Note 1 - Company Overview

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2025

Notes to Financial Statements

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]

1. COMPANY OVERVIEW

Aterian, Inc. (the "Company") is a consumer products company that predominantly operates through online retail channels such as Amazon, Walmart, and Target and its own direct to consumer websites. The Company operates its owned brands, which were either incubated or purchased, selling products in multiple categories, including home and kitchen appliances, kitchenware, air quality appliances, health and beauty products and essential oils. Our primary brands include Squatty Potty, HomeLabs, Mueller Living, PurSteam, Healing Solutions, and Photo Paper Direct ("PPD"). Headquartered in New Jersey, the Company also maintains offices in China, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom.

Liquidity and Going Concern

As a company in the early commercialization stage of its lifecycle, we are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties associated with the development of our enterprise. In this regard, substantially all of our efforts to date have been devoted to the development and sale of our products in the marketplace, which includes our investment in organic growth at the expense of short-term profitability, our investment in incremental growth through mergers & acquisitions (“M&A strategy”), our recruitment of management and technical staff, and raising capital to fund the development of our enterprise. As a result of these efforts, we have incurred significant losses and negative cash flows from operations since our inception and expect to continue to incur such losses, at a reduced level, and negative cash flows in the near term. However, we anticipate improvements over time as we work toward achieving a sustainable scale of profitability. We have also experienced declining revenues due to macroeconomic factors, including increased interest rates and reduced consumer discretionary spending, and other factors, and we intend to focus our efforts on a more limited number of products. In addition, our recent financial performance has been adversely impacted by inflationary pressures, reduced consumer spending, and tariffs.

Our 2025 results have been impacted by recent changes to U.S. trade policy, including the imposition and expansion of tariffs on imports, specifically from China. A substantial portion of our products are sourced from China, and as such, the increased tariff rates have materially raised our cost of goods sold and have placed pressure on our margins. While we have actively pursued mitigation strategies, including supplier negotiations, selective price adjustments, geographic diversification of sourcing and fixed cost reductions, there is significant uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of these mitigation efforts. Moreover, any future changes in tariff policy or implementation of additional trade barriers could further impact our business. These trade-related uncertainties, in conjunction with our existing financial condition, raise concern about our ability to remain in compliance with financial covenants under our credit agreements and may adversely impact our liquidity position.

In order to execute our growth strategy, we have historically relied on outside capital through the issuance of equity, debt, and borrowings under financing arrangements (collectively “outside capital”) to fund our cost structure, and we expect to continue to rely on outside capital for the foreseeable future, specifically if we pursue material M&A opportunities. While we believe we will eventually reach a level of profitability to sustain our operations, there can be no assurance we will be able to achieve such profitability or do so in a manner that does not require our continued reliance on outside capital. Moreover, while we have historically been successful in raising outside capital, there can be no assurance we will be able to continue to obtain outside capital in the future or do so on terms that are acceptable to us.

As of the date the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements were issued (the “issuance date”), we evaluated the significance of the following adverse financial conditions in accordance with Accounting Standard Codification 205-40, Going Concern:

• Since our inception, we have incurred significant losses and used cash flows from operations to fund our enterprise. In this regard, during the year ended December 31, 2025, we incurred a net loss of $19.0 million and used net cash flows from operations of $10.9 million. In addition, as of December 31, 2025, we had unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of $4.9 million available to fund our operations and an accumulated deficit of $730.7 million.

• We are required to remain in compliance with certain financial covenants required by the MidCap Credit facility (See Note 9, Credit Facility, Term Loans and Warrants). We were in compliance with these financial covenants as of December 31, 2025, and expect to remain in compliance through at least March 31, 2027. However, if our mitigation strategies to address the impact of tariffs are unsuccessful, we can provide no assurances that we will remain in compliance with our financial covenants.   On March 13, 2026, the Company and its subsidiaries entered into Amendment No. 5 to its Credit and Security Agreement with MidCap Funding IV Trust. Under the terms of the amendment, the Company’s minimum liquidity covenant was reduced from $5.0 million to $3.5 million during the Minimum Liquidity Covenant Reduction Period. This reduction period commenced on the Fifth Amendment Effective Date and is subject to extension at the Company's option on a weekly basis through May 9, 2026, provided it remains in compliance with certain fee payment obligations.   Further, absent of our ability to generate cash inflows from our operations or secure additional outside capital, we will be unable to remain in compliance with these financial covenants. In the event we are unable to remain in compliance with these financial covenants (or other non-financial covenants required by the MidCap Credit Facility), and we are unable to secure a waiver or forbearance, MidCap may, at its discretion, exercise any and all of its existing rights and remedies, which may include, among others, accelerating repayment of the outstanding borrowings and/or asserting its rights in the assets securing the loan.

• As of the issuance date, we have no firm commitments to secure additional outside capital from lenders or investors. While we expect to continue to explore raising additional outside capital, there can be no assurance we will be able to obtain capital or do so on terms that are acceptable to us. Accordingly, absent our ability to generate cash inflows from our operations and/or secure additional outside capital in the near term, we may be unable to meet our obligations as they become due over the next twelve months beyond the issuance date.

• On May 14, 2025, the Company announced a fixed cost reduction plan, which included a workforce reduction affecting approximately 20 employees. The Company has substantially completed this reduction as of the year ended December 31, 2025. In connection with this plan, the Company recognized restructuring charges of approximately $1.9 million, of which $1.1 million is recorded in Sales and Distribution expenses and $0.8 million is recorded in General and Administrative expenses, primarily related to severance, during the year ended December 31, 2025. Severance payments are expected to be made through the second quarter of 2026.   In January 2026, the Company implemented a fixed cost reduction plan that included a workforce reduction affecting approximately 16 employees and independent contractors. The Company expects to substantially complete this reduction by the end of the first quarter of 2026. The Company expects to recognize restructuring charges in connection with the plan, primarily related to severance, of $0.3 million. The Company expects the charges will be recognized and paid in the first quarter of 2026.

• The Company's plan is to continue to closely monitor our operating forecast, to pursue additional sources of outside capital on terms that are acceptable to us, and to secure a waiver or forbearance from MidCap if we are unable to remain in compliance with one or more of the covenants required by the MidCap Credit Facility. Further, the Company has enacted a strategy to reduce the number of SKUs it sells and will no longer be pursuing future sales of SKUs that are either not profitable or not core to the Company’s strategy. If some or all of our plans prove unsuccessful, we may need to implement short-term changes to our operating plan, including but not limited to delaying expenditures, reducing investments in new products, or reducing our sale and distribution infrastructure. We may also need to seek long-term strategic alternatives, such as a significant curtailment of our operations, a sale of certain of our assets, a divestiture of certain product lines, a sale of the entire enterprise to strategic or financial investors, and/or allow our enterprise to become insolvent.   On December 8, 2025, we announced that our Board of Directors has authorized the initiation of a process to explore strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value, which may include a sale of the company, a merger, or other strategic transactions. There can be no assurance that this process will result in any transaction or that any transaction, if pursued, will be on favorable terms.

Although significant strides have been made in reducing our operating losses and strengthening our balance sheet, uncertainties persist in our business operations and the forecasting of our business. These uncertainties raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared on the basis that we will continue to operate as a going concern, which contemplates that we will be able to realize assets and settle liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements do not include any adjustments that may result from the outcome of these uncertainties.

Nasdaq Listing—On December 9, 2025, the Company received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Staff of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) indicating that, based upon the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock”), for the last 30 consecutive business days, the Company is not currently in compliance with the requirement to maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) (the “Bid Price Notice”).

The Bid Price Notice has no immediate effect on the continued listing status of the Common Stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market, and, therefore, the Company's listing remains fully effective.

The Company is provided a compliance period of 180 calendar days from the date of the Bid Price Notice, or until June 8, 2026, to regain compliance with the minimum closing bid requirement, pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A). If at any time before June 8, 2026, the closing bid price of the Common Stock closes at or above $1.00 per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days, subject to Nasdaq’s discretion to extend this period pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(H) to 20 consecutive business days, Nasdaq will provide written notification that the Company has achieved compliance with the minimum bid price requirement, and the matter would be resolved. If the Company does not regain compliance during the compliance period ending June 8, 2026, then Nasdaq may grant the Company a second 180 calendar day period to regain compliance, provided the Company meets the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly-held shares and all other initial listing standards for The Nasdaq Capital Market, other than the minimum closing bid price requirement, and notifies Nasdaq of its intent to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period.

The Company will continue to monitor the closing bid price of its Common Stock and seek to regain compliance with all applicable Nasdaq requirements within the allotted compliance periods. If the Company does not regain compliance within the allotted compliance periods, including any extensions that may be granted by Nasdaq, Nasdaq will provide notice that the Common Stock will be subject to delisting. The Company would then be entitled to appeal that determination to a Nasdaq hearings panel. There can be no assurance that the Company will regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement during the 180-day compliance period, secure a second period of 180 days to regain compliance or maintain compliance with the other Nasdaq listing requirements.