19. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2025

Notes

19. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

19.RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS 

Related party transactions in these consolidated financial statements are as follows:

On September 16, 2020, the Company issued a promissory note to JPMorgan, in the amount of $450,000. Portions of the note were converted from time to time into Shares until paid in full.

JPMorgan is a related party as a significant shareholder holding directly and indirectly, as of September 30, 2025, 2,249,882 common shares (9.58%), and 25,000 common share purchase warrants.

On June 21, 2021, stockholders of the Company unanimously consented to terminate a Stockholders Agreement entered into by all of the stockholders and the Company on September 24, 2020, and approved a governance agreement (the “JPM Agreement”) between the Company and JPMorgan, which grants to JPMorgan the following rights:

·a consent right with respect to certain business transaction matters, including: (a) material changes to the nature of the Company’s business, (b) a grant of certain stock options or restricted stock, (c) the Company’s entry into certain employment or compensation agreements, (d) the incurrence by the Company of more than $500,000 of debt, (e) the Company’s entry into a related party agreement, (f) a sale transaction, (g) a loan by the Company in excess of $500,000, (h) settlement of a lawsuit or other dispute in excess of $500,000 or (i) any investment by the Company in excess of $500,000; 

·Board of Director observation rights; 

·the right to receive certain quarterly and annual financial statements of the Company; and 

·certain inspection rights so long as JPMorgan owns at least 10% of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock. 

·The JPM Agreement terminated immediately upon the listing of the company’s common stock on the Nasdaq stock market in October 2024. 

On July 9, 2025, the Company, entered into a purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) and a registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) with Varie Asset Management LLC, a Nevada limited liability company (“Varie”), pursuant to which Varie has committed to purchase up to $8.125 million of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”).

Under the terms and subject to the conditions of the Purchase Agreement, the Company has the right, but not the obligation, to sell to Varie, and Varie is obligated to purchase, up to $8.125 million of Common Stock. Sales of Common Stock by the Company, if any, will be subject to certain limitations, and may occur from time to time, at the Company’s sole discretion, over the 24-month period commencing after the satisfaction of certain conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement, including that a registration statement covering the resale of the shares of Common Stock that may be issued under the Purchase Agreement, which the Company agreed to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, is declared effective by the SEC and a final prospectus in connection therewith is filed (such date on which all of such conditions are satisfied, the “Commencement Date”).

After the Commencement Date, under the Purchase Agreement, the Company may direct Varie to purchase up to 40,000 shares of Common Stock on such business day (each, a “Regular Purchase”), provided, however, that (i) the Regular Purchase may be increased to up to 60,000 shares, provided that the closing sale price of the Common Stock is not below $0.80 on the purchase date; (ii) the Regular Purchase may be increased to up to 80,000 shares, provided that the closing sale price of the Common Stock is not below $1.00 on the purchase date; and (iii) the Regular Purchase may be increased to up to 100,000 shares, provided that the closing sale price of the Common Stock is not below $2.00 on the purchase date (all of which share and dollar amounts shall be appropriately proportionately adjusted for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction as provided in the Purchase Agreement). In each case, Varie’s maximum commitment in any single Regular Purchase may not exceed $300,000. The purchase price per share (“Purchase Price”) means, with respect to any Regular Purchase made, ninety-seven percent (97%) of the lower of: (i) the lowest sale price on the applicable purchase date for such Regular Purchase and (ii) the arithmetic average of the three (3) lowest closing sale prices for the Common Stock

during the ten (10) consecutive business days ending on the business day immediately preceding such purchase date for such Regular Purchase (in each case, to be appropriately adjusted for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction that occurs on or after the date of the Purchase Agreement). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Purchase Price shall not be less than $0.62 per share.

Varie has no right to require the Company to sell any shares of Common Stock to Varie, but Varie is obligated to make purchases as the Company directs, subject to certain conditions. In all instances, the Company may not sell shares of its Common Stock to Varie under the Purchase Agreement if it would result in Varie beneficially owning more than 9.99% of its Common Stock. There are no upper limits on the price per share that Varie must pay for shares of Common Stock.

As consideration for its commitment to purchase shares of Common Stock under the Purchase Agreement, the Company issued to Varie 366,260 shares of Common Stock and may issue to Varie up to an additional 183,131 shares of Common Stock (the “Additional Commitment Shares”) in connection with additional purchases of Common Stock by Varie and in an amount of Additional Commitment Shares as calculated pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.

The Purchase Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement contain customary representations, warranties, agreements and conditions to completing future sale transactions, indemnification rights and obligations of the parties. The Company has the right to terminate the Purchase Agreement at any time, at no cost or penalty.

Actual sales of shares of Common Stock to Varie will depend on a variety of factors to be determined by the Company from time to time, including, among others, market conditions, the trading price of the Common Stock and determinations by the Company as to the appropriate sources of funding for the Company and its operations. Varie has covenanted not to cause or engage in, in any manner whatsoever, any direct or indirect short selling or hedging of the Common Stock.

The Company has agreed to pay Varie $12,000 per month commencing on the Commencement Date and continuing during the term of the Purchase Agreement, provided Regular Purchases may be made during any such month.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, the Company paid sitting and committee fees of $100,430 and $262,025.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2025, the Company granted shares of its common stock to non-employee directors. These directors are considered related parties under ASC 850 due to their governance positions with the Company.

On December 31, 2024, the Company issued an aggregate of 83,334 shares of restricted common stock to its non-employee directors under the 2020 Stock Plan. The shares were granted as part of routine board compensation. The restricted shares are subject to vesting over a twelve-month period, and the fair value was determined based on the market price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. The aggregate grant-date fair value of the shares awarded to directors was $95,834 which will be recognized over the applicable vesting period, in accordance with ASC 718.

On January 10, 2025, the Company issued an aggregate of 83,334 shares of restricted common stock to its non-employee directors under the 2020 Stock Plan. The shares were granted as part of routine board compensation. The restricted shares are subject to vesting over a twelve-month period, and the fair value was determined based on the market price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. The aggregate grant-date fair value of the shares awarded to directors was $115,826, which will be recognized over the applicable vesting period, in accordance with ASC 718.  

On February 28, 2025, the Company issued an aggregate of 83,334 shares of restricted common stock to its non-employee directors under the 2020 Stock Plan. The shares were granted as part of routine board compensation. The restricted shares are subject to vesting over a twelve-month period, and the fair value was determined based on the market price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. The aggregate grant-date fair value of the shares awarded to directors was $59,996, which will be recognized over the applicable vesting period, in accordance with ASC 718.

On May 22, 2025, the Company issued an aggregate of 450,000 shares of restricted common stock to its non-employee directors under the 2020 Stock Plan. The shares were granted as part of routine board compensation. The restricted shares are subject to vesting over a twelve-month period, and the fair value was determined based on the market price of the Company's common stock on the date of grant. The aggregate grant-date fair value of the shares awarded to directors was $432,990, which will be recognized over the applicable vesting period, in accordance with ASC 718. As of September 30, 2025, a total of 378,473 unvested restricted shares remain outstanding and are scheduled to vest over ten months.