Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2024

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Note 3 — SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, expressed in U.S. dollars. References to GAAP issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) in these accompanying notes to the financial statements are to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”). The consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern.

Principles of Consolidation

Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of AirJoule Technologies Corporation and its subsidiaries after elimination of all intercompany accounts and transactions. We consolidate all subsidiaries in which we have a controlling financial interest, which includes AirJoule Technologies LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary.

The Company owns a noncontrolling interest in an unconsolidated joint venture with GE Vernova, the AirJoule JV. The investment in the Company’s unconsolidated affiliate is accounted for using the equity method with the Company’s proportionate share of income or loss recognized within equity gain (loss) from investment in AirJoule JV in its consolidated statements of operations. See further discussion of the Company’s unconsolidated affiliate in Note 5 - Equity Method Investment.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period.

Some of the more significant estimates include fair values of liabilities associated with the Earnout Shares, True Up Shares and Subject Vesting Shares (as such terms are defined in Note 4 – Recapitalization), fair value of the investment in the AirJoule JV, income taxes and estimates relating to leases. Due to the uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results could differ from those estimates, which could have a material effect on the financial condition and results of operations in future periods.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash and Concentration of Credit Risk

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a weighted average maturity of 90 days or less at the time of purchase to be cash equivalents. The carrying values of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash approximate their fair values due to the short-term nature of these instruments. As of December 31, 2024, there was $20.4 million held in money market funds on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. There were no cash equivalents as of December 31, 2023. The Company maintains cash balances at financial institutions that may exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s insurance limits. The amounts over these insured limits as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 were $6.9 million and $0.1 million, respectively. The Company mitigates this concentration of credit risk by monitoring the credit worthiness of the financial institutions. No losses have been incurred to date on any deposits.

Business Combinations

The Company evaluates whether acquired net assets should be accounted for as a business combination or an asset acquisition by first applying a screen test to determine whether substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets. If so, the transaction is accounted for as an asset acquisition. If not, the Company applies its judgement to determine whether the acquired net assets meet the definition of a business by considering if the set includes an acquired input, process, and the ability to create outputs.

The Company accounts for business combinations using the acquisition method when it has obtained control. The Company measures goodwill as the fair value of the consideration transferred, including the fair value of any non-controlling interest recognized, less the net recognized amount of the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities combined, all measured at their fair value as of the acquisition date. Transaction costs, other than those associated with the issuance of debt or equity securities, that the Company incurs in connection with a business combination are expensed as incurred.

Any contingent consideration is measured at fair value at the acquisition date. A contingent consideration that does not meet all the criteria for equity classification is required to be recorded at its initial fair value at the acquisition date, and on each balance sheet date thereafter. Changes in the estimated fair value of liability-classified contingent considerations are recognized on the consolidated statements of operations in the period of change.

Equity Method Investment

In accordance with ASC 323, Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures, investments in entities over which the Company does not have a controlling financial interest but has significant influence are accounted for using the equity method, with the Company’s share of earnings or losses reported in earnings or losses from equity method investments on the statements of operations. Under the equity method, the Company’s investments are initially measured and recognized using the cost accumulation model following the guidance in ASC 805-50-30, Initial Measurement of Asset Acquisitions. After initial recognition, the consolidated financial statements include the Company’s share of undistributed earnings or losses, and impairment, if any, until the date on which significant influence ceases.

Under the equity method of accounting, the Company’s investment is initially recorded at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets. Upon initial investment, the Company evaluates whether there are basis differences between the carrying value and fair value of the Company’s proportionate share of the investee’s underlying net assets. The Company amortizes basis differences identified on a straight-line basis over the underlying assets’ estimated useful lives when calculating the attributable earnings or losses, excluding the basis differences attributable to in-process research and development and goodwill. If the Company is unable to attribute all of the basis differences to specific assets or liabilities of the investee, the residual excess of the cost of the investment over the proportional fair value of the investee’s assets and liabilities is considered to be equity method goodwill and is recognized within the equity investment balance. The Company subsequently records in the statements of operations its share of income or loss of the other entity within other income (expense), which results in an increase or decrease to the carrying value of the investment. If the share of losses exceeds the carrying value of the Company’s investment, the Company will suspend recognizing additional losses and will continue to do so unless it commits to providing additional funding.

The Company evaluates its equity method investments for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that a decline in value has occurred that is other than temporary. Evidence considered in this evaluation includes, but would not necessarily be limited to, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the investee, recent operating trends and forecasted performance of the investee, market conditions in the geographic area or industry in which the investee operates and the Company’s strategic plans for holding the investment in relation to the period of time expected for an anticipated recovery of its carrying value. If the investment is determined to have a decline in value deemed to be other than temporary it is written down to estimated fair value. There is no decline in value deemed to be other than temporary as of December 31, 2024. If there are significant changes in the evidence considered in the Company’s evaluation there could be future impairments that could materially adversely impact the Company’s equity method investments.

Additionally, if an equity method investee recognizes a goodwill impairment charge in its separate financial statements, the Company will recognize its share of the impairment in its financial statements in the same manner in which it recognizes other earnings of the investee. No impairment in the Company’s equity method investment was identified as of December 31, 2024.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is carried at cost less accumulated depreciation and includes expenditures that substantially increase the useful lives of existing property and equipment. Maintenance, repairs and minor renovations are charged to expense as incurred. When property and equipment is retired or otherwise disposed of, the related costs and accumulated depreciation are removed from their respective accounts, and any difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying amount of the asset is recognized as a gain or loss on disposal in the consolidated statements of operations. 

Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the various classes of depreciable assets. The lives used in computing depreciation for significant asset classes are as follow: 

	Estimated useful lives
Machinery and Equipment	3 years
Vehicles	3 years

The estimated useful lives and depreciation methods are reviewed at each year-end, with the effect of any changes in estimates accounted for prospectively. All depreciation expenses are included within depreciation and amortization in the consolidated statements of operations.

Leases

The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception and records the lease in our financial statements upon lease commencement, which is the date when the underlying asset is made available for use by the lessor. The operating lease right-of-use asset (“ROU asset”) and short-term and long-term lease liability are included on the face of the consolidated balance sheets.

The ROU asset represents the right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liability represents the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. An operating lease ROU asset and liability are recognized at the commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As typically the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses an incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date over the respective lease term in determining the present value of lease payments. The Company has elected to utilize the practical expedient to account for lease and non-lease components together as a single combined lease component. The Company’s lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company has elected to not apply the recognition requirement of ASC 842, Leases of the FASB to leases with a term of 12 months or less for all classes of assets.

Warrants

The Company determines the accounting classification of warrants it issues as either liability or equity classified by first assessing whether the warrants meet the liability classification in accordance with ASC 480-10, Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with Characteristics of both Liabilities and Equity (“ASC 480”), then in accordance with ASC 815-40, Accounting for Derivative Financial Instruments Indexed to, and Potentially Settled in, a Company’s Own Stock (“ASC 815”). In order for a warrant to be classified in stockholders’ equity (deficit), the warrant must be (i) indexed to the Company’s equity and (ii) meet the conditions for equity classification.

If a warrant does not meet the conditions for stockholders’ deficit classification, it is carried on the consolidated balance sheets as a warrant liability measured at fair value, with subsequent changes in the fair value of the warrant recorded in other non-operating gains (losses) in the consolidated statements of operations. If a warrant meets both conditions for equity classification, the warrant is initially recorded, at its relative fair value on the date of issuance, in stockholders’ equity (deficit) in the consolidated balance sheets, and the amount initially recorded is not subsequently remeasured at fair value.

Income Taxes 

Prior to the Business Combination on March 14, 2024, the Company was a limited liability company and treated as a partnership for income tax purpose. As a partnership, the Company was not directly liable for federal income taxes. As of the date of the Business Combination, the operations of the Company ceased to be taxed as a partnership resulting in a change in tax status for federal and state income tax purposes.

The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under ASC 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). 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 is included in the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. Management has evaluated the Company’s tax positions, including its previous status as a pass-through entity for federal and state tax purposes, and has determined that the Company has taken no uncertain tax positions that require adjustment to the consolidated financial statements. The Company’s reserve related to uncertain tax positions was zero as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. There were no unrecognized tax benefits, and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviations from its position.

Research and Development Cost

The Company accounts for research and development cost (“R&D”) in accordance with FASB ASC 730, Research and Development. R&D represents costs incurred in performing research aimed at the discovery of new knowledge and the advancement of techniques to bring significant improvements to products and processes. Costs incurred in developing a product include consulting, engineering, construction and costs incurred to build prototypes.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or the amount paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. There is a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurement) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurement). The Company classifies fair value balances based on the observability of those inputs. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:

Level 1 —	Inputs based on unadjusted quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date.
Level 2 —	Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.
Level 3 —	Inputs reflect management’s best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. The inputs are both unobservable for the asset and liability in the market and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

In some circumstances, the inputs used to measure fair value might be categorized within different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In those instances, the fair value measurement is categorized in its entirety in the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company establishes the fair value of its assets and liabilities using the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date and establishes a fair value hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. The recorded amounts of certain financial instruments, including accounts payable, accrued expenses, and other current liabilities approximate fair value due to their relatively short maturities. See Note 5 – Equity Method Investment for measurements of the Investment in AirJoule, LLC measured utilizing level 3 inputs as of March 4, 2024. See Note 12 – Fair Value Measurements for measurements of the Earnout Shares, True Up Shares and Subject Vesting Shares, measured utilizing level 3 inputs as of December 31, 2024 and March 14, 2024.

Earnout Shares Liability

In connection with the reverse recapitalization and pursuant to the Merger Agreement, eligible former Predecessor equity holders are entitled to receive additional shares of Common Stock upon the Company achieving certain milestones. See Note 4 – Recapitalization. The settlement of the Earnout Shares to the Predecessor equity holders depends on factors other than just the Company’s stock price. As such, management determined that the Earnout Shares should be classified as a liability and recognized at fair value at each reporting period with changes in fair value included in the consolidated statements of operations.

The Company estimated fair value of the Earnout Shares with a Monte Carlo simulation using a distribution of potential outcomes for expected earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) and stock price at expected commission dates, utilizing a correlation coefficient for EBITDA and stock price, and assuming $50.0 million of Annualized EBITDA per production line, with each of the production lines commissioned over a five-year period. EBITDA was discounted to the valuation date with a weighted average cost of capital estimate and forecasted to each estimated commission date. Earnout mechanics at each estimated commission date were assessed, and if the earnout thresholds were achieved, the future value of the Earnout Shares was discounted to the valuation date utilizing a risk-free rate commensurate with the overall term. The commission dates used reflected management’s best estimates regarding the time to complete full construction and achieve operational viability of a production line, including all permitting, regulatory approvals and necessary or useful inspections. The five-year period and overall settlement mechanics for the Earnout Shares represent contractual inputs. Management’s valuation of the Earnout Shares liability involves certain assumptions requiring significant judgment and actual results may differ from assumed and estimated amounts.

The Company determined the Earnout Shares associated with employees are accounted for as compensation expense under FASB ASC Topic 718, Share-based Compensation (“ASC 718”). See “Share-Based Compensation” below.

Derivative Financial Instruments and Other Financial Instruments Carried at Fair Value

The Company does not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market, or foreign currency risks. The Company evaluates all of its financial instruments, including the True Up Shares issued in connection with the Subscription Agreement and the Subject Vesting Shares issued in connection with the Business Combination, to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives, pursuant to ASC 480 and FASB ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”). The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is reassessed at the end of each reporting period.

The True Up Shares issued under one of the Subscription Agreements do not qualify as equity under ASC 815; therefore, the True Up Shares are required to be classified as a liability and measured at fair value with subsequent changes in fair value recorded in the consolidated statements of operations. The fair value of the derivative liability is discussed in Note 12 — Fair Value Measurements.

The Subject Vesting Shares liability was an assumed liability of XPDB. The Subject Vesting Shares vest and are no longer subject to forfeiture as described in Note 4 – Recapitalization. They do not meet the “fixed-for-fixed” criterion and thus are not considered indexed to the Company’s stock price. As such, management determined that the Subject Vesting Shares should be classified as a liability and recognized at fair value at each reporting period with changes in fair value included the consolidated statements of operations . The estimated fair value of the Subject Vesting Shares was determined utilizing a Monte Carlo simulation, with underlying forecast mathematics based on geometric Brownian motion in a risk-neutral framework. The Calculation of the value of the Subject Vesting Shares considered the $12.00 and $14.00 vesting conditions in addition to the vesting related to the milestones associated with the Earnout Shares. Management’s valuation of the Subject Vesting Shares liability involves certain assumptions requiring significant judgment and actual results may differ from assumed and estimated amounts. See Note 12 – Fair Value Measurements.

Share-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for share-based compensation arrangements granted to employees and non-employees in accordance with ASC 718, Share-based Compensation, by measuring the grant date fair value of each award and recognizing the resulting expense over the period during which the recipient is required to perform services in exchange for the award. Equity-based compensation expense is only recognized for awards subject to performance conditions if it is probable that the applicable performance conditions will be achieved. The Company accounts for forfeitures when the forfeitures occur.

The Company estimates the fair value of stock option awards subject to only a service condition on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes valuation model. The Black-Scholes model requires the use of highly subjective and complex assumptions, including the stock option’s expected term, the price volatility of the underlying stock, the applicable risk-free interest rate and the expected dividend yield of the underlying common stock, as well as an estimate of the fair value of the common stock underlying the stock option.

The Company estimates the fair value of Earnout Shares awards to employees, which are considered compensatory awards and accounted for under ASC 718 using the Monte-Carlo simulation model. The Monte-Carlo simulation model was selected as the valuation methodology for the Earnout Shares due to the path-dependent nature of applicable triggering events. Under ASC 718, such Earnout Shares are measured at fair value as of the grant date and expense is recognized over the applicable time-based vesting period (the triggering event is a market condition and does not impact expense recognition). The Monte-Carlo model requires the use of highly subjective and complex assumptions, estimates and judgements, including the current stock price, the volatility of the underlying stock, expected term the risk-free interest rate, the selection of comparable companies, and the probability of possible future events. Changes in any or all of these estimates and assumptions or the relationships between those assumptions impact our valuations as of each valuation date and may have a material impact on the valuation of share based compensation arrangements. An increase of 100-basis points in interest rates would not have a material impact on the Company’s share-based compensation. During the period from the date of the Business Combination through December 31, 2024, the Company did not record share-based compensation expense associated with these Earnout Shares as the performance conditions associated with these Earnout Shares were not deemed probable of achievement. Unrecognized share-based compensation expense for these Earnout Shares with a performance-based vesting condition that was not deemed probable occurring as of December 31, 2024 was $6.6 million which is expected to vest subject to the performance-based vesting condition being satisfied or deemed probable.

Net Income (Loss) Per Share

Basic net income (loss) per share is computed by dividing the net income (loss), which is allocated based upon the proportionate amount of weighted average shares outstanding, by each class of stockholder’s stock outstanding during the period. Diluted net loss per share is computed by giving effect to all potential shares of common stock, including warrants, stock options, Earnout Shares, True Up Shares, Subject Vesting Shares and restricted stock units (“RSUs”), to the extent dilutive. Stock options and warrants with exercise prices greater than the average market price of the Company’s common stock for the period are excluded from the calculation of diluted net income (loss) per share as their inclusion would be anti-dilutive. Additionally, RSUs that vest based on service conditions that have not been achieved as of the end of the period are not included in the computation of basic or diluted earnings per share. Finally, Earnout Shares, True Up Shares and Subject Vesting shares are not included in the calculation of dilutive net income (loss) per share if their conditions are not deemed satisfied for issuance as of the reported period. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the warrants, Earnout Shares, Subject Vesting Shares and RSUs were not included in the calculation of dilutive net income (loss) per share as they would be anti-dilutive. For the year ended December 31, 2023, due to a net loss, all potential shares of common stock were not included in the calculation of dilutive net loss per share as their effect would have been anti-dilutive.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, dilutive shares included in the calculation or net income (loss) per share of common stock, utilizing the treasury stock method, were 1,272,270 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options and 225,239 shares of common stock issuable upon the triggering event of the True Up Shares during the third quarter of 2024.

The net income (loss) per share of common stock presented in the consolidated statements of operations is based on the following for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2024				2023
	Class A Common Stock		Class B Common Stock		Class A Common Stock			Class B Common Stock
Basic net income (loss) per share of common stock
Numerator:
Allocation of net income (loss)	$	198,830,017	$	16,865,545	$	(9,932,545	)	$	(1,446,571	)
Denominator:
Basic weighted average shares outstanding		47,964,244		4,068,516		32,680,981			4,759,642
Basic net income (loss) per share of common stock	$	4.15	$	4.15	$	(0.30	)	$	(0.30	)
Diluted net income (loss) per share of common stock
Numerator:
Allocation of net income (loss)	$	199,301,831	$	16,393,731	$	(9,932,545	)	$	(1,446,571	)
Denominator:
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding		49,461,753		4,068,516		32,680,981			4,759,642
Diluted net income (loss) per share of common stock	$	4.03	$	4.03	$	(0.30	)	$	(0.30	)

New Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

The Company is an emerging growth company, as defined in the JOBS Act. Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards issued subsequent to the enactment of the JOBS Act, until such time as those standards apply to private companies. The Company has elected to use this extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until the earlier of the date that it (i) is no longer an emerging growth company or (ii) affirmatively and irrevocably opts out of the extended transition period provided in the JOBS Act. As a result, these financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with the new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.

In June 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-03, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions, which clarifies that contractual sale restrictions are not considered in measuring fair value of equity securities and requires additional disclosures for equity securities subject to contractual sale restrictions. The standard is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. The amendments in this ASU require disclosures, on an annual and interim basis, of significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the chief operating officer decision maker (“CODM”), as well as the aggregate amount of other segment items included in the reported measure of segment profit or loss. The ASU requires that a public entity disclose the title and position of the CODM and an explanation of how the CODM uses the reported measure(s) of segment profit or loss in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources. Public entities will be required to provide all annual disclosures currently required by Topic 280 in interim periods, and entities with a single reportable segment are required to provide all the disclosures required by the amendments in this ASU and existing segment disclosures in Topic 280. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. See Note 15 – Segment Information for further details.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, which requires disaggregated information about a reporting entity’s effective tax rate reconciliation as well as information on income taxes paid. The standard is intended to benefit investors by providing more detailed income tax disclosures that would be useful in making capital allocation decisions. The standard will be effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2025. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this accounting standard update on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses, which requires disaggregated disclosure of income statement expenses for public business entities. The standard is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this accounting standard update on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-04, Debt (Subtopic 470-20): Induced Conversions of Convertible Debt Instruments, which clarifies the requirements related to accounting for the settlement of a debt instrument as an induced conversion. The standard is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2025. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.