Organization and Description of Business

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Organization and Description of Business

1. ORGANIZATION AND DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

Aterian, Inc., formerly known as Mohawk Group Holdings, Inc., and its subsidiaries, (“Aterian” or the “Company”), is a technology-enabled consumer products platform that builds, acquires and partners with e-commerce brands. The Company’s proprietary software and agile supply chain helps create a growing base of consumer products. Aterian predominantly operates through online retail channels such as Amazon and Walmart, Inc.  The Company owns and operates fourteen brands, which were either incubated or purchased, selling products in multiple categories, including home and kitchen appliances, kitchenware, heating, cooling and air quality appliances (dehumidifiers, humidifiers and air conditioners), health and beauty products and essentials oils.

Headquartered in New York, Aterian’s offices can also be found in China, Philippines, Israel and Poland.

Going Concern—As of December 31, 2021, the Company had total cash and cash equivalents of $30.3 million and an accumulated deficit of $429.0 million.  In addition, the Company’s net loss and net cash used in operating activities amounted to $236.0 million and $42.0 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2021.

As an emerging growth company, the Company has been dependent on outside capital through the issuance of equity to investors and borrowings from lenders (collectively “outside capital”) since its inception to execute its growth strategy of investing in organic growth at the expense of short-term profitably and investing in incremental growth through mergers and acquisitions (“M&A strategy”).  In addition, the Company’s recent financial performance has been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic and related global shipping disruption, in particular with respect to substantial increases in supply chain costs for shipping containers (See COVID-19 Pandemic and Supply Chain disclosure below).  As a result, the Company has incurred significant losses and will remain dependent on outside capital for the foreseeable future until such time that the Company can realize its strategy of growth by generating profits through its organic growth and M&A strategy, and reduce its reliance on outside capital.

Given the inherent uncertainties associated with executing the Company’s growth strategy, as well as the uncertainty associated with the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic and related global supply chain disruption, management can provide no assurance the Company will be able to obtain sufficient outside capital or generate sufficient cash from operations to fund the Company’s obligations as they become due over the next twelve months from the date these consolidated financial statements were issued.

In addition, as disclosed in Note 9, the Company entered into a $50.0 million asset backed credit agreement in December 2021.  The credit facility contains a financial covenant that requires the Company to maintain a minimum unrestricted cash balance of (a) $12.5 million during the period from February 1st through and including May 31st of each calendar year, and (b) $15.0 million at all other times thereafter.  At its election, the Company may elect to comply with an alternative financial covenant that would require the Company to maintain a minimum borrowing availability under the credit facility of $10.0 million at all times.  The Company does not anticipate electing the alternative financial covenant over the next twelve months and was in compliance with the minimum liquidity covenant as of the date these consolidated financial statements were issued.

Since its inception, the Company has been able to successfully raise a substantial amount of outside capital to fund the Company’s growth strategy.  However, as of December 31, 2021, the Company had no firm commitments of additional outside capital from current or prospective investors or lenders.  While management believes the Company will be able to secure additional outside capital, no assurance can be provided that such capital will be obtained or on terms that are acceptable to the Company.  Furthermore, given the inherent uncertainties associated with the Company’s growth strategy, the Company may be unable to remain in compliance with the financial covenants required by the credit facility agreement over the next twelve months.  These uncertainties raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

In order to alleviate substantial doubt, management plans to continue to closely monitor its operating forecast, pursue additional sources of outside capital, and pursue its M&A strategy.  If the Company is (a) unable to improve its operating results, (b) obtain additional outside capital on terms that are acceptable to the Company to fund the Company’s operations and M&A strategy, and/or (c) secure a waiver or forbearance from the lender if the Company is unable to remain in compliance with the financial covenants required by the credit facility agreement, the Company will have to make significant changes to its operating plan, such as delay

expenditures, reduce investments in new products, delay the development of its software, reduce its sale and distribution infrastructure, or otherwise significantly reduce the scope of its business.  Moreover, if the Company breaches the financial covenants required by the credit facility agreement and fails to secure a waiver or forbearance from the lender, such breach or failure could accelerate the repayment of the outstanding borrowings under the credit facility agreement or the exercise of other rights or remedies the lender may have under applicable law.  Management can provide no assurance a waiver or forbearance will be granted or the outstanding borrowings under the credit facility will be successfully refinanced on terms that are acceptable to the Company.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the basis that the Company will continue to operate as a going concern, which contemplates that the Company 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.

COVID-19 Pandemic and Supply Chain—The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and Supply Chain, including the impact associated with preventive and precautionary measures that the Company, other businesses and governments are taking, continues to evolve as of the date of this report.

During 2021, the Company has been impacted by COVID-19 pandemic and related global shipping disruption.  Together these have led to substantial increases in supply chain costs, in particular shipping containers, which the Company relies on to import its goods, has reduced the reliability and timely delivery of such shipping containers and has substantially increased the Company’s last mile shipping costs on its oversized goods. These cost increases have been particularly substantial to oversized goods, which is a material part of the Company’s business.  The reduced reliability and delivery of such shipping containers is forcing the Company to spend more on premium shipping to ensure goods are delivered, if at all, and the lack of reliability and timely delivery has further down chain impacts as it takes longer for containers to be offloaded and returned.   Further, this global shipping disruption is forcing the Company to increase its inventory on-hand including advance ordering and taking possession of inventory earlier than expected impacting its working capital.

Third party last mile shipping partners, such as UPS and FedEx, continue to increase the cost of delivering goods to the end consumers as their delivery networks continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The COVID-19 pandemic continues to bring uncertainty to consumer demand as price increases related to raw materials, the importing of goods, including tariffs, and the cost of delivering goods to consumers has led to inflation across the U.S. Coupled with the recent reopening of the majority of the country, the Company has noticed changes to consumer buying habits, which may have reduced demand for its products.

COVID-19 continues to bring uncertainty to consumer demand as price increases related to raw materials, the importing of goods, including tariffs, and the cost of delivering goods to consumers has led to inflation across the U.S. Coupled with continued changes in governmental restrictions and requirements, which continued to vary across the majority of the country, the Company has noticed changes to consumer buying habits, which may have reduced demand for its products.

The Company continues to consider the impact of COVID-19 and Supply Chain on the assumptions and estimates used when preparing these consolidated financial statements including inventory valuation, and the impairment of long-lived assets. These assumptions and estimates may change as the current situation evolves or new events occur, and additional information is obtained. If the economic conditions caused by COVID-19 and Supply Chain worsen beyond what is currently estimated by management, such future changes may have an adverse impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial position, and liquidity.