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As of March 26, 2024,
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
COMPLETE SOLARIA, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
i
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our and our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.
| ● | our ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination (as defined below), which may be affected by, among other things, competition and our ability to grow and manage growth profitably following the closing of the Business Combination; |
| ● | our financial and business performance following the Business Combination, including financial projections and business metrics; |
| ● | changes in our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects and plans; |
| ● | our ability to meet the expectations of new and current customers, and our ability to achieve market acceptance for our products; |
| ● | our expectations and forecasts with respect to market opportunity and market growth; |
| ● | the ability of our products and services to meet customers’ compliance and regulatory needs; |
| ● | our ability to attract and retain qualified employees and management; |
| ● | our ability to develop and maintain its brand and reputation; |
| ● | developments and projections relating to our competitors and industry; |
| ● | changes in general economic and financial conditions, inflationary pressures and the resulting impact demand, and our ability to plan for and respond to the impact of those changes; |
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| ● | our expectations regarding our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection and not infringe on the rights of others; |
| ● | our future capital requirements and sources and uses of cash; |
| ● | our ability to obtain funding for its operations and future growth; and |
| ● | our business, expansion plans and opportunities. |
Actual events or results may differ from those expressed in forward-looking statements. You should not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. We have based the forward-looking statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K primarily on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that may affect our business, financial condition and operating results. The outcome of the events described in these forward-looking statements is subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors described in the section titled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and we cannot predict all risks and uncertainties that could impact the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The results, events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur, and actual results, events or circumstances could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.
In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. While we believe that information provides a reasonable basis for these statements, that information may be limited or incomplete. Our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely on these statements.
The forward-looking statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K relate only to events as of the date the statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. We may not achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures, or investments.
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SUMMARY RISK FACTORS
| ● | Our management has identified conditions that raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. |
| ● | Our business depends in part on the availability of rebates, tax credits and other financial incentives. The expiration, elimination or reduction of these rebates, credits or incentives or the ability to monetize them could adversely impact the business. |
| ● | Existing regulations and policies and changes to these regulations and policies may present technical, regulatory, and economic barriers to the purchase and use of solar power products, which may significantly reduce demand for our products and services. |
| ● | Risks associated with a highly complex global supply chain, including from disruptions, delays, trade tensions, or shortages. |
| ● | We rely on net metering and related policies to offer competitive pricing to customers in many of our current markets and changes to net metering policies may significantly reduce demand for electricity from residential solar energy systems. |
| ● | We utilize a limited number of suppliers of solar panels and other system components to adequately meet anticipated demand for our solar service offerings. Any shortage, delay or component price change from these suppliers or delays and price increases associated with the product transport logistics could result in sales and installation delays, cancellations, and loss of market share. |
| ● | We provide warranties for solar system installations, solar panels, and other system components that may negatively impact overall profitability. |
| ● | We utilize third-party sales and installation partners whose performance could result in sales and installation delays, cancellations, and loss of market share. |
| ● | Risks associated with solar system installation and connection delays, including the potential for recoupment or clawback of payments by financing partners. |
| ● | Due to the general economic environment and any market pressure that would drive down the average selling prices of solar power products, among other factors, we may be unable to generate sufficient cash flows or obtain access to external financing necessary to fund operations and make adequate capital investments as planned. |
| ● | Our business substantially focuses on solar service agreements and transactions with residential customers. |
| ● | We have incurred losses and may be unable to achieve or sustain profitability in the future. |
| ● | Our business is concentrated in certain markets, including California, putting us at risk of region-specific disruptions. |
| ● | We depend on a limited number of customers and sales contracts for a significant portion of revenues, and the loss of any customer or cancellation of any contract may cause significant fluctuations or declines in revenues. |
| ● | We have identified a material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting. If we cannot maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures, the accuracy and timeliness of our financial and operating reporting may be adversely affected, and confidence in our operations and disclosures may be lost. |
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PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Our Mission
Our mission is to deliver energy-efficient solutions to homeowners and small to medium-sized businesses that allow them to lower their energy bills while reducing their carbon footprint. Complete Solaria, Inc., or Complete Solaria, has created a unique, end-to-end offering that delivers a best-in-class customer experience with a robust technology platform, financing solutions, and high-performance solar modules.
Business Overview
Complete Solaria was formed in November 2022 through the merger of Complete Solar Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Complete Solar”),and The Solaria Corporation, a Delaware corporation (such entity, “Solaria,” and such transaction, the “Business Combination”). Complete Solaria created a technology platform to offer clean energy products to homeowners by enabling a national network of sales partners and build partners. Our sales partners generate solar installation contracts with homeowners on our behalf. To facilitate this process, we provide the software tools, sales support and brand identity to our sales partners, making them competitive with national providers. This turnkey solution makes it easy for anyone to sell solar. We fulfill our customer contracts by engaging with local construction specialists. We manage the customer experience and complete all pre-construction activities prior to delivering build-ready projects including hardware, engineering plans, and building permits to our builder partners. We manage and coordinate this process through our proprietary HelioTrackTM software system.
Complete Solaria provides residential solar system designs, proposals, and CAD drawing sets to existing sales partners and other residential solar companies, regardless of whether they participate as or builder partners. In doing so, Complete Solaria seeks to power the entire solar power industry.
In October 2023, we sold solar panel assets of The Solaria Corporation, including intellectual property and customer contracts to Maxeon Solar Technologies, Ltd. (“Maxeon”), pursuant to the terms of an asset purchase agreement (the “Disposal Agreement”). Under the terms of the Disposal Agreement, Maxeon agreed to acquire certain assets and employees of Complete Solaria for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $11.0 million consisting of 1,100,000 shares of Maxeon ordinary shares.
Revenue Model
Our current products fall into two general categories: Solar System Sales and Software Enhanced Services.
| ● | Solar System Sales: Complete Solaria sells solar systems to homeowners and small to medium-sized commercial customers through third-party sales partners. Complete Solaria manages every aspect of project management for those contracts before ultimately contracting with builder partners to complete the construction of the solar systems. This residential solar platform provides homeowners with simple pricing for solar energy that provides significant savings to traditional utility energy. Homeowners can choose from a wide array of system features and financing options that best meet their needs. By delivering the best-matched products and a best-in-class customer experience, Complete Solaria establishes valuable customer relationships that can extend beyond the initial solar energy system purchase and provides Complete Solaria with opportunities to offer additional products and services in the future. |
| ● | Software Enhanced Services: The HelioQuoteTM software system is provided to existing sales partners and other participants in the solar industry and powers our sales of residential solar designs, proposals, and engineering services. |
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Technology Innovation
Since its inception, Complete Solaria has continued to invest in a platform of services and tools to enable large-scale operations for sales and builder partners. The platform incorporates processes and software solutions that simplify and streamline design, proposals, and project management throughout the lifecycle of a residential solar project. The platform empowers new market entrants and smaller industry participants with its plug-and-play capabilities. The ecosystem Complete Solaria has built provides broad reach, and we believe it positions Complete Solaria for sustained and rapid growth through a capital-efficient business model. The network of our partners continues to expand today.
Differentiation and Operating Results
Delivering a differentiated customer experience is core to Complete Solaria’s strategy. It emphasizes a customized solution, including a design specific to each customer’s home and pricing configurations that typically drive both customer savings and value. Developing a trusted brand and providing a customized solar service offering resonates with customers accustomed to a traditional residential power market that is often overpriced and lacking in customer choice.
Financing Solutions
Complete Solaria assists its end customers with financing solutions through third-party lease providers, power purchase agreement providers and third-party loan providers.
Customers may lease a Complete Solaria solar system. The lease provider will purchase the solar system and the property owner will rent the solar system in exchange for the electricity the system produces.
Through a power purchase agreement, a third-party developer installs, owns, and operates a solar system on a customer’s property. The customer then purchases the system’s electric output for a predetermined period. A power purchase agreement allows the customer to receive stable and often low-cost electricity with no upfront cost while also enabling the owner of the system to take advantage of tax credits and receive income from the sale of electricity.
Lastly, third-party loan providers offer Complete Solaria’s end customers a loan to purchase solar systems, and then the customers will pay off the loan over a period of time.
Our Strategy
Complete Solaria’s strategy focuses on providing its sales partners with the software tools, sales support, and ability to compete effectively with national providers. This turnkey solution makes it easy for anyone to sell solar.
Solar System Sales
Solar System Sales are full systems sold to homeowners and small to medium-sized commercial businesses through Complete Solaria’s sales partner channels. Complete Solaria and its builder partners fulfill and install the systems.
| ● | Increase revenue by expanding installation capacity and developing new geographic markets through Complete Solaria’s partner programs.— Certain Complete Solaria partners become builder partners who install systems resulting from sales generated by Complete Solaria’s sales partners. By leveraging this network of skilled builders, Complete Solaria aims to increase its installation capacity in traditional markets and expand its offering into new geographies throughout the U.S. We believe this will enable greater sales growth in existing markets and create new revenue in expansion markets. |
| ● | Increase revenue and margin by engaging national-scale sales partners— Complete Solar operated in 16 states before the formation of Complete Solaria. By expanding operations nationally, Complete Solaria will be able to offer a turnkey solar solution to prospective sales partners with a national footprint. These include electric vehicle manufacturers, national home security providers, and real estate brokers. Complete Solaria expects to create a consistent offering with a single execution process for such sales partners throughout their territories. These national accounts have unique customer relationships that will facilitate meaningful sales opportunities and low acquisition cost to increase revenue and improve margin. |
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Software and Services
Software and services sales include access to Complete Solaria’s HelioQuoteTM sales proposal and system design software; proposal writing services that support field sales agents; and design, engineering, and permitting services that improve subscale solar companies’ operational effectiveness and cost efficiency. See “Increase revenue and margin by bundling software enhanced services with solar module sales” above.
In support of Complete Solaria’s strategy to increase revenue and expand margin opportunities in its two core products, Complete Solaria also considers the following activities to be key elements of its strategy:
| ● | Expand Partnerships with Solar Partners, Strategic Partners, and Attractive New Market Participants. Complete Solaria’s platform of services and tools allows it to engage with a wide variety of solar industry partners and new industry participants, such as retailers and service providers who would like to offer solar to new and existing customers. Complete Solaria plans to continue to invest in its ability to attract, convert, grow, and retain promising partners to facilitate capital-efficient growth. |
| ● | Continue to Invest in the digital platform. Complete Solaria plans to continue to invest in and develop complementary software, services, and technologies to enhance the scalability of its platform and support an automated, highly efficient operational structure that delivers a world-class customer experience. Complete Solaria expects to continue to make significant investments in automating the end-to-end solar process through improved workflow management, electronic site-audit, and electronic permitting capabilities. Additionally, Complete Solaria plans to continue to develop consumer facing software to enhance consumers’ ability to manage their solar systems and integrate other energy-efficient products and services into their homes. |
| ● | Continue to Deliver a Differentiated Customer Experience. Complete Solaria prioritizes the customer experience. Its systems enable fast project fulfillment, direct customer communication, and facilitation of third-party sales, installation, and finance partners for a seamless customer experience. These systems also enable a broad service offering with customized configurations and pricing. Further development of these systems will enable future product offerings and increasingly optimized solar and energy-efficient configurations for Complete Solaria’s customers. |
Our Strengths
The following strengths position Complete Solaria to drive the mass adoption of residential solar in a manner that maximizes the value of its growing customer base over the long term:
| ● | Platform of Services and Tools: A diversified and multi-pronged customer acquisition approach. This infrastructure underpins the ability to enjoy broad customer reach with a low system-wide cost structure and positions Complete Solaria for expansion to every market where distributed solar energy generation can offer homeowners savings versus traditional utility retail power. |
| ● | Differentiated Customer Experience: We offer a unique customer experience through various methods: customer-friendly solar service features, tailored designs and customizable pricing for each homeowner, a highly consultative sales process, and a focus on customer savings. |
| ● | Unique access to customers through third-party sales channels: The turn-key solar product offering, best-in-class customer service, and national footprint support third-party sales channels and strategic national partnerships. Complete Solaria provides solutions for sales channels seeking to expand their geographic reach and strengthen their relationships with their own customers. |
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Technology Suite
HelioSuite is an innovative, end-to-end software platform designed to manage every aspect of a residential solar project. HelioSuite was originally designed to support our internal sales and build partners to ensure a seamless customer experience. In 2021, Complete Solaria commercialized the software solutions through Helio Proposal Services provide proposal services for residential solar sales companies outside of Complete Solar’s existing network of sales partners. Features of the Technology Suite include the following capabilities, some of which are planned for roll-out in the future:
| ● | HelioQuoteTM: is an automated solar design tool that rapidly generates optimized proposals and executable contracts. Software innovations that automate system design and layout while optimizing homeowner economics enable proposal generation. The average turnaround time for a proposal is only five minutes, which we believe is much faster than our competitors. |
| ● | HelioTrackTM: a project management software that streamlines the installation process and coordinates interactions between Complete Solaria, homeowners, sales partners and build partners. It includes a customer relationship management tool that provides payroll, commissions tracking, and project progression to all partners. The equipment management module coordinates the bill of materials and ordering process and tracks and manages all inventory for a project. The construction module assigns projects, calculates commissions and payments, and control quality. The Complete Solar Project Management tools automate task assignments and times and track progress. |
| ● | Share The Sun: is an online customer engagement platform where customers can make referrals and share information on social networks. Complete Solaria has considered offering services that allow customers to view their energy generation, pay their bills, contact the customer service team, and assess their positive environmental impact. |
Customer Service and Operations
Solar System Sales
Complete Solaria has made significant investments to create a platform of services and tools that addresses customer origination, system design and installation, and general customer support. Before a sales representative conducts a consultation, homeowners are pre-qualified based on a preliminary evaluation which considers a homeowner’s credit, home ownership, electricity usage and suitability of the roof based on age, condition, shading and pitch. Once a homeowner is pre-qualified, all necessary data is collected and a proposal is generated for the homeowner. If a homeowner is interested in moving forward, a customer contract is automatically generated for electronic execution. This contract then undergoes a final review and verification of credit before it is countersigned.
Once an agreement is fully executed, a service tech performs a site audit at the home to inspect the roof and measure shading. This audit follows a final system design plan and an application for any required building permits. The plans are reviewed to ensure they conform to the executed contract or to process a change order if required. A second production estimate is generated at this time and if the expected energy production exceeds or falls below the original estimate by certain thresholds, the homeowner agreement is modified accordingly. To reduce installation costs and operational risk, there are defined design and installation quality standards designed to ensure that homeowners receive a quality product, regardless of who installs the system.
After the solar panels are installed, the customer care team follows up with the homeowner with a survey on their experience. If a system requires maintenance, Complete Solaria or a partner or dedicated service-only contractor will visit the customer’s home and perform any necessary repairs or maintenance at no additional cost to the customer.
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Software Enhanced Services
Complete Solaria’s partners are third-party Sales organizations that use the design and proposal services for their residential solar projects. Complete Solaria staffs a sales support desk six days a week to provide live customer support for sales representatives who need a design or proposal for a potential homeowner sale. These customer support teams rapidly produce proposals, answer questions, and offer other forms of support for sales personnel.
Suppliers
The main components of a residential solar energy system are the solar modules, inverters, and racking systems. Complete Solaria generally purchases these components for build partners from select distributors, which are then shipped to build partners for installation. There is a running list of approved suppliers in the event any of the sources for modules, inverters or other components become unavailable. If Complete Solaria fails to develop, maintain, and expand relationships with these or other suppliers, the ability to meet anticipated demand for solar energy systems may be adversely affected, or at higher costs or delayed. If one or more of the suppliers ceases or reduces production due to its financial condition, acquisition by a competitor or otherwise, it may be difficult to identify alternate suppliers quickly or to qualify alternative products on commercially reasonable terms, and the ability to satisfy this demand may be adversely affected.
Complete Solaria screens all suppliers and components based on expected cost, reliability, warranty coverage, ease of installation, etc. The declining cost of solar modules and the raw materials necessary to manufacture them have been a key driver in the prices charged for electricity and homeowner adoption of solar energy. If solar module and raw material prices do not continue to decline at the same rate as they have over the past several years, the resulting prices could slow growth and cause financial results to suffer. If Complete Solaria is required to pay higher prices for supplies, accept less favorable terms, or purchase solar modules or other system components from alternative, higher-priced sources, financial results may be adversely affected.
Complete Solaria’s build partners are responsible for and source the other products related to solar energy systems, such as fasteners, wiring and electrical fittings. From time-to-time, Complete Solaria procures these other products related to solar energy systems for its own installation business. Complete Solaria manages inventory through local warehouses and as segregated inventory at build partners.
The main components of a residential solar module are the solar cells. Complete Solaria’s solar modules are generally manufactured by third-party select manufacturers and are purchased from distributors.
Complete Solaria screens all suppliers and components based on expected cost, reliability, warranty coverage, ease of installation, and other factors. It typically enters into master contract arrangements with major suppliers that define the general terms and conditions of purchases, including warranties, product specifications, indemnities, delivery and other customary terms.
Competition
Solar System Sales
Complete Solaria’s primary competitors are the traditional utilities that supply electricity to potential customers. It competes with these traditional utilities primarily based on price (cents per kilowatt hour), predictability of future prices (by providing pre-determined annual price escalations) and the ease by which homeowners can switch to electricity generated by solar energy systems. Based on these factors, Complete Solaria competes favorably with traditional utilities.
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Complete Solaria competes for homeowner customers with other solar sales and installation companies and with solar companies with business models that are similar to Complete Solaria’s. Complete Solaria’s main competitors can be grouped broadly into (a) national, vertically integrated companies with established brands and proprietary consumer financing products; (b) small, local solar contractors who operate with relatively low-fixed overhead expenses but who may lack systems, tools, and sophisticated product offerings; and (c) sales aggregators who engage with third-party sales companies to generate installation contracts. Complete Solaria competes favorably with these companies, with (a) better customer experience and better Sales Partner experience than the national vertically integrated companies; (b) better pricing and broader customer offerings than smaller local solar contractors; and (c) a better build partner experience than sales aggregators.
Complete Solaria also faces competition from purely finance-driven organizations that acquire homeowner customers and then subcontract out the installation of solar energy systems, installation businesses that seek financing from external parties, large construction companies and utilities and sophisticated electrical and roofing companies. At the same time, the open platform provides opportunities for these competitors to become partners, and the open platform offers these new market participants a cost-effective way to enter the market and compelling process, technology and supply chain services over the long term.
Intellectual Property
Complete Solaria seeks to protect its intellectual property rights by relying on federal, state and common law rights in the U.S. and other countries, as well as contractual restrictions. It generally enters into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with employees and contractors, and confidentiality agreements with other third parties, in order to limit access to, and disclosure and use of, confidential information and proprietary technology. In addition to these contractual arrangements, Complete Solaria also relies on a combination of trademarks, trade dress, domain names, copyrights, and trade secrets to help protect the brand and other intellectual property.
Government Regulations and Incentives
Governments have used different public policy mechanisms to accelerate the adoption and use of solar power. Examples of customer-focused financial mechanisms include capital cost rebates, performance-based incentives, feed-in tariffs, tax credits, renewable portfolio standards, net metering, and carbon regulations. Some of these government mandates and economic incentives are scheduled to be reduced or to expire or could be eliminated. Capital cost rebates provide funds to customers based on the cost and size of a customer’s solar power system. Performance-based incentives provide funding to a customer based on the energy produced by their solar power system. Feed-in tariffs pay customers for solar power system generation based on energy produced at a rate generally guaranteed for a period of time. Tax credits reduce a customer’s taxes at the time the taxes are due. Renewable portfolio standards mandate that a certain percentage of electricity delivered to customers comes from eligible renewable energy resources. Net metering allows customers to deliver to the electric grid any excess electricity produced by their on-site solar power systems and to be credited for that excess electricity at or near the full retail price of electricity. Carbon regulations, including cap-and-trade and carbon pricing programs, increase the cost of fossil fuels, which release climate-altering carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions during combustion.
In addition to the mechanisms described above, there are various incentives for homeowners and businesses to adopt solar power in The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Moreover, in Europe, the European Commission has mandated that its member states adopt integrated national climate and energy plans to increase their renewable energy targets to be achieved by 2030, which could benefit the deployment of solar. However, the U.S. and European Union, among others, have imposed tariffs or are evaluating the imposition of tariffs on solar panels, solar cells, polysilicon, and other components. These and any other tariffs or similar taxes or duties may offset the incentives described above and increase the price of Complete Solaria’s solar products.
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Employees and Human Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2023, Complete Solaria had over 134 employees. Complete Solaria also engages independent contractors and consultants. No employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements. There have not been any work stoppages.
Complete Solaria’s human capital resources objectives include identifying, recruiting, retaining, training, and integrating its existing and new employees. The principal purposes of Complete Solaria’s equity incentive plans are to attract, retain and motivate personnel through the granting of equity-based awards, increasing stockholder value and the success of Complete Solaria by motivating such individuals to perform to the best of their abilities and achieve Complete Solaria’s objectives.
Facilities
Complete Solaria’s corporate headquarters and executive offices are located in Fremont, California and it also maintains an office in Lehi, Utah.
Complete Solaria leases all the facilities and owns no real property. Complete Solaria believes that current facilities are adequate to meet ongoing needs. If additional space is required, Complete Solaria believes that it will be able to obtain additional facilities on commercially reasonable terms.
U.S. Corporate Information
We were originally known as Freedom Acquisition I Corp (“FACT”). We are engaged in solar system sales and associated commerce. On July 18, 2023, Complete Solaria, FACT, and certain other entities consummated the transactions contemplated under that certain amended and restated Business Combination Agreement, dated as of May 26, 2023, following the approval at the special meeting of the stockholders of FACT held July 11, 2023. In connection with the closing of the Business Combination, we changed our name from Freedom Acquisition I Corp. to Complete Solaria, Inc.
Our principal executive offices are located at 45700 Northport Loop E, Fremont, CA 94538, and our telephone number is (510) 270-2507.
Access to Company Information
We file or furnish periodic reports and amendments thereto, including our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). In addition, the SEC maintains a website (www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically. Complete Solar’s internet address is https://www.completesolaria.com. Through our internet website, we make available, free of charge, our Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports have been filed with or furnished to the SEC. The information on our website is not a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below together with all of the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and in the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” before deciding to invest in our securities. If any of the events or developments described below were to occur, our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition could suffer materially, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial may also adversely affect our business.
You should not interpret our disclosure of any of the following risks to imply that such risks have not already materialized.
Risks Related to our Businesses and Industry
Our business depends in part on the availability of rebates, tax credits and other financial incentives. The expiration, elimination or reduction of these rebates, credits or incentives or the ability to monetize them could adversely impact our business.
U.S. federal, state and local government bodies provide incentives to end users, distributors, system integrators and manufacturers of solar energy systems to promote solar electricity in the form of rebates, tax credits and other financial incentives such as system performance payments, payments for renewable energy credits associated with renewable energy generation and the exclusion of solar energy systems from property tax assessments. These incentives enable us to lower the price charged to customers for energy and for solar energy systems. However, these incentives may expire on a particular date, end when the allocated funding is exhausted or be reduced or terminated as solar energy adoption rates increase. These reductions or terminations often occur without warning.
The Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”) extended and modified prior law applicable to tax credits that are available with respect to solar energy systems. Under the IRA, the following credits are available: (i) a production tax credit under Code Section 44 (for facilities that begin construction before January 1, 2025) and Code Section 45Y (for facilities that begin construction between January 1, 2025 and the year that is four calendar years after the year in which certain U.S. greenhouse gas emissions percentages are met) (the “PTC”) in connection with the installation of certain solar facilities and energy storage technology, (ii) an investment tax credit under Code Section 48 (for facilities that begin construction before January 1, 2025) and Code Section 48E (for facilities that begin construction between January 1, 2025 and the year that is four calendar years after the year in which certain U.S. greenhouse gas emissions percentages are met) (the “ITC”) in connection with the installation of certain solar facilities and energy storage technology, and (iii) a residential clean energy credit (the “Section 25D Credit”) in connection with the installation of property that uses solar energy to generate electricity for residential use.
Prior to the IRA, the PTC for solar facilities had phased out and was no longer available. The IRA reinstated the PTC for solar facilities. The PTC available to a taxpayer in a taxable year is equal to a certain rate multiplied by the kilowatt hours of electricity produced by the taxpayer from solar energy at a facility owned by it and sold to an unrelated party during that taxable year. The base rates for the PTC is 0.3 cents. This rate is increased to 1.5 cents for projects that (i) have a maximum net output of less than one MW AC, (ii) begin construction before January 29, 2023, or (iii) meet certain prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements. It also may be increased for projects that include a certain percentage of components that were produced in the U.S., projects that are located in certain energy communities, and projects that are located in low-income communities.
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The ITC available to a taxpayer in a taxable year is equal to the “energy percentage” of the basis of “energy property” placed in service by the taxpayer during that taxable year. “Energy property” includes equipment that uses solar energy to generate electricity (including structural components that are necessary to the functioning of a solar facility as a whole) and certain energy storage systems (including batteries included as part of or adjacent to a solar facility). The base “energy percentage” for the ITC is 6%. This energy percentage is increased to 30% for projects that (i) have a maximum net output of less than one MW AC, (ii) begin construction before January 29, 2023, or (iii) meet certain prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements. It also may be increased for projects that include a certain percentage of components that were produced in the U.S., projects that are located in certain energy communities, and projects that are located in low-income communities. ITCs are subject to recapture if, during the five-year period after a facility is placed in service, the facility is sold, exchanged, involuntarily converted, or ceases its business usage. If the event that causes such recapture occurs within the first year after a project is placed in service, 100% of the ITCs will be recaptured. The recapture percentage is reduced 20% for each subsequent year. Historically, we have utilized the ITC when available for both residential and commercial leases and power purchase agreements, based on ownership of the solar energy system.
The Section 25D Credit available to a taxpayer is equal to the “applicable percentage” of expenditures for property that uses solar energy to generate electricity for use in a dwelling unit used as a residence by the taxpayer. The applicable percentage is 26% for such systems that are placed in service before January 1, 2022, 30% for such systems that are placed in service after December 31, 2021 and before January 1, 2033, 26% for such systems that are placed in service in 2033, and 22% for such systems that are placed in service in 2034. The Section 25D Credit is scheduled to expire effective January 1, 2035. Although it is unlikely that Complete Solaria would qualify for the Section 25D Credit, the availability of the Section 25D Credit may impact the prices of its solar energy systems.
Reductions in, eliminations of, or expirations of, governmental incentives could adversely impact results of operations and ability to compete in this industry by increasing the cost of capital, causing us to increase the prices of our energy and solar energy systems and reduce the size of our addressable market.
We are an “emerging growth company” and a “smaller reporting company” and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting requirements applicable to these companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (JOBS Act). For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we intend to take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that apply to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including:
| ● | being permitted to provide only two years of audited financial statements, in addition to any required unaudited interim financial statements, with correspondingly reduced “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” disclosure in our periodic reports; |
| ● | not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”); |
| ● | not being required to comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”)regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements; |
| ● | reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements; and |
| ● | exemptions from the requirements of holding nonbinding advisory stockholder votes on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. |
Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can also delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, will not be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. As a result, our financial statements may be different from companies that comply with the new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
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We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest to occur of: (1) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have at least $1.235 billion in total annual gross revenues; (2) the date we qualify as a “large accelerated filer,” with at least $700.0 million of equity securities held by non-affiliates; (3) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period; and (4) the last day of the fiscal year ending after the fifth anniversary of our IPO.
Even after we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, we may still qualify as a “smaller reporting company,” as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which would allow us to continue to take advantage of many of the same exemptions from disclosure requirements, including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation our periodic reports and proxy statements.
We cannot predict if investors will find our securities less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading price of our securities may be more volatile.
Existing regulations and policies and changes to these regulations and policies may present technical, regulatory, and economic barriers to the purchase and use of solar power products, which may significantly reduce demand for our products and services.
The market for electric generation products is heavily influenced by federal, state and local government laws, regulations and policies concerning the electric utility industry in the U.S. and abroad, as well as policies promulgated by electric utilities. These regulations and policies often relate to electricity pricing and technical interconnection of customer-owned electricity generation, and changes that make solar power less competitive with other power sources could deter investment in the research and development of alternative energy sources as well as customer purchases of solar power technology, which could in turn result in a significant reduction in the demand for our solar power products. The market for electric generation equipment is also influenced by trade and local content laws, regulations and policies that can discourage growth and competition in the solar industry and create economic barriers to the purchase of solar power products, thus reducing demand for our solar products. In addition, on-grid applications depend on access to the grid, which is also regulated by government entities. We anticipate that our solar power products and our installation will continue to be subject to oversight and regulation in accordance with federal, state, local and foreign regulations relating to construction, safety, environmental protection, utility interconnection and metering, trade, and related matters. It is difficult to track the requirements of individual states or local jurisdictions and design equipment to comply with the varying standards. In addition, the U.S. and European Union, among others, have imposed tariffs or are in the process of evaluating the imposition of tariffs on solar panels, solar cells, polysilicon, and potentially other components. These and any other tariffs or similar taxes or duties may increase the price of our solar products and adversely affect our cost reduction roadmap, which could harm our results of operations and financial condition. Any new regulations or policies pertaining our solar power products may result in significant additional expenses for our customers, which could cause a significant reduction in demand for our solar power products.
We rely on net metering and related policies to offer competitive pricing to customers in many of our current markets and changes to net metering policies may significantly reduce demand for electricity from residential solar energy systems.
Net metering is one of several key policies that have enabled the growth of distributed generation solar energy systems in the U.S., providing significant value to customers for electricity generated by their residential solar energy systems but not directly consumed on-site. Net metering allows a homeowner to pay his or her local electric utility for power usage net of production from the solar energy system or other distributed generation source. Homeowners receive a credit for the energy an interconnected solar energy system generates in excess of that needed by the home to offset energy purchases from the centralized utility made at times when the solar energy system is not generating sufficient energy to meet the customer’s demand. In many markets, this credit is equal to the residential retail rate for electricity and in other markets, such as Hawaii and Nevada, the rate is less than the retail rate and may be set, for example, as a percentage of the retail rate or based upon a valuation of the excess electricity. In some states and utility territories, customers are also reimbursed by the centralized electric utility for net excess generation on a periodic basis.
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Net metering programs have been subject to legislative and regulatory scrutiny in some states and territories including, but not limited to, California, New Jersey, Arizona, Nevada, Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Kentucky, Puerto Rico and Guam. These jurisdictions, by statute, regulation, administrative order or a combination thereof, have recently adopted or are considering new restrictions and additional changes to net metering programs either on a state-wide basis or within specific utility territories. Many of these measures were introduced and supported by centralized electric utilities. These measures vary by jurisdiction and may include a reduction in the rates or value of the credits customers are paid or receive for the power they deliver back to the electrical grid, caps or limits on the aggregate installed capacity of generation in a state or utility territory eligible for net metering, expiration dates for and phasing out of net metering programs, replacement of net metering programs with alternative programs that may provide less compensation and limits on the capacity size of individual distributed generation systems that can qualify for net metering. Net metering and related policies concerning distributed generation also received attention from federal legislators and regulators.
In California, the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”) issued an order in 2016 retaining retail-based net metering credits for residential customers of California’s major utilities as part of Net Energy Metering 2.0 (“NEM 2.0”). Under NEM 2.0, new distributed generation customers receive the retail rate for electricity exported to the grid, less certain non-bypassable fees. Customers under NEM 2.0 also are subject to interconnection charges and time-of-use rates. Existing customers who receive service under the prior net metering program, as well as new customers under the NEM 2.0 program, currently are permitted to remain covered by them on a legacy basis for a period of 20 years. On September 3, 2020, the CPUC opened a new proceeding to review its current net metering policies and to develop Net Energy Metering 3.0 (“NEM 3.0”), also referred to by the CPUC as the NEM 2.0 successor tariff. NEM 3.0 was finalized on December 15, 2022 and will include several changes from previous net metering plans. There will be changes that impact the amount that homeowners with solar power will be able to recuperate when selling excess energy back to the utility grid. With NEM 3.0, the value of the credits for net exports will be tied to the state’s 2022 Distributed Energy Resources Avoided Cost Calculator Documentation (“ACC”). Another significant change with NEM 3.0 will be applied to the netting period: the time period over which the utilities measure the clean energy being imported or exported. In general, longer netting periods have typically been advantageous for solar power customers because production can offset any consumption. NEM 3.0 will instead measure energy using instantaneous netting, which means interval netting approximately every 15 minutes. This will lead to more NEM customers’ electricity registering as exports, now valued at the new, lower ACC value.
We utilize a limited number of suppliers of solar panels and other system components to adequately meet anticipated demand for our solar service offerings. Any shortage, delay or component price change from these suppliers or delays and price increases associated with the product transport logistics could result in sales and installation delays, cancellations and loss of market share.
We purchase solar panels, inverters and other system components from a limited number of suppliers, which makes us susceptible to quality issues, shortages and price changes. If we fail to develop, maintain and expand relationships with existing or new suppliers, we may be unable to adequately meet anticipated demand for our solar energy systems or may only be able to offer our systems at higher costs or after delays. If one or more of the suppliers that we rely upon to meet anticipated demand ceases or reduces production, we may be unable to satisfy this demand due to an inability to quickly identify alternate suppliers or to qualify alternative products on commercially reasonable terms.
In particular, there are a limited number of inverter suppliers. Once we design a system for use with a particular inverter, if that type of inverter is not readily available at an anticipated price, we may incur additional delay and expense to redesign the system.
In addition, production of solar panels involves the use of numerous raw materials and components. Several of these have experienced periods of limited availability, particularly polysilicon, as well as indium, cadmium telluride, aluminum and copper. The manufacturing infrastructure for some of these raw materials and components has a long lead time, requires significant capital investment and relies on the continued availability of key commodity materials, potentially resulting in an inability to meet demand for these components. The prices for these raw materials and components fluctuate depending on global market conditions and demand and we may experience rapid increases in costs or sustained periods of limited supplies.
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Despite efforts to obtain components from multiple sources whenever possible, many suppliers may be single-source suppliers of certain components. If we cannot maintain long-term supply agreements or identify and qualify multiple sources for components, access to supplies at satisfactory prices, volumes and quality levels may be harmed. We may also experience delivery delays of components from suppliers in various global locations. In addition, while there are alternative suppliers and service providers that we could enter into agreements with to replace its suppliers on commercially reasonable terms, we may be unable to establish alternate supply relationships or obtain or engineer replacement components in the short term, or at all, at favorable prices or costs. Qualifying alternate suppliers or developing our own replacements for certain components may be time-consuming and costly and may force us to make modifications to our product designs.
Our need to purchase supplies globally and our continued international expansion further subjects us to risks relating to currency fluctuations. Any decline in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar compared to the functional currency of component suppliers could increase component prices. In addition, the state of the financial markets could limit suppliers’ ability to raise capital if they are required to expand their production to meet our needs or satisfy our operating capital requirements. Changes in economic and business conditions, wars, governmental changes and other factors beyond our control or which we do not presently anticipate, could also affect suppliers’ solvency and ability to deliver components on a timely basis. Any of these shortages, delays or price changes could limit our growth, cause cancellations or adversely affect profitability and the ability to compete in the markets in which we operate effectively.
Our business substantially focuses on solar service agreements and transactions with residential customers.
Our business substantially focuses on solar service agreements and transactions with residential customers. Our energy system sales to homeowners utilize power purchase agreements (“PPAs”), leases, loans and other products and services. We currently offer PPAs and leases through, EverBright, LLC, and other financial institutions. If we were unable to arrange new or alternative financing methods for PPAs and leases on favorable terms, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects could be materially and adversely affected.
Changes in international trade policies, tariffs, or trade disputes could significantly and adversely affect our business, revenues, margins, results of operations, and cash flows.
On February 7, 2018, safeguard tariffs on imported solar cells and modules went into effect pursuant to Proclamation 9693, which approved recommendations to provide relief to U.S. manufacturers and impose safeguard tariffs on imported solar cells and modules, based on the investigations, findings, and recommendations of the U.S. International Trade Commission (the “International Trade Commission”). Since 2021, modules are subject to a tariff rate of 15%. Cells are subjected to a tariff-rate quota, under which the first 2.5 GW of cell imports each year will be exempt from tariffs, and cells imported after the 2.5 GW quota has been reached will be subject to the same 30% tariff as modules in the first year, with the same 5% decline in each of the three subsequent years. The tariff-free cell quota applies globally, without any allocation by country or region.
The tariffs could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations. While solar cells and modules based on interdigitated back contact technology were granted exclusion from these safeguard tariffs on September 19, 2018, our solar products based on other technologies continue to be subject to the safeguard tariffs. Although we are actively engaged in efforts to mitigate the effect of these tariffs, there is no guarantee that these efforts will be successful.
Uncertainty surrounding the implications of existing tariffs affecting the U.S. solar market and potential trade tensions between the U.S. and other countries is likely to cause market volatility, price fluctuations, supply shortages, and project delays, any of which could harm our business, and the pursuit of mitigating actions may divert substantial resources from other projects. Further, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act may inhibit importation of certain solar modules or components. In addition, the imposition of tariffs is likely to result in a wide range of impacts to the U.S. solar industry and the global manufacturing market, as well as our business in particular. Such tariffs could materially increase the price of our solar products and result in significant additional costs to the company, its resellers, and the resellers’ customers, which could cause a significant reduction in demand for the company’s solar power products and greatly reduce our competitive advantage.
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If we fail to manage operations and growth effectively, we may be unable to execute our business plan, maintain high levels of customer service or adequately address competitive challenges.
We have experienced significant growth in recent periods as measured by our number of customers; we intend to continue efforts to expand our business within existing and new markets. This growth has placed, and any future growth may place, a strain on management, operational and financial infrastructure. Our growth requires our management to devote a significant amount of time and effort to maintain and expand relationships with customers, dealers and other third parties, attract new customers and dealers, arrange financing for growth and manage expansion into additional markets.
In addition, our current and planned operations, personnel, information technology and other systems and procedures might need to be revised to support future growth and may require us to make additional unanticipated investments in its infrastructure. Our success and ability to further scale our business will depend, in part, on our ability to manage these changes in a cost-effective and efficient manner.
If we cannot manage operations and growth, we may be unable to meet expectations regarding growth, opportunity and financial targets, take advantage of market opportunities, execute our business strategies or respond to competitive pressures. This could also result in declines in quality or customer satisfaction, increased costs, difficulties in introducing new offerings or other operational difficulties. Any failure to effectively manage our operations and growth could adversely impact our reputation, business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
We have international activities and customers in the European Union, and plans to continue these efforts, which subjects us to additional business risks, including logistical and compliance related complexity.
A portion of our sales are made to customers outside of the U.S., and a substantial portion of our supply agreements are with supply and equipment vendors located outside of the U.S. We have solar cell and module production lines located at our outsourced manufacturing facilities in Thailand, Vietnam, and India. We are also considering other manufacturing locations.
Risks we face in conducting business internationally include:
| ● | multiple, conflicting and changing laws and regulations, export and import restrictions, employment laws, data protection laws, environmental protection, regulatory requirements, international trade agreements, and other government approvals, permits and licenses; |
| ● | difficulties and costs in staffing and managing foreign operations as well as cultural differences; |
| ● | potentially adverse tax consequences associated with current, future or deemed permanent establishment of operations in multiple countries; |
| ● | relatively uncertain legal systems, including potentially limited protection for intellectual property rights, and laws, changes in the governmental incentives that we rely on, regulations and policies which impose additional restrictions on the ability of foreign companies to conduct business in certain countries or otherwise place them at a competitive disadvantage in relation to domestic companies; |
| ● | inadequate local infrastructure and developing telecommunications infrastructures; |
| ● | financial risks, such as longer sales and payment cycles and greater difficulty collecting accounts receivable; |
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| ● | currency fluctuations, government-fixed foreign exchange rates, the effects of currency hedging activity, and the potential inability to hedge currency fluctuations; |
| ● | political and economic instability, including wars, acts of terrorism, political unrest, boycotts, curtailments of trade and other business restrictions; |
| ● | trade barriers such as export requirements, tariffs, taxes and other restrictions and expenses, which could increase the prices of our products and make the company less competitive in some countries; and |
| ● | liabilities associated with compliance with laws (for example, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in the U.S. and similar laws outside of the U.S.). |
We have an organizational structure involving entities globally. This increases the potential impact of adverse changes in laws, rules and regulations affecting the free flow of goods and personnel, and therefore heightens some of the risks noted above. Further, this structure requires us to manage our international inventory and warehouses effectively. If we fail to do so, our shipping movements may not correspond with product demand and flow. Unsettled intercompany balances between entities could result, if changes in law, regulations or related interpretations occur in adverse tax or other consequences that affect capital structure, intercompany interest rates and legal structure. If we are unable to successfully manage any such risks, any one or more could materially and negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have incurred losses and may be unable to achieve or sustain profitability in the future.
We have incurred net losses in the past and had an accumulated deficit of $354.9 million and $85.4 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. We will continue to incur net losses as spending increases to finance the expansion of operations, installation, engineering, administrative, sales and marketing staffs, spending increases on brand awareness and other sales and marketing initiatives and implement internal systems and infrastructure to support the company’s growth. We do not know whether revenue will grow rapidly enough to absorb these costs, and our limited operating history makes it difficult to assess the extent of these expenses or their impact on results of operations. Our ability to achieve profitability depends on a number of factors, including but not limited to:
| ● | Growing the customer base; |
| ● | Maintaining or further lowering the cost of capital; |
| ● | Reducing the cost of components for our solar service offerings; |
| ● | Growing and maintaining our channel partner network; |
| ● | Growing our direct-to-consumer business to scale; and |
| ● | Reducing operating costs by lowering customer acquisition costs and optimizing our design and installation processes and supply chain logistics. |
Even if we do achieve profitability, we may be unable to sustain or increase profitability in the future.
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A material drop in the retail price of utility-generated electricity or electricity from other sources could adversely impact our ability to attract customers, which would harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We believe a homeowner’s decision to buy solar energy from us is primarily driven by a desire to lower electricity costs. Decreases in the retail prices of electricity from utilities or other energy sources would harm our ability to offer competitive pricing and could harm its business. The price of electricity from utilities could decrease as a result of:
| ● | the construction of a significant number of new power generation plants, including nuclear, coal, natural gas or renewable energy technologies; |
| ● | the construction of additional electric transmission and distribution lines; |
| ● | a reduction in the price of natural gas or other natural resources as a result of new drilling techniques or other technological developments, a relaxation of associated regulatory standards, or broader economic or policy developments; |
| ● | energy conservation technologies and public initiatives to reduce electricity consumption; |
| ● | subsidies impacting electricity prices, including in connection with electricity generation and transmission; and |
| ● | development of new energy technologies that provide less expensive energy. |
A reduction in utility electricity prices would make the purchase of our solar service offerings less attractive. If the retail price of energy available from utilities were to decrease due to any of these or other reasons, we would be at a competitive disadvantage. As a result, we may be unable to attract new homeowners and growth would be limited.
We face competition from both traditional energy companies and renewable energy companies.
The solar energy and renewable energy industries are both highly competitive and continually evolving as participants strive to distinguish themselves within their markets and compete with large utilities. Our primary competitors are the traditional utilities that supply energy to potential customers. We compete with these utilities primarily based on price, predictability of price and the ease by which customers can switch to electricity generated by our solar energy systems. If we cannot offer compelling value to its customers based on these factors, then our business will not grow. Utilities generally have substantially greater financial, technical, operational and other resources than us. As a result of their greater size, these competitors may be able to devote more resources to the research, development, promotion and sale of their products or respond more quickly to evolving industry standards and changes in market conditions than we can. Utilities could also offer other value- added products and services that could help them compete with us even if the cost of electricity they offer is higher than ours. In addition, a majority of utilities’ sources of electricity is non-solar, which may allow utilities to sell electricity more cheaply than electricity generated by our solar energy systems.
Our business is concentrated in certain markets including California, putting us at risk of region-specific disruptions.
As of December 31, 2023, a substantial portion of our installations were in California. We expect much of its near-term future growth to occur in California, further concentrating our customer base and operational infrastructure. Accordingly, our business and operations results are particularly susceptible to adverse economic, regulatory, pollical, weather, and other conditions in this market and other markets that may become similarly concentrated. We may not have adequate insurance, including business interruption insurance, to compensate for losses that may occur from any such significant events. A significant natural disaster could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, acts of terrorism or malicious computer viruses could cause disruptions in our business, our partners’ businesses or the economy as a whole. To the extent that these disruptions result in delays or cancellations of installations or the deployment of solar service offerings, our business, results of operations and financial condition would be adversely affected.
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Our growth strategy depends on the widespread adoption of solar power technology.
The distributed residential solar energy market is at a relatively early stage of development compared to fossil fuel-based electricity generation. If additional demand for distributed residential solar energy systems fails to develop sufficiently or takes longer to develop than we anticipate, the company may be unable to originate additional solar service agreements and related solar energy systems and energy storage systems to grow the business. In addition, demand for solar energy systems and energy storage systems in our targeted markets may not develop to the extent it anticipates. As a result, we may need to successfully broaden our customer base through origination of solar service agreements and related solar energy systems and energy storage systems within its current markets or in new markets we may enter.
Many factors may affect the demand for solar energy systems, including, but not limited to, the following:
| ● | availability, substance and magnitude of solar support programs including government targets, subsidies, incentives, renewable portfolio standards and residential net metering rules; |
| ● | the relative pricing of other conventional and non-renewable energy sources, such as natural gas, coal, oil and other fossil fuels, wind, utility-scale solar, nuclear, geothermal and biomass; |
| ● | performance, reliability and availability of energy generated by solar energy systems compared to conventional and other non-solar renewable energy sources; |
| ● | availability and performance of energy storage technology, the ability to implement such technology for use in conjunction with solar energy systems and the cost competitiveness such technology provides to customers as compared to costs for those customers reliant on the conventional electrical grid; and |
| ● | general economic conditions and the level of interest rates. |
The residential solar energy industry is constantly evolving, which makes it difficult to evaluate our prospects. We cannot be certain if historical growth rates reflect future opportunities or its anticipated growth will be realized. The failure of distributed residential solar energy to achieve, or its being significantly delayed in achieving, widespread adoption could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our business could be adversely affected by seasonal trends, poor weather, labor shortages, and construction cycles.
Our business is subject to significant industry-specific seasonal fluctuations. In the U.S., many customers make purchasing decisions towards the end of the year in order to take advantage of tax credits. In addition, sales in the new home development market are often tied to construction market demands, which tend to follow national trends in construction, including declining sales during cold weather months.
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Natural disasters, terrorist activities, political unrest, economic volatility, and other outbreaks could disrupt our delivery and operations, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Global pandemics or fear of spread of contagious diseases, such as Ebola virus disease (EVD), coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), H1N1 flu, H7N9 flu, avian flu and monkeypox, as well as hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, or other natural disasters could disrupt our business operations, reduce or restrict operations and services, incur significant costs to protect its employees and facilities, or result in regional or global economic distress, which may materially and adversely affect business, financial condition, and results of operations. Actual or threatened war, terrorist activities, political unrest, civil strife, future disruptions in access to bank deposits or lending commitments due to bank failures and other geopolitical uncertainty could have a similar adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation launched an invasion of Ukraine that has had an immediate impact on the global economy resulting in higher energy prices and higher prices for certain raw materials and goods and services which in turn is contributing to higher inflation in the U.S. and other countries across the globe with significant disruption to financial markets. We have outsourced product development and software engineering in Ukraine and we may potentially indirectly be adversely impacted any significant disruption it has caused and may continue to escalate. Similarly, the current armed conflict in Israel and the Gaza Strip may impact our operations. Any one or more of these events may impede our operation and delivery efforts and adversely affect sales results, or even for a prolonged period of time, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. We cannot predict the full effects the supply chain constraints will have on our business, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations at this time due to numerous uncertainties.
We depend on a limited number of customers and sales contracts for a significant portion of revenues, and the loss of any customer or cancellation of any contract may cause significant fluctuations or declines in revenues.
In 2023, our top customer accounted for 55% of our total revenues, while in 2022 another customer accounted for 47% of our total revenues from continuing operations. We anticipate that our dependence on a limited number of customers may continue for the foreseeable future. As a result of customer concentration, our financial performance may fluctuate significantly from period to period based, among others, on exogenous circumstances related to its clients. In addition, any one of the following events may materially adversely affect cash flows, revenues and results of operations:
| ● | reduction, delay or cancellation of orders from one or more significant customers; |
| ● | loss of one or more significant customers and failure to identify additional or replacement customers; |
| ● | failure of any significant customers to make timely payment for our products; or |
| ● | the customers becoming insolvent or having difficulties meeting their financial obligations for any reason. |
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We are exposed to the credit risk of customers and payment delinquencies on its accounts receivables.
While customer defaults have been immaterial to date, we expect that the risk of customer defaults may increase as we grow our business. If we experience increased customer credit defaults, our revenue and our ability to raise new investment funds could be adversely affected. If economic conditions worsen, certain of our customers may face liquidity concerns and may be unable to satisfy their payment obligations to us on a timely basis or at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We may not realize the anticipated benefits of past or future acquisitions, and integration of these acquisitions may disrupt our business.
In November 2022, we acquired The Solaria Corporation (“Solaria”), after which Complete Solar was renamed “Complete Solaria, Inc.” In October 2023, we subsequently sold solar panel assets of Solaria, including intellectual property and customer contracts, to Maxeon Solar Technologies, Ltd., which resulted in an impairment loss of $147.5 million and loss on disposal of $1.8 million. In the future, we may acquire additional companies, project pipelines, products, or technologies, or enter into joint ventures or other strategic initiatives. Our ability as an organization to integrate acquisitions is unproven. We may not realize the anticipated benefits of our acquisitions or any other future acquisition or the acquisition may be viewed negatively by customers, financial markets or investors.
Any acquisition has numerous risks, including, but not limited to, the following:
| ● | difficulty in assimilating the operations and personnel of the acquired company; |
| ● | difficulty in effectively integrating the acquired technologies or products with current products and technologies; |
| ● | difficulty in maintaining controls, procedures and policies during the transition and integration; |
| ● | disruption of ongoing business and distraction of management and employees from other opportunities and challenges due to integration issues; |
| ● | difficulty integrating the acquired company’s accounting, management information and other administrative systems; |
| ● | inability to retain key technical and managerial personnel of the acquired business; |
| ● | inability to retain key customers, vendors, and other business partners of the acquired business; |
| ● | inability to achieve the financial and strategic goals for the acquired and combined businesses; |
| ● | incurring acquisition-related costs or amortization costs for acquired intangible assets that could impact operating results; |
| ● | failure of due diligence processes to identify significant issues with product quality, legal and financial liabilities, among other things; |
| ● | inability to assert that internal controls over financial reporting are effective; and |
| ● | inability to obtain, or obtain in a timely manner, approvals from governmental authorities, which could delay or prevent such acquisitions. |
We depend on our intellectual property and may face intellectual property infringement claims that could be time-consuming and costly to defend and could result in the loss of significant rights.
From time to time, we and our customers, or the third parties with whom we work may receive letters, including letters from other third parties, and may become subject to lawsuits with such third parties alleging infringement of their patents. Additionally, we are required by contract to indemnify some customers and third-party intellectual property providers for certain costs and damages of patent infringement in circumstances where our products are a factor creating the customer’s or these third-party providers’ infringement liability. This practice may subject us to significant indemnification claims by customers and third-party providers. We cannot assure investors that indemnification claims will not be made or that these claims will not harm our business, operating results or financial condition. Intellectual property litigation is very expensive and time-consuming and could divert management’s attention from our business and could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition. If there is a successful claim of infringement against us, our customers or our third-party intellectual property providers, we may be required to pay substantial damages to the party claiming infringement, stop selling products or using technology that contains the allegedly infringing intellectual property, or enter into royalty or license agreements that may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. Parties making infringement claims may also be able to bring an action before the International Trade Commission that could result in an order stopping the importation into the U.S. of our solar products. Any of these judgments could materially damage our business. We may have to develop non-infringing technology, and our failure in doing so or in obtaining licenses to the proprietary rights on a timely basis could have a material adverse effect on the business.
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We may be required to file claims against other parties for infringing its intellectual property that may be costly and may not be resolved in its favor.
To protect our intellectual property rights and to maintain competitive advantage, we have filed, and may continue to file, suits against parties we believe infringe or misappropriate our intellectual property. Intellectual property litigation is expensive and time-consuming, could divert management’s attention from our business, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, or financial condition, and our enforcement efforts may not be successful. In addition, the validity of our patents may be challenged in such litigation. Our participation in intellectual property enforcement actions may negatively impact our financial results.
Developments in technology or improvements in distributed solar energy generation and related technologies or components may materially adversely affect demand for our offerings.
Significant developments in technology, such as advances in distributed solar power generation, energy storage solutions such as batteries, energy storage management systems, the widespread use or adoption of fuel cells for residential or commercial properties or improvements in other forms of distributed or centralized power production may materially and adversely affect demand for our offerings and otherwise affect our business. Future technological advancements may result in reduced prices to consumers or more efficient solar energy systems than those available today, either of which may result in current customer dissatisfaction. We may not be able to adopt these new technologies as quickly as its competitors or on a cost-effective basis.
Additionally, recent technological advancements may impact our business in ways not currently anticipated. Any failure by us to adopt or have access to new or enhanced technologies or processes, or to react to changes in existing technologies, could result in product obsolescence or the loss of competitiveness of and decreased consumer interest in its solar energy services, which could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our business is subject to complex and evolving data protection laws. Many of these laws and regulations are subject to change and uncertain interpretation and could result in claims, increased cost of operations or otherwise harm its business.
Consumer personal privacy and data security have become significant issues and the subject of rapidly evolving regulation in the U.S. Furthermore, federal, state and local government bodies or agencies have in the past adopted, and may in the future adopt, more laws and regulations affecting data privacy. For example, the state of California enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”) and California voters recently approved the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”). The CCPA creates individual privacy rights for consumers and places increased privacy and security obligations on entities handling the personal data of consumers or households. The CCPA went into effect in January 2020 and it requires covered companies to provide new disclosures to California consumers, provides such consumers, business-to-business contacts and employees new ways to opt-out of certain sales of personal information, and allows for a new private right of action for data breaches. The CPRA modifies the CCPA and imposes additional data protection obligations on companies doing business in California, including additional consumer rights processes and opt outs for certain uses of sensitive data. The CCPA and the CPRA may significantly impact Complete Solaria’s business activities and require substantial compliance costs that adversely affect its business, operating results, prospects and financial condition. To date, we have not experienced substantial compliance costs in connection with fulfilling the requirements under the CCPA or CPRA. However, we cannot be certain that compliance costs will not increase in the future with respect to the CCPA and CPRA or any other recently passed consumer privacy regulation.
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Outside the U.S., an increasing number of laws, regulations, and industry standards may govern data privacy and security. For example, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“EU GDPR”) and the United Kingdom’s GDPR (“UK GDPR”) impose strict requirements for processing personal data. Under the EU GDPR, companies may face temporary or definitive bans on data processing and other corrective actions; fines of up to 20 million Euros or 4% of annual global revenue, whichever is greater; or private litigation related to processing of personal data brought by classes of data subjects or consumer protection organizations authorized at law to represent their interests. Non-compliance with the UK GDPR may result in substantially similar adverse consequences to those in relation to the EU GDPR, including monetary penalties of up to £17.5 million or 4% of worldwide revenue, whichever is higher.
In addition, we may be unable to transfer personal data from Europe and other jurisdictions to the U.S. or other countries due to data localization requirements or limitations on cross-border data flows. Europe and other jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring data to be localized or limiting the transfer of personal data to other countries. In particular, the European Economic Area (“EEA”) and the United Kingdom have significantly restricted the transfer of personal data to the U.S. and other countries whose privacy laws it believes are not adequate. Other jurisdictions may adopt similarly stringent interpretations of their data localization and cross- border data transfer laws. Although there are currently various mechanisms that may be used to transfer personal data from the EEA and UK to the U.S. in compliance with law, such as the EEA and UK’s standard contractual clauses, these mechanisms are subject to legal challenges, and there is no assurance that Complete Solaria can satisfy or rely on these measures to lawfully transfer personal data to the U.S. If there is no lawful manner for us to transfer personal data from the EEA, the UK, or other jurisdictions to the U.S., or if the requirements for a legally-compliant transfer are too onerous, we could face significant adverse consequences, including the interruption or degradation of its operations, the need to relocate part of or all of its business or data processing activities to other jurisdictions at significant expense, increased exposure to regulatory actions, substantial fines and penalties, the inability to transfer data and work with partners, vendors and other third parties, and injunctions against its processing or transferring of personal data necessary to operate its business. Some European regulators have ordered certain companies to suspend or permanently cease certain transfers out of Europe for allegedly violating the EU GDPR’s cross-border data transfer limitations.
Any inability to adequately address privacy and security concerns, even if unfounded, or comply with applicable privacy and data security laws, regulations and policies, could result in additional cost and liability to us damage our reputation, inhibit sales and adversely affect our business. Furthermore, the costs of compliance with, and other burdens imposed by, the laws, regulations and policies that are applicable to our business may limit the use and adoption of, and reduce the overall demand for, its solutions. If we are not able to adjust to changing laws, regulations and standards related to privacy or security, our business may be harmed.
Any unauthorized access to or disclosure or theft of personal information we gather, store or use could harm our reputation and subject us to claims or litigation.
We receive, store and use personal information of customers, including names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and other housing and energy use information. We also store information of dealers, including employee, financial and operational information. We rely on the availability of data collected from customers and dealers in order to manage our business and market our offerings. We take certain steps in an effort to protect the security, integrity and confidentiality of the personal information collected, stored or transmitted, but there is no guarantee inadvertent or unauthorized use or disclosure will not occur or third parties will not gain unauthorized access to this information despite our efforts. Although we take precautions to provide for disaster recovery, our ability to recover systems or data may be expensive and may interfere with normal operations. Also, although we obtain assurances from such third parties that they will use reasonable safeguards to secure their systems, we may be adversely affected by unavailability of their systems or unauthorized use or disclosure or its data maintained in such systems. Because techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or sabotage systems change frequently and generally are not identified until they are launched against a target, our suppliers or vendors and our dealers may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative or mitigation measures.
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Cyberattacks in particular are becoming more sophisticated and include, but are not limited to, malicious software, attempts to gain unauthorized access to data and other electronic security breaches that could lead to disruptions in critical systems, disruption of customers’ operations, loss or damage to data delivery systems, unauthorized release of confidential or otherwise protected information, corruption of data and increased costs to prevent, respond to or mitigate cybersecurity events. In addition, certain cyber incidents, such as advanced persistent threats, may remain undetected for an extended period.
Unauthorized use, disclosure of or access to any personal information maintained by us or on the behalf of us, whether through breach of our systems, breach of the systems of our suppliers, vendors or dealers by an unauthorized party or through employee or contractor error, theft or misuse or otherwise, could harm our business. If any such unauthorized use, disclosure of or access to such personal information were to occur, our operations could be seriously disrupted and we could be subject to demands, claims and litigation by private parties and investigations, related actions and penalties by regulatory authorities.
In addition, we could incur significant costs in notifying affected persons and entities and otherwise complying with the multitude of federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the unauthorized access to, use of or disclosure of personal information. Finally, any perceived or actual unauthorized access to, use of or disclosure of such information could harm our reputation, substantially impair our business, financial condition and results of operations. While we currently maintain cybersecurity insurance, such insurance may not be sufficient to cover against claims, and we cannot be certain that cyber insurance will continue to be available on economically reasonable terms, or at all, or that any insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claim.
If we fail to comply with laws and regulations relating to interactions by the company or its dealers with current or prospective residential customers could result in negative publicity, claims, investigations and litigation and adversely affect financial performance.
Our business substantially focuses on solar service agreements and transactions with residential customers. We offer leases, loans and other products and services to consumers by contractors in our dealer networks, who utilize sales people employed by or engaged as third-party service providers of such contractors. We and our dealers must comply with numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations that govern matters relating to interactions with residential consumers, including those pertaining to consumer protection, marketing and sales, privacy and data security, consumer financial and credit transactions, mortgages and refinancings, home improvement contracts, warranties and various means of customer solicitation, including under the laws described below in “As sales to residential customers have grown, we have increasingly become subject to substantial financing and consumer protection laws and regulations.” These laws and regulations are dynamic and subject to potentially differing interpretations and various federal, state and local legislative and regulatory bodies may initiate investigations, expand current laws or regulations, or enact new laws and regulations regarding these matters. Changes in these laws or regulations or their interpretation could dramatically affect how we and our dealers do business, acquire customers and manage and use information collected from and about current and prospective customers and the costs associated therewith. We and our dealers strive to comply with all applicable laws and regulations relating to interactions with residential customers. It is possible, however, these requirements may be interpreted and applied in a manner inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another and may conflict with other rules or our practices or the practices of our dealers.
Although we require dealers to meet consumer compliance requirements, we do not control dealers and their suppliers or their business practices. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee they follow ethical business practices such as fair wage practices and compliance with environmental, safety and other local laws. A lack of demonstrated compliance could lead us to seek alternative dealers or suppliers, which could increase costs and have a negative effect on business and prospects for growth. Violation of labor or other laws by our dealers or suppliers or the divergence of a dealer or supplier’s labor or other practices from those generally accepted as ethical in the U.S. or other markets in which the company does or intends to do business could also attract negative publicity and harm the business.
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From time to time, we have been included in lawsuits brought by the consumer customers of certain contractors in our networks, citing claims based on the sales practices of these contractors. While we have paid only minimal damages to date, we cannot be sure that a court of law would not determine that we are liable for the actions of the contractors in our networks or that a regulator or state attorney general’s office may hold us accountable for violations of consumer protection or other applicable laws by. Our risk mitigation processes may not be sufficient to mitigate financial harm associated with violations of applicable law by our contractors or ensure that any such contractor is able to satisfy its indemnification obligations to us. Any significant judgment against us could expose it to broader liabilities, a need to adjust our distribution channels for products and services or otherwise change our business model and could adversely impact the business.
We may be unsuccessful in introducing new services and product offerings.
We intend to introduce new offerings of services and products to both new and existing customers in the future, including home automation products and additional home technology solutions. We may be unsuccessful in significantly broadening our customer base through the addition of these services and products within current markets or in new markets the company may enter. Additionally, we may not be successful in generating substantial revenue from any additional services and products introduced in the future and may decline to initiate new product and service offerings.
Damage to our brand and reputation or change or loss of use of our brand could harm our business and results of operations.
We depend significantly on our reputation for high-quality products, excellent customer service and the brand name “Complete Solaria” to attract new customers and grow our business. If we fail to continue to deliver solar energy systems or energy storage systems within the planned timelines, if our offerings do not perform as anticipated or if we damage any of our customers’ properties or delays or cancels projects, our brand and reputation could be significantly impaired. Future technological improvements may allow the company to offer lower prices or offer new technology to new customers; however, technical limitations in our current solar energy systems and energy storage systems may prevent us from offering such lower prices or new technology to existing customers.
In addition, given the sheer number of interactions our personnel or dealers operating on our behalf have with customers and potential customers, it is inevitable that some customers’ and potential customers’ interactions with us or dealers operating on our behalf will be perceived as less than satisfactory. This has led to instances of customer complaints, some of which have affected our digital footprint on rating websites and social media platforms. If we cannot manage hiring and training processes to avoid or minimize these issues to the extent possible, our reputation may be harmed and our ability to attract new customers would suffer.
In addition, if we were to no longer use, lose the right to continue to use or if others use the “Complete Solaria” brand, we could lose recognition in the marketplace among customers, suppliers and dealers, which could affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and would require financial and other investment and management attention in new branding, which may not be as successful.
Our success depends on the continuing contributions of key personnel.
We rely heavily on the services of our key executive officers and the loss of services of any principal member of the management team could adversely affect operations. There have been, and from time to time there may continue to be, changes in our management team resulting from the hiring or departure of executives and key employees, or the transition of executives within our business, which could disrupt our business.
We are investing significant resources in developing new members of management as we complete our restructuring and strategic transformation. We also anticipate that over time we will need to hire a number of highly skilled technical, sales, marketing, administrative, and accounting personnel. The competition for qualified personnel is intense in this industry. We may not be successful in attracting and retaining sufficient numbers of qualified personnel to support its anticipated growth. We cannot guarantee that any employee will remain employed with us for any definite period of time since all employees, including key executive officers, serve at-will and may terminate their employment at any time for any reason.
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If we or our dealers or suppliers fail to hire and retain sufficient employees and service providers in key functions, our growth and ability to timely complete customer projects and successfully manage customer accounts would be constrained.
To support growth, we and our dealers need to hire, train, deploy, manage and retain a substantial number of skilled employees, engineers, installers, electricians and sales and project finance specialists. Competition for qualified personnel in this industry has increased substantially, particularly for skilled personnel involved in the installation of solar energy systems. We and our dealers also compete with the homebuilding and construction industries for skilled labor. These industries are cyclical and when participants in these industries seek to hire additional workers, it puts upward pressure on us and our dealers’ labor costs. Companies with whom our dealers compete to hire installers may offer compensation or incentive plans that certain installers may view as more favorable. As a result, our dealers may be unable to attract or retain qualified and skilled installation personnel. The further unionization of the industry’s labor force or the homebuilding and construction industries’ labor forces could also increase our dealers’ labor costs.
Shortages of skilled labor could significantly delay a project or otherwise increase dealers’ costs. Further, we need to continue to increase the training of the customer service team to provide high-end account management and service to homeowners before, during and following the point of installation of its solar energy systems. Identifying and recruiting qualified personnel and training them requires significant time, expense and attention. It can take several months before a new customer service team member is fully trained and productive at the standards established by us. If we are unable to hire, develop and retain talented customer service or other personnel, we may not be able to grow our business.
Our operating results and ability to grow may fluctuate from quarter to quarter and year to year, which could make future performance difficult to predict and could cause operating results for a particular period to fall below expectations.
Our quarterly and annual operating results and its ability to grow are difficult to predict and may fluctuate significantly. We have experienced seasonal and quarterly fluctuations in the past and expect to experience such fluctuations in the future. In addition to the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section, the following factors could cause operating results to fluctuate:
| ● | expiration or initiation of any governmental rebates or incentives; |
| ● | significant fluctuations in customer demand for our solar energy services, solar energy systems and energy storage systems; |
| ● | our dealers’ ability to complete installations in a timely manner; |
| ● | our and our dealers’ ability to gain interconnection permission for an installed solar energy system from the relevant utility; |
| ● | the availability, terms and costs of suitable financing; |
| ● | the amount, timing of sales and potential decreases in value of Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (“SRECs”); |
| ● | our ability to continue to expand its operations and the amount and timing of expenditures related to this expansion; |
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| ● | announcements by us or our competitors of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital-raising activities or commitments; |
| ● | changes in our pricing policies or terms or those of competitors, including centralized electric utilities; |
| ● | actual or anticipated developments in competitors’ businesses, technology or the competitive landscape; and |
| ● | natural disasters or other weather or meteorological conditions. |
For these or other reasons, the results of any prior quarterly or annual periods should not be relied upon as indications of our future performance.
Our ability to obtain insurance on the terms of any available insurance coverage could be materially adversely affected by international, national, state or local events or company-specific events, as well as the financial condition of insurers.
Our insurance policies cover legal and contractual liabilities arising out of bodily injury, personal injury or property damage to third parties and are subject to policy limits.
However, such policies do not cover all potential losses and coverage is not always available in the insurance market on commercially reasonable terms. In addition, we may have disagreements with insurers on the amount of recoverable damages and the insurance proceeds received for any loss of, or any damage to, any of our assets may be claimed by lenders under financing arrangements or otherwise may not be sufficient to restore the loss or damage without a negative impact on its results of operations. Furthermore, the receipt of insurance proceeds may be delayed, requiring us to use cash or incur financing costs in the interim. To the extent our experiences covered losses under its insurance policies, the limit of our coverage for potential losses may be decreased or the insurance rates it has to pay increased. Furthermore, the losses insured through commercial insurance are subject to the credit risk of those insurance companies. While we believe our commercial insurance providers are currently creditworthy, we cannot assure such insurance companies will remain so in the future.
We may not be able to maintain or obtain insurance of the type and amount desired at reasonable rates. The insurance coverage obtained may contain large deductibles or fail to cover certain risks or all potential losses. In addition, our insurance policies are subject to annual review by insurers and may not be renewed on similar or favorable terms, including coverage, deductibles or premiums, or at all. If a significant accident or event occurs for which we are not fully insured or the company suffers losses due to one or more of its insurance carriers defaulting on their obligations or contesting their coverage obligations, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may be subject to breaches of our information technology systems, which could lead to disclosure of internal information, damage to our reputation or relationships with dealers, suppliers, and customers, and disrupt access to online services. Such breaches could subject us to significant reputational, financial, legal, and operational consequences.
Our business requires the use and storage of confidential and proprietary information, intellectual property, commercial banking information, personal information concerning customers, employees, and business partners, and corporate information concerning internal processes and business functions. Malicious attacks to gain access to such information affects many companies across various industries, including ours.
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Where appropriate, we use encryption and authentication technologies to secure the transmission and storage of data. These security measures may be compromised as a result of third-party security breaches, employee error, malfeasance, faulty password management, or other irregularity or malicious effort, and result in persons obtaining unauthorized access to data.
We devote resources to network security, data encryption, and other security measures to protect our systems and data, but these security measures cannot provide absolute security. Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently, target end users through phishing and other malicious techniques, and/or may be difficult to detect for long periods of time, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures. As a result, we may experience a breach of our systems in the future that reduces our ability to protect sensitive data. In addition, hardware, software, or applications we develop or procures from third parties may contain defects in design or manufacture or other problems that could unexpectedly compromise information security. Unauthorized parties may also attempt to gain access to our systems or facilities through fraud, trickery or other forms of deceiving team members, contractors and temporary staff. If we experience, or are perceived to have experienced, a significant data security breach, fail to detect and appropriately respond to a significant data security breach, or fail to implement disclosure controls and procedures that provide for timely disclosure of data security breaches deemed material to our business, including corrections or updates to previous disclosures, we could be exposed to a risk of loss, increased insurance costs, remediation and prospective prevention costs, damage to our reputation and brand, litigation and possible liability, or government enforcement actions, any of which could detrimentally affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We may also share information with contractors and third-party providers to conduct business. While we generally review and typically request or require such contractors and third-party providers to implement security measures, such as encryption and authentication technologies to secure the transmission and storage of data, those third-party providers may experience a significant data security breach, which may also detrimentally affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition as discussed above. See also under this section, “We may be required to file claims against other parties for infringing its intellectual property that may be costly and may not be resolved in our favor.” We rely substantially upon trade secret laws and contractual restrictions to protect our proprietary rights, and, if these rights are not sufficiently protected, our ability to compete and generate revenue could suffer.
As sales to residential customers have grown, we have increasingly become subject to consumer protection laws and regulations.
As we continue to seek to expand our retail customer base, our activities with customers are subject to consumer protection laws that may not be applicable to other businesses, such as federal truth-in-lending, consumer leasing, telephone and digital marketing, and equal credit opportunity laws and regulations, as well as state and local finance laws and regulations. Claims arising out of actual or alleged violations of law may be asserted against us by individuals or governmental entities and may expose the company to significant damages or other penalties, including fines. In addition, our affiliations with third-party dealers may subject the company to alleged liability in connection with actual or alleged violations of law by such dealers, whether or not actually attributable to us, which may expose us to significant damages and penalties, and we may incur substantial expenses in defending against legal actions related to third-party dealers, whether or not ultimately found liable.
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The competitive environment in which we operate often requires the undertaking of customer obligations, which may turn out to be costlier than anticipated and, in turn, materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We are often required, at the request of our end customer, to undertake certain obligations such as:
| ● | system output performance warranties; and |
| ● | system maintenance. |
Such customer obligations involve complex accounting analyses and judgments regarding the timing of revenue and expense recognition, and in certain situations these factors may require us to defer revenue or profit recognition until projects are completed or until contingencies are resolved, which could adversely affect revenues and profits in a particular period.
We are subject to risks associated with construction, cost overruns, delays, regulatory compliance and other contingencies, any of which could have a material adverse effect on its business and results of operations.
We are a licensed contractor in certain communities that we service and are ultimately responsible as the contracting party for every solar energy system installation. A significant portion of our business depends on obtaining and maintaining required licenses in various jurisdictions. All such licenses are subject to audit by the relevant government agency. Our failure to obtain or maintain required licenses could result in the termination of certain of our contracts. For example, we hold a license with California’s Contractors State License Board (the “CSLB”) and that license is currently under probation with the CSLB. If we fail to comply with the CSLB’s law and regulations, it could result in termination of certain of our contracts, monetary penalties, extension of the license probation period or revocation of its license in California. In addition, we may be liable, either directly or through its solar partners, to homeowners for any damage we causes to them, their home, belongings or property during the installation of our systems. For example, we either directly or through its solar partners, frequently penetrate homeowners’ roofs during the installation process and may incur liability for the failure to adequately weatherproof such penetrations following the completion of construction. In addition, because the solar energy systems we or our solar partners deploy are high voltage energy systems, we may incur liability for failing to comply with electrical standards and manufacturer recommendations.
Further, we or our solar partners may face construction delays or cost overruns, which may adversely affect our or our solar partners’ ability to ramp up the volume of installation in accordance with our plans. Such delays or overruns may occur as a result of a variety of factors, such as labor shortages, defects in materials and workmanship, adverse weather conditions, transportation constraints, construction change orders, site changes, labor issues and other unforeseen difficulties, any of which could lead to increased cancellation rates, reputational harm and other adverse effects.
In addition, the installation of solar energy systems, energy storage systems, and other energy-related products requiring building modifications are subject to oversight and regulation in accordance with national, state, and local laws and ordinances relating to building, fire, and electrical codes, safety, environmental protection, utility interconnection and metering, and related matters. We also rely on certain employees to maintain professional licenses in many of the jurisdictions in which we operate, and the failure to employ properly licensed personnel could adversely affect our licensing status in those jurisdictions. It is difficult and costly to track the requirements of every individual authority having jurisdiction over our installations and to design solar energy systems to comply with these varying standards. Any new government regulations or utility policies pertaining to our systems may result in significant additional expenses to homeowners and us and, as a result, could cause a significant reduction in demand for solar service offerings.
While we have a variety of stringent quality standards that the company applies in the selection of its solar partners, we do not control our suppliers and solar partners or their business practices. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee that they follow our standards or ethical business practices, such as fair wage practices and compliance with environmental, safety and other local laws. A lack of demonstrated compliance could lead us to seek alternative suppliers or contractors, which could increase costs and result in delayed delivery or installation of our products, product shortages or other disruptions of its operations. Violation of labor or other laws by our suppliers and solar partners or the divergence of a supplier’s or solar partners’ labor or other practices from those generally accepted as ethical in the U.S. or other markets in which we do business could also attract negative publicity and harm our business, brand and reputation in the market.
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Our management has identified conditions that raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
Since our inception, we have incurred losses and negative cash flows from operations. We incurred net losses of $269.6 million and $29.5 million, during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and had an accumulated deficit of $354.9 million and current debt of $61.9 million as of December 31, 2023. We had cash and cash equivalents of $2.6 million as of December 31, 2023, which were held for working capital expenditures. These conditions raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our ability to continue as a going concern requires that we obtain sufficient funding to meet our obligations and finance our operations.
If we are not able to secure adequate additional funding when needed, we will need to reevaluate our operating plan and may be forced to make reductions in spending, extend payment terms with suppliers, liquidate assets where possible, or suspend or curtail planned programs or cease operations entirely. These actions could materially impact our business, results of operations and future prospects. There can be no assurance that in the event we require additional financing, such financing will be available on terms that are favorable, or at all. Failure to generate sufficient cash flows from operations, raise additional capital or reduce certain discretionary spending would have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our intended business objectives.
We expect that we will need to raise additional funding to finance our operations. This additional financing may not be available on acceptable terms or at all. Failure to obtain this necessary capital when needed may force us to curtail planned programs or cease operations entirely.
Our operations have consumed significant amounts of cash since inception. We expect to incur significant operating expenses as we continue to grow our business. We believe that our operating losses and negative operating cash flows will continue into the foreseeable future.
We had cash and cash equivalents of $2.6 million as of December 31, 2023. Our cash position raises substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern for 12 months after the consolidated financial statements issuance. We will require substantial additional capital to continue operations. Such additional capital might not be available when we need it and our actual cash requirements might be greater than anticipated. We cannot be certain that additional capital will be available on attractive terms, if at all, when needed, which could be dilutive to stockholders, and our financial condition, results of operations, business and prospects could be materially and adversely affected.
We have identified material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting. If we are unable to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures, the accuracy and timeliness of our financial and operating reporting may be adversely affected, and confidence in our operations and disclosures may be lost.
In connection with the preparation and audit of our financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, and our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023, our management identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The material weakness is as follows:
| ● | We do not have sufficient full-time accounting personnel, (i) to enable appropriate reviews over the financial close and reporting process, (ii) to allow for appropriate segregation of duties, and (iii) with the requisite experience and technical accounting knowledge to identify, review and resolve complex accounting issues under generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (“GAAP”). Additionally, we did not adequately design and/or implement controls related to conducting a formal risk assessment process. |
In connection with the preparation and audit of our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023, our management identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. The material weakness is as follows:
| ● | Inventory controls related to the completeness, existence, and cut-off of inventories held at third parties, and controls related to the calculation of adjustments to inventory for items considered excessive and obsolete. |
Had such an evaluation been performed, additional control deficiencies may have been identified by the Company’s management, and those control deficiencies could have also represented one or more material weaknesses.
Complete Solaria was not required to evaluate internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023 in accordance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Had such an evaluation been performed, Complete Solaria’s management may have identified additional control deficiencies, and those control deficiencies could have also represented one or more material weaknesses.
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We have taken certain steps, such as recruiting additional personnel, in addition to utilizing third-party consultants and specialists, to supplement our internal resources, to enhance our internal control environment and plan to take additional steps to remediate the material weaknesses. Although we plan to complete this remediation process as quickly as possible, we cannot estimate how long it will take. We cannot assure that the measures we have taken to date, and may take in the future, will be sufficient to remediate the control deficiencies that led to our material weakness in internal control over financial reporting or that such measures will prevent or avoid potential future material weaknesses.
If we are not able to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures, or if material weaknesses are discovered in future periods, a risk that is significantly increased in light of the complexity of our business, we may be unable to accurately and timely report our financial position, results of operations, cash flows or key operating metrics, which could result in late filings of the annual and quarterly reports under the Exchange Act, restatements of financial statements or other corrective disclosures, an inability to access commercial lending markets, defaults under its secured revolving credit facility and other agreements, or other material adverse effects on our business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition or liquidity.
Compliance with occupational safety and health requirements and best practices can be costly, and noncompliance with such requirements may result in potentially significant penalties, operational delays and adverse publicity.
The installation and ongoing operations and maintenance of solar energy systems and energy storage systems requires individuals hired by us, our dealers, or third-party contractors, potentially including employees, to work at heights with complicated and potentially dangerous electrical systems. The evaluation and modification of buildings as part of the installation process requires these individuals to work in locations that may contain potentially dangerous levels of asbestos, lead, mold or other materials known or believed to be hazardous to human health. There is substantial risk of serious injury or death if proper safety procedures are not followed. Our operations are subject to regulation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) and the Department of Transportation (“DOT”) and equivalent state and local laws. Changes to OSHA or DOT requirements, or stricter interpretation or enforcement of existing laws or regulations, could result in increased costs. If we fail to comply with applicable OSHA or DOT regulations, even if no work-related serious injury or death occurs, we may be subject to civil or criminal enforcement and be required to pay substantial penalties, incur significant capital expenditures or suspend or limit operations. Because individuals hired by us or on our behalf to perform installation and ongoing operations and maintenance of the company’s solar energy systems and energy storage systems, including its dealers and third-party contractors, are compensated on a per project basis, they are incentivized to work more quickly than installers compensated on an hourly basis. While we have not experienced a high level of injuries to date, this incentive structure may result in higher injury rates than others in the industry and could accordingly expose the company to increased liability. Individuals hired by or on behalf of us may have workplace accidents and receive citations from OSHA regulators for alleged safety violations, resulting in fines. Any such accidents, citations, violations, injuries or failure to comply with industry best practices may subject us to adverse publicity, damage its reputation and competitive position and adversely affect the business.
Our business has benefited from the declining cost of solar energy system components, but it may be harmed if the cost of such components stabilizes or increases in the future.
Our business has benefited from the declining cost of solar energy system components and to the extent such costs stabilize, decline at a slower rate or increase, our future growth rate may be negatively impacted. The declining cost of solar energy system components and the raw materials necessary to manufacture them has been a key driver in the price of our solar energy systems, and the prices charged for electricity and customer adoption of solar energy. Solar energy system component and raw material prices may not continue to decline at the same rate as they have over the past several years or at all. In addition, growth in the solar industry and the resulting increase in demand for solar energy system components and the raw materials necessary to manufacture them may also put upward pressure on prices. An increase of solar energy system components and raw materials prices could slow growth and cause business and results of operations to suffer. Further, the cost of solar energy system components and raw materials has increased and could increase in the future due to tariff penalties, duties, the loss of or changes in economic governmental incentives or other factors.
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Product liability claims against us could result in adverse publicity and potentially significant monetary damages.
It is possible our solar energy systems or energy storage systems could injure customers or other third parties or our solar energy systems or energy storage systems could cause property damage as a result of product malfunctions, defects, improper installation, fire or other causes. Any product liability claim we face could be expensive to defend and may divert management’s attention. The successful assertion of product liability claims against us could result in potentially significant monetary damages, potential increases in insurance expenses, penalties or fines, subject the company to adverse publicity, damage our reputation and competitive position and adversely affect sales of solar energy systems or energy storage systems. In addition, product liability claims, injuries, defects or other problems experienced by other companies in the residential solar industry could lead to unfavorable market conditions to the industry as a whole and may have an adverse effect on our ability to expand its portfolio of solar service agreements and related solar energy systems and energy storage systems, thus affecting our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our warranty costs may exceed the warranty reserve.
We provide warranties that cover parts performance and labor to purchasers of our solar modules. We maintain a warranty reserve on our financial statements, and our warranty claims may exceed the warranty reserve. Any significant warranty expenses could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Significant warranty problems could impair our reputation which could result in lower revenue and a lower gross margin.
We are subject to legal proceedings and regulatory inquiries and may be named in additional claims or legal proceedings or become involved in regulatory inquiries, all of which are costly, distracting to our core business and could result in an unfavorable outcome or harm our business, financial condition, results of operations or the trading price for our securities.
We are involved in claims, legal proceedings that arise from normal business activities. In addition, from time to time, third parties may assert claims against us. We evaluate all claims, lawsuits and investigations with respect to their potential merits, our potential defenses and counter claims, settlement or litigation potential and the expected effect on us. In the event that we are involved in significant disputes or are the subject of a formal action by a regulatory agency, we could be exposed to costly and time-consuming legal proceedings that could result in any number of outcomes. Although outcomes of such actions vary, any claims, proceedings or regulatory actions initiated by or against us whether successful or not, could result in expensive costs of defense, costly damage awards, injunctive relief, increased costs of business, fines or orders to change certain business practices, significant dedication of management time, diversion of significant operational resources or some other harm to the business. In any of these cases, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be negatively impacted. We make a provision for a liability relating to legal matters when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. These provisions are reviewed at least quarterly and adjusted to reflect the impacts of negotiations, estimated settlements, legal rulings, advice of legal counsel and other information and events pertaining to a particular matter. Depending on the nature and timing of any such controversy, an unfavorable resolution of a matter could materially affect our future business, financial condition or results of operations, or all of the foregoing, in a particular quarter.
The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources, divert management’s attention and affect our ability to attract and retain qualified directors and officers.
We will face increased legal, accounting, administrative and other costs and expenses as a public company that we did not incur as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including the requirements of Section 404, as well as rules and regulations subsequently implemented by the SEC, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 and the rules and regulations promulgated and to be promulgated thereunder, the PCAOB and the securities exchanges, impose additional reporting and other obligations on public companies. Compliance with public company requirements will increase costs and make certain activities more time- consuming. A number of those requirements will require us to carry out activities we had not done previously.
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If any issues in complying with those requirements are identified (for example, if we or the auditors identify a material weakness or significant deficiency in the internal control over financial reporting), we could incur additional costs rectifying those issues, and the existence of those issues could adversely affect our reputation or investor perceptions of it. It may also be more expensive to obtain director and officer liability insurance. Risks associated with our status as a public company may make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers. The additional reporting and other obligations imposed by these rules and regulations will increase legal and financial compliance costs and the costs of related legal, accounting and administrative activities. These increased costs will require us to divert a significant amount of money that could otherwise be used to expand the business and achieve strategic objectives. Advocacy efforts by stockholders and third parties may also prompt additional changes in governance and reporting requirements, which could further increase costs.
Our ability to use net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.
We have incurred substantial losses during our history and do not expect to become profitable in the near future and may never achieve profitability. Under current U.S. federal income tax law, unused losses for the tax year ended December 31, 2017 and prior tax years will carry forward to offset future taxable income, if any, until such unused losses expire, and unused federal losses generated after December 31, 2017 will not expire and may be carried forward indefinitely but will be only deductible to the extent of 80% of current year taxable income in any given year. Many states have similar laws.
In addition, both current and future unused net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards and other tax attributes may be subject to limitation under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” generally defined as a greater than 50 percentage point change (by value) in equity ownership by certain stockholders over a three-year period. The Business Combination may have resulted in an ownership change for us and, accordingly, our NOL carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be subject to limitations (or disallowance) on their use after the Business Combination. Our NOL carryforwards may also be subject to limitation as a result of prior shifts in equity ownership. Additional ownership changes in the future could result in additional limitations on our NOL carryforwards. Consequently, even if we achieve profitability, we may not be able to utilize a material portion of our NOL carryforwards and other tax attributes, which could have a material adverse effect on cash flow and results of operations.
The trading price of our common stock may be volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Fluctuations in the price of our securities could contribute to the loss of all or part of your investment. Prior to the Business Combination, there was no public market for Solaria’s stock and trading in the shares of our common stock (prior to consummation of the Business Combination, “FACT Common Stock”) was not active. Accordingly, the valuation ascribed to Solaria and FACT Common Stock in the Business Combination may not have been indicative of the price that will prevail in the trading market following the Business Combination. If an active market for our securities develops and continues, the trading price of our securities could be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control. Any of the factors listed below could have a material adverse effect on your investment in our securities and our securities may trade at prices significantly below the price you paid for them. In such circumstances, the trading price of our securities may not recover and may experience a further decline.
Factors affecting the trading price of our securities:
| ● | actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly financial results or the quarterly financial results of companies perceived to be similar to us; |
| ● | changes in the market’s expectations about our operating results; |
| ● | success of competitors; |
| ● | our operating results failing to meet the expectation of securities analysts or investors in a particular period; |
| ● | changes in financial estimates and recommendations by securities analysts concerning us or the market in general; |
| ● | operating and stock price performance of other companies that investors deem comparable to us; |
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| ● | our ability to develop product candidates; |
| ● | changes in laws and regulations affecting our business; |
| ● | commencement of, or involvement in, litigation involving us; |
| ● | changes in our capital structure, such as future issuances of securities or the incurrence of additional debt; |
| ● | the volume of shares of our securities available for public sale |
| ● | any major change in our board of directors or management; |
| ● | sales of substantial amounts of common stock by our directors, executive officers or significant stockholders or the perception that such sales could occur; and |
| ● | general economic and political conditions such as recessions, interest rates, fuel prices, international currency fluctuations and acts of war or terrorism. |
If securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about us, our business, or our market, or if they change their recommendations regarding our securities adversely, the price and trading volume of our securities could decline.
The trading market for our securities is influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, our market, or our competitors. If any of the analysts who currently cover us change their recommendation regarding our stock adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, the price of our securities would likely decline. If any analyst who currently cover us were to cease coverage of us or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline. If we obtain additional coverage and any new analyst issues, an adverse or misleading opinion regarding us, our business model, our intellectual property or our stock performance, or if our operating results fail to meet the expectations of analysts, our stock price could decline.
A market for our securities may not continue, which would adversely affect the liquidity and price of our securities.
The price of our securities may fluctuate significantly due to general market and economic conditions and an active trading market for our securities may not be sustained. In addition, the price of our securities can vary due to general economic conditions and forecasts, our general business condition and the release of our financial reports. If our securities are not listed on, or become delisted from Nasdaq for any reason, and are quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board, an inter-dealer automated quotation system for equity securities that is not a national securities exchange, the liquidity and price of our securities may be more limited than if we were quoted or listed on Nasdaq or another national securities exchange. You may be unable to sell your securities unless a market can be established or sustained.
There can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with the continued listing standards of Nasdaq.
If Nasdaq delists our securities from trading on its exchange for failure to meet the listing standards, we and our stockholders could face significant material adverse consequences including:
| ● | a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; |
| ● | a determination that our common stock is a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our common stock to adhere to more stringent rules, possibly resulting in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our common stock; |
| ● | a limited amount of analyst coverage; and a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future. |
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Sales of a substantial number of our common stock in the public market by our shareholders could cause the price of our common stock to decline.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could occur at any time. If our stockholders sell, or the market perceives that our stockholders intend to sell, substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, the market price of our common stock could decline.
Provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law may delay or prevent an acquisition by a third party that could otherwise be in the interests of shareholders.
Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws contain several provisions that may make it more difficult or expensive for a third party to acquire control of us without the approval of our board. These provisions, which may delay, prevent or deter a merger, acquisition, tender offer, proxy contest, or other transaction that stockholders may consider favorable, include the following:
| ● | advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and director nominations; |
| ● | provisions limiting stockholders’ ability to call special meetings of stockholders and to take action by written consent; |
| ● | restrictions on business combinations with interested stockholders; |
| ● | no cumulative voting; and |
| ● | the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred stock without stockholder approval, which could be used, among other things, to institute a rights plan that would have the effect of significantly diluting the stock ownership of a potential hostile acquirer, likely preventing acquisitions by such acquirer. |
These provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and Proposed Bylaws could discourage potential takeover attempts and reduce the price that investors might be willing to pay for the shares of our common stock in the future, which could reduce the market price of our common stock.
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The provision of our Certificate of Incorporation requiring exclusive venue in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware and the federal district courts of the U.S. for certain types of lawsuits may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against directors and officers.
Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that, unless otherwise consented to by us in writing, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, another State court in Delaware or the federal district court for the District of Delaware) will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for the following types of actions or proceedings:
| ● | any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of us; |
| ● | any action asserting a claim of breach of a duty (including any fiduciary duty) owed by any of our current or former directors, officers, stockholders, employees or agents to us or our stockholders; |
| ● | any action asserting a claim against us or any of our current or former directors, officers, stockholders, employees or agents relating to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) or our Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware; and |
| ● | any action asserting a claim against us or any of our current or former directors, officers, stockholders, employees or agents governed by the internal affairs doctrine of the State of Delaware, in each such case unless the Court of Chancery (or such other state or federal court located within the State of Delaware, as applicable) has dismissed a prior action by the same plaintiff asserting the same claims because such court lacked personal jurisdiction over an indispensable party named as a defendant therein. |
Our Certificate of Incorporation will further provide that, unless otherwise consented to by us in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the U.S. will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint against any person in connection with any offering of our securities, asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in our securities will be deemed to have notice of and consented to this provision.
Although our Certificate of Incorporation contains the choice of forum provisions described above, it is possible that a court could rule that such provisions are inapplicable for a particular claim or action or that such provisions are unenforceable. For example, under the Securities Act, federal courts have concurrent jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act, and investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. In addition, Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder, and, therefore, the exclusive forum provisions described above do not apply to any actions brought under the Exchange Act.
Although we believe these provisions will benefit us by limiting costly and time-consuming litigation in multiple forums and by providing increased consistency in the application of applicable law, these exclusive forum provisions may limit the ability of our shareholders to bring a claim in a judicial forum that such shareholders find favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees.
We may be required to repurchase up to 6,720,000 shares of common stock from the investors with whom we entered into Forward Purchase Agreements in connection with the closing of the Business Combination, which would reduce the amount of cash available to us to fund our growth plan.
On and around July 13, 2023, FACT entered into separate Forward Purchase Agreements with certain investors (together, the “FPA Investors”), pursuant to which FACT (now Complete Solaria following the Closing) agreed to purchase in the aggregate, on the date that is 24 months after the Closing Date (the “Maturity Date”), up to 6,720,000 shares of common stock then held by the FPA Investors (subject to certain conditions and purchase limits set forth in the Forward Purchase Agreements). Pursuant to the terms of the Forward Purchase Agreements, each FPA Investor further agreed not to redeem any of the FACT Class A Ordinary Shares owned by it at such time. The per price at which the FPA Investors have the right to sell the shares to us on the Maturity Date will not be less than $5.00 per share.
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If the FPA Investors hold some or all of the 6,720,000 forward purchase agreement shares on the Maturity Date, and the per share trading price of our common stock is less than the per share price at which the FPA Investors have the right to sell the common stock to us on the Maturity Date, we would expect that the FPA Investors will exercise this repurchase right with respect to such shares. In the event that we are required to repurchase these forward purchase agreement shares, or in the event that the forward purchase agreements are terminated the amount of cash arising from the Business Combination that would ultimately be available to fund our liquidity and capital resource requirements would be reduced accordingly, which would adversely affect our ability to fund our growth plan in the manner we had contemplated when entering into the forward purchase agreements.
Warrants to purchase shares of our common stock may not be exercised at all or may be exercised on a cashless basis and we may not receive any cash proceeds from the exercise of such warrants.
The exercise price of warrants to purchase shares of our common stock may be higher than the prevailing market price of the underlying shares of common stock. The exercise price of such warrants is subject to market conditions and may not be advantageous if the prevailing market price of the underlying shares of common stock is lower than the exercise price. The cash proceeds associated with the exercise of such warrants to purchase our common stock are contingent upon our stock price. The value of our common stock will fluctuate and may not align with the exercise price of such warrants at any given time. If such warrants are “out of the money,” meaning the exercise price is higher than the market price of our common stock, there is a high likelihood that warrant holders may choose not to exercise their warrants. As a result, we may not receive any proceeds from the exercise of such warrants.
Furthermore, with regard to certain warrants to purchase shares of our common stock that were issued in a private placement at the time of FACT’s IPO and warrants issued to certain selling securityholders in connection with conversion of working capital loans, it is possible that we may not receive cash upon their exercise, since these warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis. A cashless exercise allows warrant holders to convert the warrants into shares of our common stock without the need for a cash payment. Instead of paying cash upon exercise, the warrant holder would receive a reduced number of shares based on a predetermined formula. As a result, the number of shares issued through a cashless exercise will be lower than if the warrants were exercised on a cash basis, which could impact the cash proceeds we receive from the exercise of such warrants.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY
Risk management and strategy
We are in the process of implementing various information security procedures designed to identify, assess and manage material risks from cybersecurity threats to our critical computer networks, third party hosted services, communications systems, hardware and software, and our critical data, including intellectual property, confidential information that is proprietary, strategic or competitive in nature.
Our Chief Information Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Vice President of Human Resources and Vice President of Operations help identify, assess and manage the Company’s cybersecurity threats and risks. They will identify and assess risks from cybersecurity threats by monitoring and evaluating our threat environment using various methods including, for example manual and automated tools, subscribing to reports and services that identify cybersecurity threats, conducting scans of the threat environment, evaluating threats reported to us, internal and external audits, conducting threat assessments for internal and external threats, third-party threat assessments and conducting vulnerability assessments to identify vulnerabilities.
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Depending on the environment, we are in the process of implementing various technical, physical, and organizational measures, processes, standards and policies designed to manage and mitigate material risks from cybersecurity threats to our Information Systems and Data, including, for example: incident response plan, incident detection, vulnerability management policy, network security controls, access controls, physical controls, systems monitoring, vendor risk management program, employee training, penetration testing, systems monitoring.
Our assessment and management of material risks from cybersecurity threats will be integrated into the Company’s overall risk management processes. For example, our Information Security Management committee will evaluate material risks from cybersecurity threats against our overall business objectives and reports to the audit committee of the board of directors, which evaluates our overall enterprise risk.
We use third-party service providers to assist us from time to time to identify, assess, and manage material risks from cybersecurity threats, including for example professional services firms, including legal counsel, cybersecurity consultants, cyber security software providers and penetration testing firms.
We use third-party service providers to perform a variety of functions throughout our business, such as application providers and hosting companies.
For a description of the risks from cybersecurity threats that may materially affect the Company and how they may do so, see our risk factors under Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including “Any unauthorized access to or disclosure or theft of personal information we gather, store or use could harm our reputation and subject us to claims or litigation.”
Governance
Our board of directors addresses the Company’s cybersecurity risk management as part of its general oversight function. The board of directors’ audit committee is responsible for overseeing Company’s cybersecurity risk management processes, including oversight of mitigation of risks from cybersecurity threats.
Our Vice President of Information Technology is responsible for hiring appropriate personnel, helping to integrate cybersecurity risk considerations into the Company’s overall risk management strategy, and communicating key priorities to relevant personnel. The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for approving budgets, helping prepare for cybersecurity incidents, approving cybersecurity processes, and reviewing security assessments and other security-related reports.
Our cybersecurity incident response Policy is being designed to escalate certain cybersecurity incidents to members of management depending on the circumstances. The Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Information officer work to help the Company mitigate and remediate cybersecurity incidents of which they are notified. In addition, the Company’s incident response Policy will include reporting to the audit committee of the board of directors for certain cybersecurity incidents.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
As of December 31, 2023, our major facilities consisted of:
Principal Operations | Facility | Location | Approximate square footage | Ownership | Year When Lease Term Ends | |||||||||
| General administrative and operations | Office space | Lehi, UT | 6,438 | Leased | 2024 | |||||||||
| Headquarters | Office space | Fremont, CA | 22,847 | Leased | 2026 | |||||||||
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
The information with respect to legal proceedings is set forth under Note 18 – Commitments and Contingencies, in the accompanying consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K, and is incorporated herein by reference.
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
Company Solaria’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “CSLR.”
As of March, 26, 2024, there were approximately 374 holders of record of our common stock. Additionally, there were 198 holders of record of our warrants.
Unregistered Sale of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
The following list sets forth information regarding all unregistered securities sold by Freedom Acquisition I Corp. (“FACT”) since January 1, 2021:
| 1. | On March 2, 2021, FACT consummated the sale of 6,266,667 private placement warrants at a price of $1.50 per private placement warrant in a private placement to the Freedom Acquisition I, LLC, generating gross proceeds of $9,400,000. Each private warrant is exercisable for one share of common stock of the combined company. |
| 2. | In July 2023, upon the Closing of the Business Combination, we issued an aggregate of 5,598,488 shares of common stock of the combined company to qualified institutional buyers and accredited investors. |
| 3. | In July 2023, upon the Closing of the Business Combination, we issued an aggregate of 716,668 warrants to purchase shares of common stock of the combined company to qualified institutional buyers and accredited investors. |
| 4. | In July 2023, upon the Closing of the Business Combination, we issued an aggregate of 6,266,572 warrants to purchase shares of common stock of the combined company to qualified institutional buyers and accredited investors. |
| 5. | In December 2023 we issued 1,838,235 shares of our common stock to Rodgers Massey Freedom and Free Markets Charitable Trust for a purchase price of $1.36 per share. |
| 6. | In January 2024 and February 2024, we issued Simple Agreements for Future Equity to the Rodgers Family Freedom and Free Markets Charitable Trust in the amounts of $1,500,000.00 and $3,500,000.00, respectively (together the “SAFEs”). The SAFEs will convert into shares of our Common Stock upon the occurrence of an equity financing with the principal purpose of raising capital for Complete Solaria. The SAFEs will convert pursuant to a 20% discount or a $53,540,000.00 valuation cap, whichever results in a lower price per share to the holder. |
None of the foregoing transactions involved any underwriters, underwriting discounts or commissions, or any public offering. We believe each of these transactions was exempt from registration under the Securities Act in reliance on Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act (and Regulation D promulgated thereunder) as transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering or Rule 701 promulgated under Section 3(b) of the Securities Act as transactions by an issuer under benefit plans and contracts relating to compensation as provided under Rule 701. The recipients of the securities in each of these transactions represented their intentions to acquire the securities for investment only and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution thereof, and appropriate legends were placed on the share certificates issued in these transactions. All recipients had adequate access, through their relationships with us, to information about us. The sales of these securities were made without any general solicitation or advertising.
Dividends
We have never declared or paid any cash dividend on our common stock and have no plans to pay dividends. For more information on our common stock and dividend rights, see “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data - Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Note 13. Common Stock.”
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ITEM 6. RESERVED
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed below. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include those identified below and those discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Please also see the section titled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
Overview
Complete Solaria was formed in November 2022 through the merger of Complete Solar and Solaria. Founded in 2010, Complete Solar created a technology platform to offer clean energy products to homeowners by enabling a national network of sales partners and build partners. Our sales partners generate solar installation contracts with homeowners on our behalf. To facilitate this process, we provide the software tools, sales support and brand identity to our sales partners, making them competitive with national providers. This turnkey solution makes it easy for anyone to sell solar.
We fulfill our customer contracts by engaging with local construction specialists. We manage the customer experience and complete all pre-construction activities prior to delivering build-ready projects including hardware, engineering plans, and building permits to its builder partners. We manage and coordinate this process through our proprietary HelioTrackTM software system.
There is substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the consolidated financial statements are issued. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue to operate as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and settlement of liabilities in the normal course of business. They do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classifications of liabilities that may result from uncertainty related to its ability to continue as a going concern.
Growth Strategy and Outlook
Complete Solaria’s growth strategy contains the following elements:
| ● | Increase revenue by expanding installation capacity and developing new geographic markets – We continue to expand our network of partners who will install systems resulting from sales generated by our sales partners. By leveraging this network of skilled builders, we aim to increase our installation capacity in our traditional markets and expand our offering into new geographies throughout the U.S. This will enable greater sales growth in existing markets and create new revenue in expansion markets. |
| ● | Increase revenue and margin by engaging national-scale sales partners – We aim to offer a turnkey solar solution to prospective sales partners with a national footprint. These include electric vehicle manufacturers, national home security providers, and real estate brokerages. We expect to create a consistent offering with a single execution process for such sales partners throughout their geographic territories. These national accounts have unique customer relationships that we believe will facilitate meaningful sales opportunities and low cost of acquisition to both increase revenue and improve margin. |
The Mergers
We entered into an Amended and Restated Business Combination Agreement with FACT, First Merger Sub, Second Merger Sub, and Solaria on October 3, 2022. The Merger was consummated on July 18, 2023. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger, (i) First Merger Sub merged with and into Complete Solaria with Complete Solaria surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of FACT (the “First Merger”), (ii) immediately thereafter and as part of the same overall transaction, Complete Solaria merged with and into Second Merger Sub, with Second Merger Sub surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of FACT (the “Second Merger”), and FACT changed its name to “Complete Solaria, Inc.” and Second Merger Sub changed its name to “CS, LLC” and (iii) immediately after the consummation of the Second Merger and as part of the same overall transaction, Solaria merged with and into a newly formed Delaware limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of FACT and changed its name to “The SolarCA LLC” (“Third Merger Sub”), with Third Merger Sub surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of FACT (the “Additional Merger”, and together with the First Merger and the Second Merger, the “Mergers”).
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The Mergers between Complete Solaria and FACT has been accounted for as a reverse recapitalization. Under this method of accounting, FACT is treated as the acquired company for financial statement reporting purposes. This determination was primarily based on the Company having a majority of the voting power of the post-combination company, the Company’s senior management comprising substantially all of the senior management of the post-combination company, and the Company’s operations comprising the ongoing operations of the post-combination company. Accordingly, for accounting purposes, the Mergers have been treated as the equivalent of a capital transaction in which Complete Solaria is issuing stock for the net assets of FACT. The net assets of FACT have been stated at historical cost, with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded.
Disposal Transaction
In October 2023, we completed the sale of our solar panel business to Maxeon, pursuant to the terms of the Disposal Agreement. Under the terms of the Disposal Agreement, Maxeon agreed to acquire certain assets and employees of Complete Solaria, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $11.0 million consisting of 1,100,000 shares of Maxeon ordinary shares. As of December 31, 2023, we sold all the shares and recorded a loss of $4.2 million in our consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss within loss from discontinued operations.
As part of the Disposal Transaction, we determined that the criteria were met for held for sale and discontinued operations classification as of the end of our third fiscal quarter as the divestiture represents a strategic shift in our business. We recorded an impairment of $147.5 million associated with the recording of the assets as held for sale during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Below, we have discussed our historical results of continuing operations, which excludes our product revenues and related metrics, as all results of operations associated with the solar panel business have been presented as discontinued operations, unless otherwise noted.
Key Financial Definitions/Components of Results of Operations
Revenues
We generate revenue by providing customer solar solutions through a standardized platform to our residential solar providers and companies to facilitate the sale and installation of solar energy systems. Our contracts consist of two performance obligations, which include solar installation services and post-installation services that are performed prior to inspection by the authority having jurisdiction. The significant majority of our service revenue is recognized at a point in time upon the completion of the installation and the remainder is recognized upon inspection. Service revenue is recognized net of a reserve for the performance guarantee of solar output.
We enter into three types of customer contracts for solar energy installations. The majority of our service revenue is recognized through contracts where the homeowner enters into a power purchase agreement with our distribution partner. We perform the solar energy installation services on behalf of our distribution partner, who owns the solar energy system upon installation. Additionally, we enter into a Solar Purchase and Installation Agreement directly with homeowners, whereby the homeowner either pays cash or obtains financing through a third-party loan partner. In cash contracts with homeowners, we recognize service revenue based on the price we charge to the homeowner. We record service revenue in the amount received from the financing partner, net of any financing fees charged to the homeowner, which we consider to be a customer incentive.
As part of our service revenue, we also enter into contracts to provide our software enhanced service offerings, including design and proposal services, to customers that include solar installers and solar sales organizations. We perform these leveraging our HelioQuoteTM platform and other software tools to create computer aided drawings, structural letters, and electrical reviews for installers and proposals for installers. We charge a fixed fee per service offering, which we recognize in the period the service is performed.
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Operating Expenses
Cost of Revenues
Cost of revenues consists primarily of the cost of solar energy systems, installation and other subcontracting costs. Cost of revenues also includes associated warranty costs, shipping and handling, allocated overhead costs, depreciation, and amortization of internally developed software.
Sales Commissions
Sales commissions are direct and incremental costs of obtaining customer contracts. These costs are paid to third-party vendors who source residential customer contracts for the sale of solar energy systems.
Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing expenses primarily consist of personnel related costs, including salaries and employee benefits, stock-based compensation, and other promotional and advertising expenses. We expense certain sales and marketing, including promotional expenses, as incurred.
General and Administrative
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of personnel and related expenses for our employees, in our finance, research, engineering, and administrative teams including salaries, bonuses, payroll taxes, and stock-based compensation. It also consists of legal, consulting, and professional fees, rent expenses pertaining to our offices, business insurance costs and other costs. We expect an increase in audit, tax, accounting, legal and other costs related to compliance with applicable securities and other regulations, as well as additional insurance, investor relations, and other costs associated with being a public company.
Interest Expense
Interest expense primarily relates to interest expense on the issuance of debt and convertible notes and the amortization of debt issuance costs.
Other Income (Expense), Net
Other income (expense), net consists of changes in the fair value of our convertible notes, the impact of debt extinguishment, and changes in the fair value of stock warrant liabilities and forward purchase agreements.
Income Tax Expense
Income tax expense primarily consists of income taxes in certain foreign and state jurisdictions in which we conduct business.
Supply Chain Constraints and Risk
We rely on a small number of suppliers of solar energy systems and other equipment. If any of our suppliers was unable or unwilling to provide us with contracted quantities in a timely manner at prices, quality levels and volumes acceptable to us, we would have very limited alternatives for supply, and we may not be able find suitable replacements for our customers, or at all. Such an event could materially adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
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In addition, the global supply chain and our industry have experienced significant disruptions in recent periods. We have seen supply chain challenges and logistics constraints increase, including shortages of panels, inverters, batteries and associated component parts for inverters and solar energy systems available for purchase, which materially impacted our results of operations. In an effort to mitigate unpredictable lead times, we experienced a substantial build up in inventory on hand commencing in early 2022 in response to global supply chain constraints. In certain cases, this has caused delays in critical equipment and inventory, longer lead times, and has resulted in cost volatility. These shortages and delays can be attributed in part to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting government action, as well as broader macroeconomic conditions, and have been exacerbated by the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Israel. While we believe that a majority our suppliers have secured sufficient supply to permit them to continue delivery and installations through the end of 2023, if these shortages and delays persist into 2024, they could adversely affect the timing of when battery energy storage systems can be delivered and installed, and when (or if) we can begin to generate revenue from those systems. If any of our suppliers of solar modules experienced disruptions in the supply of the modules’ component parts, for example semiconductor solar wafers or investors, this may decrease production capabilities and restrict our inventory and sales. In addition, we have experienced and are experiencing varying levels of volatility in costs of equipment and labor resulting in part from disruptions caused by general global economic conditions. While inflationary pressures have resulted in higher costs of products, in part due to an increase in the cost of the materials and wage rates, these additional costs have been offset by the related rise in electricity rates.
We cannot predict the full effects the supply chain constraints will have on our business, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations at this time due to numerous uncertainties. Given the dynamic nature of these circumstances on our ongoing business, results of operations and overall financial performance, the full impact of macroeconomic factors, including the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. In the event we are unable to mitigate the impact of delays or price volatility in solar energy systems, raw materials, and freight, it could materially adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. For additional information on risk factors that could impact our results, please refer to “Risk Factors” located elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses and related disclosures. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. In many instances, we could have reasonably used different accounting estimates, and in other instances, changes in the accounting estimates are reasonably likely to occur from period-to-period. Actual results could differ significantly from our estimates. Our future financial statements will be affected to the extent that our actual results materially differ from these estimates. For further information on all of our significant accounting policies, see Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We believe that policies associated with our revenue recognition, product warranties, inventory excess and obsolescence and stock-based compensation have the greatest impact on our consolidated financial statements. Therefore, we consider these to be our critical accounting policies and estimates.
Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue when control of goods or services is transferred to customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those services.
Revenue – Solar Energy System Installations
The majority of our revenue is generated from the installation of solar energy systems. We identify two performance obligations, which include installation services and post-installation services, and we recognize revenue when control transfers to the customer, upon the completion of the installation and upon the solar energy system passes inspection by the authority having jurisdiction, respectively. We apply judgment in allocating the transaction price between the installation and post-installation performance obligations, based on the estimated costs to perform our services. Changes in such estimates could have a material impact on the timing of our revenue recognition.
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Our contracts with customers generally contain a performance guarantee of system output, and we will issue payments to customers if output falls below contractually stated thresholds over the performance guarantee period, which is typically 10 years. We apply judgment in estimating the reduction in revenue associated with the performance guarantee, which is historically not material. However, due to the long-term nature of the guarantee, changes in future estimates could have a material impact on the estimate of our revenue reserve.
Revenue – Software Enhanced Services
We recognize revenue from software enhanced services, which include proposals generated from our HelioQuoteTM platform and design services performed using internally developed and external software applications. We contract with solar installers to generate proposals and we contract with solar sales entities to perform design services for their potential customers. Under each type of customer contract, we generate a fixed number of proposals or designs for the customer in the month the services are contracted. Contracts with customers are enforceable on a month-to-month basis and we recognize revenue each month based on the volume of services performed.
Product Warranties
We typically provide a 10-year warranty on our solar energy system installations, which provides assurance over the workmanship in performing the installation, including roof leaks caused by our performance. For solar panel sales recognized prior to the Disposal Transaction, we provide a 30-year warranty that the products will be free from defects in material and workmanship. We record a liability for estimated future warranty claims based on historical trends and new installations. To the extent that warranty claim behavior differs from historical trends, we may experience a material change in our warranty liability.
Inventory Excess and Obsolescence
Our inventory consists of completed solar energy systems and related components, which we classify as finished costs. We record a reserve for inventory which is considered obsolete or in excess of anticipated demand based on a consideration of marketability and product life cycle stage, component cost trends, demand forecasts, historical revenues, and assumptions about future demand and market conditions. We apply judgment in estimating the excess and obsolete inventory, and changes in demand for our inventory components could have a material impact on our inventory reserve balance.
Stock-Based Compensation
We recognize stock-based compensation expense over the requisite service period on a straight-line basis for all stock-based payments that are expected to vest to employees, non-employees and directors, including grants of employee stock options and other stock-based awards. Equity-classified awards issued to employees and non-employees, such as consultants and non-employee directors, are measured at the grant-date fair value of the award. Forfeitures are recognized as they occur.
For accounting purposes, prior to the Business Combination, the fair value of the shares of common stock underlying stock options had historically been determined by our board of directors. Because there had been no public market for our common stock, the board of directors exercised reasonable judgment and considered a number of objective and subjective factors to determine the best estimate of the fair value of our common stock, including important developments in our operations, sales of redeemable convertible preferred stock, actual operating results and financial performance, the conditions in the renewable solar energy industry and the economy in general, the stock price performance and volatility of comparable public companies, and the lack of liquidity of our common stock, among other factors. Following the Business Combination, the fair value of common stock is based on the closing stock price on the date of grant as reported on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.
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We estimate the grant-date fair value of stock options using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Black-Scholes option pricing model requires the input of highly subjective assumptions, including the fair value of the underlying common stock prior to the Mergers, the expected term of the option, the expected volatility of the price of our common stock and expected dividend yield. We determine these inputs as follows:
| ● | Expected Term—Expected term represents the period that our stock-based awards are expected to be outstanding and is determined using the simplified method. |
| ● | Expected Volatility—Expected volatility is estimated by studying the volatility of comparable public companies for similar terms. |
| ● | Expected Dividend—The Black-Scholes valuation model calls for a single expected dividend yield as an input. We have never paid dividends and have no plans to pay dividends. |
| ● | Risk-Free Interest Rate – We derive the risk-free interest rate assumption from the U.S. Treasury’s rates for the U.S. Treasury zero-coupon bonds with maturities similar to those of the expected term of the awards being valued. |
If any assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option pricing model change significantly, stock-based compensation for future awards may differ materially compared to the awards granted previously. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, stock-based compensation expense was $5.2 million and $0.9 million, respectively, of which $2.4 million and $0.5 million, respectively, related to discontinued operations. As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately $20.1 million of total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to stock options.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
A discussion of recently issued accounting standards applicable to Complete Solaria is described in Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, in the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
Results of Operations
Year ended December 31, 2023 compared to year ended December 31, 2022
In this section, we discuss the results of our operations for fiscal 2023 compared to fiscal 2022. We discuss our cashflows and current financial condition under “Capital Resources and Liquidity.”
The following table sets forth our statements of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. We have derived this data from our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This information should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The results of historical periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for any future period. Within the tables presented, percentages are calculated based on the underlying whole-dollar amounts and, therefore, may not recalculate exactly from the rounded numbers used for disclosure purposes.
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| Years Ended December 31, | $ | % | ||||||||||||||
| (in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | Change | Change | ||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 87,616 | $ | 66,475 | $ | 21,141 | 32 | % | ||||||||
| Cost of revenues(1) | 69,828 | 46,647 | 23,181 | 50 | % | |||||||||||
| Gross profit | 17,788 | 19,828 | (2,040 | ) | (10 | )% | ||||||||||
| Gross margin % | 20 | % | 30 | % | (10 | )% | ||||||||||
| Operating expenses: | ||||||||||||||||
| Sales commissions | 31,127 | 21,195 | 9,932 | 47 | % | |||||||||||
| Sales and marketing(1) | 6,920 | 6,156 | 764 | 12 | % | |||||||||||
| General and administrative(1) | 32,099 | 13,634 | 18,465 | 135 | % | |||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | 70,146 | 40,985 | 29,161 | 71 | % | |||||||||||
| Loss from continuing operations | (52,358 | ) | (21,157 | ) | (31,201 | ) | 147 | % | ||||||||
| Interest expense(2) | (14,033 | ) | (4,986 | ) | (9,047 | ) | 181 | % | ||||||||
| Interest income | 36 | 5 | 31 | * | ||||||||||||
| Other expense, net(3) | (29,862 | ) | (1,858 | ) | (28,004 | ) | * | |||||||||
| Loss from continuing operations before taxes | (96,217 | ) | (27,996 | ) | (68,221 | ) | 244 | % | ||||||||
| Income tax benefit (provision) | 20 | (27 | ) | 47 | (174 | )% | ||||||||||
| Net loss from continuing operations | $ | (96,197 | ) | $ | (28,023 | ) | $ | (68,174 | ) | 243 | % | |||||
| * | Percentage change not meaningful. |
| (1) | Includes stock-based compensation expense as follows (in thousands): |
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Cost of revenues | $ | 84 | $ | 22 | ||||
| Sales and marketing | 487 | 168 | ||||||
| General and administrative | 2,252 | 243 | ||||||
| Total stock-based compensation expense | $ | 2,823 | $ | 433 | ||||
| (2) | Includes interest expense to related party of $0.4 million and $0.3 million during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. |
| (3) | Includes other income from related parties of $0.7 million and $1.4 million during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. |
Revenues
We disaggregate our revenues based on the following types of services (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | $ | % | ||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | Change | Change | |||||||||||||
| Solar energy system installations | $ | 84,858 | $ | 62,896 | $ | 21,962 | 35 | % | ||||||||
| Software enhanced services | 2,758 | 3,579 | (821 | ) | (23 | ) | ||||||||||
| Total revenue | $ | 87,616 | $ | 66,475 | $ | 21,141 | 32 | |||||||||
Revenues from solar energy system installations for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $84.9 million compared to $62.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in solar energy system installation revenues of $22.0 million, or 35%, was primarily due to an increase in the volume of solar energy systems installations, a portion of which related to the fulfillment of delayed installations experienced in the fourth quarter of 2022 due to unusual inclement California weather, as well as an increase in average selling price of solar energy system installations.
Revenues from software enhanced services for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $2.8 million compared to $3.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease of $0.8 million was the result of a shift in focus towards solar energy installations.
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Cost of Revenues
Cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $69.8 million compared to $46.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in cost of revenues of $23.2 million, or 50%, was primarily due to the increase in revenues of 32%, higher inventory write-offs and rising costs associated with supply chain constraints.
Gross Margin
Gross margin decreased 10% year over year, from 30% for the year ended December 31, 2022 to 20% for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in gross margin is primarily attributed to the increasing cost of revenues as described above.
Sales Commissions
Sales commissions for the year ended December 31, 2023, increased by $9.9 million, or 47%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in sales commissions was primarily due to the increase in solar system installation revenue of 35% and higher selling costs.
Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by $0.8 million, or 12%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase is primarily attributable to an increase in stock-based compensation expenses due to options issued during the year ended December 31, 2023.
General and Administrative
General and administrative costs for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by $18.5 million, or 135%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily attributed to increases in contractors and outside services costs of $6.6 million related to the Mergers, payroll of $3.9 million, bad debt expense of $3.4 million, $2.0 million in stock-based compensation expenses due to options and RSUs issued, certain legal expenses of $1.8 million and office occupancy related costs of $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Interest Expense
Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by $9.0 million, or 181%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily attributed $5.4 million of interest related to debt acquired as part of the acquisition of Solaria in November 2022, which was retained upon the divestiture from the business, as well as an increase of $2.7 million in interest expense related to the convertible notes and long-term debt in CS Solis for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Other Expense, Net
Other expense, net was $29.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The expenses consisted primarily of $35.4 million in other expense related to the issuance of common stock in connection with the FPAs, the loss on extinguishment of debt in CS Solis of $10.3 million, the loss on sale of Maxeon equity securities of $4.2 million, $3.9 million in other expense associated with the change in fair value of FPAs, $2.4 million for the issuance of bonus shares in connection with the Mergers, $3.0 million relating to expenses relating to disposed operations and other expenses of $0.4 million. These expenses were offset by $29.3 million related to the change in fair value of the Company’s warrant liabilities.
Other expense, net was $1.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The expenses consisted primarily of $5.2 million relating to the change of fair value of warrant liabilities, partially offset by a $3.2 million gain on sale of securities and $0.1 million of other income.
Net Loss from Continuing Operations
As a result of the factors discussed above, our net loss from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $96.2 million, an increase of $67.5 million, as compared to a net loss from continuing operations of $28.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Since our inception, we have incurred losses and negative cash flows from operations. We incurred net losses of $269.6 million and $29.5 million, during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and had an accumulated deficit of $354.9 million and current debt of $61.9 million as of December 31, 2023. We had cash and cash equivalents of $2.6 million as of December 31, 2023, which were held for working capital expenditures. We believe our operating losses and negative operating cash flows will continue into the foreseeable future. We have financed our operations primarily through sales of equity securities, issuance of convertible notes and cash generated from operations. Our cash equivalents are on deposit with major financial institutions. Our cash position raises substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern for 12 months following the issuance of the consolidated financial statements.
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We will receive the proceeds from any cash exercise of any Warrants. The aggregate amount of proceeds could be up to $254.1 million if all the Warrants are exercised for cash. However, to the extent the Warrants are exercised on a “cashless basis,” the amount of cash we would receive from the exercise of the Warrants will decrease. The Private Warrants and Working Capital Warrants may be exercised for cash or on a “cashless basis.” The Public Warrants and the Mergers Warrants may only be exercised for cash provided there is then an effective registration statement registering the shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of such warrants. If there is not a then-effective registration statement, then such warrants may be exercised on a “cashless basis,” pursuant to an available exemption from registration under the Securities Act. We expect to use any such proceeds for general corporate and working capital purposes, which would increase our liquidity. As of March 26, 2024, the price of our common stock was $0.64 per share. The weighted average exercise price of the warrants was $7.85 as of December 31, 2023. We believe the likelihood that warrant holders will exercise their Warrants, and therefore the amount of cash proceeds that we would receive, is dependent upon the market price of our common stock. If the market price for our common stock remains less than the exercise price, we believe warrant holders will be unlikely to exercise.
Debt Financings
2018 Bridge Notes
In December 2018, Solaria Corporation issued senior subordinated convertible secured notes (“2018 Notes”) totaling approximately $3.4 million in exchange for cash. The notes bear interest at the rate of 8% per annum and the investors are entitled to receive twice the face value of the 2018 Notes at maturity. The 2018 Notes were assumed in the acquisition by Complete Solaria and are secured by substantially all of the assets of Complete Solaria. In 2021, the 2018 Notes were amended extending the maturity date to December 13, 2022. In connection with the 2021 amendment, Solaria had issued warrants to purchase shares of Series E-1 redeemable convertible preferred stock of Solaria. The warrants were exercisable immediately in whole or in part at and expire on December 13, 2031. As part of the Business Combination with Complete Solar, all the outstanding warrants issued to the lenders were assumed by the parent company, Complete Solaria.
In December 2022, we entered into an amendment to the 2018 Notes extending the maturity date from December 13, 2022 to December 13, 2023. In connection with the amendment, the 2018 Notes will continue to bear interest at 8% per annum and are entitled to an increased repayment premium from 110% to 120% of the principal and accrued interest at the time of repayment.
The Company concluded that the modification was a troubled debt restructuring as the Company was experiencing financial difficulty and the amended terms resulted in a concession to the Company. As the future undiscounted cash payments under the modified terms exceeded the carrying amount of the Solaria Bridge Notes on the date of modification, the modification was accounted for prospectively. The incremental repayment premium is being amortized to interest expense using the effective interest rate method. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the carrying value of the 2018 Notes was $11.0 million and $9.8 million, respectively. Interest expense recognized for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $1.2 million and $0.7 million, respectively. The terms of the 2018 Notes are currently being renegotiated.
Revolver Loan
In October 2020, Solaria entered into a loan agreement (“Loan Agreement”) with Structural Capital Investments III, LP (“SCI”). The Loan Agreement with SCI is comprised of two facilities, a term loan (the “Term Loan”) and a revolving loan (the “Revolving Loan”) for $5.0 million each with a maturity date of October 31, 2023. Both the Term Loan and the Revolving Loan were fully drawn upon closing. The Term Loan was repaid prior to the acquisition of Solaria by Complete Solar and was not included in the business combination.
The Revolving Loan has a term of thirty-six months, with the principal due at the end of the term and an annual interest rate of 7.75% or Prime rate plus 4.5%, whichever is higher. Interest expense recognized for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $0.6 million and $0.1 million, respectively. In October 2023, the Company entered into an Assignment and Acceptance Agreement whereby Structural Capital Investments III, LP assigned the SCI debt to Kline Hill Partners Fund LP, Kline Hill Partners IV SPV LLC, Kline Hill Partners Opportunity IV SPV LLC, and Rodgers Massey Revocable Living Trust for a total purchase price of $5.0 million. The terms of the SCI Revolving Loan are currently being renegotiated.
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Secured Credit Facility
In December 2022, we entered into a secured credit facility agreement with Kline Hill Partners IV SPV LLC and Kline Hill Partners Opportunity IV SPV LLC. The secured credit facility agreement, which matures in April 2023, allows us to borrow up to 70% of the net amount of our eligible vendor purchase orders with a maximum amount of $10.0 million at any point in time. The purchase orders are backed by relevant customer sales orders which serve as collateral. The amounts drawn under the secured credit facility may be reborrowed provided that the aggregate borrowing does not exceed $20.0 million. The repayment under the secured credit facility is the borrowed amount multiplied by 1.15x if repaid within 75 days and borrowed amount multiplied by 1.175x if repaid after 75 days. We may prepay any borrowed amount without premium or penalty. Under the original terms, the secured credit facility agreement was due to mature in April 2023. We are in the process of amending the secured credit facility agreement to extend its maturity date.
At December 31, 2023, the outstanding net debt amounted to $12.2 million, including accrued financing cost of $2.1 million, and as of December 31, 2022, the balance outstanding was $5.6 million, including accrued financing cost of $0.1 million.
Debt in CS Solis
In February 2022, we received an investment from CRSEF Solis Holdings, LLC (“CRSEF”). The investment was made pursuant to a subscription agreement, under which CRSEF contributed $25.6 million in exchange for 100 Class B Membership Units of CS Solis. The Class B Membership Units are mandatorily redeemable by us on the three-year anniversary of the effective date of the CS Solis amended and restated LLC agreement. The Class B Membership Units accrue interest that is payable upon redemption at a rate of 10.5% which is accrued as an unpaid dividend, compounded annually, and subject to increases in the event we declare any dividends. In July 2023, we amended the debt of with CSREF as part of the closing of the Mergers. The modification did not change the interest rate. The modification accelerates the redemption date of the investment, which was previously February 14, 2025, and is now March 31, 2024 as a result of the modification. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we have recorded a liability of $33.3 million and zero, respectively, included in short-term debt due CS Solis on the consolidated balance sheets and we have recorded a liability of zero and $25.2 million, respectively, included in long-term debt due CS Solis on the consolidated balance sheets. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we have recorded an accretion of the liability as interest expense of $7.2 million and $2.4 million, respectively, and we have recorded amortization of issuance costs as interest expense of less than $0.7 million and $1.2 million, respectively.
Forward Purchase Agreements
In July 2023, FACT and Legacy Complete Solaria, Inc. entered into FPAs with each of (i) Meteora; (ii) Polar, and (iii) Sandia (each individually, a “Seller”, and together, the “FPA Sellers”).
Pursuant to the terms of the FPAs, the FPA Sellers may (i) purchase through a broker in the open market, from holders of Shares other than the Company or affiliates thereof, FACT’s ordinary shares, par value of $0.0001 per share, (the “Shares”). While the FPA Sellers have no obligation to purchase any Shares under the FPAs, the aggregate total Shares that may be purchased under the FPAs shall be no more than 6,720,000 in aggregate. The FPA Sellers may not beneficially own greater than 9.9% of issued and outstanding Shares following the Mergers as per the Amended and Restated Business Combination Agreement.
The key terms of the forward contracts are as follows:
| ● | The FPA Sellers can terminate the transaction following the Optional Early Termination (“OET”) Date which shall specify the quantity by which the number of shares is to be reduced (such quantity, the “Terminated Shares”). Seller shall terminate the transaction in respect of any shares sold on or prior to the maturity date. The counterparty is entitled to an amount from the seller equal to the number of terminated shares multiplied by a reset price. The reset price is initially $10.56 (the “Initial Price”) and is subject to a $5.00 floor. |
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| ● | The FPA contains multiple settlement outcomes. Per the terms of the agreements, the FPAs will (1) settle in cash in the event the Company is due cash upon settlement from the FPA Sellers or (2) settle in either cash or shares, at the discretion of the Company, should the settlement amount adjustment exceed the settlement amount. Should the Company elect to settle via shares, the equity will be issued in Complete Solaria Common Stock, with a per share price based on the volume-weighted average price (“VWAP”) Price over 15 scheduled trading days. The magnitude of the settlement is based on the Settlement Amount, an amount equal to the product of: (1) Number of shares issued to the FPA Seller pursuant to the FPA, less the number of Terminated Shares multiplied by (2) the VWAP Price over the valuation period. The Settlement amount will be reduced by the Settlement Adjustment, an amount equal to the product of (1) Number of shares in the Pricing Date Notice, less the number of Terminated Shares multiplied by $2.00. |
| ● | The Settlement occurs as of the Valuation Date, which is the earlier to occur of (a) the date that is two years after the date of the Closing Date of the Mergers (b) the date specified by Seller in a written notice to be delivered to Counterparty at Seller’s discretion (which Valuation Date shall not be earlier than the day such notice is effective) after the occurrence of certain triggering events; and (c) 90 days after delivery by the Counterparty of a written notice in the event that for any 20 trading days during a 30 consecutive trading day-period (the “Measurement Period”) that occurs at least 6 months after the Closing Date, the VWAP Price is less than the then applicable Reset Price. |
The Company entered into four separate FPAs, three of which, associated with the obligation to issue 6,300,000 Shares, were entered into prior to the closing of the Mergers. Upon signing the FPAs, the Company incurred an obligation to issue a fixed number of shares to the FPA Sellers contingent upon the closing of the Mergers in addition to the terms and conditions associated with the settlement of the FPAs. The Company accounted for the contingent obligation to issue shares in accordance with ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and recorded a liability and other income (expense), net based on the fair value upon of the obligation upon the signing of the FPAs. The liability was extinguished in July 2023 upon the issuance of Complete Solaria Common Stock to the FPA sellers.
Additionally, in accordance with ASC 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity, the Company has determined that the forward contract is a financial instrument other than a share that represent or are indexed to obligations to repurchase the issuer’s equity shares by transferring assets, referred to herein as the “forward purchase liability” on its consolidated balance sheets. The Company initially measured the forward purchase liability at fair value and has subsequently remeasured it at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in earnings.
Through the date of issuance of the Complete Solaria Common Stock in satisfaction of the Company’s obligation to issue shares around the closing of the Mergers, the Company recorded $35.5 million to other income (expense), net associated with the issuance of 6,720,000 shares of Complete Solaria Common Stock.
As of the closing of the Mergers and issuance of the Complete Solaria Common Stock underlying the FPAs, the fair value of the prepaid FPAs was an asset balance of $0.1 million and was recorded on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and within other income (expense), net on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Subsequently, the change of fair value of the forward purchase liability amounted to an expense of $3.9 million for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2023, the forward purchase liabilities amounted to $3.8 million.
On December 18, 2023, the Company and the FPA Sellers entered into separate amendments to the FPA (the “Amendments”). The Amendments lower the reset floor price of each FPA from $5.00 to $3.00 and allow the Company to raise up to $10.0 million of equity from existing stockholders without triggering certain anti-dilution provisions contained in the FPA; provided, the insiders pay a price per share for their initial investment equal to the closing price per share as quoted on the Nasdaq on the day of purchase; provided, further, that any subsequent investments are made at a price per share equal to the greater of (a) the closing price per share as quoted by Nasdaq on the day of the purchase or (b) the amount paid in connection with the initial investment.
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First SAFE
On January 31, 2024, we entered into a simple agreement for future equity (the “First SAFE”) with the Rodgers Massey Freedom and Free Markets Charitable Trust (the “Purchaser”) in connection with the Purchaser investing $1.5 million in the Company. The First SAFE is convertible into shares of our common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, upon the initial closing of a bona fide transaction or series of transactions with the principal purpose of raising capital, pursuant to which we issue and sell common stock at a fixed valuation (an “Equity Financing”), at a per share conversion price which is equal to the lower of (i)(a) $53.54 million divided by (b) our capitalization immediately prior to such Equity Financing (such conversion price, the “SAFE Price”), and (ii) 80% of the price per share of Common Stock sold in the Equity Financing. If the Company consummates a change of control prior to the termination of the First SAFE, the Purchaser will be automatically entitled to receive a portion of the proceeds of such liquidity event equal to the greater of (i) $1.5 million and (ii) the amount payable on the number of shares of Common Stock equal to (a) $1.5 million divided by (b)(1) $53.54 million divided by (2) our capitalization immediately prior to such liquidity event (the “Liquidity Price”), subject to certain adjustments as set forth in the First SAFE. The First SAFE is convertible into a maximum of 1,431,297 shares of Common Stock, assuming a per share conversion price of $1.05, which is the product of (i) $1.31, the closing price of the Common Stock on January 31, 2024, multiplied by (ii) 80%.
On February 15, 2024, we entered into a simple agreement for future equity (the “Second SAFE” and together with the First SAFE, the “SAFEs”) with the Purchaser in connection with the Purchaser investing $3.5 million in the Company. The Second SAFE is convertible into shares of Common Stock upon the initial closing of an Equity Financing at a per share conversion price which is equal to the lower of (i) the SAFE Price, and (ii) 80% of the price per share of Common Stock sold in the Equity Financing. If we consummate a change of control prior to the termination of the Second SAFE, the Purchaser will be automatically entitled to receive an amount equal to the greater of (i) $3.5 million and (ii) the amount payable on the number of shares of Common Stock equal to $3.5 million divided by the Liquidity Price, subject to certain adjustments as set forth in the Second SAFE. The Second SAFE is convertible into a maximum of 3,707,627 shares of Common Stock, assuming a per share conversion price of $0.94, which is the product of (i) $1.18, the closing price of the Common Stock on February 15, 2024, multiplied by (ii) 80%.
Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
The following table summarizes Complete Solaria’s cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Net cash used in operating activities from continuing operations | $ | (58,802 | ) | $ | (25,217 | ) | ||
| Net cash provided by investing activities from continuing operations | 6,171 | 3,335 | ||||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities from continuing operations | 50,425 | 31,191 | ||||||
| Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash from discontinued operations | 190 | (6,296 | ) | |||||
| Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | (1,900 | ) | 3,040 | |||||
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities from continuing operations of $58.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to the net loss from continuing operations, net of tax of $96.2 million and net cash outflows of $17.4 million from changes in our operating assets and liabilities, adjusted for non-cash charges of $54.1 million. Non-cash charges primarily consisted of $35.5 million for the issuance of common stock in connection with FPAs, $10.3 million loss on CS Solis debt extinguishment, $4.2 million loss on sale of equity securities, $3.9 million change in fair value of FPAs, $4.3 million change in allowance for credit losses, $4.9 million of interest expense, $6.6 million accretion of long-term debt in CS Solis, $2.4 million related to the issuance of bonus common stock shares in connection with the Mergers, $3.4 million of stock-based compensation expense, and $6.1 million change in reserve for excess and obsolete inventory, $0.9 million in lease expense and $0.9 million in depreciation and amortization, partially offset by a decrease in the fair value of warrant liabilities of $29.3 million. The main drivers of net cash outflows derived from the changes in operating assets and liabilities were related to an increase in accounts receivable, net of $12.1 million, an increase in prepaid expenses and other current assets of $4.2 million, a decrease in deferred revenue of $1.7 million, a decrease in accrued expenses and other liabilities of $3.3 million and a decrease in operating lease liabilities of $0.6 million, partially offset a decrease in inventory of $1.5 million, an increase in accounts payable of $2.3 million, and a decrease in other noncurrent assets of $1.1 million.
48
Net cash used in operating activities from continuing operations of $25.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily due the net loss from continuing operations of $28.0 million, and net cash outflows of $11.2 million from changes in our operating assets and liabilities, adjusted for non-cash charges of $13.8 million. The main drivers of net cash outflows derived from the changes in operating assets and liabilities were related to an increase in accounts receivable of $9.7 million, and an increase in inventories of $4.9 million, and a decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets of $1.6 million, partially offset by an increase in accounts as payable of $3.3 million and a decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets of $1.2 million. Non-cash charges primarily consisted of $5.2 million change in the fair value of warrant liability, interest expense primarily related to long-term debt in CS Solis of $4.8 million, reserve for obsolete inventory of $3.6 million, increase in the allowance for doubtful accounts of $2.1 million, and depreciation and amortization expense of $0.6 million, partially offset by non-cash income recognized upon conversion of convertible notes and SAFE agreements of $3.2 million.
The net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash from discontinued operations of $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 was entirely attributable to net cash provided by operating activities from discontinued operations. This increase was primarily due to the net loss from discontinued operations, net of tax of $173.4 million, adjusted for non-cash charges of $5.4 million and net cash inflows of $20.7 million from changes in our operating assets and liabilities. Non-cash charges primarily consisted of impairment of goodwill of $119.4 million, impairment of intangible assets of $28.1 million, depreciation and amortization expense of $2.4 million, stock-based compensation expense of $1.8 million and a $1.1 million change in allowance for credit losses. The main drivers of net cash inflows derived from the changes in operating assets and liabilities were related to a decrease in accounts receivable, net of $8.2 million, an increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities of $6.0 million, a decrease in decrease in prepaids of $2.8 million, a decrease in inventories of $2.3 million, partially offset by a decrease of $2.9 million in accounts payable.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Net cash provided by investing activities of $6.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to sale of an investment.
Net cash used in investing activities of $3.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 was due to additions to internal-use-software.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities of $50.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to total proceeds from the issuance of convertible notes, net of $21.3 million, total proceeds from the Mergers and PIPE Financing of $19.8 million, and proceeds from the issuance of notes payable, net of $14.1 million, partially offset by the repayment of notes payable of $9.8 million.
Net cash provided by financing activities of $31.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily due to net proceeds from issuance of long-term debt in CS Solis of $25.0 million, proceeds from the issuance of the 2022 Convertible Notes of $12.0 million, and proceeds from the issuance of notes payable of $5.5 million. This was partially offset by the repayment of notes payable of $9.5 million, payments for issuance costs of Series D redeemable convertible preferred shares of $1.4 million, and repayment of convertible notes payable to related parties of $0.5 million.
49
Off Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, Complete Solaria does not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, or capital resources that are material to investors. The term “off-balance sheet arrangement” generally means any transaction, agreement, or other contractual arrangement to which an entity unconsolidated with Complete Solaria is a party, under which it has any obligation arising under a guaranteed contract, derivative instrument, or variable interest or a retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to such entity or similar arrangement that serves as credit, liquidity, or market risk support for such assets.
Currently, Complete Solaria does not engage in off-balance sheet financing arrangements.
Emerging Growth Company Status
Section 102(b)(1) of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can choose not to take advantage of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies, and any such election to not take advantage of the extended transition period is irrevocable.
Complete Solaria is an “emerging growth company” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, and has elected to take advantage of the benefits of the extended transition period for new or revised financial accounting standards. Following the closing of the Mergers, our Post-Combination Company will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year in which the market value of common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, (ii) the last day of the fiscal year in which we has total annual gross revenue of $1.235 billion or more during such fiscal year (as indexed for inflation), (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt in the prior three-year period, or (iv) December 31, 2025. Complete Solaria expects to continue to take advantage of the benefits of the extended transition period, although it may decide to early adopt such new or revised accounting standards to the extent permitted by such standards. This may make it difficult or impossible to compare our financial results with the financial results of another public company that is either not an emerging growth company or is an emerging growth company that has chosen not to take advantage of the extended transition period exemptions because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We are exposed to certain market risks in the ordinary course of our business. The Company monitors and manages these financial exposures as an integral part of its overall risk management program.
Interest Rate Risk
We do not have significant exposure to interest rate risk that could affect the balance sheet, statement of operations, and the statement of cash flows, as we do not have any outstanding variable rate debt as of December 31, 2023.
Concentrations of Credit Risk and Major Customers
Our customer base consists primarily of residential homeowners. We do not require collateral on our accounts receivable. Further, our accounts receivable are with individual homeowners and we are exposed to normal industry credit risks. We continually evaluate our reserves for potential credit losses and establish reserves for such losses.
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, one customer accounted for 10% or more of the total accounts receivable, net balance.
For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, two and one customers, respectively, accounted for 10% or more of the total revenues.
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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
COMPLETE SOLARIA, INC.
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of Complete Solaria, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Complete Solaria, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ deficit, and cash flows, for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the 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 in the period ended December 31, 2023, 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 1(c) to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has recurring net losses, accumulated deficit, negative cash outflows from operations and current debt outstanding that raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 1(c). The consolidated 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 audits. 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 and in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit 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.
/S/
San Francisco,
April 1, 2024
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2022.
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COMPLETE SOLARIA, INC.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| ASSETS | ||||||||
| Current assets: | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | $ | ||||||
| Accounts receivable, net | ||||||||
| Inventories | ||||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | ||||||||
| Total current assets | ||||||||
| Restricted cash | ||||||||
| Property and equipment, net | ||||||||
| Operating lease right-of-use assets | ||||||||
| Other noncurrent assets | ||||||||
| Long-term assets held for sale - discontinued operations | ||||||||
| Total assets | $ | $ | ||||||
| LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT | ||||||||
| Current liabilities: | ||||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | $ | ||||||
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities | ||||||||
| Notes payable, net (1) | ||||||||
| Deferred revenue, current | ||||||||
| Short-term debt with CS Solis | ||||||||
| Forward purchase agreement liabilities (2) | ||||||||
| Total current liabilities | ||||||||
| Warranty provision, noncurrent | ||||||||
| Warrant liability | ||||||||
| Deferred revenue, noncurrent | ||||||||
| Long-term debt with CS Solis | ||||||||
| Convertible notes, net, noncurrent | ||||||||
| Convertible notes, net due to related parties, noncurrent | ||||||||
| Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion | ||||||||
| Total liabilities | ||||||||
| Commitments and contingencies (Note 18) | ||||||||
| Stockholders’ (deficit) equity: | ||||||||
| Common stock, $ | ||||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | ||||||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss | ||||||||
| Accumulated deficit | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity | ( | ) | ||||||
| Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity | $ | $ | ||||||
| (1) |
| (2) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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COMPLETE SOLARIA, INC.
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
| Fiscal Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Revenues | $ | $ | ||||||
| Cost of revenues | ||||||||
| Gross profit | ||||||||
| Operating expenses: | ||||||||
| Sales commissions | ||||||||
| Sales and marketing | ||||||||
| General and administrative | ||||||||
| Total operating expenses | ||||||||
| Loss from continuing operations | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Interest expense(1) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Interest income | ||||||||
| Other expense, net(2) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Total Other expense | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Loss from continuing operations before income taxes | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Income tax benefit (provision) | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net loss from continuing operations | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Impairment loss from discontinued operations | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net loss from discontinued operations, net of taxes | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Net loss | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Other Comprehensive income: | ||||||||
| Foreign currency translation adjustment | ||||||||
| Comprehensive loss (net of tax) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
| $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | |||
| $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | |||
| $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | |||
| (1) |
| (2) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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COMPLETE SOLARIA, INC.
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Deficit
(in thousands, except number of shares)
Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock | Common Stock | Additional Paid-in- | Accumulated | Accumulated Other | Total Stockholders’ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Capital | Deficit | Income | (Deficit) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance as of January 1, 2022 | $ | $ | | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of Series D-1, D-2, and D-3 redeemable convertible preferred stock upon conversion of convertible notes and SAFEs 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of Series D-4, D-5, D-6 and D-7 redeemable convertible preferred stock upon acquisition 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of Series D-8 redeemable convertible preferred stock upon conversion of SAFE 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of common stock in connection with business combination | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of common stock warrants | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Exercise of common stock options | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | — | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation adjustment | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance as of December 31, 2022, as previously reported | ( | ) | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retroactive application of recapitalization (Note 3) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance as of December 31, 2022 | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conversion of 2022 Convertible Notes into common stock | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of common stock upon the reverse capitalization, net of offering costs | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reclassification of prepaid PIPE | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reclassification of warrants between liabilities and equity | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reclassification of Legacy Complete Solaria Common stock into Complete Solaria Common Stock | — | — | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of common stock in connection with forward purchase agreements | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of common stock in connection with forward purchase agreements due to related party | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of common stock bonus shares in connection with Mergers | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residual Mergers proceeds | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Modification of Carlyle warrant | — | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of restricted stock units | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of common stock warrants | — | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of common stock to related party | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Exercise of common stock options | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | — | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance as of December 31, 2023 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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COMPLETE SOLARIA, INC.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands, except number of shares)
| Fiscal Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Cash flows from operating activities from continuing operations | ||||||||
| Net loss | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
| Net loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Net loss from continuing operations, net of tax | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Adjustments to reconcile net loss from continuing operations to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
| Stock-based compensation expense | ||||||||
| Non-cash interest expense(1) | ||||||||
| Non-cash lease expense | ||||||||
| Gain on extinguishment of convertible notes and SAFEs(2) | ( | ) | ||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | ||||||||
| Provision for credit losses | ||||||||
| Change in reserve for excess and obsolete inventory | ||||||||
| Issuance of forward purchase agreements(3) | ( | ) | ||||||
| Change in fair value of forward purchase agreement liabilities(4) | ||||||||
| Loss on CS Solis debt extinguishment | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of warrant liabilities | ( | ) | ||||||
| Loss on sale of equity securities | – | |||||||
| Accretion of debt in CS Solis | ||||||||
| Loss on issuance of common stock in connection with forward purchase agreements(5) | ||||||||
| Loss on issuance of common stock bonus shares in connection with the Mergers(6) | ||||||||
| Issuance of restricted stock units in connection with vendor services | ||||||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
| Accounts receivable, net | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Inventories | ( | ) | ||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | ( | ) | ||||||
| Long-term deposits | ( | ) | ||||||
| Other noncurrent assets | ( | ) | ||||||
| Accounts payable | ||||||||
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Operating lease right-of-use assets and lease liabilities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Warranty provision, noncurrent | ||||||||
| Deferred revenue | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net cash used in operating activities from continuing operations | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities from discontinued operations | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Cash flows from investing activities from continuing operations | ||||||||
| Purchase of property and equipment | ( | ) | ||||||
| Capitalization of internal-use software costs | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Payments for acquisition of business, net of cash acquired | ||||||||
| Proceeds from the sale of equity securities | – | |||||||
| Net cash provided by investing activities | ||||||||
| Cash flows from financing activities from continuing operations | ||||||||
| Proceeds from issuance of notes payable, net of issuance cost | ||||||||
| Principal repayment of notes payable | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Proceeds from issuance of convertible notes, net of issuance cost | ||||||||
| Proceeds from issuance of convertible notes, net of issuance cost, due to related parties | ||||||||
| Repayment of convertible notes to related parties | ( | ) | ||||||
| Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt with CS Solis, net of issuance cost | ||||||||
| Proceeds from exercise of common stock options | ||||||||
| Proceeds from Mergers and PIPE Financing | ||||||||
| Proceeds from Mergers and PIPE Financing from related parties | ||||||||
| Proceeds from common stock | ||||||||
| Payments for issuance costs of Series D-1, D-2 and D-3 redeemable convertible preferred stock | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities from continuing operations | ||||||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes | ||||||||
| Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | ( | ) | ||||||
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period | ||||||||
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period | $ | $ | ||||||
| Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information: | ||||||||
| Cash paid during the year for interest | ||||||||
| Cash paid during the year for income taxes | ||||||||
| Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities: | ||||||||
| Operating lease right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities | ||||||||
| Carlyle warrant modification | ||||||||
| Conversion of 2022 Convertible notes into common stock | – | |||||||
| Issuance of common stock warrants | ||||||||
| Issuance of Series D redeemable convertible preferred stock upon conversion of SAFE | ||||||||
| Issuance of Series D redeemable convertible preferred stock upon conversion of convertible debt | ||||||||
| Conversion of 2022 Convertible Notes into common stock | ||||||||
| Conversion of 2022 Convertible Notes issued to related parties into common stock | ||||||||
| Conversion of preferred stock into common stock | ||||||||
| Issuance of common stock in connection with forward purchase agreements (5) | ||||||||
| Issuance of common stock bonus shares in connection with the Mergers (6) | ||||||||
| Recapitalization of Legacy Complete Solaria Common stock into Complete Solaria Common Stock | ||||||||
| Reclassification of investor deposit to PIPE funds | ||||||||
| Reclassification of warrants between liabilities and equity | ||||||||
| Issuance of Series D-1, D-2 and D-3 redeemable convertible preferred stock upon conversion of convertible debt, net of issuance costs of $1,431 | ||||||||
| Acquisition of business through issuance of common stock options | ||||||||
| Acquisition of business through issuance of Series D redeemable convertible preferred stock | ||||||||
| Acquisition of business through issuance of Series D redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants | ||||||||
| (1) |
| (2) |
| (3) |
| (4) |
| (5) |
| (6) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(1) Organization
(a) Description of Business
Complete Solaria, Inc. (the “Company” or “Complete Solaria”) is a residential solar installer headquartered in Fremont, California, which was formed through Complete Solar Holding Corporation’s acquisition of The Solaria Corporation (“Solaria”).
Complete Solar, Inc. (“Complete Solar”) was incorporated in Delaware on February 22, 2010. Through February 2022, the Company operated as a single legal entity as Complete Solar, Inc. In February 2022, the Company implemented a holding company reorganization (the “Reorganization”) in which the Company created and incorporated Complete Solar Holding Corporation (“Complete Solar Holdings”). As a result of the Reorganization, Complete Solar Holdings became the successor entity to Complete Solar, Inc. The capitalization structure was not changed because of the Reorganization as all shares of Complete Solar, Inc common stock and preferred stock were exchanged on a one for one basis with shares of Complete Solar Holdings common stock and preferred stock. The Reorganization was accounted for as a change in reporting entity for entities under common control. The historical assets and liabilities of Complete Solar, Inc. were transferred to Complete Solar Holdings at their carrying value, and there are no change to net income, other comprehensive income (loss), or any related per share amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements requiring retrospective application.
In October 2022, the Company entered into a business combination agreement, as amended on December 26, 2022 and January 17, 2023 (“Original Business Combination Agreement”) and as amended on May 26, 2023 (“Amended and Restated Business Combination Agreement”), with Jupiter Merger Sub I Corp., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Freedom Acquisition I Corp. (“FACT”) (“First Merger Sub”), Jupiter Merger Sub II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned subsidiary of FACT (“Second Merger Sub”), Complete Solar Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and Solaria, a Delaware corporation.
The transactions contemplated by the Amended and Restated Business Combination Agreement were consummated on July 18, 2023 (“Closing Date”). Following the consummation of the Merger on the Closing Date, FACT changed its name to “Complete Solaria, Inc.”
As part of the transactions contemplated by the Amended and Restated Business Combination Agreement, FACT affected a deregistration under the Cayman Islands Companies Act and a domestication under Section 388 of the Delaware’s General Corporation Law (the “DGCL” or “Domestication”). On the Closing Date, following the Domestication, First Merger Sub merged with and into Complete Solaria, with Complete Solaria surviving such merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of FACT (the “First Merger”), and immediately following the First Merger, Complete Solaria merged with and into Second Merger Sub, with Second Merger Sub surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of FACT (the “Second Merger”), and Second Merger Sub changed its name to CS, LLC, and immediately following the Second Merger, Solaria merged with and into a newly formed Delaware limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of FACT and changed its name to The Solaria Corporation LLC (“Third Merger Sub”), with Third Merger Sub surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of FACT (the “Additional Merger”, and together with the First Merger and the Second Merger, the “Mergers”).
In connection with the closing of the Mergers:
| ● | Each share of the Company’s capital stock, inclusive of shares converted from 2022 Convertible Notes, issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Closing (“Legacy Complete Solaria Capital Stock”) were cancelled and exchanged into an aggregate of |
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| ● | In July 2023, (i) Meteora Special Opportunity Fund I, LP (“MSOF”), Meteora Capital Partners, LP (“MCP”) and Meteora Select Trading Opportunities Master, LP (“MSTO”) (with MSOF, MCP, and MSTO collectively as “Meteora”); (ii) Polar Multi-Strategy Master Fund (“Polar”), and (iii) Diametric True Alpha Market Neutral Master Fund, LP, Diametric True Alpha Enhanced Market Neutral Master Fund, LP, and Pinebridge Partners Master Fund, LP (collectively, “Sandia”) (together, the “FPA Funding PIPE Investors”) entered into separate subscription agreements (the “FPA Funding Amount PIPE Subscription Agreements”) pursuant to which, the FPA Funding PIPE Investors subscribed for on the Closing Date, an aggregate of |
| ● | All certain investors (the “PIPE Investors”) purchased from the Company an aggregate of |
| ● | On or around the Closing Date, pursuant to the New Money PIPE Subscription Agreements, certain investors affiliated with the New Money PIPE Subscription Agreements (“New Money PIPE Investors”) agreed to subscribe for and purchase, and Complete Solaria agreed to issue and sell to the New Money PIPE Investors an aggregate of |
| ● | Subsequent to the Closing, Complete Solaria issued an additional |
| ● | In March 2023, holders of |
| ● | Each issued and outstanding FACT Class B Ordinary Share converted, on a one-for-one basis, into |
In November 2022, Complete Solar Holdings acquired Solaria (as described in Note 4 – Business Combination) and changed its name to Complete Solaria, Inc. On August 18, 2023, the Company entered into a Non-Binding Letter of Intent to sell certain of Complete Solaria’s North American solar panel assets to Maxeon, Inc. (“Maxeon”). In October 2023, the Company completed the sale of its solar panel business to Maxeon. Refer to Note 1(b) – Divestiture and Note 8 – Divestiture.
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(b) Divestiture
In October 2023, the Company completed the sale
of its solar panel business to Maxeon, pursuant to the terms of the Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Disposal Agreement”). Under
the terms of the Disposal Agreement, Maxeon agreed to acquire certain assets and employees of Complete Solaria, for an aggregate purchase
price of approximately $
This divestiture represents a strategic shift in Complete Solaria’s business and qualifies as held for sale and as a discontinued operation. Based on the held for sale classification of the assets, the Company has reduced the carrying value of the disposal group to its fair value, less cost to sell and recorded an impairment loss associated with the held for sale intangible assets and goodwill. As a result, the Company classified the results of its solar panel business in discontinued operations in its consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss for all periods presented. The cash flows related to discontinued operations have been segregated and are included in the consolidated statements of cash flows for all periods presented. Unless otherwise noted, discussion within the notes to the consolidated financial statements relates to continuing operations only and excludes the historical activities of the North American panel business. See Note 8 – Divestiture for additional information.
(c) Liquidity and Going Concern
Since inception, the Company has incurred recurring
losses and negative cash flows from operations. The Company incurred net losses of $
Management plans to obtain additional funding and restructure its current debt. Historically, the Company’s activities have been financed through private placements of equity securities, debt and proceeds from the Merger. If the Company is not able to secure adequate additional funding when needed, the Company will need to reevaluate its operating plan and may be forced to make reductions in spending, extend payment terms with suppliers, liquidate assets where possible, or suspend or curtail planned programs or cease operations entirely. These actions could materially impact the Company’s business, results of operations and future prospects. While the Company has been able to raise multiple rounds of financing, there can be no assurance that in the event the Company requires additional financing, such financing will be available on terms that are favorable, or at all. Failure to generate sufficient cash flows from operations, raise additional capital or reduce certain discretionary spending would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to achieve its intended business objectives.
Therefore, there is substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the consolidated financial statements are issued. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue to operate as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and settlement of liabilities in the normal course of business. They do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classifications of liabilities that may result from uncertainty related to its ability to continue as a going concern.
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(2) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
(a) Basis of Presentation
The financial statements and accompanying notes have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
(b) Use of Estimates
The preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses, as well as related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Significant estimates and assumptions made by management include, but are not limited to, the determination of:
| ● | The allocation of the transaction price to identified performance obligations; |
| ● | Fair value of warrant liabilities; |
| ● | The reserve methodology for inventory obsolescence; |
| ● | The reserve methodology for product warranty; |
| ● | The reserve methodology for the allowance for credit losses; and |
| ● | The fair value of the forward purchase agreements |
| ● | The measurement of stock-based compensation |
To the extent that there are material differences between these estimates and actual results, the Company’s financial condition or operating results will be affected. The Company bases its estimates on past experience and other assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable under the circumstances, and the Company evaluates these estimates on an ongoing basis. The Company has assessed the impact and are not aware of any specific events or circumstances that required an update to the Company’s estimates and assumptions or materially affected the carrying value of the Company’s assets or liabilities as of the date of issuance of this report. These estimates may change as new events occur and additional information is obtained.
(c) Segment Information
The Company conducts its business in one operating segment that provides custom solar solutions through a standardized platform to its residential solar providers and companies to facilitate the sale and installation of solar energy systems under a single product group. The Company’s Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) is the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”). The CODM allocates resources and makes operating decisions based on financial information presented on a consolidated basis. The profitability of the Company’s product group is not a determining factor in allocating resources and the CODM does not evaluate profitability below the level of the consolidated company. All the Company’s long-lived assets are maintained in the U.S. of America.
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(d) Concentration of Risks
Concentration of credit risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject
the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and accounts receivable. The Company’s
cash and cash equivalents are on deposit with major financial institutions. Such deposits may be in excess of insured limits. The Company
believes that the financial institutions that hold the Company’s cash are financially sound, and accordingly, minimum credit risk
exists with respect to these balances. The Company has not experienced any losses due to institutional failure or bankruptcy. The Company
performs credit evaluations of its customers and generally does not require collateral for sales on credit. The Company reviews accounts
receivable balances to determine if any receivables will potentially be uncollectible and includes any amounts that are determined to
be uncollectible in the allowance for credit losses. As of December 31, 2023, two customers had an outstanding balance that represented
Concentration of customers
The
Company defines major customers as those customers who generate revenues that exceed
Concentration of suppliers
For
the year ended December 31, 2023, one supplier represented
(e) Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid securities that mature within three months or less from the original date of purchase to be cash equivalents. The Company maintains the majority of its cash balances with commercial banks in interest bearing accounts. Cash and cash equivalents include cash held in checking and savings accounts and money market accounts consisting of highly liquid securities with original maturity dates of three months or less from the original date of purchase.
(f) Restricted Cash
The
Company classifies all cash for which usage is limited by contractual provisions as restricted cash. Restricted cash balance as of December
31, 2023 and 2022, was $
| As of December 31, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | $ | ||||||
| Restricted cash | ||||||||
| Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | $ | $ | ||||||
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(g) Accounts Receivable, Net
Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced
amount and do not bear interest. The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses for estimated losses inherent in its accounts receivable
portfolio. In establishing the required allowance, management considers historical losses adjusted to take into account current market
conditions and customers’ financial condition, the amount of receivables in dispute, the current receivables aging and customer
payment patterns. Account balances are written off against the allowance after all means of collection have been exhausted and the potential
for recovery is considered remote. Recoveries of accounts receivable previously written off are recorded when received.
| As of December 31, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Balance at beginning of period | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
| Provision charged to earnings | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Amounts written off, recoveries and other adjustments | ||||||||
| Balance at end of period | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
The Company does not have any off-balance sheet credit exposure relating to its customers.
(h) Inventories
Inventories consist of solar panels and the components of solar energy systems which the Company classifies as finished goods. Costs are computed under the average cost method. The Company identifies inventory which is considered obsolete or in excess of anticipated demand based on a consideration of marketability and product life cycle stage, component cost trends, demand forecasts, historical revenues, and assumptions about future demand and market conditions to state inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value.
(i) Revenue Recognition
Revenue is recognized when a customer obtains control of promised products and services and the Company has satisfied its performance obligations. The amount of revenue recognized reflects the consideration which the Company expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for the products and services. To achieve this core principle, the Company applies the following five steps:
Step 1. Identification of the contract(s) with a customer;
Step 2. Identification of the performance obligations in the contracts(s);
Step 3. Determination of the transaction price;
Step 4. Allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations;
Step 5. Recognition of the revenue when, or as, the Company satisfies a performance obligation.
Revenues – Solar Energy System Installations
The Company generates revenue primarily from the design and installation of a solar energy system and performing post-installation services. The Company’s contracts with customers include three primary contract types:
| ● | Cash agreements – The Company contracts directly with homeowners who purchase the solar energy system and related services from the Company. Customers are invoiced on a billing schedule, where the majority of the transaction price is due upon installation with an additional payment due when the system passes inspection by the authority having jurisdiction. |
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| ● | Financing partner agreements – In its financing partner agreements, the Company contracts directly with homeowners for the purchase of the solar energy system and related services. The Company refers the homeowner to a financing partner to finance the system, and the homeowner makes payments directly to the financing partner. The Company receives consideration from the financing partner on a billing schedule where the majority of the transaction price is due upon installation with an additional payment due when the system passes inspection by the authority having jurisdiction. |
| ● | Power purchase agreements – The Company contracts directly with a distribution partner to perform the solar energy system installation, and the homeowner will finance the system through a power purchase agreement, which is signed with the Company’s distribution partner. The Company considers the distribution partner to be its customer, as the Company does not contract directly with the homeowner. The Company receives consideration from the distribution partner on a billing schedule where the majority of the transaction price is due upon installation with an additional payment due when the system passes inspection by the authority having jurisdiction. |
In each of the Company’s customer contract types, the Company’s revenue consists of two performance obligations, which include the performance of the installation of the solar energy system and post- installation services.
Installation includes the design of a solar energy system, the delivery of the components of the solar energy system (i.e., photovoltaic system, inverter, battery storage, etc.), installation services and services facilitating the connection of the solar energy system to the power grid. The Company accounts for these services as inputs to a combined output, resulting in a single service-based performance obligation. The Company recognizes revenue upon the completion of installation services, which occurs upon the transfer of control of the solar energy system and title of the related hardware components to the homeowner or distribution partner.
Post-installation services consist primarily of administrative services and customer support, which the Company performs between the completion of installation and the date of inspection of the solar energy system by the authority having jurisdiction. The Company recognizes revenue at a point in time, which is when the inspection occurs.
As the Company’s contracts with customers contain multiple performance obligations, the transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation based on its standalone selling price. The Company generally determines the standalone selling price based on the estimated costs incurred in the delivery of each performance obligation, relative to the total costs to be incurred under the contract.
The Company records deferred revenue for amounts invoiced that are not subject to refund upon termination. In certain contracts with customers, the Company arranges for a third-party financing partner to provide financing to the customer. The Company collects upfront from the financing partner and the customer will provide installment payments to the financing partner. The Company records revenue in the amount received from the financing partner, net of any financing fees charged to the homeowner, which the Company considers to be a customer incentive. None of the Company’s contracts contain a significant financing component.
The Company guarantees to customers certain specified minimum solar energy production output of the solar energy system for 10-years after the installation. The Company monitors the solar energy systems to determine whether these specified minimum outputs are being achieved. The Company will issue payments to customers if the output falls below contractually stated thresholds over the performance guarantee period. Revenue is recognized to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal of such revenue will not occur.
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Revenues – Software Enhanced Services
The Company generates revenue from software enhanced services through the provision of design and proposal services. The Company’s customers for design services are solar installers who leverage the Company’s expertise and software platforms to obtain structural letters, computer aided designs and electrical reviews. The Company charges the customer a per design fixed fee for each type of service that is performed, and the Company recognizes revenue in the period the services are performed. The customer contracts contain the customer right to terminate the contract each month and are therefore enforceable only for the contracted services purchased each month. Revenue is recognized for design services in the month the services are performed.
The Company’s customers for proposal services for solar sales organizations who contract with the Company to develop proposals for their potential residential solar customers. The Company generates proposals for the customer using the HelioQuote platform. Customers may purchase a fixed number of proposals for a given month or may contract on a pay as you go basis, and the performance obligation is defined by the number of proposals purchased by the customer each month. The customer contracts contain the customer right to terminate the contract each month and are therefore enforceable only for the services purchased each month. Revenue is recognized for proposal services in the month the services are performed.
Warranties
The Company typically provides a 10-year warranty on its solar energy system installations, which provides assurance over the workmanship in performing the installation, including roof leaks caused by the Company’s performance. For solar panel sales recognized prior to the Disposal Transaction, the Company provides a 30-year warranty that the products will be free from defects in material and workmanship.
When the revenues are recognized for the solar energy systems installations services, the Company accrues liabilities for the estimated future costs of meeting its warranty obligations. The Company makes and revises these estimates based primarily on the volume of new sales that contain warranties, historical experience with and projections of warranty claims, and estimated solar energy system and panel replacement costs. The Company records a provision for estimated warranty expenses in cost of revenues within the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
Shipping and handling costs and certain taxes
Revenues are recognized net of taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities. Shipping and handling costs associated with outbound freight are accounted for as a fulfillment cost and are included in both revenues and cost of revenues in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
Deferred revenue
The Company typically invoices its customers upon
completion of set milestones, generally upon installation of the solar energy system with the remaining balance invoiced upon passing
final building inspection. Standard payment terms to customers range from 30 to 60 days. When the Company receives consideration, or when
such consideration is unconditionally due, from a customer prior to delivering goods or services to the customer under the terms of a
customer agreement, the Company records deferred revenue. As installation projects are typically completed within 12-months, the Company’s
deferred revenue is reflected in current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The amount of revenue recognized
during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 that was included in deferred revenue at the beginning of each period was $
Disaggregation of revenue
| Fiscal Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Solar energy system installations | $ | $ | ||||||
| Software enhanced services | ||||||||
| Total revenue | $ | $ | ||||||
For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, all revenue recognized was generated in the U.S.
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Remaining performance obligations
The Company has elected the practical expedient not to disclose remaining
performance obligations for contracts that are less than one year in length. As of December 31, 2023, the Company has deferred $
Incremental costs of obtaining customer contracts
Incremental costs of obtaining customer contracts consist of sales
commissions, which are costs paid to third-party vendors who source residential customer contracts for the sale of solar energy systems
by the Company. The Company defers sales commissions and recognizes expense in accordance with the timing of the related revenue recognition.
Amortization of deferred commissions is recorded as sales commissions in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive
loss. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, deferred commissions were $
(j) Property and Equipment, Net
Property
and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. When assets are retired or disposed of, the cost and
accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts, and any resulting gain or loss is included in the current period. Repair and
maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.
| Useful Lives | ||
| Manufacturing equipment | ||
| Developed software | ||
| Furniture & equipment | ||
| Leasehold improvements |
(k) Internal-Use Software
The
Company capitalizes costs to develop its internal-use software when preliminary development efforts are successfully completed, management
has authorized and committed project funding, it is probable that the project will be completed, and the software will be utilized as
intended. These costs include personnel and related employee benefits and expenses for employees who are directly associated with and
who devote time to software projects, and external direct costs of materials and services consumed in developing or obtaining software.
Costs incurred prior to meeting these criteria, together with costs incurred for training and maintenance, are expensed as incurred.
Costs incurred for enhancements that are expected to provide additional material functionality are capitalized and amortized over the
estimated useful life of the related upgrade. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company capitalized $
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(l) Cost of Revenues
Cost of revenues includes actual cost of material, labor and related overhead incurred for revenue-producing units, and includes associated warranty costs, freight and delivery costs, depreciation, and amortization of internally developed software.
(m) Advertising and Promotional Expenses
Advertising and promotional costs are expensed as incurred and included in sales and marketing expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Advertising costs were not material for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
(n) Income Taxes
Income
taxes are accounted for under the asset-and-liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences
attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective
tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected
to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred
tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company
recognizes the effect of income tax positions only if those positions are more likely than not to be sustained. Recognized income tax
positions are measured at the largest amount that is greater than
(o) Foreign Currency
The Company’s reporting currency is the US dollar. The functional currency for each of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries is the local currency, as it is the monetary unit of account of the principal economic environments in which the Company’s foreign subsidiaries operate. Assets and liabilities of the foreign subsidiaries are translated at the current exchange rate as of the end of the period, and revenue and expenses are translated at the average exchange rates in effect during the period. The gain or loss resulting from the process of translating foreign currency financial statements into US dollar financial statements is accounted for as a foreign currency cumulative translation adjustment and is reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses resulting from transactions denominated in a currency other than the functional currency are recognized in Other Income (expense), net in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
(p) Comprehensive Loss
Comprehensive loss consists of two components, net loss and other comprehensive income (loss), net. The Company’s other comprehensive loss consists of foreign currency translation adjustments that result from the consolidation of its foreign entities and is reported net of tax effects.
(q) Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets, such as property and equipment, ROU assets, and intangible assets subject to amortization, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. If circumstances require a long-lived asset or asset group be tested for possible impairment, the Company first compares undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by that asset or asset group to its carrying value. If the carrying value of the long-lived asset or asset group is not recoverable on an undiscounted cash flow basis, an impairment is recognized to the extent that the carrying value exceeds its fair value. Fair value is determined through various valuation techniques including discounted cash flow models, and quoted market values, as considered necessary.
There were impairment charges recorded in continuing operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
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(r) Intangible Assets, Net
Intangible
assets are recorded at the cost, less accumulated amortization. Amortization is recorded using the straight-line method.
| Useful Lives | ||
| Assembled workforce |
(s) Deferred Transaction Costs
Deferred transaction costs, which consist of
direct incremental legal, consulting and accounting fees related to the merger with Freedom in July 2023, are capitalized until they
were recorded against proceeds upon the consummation of the transaction. In accounting for the Mergers, direct offering costs of
approximately $
(t) Stock-Based Compensation
The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense over the requisite service period on a straight- line basis for all stock-based payments that are expected to vest to employees, non-employees and directors, including grants of employee stock options and other stock-based awards. Equity-classified awards issued to employees, non-employees such as consultants and non-employee directors are measured at the grant-date fair value of the award. Forfeitures are recognized as they occur. For accounting purposes, the Company estimates grant-date fair value of stock options using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Black-Scholes option pricing model requires the input of highly subjective assumptions, including the fair value of the underlying common stock prior to the Mergers, the expected term of the option the expected volatility of the price of the Company’s common stock and expected dividend yield. The Company determines these inputs as follows:
Expected Term—Expected term represents the period that the Company’s stock-based awards are expected to be outstanding and is determined using the simplified method.
Expected Volatility—Expected volatility is estimated by studying the volatility of comparable public companies for similar terms.
Expected Dividend—The Black-Scholes valuation model calls for a single expected dividend yield as an input. The Company has never paid dividends and has no plans to pay dividends.
Risk-free Interest Rate—The Company derives the risk-free interest rate assumption from the U.S. Treasury’s rates for the U.S. Treasury zero-coupon bonds with maturities similar to those of the expected term of the awards being valued.
(u) Fair Value Measurements
The Company utilizes valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs to the extent possible. The Company determines fair value based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability in the principal or most advantageous market.
When considering market participant assumptions in fair value measurements, the following fair value hierarchy distinguishes between observable and unobservable inputs, which are categorized in one of the following levels:
| ● | Level 1 inputs: Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities accessible to the reporting entity at the measurement date. |
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| ● | Level 2 inputs: Other than quoted prices included in Level 1 inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability. |
| ● | Level 3 inputs: Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability used to measure fair value to the extent that observable inputs are not available, thereby allowing for situations in which there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date. |
Financial assets and liabilities held by the Company measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 include cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses, the warrant liabilities and FPA liabilities.
The carrying amounts of cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate their fair value because of their short-term nature (classified as Level 1).
The warrant liabilities and FPA liabilities are measured at fair value using Level 3 inputs. The Company records subsequent adjustments to reflect the increase or decrease in estimated fair value at each reporting date within the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss as a component of other income.
(v) Net Loss Per Share
The Company computes net loss per share following ASC 260, Earnings Per Share. Basic net loss per share is measured as the income or loss available to common stockholders divided by the weighted average common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net loss per share presents the dilutive effect on a per-share basis from the potential exercise of options and/or warrants. The potentially dilutive effect of options or warrants are computed using the treasury stock method. Securities that potentially have an anti-dilutive effect (i.e., those that increase income per share or decrease loss per share) are excluded from the diluted loss per share calculation.
(w) Convertible Debt Embedded Derivative Liabilities
The Company evaluates the embedded conversion feature within its convertible debt instruments under ASC 815-15 and ASC 815-40 to determine if the conversion feature meets the definition of a liability and, if so, whether to bifurcate the conversion feature and account for it as a separate derivative liability. For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period. Derivative instrument liabilities are classified in the consolidated balance sheets as current or non-current based on whether net-cash settlement of the derivative instrument could be required within twelve months after the balance sheet date. The derivative is subject to re-measurement at the end of each reporting period, with changes in fair value recognized as a component of other income (expense), net, in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The Company’s embedded derivative liabilities were extinguished in the first quarter of 2022.
(x) Leases
Effective January 1, 2021, the Company early adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), as amended (“ASC 842”). The Company determines if a contract is a lease or contains a lease at the inception of the contract and reassesses that conclusion if the contract is modified. The Company’s lease agreements generally contain lease and non-lease components. Payments under lease arrangements are primarily fixed. The Company combines lease and non-lease components and accounts for them together as a single lease component. All leases are assessed for classification as an operating lease or a finance lease. Operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets are presented separately on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Operating lease liabilities are separated into a current portion and non-current portion and are presented separately on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. The Company does not have finance lease ROU assets or liabilities.
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ROU assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent its obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. The Company does not obtain and control its right to use the identified asset until the lease commencement date.
The Company generally uses its incremental borrowing rate to discount the lease payments to present value. The estimated incremental borrowing rate is derived from information available at the lease commencement date. The Company’s lease terms include periods under options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. The Company generally uses the base, non-cancelable, lease term when determining the lease assets and liabilities. The Company also records a corresponding right-of-use asset and applicable lease commencement date, which is calculated based on the amount of the lease liability, adjusted for any advance lease payments made, lease incentives received, and initial direct costs incurred. Right-of-use assets are subject to evaluation for impairment or disposal on a basis consistent with other long-lived assets.
The Company has elected, for all classes of underlying assets, not to recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities for leases with a term of twelve months or less. Lease cost for short-term leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
(y) Warrant Liabilities
The Company accounts for its warrant liabilities in accordance with the guidance in ASC 815-40, Derivatives and Hedging – Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity, under which the warrants that do not meet the criteria for equity classification and must be recorded as liabilities. The warrant liabilities are measured at fair value at inception and at each reporting date in accordance with the guidance in ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement, with any subsequent changes in fair value recognized in other income (expense), net on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Refer to Note 5 – Fair Value Measurements and Note 14 – Warrants.
(z) Forward Purchase Agreements
The Company accounts for its forward purchase agreements (“FPAs”) in accordance with the guidance in ASC 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity, as the agreements embody an obligation to transfer assets to settle a forward contract. The warrant liabilities are measured at fair value at inception and at each reporting date in accordance with the guidance in ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement, with any subsequent changes in fair value recognized in other income (expense), net on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Refer to Note 5 – Fair Value Measurements and Note 6 – Forward Purchase Agreements.
(aa) Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial instruments — Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, and subsequent related ASUs, which amends the guidance on the impairment of financial instruments by requiring measurement and recognition of expected credit losses for financial assets held. ASU 2016-13 is effective for public and private companies’ fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019, and December 15, 2022, respectively. The Company adopted ASU 2016-13 under the private company transition guidance beginning January 1, 2023. The adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
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(bb) Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07 “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures” (“ASU 2023-07”). The ASU expands public entities’ segment disclosures by requiring disclosure of significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the CODM and included within each reported measure of segment profit or loss, an amount and description of its composition for other segment items, and interim disclosures of a reportable segment’s profit or loss and assets. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, and requires retrospective adoption. The Company is currently evaluating ASU 2023-07 but expects the impact of the disclosures to be immaterial to the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. The objective of ASU 2023-09 is to enhance disclosures related to income taxes, including specific thresholds for inclusion within the tabular disclosure of income tax rate reconciliation and specified information about income taxes paid. ASU 2023-09 is effective for public companies starting in annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. The Company is currently evaluating ASU 2023-09 but expects the impact of the disclosures to be immaterial to the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
(3) Reverse Recapitalization
As discussed in Note 1 – Organization, on July 18, 2023, the Company consummated the Mergers pursuant to the Amended and Restated Business Combination Agreement. The Mergers was accounted for as a reverse recapitalization, rather than a business combination, for financial accounting and reporting purposes. Accordingly, Complete Solaria was deemed the accounting acquirer (and legal acquiree) and FACT was treated as the accounting acquiree (and legal acquirer). Complete Solaria has been determined to be the accounting acquirer based on evaluation of the following facts and circumstances:
| ● | Complete Solaria’s pre-combination stockholders have the majority of the voting power in the post- merged company; |
| ● | Legacy Complete Solaria’s stockholders have the ability to appoint a majority of the Complete Solaria Board of Directors; |
| ● | Legacy Complete Solaria’s management team is considered the management team of the post-merged company; |
| ● | Legacy Complete Solaria’s prior operations is comprised of the ongoing operations of the post-merged company; |
| ● | Complete Solaria is the larger entity based on historical revenues and business operations; and |
| ● | the post-merged company has assumed Complete Solaria’s operating name. |
Under this method of accounting, the reverse recapitalization was treated as the equivalent of Complete Solaria issuing stock for the net assets of FACT, accompanied by a recapitalization. The net assets of FACT are stated at historical cost, with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded. The consolidated assets, liabilities, and results of operations prior to the Mergers are those of Legacy Complete Solaria. All periods prior to the Mergers have been retrospectively adjusted in accordance with the Amended and Restated Business Combination Agreement for the equivalent number of preferred or common shares outstanding immediately after the Mergers to effect the reverse recapitalization.
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Upon the closing of the Mergers and the PIPE Financing in July 2023,
the Company received net cash proceeds of $
| Recapitalization | ||||
| Cash proceeds from FACT, net of redemptions | $ | |||
| Cash proceeds from PIPE Financing | ||||
| Less: cash payment of FACT transaction costs and underwriting fees | ( | ) | ||
| Less: cash payment to FPA investors for rebates and recycled shares | ( | ) | ||
| Less: cash payment for Promissory Note | ( | ) | ||
| Net cash proceeds upon the closing of the Mergers and PIPE financing | ||||
| Less: non-cash net liabilities assumed from FACT | ( | ) | ||
| Net contributions from the Mergers and PIPE financing upon closing | $ | |||
Immediately
upon closing of the Mergers, the Company had
| Recapitalization | ||||
| FACT Class A Ordinary Shares, outstanding prior to Mergers | ||||
| FACT Class B Ordinary Shares, outstanding prior to Mergers | ||||
| Bonus shares issued to sponsor | ||||
| Bonus shares issued to PIPE investors | ||||
| Bonus shares issued to FPA investors | ||||
| Shares issued from PIPE financing | ||||
| Shares issued from FPA agreements, net of recycled shares | ||||
| Less: redemption of FACT Class A Ordinary Shares | ( | ) | ||
| Total shares from the Mergers and PIPE Financing | ||||
| Legacy Complete Solaria shares | ||||
| 2022 Convertible Note Shares | ||||
| Shares of Complete Solaria Common stock immediately after Mergers | ||||
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In connection with the Mergers, the Company incurred
direct and incremental costs of approximately $
(4) Business Combination
Solaria Acquisition
On November 4, 2022, Complete Solar Holdings acquired
Solaria for aggregate consideration paid of $
Acquisition
costs of $
The
fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed was based upon a preliminary valuation and the Company’s estimates and assumptions
are subject to change within the measurement period.
| Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | $ | |||
| Accounts receivable | ||||
| Inventories | ||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | ||||
| Property and equipment | ||||
| Operating lease right-of-use asset | ||||
| Intangible assets | ||||
| Other non-current assets | ||||
| Total identifiable assets acquired | ||||
| Accounts payable | ||||
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities | ||||
| Notes payable | ||||
| Deferred revenue | ||||
| Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion | ||||
| Warranty provision, noncurrent | ||||
| SAFE agreements | ||||
| Total identifiable liabilities assumed | ||||
| Net identifiable liabilities assumed | ||||
| Goodwill | ||||
| Total aggregate consideration paid | $ |
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Goodwill represents the excess of the preliminary estimated consideration transferred over the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired and has been allocated to the Company’s single reporting unit. Goodwill was subsequently reclassified to long-term assets held for sale – discontinued operations, on the Company’s balance sheet as of December 31, 2022, stemming from the sale of the Solaria business discussed in Note 8 – Divestiture below.
| Trademarks | $ | |||
| Developed technology | ||||
| Customer relationships | ||||
| Total intangible assets | $ |
The income approach, using the relief from royalty method, was used to value trademarks and developed technology. Significant assumptions included in the valuation of trademarks and developed technology include projected revenues, the selected royalty rate and the economic life of the underlying asset.
The income approach, using the multi-period excess earning method, was used to value customer relationships. Significant assumptions included in the valuation of customer relationships include projected revenues, customer attrition and expense growth over the forecasted period.
As a result of the Solaria acquisition, the Company
recognized $
(5) Fair Value Measurements
| December 31, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total | |||||||||||||
| Financial Liabilities | ||||||||||||||||
| Carlyle warrants | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
| Public warrants | ||||||||||||||||
| Private placement warrants | ||||||||||||||||
| Working capital warrants | ||||||||||||||||
| Replacement warrants | ||||||||||||||||
| Forward purchase agreement liabilities | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
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| December 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total | |||||||||||||
| Financial Liabilities | ||||||||||||||||
| Redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant liability | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
| Total | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Carlyle Warrants
As part of the Company’s amended and restated
warrant agreement with CRSEF Solis Holdings, LLC (“Carlyle”), dated July 18, 2023, the Company issued Carlyle a warrant to
purchase up to
| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Expected term | ||||||||
| Expected volatility | % | |||||||
| Risk-free interest rate | % | |||||||
| Expected dividend yield | % | |||||||
Public, Private Placement and Working Capital Warrants
The public, private placement and working capital warrants are measured at fair value on a recurring basis. The public warrants were valued based on the closing price of the publicly traded instrument. The private placement and working capital warrants were valued using observable inputs for similar publicly traded instruments.
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Forward Purchase Agreement Liabilities
| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Common stock trading price | $ | $ | ||||||
| Simulation period | ||||||||
| Risk-free rate | % | |||||||
| Volatility | % | |||||||
Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock Warrant Liabilities
The Company historically issued redeemable convertible warrants, which were classified as liabilities and adjusted to fair value using the Black Scholes Option Pricing Method. The terms of the redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants are described in Note 14 – Warrants.
| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Expected term | ||||||||
| Expected volatility | % | |||||||
| Risk-free interest rate | % | |||||||
| Expected dividend yield | % | |||||||
| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Expected term | ||||||||
| Expected volatility | % | |||||||
| Risk-free interest rate | % | |||||||
| Expected dividend yield | % | |||||||
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| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Expected term | ||||||||
| Expected volatility | % | % | ||||||
| Risk-free interest rate | % | % | ||||||
| Expected dividend yield | % | % | ||||||
The redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant liabilities were measured at fair value at the issuance date and as of each subsequent reporting period with changes in the fair value recorded within other income (expense), net in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
(6) Forward Purchase Agreements
In July 2023, FACT and Legacy Complete Solaria, Inc. entered into FPAs with each of (i) Meteora; (ii) Polar, and (iii) Sandia (each individually, a “Seller”, and together, the “FPA Sellers”).
Pursuant
to the terms of the FPAs, the FPA Sellers may (i) purchase through a broker in the open market, from holders of Shares other than the
Company or affiliates thereof, FACT’s ordinary shares, par value of $
The key terms of the forward contracts are as follows:
| ● | The
FPA Sellers can terminate the transaction following the Optional Early Termination (“OET”) Date which shall specify the quantity
by which the number of shares is to be reduced (such quantity, the “Terminated Shares”). Seller shall terminate the transaction
in respect of any shares sold on or prior to the maturity date. The counterparty is entitled to an amount from the seller equal to the
number of terminated shares multiplied by a reset price. The reset price is initially $ |
| ● | The
FPA contains multiple settlement outcomes. Per the terms of the agreements, the FPAs will (1) settle in cash in the event the Company
is due cash upon settlement from the FPA Sellers or (2) settle in either cash or shares, at the discretion of the Company, should the
settlement amount adjustment exceed the settlement amount. Should the Company elect to settle via shares, the equity will be issued in
Complete Solaria Common Stock, with a per share price based on the volume-weighted average price (“VWAP”) Price over 15 scheduled
trading days. The magnitude of the settlement is based on the Settlement Amount, an amount equal to the product of: (1) Number of shares
issued to the FPA Seller pursuant to the FPA, less the number of Terminated Shares multiplied by (2) the VWAP Price over the valuation
period. The Settlement amount will be reduced by the Settlement Adjustment, an amount equal to the product of (1) Number of shares in
the Pricing Date Notice, less the number of Terminated Shares multiplied by $ |
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| ● | The Settlement occurs as of the Valuation Date, which is the earlier to occur of (a) the date that is two years after the date of the Closing Date of the Mergers (b) the date specified by Seller in a written notice to be delivered to Counterparty at Seller’s discretion (which Valuation Date shall not be earlier than the day such notice is effective) after the occurrence of certain triggering events; and (c) 90 days after delivery by the Counterparty of a written notice in the event that for any 20 trading days during a 30 consecutive trading day-period (the “Measurement Period”) that occurs at least 6 months after the Closing Date, the VWAP Price is less than the then applicable Reset Price. |
The
Company entered into four separate FPAs, three of which, associated with the obligation to issue
Additionally, in accordance with ASC 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity, the Company has determined that the forward contract is a financial instrument other than a share that represent or are indexed to obligations to repurchase the issuer’s equity shares by transferring assets, referred to herein as the “forward purchase liability” on its consolidated balance sheets. The Company initially measured the forward purchase liability at fair value and has subsequently remeasured it at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in earnings.
Through the date of issuance of the Complete Solaria
Common Stock in satisfaction of the Company’s obligation to issue shares around the closing of the Mergers, the Company recorded
$
As of the closing of the Mergers and issuance
of the Complete Solaria Common Stock underlying the FPAs, the fair value of the prepaid FPAs was an asset balance of $
On
December 18, 2023, the Company and the FPA Sellers entered into separate amendments to the FPA (the “Amendments”). The Amendments
lower the reset floor price of each FPA from $
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(7) Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets
| As of December 31, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Inventory deposits | $ | |||||||