstances. In no event will the conversion price be less than $0.05 per share with a maximum of 20,000,000 shares should FRH decide to convert the entire note. On February 22, 2021, the Company entered into an Assignment of Debt Agreement (the “Agreement”) with FRH and FRH Group Corporation. The Company eliminated all four FRH Group convertible notes, including interest, of $1,256,908 in return for issuing 12,569,080 of unregistered common stock of the Company (the “Shares”) to FRH. Following the Agreement, FRH assigned the Shares to FRH Group Corporation, also owned by Mr. Hong.
Termination of Acquisition of Genesis Financial, Inc.
In line with the new strategic direction, on June 2, 2021, the Company entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Genesis Agreement”) with the Shareholders of Genesis Financial, Inc., a Wyoming corporation (“GFNL” or “Seller”). According to the Agreement, the Company plans to acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding equity interests of GNFL, including its wholly owned subsidiaries and other variable interest entities, in consideration for 70,000,000 shares of the Company’s restricted common stock (the” “Securities”) valued at thirty-five Million U.S. Dollars ($35,000,000).
On August 24, 2021, FDCTech, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“FDCT” or the “Company” or “Buyer”), terminated the Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”), dated June 2, 2021, with the Shareholders of Genesis Financial, Inc., a Wyoming corporation (“Genesis” or “Seller”). As of the termination date, the Company has not issued any securities to the Seller. The Company could not complete nor qualify the Agreement as Genesis could not comply with several non-exhaustive material provisions, covenants, or conditions.
On June 9, 2021, and in connection with the previous description of the Genesis Agreement, dated June 2, 2021, the Company appointed Warwick Kerridge as Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors. Effective August 24, 2021, the Company terminated the appointment of Warwick Kerridge as the Board of Directors. The Company terminated Mr. Kerridge’s engagement upon the consent of the majority of the stockholders representing at least 68.73% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company. The Company authorized the action according to Section 222 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Upon the termination of Mr. Kerridge, the Company currently had four Board of Directors. Mitchell M. Eaglstein shall be the acting Chairman of the Company.
Governmental Regulation
FDCTech is a publicly traded company subject to SEC and FINRA’s rules and regulations regarding public disclosure, financial reporting, internal controls, and corporate governance.
Our wealth management business, AD Advisory Services (ADS), is subject to enhanced regulatory scrutiny and is regulated by multiple regulators in Australia. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) administers a licensing regime for ‘financial services’ providers where ADS holds an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL) and meets various compliance, conduct, and disclosure obligations.
AML is an investment firm regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA).
APL is an investment firm regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
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Board of Directors
Effective January 1, 2021, Naim Abdullah resigned as the Director of the Company.
On June 9, 2021, and in connection with the previous description of the Genesis Agreement, dated June 2, 2021, the Company appointed Warwick Kerridge as Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors. Effective August 24, 2021, the Company terminated the appointment of Warwick Kerridge as the Board of Directors. The Company terminated Mr. Kerridge’s engagement upon the consent of the majority of the stockholders representing at least 68.73% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company. The Company authorized the action according to Section 222 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Upon the termination of Mr. Kerridge, the Company currently had four Board of Directors. Mitchell M. Eaglstein shall be the acting Chairman of the Company.
On July 6, 2021, the Board of Directors of FDCTech, Inc. (the “Company”) increased from four to five directors and appointed Charles R. Provini, age 74, to the vacancy. Mr. Provini is considered independent under NYSE and NASDAQ listing standards. Mr. Provini has been the Chairman, CEO, and President of Natcore Technology Inc. since May 2009, a research and development company protected by 65 patents granted or pending. From November 1997 to October 2000, he was the President of Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management and a Director of Ladenburg Thalmann, Inc., one of the oldest New York Stock Exchange members. He served as President of Laidlaw Asset Management and Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Howe & Rusling, Laidlaw’s Portfolio Management Advisory Group, from November 1995 to September 1997. Mr. Provini served as Rodman & Renshaw’s Advisory Services President from February 1994 to August 1995. He was the President of LaSalle Street Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, from January 1983 to April 1985. Mr. Provini has been a leadership instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy, Chairman of the U.S. Naval Academy’s Honor Board, and is a former Marine Corp. officer. Mr. Provini holds an undergraduate Engineering degree from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and a post-graduate degree from the University of Oklahoma.
On November 30, 2021, Charles R. Provini, a member of the Board of Directors of FDCTech, Inc. (the “Company”), notified the Company of his intention to voluntarily resign from the Company’s Board of Directors effective November 30, 2021. Mr. Provini did not advise the Company of any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to its operations, policies, or practices. Upon the resignation of Mr. Provini, the Company currently has three Board of Directors.
On September 30, 2022, the Company appointed Gope S. Kundnani as the Director of the Company. Upon the appointment of Mr. Kundnani, the Company currently has four Board of Directors. Mr. Kundnani is a seasoned entrepreneur with several decades of experience building successful businesses in the United States, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom. From May 2018 to the present, Mr. Kundnani was the founder and current Director of Alchemy Prime Markets, a financial brokerage services company regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). From December 2018 to the present, Mr. Kundnani founded and is the Director of Blackthorn Finance Limited, an authorized payments financial services company regulated by the FCA. From May 2004 to April 2008, Mr. Kundnani was the Director of Tristar Group, responsible for investing and acquiring small retail businesses in the Texas region. From February 1999 to the present, Mr. Kundnani has been a partner and CEO of Flexo Pack, a polyethylene product manufacturer with a global customer base. Mr. Kundnani holds an undergraduate business degree from Mulund College of Commerce, Mumbai, India.
Upon Mr. Kerridge’s termination and Mr. Provini’s resignation, the Company has four Board of Directors. Mitchell M. Eaglstein is the acting Chairman of the Company. Mitchell M. Eaglstein and Imran Firoz are the company’s executive directors and officers. Gope S. Kundnani is considered an executive director by owning the Company’s stock of at least 10%. Jonathan Baumgart is an independent director under NYSE and NASDAQ listing standards.
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Changes in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant
On July 2, 2021, the Board of Directors of FDCTech, Inc. (the “Company”) approved the dismissal of Farber Hass Hurley LLP (“FHH”) as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. The reports of FHH on the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021, and 2020 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion. It was not qualified or modified for uncertainty audit scope or accounting principles.
On July 2, 2021, the Company appointed BF Borgers CPA PC (“BFB”) as the Company’s new independent registered public accounting firm, effective immediately, to perform independent audit services for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. BFB has been the Company’s auditor since July 2021. On April 18, 2023, the board of directors of FDCTech, Inc. (the “Company”) terminated its relationship with its independent registered public accounting firm, BF Borgers CPA PC, Lakewood, Colorado (“BF Borgers”), effective as of April 18, 2023. The reports of BF Borgers on the Company’s financial statements for the two years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021 did not contain an adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion. They were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope, or accounting principles, except for providing a qualification for the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. During the year ended December 31, 2022, and in the subsequent period through March 31, 2023, there were no disagreements with BF Borgers on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which, if not resolved to the satisfaction of BF Borgers, would have caused BF Borgers to refer to the matter in its reports on the Company’s financial statements for such periods.
On April 18, 2023, the Company, based on the decision of its board of directors, approved the engagement of Bolko & Company, Boca Raton, Florida (“Bolko”) to serve as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, commencing April 18, 2023. On March 4, 2024, the board of directors of the “Company terminated its relationship with its independent registered public accounting firm, Bolko & Company, Boca Raton, Florida (“Bolko”), effective as of March 4, 2024.
The Company retained Bolko for less than a year, and we did not file any Form 10K reports with the SEC. During the period that Bolko was the Company’s auditor through March 4, 2024, there were no disagreements with Bolko on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Bolko, would have caused Bolko to refer to the matter in its reports on the Company’s financial statements for such periods.
On March 4, 2024, the Company, based on the decision of its board of directors, approved the engagement of Fortune CPA Inc., Orange, California (“FCPA”) to serve as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, commencing March 4, 2024.
On July 2, 2024, the Company, based on the decision of its board of directors, approved the engagement of Olayinka Oyebola & Co (“Olayinka”) to serve as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, commencing July 2, 2024. Olayinka is a member of Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) in the United States and member of Canadian Public Accountability Board (CPAB) in Canada.
Rounding Error
Due to rounding, numbers presented in the financial statements for the period ending December 31, 2023, and 2022, and throughout the report, may not add up precisely to the totals provided, and percentages may not reflect the absolute figures.
Description of Company’s Securities to be Registered
Effective September 03, 2021, the Company incorporated by reference the description of its common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, to be registered hereunder contained under the heading “Description of Securities” in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333- 221726), as initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on November 22, 2017, as subsequently amended (the “Registration Statement”). Since the Registration Statement filing, the Company has made all required filings pursuant to Section 15(d) and has continued to file all reports voluntarily.
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Covid-19
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic throughout the United States. While the initial outbreak concentrated in China, it spread to several other countries, including Russia and Cyprus, and infections were reported globally. Many countries worldwide, including the United States, have implemented significant governmental measures to control the spread of the virus, including temporary closure of businesses, severe restrictions on travel and the movement of people, and other material limitations on trade. These measures have resulted in work stoppages, absenteeism in the Company’s labor workforce, and other disruptions. The extent to which the coronavirus impacts our operations will depend on future developments. These developments are highly uncertain. We cannot predict them with confidence, including the duration and severity of the outbreak and the actions required to contain the coronavirus or treat its impact. In particular, the spread of the coronavirus globally could adversely impact our operations and workforce, including our marketing and sales activities and ability to raise additional capital, which could harm our business, financial condition, and operation results.
Ukraine-Russia Conflict
The geopolitical situation in Eastern Europe intensified on February 24, 2022, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The war between the two countries continues to evolve as military activity continues. The United States and certain European countries have imposed additional sanctions on Russia and specific individuals. By the end of August 2022, the Company closed its technical support and development office in Russia. We relocated our personnel to Turkey and Kazakhstan, which are considered neutral zones. No individual associated with the Company is banned or under the Special Designated Nationals and Blocked Person list. If the military activities worsen and expand in Europe, we may relocate our office from Turkey to other neutral zones in Asia. It may impact our software development capabilities and the Company’s business plans if we cannot relocate our technical and development operations to a safer zone.
As of the date of this report, there has been no disruption in our operations.
ITEM 1A. | RISK FACTORS |
Our Company is a “smaller reporting company” as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and is not required to provide the information required under this Item.
ITEM 1B. | UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS |
None.
ITEM 2. | OPERATING LEASES |
Irvine Lease, California, USA (Headquarter)
Effective October 29, 2019, to the present, the Company leased office space at 200 Spectrum Center Drive, Suite 300, Irvine, CA 92618. As per the Commitment Term of the lease (“Agreement”), this Agreement shall continue on a month-to-month basis (any term after the Commitment Term, also known as “Renewal Term”). The Commitment Term and all subsequent Renewal Terms shall constitute the “Term.” The Company may terminate this Agreement by delivering to the lessor Form (“Exit Form”) at least one (1) whole calendar month before the month in which the Company intends to terminate this Agreement (“Termination Effective Month”). The Company is entitled to use the office and conference space if needed. The new rent payment or membership fee for the Irvine Office is $95 per month compared to the previous rent payment or membership fee for the New York Office of $890 per month as the General and administrative expenses.
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Limassol, Cyprus Lease, (Europe Office)
From February 2019 to July 2023, the Company leased office space in Limassol District, Cyprus, from an unrelated party for a year. The office’s monthly rent payment is $1,750, which is included in the general and administrative expenses. From July 2023 to the present, the Company leased a bigger office space in Limassol District, Cyprus, from an unrelated party for a year. The office’s monthly rent payment is approximately $3,500, which is included in the general and administrative expenses. From July 2023 to the present, the Company leased office space for its CEO. The office’s monthly rent payment is $3,500, which is included in the general and administrative expenses. The down payment for the lease was approximately $6,300. The lease is for one year and renewable two months before the term in June 2025.
Limassol, Cyprus Lease, Europe (Ecastica)
From October 2023 to January 2024, the Company leased office space in the Limassol District, Cyprus, for a specific purpose. This space was intended for our subsidiary, Alchemytech Ltd, to be established in Cyprus in March 2024. The monthly rent payment for this office was approximately $1,000, and the down payment for the lease was approximately $6,300. These expenses were included in the general and administrative expenses.
Chelyabinsk, Russia (Terminated)
From February 2020, this agreement continues every year upon written request by the Company. The Company uses the office for sales and marketing in Europe and Asia. From April 2019 to August 2022, the Company leased office space in Chelyabinsk, Russia, from an unrelated party for an eleven (11) month term. The office’s rent payment is $500 per month, and the Company has included it in the General and administrative expenses. From March 2020, this agreement continues a month-to-month basis until the Company, or the lessor chooses to terminate by the agreement’s terms by giving thirty (30) days’ notice. The Company uses the office for software development and technical support. Effective August 2022, the Company closed its offices in Russia and relocated its team to Turkey. In April 2023, we relocated our personnel to Kazakhstan.
Right-of-Use Assets and Lease Liabilities
The Company has entered into operating lease agreements for its facilities and equipment. The right-of-use asset (ROU) is measured at the present value of the lease payments over the lease term, adjusted for lease incentives, initial direct costs, and any lease payments made at or before the commencement date. As of December 31, 2023, the ROU: $39,683. Lease liabilities are measured at the present value of the remaining lease payments, discounted using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate (10.00%) at the lease commencement date. The Operating Lease Liability was estimated to be $36,419 current and $3,264 noncurrent. The lease expense for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, consists of an operating lease expense of $42,390.
The Company determines the lease term as the non-cancelable period of the lease, together with periods covered by an option to extend the lease if it is reasonably certain to be exercised and periods covered by an option to terminate the lease if it is reasonably certain not to be exercised.
The discount rate of 10.00% used to measure the lease liabilities was determined based on the Company’s incremental borrowing rate, as the rate implicit in the lease is not readily determinable.
The Company has included all rental expenses in the General and Administrative costs.
ITEM 3. | LEGAL PROCEEDINGS |
There is no material pending legal or governmental proceedings other than ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business. The Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party, or their property is the subject.
ITEM 4. | MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES. |
Not applicable.
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PART II
ITEM 5. | MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS, AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES |
Market Information
Effective October 24, 2019, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) pursuant to FINRA Rule 6432 and Rule 15c2-11 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, determined that Glendale Securities, Inc. (“Glendale”) demonstrated compliance with FINRA Rule 6432, and Glendale might initiate a priced quotation of the Company’s stock at $0.1500 Bid, $0.1600 Ask on OTC Link ATS for the Company under the trading symbol - FDCT. OTC Bulletin Board and OTC Link quote our stock under OTCQ: FDCT. The OTC Bulletin Board differs from national and regional stock exchanges in that it: (i) is not situated in a single location but operates through the communication of bids, offers, and confirmations between broker-dealers and (ii) securities admitted to the quotation are offered by one or more broker-dealers rather than the “specialist” common to stock exchanges.
Quarterly Stock Performance:
Our common stock is traded on the OTC Bulletin Board under the ticker symbol OTCQB: FDCT.
The following table presents the high and low sale prices for our common stock for each quarter of the last fiscal year, as reported on the OTC Bulletin Board:
Fiscal | First Quarter | Second Quarter | Third Quarter | Fourth Quarter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
High | Low | High | Low | High | Low | High | Low | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
2023 | $ | 0.024 | $ | 0.0074 | $ | 0.0157 | $ | 0.011 | $ | 0.014 | $ | 0.007 | $ | 0.046 | $ | 0.006 | ||||||||||||||||
2022 | $ | 0.078 | $ | 0.030 | $ | 0.068 | $ | 0.028 | $ | 0.060 | $ | 0.012 | $ | 0.018 | $ | 0.008 |
Our stock commended trading in June 2020.
Holders
Globex Transfer, LLC, our transfer agent, indicates that as of December 31, 2023, we had 228 record holders of our Common Stock.
As of October 15, 2024, we had 388,584,729 shares of our Common Stock, 4,500,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock, 2,361,844 shares of Series B Preferred Stock, and issued and outstanding. Holders of Series A Preferred are entitled to fifty (50) non-cumulative votes per share on all matters presented to our stockholders for action. Holders of Series A Preferred have no right to convert into the Company’s common stock. The Series B Preferred Stock is non-dilutive and is not subject to stock splits or any other adjustments to the Company’s common stock. Each share of Series B Preferred Stock can be converted into 100 shares of the Company’s common stock at any time by the holder of such shares. Series B Preferred Stock is entitled to one (1) vote per share on all matters presented to stockholders for action.
Dividends
The Company did not declare any cash dividends for the December 31, 2023, fiscal year. The company’s Board of Directors, composed of Mitchell Eaglstein, Imran Firoz, Jonathan Baumgart, and Gope S. Kundnani, has determined that it does not anticipate declaring or distributing cash dividends in the foreseeable future. The Board of Directors decides the declaration, payment, timing, and amount or number of future dividends. The dividends will depend upon, among other things, the results of our operations, cash flows, financial condition, operating and capital requirements, and other factors the Board of Directors considers relevant. There is no assurance that the Company shall pay any future dividends. If the Company decides to pay dividends, there is no assurance concerning dividends.
Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans
On March 12, 2024, the Company filed the Information Statement pursuant to Section 14C of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and informed all holders of record on February 21, 2024 (the “Record Date”) of the common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company, in connection with the approval of the following actions taken by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) and by written consent of the holders of a majority of the voting power of Company’s issued and outstanding capital stock (the “Approving Stockholders”):
1. | To amend our certificate of incorporation, as amended (the “Certificate”), to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock from 500,000,000 to 1,000,000,000 (the “Authorized Share Increase”), | |
2. | To authorize our Board of Directors, in its discretion, to amend our articles of incorporation not later than June 30, 2024, to effect a Reverse Stock Split of all outstanding shares of our common stock in a ratio of not less than 1 for 10 and not more than 1 for 50, to be determined by the Board of Directors, and | |
3. | To approve the Company’s 2023 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2023 Stock Incentive Plan”). |
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On February 21, 2024, our Board unanimously approved the Corporate Actions. In order to eliminate the costs and management time involved in holding a special meeting and in order to effect the actions disclosed herein as quickly as possible in order to accomplish the purposes of our Company, we chose to obtain the written consent of a majority of the Company’s voting power to approve the actions described in this Information Statement in accordance with Sections 228 and 242 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) and our bylaws. On February 21, 2024, the Approving Stockholders approved, by written consent, the Corporate Actions. The Approving Stockholders (common stock only) own 280,102,413 shares, representing 72% of the total issued and outstanding voting power of the Company.
Since the Board and the holders of a majority of the voting power of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of capital stock have voted in favor of the Corporate Actions, all corporate actions necessary to authorize the Corporate Actions have been taken. We expect that each of the Corporate Actions will become effective on or about the 20th calendar day after the date on which this Information Statement and the accompanying notice are mailed to our stockholders. Our Board retains authority to abandon either or both of the Corporate Actions for any reason at any time prior to the effective date of the respective Corporate Action.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company had no equity compensation plans.
On February 17, 2022, the Company filed the Information Statement pursuant to Section 14C of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and informed all holders of record on February 10, 2022 (the “Record Date”) of the common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company, in connection with the approval of the following actions taken by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) and by written consent of the holders of a majority of the voting power of Company’s issued and outstanding capital stock (the “Approving Stockholders”):
1. To amend our certificate of incorporation, as amended (the “Certificate”), to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock from 250,000,000 to 500,000,000 (the “Authorized Share Increase” and together with the 2022 Equity Plan, the “Corporate Action”), and
2. To approve the Company’s 2022 Equity Plan (the “2022 Equity Plan”)
On February 10, 2022, our Board unanimously approved the Corporate Actions. To eliminate the costs and management time for a special meeting and to effect the actions, the Company chose to obtain the written consent of a majority of the Company’s voting power to approve the actions described in the Information Statement following Sections 228 and 242 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) and per our bylaws. On February 10, 2022, the Approving Stockholders approved the Corporate Actions by written consent. The Approving Stockholders (common stock only) own 96,778,105 shares, representing 64.62% of the Company’s total issued and outstanding voting power.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
All of the Company’s recent sales of unregistered securities within the past three years reported previously reported as required in Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form S1-A filed July 26, 2018.
ITEM 6. | SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA |
The Company is a “smaller reporting company” as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and is not required to provide the information required under this Item.
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ITEM 7. | MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS |
This Annual Report Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements. Our actual results could differ materially from those set forth due to general economic conditions and changes in the assumptions used in making such forward-looking statements. The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with the audited financial statements and accompanying notes and the other financial information appearing elsewhere in this report. The analysis set forth below is provided pursuant to applicable Securities and Exchange Commission regulations and is not intended to serve as a basis for projections of future events.
The Company is building a diversified global financial services company driven by proprietary Condor trading technologies, complementary regulatory licenses, and a proven executive team. The Company plans to acquire, integrate, transform, and scale legacy financial service companies. The Company believes its proprietary technology and software development capabilities allow legacy financial services companies immediate exposure to –forex, stocks, ETFs, commodities, digital assets, social/copy trading, and other high-growth fintech markets.
From December 2021 onwards, the Company expects to grow from its acquisition strategy, specializing in buying and integrating small to mid-size legacy financial services companies. The Company intends to build a diversified global software-driven financial services company. The Company plans to acquire, integrate, transform, and scale legacy financial service companies. The Company replaces conventional legacy software infrastructure with its regulatory-grade proprietary Condor trading technologies, intending to improve end-user experience, increase client retention, and realize cost synergies.
Currently, we have three primary business segments: (1) Technology and Software Development, (2) Wealth Management, and (3) Investment and Margin Brokerage Business.
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as a pandemic that continues throughout the United States. While the outbreak was initially concentrated in China, it spread to several other countries, including Russia and Cyprus, and infections were reported globally. Many countries worldwide, including the United States, have implemented significant governmental measures to control the spread of the virus, including temporary closure of businesses, severe restrictions on travel and the movement of people, and other material limitations on our business. These measures have resulted in work stoppages, absenteeism in the Company’s labor workforce, and other disruptions. The extent to which the coronavirus impacts our operations will depend on future developments. These developments are highly uncertain. We cannot predict them with confidence, including the duration and severity of the outbreak and the actions required to contain the coronavirus or treat its impact. In particular, the spread of the coronavirus globally could adversely impact our operations and workforce, including our marketing and sales activities and ability to raise additional capital, which could harm our business, financial condition, and operation results.
The geopolitical situation in Eastern Europe intensified on February 24, 2022, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The war between the two countries continues to evolve as military activity continues. The United States and certain European countries have imposed additional sanctions on Russia and specific individuals. By the end of August 2022, the Company closed its technical support and development office in Russia. We relocated our personnel to Turkey, currently considered a neutral zone. No individual associated with the Company is banned or under Special Designated Nationals and Blocked Person list. If the military activities worsen and expand in Europe, we may relocate our office from Turkey to other neutral zones in Asia. If we cannot relocate our technical and development operations to a safer zone, it may impact our software development capabilities and negatively impact the Company’s business plans.
As of the date of this report, there has been no disruption in our operations.
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Technology & Software Development Business
The Company has three sources of revenue.
● | Technology Solutions – The Company licenses its proprietary and sometimes resells third-party technologies to customers. Our proprietary technology includes but is not limited to Condor Risk Management Back Office (“Condor Risk Management”), Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform (previously known as Condor FX Pro Trading Terminal), Condor Pricing Engine, Digital Assets Web Trader Platform, and other digital assets-related solutions. | |
● | Customized Software Development – The Company develops software for Customers with unique requirements outlined in the Software Development Agreement (“Agreement”). | |
● | Consulting Services – The Company’s turnkey business solutions - Start-Your-Own-Brokerage (“SYOB”), Start-Your-Own-Prime Brokerage (“SYOPB”), and FX/OTC liquidity solutions. |
The Company has completed the Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform, previously known as the Condor FX Trading Platform. The Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform is a regulatory-grade trading platform targeted at day traders and retail investors. The industry characterized such platforms by their ease of use and helpful features, such as the simplified front-end (user interface/user experience), back-end (reporting system), news feeds, and charting system. The Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform includes risk management (dealing desk, alert system, margin calls, etc.), a pricing engine (best bid/ask), and connectivity to multiple liquidity providers or market makers. We have tailored the Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform to markets such as forex, stocks, commodities, digital assets, and other financial products.
The Company released, marketed, and distributed its Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform in the second quarter of the fiscal year, December 31, 2019. The Company has developed the Condor Back Office API to integrate third-party CRM and banking systems into Condor Back Office.
For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022, the Company had seventeen (17) and ten (10) licensing agreements for its Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform. The Company continuously negotiates additional licensing agreements with several retail online brokers to use the Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform. Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform is available in desktop, web, and mobile versions.
The Company’s upgraded Condor Back Office (Risk Management) meets various jurisdictions’ regulatory requirements. Condor Back Office meets the directives under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II/MiFIR), legislation by the European Securities and Market Authority (ESMA) implemented across the European Union on January 3, 2018.
The Company is developing the Condor Investing & Trading App, a simplified trading platform for traders with varied experiences in trading stocks, ETFs, and other financial markets from their mobile phones. The Company expects to commercialize the Condor Investing & Trading App by the end of the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024.
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The Company had developed NFT Marketplace, a decentralized NFT marketplace, a multichain platform with a lazy minting option to reduce and limit unnecessary blockchain usage fees, also known as gas fees. The Company did not commercialize the NFT Marketplace in the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, as the market for NFT has slowed considerably.
The Company and its subsidiary, ADS, intend to develop a digital wealth management company, initially including a Robo Advice Platform catering to Australia’s wealth management industry. The Company does not expect to commercialize the Robo Advice Platform.
Technology & Software Development Revenue & Gross Margins:
Fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 (Audited) | Fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 (Audited) | |||||||
Revenue, $ | 1,811,423 | 626,600 | ||||||
Cost of sales, $ | 22,503 | 159,051 | ||||||
Gross Profit (loss), $ | 1,788,920 | 466,949 | ||||||
Gross Margins | 98.76 | % | 74.59 | % |
Wealth Management Business
On December 22, 2021, the Company entered into a Share Exchange Agreement (the “Agreement”) with AD Financial Services Pty Ltd ACN 628 331 117 of Level 38/71 Eagle St, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 4000 (“ADFP” or “Target”). According to the Agreement, the Company acquired a controlling interest of fifty-one percent (51.00%) of ADFP’s issued and outstanding shares of capital stock in exchange for 45,000,000 (the “Consideration”) newly issued “restricted” common shares. The operating and licensed entity of ADFP is AD Advisory Services Pty Ltd. (“ADS”). ADFP owns one hundred percent (100.00%) equity interest in ADS. As a result, the Company owns 51.00% of ADS. The Company closed the acquisition on December 22, 2021, and combined the financial statements of ADS in its annual report, 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 28, 2022.
AD Advisory Services Pty Ltd. (ADS) is an Australian-regulated wealth management company with 28 financial advisors and $530+ million in funds under advice. ADS provides licensing solutions for financial advisers and accountants in Australia and offers financial planners different licensing, compliance, and education solutions to meet their practice’s specific needs.
Wealth Management Revenue & Gross Margins:
Fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 (Audited) | Fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 (Audited) | |||||||
Revenue, $ | 5,927,424 | 5,827,732 | ||||||
Cost of sales, $ | 5,338,510 | 5,275,741 | ||||||
Gross Profit (loss), $ | 588,914 | 551,990 | ||||||
Gross Margins | 9.94 | % | 9.47 | % |
Investment and Margin Brokerage Business (Europe and UK)
On December 31, 2022, the Company announced the sales purchase agreement (“Agreement”) under which the Company acquired a 50.10% equity interest in New Star Capital Trading Ltd., a British Virgin Island company (“New Star”) and its operating subsidiary Alchemy Markets Ltd. (“AML”), formerly known as NSFX Ltd (“NSFX”). AML is an investment firm regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA).
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The Company will assume a business acquisition loan liability of $350,000 to purchase the controlling interest in AML. The Company amended the Agreement to October 15, 2024, to comply with the BVI Companies Act requirement for the change of ownership. The Company closed the acquisition as of June 30, 2023, and consolidated the fair value of AML’s assets and liabilities from June 30, 2023.
The Company completed the acquisition of the remaining 49.90% of the issued and outstanding shares of Alchemy Markets Holdings Ltd (Alchemy BVI), formerly known as New Star and its subsidiary AML on November 30, 2023 (“Acquisition Date”), from Alchemy Prime Holdings Ltd. (APHL), through an exchange for 833,621 Series B preferred convertible stocks (“Series B Preferred Stock”) valued at $1,175,406.
AML is authorized to deal with its account (market maker) as a Category 3 licensed entity by the MFSA, receive and transmit orders for retail and professional clients, and hold and control clients’ money and assets. AML trading platform services in the English, French, German, Italian, and Arabic-speaking markets, whereby customers can trade in currency, commodity, equity, and digital assets-linked derivatives in real-time. AML is authorized countries to do business include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
The Company”) completed the acquisition of 100.00% of the issued and outstanding shares of Alchemy Prime Limited (“APL”) on November 30, 2023 (“Acquisition Date”) from APHL, through an exchange for 966,379 Series B Preferred Stock valued at $1,362,594.
APL is an investment firm regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (‘FCA’). It provides investment advice, acts as agent and principal, safeguards and administers assets in forex, equity, commodities, spread bets, and other financial assets, and is authorized to do business in several countries, including England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Mr. Gope S. Kundnani (“Kundnani”) is the (sole) natural person holding one hundred percent (100%) shareholding in the APHL. Kundnani (“Control Person”) is also a controlling shareholder in the Company.
Brokerage Trading Revenue & Gross Margins*:
Fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 (Audited) | Fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 (Audited) | |||||||
Revenue, $ | 5,016,053 | - | ||||||
Cost of sales, $ | 1,146,029 | - | ||||||
Gross Profit (loss), $ | 6,507,042 | - | ||||||
Gross Margins | 77.15 | % | - |
* The Company consolidated AML’s revenues from July 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. The Company has consolidated APL’s revenue from December 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023.
CIM Acquisition Termination
At July 31, 2023, the Company sent the notice of termination of the purchase agreement to CIM Securities as future events may result in a change of ownership in the CMA application. The Company believes that this would cause further delays in the approval process. Our board has mandated the management team to concentrate on expanding and developing our core non-US forex business to maximize shareholder value.
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Consolidated Financial Summary
The Company has prepared consolidated financial statements on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the settlement of liabilities and commitments in the ordinary business course. The Company generated $21,617,200 in revenues from January 21, 2016 (inception) to December 31, 2023. For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022, the Company generated $12,754,900 and $6,453,732 in revenues, an increase of over 101.81%. At December 31, 2023, the Company had a cash balance of $31,316,461 and an accumulated deficit of $2,643,647.
Financial Condition at December 31, 2023
On December 31, 2023, the accumulated deficit, cash balance, and working capital deficit were $2,643,647, $31,316,461, and $11,260,603, respectively.
On November 30, 2023, Kundnani purchased 2,500,000 Series A Preferred stock of FDCTech for $2.5 million. The Company has issued the Series A Preferred stock to Kundnani. On November 30, 2023, Kundnani purchased 50,000,000 Common stock of the Company for $5.5 million. The Company has issued the Common stock to Kundnani. The Company expects to receive funds by the end of April 2024.
Even though we believe that our cash balance is sufficient to fund our operations and growth, the Company plans to raise additional capital as disclosed in Subsequent Events. The Company intends to continue its efforts to enhance its revenue from its diversified portfolio of technological solutions, become cash flow positive, and raise funds through private placement offerings and debt financing. As the Company increases its customer base globally, it intends to acquire long-lived assets that will provide a future economic benefit beyond fiscal 2023.
Financial Condition at December 31, 2022
On December 31, 2022, the accumulated deficit, cash balance, and working capital deficit were $4,216,823, $264,829, and $345,269, respectively.
On January 27, 2022, the Company signed a promissory note (‘AJB Note’) with AJB Capital Investments, LLC (‘AJB Capital’), a Delaware limited liability company, for the principal amount of $550,000 with a maturity date of July 27, 2022, and a coupon of 10%. The parties extended the AJB Note maturity date by another six months till January 23, 2023. As part of the AJB Note, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement, where AJB Capital will receive equity equal to US $155,000 of the Company’s common stock. The Company issued 2,214,286 common stock valued at $71,521 upon issuance of the Note (the “Shares”) and 1,000,000 3-year cash warrants (‘Warrants’) priced at $0.30. The Warrants and the Shares, collectively known as the ‘Incentive Fee,’ are issued upon execution of the agreement.
The Company executed five “Purchase Notice Rights” under an Investment Agreement with White Lion and received a net of $72,420 after deducting financing costs associated with the Investment Agreement for the nine months ended September 30, 2022.
On September 30, 2022, the Company issued 30,000,000 restricted common shares for cash valued at $300,000.
We do not believe that our cash balance is sufficient to fund our operations and growth; as a result, the Company plans to raise additional capital as disclosed in Subsequent Events. The Company intends to continue its efforts to enhance its revenue from its diversified portfolio of technological solutions, become cash flow positive, and raise funds through private placement offerings and debt financing. As the Company increases its customer base globally, it intends to acquire long-lived assets that will provide a future economic benefit beyond fiscal 2023.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, compared to the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022
The revenues generated for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022 were $12,754,900 and $6,453,732, respectively. The increase in revenue was mainly due to the consolidation of AML’s trading revenue as of June 30, 2023. During the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022, the Company incurred a net profit and a net loss of $1,573,176 and $1,069,267. The increase in net profit was mainly due to margin brokerage business’ net profit from July 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023.
The total revenue breakdown for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022 is below:
Fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 (Audited) | Fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 (Audited) | |||||||
Technology & Software Development | $ | 1,811,423 | $ | 5,827,731 | ||||
Wealth Management | 5,927,424 | 626,600 | ||||||
Trading Revenue | 5,016,053 | - | ||||||
Total, $ | 12,754,900 | 6,453,731 |
Fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 (Audited) | Fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 (Audited) | |||||||
Technology & Software Development | 14.20 | % | 9.70 | % | ||||
Wealth Management | 46.47 | % | 90.30 | % | ||||
Trading Revenue | 39.33 | % | - | |||||
Total | 100.00 | % | 100.00 | % |
During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, and 2022, the Company incurred General and administrative costs (“G and A”) of $2,943,913 and $1,623,031, respectively. The increase in G and A costs for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, was mainly due to the inclusion of G and A of AML and APL, effective June 30, 2023, and November 30, 2023, respectively. The G and A expenses were 23.08% and 25.15% of the fiscal revenue for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022. Amortization expenses were $22,503 and $159,051 for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022, respectively, and the Company has included them in the Cost of sales expense. The decrease in amortization expense for the fiscal year ending December 2023 is due to the complete amortization of Condor Back Office, Condor Digital Assets Platform, and Condor FX Trading Platform (Desktop). The depreciation expenses for furniture and computers for the year ended December 31, 2023, and 2022, were $213,910 and $3,894.
The Company incurred $1,512,790 and $382,864 in sales, marketing, and advertising costs (“sales and marketing”) for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022, respectively. The sales and marketing costs increased in fiscal 2023 due to an increase in sales and marketing expenses related to margin brokerage business. During fiscal 2022, the sales and marketing costs mainly included stock-based payment to marketing and branding consultants, travel costs for tradeshows, customer meetings, online marketing on industry websites, press releases, and public relations activities. The sales, marketing, and advertising expenses represented 11.86% and 5.93% of the sales for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022, respectively.
The rental expenses were $47,768 and $25,438 for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022. Effective October 29, 2019, the Company rents its servers, computers, and data center from an unrelated third party. Under the rent Agreement, the lessor provides furniture, fixtures, and leasehold improvements at 200 Spectrum Center Drive, Suite 300, Irvine, CA 92618, as discussed in Note 2.
Irvine Lease, California, USA (Headquarter)
Effective October 29, 2019, to the present, the Company leased office space at 200 Spectrum Center Drive, Suite 300, Irvine, CA 92618. As per the Commitment Term of the lease (“Agreement”), this Agreement shall continue on a month-to-month basis (any term after the Commitment Term, also known as “Renewal Term”). The Commitment Term and all subsequent Renewal Terms shall constitute the “Term.” The Company may terminate this Agreement by delivering to the lessor Form (“Exit Form”) at least one (1) whole calendar month before the month in which the Company intends to terminate this Agreement (“Termination Effective Month”). The Company is entitled to use the office and conference space if needed. The new rent payment or membership fee for the Irvine Office is $95 per month compared to the previous rent payment or membership fee for the New York Office of $890 per month as the General and administrative expenses.
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Limassol, Cyprus Lease (Europe Office)
From February 2019 to July 2023, the Company leased office space in Limassol District, Cyprus, from an unrelated party for a year. The office’s monthly rent payment is $1,750, which is included in the general and administrative expenses. From July 2023 to the present, the Company leased a bigger office space in Limassol District, Cyprus, from an unrelated party for a year. The office’s monthly rent payment is approximately $3,500, which is included in the general and administrative expenses. From July 2023 to the present, the Company leased office space for its CEO. The office’s monthly rent payment is $3,500, which is included in the general and administrative expenses. The down payment for the lease was approximately $6,300. The lease is for one year and renewable two months before the term in June 2025.
Limassol, Cyprus Lease, Europe (Ecastica)
From October 2023 to January 2024, the Company leased office space in the Limassol District, Cyprus, for a specific purpose. This space was intended for our subsidiary, Alchemytech Ltd, to be established in Cyprus in March 2024. The monthly rent payment for this office was approximately $1,000, and the down payment for the lease was approximately $6,300. These expenses were included in the general and administrative expenses.
Chelyabinsk, Russia (Terminated)
From February 2020, this agreement continues every year upon written request by the Company. The Company uses the office for sales and marketing in Europe and Asia. From April 2019 to August 2022, the Company leased office space in Chelyabinsk, Russia, from an unrelated party for an eleven (11) month term. The office’s rent payment is $500 per month, and the Company has included it in the General and administrative expenses. From March 2020, this agreement continues on a month-to-month basis until the Company, or the lessor chooses to terminate by the agreement’s terms by giving thirty (30) days’ notice. The Company uses the office for software development and technical support. Effective August 2022, the Company closed its offices in Russia and relocated its team to Turkey. In April 2023, we relocated our personnel to Kazakhstan.
Right-of-Use Assets and Lease Liabilities
The Company has entered into operating lease agreements for its facilities and equipment. The right-of-use asset (ROU) is measured at the present value of the lease payments over the lease term, adjusted for lease incentives, initial direct costs, and any lease payments made at or before the commencement date. As of December 31, 2023, the ROU: $39,683. Lease liabilities are measured at the present value of the remaining lease payments, discounted using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate (10.00%) at the lease commencement date. The Operating Lease Liability was estimated to be $36,419 current and $3,264 noncurrent. The lease expense for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, consists of an operating lease expense of $42,390. The Company has included all rental expenses in the General and Administrative costs.
The Company determines the lease term as the non-cancelable period of the lease, together with periods covered by an option to extend the lease if it is reasonably certain to be exercised and periods covered by an option to terminate the lease if it is reasonably certain not to be exercised.
The discount rate of 10.00% used to measure the lease liabilities was determined based on the Company’s incremental borrowing rate, as the rate implicit in the lease is not readily determinable.
The Company incurred $1,512,790 and $382,864 in sales, marketing, and advertising costs (“sales and marketing”) for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022, respectively. The sales and marketing costs increased in fiscal 2023 due to an increase in sales and marketing expenses related to margin brokerage business. During fiscal 2022, the sales and marketing costs mainly included stock-based payment to marketing and branding consultants, travel costs for tradeshows, customer meetings, online marketing on industry websites, press releases, and public relations activities. The sales, marketing, and advertising expenses represented 11.86% and 5.93% of the sales for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022, respectively.
For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022, the Company had seventeen (17) and ten (10) active technology and software development customers. Revenues generated from the top three (3) customers represented approximately 11.58% and 7.83% of total revenue for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022, respectively.
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LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
On December 31, 2023, and 2022, we had a cash balance of $31,316,461 and $264,829, respectively. At December 31, 2023, and 2022, the working capital surplus and deficit were $11,260,603 and $345,269, respectively. The increase in the working capital surplus was mainly due to the acquisition of AML and APL, resulting in the increase of current assets over current liabilities as of December 31, 2023.
We generate a substantial portion of our operating income outside the United States, and this income is deemed to be indefinitely reinvested in foreign jurisdictions. Consequently, as outlined under “Cash and Cash Equivalent,” the majority of our cash and short-term investments are held by our foreign subsidiaries. At present, we do not intend to repatriate these funds and do not foresee a need to do so.
We anticipate that our existing domestic cash, short-term investments, and cash flows from operations will be sufficient to fund our domestic operating activities and fulfill our cash commitments for investing and financing activities, such as regular quarterly dividends, debt repayments, and capital expenditures, for at least the next 12 months and for the foreseeable future.
Should we require additional capital in the United States beyond what our domestic operations generate—for instance, to fund significant discretionary activities such as business acquisitions or share repurchases—we could choose to repatriate future earnings from foreign jurisdictions or raise capital within the United States through debt or equity issuances. These alternatives may result in higher effective tax rates, increased interest expenses, or dilution of our earnings. We have previously borrowed funds domestically and believe that we can continue to do so at reasonable interest rates.
In the next twelve (12) months, the Company will continue investing in sales, marketing, product development, new technology solutions, and existing technology support to serve our customers. We expect capital expenditure to increase to $500,000 in the next twelve (12) months to support the growth, including working capital, software development, sales & marketing, and purchasing computers and servers.
We expect the combination of existing cash, cash equivalents, cash flows from operations, and access to private equity and capital markets to be sufficient for at least twelve (12) months. The availability of funds will fund our operating activities to meet the need for investing and financing, such as debt maturities and material capital expenditures. However, we may need additional funds to achieve a sustainable sales level to fund our ongoing operations out of revenues. There is no assurance that any additional financing will be available or, if available, on terms that will be acceptable to us.
Should we require additional capital, the Company’s operations are insufficient to fund its capital requirements. The Company may attempt to restructure Notes, refinance existing Notes with financial institutions, or raise capital by selling additional capital stock or debt issuance. The Company intends to continue growing its operations and raising funds through private equity and debt financing.
Initial Seed Funding in 2016
Between February 22, 2016, and April 24, 2017, the Company borrowed $1,000,000 from FRH Group, a founder and principal shareholder. Effective June 1, 2017, we raised $98,000 through our common stock’s private placement to our officers, directors, friends, relatives, and business associates. Between February 22, 2016, and April 24, 2017, the Company borrowed $1,000,000 from FRH Group, a founder and principal shareholder (“FRH”). The Company executed Convertible Promissory Notes, due between February 28, 2018, and April 24, 2019. The Notes were initially convertible into common stock at $0.10 per share but may be discounted under certain circumstances. In no event will the conversion price be less than $0.05 per share with a maximum of 20,000,000 shares.
Going Public in 2019
From January 29, 2019, to February 15, 2019, the Company issued 33,000 registered shares under the Securities Act of 1933 for a cash amount of $4,950. The Company closed its offering effective February 26, 2019.
PPP and SBA Funding in 2020
On May 01, 2020, the Company received proceeds of Fifty-Thousand Six Hundred and Thirty-Two ($50,632) from the Promissory Note (“PPP Note”) under the Paycheck Protection Program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”).
On May 22, 2020, the Company received proceeds of one hundred and forty-four thousand nine hundred and 00/100 Dollars ($144,900).
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On July 15, 2020, the Company engaged Kingswood Capital Markets, a Benchmark Investments division, Inc., as its exclusive general financial advisor for strategic corporate planning and investment banking services. On August 25, 2020, the Company and Broker-Dealer terminated all obligations other than maintaining confidentiality with no fees to the Broker-Dealer. The Broker-Dealer agreed to return the 2,745,053 shares of the Company’s common stock.
On September 02, 2020, the Company engaged Garden State Securities Inc. (GSS) as its exclusive advisor for the private placement of debt or equity securities to fulfill the Company’s business plan and an offering of debt securities to assist in the Company’s acquisition strategy. On October 05, 2021, the Company and GSS terminated all obligations other than maintaining confidentiality, with no fees to the GSS. The Broker-Dealer agreed to return the 1,750,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.
Settlement of FRH Debt and Equity Line of Credit (Investment Agreement) in 2021
On February 22, 2021, the Company entered into an Assignment of Debt Agreement (the “Agreement”) with FRH and FRH Group Corporation. The Company eliminated all four FRH Group convertible notes, including interest, of $1,256,908 in return for the issuance of 12,569,080 of unregistered common stock of the Company (the “Shares”) to FRH. Following the Agreement, FRH assigned the Shares to FRH Group Corporation, also owned by Mr. Hong.
On September 27, 2021, the Company engaged EF Hutton, a division of Benchmark Investments, LLC (“EF Hutton”). EF Hutton will act as lead underwriter, deal manager, and investment banker for the proposed firm commitment public offering and uplisting (“Offering”) by the Company in connection with the offering of the Company’s equity, debt, or equity derivative instruments (the “Securities”). The Company engagement expired as of December 31, 2022.
On October 04, 2021, the Company filed a prospectus that relates to the resale of up to 22,670,000 shares of our Common Stock issued or issuable to selling shareholders for up to $2,200,000, including (i) up to 2,000,000 shares issued to AD Securities America, LLC, (ii) up to 20,000,000 issuable to White Lion Capital, LLC (“White Lion”), according to a “Purchase Notice Right” under an Investment Agreement and (iii) 670,000 shares issued to White Lion as a commitment fee associated with the Investment Agreement. From October 2021 to February 2022, the Company executed five “Purchase Notice Rights” under an Investment Agreement with White Lion and received a net of $38,824 after deducting financing costs associated with the Investment Agreement.
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Investment Agreement, Promissory Note, Related Party Investments in 2022
From January 2021 to February 2022, the Company executed five “Purchase Notice Rights” under an Investment Agreement with White Lion and received a net of $33,596 after deducting financing costs associated with the Investment Agreement. From October 2021 to February 2022, the Company received $72,420 from the Investment Agreement.
On January 27, 2022, the Company signed a promissory note (‘AJB Note’) with AJB Capital Investments, LLC (‘AJB Capital’), a Delaware limited liability company, for the principal amount of $550,000 with a maturity date of July 27, 2022, and a coupon of 10%. The parties extended the AJB Note maturity date by another six months till January 23, 2023. As part of the AJB Note, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement, where AJB Capital will receive equity equal to US $155,000 of the Company’s common stock. The Company issued 2,214,286 common stock valued at $71,521 upon issuance of the Note (the “Shares”) and 1,000,000 3-year cash warrants (‘Warrants’) priced at $0.30. The Warrants and the Shares, collectively known as the ‘Incentive Fee,’ are issued upon execution of the agreement.
In April 2022, the Company engaged CIM Securities, LLC as its private placement agent to raise capital. The Company did not raise any funds.
On September 30, 2022, the Company issued 30,000,000 restricted common shares for cash valued at $300,000 to Kundnani, considered a related party.
Related Party Investments and Acquisitions in 2023
On January 25, 2023, the Company issued 5,309,179 restricted common shares to AJB to compensate for consideration shares related to the AJB Note valued at $60,525.
On January 25, 2023, the Company issued 115,000,000 restricted common shares for cash valued at $550,000 to Kundnani, considered a related party.
On March 28, 2023, the Company issued 2,000,000 restricted common shares for cash valued at $20,000.
At July 31, 2023, the Company sent the notice of termination of the purchase agreement to CIM Securities as future events may result in a change of ownership in the CMA application. The Company terminated the escrow agreement and released $180,000 to increase cash on hand.
On November 30, 2023, Kundnani, considered a related party, purchased 2,500,000 Series A Preferred stock of the Company for $2.5 million. The Company has issued the Series A Preferred stock to Kundnani. On November 30, 2023, Kundnani purchased 50,000,000 Common stock of the Company for $5.5 million. The Company has issued the Common stock to Kundnani. The Company expects to receive funds by the end of April 2024.
GOING CONCERN CONSIDERATION
We have generated revenues of $12,754,900 for the fiscal year ending on December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2023, and 2022, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $2,643,647 and $4,216,823. Our independent auditors included an explanatory paragraph in their report on the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022 regarding concerns about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our financial statements contain additional note disclosures describing the circumstances that led to this disclosure by our independent auditors. Our financial statements do not include any adjustments related to the recoverability or classification of asset-carrying amounts or the amounts and classifications of liabilities that may result in the Company being unable to continue as a going concern.
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Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates
We have based our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and operations results on our financial statements, which we have prepared following the U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). In preparing our financial statements, we are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Our actual results could differ from these estimates, and such differences could be material.
We have described significant accounting policies in Note 2 of our annual financial statements included in our 10-K/A for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on May 5, 2023. We continuously evaluate our critical accounting estimates and judgments required by our policies and update them as appropriate based on changing conditions.
JOBS Act Accounting Election
We are an “emerging growth company,” defined in the JOBS Act. Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards after enacting the JOBS Act until those standards apply to private companies. We have applied for exemption as an emerging growth company; thus, the Company may delay adopting certain accounting standards until the standards would otherwise apply to private companies.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Contractual Obligations
We have not engaged in any off-balance sheet arrangements defined in Item 303(c) of the SEC’s Regulation S-B. We had no relationships with unconsolidated organizations or financial partnerships, such as structured finance or special purpose entities that would have been established to facilitate off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
The ASU amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods therein. Early adoption of the standard is permitted, including adoption in interim or annual periods for which financial statements have not yet been issued. We have adopted ASC 606 - Revenue Recognition from January 1, 2019, and Amended ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 840) from January 1, 2020. The ASU is currently not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. We believe the accounting policies described in Note 2 are critical to the judgments and estimates used to prepare our financial statements. As a result, we have described significant accounting policies in more detail in Note 2 of our annual financial statements included in our 10-K for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on May 5, 2023.
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ITEM 7A. | QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISKS. |
Not Applicable.
ITEM 8. | FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA |
All financial statements required by this Item are presented beginning on Page F-20 and are incorporated herein by this reference.
ITEM 9. | CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE. |
None.
ITEM 9A. | CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES. |
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer (together, the “Certifying Officers”), we carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act. Based on the foregoing, our Certifying Officers concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of the end of the period covered by this Report.
Disclosure controls and procedures are controls and other procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, including our Certifying Officers or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s Report on Internal Controls over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rule 13a- 15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act, as amended. Management, with the participation of the Chief Executive Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013 Framework). Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of our consolidated financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with GAAP. Our internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:
(1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of our company,
(2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors, and
(3) provide reasonable assurance regarding the prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements.
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Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect errors or misstatements in our consolidated financial statements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness in future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or that the degree or compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting on December 31, 2023. Based on our assessments, management determined that we did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, due to the material weakness in our internal controls due to inadequate segregation of duties within account processes due to limited personnel and insufficient written policies and procedures for accounting, IT, and financial reporting and record keeping.
Management intends to implement remediation steps to improve our internal controls due to inadequate segregation of duties within account processes due to limited personnel and insufficient written policies and procedures for accounting, IT, and financial reporting and record keeping. We plan to further improve this process by enhancing the size and composition of our board upon the closing of the business, identifying third-party professionals with whom to consult regarding complex accounting applications and consideration of additional staff with the requisite experience and training to supplement existing accounting professionals and implemented additional layers of reviews in the internal controls and financial reporting process.
This Report does not include an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm due to our status as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by paragraph (d) of Rule 13a-15 or Rule 15d-15 under the Exchange Act that occurred during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, that has materially affected or is reasonably likely to affect, our internal control over financial reporting materially.
ITEM 9B. | OTHER INFORMATION. |
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PART III.
ITEM 10. | DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE. |
Name | Age | Position | ||
Mitch Eaglstein | 40 | President/CEO/Director | ||
Imran Firoz | 51 | CFO/Secretary/Director | ||
Brian Platt | 44 | CTO | ||
Jonathan Baumgart | 40 | Director | ||
Gope S. Kundnani | 66 | Director |
Directors serve until the next annual meeting; their successors are elected and qualified. Officers are appointed to serve for one year until the board of directors meets, following the stockholders’ annual meeting, and the directors’ successors are elected and qualified.
Mitchell Eaglstein, Co-Founder, President, CEO, and Director
From January 2016 to date, Mr. Eaglstein has been the Company’s Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Director. Mr. Eaglstein is responsible for leading the development and execution of the Company’s long-term strategy, primarily focusing on enhancing shareholder value. Mr. Eaglstein ensures the Company has the necessary organizational and technology infrastructure and is responsible for deploying Capex and approving budgets.
Mr. Eaglstein has extensive executive-level experience managing FX brokerage and FinTech software companies. Further, Mr. Eaglstein has participated in several panel discussions as a distinguished industry expert in various forex-related conferences and tradeshows.
From June 2014 to February 2016, Mr. Eaglstein worked as the Managing Member of MMI Advisors, LLC (MMI), which provided business development services to Fortress Prime, UAE (“Fortress”). MMI assisted Fortress with $20 million in trading revenue within one year from the start-up date. During the engagement, MMI helped Fortress achieve over $70 billion in monthly trading volume within one (1) year and reached the top twenty (20) forex brokers by volume. Mr. Eaglstein assembled and led a global team with offices in the Middle East, North America, Russia, and Asia to achieve positive cash flow results within two (2) months of product launch.
From June 2011 to May 2014, Mr. Eaglstein started his career as a Senior Business Intelligence Analyst at Boston Technologies (“BT”). BT promoted him to Managing Director, a pioneer in MT4 bridge technology for the retail forex market. He was instrumental in increasing Boston Technologies’ revenue from five (5) million to twenty (20) million, making it the 143rd fastest-growing company in America by Inc. 500 ranking.
From March 2009 to May 2011, Mr. Eaglstein led FXCM Systems, LLC, as its Chief Information Officer. He successfully provided white label and software development solutions to FXCM, one of the largest forex broker-dealers in the world, on behalf of FXCM. From January 2007 to March 2011, he served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Information Officer for Avalon Capital Holdings Corporation. He developed, marketed, and distributed high-performance proprietary trading software for financial companies engaged in online forex trading. From January 2007 to Feb 2009, Mr. Eaglstein was the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Traders Development COO Traders Development, LLC, a financial software company based in Irvine, California. Early in his career, Mr. Eaglstein co-founded Campus Universe, an online consignment shop for students to buy and sell textbooks from each other via a fully automated e-commerce website that won the Golden Web Award.
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Imran Firoz, Co-Founder, CFO, and Director
From January 2016 to date, Mr. Firoz has been the Company’s Co-Founder, Chief Financial Officer, and Director. Mr. Firoz is responsible for strategic planning and corporate development, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), financial restructuring, and risk management. He has guided due diligence efforts, implemented financial controls, practiced compliance guidelines, and planned disaster recovery strategies. From December 2011 to May 2015, Mr. Firoz was the CEO and Director of Scoobeez Global, Inc. (“Scoobeez”). From May 2015 to March 2017, Mr. Firoz worked as the CFO and Director of Scoobeez. He was instrumental in acquiring, developing, and growing Scoobeez, an on-demand messenger, delivery, and courier company. Scoobeez increased its revenue from under $500,000 to $27 million. From January 2019 to the present, Mr. Firoz has owned Spark Capital Investments, LLC, which assists small-sized private and public companies by providing management consulting services.
From February 2014 to December 2019, Mr. Firoz worked as the Managing Director of Match-Trade Technologies LLC, a financial technology company. From July 2007 to March 2017, Mr. Firoz was a Managing Partner of Marque 3 LLC, a management consulting company based in Pasadena, California. He has served as a management consultant/adviser to senior executives of several companies.
Mr. Firoz was the Chief Financial Officer of Master Capital Group Corp. from November 2004 until May 2007. He provided financial oversight to the accounting and finance department and advised the Board of Directors on the financial implications of business activities. In January 2002, Mr. Firoz served as Associate, Investment Banking for National Bank Financial, Canada (“NBF”) on numerous transactions, including a key M&A advisory team Franco-Nevada member on the $10 billion three-way mega gold merger of Newmont-Normandy-Franco-Nevada. During the same period, he was a member of NBF’s investment banking team that advised the Treasurer of Hydro One on the restructuring and selling of Ontario Electricity Financial Corporation debt of $2.9 billion in the Canadian public debt markets.
Mr. Firoz started his career as a Chemical Engineer with Tata Chemicals Limited from December 1994 until September 1997. He led several cross-functional teams to manage the Ammonia Plant’s commissioning activities, plant operations, and other technical projects. From October 1997 to July 1999, Mr. Firoz worked as a Senior Process Engineer with Saudi Methanol Company, a Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) subsidiary. He was responsible for technical services and improving plant safety management. Mr. Firoz received his MBA in April 2001 from the Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario, Canada. Mr. Firoz graduated in July 1993 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) from Aligarh University, India. Mr. Firoz has been a Certified Financial Risk Manager from the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP), New Jersey, since January 2003.
Brian Platt, Chief Technology Officer
Mr. Platt joined the Company in May 2016. Mr. Platt has over ten (10) years of experience in the forex industry, managing complex technology and business operations. His expertise includes advanced technical knowledge of databases, programming, product development lifecycles, and a clear understanding of business needs. Mr. Platt’s passion is combining this business and technological know-how to ensure the best products, client satisfaction, and optimization of human resources.
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Mr. Platt was the head of technology at the prime brokerage division of Fortress Capital Investments, UAE (“Fortress”), from June 2014 to January 2016. He was instrumental in starting a forex broker from the ground up, introducing the trading platform, connecting liquidity, add-on services such as money management PAMM systems, and compliance reporting.
From May 2011 to February 2014, Mr. Platt was the Director of Risk Management and Operations Research at Boston Technologies. His accomplishments include developing advanced procedures to eliminate trade risk, streamlining accounting operations, revamping client reporting, integrating new revenue streams, and providing comprehensive analytics.
Before joining Boston Technologies, Mr. Platt managed the Operations Research department at CMS Forex from March 2006 through May 2011. He coordinated all business intelligence efforts, identified and automated manual operations, and facilitated new business initiatives in this role. Mr. Platt organized the operational elements of CMS Forex’s sale to Gain Capital and revamped it to utilize existing resources as a profitable self-sufficient IB business. Mr. Platt holds a degree in Information Systems from Yeshiva University. He has computer science training from New York University and Oracle DBA training from Farleigh Dickenson University.
Jonathan Baumgart, Director
Mr. Baumgart has been a non-executive director of the Company since June 2021. Mr. Baumgart is considered independent under NYSE and NASDAQ listing standards. The Company compensates Mr. Baumgart for his services on the Board in cash and stock-based equity. He founded Atomiq Consulting (“Atomiq”) and has been its Chief Executive Officer since May 2014. Atomiq specializes in the retail forex industry and the trading of other high-growth financial assets. In February 2015, Mr. Baumgart co-founded Money Matter, a boutique financial investment services firm based in Krakow, Poland. Between September 2010 and March 2014, Mr. Baumgart was the Director of Training at Boston Technologies, a technology, market maker, high-frequency trading, and inter-broker broker-dealer in the retail forex, precious metals, and other over-the-counter financial securities. In 2004, Mr. Baumgart completed his International Affairs & Economics undergraduate degree from the Whittemore School of Business and Economics, University of New Hampshire, Durham.
Gope S. Kundnani, Director
On September 30, 2022, the Company appointed Gope S. Kundnani as the Director of the Company. Upon the appointment of Mr. Kundnani, the Company currently has four Board of Directors. Mr. Kundnani is a seasoned entrepreneur with several decades of experience building successful businesses in the United States, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom. From May 2018 to the present, Mr. Kundnani was the founder and current Director of Alchemy Prime Markets, a financial brokerage services company regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). From December 2018 to the present, Mr. Kundnani founded and is the Director of Blackthorn Finance Limited, an authorized payments financial services company regulated by the FCA. From May 2004 to April 2008, Mr. Kundnani was the Director of Tristar Group, responsible for investing and acquiring small retail businesses in the Texas region. From February 1999 to the present, Mr. Kundnani has been a partner and CEO of Flexo Pack, a polyethylene product manufacturer with a global customer base. Mr. Kundnani holds an undergraduate business degree from Mulund College of Commerce, Mumbai, India.
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Term of Office
All directors serve until the next annual meeting; their successors are elected and qualified. Officers are appointed to serve for one year until the board of directors’ meeting, followed by the stockholders’ annual meeting, and until the directors’ successors have been elected and qualified.
Director of Independence
Our board of directors is currently composed of four (4) members, out of which three (3) directors are executive directors and who do not qualify as independent directors by the published listing requirements of the NASDAQ Global Market (the Company has no plans to list on the NASDAQ Global Market). The third non-executive director is an independent director. The NASDAQ independence definition includes a series of objective tests, such as that the director is not, and has not been for at least three (3) years, one of our employees and that neither the director nor any of his family members have engaged in various types of business dealings with us. Also, our board of directors has not made a subjective determination as to our director that no relationships exist, which, in the opinion of our board of directors, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. However, the NASDAQ rules require such subjective determination. Had our board of directors made these determinations, they would have reviewed and discussed the information provided by directors and us concerning our director’s business and personal activities and relationships as they may relate to us and our management.
Audit Committee and Conflicts of Interest
Since we do not have an audit or compensation committee comprised of independent directors, the functions that such committees would have performed are performed by our Board of Directors. The Board of Directors has not established an audit committee, does not have an audit committee financial expert, nor has the Board of Directors established a nominating committee. The Board believes such committees are unnecessary since the Company is an early start-up company with only three (3) directors. To date, such directors have been performing the functions of such committees. Thus, there is a potential conflict of interest in that our three (3) directors and officers have the authority to determine issues concerning management compensation, nominations, and audit issues that may affect management decisions.
There are no family relationships among our directors or officers other than as described above. We are unaware of any other conflicts of interest with our executive officers or directors.
Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings
No director, person nominated to become a director, executive officer, promoter, or control person of our Company has, during the last ten (10) years, (i) been convicted in or is currently subject to a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses); (ii) been a party to a civil proceeding of a judicial or administrative body of competent jurisdiction and as a result of such proceeding was or is subject to a judgment, decree or final order enjoining future violations of, or prohibiting or mandating activities subject to any federal or state securities or banking or commodities laws including, without limitation, in any way limiting involvement in any business activity, or finding any violation to such law, nor (iii) any bankruptcy petition been filed by or against the business of which such person was an executive officer or a general partner, whether at the time of the bankruptcy or for the two (2) years prior thereto.
Stockholder Communications with the Board of Directors
We have not implemented a formal policy or procedure by which our stockholders can communicate directly with our board of directors. Nevertheless, every effort will be made to ensure that the board hears the views of stockholders of directors and that the appropriate responses are provided to stockholders promptly. Our board of directors will continue to monitor whether it would be relevant to adopt such a process during the upcoming year.
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ITEM 11. | EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION |
The following table sets forth all compensation for the last two fiscal years awarded to, earned by, or paid to our chief executive officer and our only other compensated executive officer serving in the previous completed fiscal year (collectively, the “Named Executives”):
Stock | Option | Non-Equity Incentive Plan | Nonqualified Deferred | All Other | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Name and Principal Position | Year | Salary (3) ($) | Bonus ($) | Awards ($) | Awards ($) | Compensation ($) | Compensation ($) | Compensation ($) | Total ($) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mitch Eaglstein, CEO (1) | 2023 | 180,000 | -0- | -0- | -0- | -0- | -0- | -0- | 180,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2022 | 144,000 | -0- | 83,000 | -0- | -0- | -0- | -0- | 227,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Imran Firoz, CFO (2) | 2023 | 180,000 | -0- | -0- | -0- | -0- | -0- | -0- | 180,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2022 | 144,000 | -0- | 83,000 | -0- | -0- | -0- | -0- | 227,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brian Platt, CTO (3) | 2023 | 15,000 | -0- | -0- | -0- | -0- | -0- | -0- | 15,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2022 | 60,000 | -0- | -0- | -0- | -0- | -0- | -0- | 60,000 |
(1) Appointed CEO, President, and Director on January 21, 2016. The Company issued 30,000,000 common stock on January 21, 2016, and 2,600,000 preferred stock on March 24, 2017, at par value as the founder in consideration of services rendered to the Company.
(2) Appointed Chief Financial Officer, Secretary, and Director on January 21, 2016. The Company issued 5,310,000 common stocks on January 21, 2016, and 400,000 preferred stock on March 24, 2017, at par value as the founder in consideration of services rendered to the Company.
(3) On March 15, 2016, the Company issued 500,000 restricted common shares to Platt for services valued at $25,000.
The Company gave all salary compensation to key executives as independent contractors, where Eaglstein, Firoz, and Platt commit one hundred percent (100%) of their time to the Company. The Company has not formalized performance bonuses and other incentive plans. Each executive is paid every month at the beginning of the month. From September 2018 to September 30, 2020, the Company is paying monthly compensation of $5,000 to its CEO and CFO, respectively, with increases each succeeding year should the agreement be approved annually. Effective October 1, 2020, the Company pays $12,000 monthly to its CEO and CFO. Effective January 1, 2023, the Company expenses $15,000 monthly to its CEO and CFO.
Messrs. Eaglstein, Firoz, and Platt are independent contractors performing as the CEO, CFO, CTO, and COO, respectively. The Company intends to convert all such officers to employee status during the second quarter of 2021. The Company has not issued any bonuses or option awards to its officers. The Company intends to provide these incentives to meet specific sales criteria, which will be reviewed quarterly and annually.
On December 12, 2022, the Board of Directors issued 10,000,000 common stocks valued at $83,000 each to Eaglstein and Firoz for services rendered concerning the acquisition of AML Ltd and integration of AD Advisory Services Pty Ltd.
Stock Option Grants
We had no outstanding equity awards as of the end of the fiscal period ended December 31, 2023, or through the date of filing this report.
Employment Agreements
The Company is not a party to any employment agreement and has no compensation agreement with any officer or director.
Director Compensation
The Company issued Jonathan Baumgart, non-executive director, 100,000 common stocks valued at $21,000 in June 2021 upon his appointment to the Board. The Company issued Baumgart 500,000 common stocks valued at $15,000 in December 2021.
The Company issued Gope S. Kundnani, director, 5,000,000 common stocks valued at $60,000 in September 2022 upon his appointment to the Board. The Company has not issued any other compensation to Kundnani as of December 31, 2023.
31 |
ITEM 12: | SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS |
The following table lists, as of December 31, 2023, the number of shares of common, Series A Preferred Stock, and Series B Preferred Stock of our Company that are beneficially owned by (i) each person or entity is known to our Company to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the outstanding common stock; (ii) each officer and director of our Company; and (iii) all sole officer and director as a group. Information relating to beneficial ownership of the common stock by our principal shareholders and management is based upon each person’s information using “beneficial ownership” concepts under the Securities and Exchange Commission rules. Under these rules, a person is deemed to be a beneficial owner of security if that person has or shares voting power, which includes the power to vote or direct the voting of the security, or investment power, which consists of the power to vote or direct the voting of the security. The person is also deemed to be a beneficial owner of any security and has a right to acquire beneficial ownership within sixty (60) days. Under the Securities and Exchange Commission rules, more than one person may be deemed a beneficial owner of the same securities, and a person may be deemed a beneficial owner of securities as to which they may not have any beneficial financial interest. Except as noted below, each person has sole voting and investment power.
The percentages below are calculated based on 388,584,729 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding for the fiscal year of December 31, 2023.
Name and Address(1) | Title of Class | Number of Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class | |||||||
Mitch Eaglstein | Common | 30,768,105 | 7.92 | % | ||||||
Imran Firoz | Common | 24,310,000 | 6.26 | % | ||||||
Brian Platt | Common | 500,000 | * | % | ||||||
Jonathan Baumgart | Common | 645,000 | * | % | ||||||
Gope S. Kundnani (2) | Common | 200,000,000 | 51.47 | % | ||||||
FRH Group Corporation (3) | Common | 26,372,413 | 6.79 | % | ||||||
Officers and Directors as a group (4 persons) | Common | 255,178,105 | 66.07 | % |
* Less than 1%
The percentages below are calculated based on 6,500,000 shares of our Series A Preferred Stock issued and outstanding for the fiscal year of December 31, 2023.
Name and Address(1) | Title of Class (4) | Number of Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class | |||||||
Mitch Eaglstein | Series A Preferred | 1,500,000 | 23.07 | % | ||||||
Gope S. Kundnani (5) | Series A Preferred | 4,000,000 | 61.53 | % | ||||||
Felix R. Hong (3) | Series A Preferred | 1,000,000 | 15.38 | % | ||||||
Officers and Directors as a group (2 persons) | Series A Preferred | 6,500,000 | 84.60 | % |
32 |
The percentages below are calculated based on 1,800,000 shares of our Series B Preferred Stock issued and outstanding for the fiscal year of December 31, 2023.
Name and Address(1) | Title of Class (6) | Number of Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class | |||||||
Alchemy Prime Holdings Ltd. | Series B Preferred | 1,800,000 | 100.00 | % | ||||||
Officers and Directors as a group (1 person) | Series B Preferred | 1,800,000 | 100.00 | % |
In the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016, the Company collectively issued 30,000,000 and 5,310,000 common shares at par value to Mitchell Eaglstein and Imran Firoz, respectively, as the founders in consideration of services rendered to the Company. Further, the Company agreed to issue 2,600,000, 400,000, and 1,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock to Mitchell Eaglstein, Imran Firoz, and FRH Group, respectively, as the founders in consideration of services rendered to the Company.
(1) Addresses for all officers and directors are 200 Spectrum Center Drive, Suite 300, Irvine, CA 92618.
(2) Gope S. Kundnani owns 200,000,000 in the Company’s common stock personally and through Alchemy Prime Holdings Ltd.
(3) On February 22, 2021, the Company entered into an Assignment of Debt Agreement (the “Agreement”) with FRH and FRH Group Corporation. The Company eliminated all four FRH Group convertible notes, including interest, of $1,256,908 in return for issuing 12,569,080 of unregistered common stock of the Company (the “Shares”) to FRH. Following the Agreement, FRH assigned the Shares to FRH Group Corporation, also owned by Mr. Hong.
(4) Series A Preferred stock is entitled to fifty (50) non-cumulative votes per share on all matters presented to stockholders for action. As a result, 4,000,000 Series A Preferred Shares represent a 45.43% voting percentage on a fully diluted vote per share basis.
(5) In January 2023, Eaglstein and Firoz transferred 1,100,000 and 400,000 shares to Gope S. Kundnani, the Director of the Company. As of September 30, 2023, the Company had 4,000,000 preferred shares issued and outstanding, with Eaglstein, Kundnani, and Hong holding 1,500,000, 1,500,000, and 1,000,000 shares, respectively.
(6) The Series B Preferred Stock is non-dilutive and is not subject to stock splits or any other adjustments to the Company’s common stock. Each share of Series B Preferred Stock can be converted into 100 shares of the Company’s common stock at any time by the holder of such shares. Series B Preferred Stock is entitled to one (1) vote per share on all matters presented to stockholders for action. As a result, 1,800,000 Series B Preferred Shares represent a 0.25% voting percentage on a fully diluted vote per share basis.
33 |
ITEM 13. | CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE |
In April 2016, the Company established its wholly-owned subsidiary – FRH Prime Ltd. (“FRH Prime”), incorporated under section 14 of Bermuda’s Companies Act 1981. In January 2017, FRH Prime established its wholly-owned subsidiary – FXClients Limited (“FXClients”), under the United Kingdom Companies Act. The Company established FRH Prime and FXClients to conduct financial technology service activities. The Company established FRH Prime and FXClients to conduct financial technology service activities. At present, both companies have ceased to exist.
For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022, FRH Prime has generated volume rebates of $0 and $1,861 from the Condor Risk Management Back Office Platform. The Company has included rebates in revenue in the consolidated income statements.
Between February 22, 2016, and April 24, 2017, the Company borrowed $1,000,000 from FRH Group, a founder and principal shareholder (“FRH Group”). The Company executed Convertible Promissory Notes due between April 24, 2019, and June 30, 2019. The Notes are convertible into common stock initially at $0.10 per share but may be discounted under certain circumstances, but in no event will the conversion price be less than $0.05 per share. The Notes carry an interest rate of 6% per annum, which is due and payable at maturity.
Between March 15 and 21, 2017, subject to the terms and conditions of the Stock Purchase Agreement, the Company issued 1,000,000 shares to Susan Eaglstein and 400,000 shares to Brent Eaglstein at $0.05 per share, a cumulative cash amount of $70,000. Ms. Eaglstein and Mr. Eaglstein are the mother and brother of Mitchell Eaglstein, the Company’s CEO and director.
On February 22, 2021, the Company entered into an Assignment of Debt Agreement (the “Agreement”) with FRH and FRH Group Corporation. The Company eliminated all four FRH Group convertible notes, including interest, of $1,256,908 in return for issuing 12,569,080 of unregistered common stock of the Company (the “Shares”) to FRH. Following the Agreement, FRH assigned the Shares to FRH Group Corporation, also owned by Mr. Hong.
In September 2022, the Company issued 30,000,000 common stock for cash consideration of $300,000 for Alchemy Prime Limited (APL) and appointed Gope S. Kundnani as the director of the Company. As director’s compensation, the Company issued 5,000,000, valued at $60,000. Mr. Kundnani is the director and owner of APL.
In January 2023, the Company issued 115,000,000 common stock for a cash consideration of $550,000 to Kundnani, its director.
In January 2023, Eaglstein and Firoz transferred 1,100,000 and 400,000 shares to Kundnani, the Director of the Company. As of September 30, 2023, the Company had 4,000,000 preferred shares issued and outstanding, with Eaglstein, Kundnani, and Hong holding 1,500,000, 1,500,000, and 1,000,000 shares, respectively.
On September 30, 2023, the Company signed the definitive agreement with Alchemy Group, where the Company acquired 100% of Alchemy Markets DMCC (Alchemy UAE), 100% of APL, and 49.90% of AML. The Company terminated the acquisition of Alchemy UAE in October 2023.
On November 30, 2023, the Company purchased 499 shares of Alchemy Markets Holdings Ltd (Alchemy BVI) from Alchemy Prime Holdings Ltd (APHL) in exchange for 833,621 Series B Preferred Stock. The Company did not exchange cash in the transaction. The Company has issued the Series B Preferred stock to APHL. Kundnani, a related party, is the sole shareholder of APHL, a related party. As a result, the Company now owns one hundred percent (100.00%) of AML, an operating entity of Alchemy BVI.
On November 30, 2023, the Company purchased one hundred percent (100.00%) of all the issued and outstanding shares of APL, an FCA-regulated brokerage, from APHL in exchange for 966,379 Series B Preferred Stock. The Company did not exchange cash in the transaction. The Company has issued the Series B Preferred stock APHL. Kundnani, a related party, is the sole shareholder of APHL.
Kundnani, a related party, purchased 2,500,000 Series A Preferred stock of FDCTech for $2.5 million. FDCTech has issued the Series A Preferred stock to Kundnani.
Kundnani, a related party, purchased 50,000,000 Common stock of FDCTech for $5.5 million. FDCTech has issued the Common stock to Kundnani.
In December 2023, Susan Eaglstein, mother of Mitchel Eaglstein, the Company’s CEO, provided $20,000 as a related party advance for working capital. The Company has not formalized the agreement. As part of the consideration, the Company issued Ms. Eaglstein 10,000 Series B Preferred Convertible Shares in January 2024 (See: Subsequent Events Memo).
34 |
ITEM 14. | PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES |
On July 2, 2024, the board of directors of FDCTech, Inc. (the “Company”) terminated its relationship with its independent registered public accounting firm, Fortune CPA Inc., Orange, California (“Fortune”), effective as of July 2, 2024.Fortune was only retained by the Company for less than a year, and no reports were filed with the SEC. During the period of time that Fortune was the Company’s auditor through July 2, 2024, there were no disagreements with Forutne on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Fortune, would have caused Fortune to refer to the matter in its reports on the Company’s financial statements for such periods.
On July 2, 2024, the Company, based on the decision of its board of directors, approved the engagement of Olayinka Oyebola & Co (“Olayinka”) to serve as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, commencing July 2, 2024. Olayinka is a member of Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) in the United States and member of Canadian Public Accountability Board (CPAB) in Canada.
On July 2, 2021, the Board of Directors of FDCTech, Inc. (the “Company”) approved the dismissal of Farber Hass Hurley LLP (“FHH”) as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. The reports of FHH on the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020, and 2019 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion. It was not qualified or modified for uncertainty audit scope or accounting principles.
On July 2, 2021, the Company appointed BF Borgers CPA PC (“BFB”) as the Company’s new independent registered public accounting firm, effective immediately, to perform independent audit services for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. BFB has been the Company’s auditor since July 2021. On April 18, 2023, the board of directors of FDCTech, Inc. (the “Company”) terminated its relationship with its independent registered public accounting firm, BF Borgers CPA PC, Lakewood, Colorado (“BF Borgers”), effective as of April 18, 2023. The reports of BF Borgers on the Company’s financial statements for the two years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021 did not contain an adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion. They were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope, or accounting principles, except for providing a qualification for the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. During the year ended December 31, 2022, and in the subsequent period through March 31, 2023, there were no disagreements with BF Borgers on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which, if not resolved to the satisfaction of BF Borgers, would have caused BF Borgers to refer to the matter in its reports on the Company’s financial statements for such periods.
On April 18, 2023, the Company, based on the decision of its board of directors, approved the engagement of Bolko & Company, Boca Raton, Florida (“Bolko”) to serve as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, commencing April 18, 2023. On March 4, 2024, the board of directors of the “Company terminated its relationship with its independent registered public accounting firm, Bolko & Company, Boca Raton, Florida (“Bolko”), effective as of March 4, 2024.
The Company retained Bolko for less than a year, and we did not file any Form 10K reports with the SEC. During the period that Bolko was the Company’s auditor through March 4, 2024, there were no disagreements with Bolko on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Bolko, would have caused Bolko to refer to the matter in its reports on the Company’s financial statements for such periods.
On March 4, 2024, the Company, based on the decision of its board of directors, approved the engagement of Fortune CPA Inc., Orange, California (“FCPA”) to serve as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, commencing March 4, 2024.
Audit Fees
For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022, and 2021, the Company paid $1,000 and $34,250, respectively, to FHH.
For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022, and 2021, the Company paid $100,700 and $10,800, respectively, to BFB. The payment for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022, includes $35,000 for auditing the financial statements of ADS for the period ending June 30, 2021, and 2020.
For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, the Company paid $64,800 to BF Borgers and $15,000 to Bolko.
The fees include auditing our annual financial statements for 2023 and reviewing Forms 10-Q for 2023, or services generally provided by the accountant concerning statutory and regulatory filings for the fiscal year.
35 |
Board of Directors Pre-Approval of Audit and Permissible Non-Audit Services of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Our Board of Directors’ policy is to pre-approve all our independent registered public accounting firm’s services. For fiscal 2023, our Board of Directors pre-approved 100% of our independent registered public accounting firm’s services. These services include audit services. Our independent registered public accounting firm must periodically report to our Board of Directors regarding the extent of services offered by our independent registered public accounting firm by this pre-approval policy. Our Board of Directors may also delegate pre-approval authority to one or more members. Such members must report any pre-approval to our Board of Directors at the next meeting.
Audit-Related Fees
We incurred neither fees nor expenses for 2023 for professional services rendered by FHH, BF Borgers, Bolko, or FCPA for audit-related fees other than those disclosed above under the caption “Audit Fees.”
Tax Fees
We incurred neither fees nor expenses for 2023 for professional services rendered by FHH, BF Borgers, Bolko, or FCPA for tax compliance, tax advice, or tax planning other than the fees disclosed above under the caption “Audit Fees.”
Other Fees
We incurred no other fees or expenses in 2023 for any other products or professional services rendered by FHH, BF Borgers, Bolko, or FCPA other than as described above.
36 |
PART IV
ITEM 15. | FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES. |
(a) Financial Statements
ITEM 16. | EXHIBITS. |
Exhibit | Item | |
31.1 | Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |
31.2 | Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |
32.1 | Certification of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |
101.INS* | Inline XBRL Instance Document | |
101.SCH* | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema | |
101.CAL* | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase | |
101.DEF* | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase | |
101.LAB* | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase | |
101.PRE* | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase | |
104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
37 |
SIGNATURES
In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, the registrant caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
FDCTECH, INC. | |
Date: October 15, 2024 | /s/ Mitchell Eaglstein |
Mitchell Eaglstein, President and CEO (Principal Executive Officer) |
Date: October 15, 2024 | /s/ Imran Firoz |
Imran Firoz, CFO (Principal Accounting Officer) |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
SIGNATURE | TITLE | DATE | ||
/s/ Mitchell Eaglstein | President, Chief Executive Officer (Principal | October 15, 2024 | ||
Mitchell Eaglstein | Executive Officer) | |||
/s/ Imran Firoz | Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and | October 15, 2024 | ||
Imran Firoz | Accounting Officer) |
38 |
FDCTECH, INC.
Index to Consolidated Financial Statements
F-1 |
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Board of Directors and Stockholders of
FDCTECH, INC.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of FDCTECH, INC (the ‘Company’) as of December 31, 2023, and 2022, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the two years ended December 31, 2023, and 2022, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023, and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years ended December 31, 2023, and 2022, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Going Concern
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 2, the Company suffered an accumulated deficit of $(2,643,647). These matters raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans with regards to these matters are also described in Note 2 to the financial statements. These financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matters
Critical audit matters are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. Communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements taken as a whole and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
/S/
OLAYINKA OYEBOLA & CO.
(Chartered Accountants)
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2024.
October 10, 2024
F-2 |
FDCTECH, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||
Assets | ||||||||
Current assets: | ||||||||
Cash | $ | $ | ||||||
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $ | ||||||||
Prepaid expenses – current | ||||||||
Subscription receivable | ||||||||
Loan receivable | ||||||||
OID promissory note | ||||||||
Total Current assets | ||||||||
Capitalized software, net | ||||||||
Investment through subsidiary | ||||||||
Accrued income | ||||||||
Acquired intangible assets | ||||||||
Related party guarantee | ||||||||
Tax receivable | ||||||||
Fair value of trading positions for the firm, profit | ||||||||
Right of use (lease) | ||||||||
Fixed assets, net | ||||||||
Total assets | $ | $ | ||||||
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Deficit | ||||||||
Current liabilities: | ||||||||
Accounts payable | $ | $ | ||||||
Line of credit | ||||||||
Accrued expenses, related party | ||||||||
Promissory note | ||||||||
Business acquisition loan | ||||||||
Cares act- paycheck protection program advance | ||||||||
Related party advances | | |||||||
Customer funds | ||||||||
Fair value of trading positions for the firm, loss | ||||||||
Operating lease liability, current | ||||||||
Other current liabilities | ||||||||
Total Current liabilities | ||||||||
Deferred tax liabilities | | |||||||
SBA loan – non-current | ||||||||
Operating lease liability, non-current | ||||||||
Accrued interest – non-current | ||||||||
Total liabilities | ||||||||
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 9) | ||||||||
Stockholders’ Deficit: | ||||||||
Preferred stock, par value $ | , shares authorized, and issued and outstanding, as of December 31, 2023, and December 31, 2022||||||||
Series B Preferred stock, par value $ | , shares authorized, and issued and outstanding, as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022||||||||
Common stock, par value $ | , shares authorized; and shares issued and outstanding, as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022||||||||
Additional paid-in capital | ||||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive income | ||||||||
Accumulated deficit | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Total FDCTech, Inc. stockholders’ equity (deficit) | ||||||||
Noncontrolling interest | ||||||||
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit | $ | $ |
See accompanying notes to the financial statements.
F-3 |
FDCTECH, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
Year Ended | ||||||||
December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||
Revenues | ||||||||
Technology & software | ||||||||
Wealth management | ||||||||
Trading revenue | ||||||||
Total revenue | $ | $ | ||||||
Cost of sales | ||||||||
Technology & software | ||||||||
Wealth management | ||||||||
Trading revenue | ||||||||
Total cost of sales | ||||||||
Gross Profit | $ | |||||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||
General and administrative | ||||||||
Sales and marketing | ||||||||
Depreciation | ||||||||
Total operating expenses | ||||||||
Operating loss | ( | ) | ||||||
Other income (expense): | ||||||||
Other interest expense | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Other income (expense) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Total other income (expense) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes | ( | ) | ||||||
Provision for income taxes | ||||||||
Net income (loss) | $ | $ | ( | ) | ||||
Net loss per common share, basic and diluted | $ | $ | ) | |||||
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding basic and diluted | ||||||||
Other comprehensive income (loss): | ||||||||
Change in foreign currency translation | $ | $ | ||||||
Total other comprehensive income (loss) | ||||||||
Total comprehensive income (loss) | ( | ) | ||||||
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests | ||||||||
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to FDCTech stockholders | $ | $ | ( | ) |
See accompanying notes to the financial statements.
F-4 |
FDCTECH, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
Preferred stock | Common stock | Additional Paid-in | Accumulated other comprehensive | Accumulated | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Capital | income (loss) | Deficit | Stockholders’ Deficit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance, December 31, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( |
) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Common shares issued for cash valued at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common shares issued for services valued at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common shares issued for cash valued at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common shares issued for cash valued at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common shares issued for financing cost valued at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common shares issued for cash valued at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common shares issued for cash valued at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common shares issued for services valued at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Forex gain (loss) on consolidation | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common shares issued for cash valued at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common shares issued for services valued at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common shares issued for services valued at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common shares issued for services valued at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss | - | - | ( | ) | ( |
) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance, December 31, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance, December 31, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common shares issued for financing cost at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common shares issued for cash valued at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common shares issued for services at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common shares issued for cash valued at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common shares issued for warrant settlement valued at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Series A Preferred shares issued for cash valued at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Series B Preferred shares issued for acquisition valued at $ | per share- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Changes in APIC due to acquisition of APL & AML | - | - | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Intercompany guarantee | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Forex gain (loss) on consolidation | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance, December 31, 2023 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ |
See accompanying notes to the financial statements
F-5 |
FDCTECH, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Year Ended | ||||||||
December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||
Net income (loss) | $ | $ | ( | ) | ||||
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
Software amortization | ||||||||
Depreciation | ||||||||
Common stock issued for services | ||||||||
Accounts receivable allowance | ||||||||
Subscription receivable | ( | ) | ||||||
Fixed assets, net | ( | ) | ||||||
Acquired intangible assets | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Change in assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
Gross accounts receivable | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Prepaid | ( | ) | ) | |||||
OID Promissory Note | ( | ) | ||||||
Loan receivable | ||||||||
Accounts payable | ( | ) | ||||||
Other current liabilities | ( | ) | ||||||
Accrued interest | ||||||||
Customer funds | ||||||||
Fair value of trading position, net | ( | ) | ||||||
Operating lease | ||||||||
Deferred taxes | ||||||||
Related party guarantee | ( | ) | ||||||
Tax receivable by subsidiaries | ( | ) | ||||||
Accrued income | ( | ) | ||||||
Right of use of assets (lease) | ( | ) | ||||||
Accrued expenses, related party | ||||||||
Net cash used in operating activities | $ | $ | ( | ) | ||||
Investing Activities: | ||||||||
Capitalized software | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Effect of exchange rates | ||||||||
Business acquisition seller’s note | ||||||||
Changes in paid-in capital | ( | ) | ||||||
Purchase price of acquisitions | ||||||||
Net cash used in investing activities | $ | $ | ( | ) | ||||
Financing Activities: | ||||||||
Borrowing from (payments to) line of credit | ||||||||
Promissory Note | ( | ) | ||||||
Net proceeds from cares act - paycheck protection program | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net proceeds from SBA loan | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Related party advances | ( | ) | ||||||
Stock issued for financing | ||||||||
Common stock issued for cash | ||||||||
Series A for cash | ||||||||
Noncontrolling interest | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net cash provided by financing activities | $ | $ | ||||||
Net increase in cash | ||||||||
Cash at beginning of the period | ||||||||
Cash at end of the period | $ | $ | ||||||
Cash paid for income taxes | $ | $ | ||||||
Cash paid for interest | $ | $ | ||||||
Non - cash investing and financing activities: | ||||||||
Common stock issued for financing & warrant settlement | $ | |||||||
Series B Preferred stock for acquisition | $ |
See accompanying notes to the financial statements.
F-6 |
FDCTECH, INC. – NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 1. BUSINESS DESCRIPTION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS
Under Delaware laws, the founders incorporated the Company as Forex Development Corporation on January 21, 2016. On February 27, 2018, the Company changed its name to FDCTech, Inc. The name change reflects the Company’s commitment to expanding its products and services in the FX and financial markets for OTC brokers. The Company provides innovative and cost-efficient financial technology (‘fintech’) and business solutions to OTC Online Brokerages (“customers”).
The Company intends to build a diversified global financial services company driven by proprietary Condor trading technologies, complementary regulatory licenses, and a proven executive team. The Company plans to acquire, integrate, transform, and scale legacy financial service companies. The Company believes its proprietary technology and software development capabilities allow legacy financial services companies immediate exposure to –forex, stocks, ETFs, commodities, social/copy trading, and other high-growth fintech markets.
From December 2021 onwards, the Company expects to grow from its acquisition strategy, specializing in buying and integrating small to mid-size legacy financial services companies. The Company intends to build a diversified global software-driven financial services company. The Company plans to acquire, integrate, transform, and scale legacy financial service companies. The Company replaces conventional legacy software infrastructure with its regulatory-grade proprietary Condor trading technologies, intending to improve end-user experience, increase client retention, and realize cost synergies.
Completed Acquisitions
On December 22, 2021, the Company entered into a Share Exchange Agreement (the “Agreement”) with AD Financial Services Pty Ltd ACN 628 331 117 of Level 38/71 Eagle St, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 4000 (“ADFP” or “Target”). According to the Agreement, the Company acquired % of ADFP’s issued and outstanding shares of capital stock in exchange for (the “Consideration”) newly issued “restricted” common shares. The operating and licensed entity of ADFP is AD Advisory Services Pty Ltd. ADFP owns one hundred percent ( %) equity interest in AD Advisory Services Pty Ltd (“ADS”). As a result, the Company is % the owner of ADS. The Company closed the acquisition on December 22, 2021, and combined the financial statements of ADS in its annual report, 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 28, 2022.
On
December 31, 2022, the Company announced the sales purchase agreement (“Agreement”) under which the Company acquired a
The
Company will assume a business acquisition loan liability of $
The
Company completed the acquisition of the remaining
The
Company”) completed the acquisition of
Mr.
Gope S. Kundnani (“Kundnani”) as the (sole) natural person holding one hundred percent (
Termination of CIM Acquisition
On
July 19, 2022, the Company signed a non-binding letter of intent to acquire fifty-one percent (
At July 31, 2023, the Company sent the notice of termination of the purchase agreement to CIM Securities as future events may result in a change of ownership in the CMA application. The Company believes that this would cause further delays in the approval process. Our board has mandated the management team to concentrate on expanding and developing our core non-US forex business to maximize shareholder value.
F-7 |
NOTE 1. BUSINESS DESCRIPTION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS (continued)
Termination of GFNL Acquisition
On August 24, 2021, the Company terminated the Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”), dated June 2, 2021, with the Shareholders of Genesis Financial, Inc., a Wyoming corporation (“Genesis” or “GFNL” or “Seller”). As of the termination date, the Company did not issue any Securities to the Seller. The Company could not complete nor qualify the Agreement as Genesis could not comply with several non-exhaustive material provisions, covenants, or conditions.
On
June 9, 2021, and in connection with the previous description of the Genesis Agreement, dated June 2, 2021, the Company appointed Warwick
Kerridge as Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors. Effective August 24, 2021, the Company terminated the appointment of
Warwick Kerridge as the Board of Directors. The Company approved the termination upon the consent of the majority of the stockholders
representing at least
Currently, we have three primary business segments: (1) Technology and Software Development, (2) Wealth Management, and (3) Investment and Margin Brokerage Business.
Technology & Software Development – Condor Trading Technology
The Company has three sources of revenue.
● | Technology Solutions – The Company licenses its proprietary and sometimes resells third-party technologies to customers. Our proprietary technology includes but is not limited to Condor Risk Management Back Office (“Condor Risk Management”), Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform (previously known as Condor FX Pro Trading Terminal), Condor Pricing Engine, Digital Assets Web Trader Platform, and other digital assets-related solutions. | |
● | Customized Software Development – The Company develops software for Customers with unique requirements outlined in the Software Development Agreement (“Agreement”). | |
● | Consulting Services – The Company’s turnkey business solutions - Start-Your-Own-Brokerage (“SYOB”), Start-Your-Own-Prime Brokerage (“SYOPB”), and FX/OTC liquidity solutions. |
The Company has completed the Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform, previously known as the Condor FX Trading Platform. The Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform is a regulatory-grade trading platform targeted at day traders and retail investors. The industry characterized such platforms by their ease of use and helpful features, such as the simplified front-end (user interface/user experience), back-end (reporting system), news feeds, and charting system. The Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform includes risk management (dealing desk, alert system, margin calls, etc.), a pricing engine (best bid/ask), and connectivity to multiple liquidity providers or market makers. We have tailored the Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform to markets such as forex, stocks, commodities, digital assets, and other financial products.
The Company released, marketed, and distributed its Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform in the second quarter of the fiscal year, December 31, 2019. The Company has developed the Condor Back Office API to integrate third-party CRM and banking systems into Condor Back Office.
The Company has seventeen (17) licensing agreements for its Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform. The Company continuously negotiates additional licensing agreements with several retail online brokers to use the Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform. Condor Pro Multi-Asset Trading Platform is available in desktop, web, and mobile versions.
The Company’s upgraded Condor Back Office (Risk Management) meets various jurisdictions’ regulatory requirements. Condor Back Office meets the directives under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II/MiFIR), legislation by European Securities and Market Authority (ESMA) implemented across the European Union on January 3, 2018.
F-8 |
NOTE 1. BUSINESS DESCRIPTION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS (continued)
The Company is developing the Condor Investing & Trading App, a simplified trading platform for traders with varied experiences in trading stocks, ETFs, and other financial markets from their mobile phones. The Company expects to commercialize the Condor Investing & Trading App by the end of the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024.
The Company had developed NFT Marketplace, a decentralized NFT marketplace, a multichain platform with a lazy minting option to reduce and limit unnecessary blockchain usage fees, also known as gas fees. The Company did not commercialize the NFT Marketplace in the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, as the market for NFT has slowed considerably.
The Company and its subsidiary, ADS, intend to develop a digital wealth management company, initially including a Robo Advice Platform catering to Australia’s wealth management industry. The Company does not expect to commercialize the Robo Advice Platform.
The
consolidated revenues for Technology and Software Development for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022, were $
Wealth Management – AD Advisory Services Pty Ltd.
AD Advisory Services Pty Ltd. (ADS) is an Australian-regulated wealth management company with 28 financial advisors and $530+ million in funds under advice. ADS provides licensing solutions for financial advisers and accountants in Australia and offers financial planners different licensing, compliance, and education solutions to meet their practice’s specific needs.
ADS’
consolidated revenues for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022 were $
Investment and Margin Brokerage Business (Europe and UK)
AML is authorized to deal with its account (market maker) as a Category 3 licensed entity by the MFSA, receive and transmit orders for retail and professional clients, and hold and control clients’ money and assets. AML trading platform services in the English, French, German, Italian, and Arabic-speaking markets, whereby customers can trade in currency, commodity, equity, and digital assets-linked derivatives in real-time. AML is authorized countries to do business include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
APL is an investment firm regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (‘FCA’) – it provides investment advice, dealing as agent and principal, safeguarding and administrating assets in forex, equity, commodities, spread bets, and other financial assets. APL is authorized countries to do business, including England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The
consolidated revenues from Investment and Margin Brokerage Business for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and 2022 were $
Settlement of the FRH Group Note
Between
February 22, 2016, and April 24, 2017, the Company borrowed $
F-9 |
NOTE 1. BUSINESS DESCRIPTION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS (continued)
2021-2022 Equity Line of Credit
On
October 04, 2021, the Company filed a prospectus that relates to the resale of up to
From
January 2021 to February 2022, the Company executed five “Purchase Notice Rights” under an Investment Agreement with White
Lion and received a net of $
The
Company also received a net amount of $