F-1/A 1 tm2233006d25_f1a.htm F-1/A

 

As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on June 27, 2024

 

Registration No. 333-271478

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Amendment No. 11 to

FORM F-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

Eshallgo Inc

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Not Applicable

(Translation of Registrant’s Name into English)

 

Cayman Islands   7359   Not Applicable
(State or other jurisdiction of   (Primary Standard Industrial   (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)   Classification Code Number)   Identification Number)

 

12F Block 16, No.1000 Jinhai Road,

Pudong New District, 

Shanghai, China 201206

+86 4006005800

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number,

including area code, of principal executive offices)

 

Cogency Global Inc.

122 East 42nd Street, 18th Floor

New York, NY 10168

+1(800) 221-0102

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone

number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

Copies to:

 

William S. Rosenstadt, Esq. 
Mengyi “Jason” Ye, Esq.
Fang Liu Esq.
Yuning “Grace” Bai, Esq. VCL Law LLP
Ortoli Rosenstadt LLP 1945 Old Gallows Road, Suite 260
366 Madison Avenue, 3rd Floor Vienna, VA 22182
New York, NY 10017 Telephone: +1-703-919-7285
Telephone: +1-212-588-0022  

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

 

If any securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act, check the following box. x

 

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

Emerging growth company x

 

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ¨

 

The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until this Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 

 

 

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We will not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JUNE 27, 2024

  

 

Eshallgo Inc

 

1,250,000 Class A Ordinary Shares

 

This is an initial public offering of our Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A Ordinary Shares”). Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our Class A Ordinary Shares or Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class B Ordinary Shares”). The offering price will be between $4.00 and $6.00 per Class A Ordinary Share (the “Offering Price”). We have applied to list our Class A Ordinary Shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “EHGO.” This offering is contingent upon us listing our Class A Ordinary Shares on Nasdaq or another national exchange. There is no guarantee or assurance that our Class A Ordinary Shares will be approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market or another national exchange.

 

This offering is being made on a firm commitment basis. We have agreed to grant the Representative an option exercisable for a period of 45 days after the closing of this offering to purchase up to 15% of the total number of the shares offered in this offering for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, at the Offering Price less the underwriting discounts (the “Over-Allotment Option”). The underwriters expect to deliver the Class A Ordinary Shares against payment as set forth under “Underwriting” on page 189.

 

Our issued and outstanding share capital is a dual class structure consisting of Class A Ordinary Shares and Class B Ordinary Shares. Holders of Class A Ordinary Shares and Class B Ordinary Shares shall at all times vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote by the shareholders at any general meeting of the Company. Each Class A Ordinary Share shall entitle the holder thereof to one (1) vote on all matters subject to vote at general meetings of the Company and each Class B Ordinary Share shall entitle the holder thereof to ten (10) votes on all matters subject to vote at general meetings of the Company. Also, each Class B Ordinary Share is convertible into one (1) Class A Ordinary Share at any time at the option of the holder thereof, but Class A Ordinary Shares are not convertible into Class B Ordinary Shares under any circumstances. Holders of Class A Ordinary Shares and Class B Ordinary Shares have the same rights except for voting and conversion rights.  

 

Investors are cautioned that you are not buying shares of a China-based operating company but instead are buying shares of a shell company issuer that operates through its subsidiaries and variable interest entities (“VIEs”).

 

Unless otherwise stated, as used in this prospectus, the terms “Eshallgo,” “we,” “us,” “our Company,” and the “Company” refer to Eshallgo Inc, an exempted company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of Cayman Islands; “PRC subsidiary,” “Eshallgo WFOE” or “WFOE” refer to Shanghai Eshallgo Enterprise Development (Group) Co., Ltd, a limited liability company organized under the laws of the PRC and our indirect wholly owned subsidiary; the term “consolidated VIEs” or “VIEs” refer to Junzhang Shanghai and Junzhang Beijing, and 19 individually-owned businesses organized under the laws of the PRC.

 

We are incorporated in the Cayman Islands. As a holding company with no material operations of our own, we conduct our operations in China through the variable interest entities, Junzhang Digital Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. and Junzhang Digital Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., or Junzhang Beijing and Junzhang Shanghai. This is an offering of the ordinary shares of the offshore holding company. You are not investing in Junzhang Beijing or Junzhang Shanghai, the VIEs. Neither we nor our subsidiaries own any share in, Junzhang Beijing and Junzhang Shanghai. Instead, we receive the economic benefits of, Junzhang Beijing or Junzhang Shanghai’s business operation through a series of contractual agreements, or the VIE Agreements, which have not been tested in court. As a result of our indirect ownership in the WFOE and the VIE Agreements, we are regarded as the primary beneficiary of the VIE. The VIE structure provides contractual exposure to foreign investment in Chinese-based companies where Chinese law prohibits direct foreign investment in the operating companies and investors directly holding equity interests in the Chinese operating entities. However, as of the date of this prospectus, the VIE agreements have not been tested in a court of law. We and our investors do not have an equity ownership in, direct foreign investment in, or control through such ownership/investment of the VIEs. Therefore, the VIE agreements do not give us the same controlling power as if we had equity ownership in the VIE. In August and December 2021, Eshallgo WFOE, which is our PRC subsidiary, Junzhang Shanghai and Junzhang Beijing, and shareholders of Junzhang Shanghai and Junzhang Beijing entered into a series of contractual agreements (the “VIE Agreements”) that established the VIE structure. We have evaluated the guidance in FASB ASC 810 and determined that Eshallgo WFOE is the primary beneficiary of Junzhang Shanghai and Junzhang Beijing and their subsidiaries, for accounting purposes, because, pursuant to the VIE Agreements, the VIE shall pay service fees equal to all of its net income to Eshallgo WFOE, while Eshallgo WFOE has the power to direct the activities of the VIEs that can significantly impact the VIEs’ economic performance and is obligated to absorb all of losses of the VIEs. Such contractual arrangements are designed so that the operations of the VIEs are solely for the benefit of Eshallgo WFOE and, ultimately, Eshallgo. Eshallgo has indirect ownership in 100% of the equity in Eshallgo WFOE. Accordingly, under U.S. GAAP, we treat the VIE and its subsidiaries as consolidated affiliated entities and have consolidated their financial results in our financial statements. Junzhang Shanghai, Junzhang Beijing and their subsidiaries are based in China and are engaged in value-added telecommunication services. Due to PRC legal restrictions on foreign ownership in the value-added telecommunication services, we do not own any equity interest in the VIEs. For a detailed description of the VIE Agreements, see “Corporate Structure” on page 121.

  

 

 

 

You are investing in Eshallgo Inc, our holding company incorporated in Cayman Islands, and you are not investing in to Junzhang Digital Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and Junzhang Digital Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., the VIEs, in China. Our subsidiaries and the VIEs conduct operations in China, and the VIEs are consolidated for accounting purposes but are not entities in which you will own equity, and our holding company does not conduct operations. Investors in our Class A Ordinary Shares should be aware that they will not and may never directly hold equity interests in the VIEs or the PRC operating entities under the VIEs, but rather purchasing equity solely in Eshallgo Inc, our Cayman Islands holding company. Furthermore, shareholders may face difficulties enforcing their legal rights under United States securities laws against our directors and officers who are located outside of the United States. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC – PRC laws and regulations governing our current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain and any changes in such laws and regulations may impair our ability to operate profitably. Rules and regulations in China may change quickly with little advance notice. Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to us” on page 48 and “You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing actions in China against us or our management named in the prospectus based on foreign laws” on page 62.

  

Because of our corporate structure, we are subject to risks due to uncertainty of the interpretation and the application of the PRC laws and regulations, including but not limited to limitation on foreign ownership of internet technology companies, and regulatory review of oversea listing of PRC companies through a special purpose vehicle, and the validity and enforcement of the VIE Agreements. We are also subject to the risks of uncertainty about any future actions of the PRC government in this regard. The VIE Agreements have not been tested in a court of law and may not be effective in providing control over the VIEs, and we are subject to risks due to the uncertainty of the interpretation and application of the laws and regulations of the PRC regarding the VIEs and the VIE structure. We may also be subject to sanctions imposed by PRC regulatory agencies including Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission if we fail to comply with their rules and regulations. If the Chinese regulatory authorities disallow this VIE structure in the future, it will likely result in a material change in our financial performance and our results of operations and/or the value of our ordinary shares, which could cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless. For a detailed description of the risks relating to the VIE structure, doing business in the PRC, and the offering as a result of the structure. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure and Operation,” “Risk Factors - Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC” and "“Risk Factors – Risks Related to this Offering.”

 

Additionally, we are subject to certain legal and operational risks associated with the VIEs’ operations in China. PRC laws and regulations governing our current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain, and therefore, these risks may result in a material change in the VIEs’ operations, significant depreciation of the value of our ordinary shares, or a complete hinderance of our ability to offer or continue to offer our securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. Recently, the PRC government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas using variable interest entity structure, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. Since these statements and regulatory actions are new, it is highly uncertain how soon legislative or administrative regulation making bodies will respond and what existing or new laws or regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations will be modified or promulgated, if any, and the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations will have on our daily business operation, the ability to accept foreign investments and list on an U.S. or other foreign exchange. As of the date of this prospectus, neither we nor the VIEs have been involved in any investigations or received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions regarding our planned overseas listing from the China Securities Regulatory Commission or any other PRC governmental authorities. As confirmed by our PRC counsel, Beijing DOCVIT Law Firm, we will not be subject to cybersecurity review with the Cyberspace Administration of China, or the “CAC,” pursuant to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, which became effective on February 15, 2022 because (1) we currently do not have over one million users’ personal information; (2) we do not collect data that affects or may affect national security and we do not anticipate that we will be collecting over one million users’ personal information or data that affects or may affect national security in the foreseeable future, which we understand might otherwise subject us to the Cybersecurity Review Measures. Since these statements and regulatory actions are newly published, however, official guidance and related implementation rules have not been issued. It is highly uncertain what the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations will have on the daily business operations of our subsidiaries and VIEs, our ability to accept foreign investments, and our listing on an U.S. exchange. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (the “SCNPC”) or PRC regulatory authorities may in the future promulgate laws, regulations, or implementing rules that require us, our subsidiaries, or the VIEs to obtain regulatory approval from Chinese authorities before listing in the U.S.

 

 

 

 

On February 17, 2023, the China Securities Regulation Commission (“CSRC”) published the Provisions on Strengthening the Confidentiality and Archives Administration Related to the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Enterprises (the “Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration”), which came into effect on March 31, 2023. The Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration requires that, in the process of overseas issuance and listing of securities by domestic entities, the domestic entities, and securities companies and securities service institutions that provide relevant securities service shall strictly implement the provisions of relevant laws and regulations and the requirements of these provisions, establish and improve rules on confidentiality and archives administration. On the same day, the CSRC also promulgated the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Enterprises (the “Trial Measures”), which became effective on March 31, 2023. On the same date, the CSRC circulated Supporting Guidance Rules No. 1 through No. 5, Notes on the Trial Measures, Notice on Administration Arrangements for the Filing of Overseas Listings by Domestic Enterprises and relevant CSRC Answers to Reporter Questions (collectively, the “Guidance Rules and Notice”) on the CSRC’s official website. Under the Trial Measures and the Guidance Rules and Notice, domestic companies conducting overseas securities offering and listing activities, either in direct or indirect form, shall complete filing procedures with the CSRC pursuant to the requirements of the Trial Measures within three working days following its submission of initial public offerings or listing application. The companies that have already been listed on overseas stock exchanges or have obtained the approval from overseas supervision administrations or stock exchanges for its offering and listing and will complete their overseas offering and listing prior to September 30, 2023 are not required to make immediate filings for its listing yet need to make filings for subsequent offerings in accordance with the Trial Measures. The companies that have already submitted an application for an initial public offering to overseas supervision administrations prior to the effective date of the Trial Measures but have not yet obtained the approval from overseas supervision administrations or stock exchanges for the offering and listing may arrange for the filing within a reasonable time period and should complete the filing procedure before such companies’ overseas issuance and listing. As advised by our PRC counsel, Beijing DOCVIT Law Firm, as our operating subsidiaries accounted for more than 50% of our consolidated revenues, profit, total assets or net assets for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, and the key components of our operations are carried out in the PRC, this offering is considered an indirect offering by domestic companies and we are therefore subject to the filing requirements for this offering under the Trial Measures and Guidance Rules and Notice. As advised by our PRC counsel, Beijing DOCVIT Law Firm, this offering and our listing on Nasdaq are contingent on the completion of the filing procedures with the CSRC prior to our listing on Nasdaq. If we cannot complete the filing with the CSRC in compliance with the Trial Measures prior to our listing on Nasdaq, Nasdaq may not approve our listing application and the CSRC may order rectification, issue warnings, and impose a fine between RMB 1 million and RMB 10 million on our PRC Subsidiaries, which could adversely and materially affect our business operations and financial outlook, and significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer our ordinary shares to investors and could cause the value of our ordinary shares to significantly decline or such shares to become worthless. On February 7, 2024, we received notification from the CSRC confirming that we have completed the record filing requirement.

 

We have been closely monitoring regulatory developments in PRC regarding any necessary approvals from the CSRC or other PRC governmental authorities required for overseas listings, including this offering.  As advised by our PRC counsel, Beijing DOCVIT Law Firm, as of the date of this prospectus, although we are required to complete certain filing procedure in connection with our offering (including this offering and any subsequent offering) and listing under the Trial Measures, no relevant PRC laws or regulations in effect require that we obtain approval or permission from any PRC authorities to issue securities to foreign investors, and we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, sanction, or any regulatory objection to this offering from the CSRC, the CAC, or any other PRC authorities that have jurisdiction over our operations.  However, since these statements and regulatory actions are newly published, it is highly uncertain what the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations will have on the daily business operations of our subsidiaries, our ability to accept foreign investments, and our listing on a U.S. exchange. If we do not receive or maintain such approval (should the approval is required in the future by the PRC government), or inadvertently conclude that such approval is not required, or applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change such that we are required to obtain approval in the future, we may be subject to an investigation by competent regulators, fines or penalties, or an order prohibiting us from conducting an offering, and these risks could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of our ordinary shares, significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, or cause such securities to significantly decline in value or become worthless. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC” for more information.

 

Eshallgo Inc is permitted under the laws of Cayman Islands to provide funding to our subsidiaries in Hong Kong and PRC through loans or capital contributions without restrictions on the amount of the funds. Our subsidiary in Hong Kong is also permitted under the laws of Hong Kong SAR to provide funding to Eshallgo Inc through dividend distribution without restrictions on the amount of the funds.  Current PRC regulations permit EShallGo WOFE to pay dividends to the Company only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with Chinese accounting standards and regulations. As of the date of this prospectus, our Company, our subsidiaries, and the VIEs have not distributed any earnings or settled any amounts owed under the VIE Agreements. Our Company, our subsidiaries, and the VIEs do not have any plan to distribute earnings or settle amounts owed under the VIE Agreements in the foreseeable future. As of the date of this prospectus, none of our subsidiaries or VIEs have made any dividends or distributions to our Company and our Company has not made any dividends or distributions to our shareholders. We intend to keep any future earnings to finance the expansion of our business, and we do not anticipate that any cash dividends will be paid in the foreseeable future. If we determine to pay dividends on any of our ordinary shares in the future, as a holding company, we will depend on receipt of funds from our PRC subsidiary and from the VIEs to our PRC subsidiary in accordance with the VIE Agreements. See “Prospectus Summary - Transfers of Cash to and from the VIEs.”

 

The structure of cash flows within our organization, and as summary of the applicable regulations, is as follows:

 

1. Our equity structure adopt both a direct holding structure and contractual structure. Eshallgo Inc, or Eshallgo, directly controls Shanghai Eshallgo Enterprise Development (Group) co., Ltd., or Eshallgo WFOE or the WFOE, and Hong Kong company, Junzhang Monarch Limited, or Eshallgo HK. Eshallgo WFOE is the primary beneficiary of Junzhang Shanghai and Junzhang Beijing through a series of contractual agreements, under which Eshallgo WFOE has the exclusive right to provide to Junzhang Beijing or Junzhang Shanghai consulting, technical or other services and their respective intellectual property rights in exchange for payments. See “Corporate Structure” on page 121 and “Contractual Arrangements with the VIEs and Their Shareholders” on pages 5 and 122 respectively for additional details.

 

2. Within our direct holding structure, the cross-border transfer of funds within our corporate group is legal and compliant with the laws and regulations of the PRC. After foreign investors’ funds enter Eshallgo at the close of this offering, the funds can be directly transferred to Erayak HK, and then transferred to subordinate operating entities through the WFOE. Within our contractual structure, the transfer of funds between the WFOE and VIEs are also legal and compliant with the laws and regulations of the PRC

 

If the Company intends to distribute dividends, the VIEs will transfer the dividends to Eshallgo WOFE, which then will transfer the dividends to Eshallgo HK in accordance with the laws and regulations of the PRC, and then Erayak HK will transfer the dividends to Eshallgo, and the dividends will be distributed from Eshallgo to all shareholders respectively in proportion to the shares they hold, regardless of whether the shareholders are U.S. investors or investors in other countries or regions.

 

3. In the reporting periods presented in this prospectus, no cash and other asset transfers have occurred among the Company, its subsidiaries and the VIEs; and no dividends or distributions of a VIE have been made to the Company to date between the holding company and its subsidiaries, or to investors. For the foreseeable future, the Company intends to use the earnings for research and development, to develop new products and to expand its operations. As a result, we do not expect to pay any cash dividends. Furthermore, besides the potential tax consequences mentioned below, although we do not anticipate any difficulties or limitations on our ability to transfer cash between the holding company and the subsidiaries, or between the VIEs and the subsidiaries in the future, we have not installed any cash management policies that dictate how funds are transferred between the holding company, the subsidiaries and the VIEs. To the extent cash in the business is in the PRC/Hong Kong or a PRC/Hong Kong entity, the funds may not be available to fund operations or for other use outside of the PRC/Hong Kong due to interventions in or the imposition of restrictions and limitations on the ability of the holding company, our subsidiaries, or the consolidated VIEs by the PRC government to transfer cash. See “Prospectus Summary – Transfers of Cash to and from the VIEs and Subsidiaries” on page 8, “Summary of Risk Factors - Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure and Operation” on page 13, and “Risk Factors - Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure and Operation – We are a holding company and will rely on dividends paid by our subsidiaries for our cash needs. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to make dividend payments to us, or any tax implications of making dividend payments to us, could limit our ability to pay our parent company expenses or pay dividends to holders of our ordinary shares” on page 44.

 

4. Our PRC subsidiary’s ability to distribute dividends is based upon its distributable earnings. Current PRC regulations permit our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to their respective shareholders only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, each of our PRC subsidiaries is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a statutory reserve until such reserve reaches 50% of each of their registered capitals. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends. See “Summary of Financial Position and Cash Flows of Eshallgo Inc, Subsidiaries and the VIEs" on page 11, the financial statement beginning on F-1, and “Regulations on Dividend Distributions” on page 157 for more information.

 

 

 

 

To address persistent capital outflows and the RMB’s depreciation against the U.S. dollar in the fourth quarter of 2016, the People’s Bank of China and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, have implemented a series of capital control measures in the subsequent months, including stricter vetting procedures for China-based companies to remit foreign currency for overseas acquisitions, dividend payments and shareholder loan repayments. The PRC government may continue to strengthen its capital controls and our PRC subsidiaries’ dividends and other distributions may be subject to tightened scrutiny in the future. The PRC government also imposes controls on the conversion of RMB into foreign currencies and the remittance of currencies out of the PRC. Therefore, we may experience difficulties in completing the administrative procedures necessary to obtain and remit foreign currency for the payment of dividends from our profits, if any. Furthermore, if our subsidiaries in the PRC incur debt on their own in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other payments.

  

Pursuant to the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCAA, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board United States, or the PCAOB, issued a Determination Report on December 16, 2021 which found that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in: (1) mainland China of the People’s Republic of China because of a position taken by one or more authorities in mainland China; and (2) Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region and dependency of the People’s Republic of China, or the PRC, because of a position taken by one or more authorities in Hong Kong. Furthermore, as more stringent criteria have been imposed by the SEC and the PCAOB recently, our ordinary shares may be prohibited from trading on a national exchange or over-the-counter under the HFCAA if the PCAOB is unable to inspect our auditors for three consecutive years beginning in 2021. On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, and on December 29, 2022, legislation entitled “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023” (the “Consolidated Appropriations Act”) was signed into law, which contained, among other things, an identical provision to the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and amended the HFCA Act by requiring the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three, thus reducing the time period for triggering the prohibition on trading. Our predecessor auditor, Friedman LLP, and our current auditor, Marcum Asia CPAs, LLP, or Marcum Asia, are not subject to the determinations as to inability to inspect or investigate registered firms completely announced by the PCAOB on December 16, 2021. Our predecessor auditor and our current auditor are based in Manhattan, New York, and have been inspected by the PCAOB on a regular basis, with the last inspections in 2020, and therefore not subject to the determinations announced by the PCAOB on December 16, 2021. If trading in our ordinary shares is prohibited under the HFCAA in the future because the PCAOB determines that it cannot inspect or fully investigate our auditor at such future time, Nasdaq may determine to delist our ordinary shares and trading in our ordinary shares could be prohibited. On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it had signed a Statement of Protocol (the “SOP”) with the China Securities Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of Finance of China. The SOP, together with two protocol agreements governing inspections and investigations (together, the “SOP Agreement”), establishes a specific, accountable framework to make possible complete inspections and investigations by the PCAOB of audit firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong, as required under U.S. law. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong completely in 2022. The PCAOB Board vacated its previous 2021 determinations that the PCAOB was unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. However, whether the PCAOB will continue to be able to satisfactorily conduct inspections of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong is subject to uncertainties and depends on a number of factors out of our and our auditor’s control. The PCAOB continues to demand complete access in mainland China and Hong Kong moving forward and is making plans to resume regular inspections in early 2023 and beyond, as well as to continue pursuing ongoing investigations and initiate new investigations as needed. The PCAOB has also indicated that it will act immediately to consider the need to issue new determinations with the HFCAA if needed. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC – The recent joint statement by the SEC and PCAOB, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. These developments could add uncertainties to our offering” on page 61.

 

We have a dual class capital structure, which will have the effect of concentrating voting control with our controlling shareholders with respect to matters requiring shareholder approval, including the election of directors, amendment of organizational documents, and approval of major corporate transactions, such as a change in control, merger, consolidation, or sale of assets. Mr. Zhidan Mao, and Mr. Qiwei Miao will beneficially own more than 50% of our total voting power after the offering represented by our issued and outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares and Class B Ordinary Shares, and as such, they will control matters subject to a vote by our shareholders.

 

 

 

   

We are an “emerging growth company” under the federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. See “Prospectus Summary — Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company” for additional information.

 

We will not become a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules. However,  Mr. Zhidan Mao, the Chairman of our Board of Directors and Mr. Qiwei Miao, the Chief Executive Officer, will beneficially own 5,856,000 Class B Ordinary Shares, representing approximately 78.67% of our total voting power, or 78.47% of our total voting power if the Representative exercises the Over-Allotment Option in full.

 

Investing in our ordinary shares involves high degree of risks. You should read carefully the discussion of material risks of investing in our ordinary shares. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 22.

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

    Per
Ordinary
Share
    Total(1)(4)  
Initial public offering price(1)   $ 5.00     $ 6,250,000  
Underwriting discounts(2)   $ 0.325     $ 406,250  
Proceeds to us, before expenses(3)   $ 4.675     $ 5,843,750  

 

(1) Initial public offering price per share is assumed as $5 per share, which is the midpoint of the range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.
   
(2)

In connection with this offering, we will enter into an underwriting agreement with US Tiger Securities, Inc. as the representative of several underwriters (the “Representative”). We have agreed to pay the underwriters a discount equal to 6.5% of the gross proceeds of the offering. We will also pay to the underwiters non-accountable expenses equal to 1% of the gross proceeds received by us in this offering. The underwriters will receive compensation, in addition to the underwriting discounts and non-accountable expense allowance, as set forth in the section entitled “Underwriting” beginning on page 165, including warrants, or the underwriters’ warrants, in an amount equal to 5% of the aggregate number of ordinary shares sold by us in this offering, including any shares issued pursuant to the exercise of the Representative’s over-allotment option. For a description of other terms of the underwriters’ warrants and a description of the other compensation to be received by the underwriters, see “Underwriting.”

   
(3)

Excludes fees and expenses, and non-accountable expenses payable to the underwriters. The total amount of underwriters’ expenses related to this offering is set forth in the section entitled “Underwriting.”

   
(4)

Assumes that the Representative does not exercise any portion of its 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 187,500 Class A Ordinary Shares (equal to 15% of the Class A Ordinary Shares sold in the offering), solely to cover over-allotments, at the public offering price less the underwriting discounts.

 

This offering is being conducted on a firm commitment basis. The underwriters are obligated to take and pay for all of the shares if any such shares are taken. We have granted the Representative an option, exercisable one or more times in whole or in part, to purchase up to additional Class A Ordinary Shares from us at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts, within days from the closing of this offering to cover over-allotments, if any. If the Representative exercises the option in full, the total underwriting discounts payable will be $467,188, and the total proceeds to us, before expenses, will be $6,720,313.

 

We expect our total cash expenses for this offering to be approximately $1,128,033, including cash expenses payable to the underwriters for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, exclusive of the above discounts and non-accountable expenses.

 

If we complete this offering, net proceeds will be delivered to us on the closing date. We plan to use our proceeds in our subsidiaries in China, however, we will not be able to use such proceeds until we complete certain remittance procedures in China. See the section titled “Use of Proceeds” beginning on page 71 for additional information regarding the remittance procedures.

 

The underwriters expect to deliver the ordinary shares against payment as set forth under “Underwriting”, on or about       , 2024.

 

 

US Tiger Securities, Inc.
 
 
Kingswood Capital Partners, LLC

 

The date of this prospectus is          , 2024.

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

  Page
   
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY 1
   
RISK FACTORS 22
   
SPECIAL NOTES REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 70
   
USE OF PROCEEDS 71
   
DIVIDEND POLICY 71
   
EXCHANGE RATE INFORMATION 72
   
CAPITALIZATION 72
   
DILUTION 73
   
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS 74
   
BUSINESS 98
   
REGULATIONS 125
   
MANAGEMENT 145
   
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION 152
   
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS 153
   
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS 156
   
DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL 157
   
SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE 166
   
MATERIAL TAX CONSEQUENCES APPLICABLE TO U.S. HOLDERS OF OUR ORDINARY SHARES 168
   
ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES 174
   
UNDERWRITING 176
   
EXPENSES RELATING TO THIS OFFERING 180
   
LEGAL MATTERS 180
   
EXPERTS 180
   
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 181
   
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS F-1

 

i

 

 

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or in any related free-writing prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus or in any related free-writing prospectus. We are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, the ordinary shares offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted and lawful to do so. The information contained in this prospectus is current only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or of any sale of the ordinary shares.

  

Neither we nor any of the underwriters have taken any action that would permit a public offering of the ordinary shares outside the United States or permit the possession or distribution of this prospectus or any related free-writing prospectus outside the United States. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus or any related free-writing prospectus must inform themselves about and observe any restrictions relating to the offering of the ordinary shares and the distribution of the prospectus outside the United States.

  

We are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability and a majority of our outstanding securities are owned by non-U.S. residents. Under the rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, we currently qualify for treatment as a “foreign private issuer.” As a foreign private issuer, we will not be required to file periodic reports and financial statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, as frequently or as promptly as domestic registrants whose securities are registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act.

  

Until and including           , 2024 (the 25th day after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that buy, sell or trade our ordinary shares, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the obligation of dealers to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.

  

ii

 

 

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

  

This summary highlights information contained in greater detail elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary is not complete and does not contain all of the information you should consider in making your investment decision. You should read the entire prospectus carefully before making an investment in our ordinary shares. You should carefully consider, among other things, our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

Investors should note that Eshallgo Inc, our Cayman Islands holding company, does not directly own any substantive operations in the PRC and our businesses in the PRC described in this prospectus are operated through Junzhang Beijing and Junzhang Shanghai, the VIEs in China

      

Prospectus Conventions

  

“PRC” refers to the People’s Republic of China.

 

“RMB” refers to Renminbi, the official currency, i.e., Yuan, in the PRC.

 

“JPY” refers to Japanese Yen, the official currency in Japan.

 

“Eshallgo” refers to Eshallgo Inc, a Cayman Islands exempted company;

  

“Junzhang HK” refers to Junzhang Monarch Ltd., a Hong Kong SAR company;

  

“EShallGo Shanghai” or “EShallGo WFOE” refers to Shanghai Eshallgo Enterprise Development (Group) Co., Ltd., a PRC company that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Junzhang HK;

  

“Junzhang Shanghai” refers to Junzhang Digital Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., the variable interest entity (“VIE”) in the PRC company contractually related to EShallGo WFOE; its registered address is 12th Floor, Building 16, Jinling Capital, 1000 Jinhai Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China, and the actual business address is Room 1206A, Building 3, No. 1501 Jinsui Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, China;

  

“Junzhang Beijing” refers to Junzhang Digital Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., the VIE in the PRC contractually related to EShallGo WFOE.

 

“VIE” refers to variable interest entity.

 

“VIEs” refers to the variable interest entities, Junzhang Shanghai and Junzhang Beijing.

 

Junzhang Digital Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of EShallGo WFOE.

 

Junzhang Digital Technology (Changzhou) Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of EShallGo WFOE.

 

Zibo ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of EShallGo WFOE.

  

Shanghai Lixin Office Equipment Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 100% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

  

ESHALLGO Office Supplies (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai. Its registered address is No. 9, Lane 360, Feihong Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai and the actual business address is Unit 1201, Building 16, Jinling Capital Park, No. 1000 Jinhai Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai.

  

Changchun ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

  

Shijiazhuang ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

  

Guangzhou ESHALLGO Office Equipment Leasing Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

  

Tianjin ESHALLGO Office Equipment Leasing Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

  

Ningbo Haishu ESHALLGO Junzhang Digital Technology Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

  

Zhengzhou Junzhang Office Equipment Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

 

Junzhang Digital Technology (Nanjing) Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

 

1

 

 

Chengdu Junzhang digital Technology Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

  

Hefei Junzhang EESHALLGO Digital Products Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

 

Chongqing ESHALLGO Office Equipment Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

  

Beijing ESHALLGO Technology Development Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

  

Harbin ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

  

Xi’an ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai. Its registered address is Block 4-1-B, Xinqing Yayuan, 17A, Middle Section of Yanta Road, Beilin District, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China, and the actual business address is Room 1003, Unit 1, Hongxin Garden, No. 334, East Section of Huancheng South Road, Xi’an, China.

  

Shanghai Changyun Industrial Development Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai. Its registered address is Room 912, Building 4, No. 209, Zhuyuan Road, Suzhou High-tech Zone, Shanghai, China, and the actual business address is Room 18J, No. 2, Lane 1228, Yan'an West Road, Changning District, Shanghai, China.

  

Shenzhen ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

  

Hangzhou ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

  

Kunming ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

  

Qingdao ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

 

Qinghai ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. is a PRC company and a 55% owned subsidiary of Junzhang Shanghai.

 

   For the Six
Months Ended
September 30,
2023
  

For

the Year

Ended

March 31,

2023

  

For

the Year

Ended

March 31,

2022

 
Period Ended USD:RMB exchange rate   7.2952    6.8680    6.3393 
Period Average USD:RMB exchange rate   7.1232    6.8526    6.4180 

  

For the sake of clarity, this prospectus follows the English naming convention of first name followed by last name, regardless of whether an individual’s name is Chinese or English. For example, the name of our Chief Executive Officer will be presented as “Zhidan Mao,” even though, in Chinese, Mr. Mao’s name is presented as “Mao Zhidan.”

  

We have relied on statistics provided by Beijing Oulixin Information Consulting Co., Ltd. regarding the industry. We did not, directly or indirectly, sponsor or participate in the publication of such materials, and these materials are not incorporated in this prospectus other than to the extent specifically cited in this prospectus. We have sought to provide current information in this prospectus and believe that the statistics provided in this prospectus remain up-to-date and reliable, and these materials are not incorporated in this prospectus other than to the extent specifically cited in this prospectus. Except where otherwise stated, all ordinary share accounts provided herein are on a pre-share-increase basis.

  

2

 

 

Overview

 

Eshallgo Inc (“EShallGo” or the “Company”) was incorporated in the Cayman Islands on June 16, 2021. Through variable interest entity and operating company, Junzhang Digital Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (“Junzhang Shanghai”), we have created an extensive geographical presence, which expands throughout 20 provinces in China. Since the Company has been serving as a dealer for nearly all the globally known office supply brands in China and has built its own ERP system as of the date of this prospectus, the Company management, which has three decades of experience in the industry, believes that these qualities have shaped us into one of the leading office solution providers in China with a global vision.

  

We specialize in two distinct market sectors: office supply sale and leasing, and after-sale maintenance & repair. These market sectors are large and fragmented, and we believe they present opportunities for significant growth through complementary services. Our mission is to become an office integrator and service provider, offer competitive overall office solutions and services, expand our service market beyond office equipment, and continue to create maximum value for customers. We place our customers’ needs, employees’ welfare and shareholders’ value as utmost importance, and we strive to build an enterprise that provides one-stop office solution.

 

Junzhang Shanghai is an authorized distributor of major brands of office equipment, including HP, Epson, Xerox, Sharp, Toshiba, Konica, Kyocera and other brands. Over the years, our business has expanded to encompass all other supplies offices may require, such as office furniture, IT products, water dispensers, printing paper, among many others. We also provide maintenance with Enterprise Resource Planning (“ERP”) systems we developed on our own. Our office total solution systems bring efficiency and convenience in the office. Our management believes that we have become one of the leading suppliers of office equipment for both private and public sector businesses as well as for large enterprises and institutions such as Ping An Insurance, Taiping Life, Centaline Property, Debon Securities, Tongce Real Estate, among others, and we have developed an e-commerce platform for all types of offices. As of the date of this prospectus, Junzhang Shanghai has established 20 subsidiaries across China and obtained the national high-tech enterprise certification.

  

Relying on our team’s rich experience in serving customer as well as technology development over the past 20 years, we have created an innovative cross-region service brand, EShallGo, to provide customers from across the country by addressing their customized office needs. As an independently developed solution provider with our own intellectual property rights, EShallGo is adopting "cloud procurement, cloud management and cloud services” and other powerful tools to lay the cornerstones for our future growth plan. We are in the process of establishing a system covering office services, sales, leasing, warranty service and life-time maintenance covering major cities across the country. We have obtained ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO45001 certifications and other national management system certifications.

 

Although the Chinese economy annual growth rates no longer sustain an unprecedented level of 10%-plus as in the last decade, as 2010 marks the last year China’s GDP grew by 10.3%, the economic activities in China continue to grow in recent years  , and, despite the impact of COVID-19, the demand for corporate office services continues to be a new market growth point. In light of the industry growth, EShallGo is looking to take the lead in this new market by proposing the “Internet & Service E-commerce model.” Although the e-commerce business and related platform is not yet operational and will be launched upon the completion of this offering, EShallGo has completed the initial setup of e-commerce and national service outlets and gained initial success in the market. Specifically, Junzhang Shanghai has set up all service categories on the platform that are in line with the industry by acquiring the ICP certificate and EDI certificate, which are business licenses for e-commerce platform operations in China and could take up to two years to obtain. Junzhang Shanghai has also developed its proprietary software, remote management systems and the mobile applications, all of which await to be further refined and tested to accommodate the business-end users, and to be launched upon the consummation of this offering. Furthermore, Junzhang Shanghai's continuing geographical expansion efforts have resulted in more than 155 service outlets and more than 1,500 registered   technical service personnel in lower-tier cities.  These service outlets have contracted with Junzhang Shanghai through one of its 20 subsidiaries to provide local aftersales maintenance and repair services to largely institutional customers of Shanghai Junzhang. In order to continue its expansion efforts, consolidate its relationship with local vendors, and further promote Eshallgo’s brand awareness, Shanghai Junzhang does not currently charge management fees at this stage and allow the service points to retain all service-related revenues. This enabled us to lay a good foundation for Eshallgo’s future e-commerce development. Our long-term goal is to become a leading service provider for not only office total solutions, but also to expand our service technology to other types of house products.

  

Investors in our Class A Ordinary Shares should be aware that they are purchasing equity in Eshallgo Inc, our Cayman Islands holding company, which does not directly own substantially all of our business in China conducted by the VIEs. Please refer to the information contained in and incorporated by reference under the heading “Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure and Operation” on page 40 of this prospectus.

 

Corporate Structure

  

We commenced our commercial operations in 2015 through Junzhang Digital Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., or Junzhang Shanghai. On June 16, 2021, to facilitate offshore financing, we incorporated Eshallgo Inc under the laws of the Cayman Islands as our offshore holding company. On June 30, 2021, we established Junzhang Monarch Limited, or Junzhang HK, our wholly-owned Hong Kong subsidiary, and on July 22, 2021, we established Shanghai Eshallgo Enterprise Development (Group) Co., Ltd., or WOFE, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Junzhang HK.

 

3

 

 

Due to restrictions imposed by PRC laws and regulations on foreign ownership of companies that engage in internet, value-added telecommunications services and other related business. Junzhang Shanghai later entered into a series of contractual arrangements with EShallGo Shanghai, which we refer to as the VIE (variable interest entity), and its shareholders. We depend on these contractual arrangements with the VIE, in which we have no ownership interests, and its shareholders to conduct most aspects of our operation. We have relied and expect to continue to rely on these contractual arrangements to conduct our business in China.

   

Under PRC laws and regulations, our PRC subsidiaries may pay cash dividends to us out of their respective accumulated profits. However, the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to make such distribution to us is subject to various PRC laws and regulations, including the requirement to fund certain statutory funds, as well as potential restriction on currency exchange and capital controls imposed by the PRC governments.

  

The following diagram illustrates our corporate structure, including our principal subsidiaries and the VIEs:

 

 

 

4

 

 

The following chart illustrates the equity distribution of the subsidiaries of Junzhang Shanghai and EShallGo WFOE:

 

No. Company Name Equity Distribution
55% Shareholder Shareholder Ownership Percentage
1 Beijing ESHALLGO Technology Development Co. Ltd. Junzhang Digital Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Xiaoxiao Li 45%
2 Shijiazhuang ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. Jianfu Liu 45%
3 Harbin ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. Xiaorong Wu 45%
4 Qingdao ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. Kuihou Wang 45%
5 Tianjin ESHALLGO Office Equipment Leasing Co., Ltd Chenyu Sun 45%
6 Guangzhou ESHALLGO Office Equipment Leasing Co., Ltd. Chenfan Zhang 45%
7 Shenzhen ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. Fangpei Zhou 45%
8 Kunming ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. Lizhou Li 45%
9 Xi’an ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. Haichao Meng 45%
10 Chengdu Junzhang digital Technology Co., Ltd. Wei Mai 45%
11 Chongqing ESHALLGO Office Equipment Co., Ltd. Tao Wu 45%
12 Hangzhou ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. Weiguo Wang 45%
13 Ningbo Haishu ESHALLGO Junzhang Digital Technology Co., Ltd. Jianhua Miao 45%
14 Changchun ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. Chuang Li 40%
Zhiliang Mao 5%
15 Zhengzhou Junzhang Office Equipment Co., Ltd. Yonglei Zhu 45%
16 Hefei Junzhang EESHALLGO Digital Products Co., Ltd. Yashen Tong 45%
17 Qinghai ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. Jun li 45%
18 Shanghai Changyun Industrial Development Co., Ltd. Peidong Xia 45%
19 Eshallgo Office Supplies (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. 17 shareholders1 45%
20 Junzhang Digital Technology (Nanjing) Co., Ltd.   Juan Pan 45%
21 Junzhang Digital Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. Shanghai Eshallgo Enterprise Development (Group) Co., Ltd. Zhongfeng Pan 45%
22 Junzhang Digital Technology (Changzhou) Co., Ltd. Wei Zheng 45%
23 Zibo ESHALLGO Information Technology Co., Ltd. Jialiang Wang 45%
24 Shanghai Lixin Office Equipment Co., Ltd. Junzhang Digital Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. 100%

 

1 The 17 shareholders collectively own 45% of Eshallgo Office Supplies (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. are Xiangyang Lu, Lei Ye, Weiping Yang, Yi Wang, Jianli Shi, Saidi Yang, Changnian Huang, Xiang Li, Ying Tang, Bo Ni, Yuanfa Zhang, Jun Zhang, Chunhai Lu, Weihua Guan, Liming Tang, Weihua Li, and Yueran Qian.

 

Contractual Arrangements with the VIEs and Their Shareholders

  

Due to PRC legal restrictions on foreign ownership, neither we nor our subsidiaries own any direct equity interest in Junzhang Beijing or Junzhang Shanghai. Instead, for accounting purposes, we are the primary beneficiary and receive the economic benefits of Junzhang Beijing or Junzhang Shanghai’s business operation through a series of contractual arrangements. EShallGo WFOE, Junzhang Beijing, Junzhang Shanghai and the shareholders of Junzhang Shanghai or Junzhang Beijing or entered into a series of contractual arrangements, also known as VIE Agreements, on July 30, 2021 and December 3, 2021. We have evaluated the guidance in FASB ASC 810 and determined that Eshallgo WFOE is the primary beneficiary of the consolidated VIEs, for accounting purposes, because, pursuant to the VIE agreements, the VIEs shall pay service fees equal to all of its net income to Eshallgo WFOE, and Eshallgo WFOE has the power to direct the activities of the VIEs that can significantly impact the VIEs’ economic performance and is obligated to absorb all of losses of the VIEs. The VIE agreements are designed to render the operations of the VIEs to be solely for the benefit of Eshallgo WFOE, and, ultimately, Eshallgo, which has indirect ownership in 100% of the equity in Eshallgo WFOE. Accordingly, under U.S. GAAP, we treat the VIE and its subsidiaries as consolidated affiliated entities and have consolidated their financial results in our financial statements. If Junzhang Beijing or Junzhang Shanghai and their subsidiaries or the shareholders of Junzhang Beijing and Junzhang Shanghai fail to perform their respective obligations under the contractual arrangements, we could be limited in our ability to enforce the contractual arrangements. Furthermore, if we are unable to maintain our rights as the primary beneficiary over the VIEs, we would not be able to continue to consolidate the financial results of the variable interest entity in our financial statements.

 

5

 

 

The following is a selection of the currently effective contractual arrangements by and among our wholly-owned subsidiary, EShallGo Shanghai, and the VIEs, Junzhang Beijing and Junzhang Shanghai. These contractual arrangements enable us to (i) exercise our rights as the primary beneficiary over the VIEs; (ii) receive substantially all of the economic benefits of the VIEs; and (iii) have an exclusive option to purchase all or part of the equity interests in and assets of it when and to the extent permitted by PRC law.

 

Equity Interest Pledge Agreement

  

Pursuant to the equity interest pledge agreement entered into among EShallGo WFOE, Junzhang Beijing/Junzhang Shanghai and the shareholders of Junzhang Beijing/Junzhang Shanghai, respectively, the shareholders of Junzhang Beijing/Junzhang Shanghai pledged all of their equity interests in Junzhang Beijing/Junzhang Shanghai to EShallGo WFOE to guarantee Junzhang Beijing or Junzhang Shanghai’s obligations under the contractual arrangements including the exclusive business cooperation agreement, the exclusive option agreement and the shareholders' power of attorney and this equity interest pledge agreement, as well as any loss incurred due to events of default defined therein and all expenses incurred by EShallGo WFOE in enforcing such obligations of Junzhang Beijing, Junzhang Shanghai, or their shareholders. In the event of default defined therein, upon written notice to the shareholders of Junzhang Beijing or Junzhang Shanghai, EShallGo WFOE, as pledgee, will have the right to dispose of the pledged equity interests in Junzhang Beijing or Junzhang Shanghai and priority in receiving the proceeds from such disposition. The shareholders of Junzhang Beijing or Junzhang Shanghai agree that, without EShallGo WFOE's prior written approval, during the term of the equity pledge agreement, they will not dispose of the pledged equity interests or create or allow any other encumbrance on the pledged equity interests. The pledge shall become effective on such date when the pledge of the equity interest contemplated in the equity interest pledge agreement is registered appropriately, and the pledge shall remain effective until all contractual obligations have been fully performed and all secured indebtedness have been fully paid. The shareholders, Junzhang Beijing and Junzhang Shanghai shall not have any right to terminate this agreement in any event unless otherwise required by PRC laws.

  

Exclusive Business Cooperation Agreement

  

EShallGo WFOE and Junzhang Beijing, and EShallGo WFOE and Junzhang Shanghai entered into exclusive business cooperation agreements, pursuant to which EShallGo WFOE has the exclusive right to provide to Junzhang Beijing or Junzhang Shanghai technical support, consulting services and other services related to, among other things, design and development, operation maintenance, product consulting, and management and marketing consulting. EShallGo WFOE has the exclusive ownership of intellectual property rights created as a result of the performance of this agreement. Junzhang Beijing and Junzhang Shanghai agree to pay EShallGo WFOE service fees at an amount as determined by EShallGo WFOE. This agreement will remain effective upon execution, and unless terminated in accordance with the provisions of this agreement or terminated in writing by EShallGo WFOE. Junzhang Beijing and Junzhang Shanghai shall not have any right to terminate this agreement in any event unless otherwise required by PRC laws. On July 30, 2021 and December 3, 2021, WFOE executed a supplementary agreement to the Exclusive Business Cooperation Agreement with Junzhang Beijing and Junzhang Shanghai, respectively, which amended the “services fee” to be VIEs’ net income, which is pretax income after deducting relevant costs and reasonable expenses.

  

Exclusive Option Agreement

  

EShallGo WFOE, Junzhang Beijing and each of the shareholders of Junzhang Beijing, Junzhang Shanghai and each of the shareholders of Junzhang Shanghai have entered into exclusive option agreements, pursuant to which each of the shareholders of Junzhang Beijing and Junzhang Shanghai irrevocably granted EShallGo WFOE an exclusive call option to purchase, or have its designated person(s) to purchase, at its discretion, all or part of their equity interests in Junzhang Beijing and Junzhang Shanghai, and the purchase price shall be the lowest price permitted by applicable PRC law. Each of the shareholders of Junzhang Beijing and Junzhang Shanghai undertake that, without the prior written consent of EShallGo WFOE, they may not increase or decrease the registered capital or change its structure of registered capital in other manners, dispose of its assets or beneficial interest in the material business or allow the encumbrance thereon of any security interest, incur any debts or guarantee liabilities, enter into any material purchase agreements, enter into any merger, acquisition or investments, amend its articles of association, distribute dividends to any of the shareholders or provide any loans to third parties. The exclusive option agreement will remain effective until all equity interests in Junzhang Beijing or Junzhang Shanghai held by the shareholders of Junzhang Beijing and Junzhang Shanghai are transferred or assigned to EShallGo WFOE or its designated person(s). The shareholders of Junzhang Beijing and Junzhang Shanghai shall not have any right to terminate this agreement in any event unless otherwise required by PRC laws.

 

6

 

 

Although we took every precaution available to effectively enforce the contractual and corporate relationship above, these contractual arrangements may still be less effective than direct ownership and that the Company may incur substantial costs to enforce the terms of the arrangements. For example, the VIEs and their shareholders could breach their contractual arrangements with us by, among other things, failing to conduct their operations in an acceptable manner or taking other actions that are detrimental to our interests. If we had direct ownership of the VIEs, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to effect changes in the board of directors of the VIEs, which in turn could implement changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management and operational level. However, under the current contractual arrangements, we rely on the performance by the VIEs and their shareholders of their obligations under the contracts to exercise our rights as the primary beneficiary of over the VIEs. The shareholders of our consolidated VIEs may not act in the best interests of our company or may not perform their obligations under these contracts. In addition, failure of the VIE shareholders to perform certain obligations could compel the Company to rely on legal remedies available under PRC laws, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, which may not be effective.

 

All of these contractual arrangements are governed by PRC law and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in the PRC. The legal environment in the PRC is not as developed as in some other jurisdictions, such as the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. In the event we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective power as the primary beneficiary over our operating entities and we may be precluded from operating our business, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands or the PRC would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts against us or such persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state. For a detailed description of the certainties of the VIE arrangements, see “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure and Operation.”

  

Our Growth Strategy

  

Our objective is to strengthen our competitive position, achieve above-market rates of profitable growth through the following key strategies:

 

  · Build an “E-point” office solution;   

 

  ·

Create a smart one-stop solution for all maintenance- and aftersales-related office needs;  

 

  · Expand and improve the features of our existing smart platform;

  

  · Attract new customers and develop new market opportunities

  

  · Supplement strong organic growth with "tuck-in" acquisitions in core and adjacent markets

  

Competitive Advantages

  

Through EShallGo’s overall market rollout strategy, service-oriented approach, as well as the gradual and in-depth advancement of proprietary research and development tools, we will change the traditional sales-oriented model in the industry to more comprehensively and accurately tending of customer needs, improving service quality, achieving time efficiency, and enhancing customer satisfaction. We believe our competitive strengths are based on our management expertise, collaborative results-driven culture, effective business model, diversified customer base and end-markets, efficient and technology-driven operating platform, integrated technology infrastructure, strategically aligned relationships with suppliers, superb quality control and customer service.

 

7

 

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

 

The Company’s operations are affected by the recent and ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) which in March 2020, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The COVID-19 outbreak is causing lockdowns, travel restrictions, and closures of businesses. As COVID-19 outbreak and spread has been under relative control in the PRC and the business recovered gradually since May 2020, our sales resumed as well when we received and fulfilled increased orders from customers. Meanwhile, as more and more people work remotely from home due to the impact of the pandemic of COVID-19, the demand for video conference equipment has dramatically increased, as well as the demand for maintenance service for small office equipment, such as laptop computers, screens, and small printers. As a result, our total revenue increased by approximately $5.8 million in fiscal year 2022 as compared to fiscal year 2021.

 

However, since the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2022 ("2022 Resurgence") in China, the Chinese government employed measures including city lockdowns, quarantines, travel restrictions, suspension of business activities and school closures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Our largest operating companies are located in Shanghai, which temporarily suspended all their business from April 1, 2022 to the middle of June 2022 due to the city lockdowns. In addition, our other operating companies in various cities such as Qinghai, Xi'an, Shenzhen and Shijiazhuang etc., also had to temporarily suspend their business operation due to the local outbreak. During the temporary business closure period, our employees had to work from home and had very limited access to our offices and warehouses. Due to the business suspension, our revenue from sales of equipment was significantly affected as the COVID-19 outbreak and spread caused significant disruptions in shipping and logistics. We experienced difficulty delivering their products and render after-sales services to the customers on a timely basis. Consequently, our total revenues decreased by $5,450,019, or 22.8%, to $18,425,312 for the year ended March 31, 2023 from $23,875,331 for the year ended March 31, 2022. Burdened by protracted property crisis, weak consumer and business confidence, mounting local government debts, and slower global growth, the post pandemic economy in China has been recovered at a slower pace than expected. Due to the declining demand from our customers, our revenue from sales of equipment decreased during the six months ended September 30, 2023 as compared to the same period last year. However, the decrease was partially offset by the increased revenue from maintenance and repair service, due to our effort in expanding of our service segment by developing new customers and products offered. Overall, our total revenue (excluding the impact of foreign currency translation) decreased slightly by 2.6% during the six months ended September 30, 2023 as compared to the same period last year. However, due to the depreciation of Renminbi against U.S. dollars by 8.0%, our total revenues decreased by $960,161, or 10.4%, to $8,283,330 for the six months ended September 30, 2023 from $9,243,491 for the six months ended September 30, 2022. See “-Results of Operations.”

 

Although the spread of the COVID-19 appeared to be under control currently, our PRC operating entities have been gradually recovered from the 2022 COVID-19 outbreak  . However, the impact of COVID-19 pandemic still depends on the future developments that cannot be accurately predicted at this time, we may experience customer losses, including due to bankruptcy or customers cutting budget or ceasing operations, which may also result in delays in collections or an inability to collect accounts receivable from these customers. Although COVID-19 impact on our overall business operations appeared to be temporary, the extent to which COVID-19 may continue to impact our financial condition, results of operations, or liquidity continues to remain uncertain.

 

8

 

 

Transfers of Cash to and from the VIEs and Subsidiaries

 

Eshallgo Inc is a holding company with no operations of its own. We conduct our operations in China primarily through the VIEs in China. We may rely on dividends to be paid by the VIEs and their subsidiaries to fund our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders, to service any debt we may incur and to pay our operating expenses. If the VIEs and their subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us.

 

Eshallgo Inc is permitted under the Cayman Islands laws to provide funding to our subsidiaries in Hong Kong and PRC through loans or capital contributions without restrictions on the amount of the funds, subject to satisfaction of applicable government registration, approval and filing requirements. Eshallgo HK is also permitted under the laws of Hong Kong to provide funding to EShallGo through dividend distribution without restrictions on the amount of the funds.  As of the date of this prospectus, there has been no distribution of dividends or assets among the holding company or the subsidiaries, or to the VIEs or investors.

 

We currently intend to retain all available funds and future earnings, if any, for the operation and expansion of our business, or settle amounts owed under the VIE agreements, if any, and do not anticipate declaring or paying any dividends in the foreseeable future. Any future determination related to our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our board of directors after considering our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, contractual requirements, business prospects and other factors the board of directors deems relevant, and subject to the restrictions contained in any future financing instruments.

 

Subject to the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, which we refer to as the “Companies Act” below, and our memorandum and articles of association, as amended and restated from time to time, our board of directors has discretion as to whether to distribute dividends. In addition, our shareholders may by ordinary resolution declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our board of directors. Under Cayman Islands law, a Cayman Islands company may pay a dividend out of either profit or share premium account of the Company, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in, immediately following the date on which the dividend is proposed to be paid, the company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business.

 

Under the current practice of the Inland Revenue Department of Hong Kong, no tax is levied in Hong Kong in respect of dividends paid by us. The laws and regulations of the PRC do not prohibit the transfer of cash from EShallGo to EShallGo HK or from EShallGo HK to EShallGo, provided that each transfer shall comply with PRC foreign exchange laws and regulations. There are no restrictions or limitation under the laws of Hong Kong imposed on the conversion of HK dollar into foreign currencies and the remittance of currencies out of Hong Kong or across borders and to U.S investors.

 

Current PRC regulations permit our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to EShallGo HK only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with Chinese accounting standards and regulations. In addition, each of the VIEs and their subsidiaries in China is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a statutory reserve until such reserve reaches 50% of its registered capital. Each of such entity in China is also required to further set aside a portion of its after-tax profits to fund the employee welfare fund, although the amount to be set aside, if any, is determined at the discretion of its board of directors. Although the statutory reserves can be used, among other ways, to increase the registered capital and eliminate future losses in excess of retained earnings of the respective companies, the reserve funds are not distributable as cash dividends except in the event of liquidation.

 

9

 

 

The PRC government also imposes controls on the conversion of RMB into foreign currencies and the remittance of currencies out of the PRC. Therefore, we may experience difficulties in completing the administrative procedures necessary to obtain and remit foreign currency for the payment of dividends from our profits, if any. Furthermore, if our subsidiaries in the PRC incur debt on their own in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other payments. If we or our subsidiaries are unable to receive all of the revenues from our operations, we may be unable to pay dividends on our Class A Ordinary Shares.

 

Cash dividends, if any, on our Class A Ordinary Shares will be paid in U.S. dollars. If we are considered a PRC tax resident enterprise for tax purposes, any dividends we pay to our overseas shareholders may be regarded as China-sourced income and as a result may be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of up to 10.0%.

 

In order for us to pay dividends to our shareholders, we will rely on payments made from the VIEs and their subsidiaries, to EShallGo WFOE, from EShallGo WFOE to EShallGo HK, and from EShallGo HK to EShallGo. Certain payments from the VIEs and their subsidiaries to EShallGo HK are subject to PRC taxes, including business taxes and VAT. As of the date of this prospectus, our PRC subsidiaries have not made any transfers or distributions. Besides the potential tax consequences, we do not anticipate any difficulties or limitations on our ability to transfer cash between the holding company and the subsidiaries, or between the VIEs and the subsidiaries in the future. However, we have not installed any cash management policies that dictate how funds are transferred between the holding company, the subsidiaries and the VIEs. Furthermore, to the extent cash in the business is in the PRC/Hong Kong or a PRC/Hong Kong entity, the funds may not be available to fund operations or for other use outside of the PRC/Hong Kong due to interventions in or the imposition of restrictions and limitations on the ability of the holding company, our subsidiaries, or the consolidated VIEs by the PRC government to transfer cash.

 

Pursuant to the Arrangement between Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Tax Evasion on Income, or the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement, the 10% withholding tax rate may be lowered to 5% if a Hong Kong resident enterprise owns no less than 25% of a PRC entity. However, the 5% withholding tax rate does not automatically apply and certain requirements must be satisfied, including, without limitation, that (a) the Hong Kong entity must be the beneficial owner of the relevant dividends; and (b) the Hong Kong entity must directly hold no less than 25% share ownership in the PRC entity during the 12 consecutive months preceding its receipt of the dividends. In current practice, a Hong Kong entity must obtain a tax resident certificate from the Hong Kong tax authority to apply for the 5% lower PRC withholding tax rate. As the Hong Kong tax authority will issue such a tax resident certificate on a case-by-case basis, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority and enjoy the preferential withholding tax rate of 5% under the Double Taxation Arrangement with respect to dividends to be paid by our PRC subsidiary to its immediate holding company, EShallGo HK. As of the date of this prospectus, EShallGo WFOE currently does not have any plan to declare and pay dividends to EShallGo HK and we have not applied for the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority. EShallGo HK intends to apply for the tax resident certificate when EShallGo WFOE plans to declare and pay dividends to EShallGo HK. When EShallGo WFOE plans to declare and pay dividends to EShallGo HK and when we intend to apply for the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority, we plan to inform the investors through SEC filings, such as a current report on Form 6-K, prior to such actions. See “Risk Factors - Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure - We are a holding company, and will rely on dividends paid by our subsidiaries for our cash needs. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to make dividend payments to us, or any tax implications of making dividend payments to us, could limit our ability to pay our parent company expenses or pay dividends to holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares.”

 

10

 

 

Summary of Financial Position and Cash Flows of Eshallgo Inc, Subsidiaries and the VIEs

 

The consolidated financial statements included in this prospectus reflect financial position and cash flows of the registrant, Cayman Islands incorporated parent company, Eshallgo Inc, together with those of its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis. The tables below are condensed consolidating schedules summarizing separately the financial position and cash flows of the registrant, Cayman Islands incorporated parent company, Eshallgo Inc, its subsidiaries, VIEs and VIE subsidiaries, together with eliminating adjustments:

 

SELECTED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 

    For the Six Months Ended September 30, 2023  
    ESHALLGO
(Cayman Islands)
    Subsidiary
(Hong Kong)
    WFOE (PRC)     VIE (PRC)     Eliminations     Consolidated
Total
 
                                     
Revenues   $ -     $ -     $ -     $ 8,283,330     $ -     $ 8,283,330  
Service income from VIE and VIE's subsidiaries   $ -     $ -     $ 180,196     $ -     $ (180,196 )   $ -  
Income for equity method investment   $ 180,242     $ 180,242     $ -     $ -     $ (360,484 )   $ -  
Benefits through VIE and VIE's subsidiaries   $ -     $ -     $ -     $ -     $ -     $ -  
Consulting fee in relation to services rendered by WFOE   $ -     $ -     $ -     $ (180,196 )   $ 180,196     $ -  
Net income attributable to Eshallgo Inc   $ 180,242     $ 180,242     $ 180,242     $ -     $ (360,484 )   $ 180,242  
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eshallgo Inc   $ 74,318     $ 689,770     $ 689,770     $ (1,041,916 )   $ (870,012 )   $ (458,070 )

 

   For the Year Ended March 31, 2023 
   ESHALLGO
(Cayman Islands)
   Subsidiary
(Hong Kong)
   WFOE (PRC)   VIE (PRC)   Eliminations   Consolidated
Total
 
                         
Revenues  $-   $-   $-   $18,425,312   $-   $18,425,312 
Service income from VIE and VIE's subsidiaries (a)  $-   $-   $484,866   $-   $(484,866)  $- 
Income for equity method investment  $477,689   $

477,689

   $-   $-   $(955,378)  $- 
Benefits through VIE and VIE's subsidiaries  $-   $-   $-   $-   $-   $- 
Consulting fee in relation to services rendered by WFOE  $-   $-   $-   $(484,866)  $484,866   $- 
Net income attributable to Eshallgo Inc  $

477,689

   $

477,689

   $

477,689

   $-   $(955,378)  $477,689 
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eshallgo Inc  $

477,689

   $500,953   $500,953   $(813,430)  $(978,642)  $(312,477)

 

   For the Year Ended March 31, 2022 
   ESHALLGO
(Cayman Islands)
   Subsidiary
(Hong Kong)
   WFOE (PRC)   VIE (PRC)   Eliminations   Consolidated
Total
 
                         
Revenues  $-   $-   $-   $23,875,331   $-   $23,875,331 
Service income from VIE and VIE's subsidiaries (a)  $-   $-   $594,924   $-   $(594,924)  $- 
Income for equity method investment  $595,513   $595,513   $-   $-   $(1,191,026)  $- 
Benefits through VIE and VIE's subsidiaries  $-   $-   $-   $-   $-   $- 
Consulting fee in relation to services rendered by WFOE  $-   $-   $-   $(594,924)  $594,924   $- 
Net income attributable to Eshallgo Inc  $595,513   $595,513   $595,513   $1,232,847   $(1,191,026)  $1,828,360 
Comprehensive income attributable to Eshallgo Inc  $595,513   $601,714   $601,714   $1,441,508   $(1,195,227)  $2,045,222 

 

11

 

 

SELECTED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 

  As of September 30, 2023  
    ESHALLGO
(Cayman
Islands)
    Subsidiary
(Hong Kong)
    WFOE (PRC)     VIE (PRC)     Eliminations     Consolidated
Total
 
Cash   $ -     $ -     $ 456,978     $ 3,519,353     $ -     $ 3,976,331  
Service fee receivable due from VIE and VIE's subsidiaries   $ -     $ -     $ 1,262,036     $ -     $ (1,262,036 )   $ -  
Intercompany receivable   $ 902,784     $ -     $ 504,249     $ -     $ (1,407,033 )   $ -  
Total current assets   $ 902,784     $ -     $ 2,250,778     $ 17,238,119     $ (2,669,069 )   $ 17,722,612  
Investments in a subsidiary   $ 1,253,444     $ 1,792,437     $ -     $ -     $ (3,045,881 )   $ -  
Total non-current assets   $ 1,253,444     $ 1,792,437     $ -     $ 2,019,521     $ (3,045,881 )   $ 2,019,521  
Total Assets   $ 2,156,228     $ 1,792,437     $ 2,250,778     $ 19,257,640     $ (5,714,950 )   $ 19,742,133  
Service fee payable due to WFOE   $ -     $ -     $ -     $ 1,262,036     $ (1,262,036 )   $ -  
Intercompany payable   $ -     $ -     $ 458,341     $ 948,692     $ (1,407,033 )   $ -  
Total Liabilities   $ -     $ -     $ 458,341     $ 5,285,763     $ (2,669,069 )   $ 3,075,035  
Total Shareholders’ Equity   $ 2,156,228     $ 1,792,437     $ 1,792,437     $ 8,107,079     $ (3,045,881 )   $ 10,802,300  
Non controlling interest   $ -     $ -     $ -     $ 5,864,798     $ -     $ 5,864,798  
Total Equity   $ 2,156,228     $ 1,792,437     $ 1,792,437     $ 13,971,877     $ (3,045,881 )   $ 16,667,098  
Total Liabilities and Equity   $ 2,156,228     $ 1,792,437     $ 2,250,778     $ 19,257,640     $ (5,714,950 )   $ 19,742,133  

 

    As of March 31, 2023  
    ESHALLGO (Cayman Islands)     Subsidiary (Hong Kong)     WFOE (PRC)     VIE (PRC)     Eliminations     Consolidated Total  
Cash   $ -     $ -     $ 93,276     $ 4,856,560     $ -     $ 4,949,836  
Service fee receivable due from VIE and VIE's subsidiaries   $ -     $ -     $ 1,086,089     $ -     $ (1,086,089 )   $ -  
Intercompany receivable   $ 550,367     $     $ 442,443     $ -     $ (992,810 )   $ -  
Total current assets   $ 550,367     $ -     $ 1,651,034     $ 18,134,551     $ (2,078,899 )   $ 18,257,053  
Investments in a subsidiary   $ 1,073,202     $ 1,102,667     $ -     $ -     $ (2,175,869 )   $ -  
Total non-current assets   $ 1,073,202     $ 1,102,667     $ -     $ 2,437,467     $ (2,175,869 )   $ 2,437,467  
Total Assets   $ 1,623,569     $ 1,102,667     $ 1,651,034     $ 20,572,018     $ (4,254,768 )   $ 20,694,520  
Service fee payable due to WFOE   $ -     $ -     $ -     $ 1,086,089     $ (1,086,089 )   $ -  
Intercompany payable   $ -     $ -     $ 548,367     $ 444,443     $ (992,810 )   $ -  
Total Liabilities   $ -     $ -     $ 548,367     $ 5,498,295     $ (2,078,899 )   $ 3,967,763  
Total Shareholders’ Equity   $ 1,623,569     $ 1,102,667     $ 1,102,667     $ 9,148,995     $ (2,175,869 )   $ 10,802,029  
Non controlling interest   $ -     $ -     $ -     $ 5,924,728     $ -     $ 5,924,728  
Total Equity   $ 1,623,569     $ 1,102,667     $ 1,102,667     $ 15,073,723     $ (2,175,869 )   $ 16,726,757  
Total Liabilities and Equity   $ 1,623,569     $ 1,102,667     $ 1,651,034     $ 20,572,018     $ (4,254,768 )   $ 20,694,520  

 

   As of March 31, 2022 
   ESHALLGO
(Cayman Islands)
   Subsidiary
(Hong Kong)
   WFOE (PRC)   VIE (PRC)   Eliminations   Consolidated
Total
 
Cash  $-   $-   $114   $2,667,281   $-   $2,667,395 
Service fee receivable due from VIE and VIE's subsidiaries  $-   $-   $602,310   $-   $(602,310)  $- 
Intercompany receivable  $2,000   -   -   $710   $(2,710)  $- 
Total current assets  $2,000   $-   $602,424   $16,799,969   $(605,020)  $16,799,373 
Investments in a subsidiary  $595,513   $601,714   $-   $-   $(1,197,227)  $- 
Total non-current assets  $595,513   $601,714   $-   $2,575,249   $(1,197,227)  $2,575,249 
Total Assets  $597,513   $601,714   $602,424   $19,375,218   $(1,802,247)  $19,374,622 
Service fee payable due to WFOE  $-   $-   $-   $602,310   $(602,310)  $- 
Intercompany payable  -   -   $710   $2,000   $(2,710)  $- 
Total Liabilities  $-   $-   $710   $3,850,326   $(605,020)  $3,246,016 
Total Shareholders’ Equity  $597,513   $601,714   $601,714   $9,962,425   $(1,197,227)  $10,566,139 
Non controlling interest  $-   $-   $-   $5,562,467   $-   $5,562,467 
Total Equity  $597,513   $601,714   $601,714   $15,524,892   $(1,197,227)  $16,128,606 
Total Liabilities and Equity  $597,513   $601,714   $602,424   $19,375,218   $(1,802,247)  $19,374,622 

 

12

 

 

SELECTED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 

    For the Six Months Ended September 30, 2023  
    ESHALLGO (Cayman Islands)     Subsidiary (Hong Kong)     WFOE (PRC)     VIE (PRC)     Eliminations     Consolidated Total  
Net cash provided by operating activities   $ -     $ -     $ 46     $ 351,428     $ -     $ 351,474  
Net cash used in investing activities   $ -     $ -     $ (89,833 )   $ (1,163,819 )   $ 89,833     $ (1,163,819 )
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities   $ -     $ -     $ 458,341     $ (265,691 )   $ (89,833 )   $ 102,817  

 

   For the Year Ended March 31, 2023 
   ESHALLGO (Cayman Islands)   Subsidiary (Hong Kong)   WFOE (PRC)   VIE (PRC)   Eliminations   Consolidated Total 
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities  $-   $-   $(9,592)  $793,532   $-   $783,940 
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities  $-   $-   $(443,437)  $1,162,959   $443,437   $1,162,959 
Net cash provided by financing activities  $-   $-   $520,833   $443,497   $(443,437)  $520,893 

 

   For the Year Ended March 31, 2022 
   ESHALLGO (Cayman Islands)   Subsidiary (Hong Kong)   WFOE (PRC)   VIE (PRC)   Eliminations   Consolidated Total 
Net cash provided by operating activities  $               -   $                   -   $112   $216,343   $            -   $216,455 
Net cash used in investing activities  $-   $-   $-   $(2,263,259)  $-   $(2,263,259)
Net cash provided by financing activities  $-   $-   $-   $699,371   $-   $699,371 

 

(a)

Based on the VIE agreements the WFOE entered into with the shareholders of Junzhang Beijing and Junzhang Shanghai on July 30, 2021 and December 3, 2021, respectively, the service fee income from consulting services for the years ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, includes the net income excluding the net income attributable to non-controlling interest since the date of the VIE agreements.

 

ROLL-FORWARD OF INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES AND VIE

 

Balance, March 31, 2021   $ -  
Comprehensive income for the year     595,513  
Balance, March 31, 2022   $ 595,513  
Comprehensive income for the year     477,689  
Balance, March 31, 2023   $ 1,073,202  
Comprehensive income for the period         180,242  
Balance, September 30, 2023   $  1,253,444  

 

Summary of Risk Factors

 

Investing in our Ordinary Shares involves a high degree of risk. Below is a summary of material factors that make an investment in our Ordinary Shares speculative or risky. Importantly, this summary does not address all of the risks that we face. Please refer to the information contained in and incorporated by reference under the heading “Risk Factors” on page 22 of this prospectus.

 

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

  

  ·

Our industry is highly fragmented and we may not be able to effectively compete against other providers. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Business and Industry – We are subject to competitive pricing pressure from our customers” on page 22.

     
  · We may not be able to maintain long-term relationship with our third-party suppliers and extended supply chains, as a result, our business can be interrupted and our product quality may suffer. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Business and Industry – We rely on third-party suppliers and long supply chains, and if we fail to identify and develop relationships with a sufficient number of qualified suppliers, or if there is a significant interruption in our supply chains, our ability to timely and efficiently access products that meet our standards for quality could be adversely affected” on page 24.
     
  · We may face risks related to health epidemics, natural disasters, or terrorist attacks in China. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Business and Industry – We face risks related to natural disasters, extreme weather conditions, health epidemics and other catastrophic incidents, which could significantly disrupt our operations” on page 37.

 

13

 

 

  · Our business is heavily dependent on retainment of key suppliers and institutional customers. See Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Business and Industry – Product shortages may impair our operating results” on page 24.
     
  · We rely on key personnel to maintain advanced technology in the market. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Business and Industry – We may not achieve the acquisition component of our growth strategy” on page 23.
     
  · We may not be able to attract and retain qualified and skilled employees. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Business and Industry – We may not achieve the acquisition component of our growth strategy” on page 23.
     
  · We may face difficulty maintaining our brand image and secure our intellectual property rights. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Intellectual Property” on page 37.

  

Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure and Operation

  

  ·

We are a holding company with no material operations of our own, we conduct a substantial majority of our operations through our subsidiaries established in the PRC and the VIE in the PRC. We do not have direct ownership of the VIEs. We receive the economic benefits of the VIEs’ business operations through certain contractual arrangements. Our ordinary shares offered in this offering are shares of our offshore holding company instead of shares of the VIEs in China. We have not installed any cash management policies that dictate how funds are transferred between the holding company, the subsidiaries and the VIEs, and to the extent cash in the business is in the PRC/Hong Kong or a PRC/Hong Kong entity, the funds may not be available to fund operations or for other use outside of the PRC/Hong Kong due to interventions in or the imposition of restrictions and limitations on the ability of the holding company, our subsidiaries, or the consolidated VIEs by the PRC government to transfer cash. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure and Operation – We are a holding company and will rely on dividends paid by our subsidiaries for our cash needs. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to make dividend payments to us, or any tax implications of making dividend payments to us, could limit our ability to pay our parent company expenses or pay dividends to holders of our ordinary shares” on page 44.

     
  ·

If the PRC government deems that the VIE arrangements in relation to the VIEs do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we may have difficulty in enforcing any rights we may have under the VIE Agreements in PRC and we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure and Operation – If the PRC government deems that the contractual arrangements in relation to Junzhang Shanghai or Junzhang Beijing, our consolidated variable interest entities, do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations” on page 40.

     
  ·

Any failure by our consolidated variable interest entity, or its shareholders to perform their obligations under our contractual arrangements with them would have a material adverse effect on our business. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure and Operation – Our contractual arrangements may not be as effective in providing operational control as direct ownership and the VIE shareholders may fail to perform their obligations under our contractual arrangements” on page 43.

     
  ·

Contractual arrangements in relation to the variable interest entity may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities and they may determine that we or our PRC variable interest entity owe additional taxes, which could negatively affect our results of operations and the value of your investment. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure and Operation – If we exercise the option to acquire equity ownership of the VIE, the ownership transfer may subject us to certain limitations and substantial costs” on page 43.

 

14

 

 

Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC

 

  · Since the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules, we may not be aware of our violation of any of these policies and rules, which can change quickly with little advance notice. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC – Adverse changes in political and economic policies of the PRC government could have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of China, which could reduce the demand for our products and services and materially and adversely affect our competitive position” on page 54 and  “PRC laws and regulations governing our current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain and any changes in such laws and regulations may impair our ability to operate profitably. Furthermore, the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations may change, which could limit the legal protections available to us.” on page 48.

 

  · There are uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and regulations could limit the legal protection available to you and us. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC – PRC laws and regulations governing our current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain and any changes in such laws and regulations may impair our ability to operate profitably. Rules and regulations in China may change quickly with little advance notice. Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to us” on page 48.
     
  ·

Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation of the PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance, business operations, and could result in a material change in the value of the securities we are registering for sale. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC – Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and enactment of the PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations” on page 47.

     
  ·

You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments, or bringing actions in China against us or our management named in the prospectus based on foreign laws. It may also be difficult for you or overseas regulators to conduct investigations or collect evidence within China. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC – You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing actions in China against us or our management named in the prospectus based on foreign laws” on page 62.

     
  ·

Changes in China’s economic, political, or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC – A downturn in the Hong Kong, China or global economy, and economic and political policies of China could materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition” on page 27.

     
  · Chinese government can take regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas using variable interest entity structure, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. Rules and regulations in China can also change with little advance notice, and actions related to more oversight or control of overseas offerings by the Chinese government could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of the securities we are registering for sale, and any related action by the Chinese government could significantly limit or completely hinder your ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC – The M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, making it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China” on page 60.
     
  ·

Under the Enterprise Income Tax Law, we may be classified as a “Resident Enterprise” of China. Such classification will likely result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC – Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law, we may be classified as a “resident enterprise” of China, which could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders” on page 57.

     
  · Recent joint statement by the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or the “PCAOB,” proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and an act passed by the U.S. Senate all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. These developments could add uncertainties to our offering. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC – The recent joint statement by the SEC and PCAOB, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. These developments could add uncertainties to our offering” on page 61. 

 

15

 

  

  ·

We may become subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the PRC regarding privacy, data security, cybersecurity, and data protection. We may be liable for improper use or appropriation of personal information provided by our customers. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC – The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities. We are currently not required to obtain approval from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges, however, if our subsidiaries or the holding company were required to obtain approval in the future and were denied permission from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange, which would materially affect the interest of the investors” on page 49.

     
  ·

The approval of the CSRC will be required in connection with this offering, and we cannot predict whether we will be able to obtain such approval. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC – The approval of the CSRC will be required in connection with this offering, and we cannot predict whether we will be able to obtain such approval” on page 60.

 

Risks Related to this Offering

  

  · The trading price may be volatile, and you may incur losses. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to this Offering – The initial public offering price for our ordinary shares may not be indicative of prices that will prevail in the trading market and such market prices may be volatile” on page 62.
     
  · You may experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of ordinary shares purchased. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to this Offering – You will experience immediate and substantial dilution” on page 68.
     
  · You may not be able to receive dividends for the foreseeable future. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to this Offering – We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future” on page 62.

 

Holding Foreign Company Accountable Act

 

On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCAA. An identified issuer will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies it as having a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, and on December 29, 2022, legislation entitled “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023” (the “Consolidated Appropriations Act”) was signed into law, which contained, among other things, an identical provision to the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and amended the HFCA Act by requiring the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three, thus reducing the time period for triggering the prohibition on trading. If our auditor cannot be inspected by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or the PCAOB, for two consecutive years, the trading of our securities on any U.S. national securities exchanges, as well as any over-the-counter trading in the U.S., will be prohibited. On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB adopted a final rule implementing the HFCAA, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the HFCAA, whether the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction. On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the HFCA Act. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions. On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a report on its determinations that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and in Hong Kong, because of positions taken by PRC authorities in those jurisdictions.

 

Our predecessor auditor, Friedman LLP, and our current auditor, Marcum Asia CPAs, LLP, or Marcum Asia, are not subject to the determinations as to inability to inspect or investigate registered firms completely announced by the PCAOB on December 16, 2021. Our predecessor auditor and our current auditor are based in Manhattan, New York, and have been inspected by the PCAOB on a regular basis, with the last inspections in 2020. Therefore, we believe our current auditor and predecessor auditor are not subject to the determinations as to the inability to inspect or investigate registered firms completely announced by the PCAOB on December 16, 2021. However, as more stringent criteria have been imposed by the SEC and the PCAOB, recently, which would add uncertainties to our offering, and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us after considering the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures and quality control procedures, adequacy of personnel and training, or sufficiency of resources, geographic reach or experience as it relates to the audit of our financial statements. Furthermore, if Nasdaq or regulatory authorities decide to apply additional and more stringent criteria to us, it may lead to our securities being delisted. In addition, under the HFCAA, our securities may be prohibited from trading on the Nasdaq or other U.S. stock exchanges if our auditor is not inspected by the PCAOB for two consecutive years, and this ultimately could result in our ordinary shares being delisted.

 

On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it had signed a Statement of Protocol (the “SOP”) with the China Securities Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of Finance of China. The SOP, together with two protocol agreements governing inspections and investigations (together, the “SOP Agreement”), establishes a specific, accountable framework to make possible complete inspections and investigations by the PCAOB of audit firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong, as required under U.S. law. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong completely in 2022. The PCAOB Board vacated its previous 2021 determinations that the PCAOB was unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. However, whether the PCAOB will continue to be able to satisfactorily conduct inspections of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong is subject to uncertainties and depends on a number of factors out of our and our auditor’s control. The PCAOB continues to demand complete access in mainland China and Hong Kong moving forward and is making plans to resume regular inspections in early 2023 and beyond, as well as to continue pursuing ongoing investigations and initiate new investigations as needed. The PCAOB has also indicated that it will act immediately to consider the need to issue new determinations with the HFCAA if needed. See “The recent joint statement by the SEC and PCAOB, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. These developments could add uncertainties to our offering” on page 61.

 

16

 

 

Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company

  

We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. An emerging growth company may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other burdens that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include:

  

  the ability to include only two years of audited financial statements and only two years of related management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations disclosure; and
     
  an exemption from the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

  

We intend to take advantage of these provisions for up to five years or such earlier time that we are no longer an emerging growth company. We would cease to be an emerging growth company if we have more than $1.235 billion in annual revenue, have more than $700 million in market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates or issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period.

  

Foreign Private Issuer Status

  

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act. As such, we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to United States domestic public companies. For example:

  

  we are not required to provide as many Exchange Act reports, or as frequently, as a domestic public company;
     
  for interim reporting, we are permitted to comply solely with our home country requirements, which are less rigorous than the rules that apply to domestic public companies;
     
  we are not required to provide the same level of disclosure on certain issues, such as executive compensation;
     
  we are exempt from provisions of Regulation FD aimed at preventing issuers from making selective disclosures of material information;
     
  we are not required to comply with the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act; and
     
  we are not required to comply with Section 16 of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their share ownership and trading activities and establishing insider liability for profits realized from any “short-swing” trading transaction.

    

17

 

 

We have taken advantage of certain reduced reporting and other requirements in this prospectus. Accordingly, the information contained herein may be different than the information you receive from other public companies in which you hold equity securities.

 

In addition, in accordance with the rules and regulations of Nasdaq, we may choose to comply with home country governance requirements and certain exemptions thereunder rather than complying with Nasdaq corporate governance standards. We may choose to take advantage of the following exemptions afforded to foreign private issuers:

 

·Exemption from the Nasdaq rules applicable to domestic issuers requiring disclosure within four business days of any determination to grant a waiver of the code of business conduct and ethics to directors and officers. Although we will require board approval of any such waiver, we may choose not to disclose the waiver in the manner set forth in the Nasdaq rules, as permitted by the foreign private issuer exemption.

   

·Exemption from the requirement that our board of directors have a compensation committee that is composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities.

   

·Exemption from the requirements that director nominees are selected, or recommended for selection by our board of directors, either by (1) independent directors constituting a majority of our board of directors’ independent directors in a vote in which only independent directors participate, or (2) a committee comprised solely of independent directors, and that a formal written charter or board resolution, as applicable, addressing the nominations process is adopted.

 

Furthermore, Nasdaq Rule 5615(a)(3) provides that a foreign private issuer, such as us, may rely on our home country corporate governance practices in lieu of certain of the rules in the Nasdaq Rule 5600 Series and Rule 5250(d), provided that we nevertheless comply with Nasdaq’s Notification of Noncompliance requirement (Rule 5625), the Voting Rights requirement (Rule 5640) and that we have an audit committee that satisfies Rule 5605(c)(3), consisting of committee members that meet the independence requirements of Rule 5605(c)(2)(A)(ii). If we rely on our home country corporate governance practices in lieu of certain of the rules of Nasdaq, our shareholders may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of Nasdaq. If we choose to do so, we may utilize these exemptions for as long as we continue to qualify as a foreign private issuer.

   

Following this offering, we intend to rely on home country practice to be exempted from the corporate governance requirements that we have a majority of independent directors on our board of directors and the audit committee of our board of directors has at least one financial expert. As a result, we will not have a majority of independent directors as required by Rule 5605(b)(1) and we will not have at least one member of the audit committee who has past employment experience in finance or accounting, requisite professional certification in accounting, or any other comparable experience or background which results in the individual's financial sophistication, including being or having been a chief executive, chief financial officer or other senior officer with financial oversight responsibilities as required by Rule 5605(c)(2)(A). These practices may afford less protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with the Nasdaq listing standards.

 

Holding Company Structure

  

Eshallgo Inc is a holding company with no operations of its own. We conduct our operations in China primarily through our subsidiary and variable interest entity in China. As a result, although other means are available for us to obtain financing at the holding company level, Eshallgo Inc’s ability to pay dividends to its shareholders and to service any debt it may incur may depend upon dividends paid by our PRC subsidiaries and license and service fees paid by our PRC subsidiaries or VIEs, or our consolidated affiliated entities. If any of our subsidiaries incurs debt on its own in the future, the instruments governing such debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends to Eshallgo Inc. In addition, our PRC subsidiary and variable interest entity are required to make appropriations to certain statutory reserve funds, which are not distributable as cash dividends except in the event of a solvent liquidation of the companies.

  

Current PRC regulations permit our indirect PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to EShallGo HK only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with Chinese accounting standards and regulations. In addition, each of our subsidiaries in China is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a statutory reserve until such reserve reaches 50% of its registered capital. Each of such entity in China is also required to further set aside a portion of its after-tax profits to fund the employee welfare fund, although the amount to be set aside, if any, is determined at the discretion of its board of directors. Although the statutory reserves can be used, among other ways, to increase the registered capital and eliminate future losses in excess of retained earnings of the respective companies, the reserve funds are not distributable as cash dividends except in the event of liquidation.

  

18

 

 

The PRC government also imposes controls on the conversion of RMB into foreign currencies and the remittance of currencies out of the PRC. Therefore, we may experience difficulties in completing the administrative procedures necessary to obtain and remit foreign currency for the payment of dividends from our profits, if any. Furthermore, if our subsidiaries in the PRC incur debt on their own in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other payments. If we or our subsidiaries are unable to receive all of the revenues from our operations through the current VIE Agreements, we may be unable to pay dividends on our ordinary shares.

  

Cash dividends, if any, on our ordinary shares will be paid in U.S. dollars. If we are considered a PRC tax resident enterprise for tax purposes, any dividends we pay to our overseas shareholders may be regarded as China-sourced income and as a result may be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of up to 10.0%.

  

In order for us to pay dividends to our shareholders, we will rely on payments made from Junzhang Shanghai to EShallGo WFOE, pursuant to VIE Agreements between them, and the distribution of such payments to EShallGo HK as dividends from EShallGo WFOE. Certain payments from Junzhang Shanghai to EShallGo WFOE are subject to PRC taxes, including business taxes and VAT. To date, we have not paid any amounts to EShallGo WFOE pursuant to the VIE Agreements but will in the future.

  

Pursuant to the Arrangement between Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Tax Evasion on Income, or the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement, the 10% withholding tax rate may be lowered to 5% if a Hong Kong resident enterprise owns no less than 25% of a PRC project. However, the 5% withholding tax rate does not automatically apply and certain requirements must be satisfied, including without limitation that (a) the Hong Kong project must be the beneficial owner of the relevant dividends; and (b) the Hong Kong project must directly hold no less than 25% share ownership in the PRC project during the 12 consecutive months preceding its receipt of the dividends. In current practice, a Hong Kong project must obtain a tax resident certificate from the Hong Kong tax authority to apply for the 5% lower PRC withholding tax rate. As the Hong Kong tax authority will issue such a tax resident certificate on a case-by-case basis, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority and enjoy the preferential withholding tax rate of 5% under the Double Taxation Arrangement with respect to dividends to be paid by our PRC subsidiary to its immediate holding company, EShallGo HK. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not applied for the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority. EShallGo HK intends to apply for the tax resident certificate when WFOE plans to declare and pay dividends to EShallGo HK. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure and Operation – We are a holding company, and will rely on dividends paid by our subsidiaries for our cash needs. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to make dividend payments to us, or any tax implications of making dividend payments to us, could limit our ability to pay our parent company expenses or pay dividends to holders of our ordinary shares.” “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC – We are a holding company and we rely on our subsidiaries for funding dividend payments, which are subject to restrictions under PRC laws.”

  

Regulatory Permissions

 

As of the date of this prospectus, our PRC subsidiaries have obtained all necessary licenses, permissions, or approvals that are required for conducting our operations in China, such as business licenses and value-added telecommunications business licenses. However, it is uncertain whether we or our PRC subsidiaries will be required to obtain additional approvals, licenses, or permits in connection with our business operations pursuant to evolving PRC laws and regulations, and whether we would be able to obtain and renew such approvals on a timely basis or at all. Failing to do so could result in a material change in our operations, and the value of our Ordinary Shares could depreciate significantly or become worthless.

 

As of the date of this prospectus, as advised by our PRC counsel, Beijing DOCVIC law firm, we, our subsidiaries and VIEs, (1) are not required to obtain permissions from any PRC authorities to operate our business or issue our securities to foreign investors, (2) are not subject to permission requirements from the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, the Cyberspace Administration of China, or the CAC, or any other PRC governmental agencies that is required to approve our PRC subsidiaries’ operations, and (3) have not received or were denial such permission by any PRC authorities. Given the current PRC regulatory environment, it is uncertain when and whether we or our subsidiaries will be required to obtain permission from the PRC government to list on the U.S. exchanges in the future, and even when such permission is obtained, whether it will be denied or rescinded. We have been closely monitoring regulatory developments in China regarding any necessary approvals from the CSRC, CAC or other PRC governmental authorities. However, there remains significant uncertainty as to the enactment, interpretation and implementation of regulatory requirements related to overseas securities offerings and other capital market activities. If we and our subsidiaries (1) do not receive or maintain such permissions or approvals, should the approval is required in the future by the PRC government, (2) inadvertently conclude that such permissions or approvals are not required, or (3 ) applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and we are required to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future, our operations and financial conditions could be materially adversely affected, and our ability to offer securities to investors could be significantly limited or completely hindered and the securities currently being offered may substantially decline in value and be worthless. 

 

On August 8, 2006, six PRC regulatory agencies jointly adopted the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, which came into effect on September 8, 2006 and were amended on June 22, 2009. The M&A Rules requires that an offshore special purpose vehicle formed for overseas listing purposes and controlled directly or indirectly by the PRC Citizens shall obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to overseas listing and trading of such special purpose vehicle’s securities on an overseas stock exchange. Based on our understanding of the Chinese laws and regulations in effect at the time of this prospectus, we will not be required to submit an application to the CSRC for its approval of this offering and the listing and trading of our Ordinary Shares on the Nasdaq under the M&A Rules. However, there remains some uncertainty as to how the M&A Rules will be interpreted or implemented, and the opinions of our PRC counsel, Beijing Docvit Law Firm, summarized above are subject to any new laws, rules and regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations in any form relating to the M&A Rules. We cannot assure you that relevant Chinese government agencies, including the CSRC, would reach the same conclusion.

 

19

 

 

Recently, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities, which were made available to the public on July 6, 2021. The Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities, and the need to strengthen the supervision over overseas listings by Chinese companies. Pursuant to the Opinions, Chinese regulators are required to accelerate rulemaking related to the overseas issuance and listing of securities, and update the existing laws and regulations related to data security, cross-border data flow, and management of confidential information. Numerous regulations, guidelines and other measures are expected to be adopted under the umbrella of or in addition to the Cybersecurity Law and Data Security Law. As of the date of this prospectus, no official guidance or related implementation rules have been issued. As a result, the Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities remain unclear on how they will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant PRC governmental authorities.

 

On December 28, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China, or CAC, jointly with the relevant authorities formally published Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) which will take effect on February 15, 2022 and replace the former Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2020). Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) stipulates that operators of critical information infrastructure purchasing network products and services, and online platform operator (together with the operators of critical information infrastructure, the “Operators”) carrying out data processing activities that affect or may affect national security, shall conduct a cybersecurity review, any online platform operator who controls more than one million users’ personal information must go through a cybersecurity review by the cybersecurity review office if it seeks to be listed in a foreign country. Since we are not an Operator, nor do we control more than one million users’ personal information, we would not be required to apply for a cybersecurity review under the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021).

 

According to the Notice on the Administrative Arrangements for the Filing of the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies from the CSRC, or “the CSRC Notice,” the domestic companies that have already been listed overseas before the effective date of the Trial Measures (namely, March 31, 2023) shall be deemed as existing issuers (the “Existing Issuers”). Existing Issuers are not required to complete the filing procedures immediately, and they shall be required to file with the CSRC for any subsequent offerings.

 

On February 24, 2023, the CSRC, together with the MOF, National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China, revised the Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives Administration for Overseas Securities Offering and Listing, which were issued by the CSRC and National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China in 2009, or the “Provisions.” The revised Provisions were issued under the title the “Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies”, and came into effect on March 31, 2023 together with the Trial Measures. One of the major revisions to the revised Provisions is expanding their application to cover indirect overseas offering and listing, as is consistent with the Trial Measures. The revised Provisions require that, among other things, (a) a domestic company that plans to, either directly or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals or entities including securities companies, securities service providers and overseas regulators, any documents and materials that contain state secrets or working secrets of government agencies, shall first obtain approval from competent authorities according to law, and file with the secrecy administrative department at the same level; and (b) a domestic company that plans to, either directly or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals and entities including securities companies, securities service providers and overseas regulators, any other documents and materials that, if leaked, will be detrimental to national security or public interest, shall strictly fulfill relevant procedures stipulated by applicable national regulations. The companies that have already been listed on overseas stock exchanges or have obtained the approval from overseas supervision administrations or stock exchanges for its offering and listing and will complete their overseas offering and listing prior to September 30, 2023 are not required to make immediate filings for its listing yet need to make filings for subsequent offerings in accordance with the Trial Measures. The companies that have already submitted an application for an initial public offering to overseas supervision administrations prior to the effective date of the Trial Measures but have not yet obtained the approval from overseas supervision administrations or stock exchanges for the offering and listing may arrange for the filing within a reasonable time period and should complete the filing procedure before such companies’ overseas issuance and listing. The revised Provisions came into effect on March 31, 2023. Any failure or perceived failure by our Company or our PRC subsidiaries to comply with the above confidentiality and archives administration requirements under the revised Provisions and other PRC laws and regulations may result in the relevant entities being held legally liable by competent authorities, and referred to the judicial organ to be investigated for criminal liability if suspected of committing a crime.

 

As advised by our PRC counsel, Beijing DOCVIT Law Firm, as our operating subsidiaries accounted for more than 50% of our consolidated revenues, profit, total assets or net assets for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2022 and 2023, and the key components of our operations are carried out in the PRC, this offering is considered an indirect offering by domestic companies and we are therefore subject to the filing requirements for this offering under the Trial Measures and Guidance Rules and Notice. Regardless of whether this offering will be subject to any filing requirements with the CSRC under the Trial Measures and the revised Provisions, any future securities offerings and listings outside of mainland China by our Company, including, but not limited to, follow-on offerings, secondary listings, and going private transactions, will be subject to the filing requirements with the CSRC under the Trial Measures. This offering and our listing on Nasdaq are contingent on the completion of the filing procedures with the CSRC prior to our listing on Nasdaq. On February 7, 2024, we received received notification from the CSRC confirming that we have completed the record filing requirement.

 

However, as the Trial Measures have just recently been released, uncertainties remain as to proper practices and interpretations and implementations with respect thereto which may subject us to additional procedural requirements in this offering and future financial activities. We cannot assure you that we can accomplish the required filings or other regulatory procedures in a timely manner, or at all. In addition, if the CSRC or other regulatory authorities later promulgate new rules or explanations requiring that we obtain their approvals or accomplish the required filing or other regulatory procedures for this offering.

 

As further advised by our PRC counsel, Beijing DOCVIT Law Firm, as of the date of this prospectus, although we are required to complete certain filing procedure in connection with our offering (including this offering and any subsequent offering) and listing under the Trial Measures, no relevant PRC laws or regulations in effect require that we obtain approval or permission from any PRC authorities to issue securities to foreign investors, and we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, sanction, or any regulatory objection to this offering from the CSRC, the CAC, or any other PRC authorities that have jurisdiction over our operations. If we do not receive or maintain such approval (should the approval is required in the future by the PRC government), or inadvertently conclude that such approval is not required, or applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change such that we are required to obtain approval in the future, we may be subject to an investigation by competent regulators, fines or penalties, or an order prohibiting us from conducting an offering, and these risks could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of our ordinary shares, significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, or cause such securities to significantly decline in value or become worthless.

 

For more detailed description, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC— The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities. We are currently not required to obtain approval from Chinese authorities to list on U.S exchanges, however, if the VIE or the holding company were required to obtain approval in the future and were denied permission from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange, which would materially affect the interest of the investors..” on page 49 and “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC—We may become subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the PRC regarding privacy, data security, cybersecurity, and data protection. We may be liable for improper use or appropriation of personal information provided by our customers.” on page 34.

 

20

 

 

Corporate Information

 

Our principal executive office is located at Room 2554, No. 70, Lane 818, Xianing Road, Jinshan Industrial Zone, Shanghai, China 201506. The telephone number of our principal executive offices is +86-4006005800. Our registered office provider in the Cayman Islands is Vistra (Cayman) Limited. Our registered office in the Cayman Islands is located at P.O. Box 31119 Grand Pavilion, Hibiscus Way, 802 West Bay Road, Grand Cayman, KY1-1205, Cayman Islands. Our agent for service of process in the United States is Cogency Global Inc., located at 122 East 42nd Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10168. We maintain a website at http://www.eshallgo.com/. We do not incorporate the information on our website into this prospectus and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this prospectus.

 

The Offering

 

Issuer:   Eshallgo Inc, a Cayman Islands exempt company
     
Securities Offered:   1,250,000 Class A Ordinary Shares (excluding the Over-Allotment Option discussed below)
     
Price per Security:   $5.00
     
Over-Allotment Option:  

We have granted to the Representative the option, exercisable for 45 days from the date this registration statement is declared effective by the SEC, to purchase up to an additional 15% of the total number of Class A Ordinary Shares to be offered by the Company in this offering. 

     
Capitalization:   As of the date of this prospectus, the authorized share capital of the Company is US$10,000 divided into 100,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each comprising (i) 90,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares; and (ii) 10,000,000 Class B Ordinary Shares, of which 14,629,000 Class A Ordinary Shares and 5,856,000 Class B Ordinary Shares are issued and outstanding. 
     
Ordinary Shares to be Outstanding after the Offering:  

15,879,000 Class A Ordinary Shares and 5,856,000 Class B Ordinary Shares, or 16,066,500 Class A Ordinary Shares if the Representative exercises the Over-Allotment Option in full and 5,856,000 Class B Ordinary Shares.

 

The numbers do not include any of the up to 62,500 Class A Ordinary Shares underlying the underwriters’ warrants. Our authorized share capital upon the completion of this offering will be US$10,000 divided into 100,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each, comprised of (i) 90,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares, and (ii) 10,000,000 Class B Ordinary Shares. See “Description of Share Capital.”

 

Voting Rights:  

●     Each  Class A Ordinary Share shall entitle the holder thereof to one (1) vote on all matters subject to vote at general meetings of the Company. 

●     Each Class B Ordinary Share shall entitle the holder thereof to ten (10) votes on all matters subject to vote at general meetings of the Company. 

●     Holders of Class A Ordinary Shares and Class B Ordinary Share shall at all times vote together as one class on all resolutions submitted to a vote by the shareholders. 

●     Mr. Zhidan Mao, the Chairman of our Board of Directors and Mr. Qiwei Miao, our Chief Executive Officer, will together beneficially own approximately 78.67% of the total voting power, or 78.47% of our total voting power if the Representative exercises the Over-Allotment Option in full, of our issued and outstanding share capital following the completion of this offering and will have the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted to our shareholders for approval, including the election of our directors and the approval of any change in control transaction. See the sections titled “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” and “Description of Share Capital” for additional information.

 

Gross Proceeds:  

$6,250,000, based on an initial public offering price of $5.00 per Class A Ordinary Share, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, or $7,187,500 if the Representative exercises the Over-Allotment Option in full, less underwriters discounts, non-accountable expense allowance and estimated offering expenses.  See “Underwriting.”

 

21

 

 

Risk Factors:   Investing in these securities involves a high degree of risk. As an investor, you should be able to bear a complete loss of your investment. You should carefully consider the information set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus starting on page 22 before deciding to invest in our Class A Ordinary Shares.

 

Closing of Offering:  

The offering contemplated by this prospectus will close or terminate, as the case may be, upon the earlier of: (i) a date mutually acceptable to us and the Representative or (ii)       , 2024. If we complete this offering, net proceeds will be delivered to us on the closing date (such closing date being the above mutually acceptable date on or before       , 2024). We will not complete this offering unless our application to list on the Nasdaq Capital Market is approved.

Use of Proceeds:   We intend to use the proceeds from this offering for software research and development and business expansion. See “Use of Proceeds” for more information.
Dividend Policy:   We have no present plans to declare dividends and plan to retain our earnings to continue to grow our business.
Transfer Agent:   Transhare Corporation
Exchange:  

We have applied to list our Class A Ordinary Shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market (Nasdaq-CM). We cannot guarantee that we will be successful in listing on Nasdaq; however, we will not complete this offering unless we receive conditional approval letter.

Lock-up:  

We have agreed with the Representative, subject to certain exceptions, not to offer, issue, sell, transfer, contract to sell, encumber, grant any option for the sale of or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any of our Class A Ordinary Shares or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our Class A Ordinary Shares for a period of 90 days after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part of this prospectus without the prior written consent of the Representative.

   

In addition, each of our officers, directors, and principal shareholders (defined as owners of 5% or more of our Ordinary Shares) agrees not to offer, issue, sell, contract to sell, encumber, grant any option for the sale of or otherwise dispose of any shares of our Class A Ordinary Shares or other securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Class A Ordinary Shares for a period of 180 days after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part without the prior written consent of the Representative.

   

See “Shares Eligible for Future Sale” and “Underwriting” for more information.

Proposed Trading Symbol:   EHGO

 

RISK FACTORS

 

An investment in our ordinary shares involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to invest in our ordinary shares, you should consider carefully the risks described below, together with all of the other information set forth in this prospectus, including the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow could be materially and adversely affected, which could cause the trading price of our ordinary shares to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment. The risks described below and in the documents referenced above are not the only ones that we face. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business. You should only consider investing in our ordinary shares if you can bear the risk of loss of your entire investment.

 

Risks Related to Our Business

 

We may be unable to achieve or maintain profitability.

 

We have set goals to achieve profitability and if achieved, to progressively improve our profitability over time by growing our sales, increasing our gross margin and reducing our expenses as a percentage of sales. There can be no assurance that we will achieve our enhanced profitability goals. Factors that could significantly adversely affect our efforts to achieve these goals include, but are not limited to, the failure to:

 

·grow our revenue through organic growth or through future acquisitions;

 

·improve our revenue mix by investing (including through acquisitions) in businesses that provide higher margins than we have been able to generate historically;

 

  · Reduce the cost of supply and source low-cost alternatives within the supply chain  ;

 

22

 

 

·improve our gross margins through the utilization of improved pricing practices and technology and sourcing savings;

 

·maintain or reduce our overhead and support expenses as we grow;

 

·effectively evaluate future inventory reserves;

 

·collect monies owed from customers;

  

·maintain relationships with our significant customers; and

 

·integrate any businesses acquired.

 

Any of these failures or delays may adversely affect our ability to increase our profitability.

 

The industries in which we operate are highly competitive and fragmented, and demand for our products and services could decrease if we are not able to compete effectively.

 

The markets in which we operate are fragmented and highly competitive. Our competition includes other distributors and manufacturers that sell products directly to their respective customer base and some of our customers that resell our products. To a limited extent, retailers of electrical fixtures and supplies, maintenance, repair and operations supplies and contractors' tools also compete with us. We also expect that new competitors may develop over time as internet-based enterprises become more established and reliable and refine their service capabilities. Competition varies depending on product line, customer classification and geographic area.

 

We compete with a number of local and regional distributors and, in several markets and product categories, other national distributors. Several of our competitors in one or more of our business units have substantially greater financial and other resources than us. No assurance can be given that we will be able to respond effectively to such competitive pressures. Increased competition by existing and future competitors could result in reductions in sales, prices, volumes and gross margins that could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, our success will depend, in part, on our ability to maintain our market share and gain market share from competitors.

 

While we are a leader in the Chinese agile office solutions industry, which remains at an early stage of development. If new companies launch competing solutions in the markets in which we operate, we may face increased competition for membership. Our competitors include global players, up-and-coming local companies and traditional workspace operators. Some competitors may have more resources, operate in more jurisdictions and be able to provide a better member experience at more competitive prices.

 

In addition, contracts with municipalities and governmental agencies are often awarded and renewed through periodic competitive bidding. We may not be successful in obtaining or renewing these contracts, which could be harmful to our business and financial performance.

 

We are subject to competitive pricing pressure from our customers.

 

Certain of our largest customers historically have exerted significant pressure on their outside suppliers to keep prices low because of their market share and their ability to leverage such market share in the highly fragmented office supply industry. The economic downturn has resulted in increased pricing pressures from our customers. If we are unable to generate sufficient cost savings to offset any price reductions, our financial condition, operating results and cash flows may be adversely affected.

 

23

 

 

Our business depends on our ability to offer high-quality product and service that meets user preferences and demands.

 

We rely on our experience from past and current operations to offer, manage, and refine our high-quality product and service, which may not be effective as user preferences and market trends change. If we are unable to expand into new clients or further develop existing clients, our business may be adversely affected.

 

If we are unable to continue to offer high-quality product and service and enhance our product and service offerings, the reputation and attractiveness of our users could be compromised, and we may experience a decline in our user base, which could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

 

We may not achieve the acquisition component of our growth strategy.

 

Acquisitions may continue to be an important component of our growth strategy; however, there can be no assurance that we will be able to continue to grow our business through acquisitions as we have done historically or that any businesses acquired will perform in accordance with expectations or that business judgments concerning the value, strengths and weaknesses of businesses acquired will prove to be correct. Future acquisitions may result in the incurrence of debt and contingent liabilities, an increase in interest expense and amortization expense and significant charges relative to integration costs. Our strategy could be impeded if we do not identify suitable acquisition candidates and our financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected if we overpay for acquisitions.

 

Acquisitions involve a number of special risks, including:

 

·problems implementing disclosure controls and procedures for the newly acquired business;

 

·unforeseen difficulties extending internal control over financial reporting and performing the required assessment at the newly acquired business;

 

·potential adverse short-term effects on operating results through increased costs or otherwise;

 

·diversion of management's attention and failure to recruit new, and retain existing, key personnel of the acquired business;

 

·failure to successfully implement infrastructure, logistics and systems integration;

 

·our business growth could outpace the capability of our systems; and

 

·the risks inherent in the systems of the acquired business and risks associated with unanticipated events or liabilities, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

In addition, we may not be able to obtain financing necessary to complete acquisitions on attractive terms or at all.

 

Fluctuating commodity prices may adversely impact our results of operations.

 

The cost of steel, aluminum, copper, ductile iron, polyvinyl chlorides ("PVC") and other commodities used in the products we distribute can be volatile. Although we attempt to resist cost increases by our suppliers and to pass on increased costs to our customers, we are not always able to do so quickly or at all. In addition, if prices decrease for commodities used in products we distribute, we may have inventories purchased at higher prices than prevailing market prices. Significant fluctuations in the cost of the commodities used in products we distribute have in the past adversely affected, and in the future may adversely affect, our results of operations and financial condition.

 

24

 

 

Product shortages may impair our operating results.

 

Our ability to offer a wide variety of products to our customers is dependent upon our ability to obtain adequate product supply from manufacturers or other suppliers. Generally, our products are obtainable from various sources and in sufficient quantities. However, the loss of, or substantial decrease in the availability of, products from our suppliers, or the loss of our key supplier agreements, could adversely impact our financial condition, operating results and cash flows. In addition, supply interruptions could arise from shortages of raw materials, labor disputes or weather conditions affecting products or shipments, transportation disruptions or other factors beyond our control. Short- and long-term disruptions in our supply chain would result in a need to maintain higher inventory levels as we replace similar product, a higher cost of product and ultimately a decrease in our net sales and profitability. A disruption in the timely availability of our products by our key suppliers would result in a decrease in our revenues and profitability, especially in our business units with supplier concentration. Although in many instances we have agreements with our suppliers, these agreements are generally terminable by either party on limited notice. Failure by our suppliers to continue to supply us with products on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, would put pressure on our operating margins and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, operating results and cash flows. Short-term changes in the cost of these materials, some of which are subject to significant fluctuations, are sometimes, but not always passed on to our customers. Our inability to pass on material price increases to our customers could adversely impact our financial condition, operating results and cash flows.

 

We rely on third-party suppliers and long supply chains, and if we fail to identify and develop relationships with a sufficient number of qualified suppliers, or if there is a significant interruption in our supply chains, our ability to timely and efficiently access products that meet our standards for quality could be adversely affected.

 

We buy our products and supplies from suppliers located throughout the world. These suppliers manufacture and source products from the PRC and abroad. Our ability to identify and develop relationships with qualified suppliers who can satisfy our standards for quality and our need to access products and supplies in a timely and efficient manner is a significant challenge. We may be required to replace a supplier if their products do not meet our quality or safety standards. In addition, our suppliers could discontinue selling products at any time for reasons that may or may not be in our control or the suppliers' control. Our operating results and inventory levels could suffer if we are unable to promptly replace a supplier who is unwilling or unable to satisfy our requirements with a supplier providing similar products. Our suppliers' ability to deliver products may also be affected by financing constraints caused by credit market conditions, which could negatively impact our revenue and cost of products sold, at least until alternate sources of supply are arranged.

 

In addition, since some of the products that we distribute are produced in foreign countries, we are dependent on long supply chains for the successful delivery of many of our products. The length and complexity of these supply chains make them vulnerable to numerous risks, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause significant interruptions or delays in delivery of our products. Factors such as political instability, the financial instability of suppliers, suppliers' noncompliance with applicable laws, trade restrictions, labor disputes, currency fluctuations, changes in tariff or import policies, severe weather, terrorist attacks and transport capacity and cost may disrupt these supply chains and our ability to access products and supplies. For example, if the government of China were to reduce or withdraw the tax benefits they provide our Chinese suppliers, the cost of some of our products may increase and our margins could be reduced. We expect more of our products will be imported in the future, which will further increase these risks. If we increase the percentage of our products that are sourced from lower-cost countries, these risks will be amplified. Moreover, these risks will be amplified by our ongoing efforts to consolidate our supplier base across our business units. A significant interruption in our supply chains caused by any of the above factors could result in increased costs or delivery delays and result in a decrease in our net sales and profitability.

 

We have substantial fixed costs and, as a result, our operating income is sensitive to changes in our net sales.

 

A significant portion of our expenses are fixed costs (including personnel), which do not fluctuate with net sales. Consequently, a percentage decline in our net sales could have a greater percentage effect on our operating income if we do not act to reduce personnel or take other cost reduction actions. Any decline in our net sales would cause our profitability to be adversely affected. Moreover, a key element of our strategy is managing our assets, including our substantial fixed assets, more effectively, including through sales or other disposals of excess assets. Our failure to rationalize our fixed assets in the time, and within the costs, we expect could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

 

25

 

 

The development of alternatives to distributors in the supply chain could cause a decrease in our sales and operating results and limit our ability to grow our business.

 

Our customers could begin purchasing more of their products directly from manufacturers, which would result in decreases in our net sales and earnings. Our suppliers could invest in infrastructure to expand their own local sales force and sell more products directly to our customers, which also would negatively impact our business.

 

In addition to these factors, our customers may elect to establish connections with their own manufacturing and distribution facilities or service intermediaries, thus curtailing our business opportunities to grow our membership base that use our self-devised office total solutions platform. These changes in the supply chain could adversely affect our financial condition, operating results and cash flows.

 

Failure to appropriately evaluate the credit profile of our customers and/or delay in settlement of accounts receivable from our customers could materially and adversely impact our operating cash flow. It may result in significant provisions and impairments on our accounts receivable which in turn would have a material adverse impact on our business operations, results of operation, financial condition, and our business pursuits and prospects.

 

We had $117,970, $256,882 and $486,784 of allowance for credit loss as of September 30, 2023, March 31, 2023 and 2022. Our customers include various levels of government and state-owned entities. Due to the nature of the customers and the practice of the industry, the Company generally allows a credit period of 30 days to its customers. However, our customers sometimes still require additional time for payment, depending on their internal cash flow budget or various levels of approvals. For example, the average accounts receivable turnover period was approximately 129 days, 117 days and 63 days for the six months ended September 30, 2023, and the fiscal years ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Due to uncertainty of the timing of collection, we established an allowance for doubtful accounts based on individual account analysis and historical collection trends. We established a provision for doubtful receivables when there is objective evidence that the Company may not be able to collect amounts due. The allowance is based on management’s best estimates of specific losses on individual exposures and a provision on historical trends of collections. Based on the management of customers’ credit and ongoing relationship, management makes conclusions whether any balances outstanding at the end of the period will be deemed uncollectible on an individual basis and an aging analysis basis. On April 1, 2023, we adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-13 “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments,” by using a modified retrospective transition method, which replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology with an expected loss methodology that is referred to as the current expected credit loss methodology. The adoption of ASU 2016-13 did not have a material impact on our financial statements. We use the roll-rate method to measure the expected credit losses of account receivables on a collective basis when similar risk characteristics exist. The roll-rate method stratifies the receivables balance by delinquency stages and projected forward in one-year increments using historical roll rate. In each year of the simulation, losses on the receivables are captured, and the ending delinquency stratification serves as the beginning point of the next iteration. This process is repeated on a yearly rolling basis. The loss rate calculated for each delinquency stage is then applied to respective receivables balance. The management adjusts the allowance that is determined by the roll-rate method for both current conditions and forecasts of economic conditions. The allowance is recorded against accounts receivables balances, with a corresponding charge recorded in the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income. Delinquent account balances are written-off against the allowance for credit loss after management has determined that the likelihood of collection is not probable. We recorded allowance for (net recovery of) credit losses for accounts receivble of $(126,860) and $196,135 during the six months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, and $336,862 and $7,294 during the years ended March 31, 2023, and 2022, respectively.

 

While we have implemented policies and measures to improve our management of credit risk and have expanded our efforts in the collection of overdue or long outstanding accounts receivable, there is no assurance that our substantial accounts receivable position with respect to our reported revenue (on a net basis) will not persist in the future given the nature of our business. Any deterioration of the credit profile of our customers or any failure or delay in their settlement of our accounts receivable could put tremendous pressure on our operating cash flow and may result in a material and adverse impact on our business operations, results of operations, and financial condition.

 

Issues or defects with products may lead to product liability, personal injury or property damage claims, recalls, withdrawals, replacements of products, or regulatory actions by governmental authorities that could divert resources, affect business operations, decrease sales, increase costs, and put us at a competitive disadvantage, any of which could have a significant adverse effect on our financial condition.

  

We may experience issues or defects with products that may lead to product liability, personal injury or property damage claims, recalls, withdrawals, replacements of products, or regulatory actions by governmental authorities. Any of these activities could result in increased governmental scrutiny, harm to our reputation, reduced demand by customers for our products, decreased willingness by our service providers to provide support for those products, absence or increased cost of insurance, or additional safety and testing requirements. Such results could divert development and management resources, adversely affect our business operations, decrease sales, increase legal fees and other costs, and put us at a competitive disadvantage compared to other companies not affected by similar issues with products, any of which could have a significant adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

 

26

 

 

Interruptions in the proper functioning of IT systems could disrupt operations and cause unanticipated increases in costs or decreases in revenues, or both.

 

Because we use our information systems to, among other things, manage inventories and accounts receivable, make purchasing decisions and monitor our results of operations, the proper functioning of our IT systems is critical to the successful operation of our business. Although our IT systems are protected through physical and software safeguards and remote processing capabilities exist, IT systems are still vulnerable to natural disasters, power losses, unauthorized access, telecommunication failures and other problems. If critical IT systems fail, or are otherwise unavailable, our ability to process orders, track credit risk, identify business opportunities, maintain proper levels of inventories, collect accounts receivable and pay expenses and otherwise manage our business units would be adversely affected.

 

The implementation of our technology initiatives could disrupt our operations in the near term, and our technology initiatives might not provide the anticipated benefits or might fail.

 

We have made, and will continue to make, significant technology investments in each of our business units and in our administrative functions. Our technology initiatives are designed to streamline our operations to allow our associates to continue to provide high quality service to our customers and to provide our customers a better experience, while improving the quality of our internal control environment. The cost and potential problems and interruptions associated with the implementation of our technology initiatives could disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our operations in the near term. In addition, our new or upgraded technology might not provide the anticipated benefits, it might take longer than expected to realize the anticipated benefits or the technology might fail altogether.

 

We may face allegations of damage caused by maintenance engineer infringement, it may have a material adverse effect on the company's operating results and financial conditions.

 

We engage maintenance engineers in two ways, one is to hire maintenance engineers by signing a labor contract, the other is to sign a cooperation agreement with a third party and the third party appoints a maintenance engineer. Even if the labor contract and the third-party cooperation agreement clearly and strictly stipulates work standards , the maintenance engineers may not strictly implement the existing work standards. Although the cooperation agreement with third party also stipulates that any liability arising from the maintenance service shall be borne by the third party, we may encounter incidents of breach of code of conduct from the staff, safety accidents, or even criminal liability that may lead to risks or liability in the future. If such safety accidents, other incidents or the criminal liability are not handled properly, it may have an adverse impact on our brand and ability to operate.

 

We are subject to payment processing risk.

 

Our customers pay for our product and service may using a variety of different online payment methods. We rely on third parties to process such payment. Acceptance and processing of these payment methods are subject to certain rules and regulations and require payment of interchange and other fees. To the extent there are increases in payment processing fees, material changes in the payment ecosystem, such as delays in receiving payments from payment processors and/or changes to rules or regulations concerning payment processing, our revenue, operating expenses and results of operation could be adversely impacted.

 

A downturn in the Hong Kong, China or global economy, and economic and political policies of China could materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.

 

Our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations may be influenced to a significant degree by political, economic and social conditions in Hong Kong and China generally and by continued economic growth in Hong Kong and China as a whole. The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the amount of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. The Chinese government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy, but may have a negative effect on us.

 

27

 

 

Economic conditions in Hong Kong and China are sensitive to global economic conditions. Any slight slowdown in the global or Chinese economy may affect potential clients’ confidence in financial market as a whole and have a negative impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, continued turbulence in the international markets may adversely affect our ability to access the capital markets to meet liquidity needs.

 

We are currently operating in a period of economic uncertainty and capital markets disruption, which has been significantly impacted by geopolitical instability due to the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine and armed conflicts between Israel and Hamas. Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected by any negative impact on the global economy and capital markets resulting from the conflicts in Ukraine, the Gaza Strip or any other geopolitical tensions.

 

U.S. and global markets have experienced volatility and disruption following the escalation of geopolitical tensions, including the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine and armed conflicts between Israel and Hamas. Although the length and impact of the ongoing conflicts is highly unpredictable, such conflicts could lead to market disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, credit and capital markets, as well as supply chain interruptions. We are continuing to monitor the situations in Ukraine, the Gaza Strip and globally and assessing their potential impacts on our business. In addition, sanctions on Russia and hostilities involving Israel could adversely affect the global economy and financial markets and lead to instability and lack of liquidity in capital markets, potentially making it more difficult for us to obtain additional funds.

 

Any of the above mentioned factors could affect our business, prospects, financial condition, and operating results. The extent and duration of the military actions, sanctions and resulting market disruptions are impossible to predict, but could be substantial. Any such disruptions may also magnify the impact of other risks described in this registration statement.

 

Our failure to successfully manage our business expansion, including our expansion into new areas of business, would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and prospects.

 

We made investments in business expansion in line with our development strategy through organic growth in the past. In addition, we may, from time to time and when we deem appropriate, expand into new industries which we believe have synergies with our existing operations. Our expansion has created, and will continue to place, substantial demand on our resources. Managing our growth and integrating the acquired businesses will require us to, among other things:

 

·comply with the laws, regulations and policies applicable to the acquired businesses, including obtaining timely approval for the construction or expansion of production and mining facilities as required under the relevant PRC laws;

 

·maintain adequate control on our business expansion to prevent, among other things, service delays or cost overruns;

 

·accumulate expertise and experience in managing the new businesses;

 

·gain market acceptance for new products and services and establish relationships with new customers and suppliers;

 

·manage relationships with employees, customers and business partners during the course of our business expansion and integration of new businesses;

 

·attract, train and motivate members of our management and qualified workforce to support successful business expansion;

 

·access debt, equity or other capital resources to fund our business expansion, which may divert financial resources otherwise available for other purposes;

 

·divert significant management attention and resources from our other businesses; and

 

·strengthen our operational, financial and management controls to maintain the reliability of our reporting processes.

 

Any significant difficulty in meeting the foregoing or similar requirements could delay or otherwise constrain our ability to implement our expansion plans or result in failure to achieve the expected benefits of the combination or acquisition or write-offs of acquired assets or investments, which in turn would limit our ability to increase operational efficiency, reduce marginal manufacturing costs or otherwise strengthen our market position. Failure to obtain the intended economic benefits from the business expansion could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In addition, we may also experience mixed results from our expansion plans in the short term.

 

28

 

 

We may not achieve the benefits we expect from recent and future investments and acquisitions and our operations may be materially adversely affected by such investments and acquisitions.

 

We have made equity investments in or acquisitions of businesses that we believe may complement our existing business or may improve the experience of our customers. While we believe those initiatives may benefit our business long term, such decisions may adversely impact our short- or medium-term operating results. Further, if the businesses we acquire or in which we invest do not subsequently achieve the synergies we expect or do not generate the financial and operational benefits we expect, our investments and acquisitions may not benefit our business strategy or generate sufficient revenues to offset the associated investment or acquisition costs.

  

Investments and acquisitions present financial, managerial and operational challenges, including difficulty in integrating our operations with businesses we acquire or in which we invest, potential disruption of our ongoing business and distraction of management attention and risks associated with offering new products and services or entering additional markets.

 

We have limited experience in these new businesses and services and may fail to generate sufficient revenue or other value to justify our investments in these businesses and services. Our customers may not respond favorably to our new services and solutions, which could damage our public image and market reputation and adversely affect our business.

 

Growth of our business will partially depend on the recognition of our brand. Failure to maintain, protect and enhance our brand would limit our ability to expand or retain our customer base, which would materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We believe that recognition of our brand among customers and business partners has reduced customer acquisition costs and contributed to the growth and success of our business. Maintaining, protecting and enhancing our brand remains critical to our business and market position. Maintaining, protecting and enhancing our brand depends on several factors, including our ability to:

 

·maintain the quality and attractiveness of the services we offer;

 

·maintain relationships with landlords and other business partners;

 

·increase brand awareness through marketing and brand promotion activities;

 

·comply with relevant laws and regulations;

 

·compete effectively against existing and future competitors; and

 

·preserve our reputation and goodwill generally and in the event of any negative publicity on our services and data security, or other issues affecting us, and China’s agile office space industry in general.

 

A public perception that we, or other industry participants do not provide satisfactory services, even if factually incorrect or based on isolated incidents, could damage our reputation, diminish the value of our brand, undermine the trust and credibility we have established and negatively impact our ability to attract and retain customers, as well as our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our success depends upon our ability to attract, train and retain highly qualified associates and key personnel.

  

To be successful, we must attract, train and retain a large number of highly qualified associates while controlling related labor costs. Our ability to control labor costs is subject to numerous external factors, including prevailing wage rates and health and other insurance costs. We compete with other businesses for these associates and invest significant resources in training and motivating them. There is no assurance that we will be able to attract or retain highly qualified associates in the future, including, in particular, those employed by companies we acquire. A very small proportion of our employees are currently covered by collective bargaining or other similar labor agreements. Historically, the effects of collective bargaining and other similar labor agreements on us have not been significant. However, if a larger number of our employees were to unionize, including in the wake of any future legislation that makes it easier for employees to unionize, the effect on us may be negative. Any inability by us to negotiate acceptable new contracts under these collective bargaining arrangements could cause strikes or other work stoppages, and new contracts could result in increased operating costs. If any such strikes or other work stoppages occur, or if other employees become represented by a union, we could experience a disruption of our operations and higher labor costs. Labor relations matters affecting our suppliers of products and services could also adversely affect our business from time to time.

 

29

 

 

In addition, our business results depend largely upon our chief executive officer and senior management team as well as our branch managers and sales personnel, including those of companies recently acquired, and their experience, knowledge of local market dynamics and specifications and long-standing customer relationships. We customarily sign employment letters providing for an agreement not to compete with key personnel of companies we acquire in order to maintain key customer relationships and manage the transition of the acquired business. Our inability to retain or hire qualified branch managers or sales personnel at economically reasonable compensation levels would restrict our ability to grow our business, limit our ability to continue to successfully operate our business and result in lower operating results and profitability.

 

We do not have business insurance coverage. Any future business liability, disruption or litigation we experience might divert management focus from our business and could significantly impact our financial results.

 

Availability of business insurance products and coverage in China is limited, and most such products are expensive in relation to the coverage offered. We have determined that the risks of disruption, cost of such insurance and the difficulties associated with acquiring such insurances on commercially reasonable terms make it impractical for us to maintain such insurance. As a result, we do not have any business liability, disruption or litigation insurance coverage for our operations in China. Accordingly, a business disruption, litigation or natural disaster may result in substantial costs and divert management’s attention from our business, which would have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

 

We may not be able to identify new products and new product lines and integrate them into our distribution network, which may impact our ability to compete.

 

Our business depends in part on our ability to identify future products and product lines that complement existing products and product lines and that respond to our customers' needs. We may not be able to compete effectively unless our product selection keeps up with trends in the markets in which we compete or trends in new products. In addition, our ability to integrate new products and product lines into our distribution network could impact our ability to compete. Furthermore, the success of new products and new product lines will depend on market demand and there is a risk that new products and new product lines will not deliver expected results, which could negatively impact our future sales and results of operations. Our expansion into new markets may present competitive, distribution and regulatory challenges that differ from current ones. We may be less familiar with the target customers and may face different or additional risks, as well as increased or unexpected costs, compared to existing operations. Growth into new markets may also bring us into direct competition with companies with whom we have little or no past experience as competitors. To the extent we are reliant upon expansion into new geographic, industry and product markets for growth and do not meet the new challenges posed by such expansion, our future sales growth could be negatively impacted, our operating costs could increase, and our business operations and financial results could be negatively affected.

 

Our business will likely require substantial capital expenditures that we may not always be able to obtain at reasonable costs and on acceptable terms. Our results of operations, cash flows, business, financial condition, could be adversely affected if we fail to implement our business strategy, including our growth initiatives.

 

Our company is in a capital and technology intensive industry which may require substantial capital expenditure. We may need to seek external financing, such as bank and other loans as well as bond offerings, to satisfy our capital needs if cash generated from our operations is insufficient to fund our capital expenditures or if our actual capital expenditures and investments exceed our plans. Our ability to obtain external financing at reasonable costs and on acceptable terms is subject to a variety of factors, such as our credit ratings, financial market conditions and our past or projected financial performance. Rating agencies may downgrade or withdraw our ratings or place us on “credit watch” based on their assessment of a wide range of factors. For example, records of net losses may result in a deterioration of our credit ratings. We recorded a net operation cash flow of $351,474 and $906,837 for the six months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, and $783,940 and $216,455 for the years ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. We could incur losses in the future, which may adversely affect our corporate ratings and increase our borrowing costs and limit our access to capital markets. Other factors that may be viewed as negative by the rating agencies may also adversely affect our corporate ratings, such as any significant decrease of market price of our products, any significant increase in our level of debt, any negative development in our ongoing or planned projects and so on. In addition, if financial markets experience significant volatility and disruption, it may result in a decrease in the availability of liquidity and credit for borrowers and increase in interest rate or other financing cost. Failure to obtain sufficient funding at reasonable costs and on acceptable terms for our development plans could delay, reduce the scope of, or eliminate future activities or growth initiatives and adversely affect our business and prospects.

 

30

 

 

Our future financial performance and success depend in large part on our ability to successfully implement our business strategy. We may not be able to successfully implement our business strategy or be able to continue improving our operating results. In particular, we may not be able to continue to achieve all operating cost savings, further enhance our product mix, expand into selected targeted regions or continue to mitigate our exposure to metal price fluctuations.

 

If we are unable to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our ordinary shares may decline.

 

Prior to this offering, we have been a private company with limited accounting personnel and other resources with which to address our internal controls and procedures. Our independent registered public accounting firm has not conducted an audit of our internal control over financial reporting. However, in preparing our consolidated financial statements as of and for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2023 and  2022, we have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, as defined in the standards established by the PCAOB, and other control deficiencies. The material weaknesses identified are as follows: (i) no sufficient personnel with appropriate levels of accounting knowledge and experience to address complex U.S. GAAP accounting issues and to prepare and review financial statements and related disclosures under U.S. GAAP; (ii) ineffective oversight of our financial reporting and internal control by those charged with governance; and (iii) inadequate design of internal control over the preparation of the financial statements being audite. These material weaknesses remained as of March 31, 2023. As a result of inherent limitations, our internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements, errors or omissions.

 

To remedy our previously identified material weakness, we and the VIEs have undertaken and will continue to undertake steps to strengthen our internal control over financial reporting. These measures include the following:

 

  (i) The VIEs to hire new accounting staff and consultant with appropriate U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting experience and qualifications to strengthen the financial reporting function and to set up a financial and system control framework.

 

  (ii) We and the VIEs to complement and continue to develop an ongoing program in the form of online courses to provide sufficient and appropriate training for financial reporting and accounting personnel, especially training related to U.S. GAAP and SEC financial reporting requirements. We have also organized and will continue to organize monthly seminars to provide the team an opportunity to communicate and discuss the courses to enhance their understanding. In addition, we have developed internal policy to encourage our accounting staff to obtain U.S. CPA certification.

 

  (iii) We and the VIEs have assigned, and plan to continue to improve, clear oversight roles and responsibilities for accounting and financial reporting staffs to address accounting and financial reporting issues, especially for non-recurring and complex transactions, to ensure consolidated financial statements and related disclosures are accurate, complete and in compliance with SEC reporting requirements. Entries are made by accounting staffs, approved by accounting managers and reviewed by our Chief Financial Officer.

 

  (iv) We and the VIEs have taken steps to build and enhance an internal control function. Particularly, each department within the VIEs has built, and plan to continue improve, rules for daily operations to ensure critical risks are managed and mitigated. We have also established control matrix, narrative and flow chart to facilitate self-testing and external audit. We are in the process of standardization and documentation of our daily control activities and expect this to complete by the end of 2024. In addition, we plan to build an internal audit and financial due diligence team to assess our compliance readiness under rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act and improve overall internal control on a quarterly and annual basis.

 

However, such measures have not been fully implemented and we concluded that the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting had not been remediated as of March 31, 2023. Due to the nature of the remediation process and the need to allow adequate time after implementation to evaluate and test the effectiveness of the controls, management expects the material weaknesses will be fully remediated in approximately nine to twelve months, and expected the cost to be approximately $160,000 during the curing period.

 

In addition, once we cease to be an “emerging growth company” as such term is defined under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or JOBS Act, Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and related rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, we will be subject to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, pursuant to which our independent registered public accounting firm must attest to and report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Our management may conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective. Moreover, even if our management concludes that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, our independent registered public accounting firm, after conducting its own independent testing, may issue a report that is qualified if it is not satisfied with our internal controls or the level at which our controls are documented, designed, operated or reviewed, or if it interprets the relevant requirements differently from us. In addition, our reporting obligations may place a significant strain on our management, operational and financial resources and systems for the foreseeable future. We may be unable to timely complete our evaluation testing and any required remediation.

 

31

 

 

Upon completion of this offering, we will become a public company in the United States subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 will require that we include a report of management on our internal control over financial reporting in our second annual report on Form 20-F following the consummation of this offering. In addition, our independent registered public accounting firm will be required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting beginning with our annual report on Form 20-F following the date on which we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” which may be up to five full years following the date of this offering. If we identify material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, or if we are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner or assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting when required, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our ordinary shares could be negatively affected, and we could become subject to investigations by the stock exchange on which our securities are listed, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources.

 

Our management team lacks experience in managing a U.S.-listed public company and complying with laws applicable to such company, the failure of which may adversely affect our business, financial conditions and results of operations.

 

Our current management team lacks experience in managing a company publicly traded in the U.S., interacting with public company investors and complying with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to U.S.-listed public companies. Prior to the completion of this offering, we mainly operate our businesses as a private company in the PRC. As a result of this offering, our company will become subject to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations under the U.S. federal securities laws and the scrutiny of securities analysts and investors, and our management currently has no experience in complying with such laws, regulations and obligations. Our management team may not successfully or efficiently manage our transition to becoming a U.S.-listed public company. These new obligations and constituents will require significant attention from our senior management and could divert their attention away from the day-to-day management of our business, which could adversely affect our business, financial conditions and results of operations.

 

We will incur increased costs as a result of being a public company.

 

Once we become a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company prior to our initial public offering. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as new rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and Nasdaq, have required changes in corporate governance practices of public companies. We expect these new rules and regulations to increase our legal, accounting and financial compliance costs and to make certain corporate activities more time-consuming and costly. In addition, we incur ongoing additional costs associated with our public company reporting requirements. We are currently evaluating and monitoring developments with respect to these new rules, and we cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.

 

Increases in labor costs in the PRC may adversely affect our business and our profitability.

 

China’s economy has experienced increases in labor costs in recent years. China’s overall economy and the average wage in China are expected to continue to grow. The average wage level for our employees has also increased in recent years. We expect that our labor costs, including wages and employee benefits, will continue to increase. Unless we are able to pass on these increased labor costs to our customers by increasing prices for our products or services, our profitability and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

 

In addition, we have been subject to stricter regulatory requirements in terms of entering into labor contracts with our employees and paying various statutory employee benefits, including pension insurance, housing provident fund, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and childbearing insurance to designated government agencies for the benefit of our employees. Pursuant to the PRC Labor Contract Law, or the Labor Contract Law, that became effective in January 2008 and its implementing rules that became effective in September 2008 and its amendments that became effective in July 2013, employers are subject to stricter requirements in terms of signing labor contracts, minimum wages, paying remuneration, determining the term of employees’ probation and unilaterally terminating labor contracts. In the event that we decide to terminate some of our employees or otherwise change our employment or labor practices, the Labor Contract Law and its implementation rules may limit our ability to effect those changes in a desirable or cost-effective manner, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Besides, pursuant to the Labor Contract Law and its amendments, dispatched employees are intended to be a supplementary form of employment and the fundamental form should be direct employment by enterprises and organizations that require employees.

 

32

 

 

As the interpretation and implementation of labor-related laws and regulations are still evolving, we cannot assure you that our employment practice does not and will not violate labor-related laws and regulations in China, which may subject us to labor disputes or government investigations. If we are deemed to have violated relevant labor laws and regulations, we could be required to provide additional compensation to our employees and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

 

Unexpected network interruptions, security breaches or computer virus attacks and system failures could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our internet-based business depends on the performance and reliability of the internet infrastructure. We cannot assure you that the internet infrastructure we depend on will remain sufficiently reliable for our needs. Any failure to maintain the performance, reliability, security or availability of our network infrastructure may cause significant damage to our ability to attract and retain users and clients. Major risks involving our network infrastructure include:

 

·breakdowns or system failures resulting in a prolonged shutdown of our servers;

 

·disruption or failure in the national backbone networks in China, which would make it impossible for users and clients to access our online and mobile platforms;

 

·damage from natural disasters or other catastrophic events such as typhoon, volcanic eruption, earthquake, flood, telecommunications failure, or other similar events; and

 

·any infection by or spread of computer viruses or other system failures.

  

Any network interruption or inadequacy that causes interruptions in the availability of our online and mobile platforms or deterioration in the quality of access to our online and mobile platforms could reduce user and client satisfaction and result in a reduction in the activity level of our users and clients as well as the number of clients making trading transactions on our platform. Furthermore, increases in the volume of traffic on our online and mobile platforms could strain the capacity of our existing computer systems and bandwidth, which could lead to slower response times or system failures. The internet infrastructure we depend on may not support the demands associated with continued growth in internet usage. This could cause a disruption or suspension in our service delivery, which could hurt our brand and reputation. We may need to incur additional costs to upgrade our technology infrastructure and computer systems in order to accommodate increased demand if we anticipate that our systems cannot handle higher volumes of traffic and transaction in the future.

 

We may experience a failure in or breach of our operational or information security systems, or those of our third-party service providers, as a result cyber-attacks or information security breaches.

 

Information security risks have generally increased in recent years because of the proliferation of new technologies and the increased sophistication and activities of perpetrators of cyber-attacks. A failure in or breach of our operational or information security systems, or those of our third-party service providers, because of cyber-attacks or information security breaches could disrupt our business, result in the disclosure or misuse of confidential or proprietary information, damage our reputation, increase our costs and/or cause losses. As a result, cyber security and the continued development and enhancement of the controls and processes designed to protect our systems, computers, software, data and networks from attack, damage or unauthorized access remain a priority for us. Although we believe that we have robust information security procedures and other safeguards in place, as cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend additional resources to continue to enhance our information security measures and/or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities.

 

33

 

 

We may become subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the PRC regarding privacy, data security, cybersecurity, and data protection. We may be liable for improper use or appropriation of personal information provided by our customers.

 

We may become subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the PRC where we operate regarding privacy, data security, cybersecurity, and data protection. These laws and regulations are continuously evolving and developing. The scope and interpretation of the laws that are or may be applicable to us are often uncertain and may be conflicting, particularly with respect to foreign laws. In particular, there are numerous laws and regulations regarding privacy and the collection, sharing, use, processing, disclosure, and protection of personal information and other user data. Such laws and regulations often vary in scope, may be subject to differing interpretations, and may be inconsistent among different jurisdictions.

 

We expect to obtain information about various aspects of our operations as well as regarding our employees and third parties. We also maintain information about various aspects of our operations as well as regarding our employees. The integrity and protection of our customer, employee and company data is critical to our business. Our customers and employees expect that we will adequately protect their personal information. We are required by applicable laws to keep strictly confidential the personal information that we collect, and to take adequate security measures to safeguard such information.

  

The PRC Criminal Law, as amended by its Amendment 7 (effective on February 28, 2009) and Amendment 9 (effective on November 1, 2015), prohibits institutions, companies and their employees from selling or otherwise illegally disclosing a citizen's personal information obtained during the course of performing duties or providing services or obtaining such information through theft or other illegal ways. On November 7, 2016, the Standing Committee of the PRC National People's Congress issued the Cyber Security Law of the PRC, or Cyber Security Law, which became effective on June 1, 2017.

 

Pursuant to the Cyber Security Law, network operators must not, without users' consent, collect their personal information, and may only collect users' personal information necessary to provide their services. Providers are also obliged to provide security maintenance for their products and services and shall comply with provisions regarding the protection of personal information as stipulated under the relevant laws and regulations.

 

The Civil Code of the PRC (issued by the PRC National People's Congress on May 28, 2020 and effective from January 1, 2021) provides main legal basis for privacy and personal information infringement claims under the Chinese civil laws. PRC regulators, including the Cyberspace Administration of China, MIIT, and the Ministry of Public Security have been increasingly focused on regulation in the areas of data security and data protection.

 

34

 

 

The PRC regulatory requirements regarding cybersecurity are constantly evolving. For instance, various regulatory bodies in China, including the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Public Security and the SAMR, have enforced data privacy and protection laws and regulations with varying and evolving standards and interpretations. In April 2020, the Chinese government promulgated Cybersecurity Review Measures, which came into effect on June 1, 2020. According to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, operators of critical information infrastructure must pass a cybersecurity review when purchasing network products and services which do or may affect national security.

 

In November 2016, the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress passed China’s first Cybersecurity Law (“CSL”), which became effective in June 2017. The CSL is the first PRC law that systematically lays out the regulatory requirements on cybersecurity and data protection, subjecting many previously under-regulated or unregulated activities in cyberspace to government scrutiny. The legal consequences of violation of the CSL include penalties of warning, confiscation of illegal income, suspension of related business, winding up for rectification, shutting down the websites, and revocation of business license or relevant permits. In April 2020, the Cyberspace Administration of China and certain other PRC regulatory authorities promulgated the Cybersecurity Review Measures, which became effective in June 2020. Pursuant to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, operators of critical information infrastructure must pass a cybersecurity review when purchasing network products and services which do or may affect national security. On December 28 10, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China issued a revised draft of the Measures for Cybersecurity Review(2021), which took effect on Febuary 15, 2022, required that, the purchase of network products and services by critical information infrastructure operator (“CIIO”) and the data processing activities carries out online platform operators, which affects or may affect national security, shall be subject to cybersecurity review in accordance with the present Measures. An online platform operator who possesses the personal information of no less than one million users shall declare to the Office of Cybersecurity Review for cybersecurity review when offering and listing publicly abroad. Cybersecurity review shall focus on the assessment of national security risk factors of the relevant object or situation:

 

(i) risks of illegal control, interference or destruction of critical information infrastructure brought about by the use of products and services;

 

(ii) the harm caused by supply interruption of products and services to the business continuity of critical information infrastructure;

 

(iii) security, openness, transparency and diversity of sources of products and services, reliability of supply channels, and risks of supply interruption due to political, diplomatic, trade or other factors;

 

(iv) information on compliance with Chinese laws, administrative regulations and departmental rules by product and service providers;

 

(v) risks of theft, disclosure, damage, illegal use or cross-border transfer of core data, important data or large amounts of personal information;

 

(vi) risks of influence, control or malicious use of critical information infrastructure, core data, important data or large amounts of personal information by foreign governments after overseas listing; and

 

(vii) Other factors that may endanger critical information infrastructure security and national data security.

 

According to the Measures for Cybersecurity Review(2021), we are not a CIIO, nor an online platform operator who possesses the personal information of no less than one million users, we are not required to apply for cybersecurity review, and as of the date of this prospectus, we are not received a cybersecurity review notice from CAC.

 

On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the NPC promulgated the PRC Data Security Law, which will take effect on September 1, 2021. The Data Security Law also sets forth the data security protection obligations for entities and individuals handling personal data, including that no entity or individual may acquire such data by stealing or other illegal means, and the collection and use of such data should not exceed the necessary limits The costs of compliance with, and other burdens imposed by, CSL and any other cybersecurity and related laws may limit the use and adoption of our products and services and could have an adverse impact on our business. Further, if the enacted version of the Measures for Cybersecurity Review mandates clearance of cybersecurity review and other specific actions to be completed by companies like us, we face uncertainties as to whether such clearance can be timely obtained, or at all.

 

35

 

 

On November 14, 2021, the CAC published the Draft Regulations on the Network Data Security Administration (Draft for Comments) (the “Security Administration Draft”), which provides that data processing operators engaging in data processing activities that affect or may affect national security must be subject to network data security review by the relevant Cyberspace Administration of the PRC. According to the Review Measures Draft, a cybersecurity review assesses potential national security risks that may be brought about by any procurement, data processing, or overseas listing. The Review Measures Draft further requires that critical information infrastructure operators (“CIIOs”) and data processing operators that possess personal data of at least one million users must apply for a review by the Cybersecurity Review Office of the PRC before conducting listings in foreign countries. The deadline for public comments on the Review Measures Draft was July 25, 2021. According to the Security Administration Draft, data processing operators who possess personal data of at least one million users or collect data that affects or may affect national security must be subject to network data security review by the relevant Cyberspace Administration of the PRC. The deadline for public comments on the Security Administration Draft was December 13, 2021.

 

Under the Data Security Law enacted on September 1, 2021, we will not be subject to the cybersecurity review by the CAC for this offering, given that: (i) our products and services are offered not directly to individual users but through our institutional customers; (ii) we do not possess a large amount of personal information in our business operations; and (iii) data processed in our business does not have a bearing on national security and thus may not be classified as core or important data by the authorities. However, there remains uncertainty as to how the Draft Measures will be interpreted or implemented and whether the PRC regulatory agencies, including the CAC, may adopt new laws, regulations, rules, or detailed implementation and interpretation related to the Draft Measures. If any such new laws, regulations, rules, or implementation and interpretation comes into effect, we will take all reasonable measures and actions to comply and to minimize the adverse effect of such laws on us.

   

We cannot assure you that PRC regulatory agencies, including the CAC, would take the same view as we do, and there is no assurance that we can fully or timely comply with such laws. In the event that we are subject to any mandatory cybersecurity review and other specific actions required by the CAC, we face uncertainty as to whether any clearance or other required actions can be timely completed, or at all. Given such uncertainty, we may be further required to suspend our relevant business, shut down our website, or face other penalties, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

   

Because we are an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands and all of our business is conducted in the PRC, you may be unable to bring an action against us or our officers and directors or to enforce any judgment you may obtain.

   

We are an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands and conduct our operations primarily in China. Substantially all of our assets are located outside of the United States and the proceeds of this offering will primarily be held in banks outside of the United States. All of our officers reside outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United States in the event that you believe we have violated your rights, either under United States federal or state securities laws or otherwise, or if you have a claim against us. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of China may not permit you to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers. See “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities.”

 

36

 

 

Since our directors and officers currently beneficially own 80.23% of the voting power of our issued and outstanding share capital, and will beneficially own at least 78.67% of the voting power of our issued and outstanding share capital following the Offering, they will have great impact in electing directors and approve matters requiring shareholder approval by way of ordinary resolution or special resolution.

 

Our directors and officers currently beneficially own 80.23% of the voting power of our issued and outstanding share capital and will beneficially own at least 78.67% of the voting power of our issued and outstanding share capital following the Offering. Such concentration of the voting power could have the effect of delaying, deterring, or preventing a change of control or other business combination, which could, in turn, have an adverse effect on the market price of our ordinary shares or prevent our shareholders from realizing a premium over the then-prevailing market price for their ordinary shares.

 

Renewal of Junzhang Shanghai’s High-Tech Enterprise status could not be assured. Accordingly, we may lose tax-incentives granted by the Chinese government, which could lead to a negative implication on our business operations and revenues.

   

China’s Ministry of Science & Technology, Ministry of Finance and State Administration of Taxation have jointly revised and improved the “Measures for Administration of Accreditation of High-Tech Enterprises (Guo Ke Fa Huo [2016] No.32).” which include multiple policies that aim to promote and benefit high-tech enterprises. On November 7, 2019, our enterprise met all the requirements and successfully gained the High-Tech status. The status certificate will be valid for three years after the issue date, affording us with tax incentives such as a reduced 15% corporate income tax (CIT) and staff training reimbursements.

   

With significant tax incentives provided for enterprises with the qualification, China’s government is accordingly stringent in its regulation and inspection of companies applying for the benefits. Organizations to conduct a review. If the enterprise is found to not comply with the conditions, high-tech enterprise status will be withdrawn, and tax authorities will be notified. In addition, status eligibility and requirements may be adjusted and imposed, affecting our certification in the future. Accordingly, it may also potentially have a negative impact on our business. We cannot provide any assurances as to whether such status or tax incentive could be retained in the future.

   

Certain industry data and information in this prospectus were obtained from third-party sources and were not independently verified by us.

   

This prospectus contains certain industry data and information from third-party sources. We have not independently verified the data and information contained in such third-party publications and reports. Data and information in such third-party publications and reports may use third-party methodologies, which may differ from the data collection methods used by us. In addition, these industry publications and reports generally indicate that the information is believed to be reliable, but do not guarantee the accuracy and completeness of such information.

   

Statistical data in these publications also include projections based on a number of assumptions. The agile office space industry may not grow at the rates projected by market data, or at all. If any of the assumptions underlying the market data is later found to be incorrect, actual results may differ from the projections based on these assumptions. Material slowdown of the agile office space industry against the projected rates may have materially adversely affect our business and the market price of our ordinary shares.

   

Market, economic and other conditions in China may adversely affect the demand for our products and services.

   

Our industry depends upon the overall level of economic conditions and consumer spending in China. A sustained deterioaration in the general economic conditions in China, including any turmoil in the economy, distresses in financial markets, or reduced market liquidity, as well as increased government intervention, may reduce the number of our customers. Small-to-medium size business owners, in particular, are more susceptible to adverse changes in market, economic and regulatory conditions and the level of consumption in China. As a result, the demand for our existing and new products and services could decrease, and our financial performance could be adversely affected.

   

Adverse market trends may affect our financial performance. Such trends may include, but are not limited to, the followings:

   

fluctuations in consumer demand, which reflect the prevailing economic and demographic conditions;

  

low levels of consumer and business confidence associated with recessionary environments which may in turn reduce consumer spending.

 

37

 

 

We face risks related to natural disasters, extreme weather conditions, health epidemics and other catastrophic incidents, which could significantly disrupt our operations.

   

China has experienced significant natural disasters, including earthquakes, extreme weather conditions, as well as health scares related to epidemic or pandemic diseases, and any similar event could materially impact our business in the future. If a disaster or other disruption occurred that affects the regions where we operate our business, the resulting loss of personnel and damage to property could materially adversely affect our business. Even if we are not directly affected, such a disaster or disruption could affect the operations or financial condition of our ecosystem participants, which could harm our results of operations.

   

In addition, our business could be affected by public health epidemics, such as the outbreak of avian influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, Zika virus, Ebola virus, COVID-19 or other disease. In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus (“COVID-19”) surfaced in China. While initially the outbreak was largely concentrated in China and caused significant disruptions to its economy, infections have spread globally. The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to constitute a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” on January 30, 2020 and characterized it as a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

   

To contain the COVID-19 outbreak, the PRC government imposed strict measures across the country including, but not limited to, travel restrictions, mandatory quarantine requirements, temporary closure of business premises, and postponed resumption of business. Since the 2022 Resurgence in China, the Chinese government employed measures including city lockdowns, quarantines, travel restrictions, suspension of business activities and school closures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Our largest operating companies are located in Shanghai, which temporarily suspended all their business from April 1, 2022 to the middle of June 2022 due to the city lockdowns. In addition, our other operating companies in various cities such as Qinghai, Xi’an, Shenzhen and Shijiazhuang etc., also had to temporarily suspend their business operation due to the local outbreak. During the temporary business closure period, our employees had to work from home and had very limited access to our offices and warehouses. Due to the business suspension, our revenue from sales of equipment was significantly affected as the COVID-19 outbreak and spread caused significant disruptions in shipping and logistics. We experienced difficulty delivering their products and render after-sales services to the customers on a timely basis.

   

As some of our customers are vulnerable to the COVID-19 outbreak and the slowdown of the macroeconomic conditions, they could not make payments in a timely manner or stopped renewing their leases, resulting in decreased occupancy rates. Although China has controlled COVID-19 to some extent and our business started to recover in the second and third quarters of 2020, the potential impact brought by and the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak is difficult to assess or predict and the full impact of COVID-19 on our operations will depend on many factors beyond our control.

   

Although the spread of the COVID-19 appeared to be under control currently, our PRC operating entities have been gradually recovered from the 2022 COVID-19 outbreak. However, the impact of COVID-19 pandemic still depends on the future developments that cannot be accurately predicted at this time, we may experience customer losses, including due to bankruptcy or customers cutting budget or ceasing operations, which may also result in delays in collections or an inability to collect accounts receivable from these customers. Although COVID-19 impact on our overall business operations appeared to be temporary, the extent to which COVID-19 may continue to impact our financial condition, results of operations, or liquidity continues to remain uncertain.

 

While it is unknown how long these conditions will last and what the complete financial effect will be on us, we are closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19. Our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects could be materially adversely affected to the extent that COVID-19 harms the Chinese and global economy in general.

   

Risks Related to Intellectual Property

   

If we are not able to adequately protect our proprietary intellectual property and information and protect against third party claims that we are infringing on their intellectual property rights, our results of operations could be adversely affected.

   

The value of our business depends in part on our ability to protect our intellectual property and information, including our patents, trade secrets, and rights under agreements with third parties, in China and around the world, as well as our customer, employee, and customer data. Third parties may try to challenge our ownership of our intellectual property in China and around the world. In addition, intellectual property rights and protections in China may be insufficient to protect material intellectual property rights in China. Further, our business is subject to the risk of third parties counterfeiting our products or infringing on our intellectual property rights. The steps we have taken may not prevent unauthorized use of our intellectual property. We may need to resort to litigation to protect our intellectual property rights, which could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources. If we fail to protect our proprietary intellectual property and information, including with respect to any successful challenge to our ownership of intellectual property or material infringements of our intellectual property, this failure could have a significant adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

   

If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business and competitive position could be harmed.

   

We rely substantially upon trade secret protection as well as non-disclosure agreements with our employees, consultants and third parties, and may in the future rely on copyright and/or trademark protection, to protect our confidential and proprietary information. In addition to contractual measures, we try to protect the confidential nature of our proprietary information using commonly accepted physical and technological security measures. Such measures may not, for example, in the case of misappropriation of a trade secret by an employee or third party with authorized access, provide adequate protection for our proprietary information. Our security measures may not prevent an employee or consultant from misappropriating our trade secrets and providing them to a competitor, and recourse we take against such misconduct may not provide an adequate remedy to protect our interests fully. Unauthorized parties may also attempt to copy or reverse engineer certain aspects of our products that we consider proprietary. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret can be difficult, expensive, and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. Even though we use commonly accepted security measures, trade secret violations are often a matter of state law, and the criteria for protection of trade secrets can vary among different jurisdictions. In addition, trade secrets may be independently developed by others in a manner that could prevent legal recourse by us. If any of our confidential or proprietary information, such as our trade secrets, were to be disclosed or misappropriated, or if any such information was independently developed by a competitor, our business and competitive position could be harmed.

 

38

 

  

Third parties may assert ownership or commercial rights to inventions we develop, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

   

Third parties may in the future make claims challenging the inventorship or ownership of our intellectual property. Any infringement claims or lawsuits, even if not meritorious, could be expensive and time consuming to defend, divert management’s attention and resources, require us to redesign our products and services, if feasible, require us to pay royalties or enter into licensing agreements in order to obtain the right to use necessary technologies, and/or may materially disrupt the conduct of our business.

   

In addition, we may face claims by third parties that our agreements with employees, contractors or third parties obligating them to assign intellectual property to us are ineffective or in conflict with prior or competing contractual obligations of assignment, which could result in ownership disputes regarding intellectual property we have developed or will develop and interfere with our ability to capture the commercial value of such intellectual property. Litigation may be necessary to resolve an ownership dispute, and if we are not successful, we may be precluded from using certain intellectual property or may lose our exclusive rights in that intellectual property. Either outcome could harm our business and competitive position.

   

Third parties may assert that our employees or contractors have wrongfully used or disclosed confidential information or misappropriated trade secrets, which could result in litigation.

   

We may employ individuals who previously worked with other companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Although we try to ensure that our employees and contractors do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to claims that we or our employees or contractors have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed intellectual property or personal data, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of a former employer or other third party. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in defending any such claims or settling those claims, in addition to paying monetary damages or a settlement payment, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees.

   

Our computer systems and operations may be vulnerable to security breaches, which could adversely affect our business.

   

We believe the safety of our computer network and our secure transmission of information over the internet will be essential to our operations and our services. Our network and our computer infrastructure are potentially vulnerable to physical breaches or to the introduction of computer viruses, abuse of use and similar disruptive problems and security breaches that could cause loss (both economic and otherwise), interruptions, delays or loss of services to our users. It is possible that advances in computer capabilities or new technologies could result in a compromise or breach of the technology we use to protect user transaction data. A party that is able to circumvent our security systems could misappropriate proprietary information, cause interruptions in our operations or utilize our network without authorization. Security breaches also could damage our reputation and expose us to a risk of loss, litigation and possible liability. We cannot guarantee you that our security measures will prevent security breaches.

 

39

 

  

Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure and Operation

   

If the PRC government deems that the contractual arrangements in relation to Junzhang Shanghai or Junzhang Beijing, our consolidated variable interest entities, do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations.

   

The PRC government regulates telecommunications-related businesses through strict business licensing requirements and other government regulations. These laws and regulations also include limitations on foreign ownership of PRC companies that engage in telecommunications-related businesses. Specifically, foreign investors are not allowed to own more than 50% of the equity interests in a value-added telecommunications service provider (except for e-commerce, domestic multi-party communication, storage and forwarding classes and call centers) under the Special Administrative Measures for Access of Foreign Investment (Negative List) (Edition 2021), which was promulgated on December 27, 2021 and implemented on January 1, 2022, and such major foreign investor in a Foreign-Invested Telecommunications Enterprise must have experience in providing value-added telecommunications services, or VATS, and maintain a good track record in accordance with the Administrative Provisions on Foreign-Invested Telecommunications Enterprises (revised in 2016), and other applicable laws and regulations.

   

We are a holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. As a holding company with no material operations of our own, we conduct all of our operations through our subsidiaries established in PRC and the VIEs. We are the primary beneficiary of and receive the economic benefits of the VIE’s business operations through certain contractual arrangements. Our ordinary shares offered in this offering are shares of our offshore holding company instead of shares of the VIE in China. For a description of the VIE contractual arrangements, see “Corporate Structure - Contractual Arrangements with the VIE and Their Shareholders” On page 122.

   

The VIE contributed almost 100% of the Company's consolidated results of operations and cash flows for the years ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. As of March 31, 2023 and 2022, the VIE accounted for almost 100% of the consolidated total assets and total liabilities of the Company.

   

We rely on and expect to continue to rely on our wholly owned PRC subsidiary’s contractual arrangements with Junzhang Shanghai and Junzhang Beijing and their shareholders to operate our business. These contractual arrangements may not be as effective in providing us with control over the VIEs as ownership of controlling equity interests would be in providing us with control over or enabling us to derive economic benefits from the operations of Junzhang Shanghai and Junzhang Beijing. Under the current contractual arrangements, as a legal matter, if Junzhang Shanghai and Junzhang Beijing or any of their shareholders executing the VIE Agreements fails to perform its, his or her respective obligations under these contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and resources to enforce such arrangements, and rely on legal remedies available under PRC laws, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, which we cannot assure you will be effective. For example, if shareholders of a variable interest entity were to refuse to transfer their equity interests in such variable interest entity to us or our designated persons when we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, we may have to take a legal action to compel them to fulfill their contractual obligations.

   

If (i) the applicable PRC authorities invalidate these contractual arrangements for violation of PRC laws, rules and regulations, (ii) any variable interest entity or its shareholders terminate the contractual arrangements (iii) any variable interest entity or its shareholders fail to perform its/his/her obligations under these contractual arrangements, or (iv) if these regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future, our business operations in China would be materially and adversely affected, and the value of your shares would substantially decrease or even become worthless. Further, if we fail to renew these contractual arrangements upon their expiration, we would not be able to continue our business operations unless the then current PRC law allows us to directly operate businesses in China.

   

In addition, if any variable interest entity or all or part of its assets become subject to liens or rights of third-party creditors, we may be unable to continue some or all of our business activities, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If any of the variable interest entities undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, its shareholders or unrelated third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of these assets, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business, which could materially and adversely affect our business and our ability to generate revenues.

 

40

 

  

All of these contractual arrangements are governed by PRC law and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in the PRC. The legal environment in the PRC has may be more uncertain as compared to other jurisdictions, such as the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. In the event we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exert our rights as the primary beneficiary over our operating entities and we may be precluded from operating our business, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

   

These contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in enabling us to oversee the VIEs. For example, the VIEs and their shareholders could breach their contractual arrangements with us by, among other things, failing to conduct their operations in an acceptable manner or taking other actions that are detrimental to our interests. If we had direct ownership of the VIEs, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to effect changes in the board of directors of the VIEs, which in turn could implement changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management and operational level. However, under the current contractual arrangements, we rely on the performance by the VIEs and their shareholders of their obligations under the contracts to exercise our contractual rights over the VIEs. The shareholders of our consolidated VIEs may not act in the best interests of our company or may not perform their obligations under these contracts. Such risks exist throughout the period in which we intend to operate certain portions of our business through the contractual arrangements with the VIEs.

 

If the VIEs or their shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements. For example, if the shareholders of the VIEs refuse to transfer their equity interest in the VIEs to us or our designee if we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, or if they otherwise act in bad faith toward us, then we may have to take legal actions to compel them to perform their contractual obligations. In addition, if any third parties claim any interest in such shareholders’ equity interests in the VIEs, our ability to exercise shareholders’ rights or foreclose the share pledge according to the contractual arrangements may be impaired. If these or other disputes between the shareholders of the VIEs and third parties were to impair our rights as the primary beneficiary of the VIEs, our ability to consolidate the financial results of the VIEs would be affected, which would in turn result in a material adverse effect on our business, operations and financial condition.

   

In the opinion our PRC legal counsel, each of the contractual arrangements among our WFOE, the VIE and its shareholders governed by PRC laws are valid, binding and enforceable, and will not result in any violation of PRC laws or regulations currently in effect. However, our PRC legal counsel has also advised us that there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations and rules. Accordingly, the PRC regulatory authorities may ultimately take a view that is contrary to the opinion of our PRC legal counsel. In addition, it is uncertain whether any new PRC laws or regulations relating to variable interest entity structures will be adopted or if adopted, what they would provide. PRC government authorities may deem that foreign ownership is directly or indirectly involved in the VIE’s shareholding structure. If our corporate structure and contractual arrangements are deemed by the MIIT or the MOFCOM or other regulators having competent authority to be illegal, either in whole or in part, our contractual rights over the consolidated VIE may be impaired and we may have to modify such structure to comply with regulatory requirements. However, there can be no assurance that we can achieve this without material disruption to our VATS business. Furthermore, if we or the VIE is found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, or fail to obtain or maintain any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion to take action in dealing with such violations or failures, including, without limitation:

   

  revoking the business license and/or operating licenses of our WFOE or the VIEs;

  

  discontinuing or placing restrictions or onerous conditions on our operations through any transactions among our WFOE, the VIEs and their subsidiaries;

  

  imposing fines, confiscating the income from our WFOE, the VIE or its subsidiaries, or imposing other requirements with which we or the VIEs may not be able to comply;

  

41

 

 

  placing restrictions on our right to collect revenues;

  

  shutting down our servers or blocking our app/websites;

  

  requiring us to restructure our ownership structure or operations, including terminating the contractual arrangements with the VIEs and deregistering the equity pledges of the VIEs, which in turn would affect our ability to consolidate, derive economic interests from, or exercise our rights as the primary beneficiary over the VIEs; or

  

  restricting or prohibiting our use of the proceeds of this offering to finance our business and operations in China.

  

  taking other regulatory or enforcement actions against us that could be harmful to our business.

  

The imposition of any of these penalties would result in a material and adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business. In addition, it is unclear what impact the PRC government actions would have on us and on our ability to consolidate the financial results of the VIEs in our consolidated financial statements, if the PRC government authorities were to find our corporate structure and contractual arrangements to be in violation of PRC laws and regulations. If the imposition of any of these government actions causes us to lose our right to direct the activities of the VIEs or our right to receive substantially all the economic benefits and residual returns from the VIEs and we are not able to restructure our ownership structure and operations in a satisfactory manner, we would no longer be able to consolidate the financial results of the VIEs in our consolidated financial statements. Either of these results, or any other significant penalties that might be imposed on us in this event, would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

   

The shareholders of the VIEs may have actual or potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.

   

As of the date of this prospectus, we are not aware any conflicts between the shareholders of the VIEs and us. However, the shareholders of the VIEs may have actual or potential conflicts of interest with us in the future. These shareholders may refuse to sign or breach, or cause the VIEs to breach, or refuse to renew, the existing contractual arrangements we have with them and the VIEs, which would have a material and adverse effect on our ability to effectively exercise our contractual rights in the VIEs and receive economic benefits from it. For example, the shareholders may be able to cause our agreements with the VIEs to be performed in a manner adverse to us by, among other things, failing to remit payments due under the contractual arrangements to us on a timely basis. We cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest arise any or all of these shareholders will act in the best interests of our Company or such conflicts will be resolved in our favor. Currently, we do not have any arrangements to address potential conflicts of interest between these shareholders and our company. If we cannot resolve any conflict of interest or dispute between us and these shareholders, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could result in disruption of our business and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings.

   

Junzhang Shanghai, the VIE, has 20 subsidiaries, 19 of which rely on each partner who holds 45% shares of each subsidiary. If we fail to manage our relationships with our subsidiary partners, we may face the competition from the partners in related-party transactions.

   

Junzhang Shanghai has 23 subsidiaries all around China. In order to develop business and expand the local market, Junzhang Shanghai holds 55% equity in 19 out of 20 of its subsidiaries, and its local business partner holds 45% to develop business and expand the local market. Even if each subsidiary partner has signed the Confidentiality, Intellectual Property and Non-competition Agreements, according with the foregoing mentioned Agreement, each subsidiary partner shall keep confidential the information obtained during the cooperation period and shall not engage in business that competes with the business conducted by us and the subsidiaries during the cooperation period. If Junzhang Shanghai fails to manage our relationship with existing subsidiary partner and the subsidiary partner develops the same or similar business as ours, our business and growth prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

   

42

 

 

Our contractual arrangements are governed by PRC law. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC law, and any disputes would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures.

   

Investors of our ordinary shares should be aware that they are purchasing equity in Eshallgo Inc, our Cayman Islands exempted company, which does not directly own substantially all of our business in China conducted by the VIEs. Although we have been advised by our PRC legal counsel that our contractual arrangements constitute valid and binding obligations enforceable against each party of such agreements in accordance with their terms, they may not be as effective in ensuring our interests in Junzhang Beijing and Junzhang Shanghai, our operating entities, as direct ownership. If the PRC operating entities or their respective shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may incur substantial costs and expend substantial resources to enforce our rights. All of these contractual arrangements are governed by and interpreted in accordance with PRC laws, and disputes arising from these contractual arrangements will be resolved through arbitration or litigation in the PRC. However, the legal system in the PRC may involve more uncertainties as compared to other jurisdictions, such as the United States. There are very few precedents and little official guidance as to how contractual arrangements in the context of a variable interest entity should be interpreted or enforced under PRC laws. There remain significant uncertainties regarding the outcome of arbitration or litigation. These uncertainties could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. In the event we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements or we experience significant delays or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective control over our affiliated entities and may lose control over the assets owned by Junzhang Shanghai or Junzhang Beijing. Our financial performance may be adversely and materially affected as a result and we may not be eligible to consolidate the financial results of the PRC Operating Entities into our financial results.

 

If we exercise the option to acquire equity ownership of the VIE, the ownership transfer may subject us to certain limitations and substantial costs.

    

Pursuant to the Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for Foreign Investment Access (Edition 2021), foreign investors are not allowed to hold more than 50% of the equity interests of any company providing value-added telecommunications services, including ICP services, with the exception of e-commerce, domestic multi-party communications, storage-forwarding, and call centers businesses. Pursuant to the Regulations for the Administration of Foreign-Invested Telecommunications Enterprises promulgated by the State Council, the main foreign investor who invests in a value-added telecommunications business in China must possess prior experience in operating value-added telecommunications businesses and a proven track record of business operations overseas, or the Qualification Requirements. Currently none of the applicable PRC laws, regulations, or rules provides clear guidance or interpretation on the Qualification Requirements. We face the risk of not satisfying the requirement promptly. In addition, the Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for Foreign Investment Access (Edition 2021) prohibits foreign investors from investing in internet culture activities with the exception of music. If the PRC laws were revised to allow foreign investors to hold more than 50% of the equity interests of value-added telecommunications enterprises, due to the necessity of ICP services, we might be unable to unwind the contractual arrangements before we were able to comply with the Qualification Requirements, or if we attempt to unwind the contractual arrangements before we are able to comply with the Qualification Requirements we may be ineligible to operate our value-added telecommunication and may be forced to suspend their operations, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

Pursuant to the contractual arrangements, we have the exclusive right to purchase all or any part of the equity interests in the VIE from the respective equity holders for a nominal price, unless the relevant government authorities or PRC laws request that the equity interests be evaluated upon purchase and in which case the purchase price shall be adjusted based on the evaluation result. Subject to relevant laws and regulations, the respective equity holders shall return any amount of purchase price they have received to WFOE. If such a return of purchase price takes place, the competent tax authority may require WFOE to pay enterprise income tax for ownership transfer income, in which case the amount of tax could be substantial.

   

Our contractual arrangements may not be as effective in providing operational control as direct ownership and the VIE shareholders may fail to perform their obligations under our contractual arrangements.

   

Since Negative List stipulate that foreign investors are not allowed to own more than 50% of the equity interests in a value-added telecommunication enterprise (except for e-commerce, domestic multi-party communications, storage-forwarding, and call centers) and the main foreign investor of such enterprise must have experience in providing value-added telecommunications services overseas and maintain a good track record. Since we will launch our e-commerce businesses in office total solution imminently and PRC laws limit foreign equity ownership in such businesses in China, we have to operate value-added telecommunication businesses in China through the VIEs, in which we have no ownership interest and rely on a series of contractual arrangements with the VIEs and its respective equity holders to control and operate these businesses. Our revenue and cash flow from our such businesses are attributed to the VIEs. The contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over the VIEs. Direct ownership would allow us, for example, to exercise our rights directly or indirectly as a shareholder to effect changes in the boards of directors of the VIEs, which, in turn, could effect changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations at the management level. However, under the contractual arrangements, as a legal matter, if the VIEs or their equity holders fail to perform their respective obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and expend significant resources to enforce those arrangements and resort to litigation or arbitration and rely on legal remedies under PRC laws. These remedies may include seeking specific performance or injunctive relief and claiming damages, any of which may not be effective. In the event we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or we experience significant delays or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exercise our rights as the primary beneficiary over the VIEs and may lose control over the assets owned by the VIE. As a result, we may be unable to consolidate the VIEs in our consolidated financial statements, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

   

43

 

  

We are trying to transfer the business, such as the offline office supply sales, leasing and aftersales maintenance services, that does not involve in the Negative List to the WFOE, in which we have the whole ownership interest, and we can fully control and operate these businesses.

   

Any failure by Junzhang Shanghai and Junzhang Beijing, our consolidated VIEs, or their shareholders to perform their obligations under our contractual arrangements with them would have a material adverse effect on our business.

   

We refer to the shareholders of the VIEs as their nominee shareholders because although they remain the holders of equity interests on record in the VIEs, pursuant to the terms of the relevant power of attorney, such shareholders have irrevocably authorized the individual appointed by WFOE to exercise their rights as a shareholder of the relevant VIEs. If the VIEs or their shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements. We may also have to rely on legal remedies under PRC laws, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, which we cannot assure you will be effective under PRC laws. For example, if the shareholders of Junzhang Shanghai were to refuse to transfer their equity interest in Junzhang Shanghai to us or our designee if we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, or if they were otherwise to act in bad faith toward us, then we may have to take legal actions to compel them to perform their contractual obligations.

   

All the agreements under our contractual arrangements are governed by PRC laws and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in China. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC laws and any disputes would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures. The legal system in the PRC may involve more uncertainties as compared to other jurisdictions, such as the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. See “Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC — Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system and changes in laws and regulations in China could adversely affect us.” Meanwhile, there are very few precedents and little formal guidance as to how contractual arrangements in the context of a consolidated variable interest entity should be interpreted or enforced under PRC laws. There remain significant uncertainties regarding the ultimate outcome of such arbitration should legal action become necessary. In addition, under PRC laws, rulings by arbitrators are final and parties cannot appeal arbitration results in court unless such rulings are revoked or determined unenforceable by a competent court. If the losing parties fail to carry out the arbitration awards within a prescribed time limit, the prevailing parties may only enforce the arbitration awards in PRC courts through arbitration award recognition proceedings, which would require additional expenses and delay. In the event that we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or if we suffer significant delay or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exercise our rights as the primary beneficiary over our consolidated variable interest entities, and our ability to conduct our business may be negatively affected.

   

We are a holding company and will rely on dividends paid by our subsidiaries for our cash needs. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to make dividend payments to us, or any tax implications of making dividend payments to us, could limit our ability to pay our parent company expenses or pay dividends to holders of our ordinary shares.

   

We are a holding company and conduct substantially all of our business through our PRC subsidiary, which is a limited liability company established in China. We may rely on dividends to be paid by our PRC subsidiary to fund our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders, to service any debt we may incur and to pay our operating expenses. If our PRC subsidiary incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us.

  

As of the date of this prospectus, we have not installed any cash management policies that dictate how funds are transferred between the holding company, the subsidiaries and the VIEs. Furthermore, to the extent cash in the business is in the PRC/Hong Kong or a PRC/Hong Kong entity, the funds may not be available to fund operations or for other use outside of the PRC/Hong Kong due to interventions in or the imposition of restrictions and limitations on the ability of the holding company, our subsidiaries, or the consolidated VIEs by the PRC government to transfer cash.

 

44

 

  

Under PRC laws and regulations, our PRC subsidiary, which is a wholly foreign-owned enterprise in China, may pay dividends only out of its accumulated profits as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise is required to set aside at least 10% of its accumulated after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a certain statutory reserve fund, until the aggregate amount of such fund reaches 50% of its registered capital.

   

Our PRC subsidiary generates primarily all of its revenue in Renminbi, which is not freely convertible into other currencies. As a result, any restriction on currency exchange may limit the ability of our PRC subsidiary to use its Renminbi revenues to pay dividends to us. The PRC government may continue to strengthen its capital controls, and more restrictions and substantial vetting process may be put forward by State Administration of Foreign Exchange (the “SAFE”) for cross-border transactions falling under both the current account and the capital account. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiary to pay dividends or make other kinds of payments to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business.

   

In addition, the Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules provide that a withholding tax rate of up to 10% will be applicable to dividends payable by Chinese companies to non-PRC-resident enterprises unless otherwise exempted or reduced according to treaties or arrangements between the PRC central government and governments of other countries or regions where the non-PRC resident enterprises are incorporated. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiary to pay dividends or make other distributions to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business.

   

Pursuant to the Arrangement between Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Tax Evasion on Income, or the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement, the 10% withholding tax rate may be lowered to 5% if a Hong Kong resident enterprise owns no less than 25% of a PRC entity. However, the 5% withholding tax rate does not automatically apply and certain requirements must be satisfied, including, without limitation, that (a) the Hong Kong entity must be the beneficial owner of the relevant dividends; and (b) the Hong Kong entity must directly hold no less than 25% share ownership in the PRC entity during the 12 consecutive months preceding its receipt of the dividends. In current practice, a Hong Kong entity must obtain a tax resident certificate from the Hong Kong tax authority to apply for the 5% lower PRC withholding tax rate. As the Hong Kong tax authority will issue such a tax resident certificate on a case-by-case basis, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority and enjoy the preferential withholding tax rate of 5% under the Double Taxation Arrangement with respect to dividends to be paid by our PRC subsidiary to its immediate holding company, Junzhang HK. As of the date of this prospectus, EShallGo WFOE currently does not have plan to declare and pay dividends to Junzhang HK and we have not applied for the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority. Junzhang HK intends to apply for the tax resident certificate when EShallGo WFOE plans to declare and pay dividends to WeTrade Technology. When EShallGo WFOE plans to declare and pay dividends to Junzhang HK and when we intend to apply for the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority, we plan to inform the investors through SEC filings, such as a current report on Form 6-K, prior to such actions.

   

Contractual arrangements in relation to the VIEs may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities and they may determine that we or the VIEs owe additional taxes, which could negatively affect our financial condition and the value of your investment.

   

Under applicable PRC laws and regulations, arrangements and transactions among related parties may be subject to audit or challenge by the PRC tax authorities within ten years after the taxable year when the transactions are conducted. We could face material and adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine that the VIE contractual arrangements were not entered into on an arm's-length basis in such a way as to result in an impermissible reduction in taxes under applicable PRC laws, rules and regulations, and adjust the income of the VIEs in the form of a transfer pricing adjustment. A transfer pricing adjustment could, among other things, result in a reduction of expense deductions recorded by the VIEs for PRC tax purposes, which could in turn increase their tax liabilities without reducing our PRC subsidiaries' tax expenses. In addition, the PRC tax authorities may impose late payment fees and other penalties on the VIEs for the adjusted but unpaid taxes according to the applicable regulations. Our financial position could be materially and adversely affected if the tax liabilities of the VIEs increase or if they are required to pay late payment fees and other penalties.

  

45

 

  

Our operating income may be significantly affected by monetary policy adjustments. It may have a material adverse effect on the company's operating results and financial conditions.

   

Our operating income is mainly the rental interest income generated by the leasing business, and the company's profitability is mainly affected by the yield of the leasing business and the financing interest rate. As the People's Bank of China continues to relax interest rate controls, the volatility of interest rates may increase. If the interest rate level fluctuates, the leasing business yield and financing interest rate will also fluctuate, thereby affecting the Company's profitability.

   

We may lose the ability to use, or otherwise benefit from, the licenses, approvals and assets held by the VIEs, which could severely disrupt our business, render us unable to conduct some or all of our business operations and constrain our growth.

   

We rely on contractual arrangements with the VIEs to use, or otherwise benefit from, certain foreign restricted licenses and permits that we need or may need in the future as our business continues to expand, such as the internet content provider license, or the ICP license held by one of the VIEs.

 

The contractual arrangements contain terms that specifically obligate the VIEs' shareholders to ensure the valid existence of the VIEs and restrict the disposal of material assets of the VIEs. However, in the event the VIEs' shareholders breach the terms of these contractual arrangements and voluntarily liquidate the VIEs, or the VIEs declare bankruptcy and all or part of their assets become subject to liens or rights of third-party creditors, or are otherwise disposed of without our consent, we may be unable to conduct some or all of our business operations or otherwise benefit from the assets held by the VIEs, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, if the VIEs undergo a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, their shareholders or unrelated third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of the assets of the VIEs, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business as well as constrain our growth.

      

If the custodians or authorized users of our controlling non-tangible assets, including chops and seals, fail to fulfill their responsibilities, or misappropriate or misuse these assets, our business and operations may be materially and adversely affected.

   

Under PRC law, legal documents for corporate transactions, including agreements and contracts that our business relies on, are executed using the chop or seal of the signing entity or with the signature of a legal representative whose designation is registered and filed with the relevant local branch of the State Administration for Market Regulation, (“SMAR”) formerly known as the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (“SAIC”). We generally execute legal documents by affixing chops or seals, rather than having the designated legal representatives sign the documents.

   

We use two major types of chops: corporate chops and finance chops. Chops are seals or stamps used by a PRC company to legally authorize documents, often in place of a signature. We use corporate chops generally for documents to be submitted to government agencies, such as applications for changing business scope, directors or company name, and for legal letters. We use finance chops generally for making and collecting payments, including issuing invoices. Use of corporate chops must be approved by our legal department and administrative department, and use of finance chops must be approved by our finance department. The chops of our subsidiary and consolidated VIE are generally held by the relevant entities so that documents can be executed locally. Although we usually utilize chops to execute contracts, the registered legal representatives of our subsidiary and consolidated VIE have the apparent authority to enter into contracts on behalf of such entities without chops, unless such contracts set forth otherwise.

   

In order to maintain the physical security of our chops, we generally have them stored in secured locations accessible only to the designated key employees of our legal, administrative or finance departments. Our designated legal representatives generally do not have access to the chops. Although we have approval procedures in place and monitor our key employees, including the designated legal representatives of our subsidiary and consolidated VIE, the procedures may not be sufficient to prevent all instances of abuse or negligence. In addition, we also separate the authorized user of chops from the keeper of keys to the storage room and install security camera for the storage room. There is a risk that our key employees or designated legal representatives could abuse their authority, for example, by binding our subsidiary and consolidated VIE with contracts against our interests, as we would be obligated to honor these contracts if the other contracting party acts in good faith in reliance on the apparent authority of our chops or signatures of our legal representatives. If any designated legal representative obtains control of the chop in an effort to obtain control over the relevant entity, we would need to have a shareholder or board resolution to designate a new legal representative to take legal action to seek the return of the chop, apply for a new chop with the relevant authorities, or otherwise seek legal remedies for the legal representative’s misconduct. If any of the designated legal representatives obtains and misuses or misappropriates our chops and seals or other controlling intangible assets for whatever reason, we could experience disruption to our normal business operations. We may have to take corporate or legal action, which could involve significant time and resources to resolve the matter, while distracting management from our operations, and our business operations may be materially and adversely affected.

 

46

 

  

Certain judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable.

   

We conduct most of our operations in China and substantially all of our operations outside of the United States. Most of our assets are located in China, and substantially all of our assets are located outside of the United States. In addition, all our senior executive officers reside within China for a significant portion of the time and most are PRC nationals. Substantially all of the assets of these persons are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United States in the event that you believe that your rights have been infringed under the U.S. federal securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of China may render you unable to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers.

   

Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC

   

Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.

   

The Ministry of Commerce published a discussion draft of the proposed Foreign Investment Law in January 2015, or the 2015 FIL Draft, which expands the definition of foreign investment and introduces the principle of “actual control” in determining whether a company is considered a foreign-invested enterprise, or an FIE. Under the 2015 FIL Draft, VIEs that are controlled via contractual arrangement would also be deemed as foreign invested enterprises, if they are ultimately “controlled” by foreign investors.

   

On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress approved the Foreign Investment Law, which took effect on January 1, 2020 and replaced three existing laws on foreign investments in China, namely, the PRC Equity Joint Venture Law, the PRC Cooperative Joint Venture Law and the Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. The Foreign Investment Law embodies an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic invested enterprises in China. The Foreign Investment Law establishes the basic framework for the access to, and the promotion, protection and administration of foreign investments in view of investment protection and fair competition.

   

According to the Foreign Investment Law, “foreign investment” refers to investment activities directly or indirectly conducted by one or more natural persons, business entities, or otherwise organizations of a foreign country (collectively referred to as “foreign investor”) within China, and the investment activities include the following situations: (i) a foreign investor, individually or collectively with other investors, establishes a foreign-invested enterprise within China; (ii) a foreign investor acquires stock shares, equity shares, shares in assets, or other like rights and interests of an enterprise within China; (iii) a foreign investor, individually or collectively with other investors, invests in a new project within China; and (iv) investments in other means as provided by laws, administrative regulations, or the State Council.

   

47

 

 

The Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for the Access of Foreign Investment (2021), as approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council became effective on January 1, 2022, upon which the Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for the Access of Foreign Investment (2020) issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce on June 23, 2020, was repealed. The Foreign Investment Law provides that FIEs operating in foreign restricted or prohibited industries will require market entry clearance and other approvals from relevant PRC governmental authorities. If a foreign investor is found to invest in any prohibited industry in the “negative list”, such foreign investor may be required to, among other aspects, cease its investment activities, dispose of its equity interests or assets within a prescribed time limit and have its income confiscated. If the investment activity of a foreign investor is in breach of any special administrative measure for restrictive access provided for in the “negative list”, the relevant competent department shall order the foreign investor to make corrections and take necessary measures to meet the requirements of the special administrative measure for restrictive access.

   

The “variable interest entity” structure, or VIE structure, has been adopted by many PRC-based companies, including us, to obtain necessary licenses and permits in the industries that are currently subject to foreign investment restrictions in China. Under the Foreign Investment Law, variable interest entities that are controlled via contractual arrangement would also be deemed as FIEs, if they are ultimately “controlled” by foreign investors. Therefore, for any companies with a VIE structure in an industry category that is included in the “negative list” as restricted industry, the VIE structure may be deemed legitimate only if the ultimate controlling person(s) is/are of PRC nationality (either PRC companies or PRC citizens). Conversely, if the actual controlling person(s) is/are of foreign nationalities, then the variable interest entities will be treated as FIEs and any operation in the industry category on the “negative list” without market entry clearance may be considered as illegal.

   

The Measures on Reporting of Foreign Investment Information, as approved by the Ministry of Commerce and State Administration for Market Regulation on December 30, and became effective on January 1, 2022, stipulates the Ministry of Commerce shall be responsible for planning and guiding foreign investment information reporting work nationwide, according to which foreign investors or foreign-invested enterprises shall submit investment information to the competent department for commerce concerned through the enterprise registration system and the enterprise credit information publicity system, and a security review system under which the security review shall be conducted for foreign investment affecting or likely affecting the state security.

   

Furthermore, the Foreign Investment Law provides that foreign invested enterprises established according to the existing laws regulating foreign investment may maintain their structure and corporate governance within five years after the implementing of the Foreign Investment Law.

   

In addition, the Foreign Investment Law also provides several protective rules and principles for foreign investors and their investments in the PRC, including, among others, that a foreign investor may freely transfer into or out of China, in Renminbi or a foreign currency, its contributions, profits, capital gains, income from disposition of assets, royalties of intellectual property rights, indemnity or compensation lawfully acquired, and income from liquidation, among others, within China; local governments shall abide by their commitments to the foreign investors; governments at all levels and their departments shall enact local normative documents concerning foreign investment in compliance with laws and regulations and shall not impair legitimate rights and interests, impose additional obligations onto FIEs, set market access restrictions and exit conditions, or intervene with the normal production and operation activities of FIEs; except for special circumstances, in which case statutory procedures shall be followed and fair and reasonable compensation shall be made in a timely manner, expropriation or requisition of the investment of foreign investors is prohibited; and mandatory technology transfer is prohibited.

   

Notwithstanding the above, the Foreign Investment Law stipulates that foreign investment includes "foreign investors invest through any other methods under laws, administrative regulations or provisions prescribed by the State Council". Therefore, there are possibilities that future laws, administrative regulations or provisions prescribed by the State Council may regard contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment, and then whether our contractual arrangement will be recognized as foreign investment, whether our contractual arrangement will be deemed to be in violation of the foreign investment access requirements and how the above-mentioned contractual arrangement will be handled are uncertain.

 

PRC laws and regulations governing our current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain and any changes in such laws and regulations may impair our ability to operate profitably. Rules and regulations in China may change quickly with little advance notice. Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to us.

 

There are substantial uncertainties the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations including, but not limited to, the laws and regulations governing our business and the enforcement and performance of our arrangements with customers in certain circumstances. The laws and regulations are sometimes vague and may be subject to future changes, and their official interpretation and enforcement may involve substantial uncertainty. The effectiveness and interpretation of newly enacted laws or regulations, including amendments to existing laws and regulations, may be delayed, and our business may be affected if we rely on laws and regulations which are subsequently adopted or interpreted in a manner different from our understanding of these laws and regulations. New laws and regulations that affect existing and proposed future businesses may also be applied retroactively. We cannot predict what effect the interpretation of existing or new PRC laws or regulations may have on our business.

 

The PRC legal system is based on written statutes, and prior court decisions have limited value as precedents. Since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations, and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations, and rules involve uncertainties.

 

In 1979, the PRC government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws and regulations governing economic matters in general. The overall effect of legislation over the past three decades has significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China. However, PRC’s legal system is still in the process of improvement, and recently enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in China. In particular, the interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations involve uncertainties. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory provisions and contractual terms, it may be difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy. These uncertainties may affect our judgment on the relevance of legal requirements and our ability to enforce our contractual rights or tort claims. In addition, the regulatory uncertainties may be exploited through unmerited or frivolous legal actions or threats in attempts to extract payments or benefits from us.

 

Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all and may have retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of any of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. In addition, any administrative and court proceedings in China may be protracted, resulting in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.

 

48

 

 

Therefore, these risks may result in a material change in business operations, significant depreciation of the value of our ordinary shares, or a complete hinderance of our ability to offer or continue to offer our securities to investors. Recently, the Chinese government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas using a VIE structure, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. Since these statements and regulatory actions are new, it is currently impossible to predict how soon legislative or administrative regulation making bodies will respond and what existing or new laws or regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations will be modified or promulgated, if any, and the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations will have on our daily business operation, the ability to accept foreign investments and list on an U.S. or other foreign exchange.

 

Although we have taken measures to comply with the laws and regulations that are applicable to our business operations, including the regulatory principles raised by the CBRC, and avoiding conducting any activities that may be deemed as illegal fund-raising, forming capital pool or providing guarantee to investors under the current applicable laws and regulations, the PRC government authority may promulgate new laws and regulations regulating the direct lending service industry in the future. We cannot assure you that our practices would not be deemed to violate any PRC laws or regulations relating to illegal fund-raising, forming capital pools or the provision of credit enhancement services. Moreover, we cannot rule out the possibility that the PRC government will institute a license requirement covering our industry at some point in the future. If such a licensing regime were introduced, we cannot assure you that we would be able to obtain any newly required license in a timely manner, or at all, which could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.

 

From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy, than in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published in a timely manner or at all) that may have a retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such uncertainties, including uncertainty over the scope and effect of our contractual, property (including intellectual property) and procedural rights, could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.

 

PRC laws and regulations governing our current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain. Rules and regulations in China may change quickly with little advance notice. Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and regulations could limit the legal protection available to you and us. Any changes in such laws and regulations may impair our ability to operate profitably.

 

The interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations including, but not limited to, the laws and regulations governing our business and the enforcement and performance of our arrangements with customers in certain circumstances may change. The laws and regulations are sometimes vague and may be subject to future changes, and their official interpretation and enforcement may involve substantial uncertainty. The effectiveness and interpretation of newly enacted laws or regulations, including amendments to existing laws and regulations, may be delayed, and our business may be affected if we rely on laws and regulations which are subsequently adopted or interpreted in a manner different from our understanding of these laws and regulations. New laws and regulations that affect existing and proposed future businesses may also be applied retroactively. We cannot predict what effect the interpretation of existing or new PRC laws or regulations may have on our business. 

 

The PRC legal system is based on written statutes. Unlike common law systems, it is a system in which legal cases have limited value as precedents. In the late 1970s, the PRC government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws and regulations governing economic matters in general. The legislation over the past three decades has significantly increased the protection afforded to various forms of foreign or private-sector investment in China. Our Company is subject to various PRC laws and regulations generally applicable to companies in China. Since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, however, the interpretations of many laws, regulations, and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations, and rules involve uncertainties.

  

From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, however, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy in the PRC legal system than in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published in a timely manner or at all) that may have retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such uncertainties, including uncertainties over the scope and effect of our contractual, property (including intellectual property) and procedural rights, and any failure to respond to changes in the regulatory environment in China could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.

 

For example, recently, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the “Opinions on Severely Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities According to Law,” or the Opinions, which were made available to the public on July 6, 2021. The Opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities, and the need to strengthen the supervision over overseas listings by Chinese companies. These opinions proposed to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems, to deal with the risks and incidents facing China-concept overseas-listed companies and the demand for cybersecurity and data privacy protection. On February 17, 2023, the CSRC issued the Trial Measures, which became effective on March 31, 2023. On the same date, the CSRC circulated the Guidance Rules and Notice on CSRC’s official website. Pursuant to the Trial Measures, PRC domestic enterprises that have submitted valid applications for overseas offerings and listing but have not obtained the approval from the relevant overseas regulatory authority or overseas stock exchanges shall complete filings with the CSRC prior to their overseas offerings and listings. We have complied with the Trial Measures and filed with the CSRC the necessary documents. On February 7, 2024, we received notification from the CSRC confirming that we have completed the record filing requirement. The Opinions, the Trial Measures, the Guidance Rules and Notice, and any related implementing rules to be enacted may subject us to additional compliance requirements in the future, and any non-compliance will result in our being prohibited from listing. Uncertainties regarding the enforcement of laws and the fact that rules and regulations in China can change quickly with little advance notice, along with the risk that the Chinese government may intervene or influence our operations at any time, or may exert more control over offerings conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers could result in a material change in our operations, financial performance and/or the value of our ordinary shares or impair our ability to raise money.

 

The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities. We are currently not required to obtain approval from Chinese authorities to list on U.S exchanges, however, if the VIE or the holding company were required to obtain approval in the future and were denied permission from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange, which would materially affect the interest of the investors.

   

The Chinese government has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. Under the current government leadership, the government of the PRC has been pursuing reform policies which may have adversely affected China-based operating companies whose securities are listed in the United States, with significant policies changes being made from time to time without notice. Under the current government leadership, the government of the PRC has been pursuing reform policies which have adversely affected China-based operating companies whose securities are listed in the United States, with significant policies changes being made from time to time without notice. Our ability to operate in China may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. The central or local governments of these jurisdictions may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our part to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations. Accordingly, government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally planned economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant effect on economic conditions in China or particular regions thereof, and could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in Chinese properties.

   

Given recent statements by the Chinese government indicating an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, any such action could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless.

   

The General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the Opinions on Severe and Lawful Crackdown on Illegal Securities Activities, which were available to the public on July 6, 2021. These opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas listings by China-based companies. These opinions proposed to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems, to deal with the risks and incidents facing China-based overseas-listed companies and the demand for cybersecurity and data privacy protection. Moreover, the State Internet Information Office issued the Measures of Cybersecurity Review (Revised Draft for Comments, not yet effective) on July 10, 2021, which require operators with personal information of more than 1 million users who want to list abroad to file a cybersecurity review with the Office of Cybersecurity Review. The aforementioned policies and any related implementation rules to be enacted may subject us to additional compliance requirement in the future. While we believe that our operations are not affected by this, as these opinions were recently issued, official guidance and interpretation of the opinions remain unclear in several respects at this time. Therefore, we cannot assure you that we will remain fully compliant with all new regulatory requirements of these opinions or any future implementation rules on a timely basis, or at all.

   

On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, or the SCNPC, promulgated the PRC Data Security Law, which took effect in September 2021. The PRC Data Security Law imposes data security and privacy obligations on entities and individuals carrying out data activities, and introduces a data classification and hierarchical protection system based on the importance of data in economic and social development, and the degree of harm it will cause to national security, public interests, or legitimate rights and interests of individuals or organizations when such data is tampered with, destroyed, leaked, illegally acquired or used. The PRC Data Security Law also provides for a national security review procedure for data activities that may affect national security and imposes export restrictions on certain data an information.

 

49

 

 

In early July 2021, regulatory authorities in China launched cybersecurity investigations with regard to several China-based companies that are listed in the United States. The Chinese cybersecurity regulator announced on July 2 that it had begun an investigation of Didi Global Inc. (NYSE: DIDI) and two days later ordered that the company’s app be removed from smartphone app stores. On July 5, 2021, the Chinese cybersecurity regulator launched the same investigation on two other Internet platforms, China’s Full Truck Alliance of Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YMM) and Boss of KANZHUN LIMITED (Nasdaq: BZ). On July 24, 2021, the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly released the Guidelines for Further Easing the Burden of Excessive Homework and Off-campus Tutoring for Students at the Stage of Compulsory Education, pursuant to which foreign investment in such firms via mergers and acquisitions, franchise development, and variable interest entities are banned from this sector.

 

On August 17, 2021, the State Council promulgated the Regulations on the Protection of the Security of Critical Information Infrastructure, or the Regulations, which took effect on September 1, 2021. The Regulations supplement and specify the provisions on the security of critical information infrastructure as stated in the Cybersecurity Review Measures. The Regulations provide, among others, that protection department of certain industry or sector shall notify the operator of the critical information infrastructure in time after the identification of certain critical information infrastructure.

 

On August 20, 2021, the SCNPC promulgated the Personal Information Protection Law of the PRC, or the Personal Information Protection Law, which took effect in November 2021. As the first systematic and comprehensive law specifically for the protection of personal information in the PRC, the Personal Information Protection Law provides, among others, that (i) an individual’s consent shall be obtained to use sensitive personal information, such as biometric characteristics and individual location tracking, (ii) personal information operators using sensitive personal information shall notify individuals of the necessity of such use and impact on the individual’s rights, and (iii) where personal information operators reject an individual’s request to exercise his or her rights, the individual may file a lawsuit with a People’s Court.

 

As such, the Company’s business segments may be subject to various government and regulatory interference in the provinces in which they operate. The Company could be subject to regulation by various political and regulatory entities, including various local and municipal agencies and government sub-divisions. The Company may incur increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply. Additionally, the governmental and regulatory interference could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.

 

Furthermore, it is uncertain when and whether the Company will be required to obtain permission from the PRC government to list on U.S. exchanges in the future, and even when such permission is obtained, whether it will be denied or rescinded. Although the Company is currently not required to obtain permission from any of the PRC federal or local government to obtain such permission and has not received any denial to list on the U.S. exchange, our operations could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, by existing or future laws and regulations relating to its business or industry.

 

On December 28, 2021, the CAC, the National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”), and several other administrations jointly issued the revised Measures for Cybersecurity Review, or the Revised Review Measures, which became effective and has replaced the existing Measures for Cybersecurity Review on February 15, 2022. According to the Revised Review Measures, if an “online platform operator” that is in possession of personal data of more than one million users intends to list in a foreign country, it must apply for a cybersecurity review. Based on a set of Q&A published on the official website of the State Cipher Code Administration in connection with the issuance of the Revised Review Measures, an official of the said administration indicated that an online platform operator should apply for a cybersecurity review prior to the submission of its listing application with non-PRC securities regulators. Given the recency of the issuance of the Revised Review Measures and their pending effectiveness, there is a general lack of guidance and substantial uncertainties exist with respect to their interpretation and implementation. For example, it is unclear whether the requirement of cybersecurity review applies to follow-on offerings by an “online platform operator” that is in possession of personal data of more than one million users where the offshore holding company of such operator is already listed overseas. Furthermore, the CAC released the draft of the Regulations on Network Data Security Management in November 2021 for public consultation, which among other things, stipulates that a data processor listed overseas must conduct an annual data security review by itself or by engaging a data security service provider and submit the annual data security review report for a given year to the municipal cybersecurity department before January 31 of the following year.   If the draft Regulations on Network Data Security Management are enacted in the current form, we, as an overseas listed company, will be required to carry out an annual data security review and comply with the relevant reporting obligations.

 

As of the date of this prospectus, none of the VIEs’ operations involving e-commerce has commenced, and we do not expect to possess more than one million personal data of PRC individual clients, as we mainly target institutional clients. However, given the uncertainties, it is unclear how the final draft Regulations on Network Data Security Management will affect us. We have been closely monitoring the development in the regulatory landscape in China, particularly regarding the requirement of approvals, including on a retrospective basis, from the CSRC, the CAC or other PRC authorities with respect to this offering, as well as regarding any annual data security review or other procedures that may be imposed on us. If any approval, review or other procedure is in fact required, we are not able to guarantee that we will obtain such approval or complete such review or other procedure timely or at all. For any approval that we may be able to obtain, it could nevertheless be revoked and the terms of its issuance may impose restrictions on our operations and offerings relating to our securities. 

 

50

 

 

PRC regulations relating to investments in offshore companies by PRC residents may subject our PRC-resident beneficial owners or our PRC subsidiaries to liability or penalties, limit our ability to inject capital into our PRC subsidiaries or limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits.

   

In July 2014, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, which replaces the previous SAFE Circular 75. SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents, including PRC individuals and PRC corporate entities, to register with SAFE or its local branches in connection with their direct or indirect offshore investment activities. SAFE Circular 37 is applicable to our shareholders who are PRC residents and may be applicable to any offshore acquisitions that we may make in the future.

 

Under SAFE Circular 37, PRC residents who make, or have prior to the implementation of SAFE Circular 37 made, direct or indirect investments in offshore special purpose vehicles, or SPVs, are required to register such investments with SAFE or its local branches. In addition, any PRC resident who is a direct or indirect shareholder of an SPV, is required to update its registration with the local branch of SAFE with respect to that SPV, to reflect any material change. Moreover, any subsidiary of such SPV in China is required to urge the PRC resident shareholders to update their registration with the local branch of SAFE to reflect any material change. If any PRC resident shareholder of such SPV fails to make the required registration or to update the registration, the subsidiary of such SPV in China may be prohibited from distributing its profits or the proceeds from any capital reduction, share transfer or liquidation to the SPV, and the SPV may also be prohibited from making additional capital contributions into its subsidiaries in China. In February, 2015, SAFE promulgated a Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Foreign Exchange Administration Policy on Direct Investment, or SAFE Notice 13. Under SAFE Notice 13, applications for foreign exchange registration of inbound foreign direct investments and outbound direct investments, including those required under SAFE Circular 37, must be filed with qualified banks instead of SAFE. Qualified banks should examine the applications and accept registrations under the supervision of SAFE. Our PRC shareholders are subject to SAFE regulations, and these shareholders have completed all necessary registrations with the local SAFE branch or qualified banks as required by SAFE Circular 37. We cannot assure you, however, that all of these individuals may continue to make required filings or updates on a timely manner, or at all. We can provide no assurance that we are or will in the future continue to be informed of identities of all PRC residents holding direct or indirect interest in our company. Any failure or inability by such individuals to comply with SAFE regulations may subject us to fines or legal sanctions, such as restrictions on our cross-border investment activities or our PRC subsidiary’s ability to distribute dividends to, or obtain foreign exchange-denominated loans from, our company or prevent us from making distributions or paying dividends. As a result, our business operations and our ability to make distributions to you could be materially and adversely affected.

 

Furthermore, as these foreign exchange and outbound investment related regulations are relatively new and their interpretation and implementation has been constantly evolving, it is unclear how these regulations, and any future regulation concerning offshore or cross-border investments and transactions, will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant government authorities. For example, we may be subject to a more stringent review and approval process with respect to our foreign exchange activities, such as remittance of dividends and foreign-currency-denominated borrowings, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. We cannot assure you that we have complied or will be able to comply with all applicable foreign exchange and outbound investment related regulations. In addition, if we decide to acquire a PRC domestic company, we cannot assure you that we or the owners of such company, as the case may be, will be able to obtain the necessary approvals or complete the necessary filings and registrations required by the foreign exchange regulations. This may restrict our ability to implement our acquisition strategy and could adversely affect our business and prospects.

 

PRC regulation of loans to, and direct investments in, PRC entities by offshore holding companies may delay or prevent us from using proceeds from this offering and/or future financing activities to make loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC operating subsidiaries.

 

In July 2014, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, which replaces the previous SAFE Circular 75. SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents, including PRC individuals and PRC corporate entities, to register with SAFE or its local branches in connection with their direct or indirect offshore investment activities. SAFE Circular 37 is applicable to our shareholders who are PRC residents and may be applicable to any offshore acquisitions that we may make in the future.

 

51

 

 

Under SAFE Circular 37, PRC residents who make, or have prior to the implementation of SAFE Circular 37 made, direct or indirect investments in offshore special purpose vehicles, or SPVs, are required to register such investments with SAFE or its local branches. In addition, any PRC resident who is a direct or indirect shareholder of an SPV, is required to update its registration with the local branch of SAFE with respect to that SPV, to reflect any material change. Moreover, any subsidiary of such SPV in China is required to urge the PRC resident shareholders to update their registration with the local branch of SAFE to reflect any material change. If any PRC resident shareholder of such SPV fails to make the required registration or to update the registration, the subsidiary of such SPV in China may be prohibited from distributing its profits or the proceeds from any capital reduction, share transfer or liquidation to the SPV, and the SPV may also be prohibited from making additional capital contributions into its subsidiaries in China. In February 2015, SAFE promulgated a Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Foreign Exchange Administration Policy on Direct Investment, or SAFE Notice 13. Under SAFE Notice 13, applications for foreign exchange registration of inbound foreign direct investments and outbound direct investments, including those required under SAFE Circular 37, must be filed with qualified banks instead of SAFE. Qualified banks should examine the applications and accept registrations under the supervision of SAFE. On June 9, 2016, the SAFE promulgated SAFE Circular 16, which expands the application scope of the willingness settlement to include not only the capital of the foreign-invested enterprises but also the foreign debt fund and the fund from overseas listings. In January 2017, the SAFE promulgated the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Further Promoting the Reform of Foreign Exchange Administration and Improving the Examination of Authenticity and Compliance (the “SAFE Circular 3”), which stipulates several policies and measures with respect to the outward remittance of foreign exchange profit from direct investment, which require that a bank that handles outward remittance of profits equivalent to more than USD 50,000 for a domestic entity shall, under the principle of true transactions, review the resolution of the board of directors on distribution of profits (or resolution of partners on distribution of profits), original tax record form, and audited financial statements, relating to the outward remittance, and stamp and endorse the relevant original tax record form with the actual remittance amount and remittance date of the profits. A domestic institution shall cover losses in the previous years as legally required before the outward remittance of profits. Besides, SAFE Circular 3 strengthens the examination of authenticity and compliance of outbound direct investment by requiring that when undergoing the registration and outward remittance formalities for outbound direct investment, a domestic entity shall, in addition to submitting relevant materials for examination as required, explain the source of the investment funds and the use of funds (use plan) to the bank, and provide the resolution of the board of directors (or the resolution of partners), contract, or other proof on authenticity of such investment. Banks shall strengthen the examination of authenticity and compliance. In addition, SAFE promulgated the Circular Regarding Further Promotion of the Facilitation of Cross-Border Trade and Investment on October 23, 2019, or SAFE Circular 28, pursuant to which all foreign-invested enterprises can make equity investments in the PRC with their capital funds in accordance with the law. The Circular Regarding Further Optimizing the Cross-border RMB Policy to Support the Stabilization of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment jointly promulgated by the PBOC, NDRC, the Ministry of Commerce, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission and SAFE on December 31, 2020 and effective on February 4, 2021 allows the non-investment foreign-invested enterprises to make domestic reinvestment with RMB capital in accordance with the law on the premise that they comply with prevailing regulations and the invested projects in China are authentic and compliant. In addition, if a foreign-invested enterprise uses RMB income under capital accounts to conduct domestic reinvestment, the invested enterprise is not required to open a special deposit account for RMB capital.

 

We have used our best efforts to notify PRC residents or entities who directly or indirectly hold shares in our Cayman Islands holding company and who are known to us as being PRC residents to complete the foreign exchange registrations. However, we may not be informed of the identities of all the PRC residents or entities holding direct or indirect interest in our company, nor can we compel our beneficial owners to comply with SAFE registration requirements. We cannot assure you that all other shareholders or beneficial owners of ours who are PRC residents or entities have complied with, and will in the future make, obtain or update any applicable registrations or approvals required by, SAFE regulations. Failure by such shareholders or beneficial owners to comply with SAFE regulations, or failure by us to amend the foreign exchange registrations of our PRC subsidiaries, could subject us to fines or legal sanctions, restrict our overseas or cross-border investment activities, and limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to make distributions or pay dividends to us or affect our ownership structure, which could adversely affect our business and prospects.

 

Furthermore, as these foreign exchange and outbound investment related regulations are relatively new and their interpretation and implementation has been constantly evolving, it is unclear how these regulations, and any future regulation concerning offshore or cross-border investments and transactions, will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant government authorities. For example, we may be subject to a more stringent review and approval process with respect to our foreign exchange activities, such as remittance of dividends and foreign-currency-denominated borrowings, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. We cannot assure you that we have complied or will be able to comply with all applicable foreign exchange and outbound investment related regulations. In addition, if we decide to acquire a PRC domestic company, we cannot assure you that we or the owners of such company, as the case may be, will be able to obtain the necessary approvals or complete the necessary filings and registrations required by the foreign exchange regulations. This may restrict our ability to implement our acquisition strategy and could adversely affect our business and prospects.

 

As an offshore holding company with PRC subsidiaries, we may transfer funds to our Affiliate Entities or finance our operating entity by means of loans or capital contributions. Any capital contributions or loans that we, as an offshore entity, make to our Company’s PRC subsidiaries, including from the proceeds of this offering, are subject to the above PRC regulations. We may not be able to obtain necessary government registrations or approvals on a timely basis, if at all. If we fail to obtain such approvals or make such registration, our ability to make equity contributions or provide loans to our Company’s PRC subsidiaries or to fund their operations may be negatively affected, which may adversely affect their liquidity and ability to fund their working capital and expansion projects and meet their obligations and commitments. As a result, our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business may be negatively affected.

 

PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies to PRC entities may delay or prevent us from making loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC operating subsidiaries.

 

As an offshore holding company of our PRC subsidiary, we may make loans to our PRC subsidiary, the VIE and the VIE’s subsidiaries, or may make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary, subject to satisfaction of applicable governmental registration and approval requirements.

 

Any loans we extend to our PRC subsidiary, which are treated as foreign-invested enterprises under PRC law, cannot exceed the statutory limit and must be registered with the local counterpart of the SAFE.

 

52

 

 

We may transfer funds to our PRC subsidiary, which is FIE under PRC laws, or finance such FIE by means of shareholder loans or capital contributions upon completion of our offerings. Any such loans to the FIE cannot exceed statutory limits, which is either the difference between the registered capital and the total investment amount of such FIE, or a multiple of the FIE's net assets in the previous year, and shall be registered or filed with SAFE, or its local counterparts. Furthermore, any capital contributions we make to the FIE shall be field with the MOFCOM or its local counterparts. We may not be able to obtain these government registrations, filing or approvals on a timely basis, if at all. If we fail to receive such registrations, filing or approvals, our ability to provide loans or capital contributions to the FIEs in a timely manner may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business. In addition, SAFE promulgated the Circular on the Relevant Operating Issues concerning Administration Improvement of Payment and Settlement of Foreign Currency Capital of Foreign-invested Enterprises, or Circular 142, on August 29, 2008. SAFE promulgated Circular 45 on November 16, 2011 in order to clarify the application of Circular 142. Under Circular 142 and Circular 45, registered capital of a foreign-invested company settled in RMB converted from foreign currencies may only be used within the business scope approved by the applicable governmental authority and may not be used for equity investments in the PRC. In addition, foreign-invested companies may not change how they use such capital without SAFE's approval, and may not in any case use such capital to repay RMB loans if proceeds of such loans have not been utilized. Violations of Circular 142 or Circular 45 may result in severe penalties. On March 30, 2015, SAFE released the Notice on the Reform of the Management Method for the Settlement of Foreign Exchange Capital of Foreign-invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 19, which came into force and superseded SAFE Circular 142 from June 1, 2015. SAFE Circular 19 has made certain adjustments to some regulatory requirements on the settlement of foreign exchange capital of foreign-invested enterprises, and some foreign exchange restrictions under SAFE Circular 142 are lifted. Under SAFE Circular 19, the settlement of foreign exchange by FIEs shall be governed by the policy of foreign exchange settlement at will. In June 2016, SAFE promulgated Circular on Reforming and Regulating Policies on the Control over Foreign Exchange Settlement of Capital Accounts, or SAFE Circular 16, which removed certain restrictions previously provided under several SAFE circulars in respect of conversion by an FIE of foreign currency registered capital into RMB and use of such RMB capital. However, SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16 also reiterate that the settlement of foreign exchange shall only be used for purposes within the business scope of the FIEs. As a result, the applicable circulars may significantly limit our ability to transfer the net proceeds from our initial public offering and subsequent offerings or financings to our FIEs, which may adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business in the PRC.

 

If the VIEs require financial support from us or our PRC subsidiary in the future and we find it necessary to use foreign currency-denominated capital to provide such financial support, our ability to fund the VIE’s operations will be subject to statutory limits and restrictions, including those described above. These circulars may limit our ability to transfer the net proceeds from this offering to the VIEs and our PRC subsidiary, and we may not be able to convert the net proceeds from this offering into Renminbi to invest in or acquire any other PRC companies in China. Despite the restrictions under these SAFE circulars, our PRC subsidiary may use its income in Renminbi generated from their operations to finance the VIEs through entrustment loans to the VIEs or loans to the VIEs’ shareholders for the purpose of making capital contributions to the VIEs. In addition, our PRC subsidiary can use Renminbi funds converted from foreign currency registered capital to carry out any activities within their normal course of business and business scope, including to purchase or lease servers and other relevant equipment and fund other operational needs in connection with their provision of services to the relevant VIE under the applicable exclusive technical support agreements.

 

In light of the various requirements imposed by PRC regulations on loans to, and direct investment in, PRC entities by offshore holding companies, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the necessary government registrations or obtain the necessary government approvals on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future loans to our PRC subsidiary or the VIE or future capital contributions by us to our PRC subsidiary. If we fail to complete such registrations or obtain such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds we expect to receive from this offering and to fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

 

53

 

 

Adverse changes in political and economic policies of the PRC government could have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of China, which could reduce the demand for our products and services and materially and adversely affect our competitive position.

 

All of our business operations are conducted in China. Accordingly, our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects are subject to economic, political and legal developments in China. The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the amount of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the Chinese economy is no longer a planned economy, the PRC government continues to exercise significant control over China’s economic growth through direct allocation of resources, monetary and tax policies, and a host of other government policies such as those that encourage or restrict investment in certain industries by foreign investors, control the exchange between RMB and foreign currencies, and regulate the growth of the general or specific market. Although the Chinese government has implemented measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still owned by the government.

 

While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, growth has been slowed down, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. The Chinese government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy, but may have a negative effect on us. For example, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations. In addition, in the past the Chinese government has implemented certain measures, including interest rate increases, to control the pace of economic growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity in China, and since 2012, China’s economic growth has slowed down. Any prolonged slowdown in the Chinese economy may reduce the demand for our products and services and materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

 

54

 

 

Furthermore, from time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. Any administrative and court proceedings in China may be protracted, resulting in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory provisions and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. These uncertainties may impede our ability to enforce the contracts we have entered into and could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

 

Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all and may have retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of any of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such unpredictability towards our contractual, property (including intellectual property) and procedural rights could adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.

 

These government involvements have been instrumental in China’s significant growth in the past 30 years. In response to the recent global and Chinese economic downturn, the PRC government has adopted policy measures aimed at stimulating the economic growth in China. If the PRC government’s current or future policies fail to help the Chinese economy achieve further growth or if any aspect of the PRC government’s policies limits the growth of our industry or otherwise negatively affects our business, our growth rate or strategy, our results of operations could be adversely affected as a result.

 

We must remit the offering proceeds to the PRC before they may be used to benefit our business in the PRC, and this process may take a number of months.

 

The proceeds of this offering must be sent back to the PRC, and the process for sending such proceeds back to the PRC may take several months after the closing of this offering. We may be unable to use these proceeds to grow our business until we receive such proceeds in the PRC. In order to remit the offering proceeds to the PRC, we will take the following actions:

 

First, we will open a special foreign exchange account for capital account transactions. To open this account, we must submit to State Administration for Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”) certain application forms, identity documents, transaction documents, form of foreign exchange registration of overseas investments by domestic residents, and foreign exchange registration certificate of the invested company.

 

Second, we will remit the offering proceeds into this special foreign exchange account.

 

Third, we will apply for settlement of the foreign exchange. In order to do so, we must submit to SAFE certain application forms, identity documents, payment order to a designated person, and a tax certificate.

 

The timing of the process is difficult to estimate because the efficiencies of different SAFE branches can vary materially. Ordinarily, the process takes several months to complete but is required by law to be accomplished within 180 days of application. Until the abovementioned approvals, the proceeds of this offering will be maintained in an interest-bearing account maintained by us in the United States.

 

55

 

 

Because our business is conducted in RMB and the price of our ordinary shares is quoted in United States dollars, changes in currency conversion rates may affect the value of your investments.

 

Our business is conducted in the PRC, our books and records are maintained in RMB, which is the currently of the PRC, and the financial statements that we file with the SEC and provide to our shareholders are presented in United States dollars. Changes in the exchange rate between the RMB and dollar affect the value of our assets and the results of our operations in United States dollars. The value of the RMB against the United States dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in the PRC’s political and economic conditions and perceived changes in the economy of the PRC and the United States. Any significant revaluation of the RMB may materially and adversely affect our cash flows, revenue and financial condition. Further, our ordinary shares offered by this prospectus are offered in United States dollars, we will need to convert the net proceeds we receive into RMB in order to use the funds for our business. Changes in the conversion rate between the United States dollar and the RMB will affect that amount of proceeds we will have available for our business.

 

56

 

 

We principally rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business or financial condition.

 

We are a holding company, and we principally rely on dividends and other distributions on equity that may be paid by our PRC subsidiaries and remittances from the VIE, for our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to the holders of our ordinary shares and service any debt we may incur. If any of our PRC subsidiaries, the VIE, or its subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us.

 

Under PRC laws and regulations, wholly foreign-owned enterprises in China, may pay dividends only out of their accumulated after-tax profits as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, after making up previous years’ accumulated losses, if any, to fund certain statutory reserve funds, until the aggregate amount of such a fund reaches 50% of its registered capital. At the discretion of the wholly foreign-owned enterprise, it may allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to enterprise expansion funds, and staff welfare and bonus funds. These reserve funds and staff welfare and bonus funds are not distributable as cash dividends. Any limitation on the ability of the VIE to make remittance to our wholly-owned PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business.

  

Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law, we may be classified as a “resident enterprise” of China, which could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders.

 

The EIT Law and its implementing rules provide that enterprises established outside of China whose “de facto management bodies” are located in China are considered “resident enterprises” under PRC tax laws. The implementing rules promulgated under the EIT Law define the term “de facto management bodies” as a management body which substantially manages, or has control over the business, personnel, finance and assets of an enterprise. In April 2009, the State Administration of Taxation, or SAT, issued the Circular on Issues Concerning the Identification of Chinese-Controlled Overseas Registered Enterprises as Resident Enterprises in Accordance With the Actual Standards of Organizational Management, known as Circular 82, which has provided certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto management bodies” of a PRC-controlled enterprise that is incorporated offshore is located in China. However, there are no further detailed rules or precedents governing the procedures and specific criteria for determining “de facto management body.” Although our board of directors and management are located in the PRC, it is unclear if the PRC tax authorities will determine that we should be classified as a PRC “resident enterprise.”

 

If we are deemed as a PRC “resident enterprise,” we will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on our worldwide income at a uniform tax rate of 25%, although dividends distributed to us from our existing PRC subsidiary and any other PRC subsidiaries which we may establish from time to time could be exempt from the PRC dividend withholding tax due to our PRC “resident recipient” status. This could have a material and adverse effect on our overall effective tax rate, our income tax expenses and our net income. Furthermore, dividends, if any, paid to our shareholders may be decreased as a result of the decrease in distributable profits. In addition, if we were considered a PRC “resident enterprise”, any dividends we pay to our non-PRC investors, and the gains realized from the transfer of our ordinary shares may be considered income derived from sources within the PRC and be subject to PRC tax, at a rate of 10% in the case of non-PRC enterprises or 20% in the case of non-PRC individuals (in each case, subject to the provisions of any applicable tax treaty). It is unclear whether holders of our ordinary shares would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties between their country of tax residence and the PRC in the event that we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise. This could have a material and adverse effect on the value of your investment in us and the price of our ordinary shares.

 

57

 

 

There are significant uncertainties under the EIT Law relating to the withholding tax liabilities of our PRC subsidiary, and dividends payable by our PRC subsidiary to our offshore subsidiaries may not qualify to enjoy certain treaty benefits.

 

Under the PRC EIT Law and its implementation rules, the profits of a foreign invested enterprise generated through operations, which are distributed to its immediate holding company outside the PRC, will be subject to a withholding tax rate of 10%. Pursuant to a special arrangement between Hong Kong and the PRC, such rate may be reduced to 5% if a Hong Kong resident enterprise owns more than 25% of the equity interest in the PRC company. Our PRC subsidiary is wholly-owned by our Hong Kong subsidiary. Moreover, under the Notice of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues regarding the Administration of the Dividend Provision in Tax Treaties promulgated on February 20, 2009, the tax payer needs to satisfy certain conditions to enjoy the benefits under a tax treaty. These beneficial owner of the relevant dividends, and (2) the corporate shareholder to receive dividends from the PRC subsidiary must have continuously met the direct ownership thresholds during the 12 consecutive months preceding the receipt of the dividends. Further, the State Administration of Taxation promulgated the Notice on How to Understand and Recognize the “Beneficial Owner” in Tax Treaties on October 27, 2009, which limits the “beneficial owner” to individuals, projects or other organizations normally engaged in substantive operations, and sets forth certain detailed factors in determining the “beneficial owner” status. In current practice, a Hong Kong enterprise must obtain a tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority to apply for the 5% lower PRC withholding tax rate. As the Hong Kong tax authority will issue such a tax resident certificate on a case-by-case basis, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority.

 

Even after we obtain the Hong Kong tax resident certificate, we are required by applicable tax laws and regulations to file required forms and materials with relevant PRC tax authorities to prove that we can enjoy 5% lower PRC withholding tax rate. We intend to obtain the required materials and file with the relevant tax authorities when it plans to declare and pay dividends, but there is no assurance that the PRC tax authorities will approve the 5% withholding tax rate.

 

We are currently delinquent on our statutory obligations to make social insurance and housing provident fund contributions for our employees in China, which may subject us to fines or other penalties by government authorities.

 

Enterprises in China are required by PRC laws and regulations to participate in certain employee benefit plans, including social insurance funds, namely a pension plan, a medical insurance plan, an unemployment insurance plan, a work-related injury insurance plan and a maternity insurance plan, and a housing provident fund, and contribute to the plans or funds in amounts equal to certain percentages of salaries, including bonuses and allowances, of the employees as specified by the local government from time to time at locations where they operate their businesses or where they are located.

 

According to the Interim Regulations on the Collection and Payment of Social Insurance Premiums, the Regulations on Work Injury Insurance, the Regulations on Unemployment Insurance and the Trial Measures on Employee Maternity Insurance of Enterprises, enterprises in the PRC shall provide benefit plans for their employees, which include basic pension insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, work injury insurance and basic medical insurance. An enterprise must provide social insurance by making social insurance registration with local social insurance agencies, and shall pay or withhold relevant social insurance premiums for and on behalf of employees. The Law on Social Insurance of the PRC, which was promulgated by the SCNPC on October 28, 2010, became effective on July 1, 2011, and was most recently updated on December 29, 2018, has consolidated pertinent provisions for basic pension insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, work injury insurance and basic medical insurance, and has elaborated in detail the legal obligations and liabilities of employers who do not comply with laws and regulations on social insurance.

 

According to the Regulations on the Administration of Housing Provident Fund, which was promulgated by the State Counsel and became effective on April 3, 1999, and was amended on March 24, 2002 and was partially revised on March 24, 2019 by the Decision of the State Council on Revising Some Administrative Regulations (Decree No. 710 of the State Council), housing provident fund contributions by an individual employee and housing provident fund contributions by his or her employer shall belong to the individual employee. Registration by PRC companies with the applicable housing provident fund management center is compulsory, and a special housing provident fund account for each of the employees shall be opened at an entrusted bank.

 

58

 

 

The government supervision of social insurance policy has not been implemented consistently by the local governments in China given the different levels of economic development in different locations. As a common phenomenon in China, some of our PRC operating entities incorporated in various locations in China have not adequately paid social insurance and housing provident fund contributions for our employees. According to the Social Insurance Law of the People’s Republic of China, we may be ordered to pay the outstanding social insurance contributions within a prescribed deadline and liable for a late payment fee equal to 0.2% of the outstanding amount for each day of delay, in addition to a fine a fine ranging from RMB 10,000 to RMB 50,000. Furthermore, we may be liable for a fine of one to three times the amount of the outstanding contributions, provided that we still fail to pay the outstanding social insurance contributions within the prescribed deadline. In addition, according to the Regulations on the Administration of Housing Provident Fund, we may be ordered by the Housing Accumulation Fund Management Center to deposit the outstanding funds within a time limit. If we fail to deposit such amounts within the time limit, the Center may petition a people’s court to enforce the payment. As of March 2022, the Company has an estimate of $85,265 in its late payment of social insurance contribution and housing provident fund, and a potential of an estimated $17,659 in late fees. However, due to the varying local policies and other factors, such as a company’s relationship with the local government, each subsidiary or VIE in China may be subject to different treatment. Due to this issue being prevalently faced by the majority of the businesses in China, it has become highly discretional for the local government to decide whether to enforce compliance with the employee social fund regulations, if at all. As of the date of the prospectus, given that (i) the requirement of social insurance and housing fund has not been implemented consistently by the local governments in China given the different levels of economic development in different locations; (ii) pursuant to the Emergency Notice on Practicing Principles of the State Council Executive Meeting and Stabilizing Work on Collecting Social Insurance Premiums promulgated by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on September 21, 2018, local authorities are prohibited from recovering unpaid social insurance premiums from enterprises; (iii) as of the date of this Prospectus, the Company had not received any notice or order from the relevant government authorities requesting us to pay the social insurance premiums or housing funds in full; (iv) as of the date of this Prospectus, the Company had not received any complaint or report on outstanding social insurance premiums or housing funds, nor had them had any labor dispute or lawsuit with their employees on payments of social insurance premiums or housing provident fund; and (v) the Company had not been subject to any administrative penalties, the Company has not made any provisions in connection with the shortfall of its social insurance contribution and housing provident funds for the year ended March 31, 2023. Furthermore, as of the date of the prospectus, we are not aware of any action, claim, investigation or penalties being conducted or threatened by any government authorities. However, if we are fined or otherwise penalized by government authorities due to our failure to adequately pay social insurance and housing provident fund contributions for our employees, our financial condition may be negatively impacted.

 

We may face administrative penalty if we fail to register the correct business address.

 

According to Article 7 of the Company Law of the People's Republic of China (2018 Amendment), a company's business license shall specify the company's name and domicile. If the items recorded in the company's business license have been changed, the company shall register these changes for the company registration authority to reissue the business license. According to Article 68 of the Regulations on the Administration of Companies Registration of the People’s Republic of China (2016 Amendment), the company registration authority shall order the registration within a time limit and those who fail to register within the time limit shall be fined not less than 10,000 yuan but not more than 100,000 yuan.

 

Currently, Junzhang Shanghai and a few of its subsidiaries, such as Shanghai Changyun Industrial Development Co., Ltd., Xi’an EShallGo Information Technology Co., Ltd., and EShallGo Office Supplies (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., do not have consistent business address and registered address. This may cause these subsidiaries to face administrative penalties if governmental agencies cannot contact the companies should issues arise.

 

Changes in international trade policies, trade dispute or the emergence of a trade war, may have a material adverse effect on our business.

 

Political events, international trade disputes, and other business interruptions could harm or disrupt international commerce and the global economy, and could have a material adverse effect on us and our customers, service providers, network carriers and other partners.

 

International trade disputes could result in tariffs and other protectionist measures that could adversely affect our business. Tariffs could increase the cost of the goods and products which could affect consumers’ discretionary spending levels and therefore adversely impact our business. In addition, political uncertainty surrounding international trade disputes and the potential of the escalation to trade war and global recession could have a negative effect on consumer confidence, which could adversely affect our business.

 

U.S. regulatory bodies may be limited in their ability to conduct investigations or inspections of our operations in China.

 

Any disclosure of documents or information located in China by foreign agencies may be subject to jurisdiction constraints and must comply with China’s state secrecy laws, which broadly define the scope of “state secrets” to include matters involving economic interests and technologies. There is no guarantee that requests from U.S. federal or state regulators or agencies to investigate or inspect our operations will be honored by us, by entities who provide services to us or with whom we associate, without violating PRC legal requirements, especially as those entities are located in China. Furthermore, under the current PRC laws, an on-site inspection of our facilities by any of these regulators may be limited or prohibited.

 

59

 

 

If we become directly subject to the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity involving U.S.-listed Chinese companies, we may have to expend significant resources to investigate and resolve the matter which could harm our business operations, stock price and reputation.

 

U.S. public companies that have substantially all of their operations in China have been the subject of intense scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity by investors, financial commentators and regulatory agencies, such as the SEC. Much of the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity has centered on financial and accounting irregularities and mistakes, a lack of effective internal controls over financial accounting, inadequate corporate governance policies or a lack of adherence thereto and, in many cases, allegations of fraud. As a result of the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity, the publicly traded stock of many U.S. listed Chinese companies sharply decreased in value and, in some cases, has become virtually worthless. Many of these companies are now subject to shareholder lawsuits and SEC enforcement actions and are conducting internal and external investigations into the allegations. It is not clear what effect this sector-wide scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity will have on us, our business and our stock price. If we become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we will have to expend significant resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend our company. This situation will be costly and time consuming and distract our management from developing our growth. If such allegations are not proven to be groundless, we and our business operations will be severely affected and you could sustain a significant decline in the value of our stock.

 

The disclosures in our reports and other filings with the SEC and our other public pronouncements are not subject to the scrutiny of any regulatory bodies in the PRC.

 

We are regulated by the SEC and our reports and other filings with the SEC are subject to SEC review in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act. Our SEC reports and other disclosure and public pronouncements are not subject to the review or scrutiny of any PRC regulatory authority. For example, the disclosure in our SEC reports and other filings are not subject to the review by China Securities Regulatory Commission, a PRC regulator that is responsible for oversight of the capital markets in China. Accordingly, you should review our SEC reports, filings and our other public pronouncements with the understanding that no local regulator has done any review of us, our SEC reports, other filings or any of our other public pronouncements.

 

The M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.

 

The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in August 2006 and amended in 2009, and some other regulations and rules concerning mergers and acquisitions established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time consuming and complex, including requirements in some instances that the MOC be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise. For  example, the M&A Rules require that MOFCOM be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise, if (i) any important industry is concerned, (ii) such transaction involves factors that impact or may impact national economic security, or (iii) such transaction will lead to a change in control of a domestic enterprise which holds a famous trademark or PRC time-honored brand. Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law promulgated by the SCNPC effective in 2008 requires that transactions which are deemed concentrations and involve parties with specified turnover thresholds (i.e., during the previous fiscal year, (i) the total global turnover of all operators participating in the transaction exceeds RMB10 billion and at least two of these operators each had a turnover of more than RMB400 million within China, or (ii) the total turnover within China of all the operators participating in the concentration exceeded RMB 2 billion, and at least two of these operators each had a turnover of more than RMB 400 million within China) must be cleared by MOFCOM before they can be completed.

 

Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law requires that if certain thresholds are triggered, it shall be declared to the Anti-monopoly Law Enforcement Agency of the State Council in advance and shall not be implemented without such declaration. In addition, the security review rules issued by the MOFCOM that became effective in September 2011 specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors that raise “national defense and security” concerns and mergers and acquisitions through which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise “national security” concerns are subject to strict review by the MOFCOM, and the rules prohibit any activities attempting to bypass a security review, including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement. In the future, we may grow our business by acquiring complementary businesses. Complying with the requirements of the above-mentioned regulations and other relevant rules to complete such transactions could be time consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval from the MOFCOM or its local counterparts may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.

 

60

 

 

The completion of filing procesure with the CSRC will be required in connection with this offering, and, although we have completed the filing procedure under the CSRC, we cannot predict whether we will be able to fulfill approval requirements imposed in the future.

 

The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies requires an overseas special purpose vehicle formed for listing purposes through acquisitions of PRC domestic companies and controlled by PRC companies or individuals to obtain the approval of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, prior to the listing and trading of such special purpose vehicle’s securities on an overseas stock exchange.

 

On February 17, 2023, the CSRC issued the Trial Measures, which became effective on March 31, 2023. On the same date, the CSRC circulated the Guidance Rules and Notice on the CSRC’s official website. Pursuant to the Trial Measures, beginning March 31, 2023, domestic enterprises that have submitted valid applications for overseas offerings and listings but have not obtained the approval from the relevant overseas regulatory authority or overseas stock exchange shall complete filings with the CSRC prior to their overseas offerings and listings. Based on the foregoing, once our registration statement on Form F-1 has been declared effective, we will be required to complete necessary filing procedures pursuant to the Trial Measures to complete this offering and listing.

 

On February 24, 2023, the CSRC, together with the MOF, National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China, revised the Provisions issued by the CSRC and National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China in 2009. The revised Provisions were issued under the title the “Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies”, and came into effect on March 31, 2023, together with the Trial Measures. One of the major revisions to the revised Provisions is expanding their application to cover indirect overseas offering and listing, as is consistent with the Trial Measures. The revised Provisions require that, among other things, (a) a domestic company that plans to, either directly or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals or entities including securities companies, securities service providers and overseas regulators, any documents and materials that contain state secrets or working secrets of government agencies, shall first obtain approval from competent authorities according to law, and file with the secrecy administrative department at the same level; and (b) a domestic company that plans to, either directly or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals and entities including securities companies, securities service providers and overseas regulators, any other documents and materials that, if leaked, will be detrimental to national security or public interest, shall strictly fulfill relevant procedures stipulated by applicable national regulations. The revised Provisions came into effect  on March 31, 2023. Any failure or perceived failure by our Company or our PRC subsidiaries to comply with the above confidentiality and archives administration requirements under the revised Provisions and other PRC laws and regulations may result in the relevant entities being held legally liable by competent authorities and referred to the judicial organ to be investigated for criminal liability if suspected of committing a crime.

 

The Opinions, the Trial Measures, the Guidance Rules and Notice, the revised Provisions, and any related implementation rules to be enacted may subject us to additional compliance requirement in the future. While we are currently not subject to any circumstance that may cause our filing documents to be deemed as unqualified by the CSRC, the interpretations and implementation of the Trial Measures remain uncertain in several respects at this time, considering that the Trial Measures have just been implemented. As advised by our PRC counsel, Beijing DOCVIT Law Firm, as our operating subsidiaries accounted for more than 50% of our consolidated revenues, profit, total assets or net assets for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, and the key components of our operations are carried out in the PRC, this offering is considered an indirect offering by domestic companies and we are therefore subject to the filing requirements for this offering under the Trial Measures and Guidance Rules and Notice. We have submitted the record filing materials pursuant to the Trial Measures with the CSRC. On February 7, 2024, we we received notification from the CSRC confirming that we have completed the record filing requirement. However, if the CSRC or other regulatory authorities later promulgate new rules or explanations requiring that we obtain their approvals or accomplish the required filing or other regulatory procedures for this offering, we may be unable to obtain a waiver of such approval requirements, if and when procedures are established to obtain such a waiver. Any uncertainties or negative publicity regarding such approval requirements could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, reputation, and the trading price of our ordinary shares.

 

Moreover, On January 4, 2022, thirteen PRC regulatory agencies, namely, the CAC, the NDRC, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of State Security, the MOF, MOFCOM, SAMR, CSRC, the PBOC, the National Radio and Television Administration, National Administration of State Secrets Protection and the National Cryptography Administration, jointly adopted and published the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021), which became effective on February 15, 2022. The Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) required that, among other things, in addition to any “operator of critical information infrastructure,” or any “operator of network platform” holding personal information of more than one million users which seeks to list in a foreign stock exchange should also be subject to cybersecurity review. The aforementioned policies and any related implementation rules to be enacted may subject us to additional compliance requirement in the future. While we believe that our operations are not affected by these opinions, as these opinions were recently issued, official guidance and interpretation of the opinions remain unclear in several respects at this time. Therefore, we cannot assure you that we will remain fully compliant with all new regulatory requirements of these opinions or any future implementation rules on a timely basis, or at all.

 

Our PRC counsel, Beijing DOCVIT Law Firm, has advised us based on their understanding of the current PRC laws, rules and regulations that the CSRC’s prior approval is not required for the listing and trading of our ordinary shares on Nasdaq in the context of this offering, given that: (i) our PRC subsidiary was incorporated as a wholly foreign-owned enterprise by means of direct investment rather than by merger or acquisition of equity interest or assets of a PRC domestic company owned by PRC companies or individuals as defined under the M&A Rules that are our beneficial owners; (ii) the CSRC currently has not issued any definitive rule or interpretation concerning whether offerings like ours under this prospectus are subject to the M&A Rules; and (iii) no provision in the M&A Rules clearly classifies contractual arrangements as a type of transaction subject to the M&A Rules.

 

Our PRC counsel, Beijing DOCVIT Law Firm, has advised us that as of the date of this prospectus, although we are required to complete certain filing procedure in connection with our offering (including this offering and any subsequent offering) and listing under the Trial Measures, no relevant PRC laws or regulations in effect require that we obtain approval or permission from any PRC authorities to issue securities to foreign investors, and we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, sanction, or any regulatory objection to this offering from the CSRC, the CAC, or any other PRC authorities that have jurisdiction over our operations. However, Beijing DOCVIT Law Firm has further advised us that there remain some uncertainties as to how the M&A Rules will be interpreted or implemented in the context of an overseas offering and its opinions summarized above are subject to any new laws, rules and regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations in any form relating to the M&A Rules. We cannot assure you that relevant PRC government agencies, including the CSRC, would reach the same conclusion as we do. If it is determined that CSRC approval is required for this offering, we may face sanctions by the CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies for failure to seek CSRC approval for this offering. These sanctions may include fines and penalties on our operations in the PRC, limitations on our operating privileges in the PRC, delays in or restrictions on the repatriation of the proceeds from this offering into the PRC, restrictions on or prohibition of the payments or remittance of dividends by our PRC subsidiary, or other actions that could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, reputation and prospects, as well as the trading price of our Class A Ordinary Shares. Furthermore, the CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies may also take actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, to halt this offering before the settlement and delivery of the Class A Ordinary Shares that we are offering. Consequently, if you engage in market trading or other activities in anticipation of and prior to the settlement and delivery of the Class A Ordinary Shares we are offering, you would be doing so at the risk that the settlement and delivery may not occur.

 

The recent joint statement by the SEC and PCAOB, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. These developments could add uncertainties to our offering.

 

On April 21, 2020, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and PCAOB Chairman William D. Duhnke III, along with other senior SEC staff, released a joint statement highlighting the risks associated with investing in companies based in or have substantial operations in emerging markets including China. The joint statement emphasized the risks associated with lack of access for the PCAOB to inspect auditors and audit work papers in China and higher risks of fraud in emerging markets.

 

On May 18, 2020, Nasdaq filed three proposals with the SEC to (i) apply minimum offering size requirement for companies primarily operating in “Restrictive Market”, (ii) adopt a new requirement relating to the qualification of management or board of director for Restrictive Market companies, and (iii) apply additional and more stringent criteria to an applicant or listed company based on the qualifications of the company’s auditors.

 

61

 

 

On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act requiring a foreign company to certify it is not owned or controlled by a foreign government if the PCAOB is unable to audit specified reports because the company uses a foreign auditor not subject to PCAOB inspection. If the PCAOB is unable to inspect the Company’s auditors for three consecutive years, the issuer’s securities are prohibited to trade on a U.S. stock exchange. On December 2, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. On December 18, 2020, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act was signed into law.

 

On March 24, 2021, the SEC announced that it had adopted interim final amendments to implement congressionally mandated submission and disclosure requirements of the Act. The interim final amendments will apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report on Forms 10-K, 20-F, 40-F or N-CSR with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that the PCAOB has determined it is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in that jurisdiction. The SEC will implement a process for identifying such a registrant and any such identified registrant will be required to submit documentation to the SEC establishing that it is not owned or controlled by a governmental entity in that foreign jurisdiction, and will also require disclosure in the registrant’s annual report regarding the audit arrangements of, and governmental influence on, such a registrant.

 

On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, and on December 29, 2022, Consolidated Appropriations Act was signed into law, which contained, among other things, an identical provision to the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and amended the HFCA Act by requiring the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three, thus reducing the time period for triggering the prohibition on trading. 

 

On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB adopted a final rule implementing the HFCAA, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the HFCAA, whether the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction.

 

On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the HFCA Act. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions.

 

On December 16, 2021, SEC announced that the PCAOB designated China and Hong Kong as the jurisdictions where the PCAOB is not allowed to conduct full and complete audit inspections as mandated under the HFCAA. The Company's predecessor auditor, Friedman LLP, and its current auditor, Marcum Asia CPAs, LLP, or Marcum Asia, are not subject to this determinations as to inability to inspect or investigate registered firms completely. The Company's predecessor auditor and its current auditor are based in Manhattan, New York, and have been inspected by the PCAOB on a regular basis, with the last inspections in 2020, and therefore not subject to the determinations announced by the PCAOB on December 16, 2021.

 

On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB signed an SOP Agreement with the China Securities Regulatory Commission and the MOF. The SOP Agreements establish a specific, accountable framework to make possible complete inspections and investigations by the PCAOB of audit firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong, as required under U.S. law. However, if the PCAOB continues to be prohibited from conducting complete inspections and investigations of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong, the PCAOB is likely to determine by the end of 2022 that positions taken by authorities in the PRC obstructed the its ability to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong completely, then the companies audited by those registered public accounting firms would be subject to a trading prohibition on U.S. markets pursuant to the HFCAA.

  

On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong completely in 2022. The PCAOB Board vacated its previous 2021 determinations that the PCAOB was unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. However, whether the PCAOB will continue to be able to satisfactorily conduct inspections of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong is subject to uncertainties and depends on a number of factors out of our and our auditor’s control. The PCAOB continues to demand complete access in mainland China and Hong Kong moving forward and is making plans to resume regular inspections in early 2023 and beyond, as well as to continue pursuing ongoing investigations and initiate new investigations as needed. The PCAOB has also indicated that it will act immediately to consider the need to issue new determinations with the HFCAA if needed.

 

The lack of access to the PCAOB inspection in China prevents the PCAOB from fully evaluating audits and quality control procedures of the auditors based in China. As a result, the investors may be deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of these accounting firms’ audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject to the PCAOB inspections, which could cause existing and potential investors in our stock to lose confidence in our audit procedures and reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements.

 

Our auditor, the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included elsewhere in this prospectus, and as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess our auditor’s compliance with the applicable professional standards. Our auditor is headquartered in New York, New York, and is subject to inspection by the PCAOB on a regular basis with the last inspection in June 2020.

 

However, the recent developments would add uncertainties to our offering and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us after considering the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures and quality control procedures, adequacy of personnel and training, or sufficiency of resources, geographic reach or experience as it relates to the audit of our financial statements. It remains unclear what the SEC’s implementation process related to the March 2021 interim final amendments will entail or what further actions the SEC, the PCAOB or Nasdaq will take to address these issues and what impact those actions will have on U.S. companies that have significant operations in the PRC and have securities listed on a U.S. stock exchange. In addition, the March 2021 interim final amendments and any additional actions, proceedings, or new rules resulting from these efforts to increase U.S. regulatory access to audit information could create some uncertainty for investors, the market price of our ordinary shares could be adversely affected, and we could be delisted if we and our auditor are unable to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement or being required to engage a new audit firm, which would require significant expense and management time.

 

You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing actions in China against us or our management named in the prospectus based on foreign laws.

 

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, we conduct substantially all of our operations in China and substantially all of our assets are located in China. In addition, all our senior executive officers reside within China for a significant portion of the time and all of them are PRC nationals. As a result, it may be difficult for you to effect service of process upon us or those persons inside mainland China. It may also be difficult for you to enforce in U.S. courts judgments obtained in U.S. courts based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us and our officers and directors as none of them currently resides in the United States or has substantial assets located in the United States. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the PRC would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts against us or such persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state.

 

62

 

 

The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other forms of written arrangement with the United States that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, the PRC courts will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our directors and officers if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC laws or national sovereignty, security or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States.

 

Risks Related to this Offering

 

There has been no public market for our ordinary shares prior to this offering, and you may not be able to resell our Class A Ordinary Shares at or above the price you pay for them, or at all.

 

Prior to this offering, there has not been a public market for our ordinary shares. We have applied to list our ordinary shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market. However, an active public market for our ordinary shares may not develop or be sustained after the offering, in which case the market price and liquidity of our ordinary shares will be materially and adversely affected. Our ordinary shares will not be listed on any exchange or quoted for trading on any over-the-counter system.

 

The initial public offering price for our ordinary shares may not be indicative of prices that will prevail in the trading market and such market prices may be volatile.

 

The initial public offering price for our Class A Ordinary Shares will be determined by negotiations between us and the Representative and may not bear a direct relationship to our earnings, book value or any other indicia of value. We cannot assure you that the market price of our ordinary shares will not decline significantly below the initial public offering price. The financial markets in the United States and other countries have experienced significant price and volume fluctuations in the last few years. Volatility in the price of our ordinary shares may be caused by factors outside of our control and may be unrelated or disproportionate to changes in our results of operations.

 

We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.

 

We currently intend to retain any future earnings to finance the operation and expansion of our business, and we do not expect to declare or pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. As a result, you may only receive a return on your investment in our ordinary shares if the market price of our ordinary shares increases.

 

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they publish a negative report regarding our ordinary shares, the price of our ordinary shares and trading volume could decline.

 

The trading market for our ordinary shares may depend in part on the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have any control over these analysts. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade us, the price of our ordinary shares would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause the price of our ordinary shares and the trading volume to decline.

 

63

 

 

The dual class structure of our ordinary shares will have the effect of concentrating voting control with JUNZHANG DIGTAL LIMITED and MAGIC IDEAL LIMITED, which will hold in the aggregate 78.67% of the voting power of our issued and outstanding share capital following the completion of this offering, preventing you and other stockholders from influencing significant corporate matters, including the election of directors, amendments to our memorandum and articles of association and any merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of our assets, or other major corporate transaction requiring shareholder approval.

 

As of the date of this prospectus, the authorized share capital of the Company is US$10,000 divided into 100,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each comprising 90,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each and 10,000,000 Class B ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each. As of the date of this prospectus, there are 14,629,000 Class A Ordinary Shares and 5,856,000 Class B Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding. Holders of Class A Ordinary Shares and Class B Ordinary Shares shall at all times vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote by the shareholders. Each Class A Ordinary Share shall entitle the holder thereof to one (1) vote on all matters subject to vote at general meetings of the Company and each Class B Ordinary Share shall entitle the holder thereof to ten (10) votes on all matters subject to vote at general meetings of the Company. Each Class B Ordinary Share is convertible into one (1) Class A Ordinary Share at any time at the option of the holder thereof. Class A Ordinary Shares are not convertible into Class B Ordinary Shares under any circumstances. Holders of Class A Ordinary Shares and Class B Ordinary Shares have the same rights except for voting and conversion rights

 

The currently Class B Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding are beneficially owned by our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Zhidan Mao and Mr. Qiwei Miao through JUNZHANG DIGTAL LIMITED and MAGIC IDEAL LIMITED, respectively, representing 80.01% of the aggregate voting power of our issued and outstanding share capital as of the date hereof. Upon the completion of this offering, Mr. Mao and Mr. Miao will together beneficially own 76.67% of our total voting power, or 78.47% of our total voting power if the Representative exercises the Over-Allotment Option in full. Because of the ten-to-one voting ratio between our Class B Ordinary Shares and Class A Ordinary Shares, Mr. Mao and Mr. Miao will be able to control all matters submitted to our shareholders for approval such as decisions regarding mergers and consolidations, election of directors and other significant corporate actions. This concentrated ownership will limit the ability of holders of Class A Ordinary Shares to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any potential merger, takeover or other change of control transactions that holders of Class A Ordinary Shares may view as beneficial. Furthermore, any future issuances of Class B Ordinary Shares may be dilutive to the voting power of holders of Class A Ordinary Shares.

 

As a result, for so long as JUNZHANG DIGTAL LIMITED and MAGIC IDEAL LIMITED own a controlling or significant voting power in our issued and outstanding share capital, they generally will be able to control or significantly influence, directly or indirectly and subject to applicable law, all matters affecting us, including: 

 

  the election of directors;

 

  determinations with respect to our business direction and policies, including the appointment and removal of officers;

 

  determinations with respect to corporate transactions, such as mergers, business combinations, change in control transactions or the acquisition or the disposition of assets;

 

  our financing and dividend policy;

 

  determinations with respect to our tax returns; and

 

  compensation and benefits programs and other human resources policy decisions.

 

Even if JUNZHANG DIGTAL LIMITED and MAGIC IDEAL LIMITED were to dispose of certain Class B Ordinary Shares such that it would control less than a majority of the voting power of our issued and outstanding share capital, it may be able to influence the outcome of corporate actions so long as it retains Class B Ordinary Shares. JUNZHANG DIGTAL LIMITED’s and MAGIC IDEAL LIMITED’s controlling or significant ownership of our issued and outstanding share capital may limit your ability to influence corporate actions and could discourage others from pursuing any potential merger, takeover or other change of control transactions that holders of Class A Ordinary Shares may view as beneficial.

 

JUNZHANG DIGTAL LIMITED and MAGIC IDEAL LIMITED may have interests that differ from yours and may vote in a way with which you disagree, and which may be adverse to your interests. Corporate actions might be taken even if other shareholders, including those who purchase Class A Ordinary Shares in this offering, oppose them. This concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change of control of our Company, which could have the effect of depriving our other shareholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their shares as part of a sale of our Company and might ultimately affect the market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares. 

 

Furthermore, we cannot predict whether our dual-class structure will result in a lower or more volatile market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares or in adverse publicity or other adverse consequences. For example, certain index providers have announced restrictions on including companies with multiple-class share structures in certain of their indexes. In July 2017, FTSE Russell and S&P Dow Jones announced that they would cease to allow most newly public companies utilizing dual-class capital structures to be included in their indices. Affected indices include the Russell 2000 and the S&P 500, S&P MidCap 400 and S&P SmallCap 600, which together make up the S&P Composite 1500. Beginning in 2017, MSCI, a leading stock index provider, opened public consultations on their treatment of dual-class structures and temporarily barred new dual-class listings from certain of its indices; however, in October 2018, MSCI announced its decision to include equity securities “with unequal voting structures” in its indices and to launch a new index that specifically includes voting rights in its eligibility criteria. Under the announced policies, our dual-class capital structure makes us ineligible for inclusion in certain indices, and as a result, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and other investment vehicles that attempt to passively track those indices are not expected to invest in our stock. These policies are still fairly new and it is as of yet unclear what effect, if any, they will have on the valuations of publicly traded companies excluded from the indices, but it is possible that they may depress these valuations compared to those of other similar companies that are included. Because of our multi-class structure, we will likely be excluded from certain of these indexes and we cannot assure you that other stock indexes will not take similar actions. Given the sustained flow of investment funds into passive strategies that seek to track certain indexes, exclusion from stock indexes would likely preclude investment by many of these funds and could make our Class A Ordinary Shares less attractive to other investors. As a result, the market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares could be adversely affected.

 

64

 

 

The market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares may be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance, and you may not be able to resell your shares at or above the initial public offering price.

 

Recently, there have been instances of extreme stock price run-ups followed by rapid price declines and strong stock price volatility with a number of recent initial public offerings, especially among companies with relatively smaller public floats. The initial public offering price for our ordinary shares will be determined through negotiations between the Representative and us and may vary from the market price of our ordinary shares following our initial public offering. If you purchase our ordinary shares in our initial public offering, you may not be able to resell those shares at or above the initial public offering price. We cannot assure you that the initial public offering price of our ordinary shares, or the market price following our initial public offering, will equal or exceed prices in privately negotiated transactions of our shares that have occurred from time to time prior to our initial public offering. The market price of our ordinary shares may fluctuate significantly in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including:

 

actual or anticipated fluctuations in our revenue and other operating results;

 

the financial projections we may provide to the public, any changes in these projections or our failure to meet these projections;

 

actions of securities analysts who initiate or maintain coverage of us, changes in financial estimates by any securities analysts who follow our company, or our failure to meet these estimates or the expectations of investors;

 

announcements by us or our competitors of significant products or features, technical innovations, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, or capital commitments;

 

price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market, including as a result of trends in the economy as a whole;

 

lawsuits threatened or filed against us; and

 

other events or factors, including those resulting from war or incidents of terrorism, or responses to these events.

 

In addition, the stock markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the market prices of equity securities of many companies. Stock prices of many companies have fluctuated in a manner unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. In the past, shareholders have filed securities class action litigation following periods of market volatility. If we were to become involved in securities litigation, it could subject us to substantial costs, divert resources and the attention of management from our business, and adversely affect our business.

 

We may experience extreme stock price volatility, including any stock-run up, unrelated to our actual or expected operating performance, financial condition or prospects, making it difficult for prospective investors to assess the rapidly changing value of our ordinary shares.

 

In addition to the risks addressed above, our ordinary shares may be subject to extreme volatility that is seemingly unrelated to the underlying performance of our business. In particular, our ordinary shares may be subject to rapid and substantial price volatility, low volumes of trades and large spreads in bid and ask prices, given that we will have relatively small public floats after this offering. Such extreme stock price volatility may be unrelated to our actual or expected operating performance, financial condition or prospects, making it difficult for prospective investors to assess the rapidly changing value of our ordinary shares. Recently, there have been instances of extreme stock price run-ups followed by rapid price declines and strong stock price volatility with a number of recent initial public offerings, especially among companies with relatively smaller public floats. As a relatively small-capitalization company with relatively small public float, we may experience greater stock price volatility, extreme price run-ups, lower trading volume and less liquidity than large-capitalization companies. In particular, our ordinary shares may be subject to rapid and substantial price volatility, low volumes of trades and large spreads in bid and ask prices. Such volatility, including any stock-run up, may be unrelated to our actual or expected operating performance, financial condition or prospects, making it difficult for prospective investors to assess the rapidly changing value of our ordinary shares.

 

In addition, if the trading volumes of our ordinary shares are low, persons buying or selling in relatively small quantities may easily influence prices of our ordinary shares. This low volume of trades could also cause the price of our ordinary shares to fluctuate greatly, with large percentage changes in price occurring in any trading day session.

 

Moreover, a decline in the market price of our ordinary shares could adversely affect our ability to issue additional ordinary shares or other securities and our ability to obtain additional financing in the future. No assurance can be given that an active market in our ordinary shares will develop or be sustained. If an active market does not develop, holders of our ordinary shares may be unable to readily sell the shares they hold or may not be able to sell their ordinary shares at all.

 

Holders of our Class A ordinary shares may also not be able to readily liquidate or sell their ordinary shares or may be forced to sell at depressed prices due to low volume trading. Broad market fluctuations and general economic and political conditions may also adversely affect the market price of our ordinary shares. As a result of this volatility, investors may experience losses on their investment in our ordinary shares. Furthermore, the potential extreme volatility may confuse the public investors of the value of our stock, distort the market perception of our stock price and our company’s financial performance and public image, negatively affect the long-term liquidity of our ordinary shares, regardless of our actual or expected operating performance. If we encounter such volatility, including any rapid stock price increases and declines seemingly unrelated to our actual or expected operating performance and financial condition or prospects, it will likely make it difficult and confusing for prospective investors to assess the rapidly changing value of our ordinary shares and understand the value thereof.

 

The sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of ordinary shares could adversely affect their market price.

 

Sales of substantial amounts of the ordinary shares in the public market after the completion of this offering, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of the ordinary shares and could materially impair our ability to raise capital through equity offerings in the future. The ordinary shares sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, and shares held by our existing shareholders may also be sold in the public market in the future subject to the restrictions in Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act and the applicable lockup agreements.

65

 

 

There will be ordinary shares outstanding immediately after this offering, or ordinary shares if the Representative exercises its option to purchase our shares in full. In connection with this offering, we, our directors and executive officers and the holders of 5% or more of our outstanding ordinary shares have agreed with the Representative, subject to certain exceptions, not to sell, transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any of ordinary shares or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for the ordinary shares for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus. However, the Representative may release these securities from these restrictions at any time.

 

We cannot predict what effect, if any, market sales of securities held by our significant shareholders or any other holders or the availability of these securities for future sale will have on the market price of the ordinary shares. See “Underwriting” and “Shares Eligible for Future Sale” for a more detailed description of the restrictions on selling our securities after this offering.

  

We will incur increased costs as a result of being a public company, particularly after we cease to qualify as an “emerging growth company.”

 

Upon completion of this offering, we will become a public company and expect to incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and the Nasdaq Capital Market, impose various requirements on the corporate governance practices of public companies. As an “emerging growth company” pursuant to the JOBS Act, we may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. We expect these rules and regulations to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some corporate activities more time-consuming and costly. After we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” we expect to incur significant additional expenses and devote substantial management effort toward ensuring compliance increased disclosure requirements.

 

There can be no assurance we will not be a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”), for any taxable year, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors in our ordinary shares.

 

In general, a non-U.S. corporation is a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes for any taxable year in which (i) 75% or more of its gross income consists of passive income or (ii) 50% or more of the average value of its assets (generally determined on a quarterly basis) consists of assets that produce, or are held for the production of, passive income. For purposes of the above calculations, we will be treated as owning our proportionate share of the assets and earning our proportionate share of the income of any other corporation in which we own, directly or indirectly, 25% (by value) of the stock.

 

Based upon the manner in which we currently operate our business, the expected composition of our income and assets and the value of our assets, we do not expect to be a PFIC for the current taxable year or in the foreseeable future. However, this is a factual determination that must be made annually after the close of each taxable year, and the application of the PFIC rules is subject to uncertainty in several respects. The value of our assets for purposes of the PFIC determination will generally be determined by reference to the market price of our ordinary shares, which could fluctuate significantly. In addition, our PFIC status will depend on the manner we operate our workspace business (and the extent to which our income from workspace membership continues to qualify as active for PFIC purposes). Furthermore, it is not entirely clear how the contractual arrangements between us, the VIEs and their nominal shareholders will be treated for purposes of the PFIC rules, and we may be or become a PFIC if the VIEs are not treated as owned by us. Because of these uncertainties, there can be no assurance we will not be a PFIC for the current taxable year, or will not be a PFIC in the future.

 

If we were a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. investor owns our ordinary shares, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could apply to such U.S. investor. See “Taxation — Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — Passive Foreign Investment Company.”

 

Our board of directors may decline to register transfers of ordinary shares in certain circumstances.

 

Except in connection with the settlement of trades or transactions entered into through the facilities of a stock exchange or automated quotation system on which our ordinary shares are listed or traded from time to time, our directors may in their absolute discretion decline to register any transfer of any share without assigning any reason therefor.

 

If our directors refuse to register a transfer they shall notify the transferee within two months of such refusal. The registration of transfers may be suspended at such times and for such periods as our board of directors may from time to time determine, provided, however, that the registration of transfers shall not be suspended for more than 45 days in any year.

 

66

 

 

This, however, is unlikely to affect market transactions of the ordinary shares purchased by investors in the public offering. Once the ordinary shares have been listed, the legal title to such ordinary shares and the registration details of those ordinary shares in the Company’s register of members will remain with DTC/Cede & Co. All market transactions with respect to those ordinary shares will then be carried out without the need for any kind of registration by the directors, as the market transactions will all be conducted through the DTC systems.

 

The obligation to disclose information publicly may put us at a disadvantage to competitors that are private companies.

 

Upon completion of this offering, we will be a publicly listed company in the United States. As a publicly listed company, we will be required to file periodic reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission upon the occurrence of matters that are material to our company and shareholders. In some cases, we will need to disclose material agreements or results of financial operations that we would not be required to disclose if we were a private company. Our competitors may have access to this information, which would otherwise be confidential. This may give them advantages in competing with our company. Similarly, as a U.S.-listed public company, we will be governed by U.S. laws that our competitors, which are mostly private Chinese companies, are not required to follow. To the extent compliance with U.S. laws increases our expenses or decreases our competitiveness against such companies, our public listing could affect our results of operations.

 

We are a “foreign private issuer,” and our disclosure obligations differ from those of U.S. domestic reporting companies. As a result, we may not provide you the same information as U.S. domestic reporting companies or we may provide information at different times, which may make it more difficult for you to evaluate our performance and prospects.

 

We are a foreign private issuer and, as a result, we are not subject to the same requirements as U.S. domestic issuers. Under the Exchange Act, we will be subject to reporting obligations that, to some extent, are more lenient and less frequent than those of U.S. domestic reporting companies. For example, we will not be required to issue quarterly reports or proxy statements. We will not be required to disclose detailed individual executive compensation information. Furthermore, our directors and executive officers will not be required to report equity holdings under Section 16 of the Exchange Act and will not be subject to the insider short-swing profit disclosure and recovery regime.

 

As a foreign private issuer, we will also be exempt from the requirements of Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure) which, generally, are meant to ensure that select groups of investors are not privy to specific information about an issuer before other investors. However, we will still be subject to the anti-fraud and anti-manipulation rules of the SEC, such as Rule 10b-5 under the Exchange Act. Since many of the disclosure obligations imposed on us as a foreign private issuer differ from those imposed on U.S. domestic reporting companies, you should not expect to receive the same information about us and at the same time as the information provided by U.S. domestic reporting companies.

 

In addition, as a foreign private issuer, we may choose to comply with home country governance requirements and certain exemptions thereunder rather than complying with Nasdaq corporate governance standards.

   

Following this offering, we intend to rely on home country practice to be exempted from the corporate governance requirements that we have a majority of independent directors on our board of directors and the audit committee of our board of directors has at least one financial expert. As a result, we will not have a majority of independent directors as required by Rule 5605(b)(1) and we will not have at least one member of the audit committee who has past employment experience in finance or accounting, requisite professional certification in accounting, or any other comparable experience or background which results in the individual's financial sophistication, including being or having been a chief executive, chief financial officer or other senior officer with financial oversight responsibilities as required by Rule 5605(c)(2)(A). These practices may afford less protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with the Nasdaq listing standards.

 

We are an “emerging growth company” and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our ordinary shares less attractive to investors.

 

We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may not be subject to requirements that other public companies are subject to, which could affect investor confidence in us and our ordinary shares. Specifically, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although we could lose that status sooner if our revenues exceed $1 billion, if we issue more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt in a three-year period, or if the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any October 31st before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31st. We cannot predict if investors will find our ordinary shares less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our ordinary shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our ordinary shares and our stock price may be more volatile.

 

67

 

 

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 irrevocably elected not to avail our company of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, will be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

 

The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources and divert management’s attention.

 

As a public company, we will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, the listing requirements of the securities exchange on which we list, and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Despite recent reforms made possible by the JOBS Act, compliance with these rules and regulations will nonetheless increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly and increase demand on our systems and resources, particularly after we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” The Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we file annual, quarterly, and current reports with respect to our business and operating results.

 

As a result of disclosure of information in this prospectus and in filings required of a public company, our business and financial condition will become more visible, which we believe may result in threatened or actual litigation, including by competitors and other third parties. If such claims are successful, our business and operating results could be harmed, and even if the claims do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, these claims, and the time and resources necessary to resolve them, could divert the resources of our management and adversely affect our business, brand and reputation and results of operations.

 

We also expect that being a public company and these new rules and regulations will make it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee and compensation committee, and qualified executive officers.

 

We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from our initial public offering and may not use them effectively.

 

To the extent (i) we raise more money than required for the purposes explained in the section titled “Use of Proceeds” or (ii) we determine that the proposed uses set forth in that section are no longer in the best interests of our Company, we cannot specify with any certainty the particular uses of such net proceeds that we will receive from our initial public offering. Our management will have broad discretion in the application of such net proceeds, including working capital, possible acquisitions, and other general corporate purposes, and we may spend or invest these proceeds in a way with which our shareholders disagree. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business and financial condition. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from our initial public offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.

 

There may not be an active, liquid trading market for our ordinary shares.

 

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our ordinary shares. An active trading market for our ordinary shares may not develop or be sustained following this offering. You may not be able to sell your shares at the market price, if at all, if trading in our shares is not active. The initial public offering price will be determined by negotiations between us and the Representative based upon a number of factors. The initial public offering price may not be indicative of prices that will prevail in the trading market.

 

68

 

 

Shares eligible for future sale may adversely affect the market price of our ordinary shares, as the future sale of a substantial amount of outstanding ordinary shares in the public marketplace could reduce the price of our ordinary shares.

 

The market price of our shares could decline as a result of sales of substantial amounts of our shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur. In addition, these factors could make it more difficult for us to raise funds through future offerings of our ordinary shares. 8,640,000 shares will be outstanding immediately after this offering. All of the shares sold in the offering will be freely transferable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act. The remaining shares will be “restricted securities” as defined in Rule 144. These shares may be sold in the future without registration under the Securities Act to the extent permitted by Rule 144 or other exemptions under the Securities Act. See “Shares Eligible for Future Sale.”

 

You will experience immediate and substantial dilution.

 

The initial public offering price of our shares is substantially higher than the pro forma net tangible book value per ordinary share. Assuming the completion of the firm commitment offering, if you purchase shares in this offering, you will incur immediate dilution of approximately $4.29 in the pro forma net tangible book value per share from the price per share that you pay for the shares. Assuming the completion of the maximum offering, if you purchase shares in this offering, you will incur immediate dilution of approximately $4.26 in the pro forma net tangible book value per share from the price per share that you pay for the ordinary shares. Accordingly, if you purchase shares in this offering, you will incur immediate and substantial dilution of your investment. See “Dilution.”

 

You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through U.S. courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law.

 

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. Our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands, which we refer to as the Companies Act, and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against our directors, actions by our minority shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from the common law of England and Wales, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding, on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands have a less developed body of securities laws than the United States. Some U.S. states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law than the Cayman Islands. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States.

 

Shareholders of Cayman Islands exempted companies like us have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records (other than copies of our memorandum and articles of association and register of mortgages and charges, and any special resolutions passed by our shareholders) or to obtain copies of lists of shareholders of these companies. Under Cayman Islands law, the names of our current directors can be obtained from a search conducted at the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands. Our directors have discretion under our articles of association to determine whether or not, and under what conditions, our corporate records may be inspected by our shareholders, but are not obliged to make them available to our shareholders. This may make it more difficult for you to obtain the information needed to establish any facts necessary for a shareholder motion or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest.

 

Techniques employed by short sellers may drive down the market price of the ordinary shares.

 

Short selling is the practice of selling securities that the seller does not own but rather has borrowed from a third party with the intention of buying identical securities back at a later date to return to the lender. The short seller hopes to profit from a decline in the value of the securities between the sale of the borrowed securities and the purchase of the replacement shares, as the short seller expects to pay less in that purchase than it received in the sale.

 

As it is in the short seller’s interest for the price of the security to decline, many short sellers publish, or arrange for the publication of, negative opinions regarding the relevant issuer and its prospects to create negative market momentum and generate profits for themselves after selling a security short. These short attacks have, in the past, led to selling of shares in the market.

 

Public companies that have substantially all of their operations in China have been the subject of short selling. Much of the scrutiny and negative publicity has centered on allegations of a lack of effective internal control over financial reporting resulting in financial and accounting irregularities and mistakes, inadequate corporate governance policies or a lack of adherence thereto and, in many cases, allegations of fraud. As a result, many of these companies are now conducting internal and external investigations into the allegations and, in the interim, are subject to shareholder lawsuits and/or SEC enforcement actions.

 

69

 

 

It is not clear what effect such negative publicity could have on us. If we were to become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we could have to expend significant resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend ourselves.

 

While we would strongly defend against any such short seller attacks, we may be constrained in the manner in which we can proceed against the relevant short seller by principles of freedom of speech, applicable state law or issues of commercial confidentiality. Such a situation could be costly and time-consuming, and could distract our management from growing our business. Even if such allegations are ultimately proven to be groundless, allegations against us could severely impact our business, and any investment in the ordinary shares could be greatly reduced or even rendered worthless.

 

Compensation of Directors and Officers May Not be Publicly Available.

 

Under Cayman Islands law, the Company is not required to disclose compensation paid to our senior management on an individual basis and the Company has not otherwise publicly disclosed this information elsewhere. The executive officers, directors and management of the Company receive fixed and variable compensation. They also receive benefits in line with market practice. The fixed component of their compensation is set on market terms and adjusted annually. The variable component consists of cash bonuses and awards of shares (or the cash equivalent). Cash bonuses are paid to executive officers and members of management based on previously agreed targets for the business. Shares (or the cash equivalent) are awarded under share options.

 

As a result of all of the above, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in the United States.

 

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements. All statements contained in this prospectus other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, our business strategy and plans, and our objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives, and financial needs. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described in the “Risk Factors” section. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the future events and trends discussed in this prospectus may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements.

 

70

 

 

You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. Except as required by applicable law, we undertake no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this prospectus or to conform these statements to actual results or revised expectations.

 

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

We estimate that the net proceeds from the sale of our Class A Ordinary Shares in this offering will be approximately $4,653,217, after deducting the underwriting discounts, non-accountable expense allowance and estimated offering expenses payable by us, based on the assumed initial public offering price of $5.00 per Class A Ordinary Share, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. If the Representative exercises its over-allotment option in full, we estimate that the net proceeds to us from this offering will be approximately $5,520,405, after deducting the underwriting discounts, non-accountable expense allowance and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

We intend to use the net proceeds of this offering as follows after we complete the remittance process, and we have ordered the specific uses of proceeds in order of priority.

 

Description of Use 

Estimated

Amount of

Net Proceeds

   Percentage 
Research and Development  $1,861,287    40%
Talent recruitment and training   1,395,965    30%
Acquisition and investment in local businesses   930,643    20%
General working capital   465,322    10%
Total  $4,653,217    100%

 

This expected use of the net proceeds from this offering represents our intentions based upon our current plans and prevailing business conditions, which could change in the future as our plans and prevailing business conditions evolve. As a result, our management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of the net proceeds from this offering. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not identified any particular business to acquire or entered into any preliminary negotiations with any potential acquisition targets. However, we plan to expand our geographic coverage after this offering by vertically acquiring suitable candidates in the industry to implement and strengthen our e-commerce business.

 

The net proceeds from this offering must be remitted to China before we will be able to use the funds to grow our business. The procedure to remit funds may take several months after completion of this offering, and we will be unable to use the offering proceeds in China until remittance is completed. See “Risk Factors” for further information.

 

DIVIDEND POLICY

 

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our Class A Ordinary Shares. We anticipate that we will retain any earnings to support operations and to finance the growth and development of our business. Therefore, we do not expect to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Any future determination relating to our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on a number of factors, including future earnings, capital requirements, financial conditions and future prospects and other factors the Board of Directors may deem relevant.

 

Under the Companies Act, we may pay dividends out of profits or share premium account, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in, immediately following the date on which the dividend is proposed to be paid, the company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business.

 

If we determine to pay dividends on any of our Class A Ordinary Shares in the future, as a holding company, we will be dependent on receipt of funds from our operating subsidiaries. Dividend distributions from our PRC subsidiary to us are subject to PRC taxes, such as withholding tax. In addition, regulations in the PRC currently permit payment of dividends of a PRC company only out of accumulated distributable after-tax profits as determined in accordance with its articles of association and the accounting standards and regulations in China. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in the PRC — We are a holding company, and will rely on dividends paid by our subsidiaries for our cash needs. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to make dividend payments to us, or any tax implications of making dividend payments to us, could limit our ability to pay our parent company expenses or pay dividends to holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares.” PRC regulations may restrict the ability of our PRC subsidiary to pay dividends to us. See “Regulation—Regulation on Dividend Distributions.”

 

71

 

 

EXCHANGE RATE INFORMATION

 

Our financial information is presented in U.S. dollars. Our PRC subsidiaries’ functional currency is Renminbi (“RMB”), the currency of the PRC. Transactions which are denominated in currencies other than RMB are translated into RMB at the exchange rate quoted by the People’s Bank of China at the dates of the transactions. Exchange gains and losses resulting from transactions denominated in a currency other than the RMB are included in statements of operations as foreign currency transaction gains or losses. Our financial statements have been translated into U.S. dollars in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 830, “Foreign Currency Matters”. The financial information is first prepared in RMB and then is translated into U.S. dollars at period-end exchange rates as to assets and liabilities and average exchange rates as to revenue and expenses. Capital accounts are translated at their historical exchange rates when the capital transactions occurred. The effects of foreign currency translation adjustments are included as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in shareholders’ equity. The relevant exchange rates are listed below:

 

   For the Six
Months Ended
September 30,
2023
  

For

the Year

Ended

March 31,

2023 

  

For

the Year

Ended

March 31,

2022

 
Period Ended USD:RMB exchange rate   7.2952    6.8680    6.3393 
Period Average USD:RMB exchange rate   7.1232    6.8526    6.4180 

 

The consolidated balance sheet balances, with the exception of equity at March 31, 2023 and 2022 were translated at RMB6.87 and RMB6.34 to $1.00, respectively. The equity accounts were stated at their historical rate. The average translation rates applied to consolidated statements of comprehensive income and cash flows for the years ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 were RMB6.85 and RMB6.42 to $1.00, respectively.  

 

We make no representation that any RMB or U.S. dollar amounts could have been, or could be, converted into U.S. dollars or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate, or at all. The PRC government imposes control over its foreign currency reserves in part through direct regulation of the conversion of RMB into foreign exchange and through restrictions on foreign trade. We do not currently engage in currency hedging transactions.

 

CAPITALIZATION

 

 

The following table sets forth our capitalization as of September 30, 2023 on a pro forma as adjusted basis giving effect to the completion of the firm commitment offering at an assumed public offering price of $5.00 per share, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and to reflect the application of the proceeds after deducting the estimated placement fees. You should read this table in conjunction with our financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus and “Use of Proceeds” and “Description of Share Capital.”

 

    As of September 30, 2023  
    Actual     Pro Forma
as Adjusted(1)
 
Shareholders’ Equity                
Class A Ordinary Shares, par value $0.0001 per shares, 90,000,000 shares authorized, 14,629,000 shares issued and outstanding; 15,879,000  Class A Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding pro forma     1,463       1,588  
Class B Ordinary Shares, par value $0.0001 per share, 10,000,000 shares authorized, 5,856,000 shares issued and outstanding; 5,856,000 Class B Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding pro forma     586       586  
Additional paid-in capital     3,175,965       7,829,057  
Statutory reserve     633,163       633,163  
Retained earnings     7,914,402       7,914,402  
Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (923,279 )     (923,279 )
Total Shareholders’ Equity     10,802,300       15,455,517  
Non-controlling interest     5,864,798       5,864,798  
Total Equity     16,667,098       21,320,315  
Total Capitalization   $ 16,667,098     $ 21,320,315  

 

(1)

Reflects the sale of Class A Ordinary Shares in this offering (excluding any Class A Ordinary Shares that may be sold as a result of the Representative exercising the Over-Allotment Option) at an assumed initial public offering price of $5.00 per share, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by us. The pro forma as adjusted information is illustrative only, and we will adjust this information based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. Additional paid-in capital reflects the net proceeds we expect to receive, after deducting the underwriting discounts, estimated offering expenses payable by us and advisory fees. We estimate that such net proceeds will be approximately $4,653,217.

 

72

 

 

DILUTION

 

If you invest in our Class A Ordinary Shares, your interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price per Class A Ordinary Shares and the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per Class A Ordinary Share after the offering. Dilution results from the fact that the per ordinary share offering price is substantially in excess of the book value per Class A Ordinary Share attributable to the existing shareholders for our presently outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares. Our net tangible book value attributable to shareholders on September 30, 2023 was $10,215,633 or approximately $0.50 per ordinary share (both Class A and Class B Ordinary Share). Net tangible book value per ordinary share as of September 30, 2023 represents the amount of total assets less intangible assets and total liabilities, divided by the number of ordinary shares (both Class A and Class B Ordinary Share) outstanding.

 

After giving effect to the sale of 1,250,000 Class A Ordinary Shares in this offering at the assumed initial public offering price of $5.00 per Class A Ordinary Share and after deducting the underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value on September 30, 2023, would have been $15,381,732, or $0.71 per ordinary share (both Class A and Class B Ordinary Share). This represents an immediate increase in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value of $0.21 per ordinary share (both Class A and Class B Ordinary Share) to existing investors and immediate dilution of $4.29 per Class A Ordinary Share to new investors. The following table illustrates this dilution to new investors purchasing Class A Ordinary Shares in this offering:

 

The following table sets forth the estimated net tangible book value per ordinary share after the offering and the dilution to persons purchasing Class A Ordinary Shares based on the foregoing firm commitment offering assumptions.

 

   

Offering

Without

Over-Allotment

   

Offering

With

Over-Allotment

 
Assumed offering price per Class A Ordinary Share   $ 5.00     $ 5.00  
Net tangible book value per ordinary share (both Class A and Class B Ordinary Share) as of September 30, 2023   $ 0.50     $ 0.50  
Increase in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per ordinary share (both Class A and Class B Ordinary Share) attributable to new investors purchasing Class A Ordinary Share in this offering   $ 0.21     $ 0.24  
Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per ordinary share (both Class A and Class B Ordinary Share) after this offering   $ 0.71     $ 0.74  
Dilution per Class A Ordinary Share to new investors in this offering   $ 4.29     $ 4.26  

 

Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $5.00 per Class A Ordinary Share would increase (decrease) our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of September 30, 2023 after this offering by approximately $0.05 per ordinary share (both Class A and Class B Ordinary Share), and would increase (decrease) dilution to new investors by $0.95 per Class A Ordinary Share, assuming that the number of Class A Ordinary Shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting the underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by us. The pro forma as adjusted information is illustrative only, and we will adjust this information based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.

 

73

 

 

If the Representative exercises the Over-Allotment Option in full, the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per ordinary share (both Class A and Class B Ordinary Share) after the offering would be $0.74, the increase in net tangible book value per ordinary share (both Class A and Class B Ordinary Share) to existing shareholders would be $0.24, and the immediate dilution in net tangible book value per Class A Ordinary Share to new investors in this offering would be $4.26.

 

The following table summarizes, on a pro forma as adjusted basis as of September 30, 2023, the differences between existing shareholders and the new investors with respect to the number of Ordinary Shares purchased from us, the total consideration paid and the average price per Ordinary Share before deducting the estimated commissions to the underwriters and the estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

      Shares Purchased       Total Consideration      

Average

Price

 
      Amount       Percent       Amount (2)       Percent       Per Share  
FIRM COMMITMENT OFFERING                                        
Existing shareholders (1)     20,485,000       94.25 %   $ 3,178       33.71 %   $ 0.16  
New investors     1,250,000       5.75 %   $ 6,250       66.29 %   $ 5.00  
Total     21,735,000       100.00 %   $ 9,428       100.00 %   $ 0.43  

 

(1) Not including shares underly the Over-Allotment Option.
(2) in USD 1,000.

 

The pro forma as adjusted information as discussed above is illustrative only. Our net tangible book value following the completion of this offering is subject to adjustment based on the actual initial public offering price of our Class A Ordinary Shares and other terms of this offering determined at the pricing.

 

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 in conjunction with the section headed “Selected Consolidated Financial and Operating Data” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results and the timing of selected events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

Overview

 

Eshallgo Inc (“EShallGo” or the “Company”) was incorporated in the Cayman Islands in June 2021. Through the variable interest entity and operating company, Junzhang Digital Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (“Junzhang Shanghai”), we have created an extensive geographical presence, which expands throughout 20 provinces in China. Since the Company has been serving as a dealer for nearly all the globally known office supply brands in China, and has built its own ERP system as of the date of this prospectus, the Company management, which has three decades of experience in the industry, believes that these qualities have shaped us into one of the leading office solution providers in China with a global vision.

 

We specialize in two distinct market sectors: office supply sale and leasing, and after-sale maintenance & repair. These market sectors are large and fragmented, and we believe they present opportunities for significant growth as a consolidator. Our mission is to become an office integrator and service provider, offer competitive overall office solutions and services, expand our service market beyond office equipment, and continue to create maximum value for customers.

 

We are a specialized distributer of major brands of office equipment, including HP, Epson, Xerox, Sharp, Toshiba, Konica, Kyocera and other brands. We are a designated supplier of office equipment for various institutions such as Ping An Insurance, Taiping Life, Centaline Property, Debon Securities, and Tongce Real Estate. We have obtained ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO45001 certifications and other national management system certifications. Through Eshallgo WFOE, we currently maintain more than 25 operating subsidiaries across the PRC and have hired approximately 157 employees.

 

As the number of various types of enterprises has increased dramatically in recent years, the demand for corporate office services has become a new market growth point. In light of the industry growth, EShallGo is looking to capture the opportunity and has taken the lead by proposing the “Internet & Service E-commerce model”. EShallGo has completed the construction of e-commerce and national service outlets.

 

Our financial and operating results for the last two periods were as follows: Our revenue was $18,425,312 and $23,875,331 in the years ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively; our net income was $1,269,926 and $2,897,564 in the years ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Our revenue was $8,283,330 and $9,243,491 in the six months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively; our net income was $481,770 and $423,161 in the six months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

 

74

 

 

Key Factors that Affect Our Results of Operations

 

We believe the following key factors may affect our financial condition and results of operations:

 

Our Ability to Strength Our Competitive Advantages

 

Through EShallGo’s overall market layout method, service-oriented approach as well as the gradual and in-depth advancement of independent research and development tools, we will change the traditional sales-oriented model in the industry to more comprehensively and accurately tend customer needs, improve service quality, achieve time efficiency, and enhance customer satisfaction. Our strategy is to shift majority portion of our revenue from sales of equipment to maintenance service, which has a higher gross profit margin. Our ability to successfully implement this strategy greatly affects our profitability.

 

Our Ability to Control Costs and Expenses and Improve Our Operating Efficiency

 

Our business growth is dependent on our ability to attract and retain qualified and productive employees, identify business opportunities, secure new contracts with customers, and our ability to control costs and expenses to improve our operating efficiency. Our inventory costs (mostly including purchased equipment, equipment parts and supplies) have a direct impact on our profitability. Our success is dependent, in part, on our ability to reduce our exposure to increase in those costs through a variety of ways, while maintaining and improving margins and market share. Manufacturing is also subject to price volatility and labor cost and other inflationary pressures, which may, in turn, result in an increase in the amount we pay for sourced products. In addition, our staffing costs (including payroll and employee benefit expense) and administrative expenses also have a direct impact on our profitability. Our ability to drive the productivity of our staff and enhance our operating efficiency affects our profitability.

 

COVID-19

 

In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus was reported in Wuhan, China. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization categorized it as a pandemic. The COVID-19 outbreak has been causing lockdowns, travel restrictions, and closures of businesses across the globe, and our business has been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Due to a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2022 (“2022 Resurgence”) in China, the Chinese government employed measures including city lockdowns, quarantines, travel restrictions, suspension of business activities and school closures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Our largest operating companies are located in Shanghai, which temporarily suspended all their business from April 1 2022 to the middle of June 2022 due to the city lockdowns. In addition, our other operating companies in various cities such as Qinghai, Xi’an, Shenzhen and Shijiazhuang etc., also had to temporarily suspend their business operation due to the local outbreak. During the temporary business closure period, our employees had to work from home and had very limited access to our offices and warehouses. Due to the business suspension, our revenue from sales of equipment was significantly affected as the COVID-19 outbreak and spread caused significant disruptions in shipping and logistics. At the same time, the Company’s revenue from maintenance and repair service decreased because less new orders for the full coverage and repair services, as well as other services, such as Enterprise Resource Planning and live streaming service were received by the Company, since the business operation of the Company’s customers was adversely affected by the 2022 Resurgence. Meanwhile, the Company’s revenue from leasing of equipment was also affected by the COVID-19 outbreak because less new leasing agreements entered as well as some of the Company’s customers requested for lease concessions as those leased equipment was unused during the temporary closure period. In early December 2022, China announced a nationwide loosening of its zero-covid policy, and most of the travel restrictions and quarantine requirements were lifted in December 2022. As a result, there were significant surges of COVID-19 cases in many cities in China during this time, which caused, from December 2022 to January 2023, delays in delivery of products or provision of services to our customers as a number of our employees were infected by COVID-19 and on sick leave. Consequently, our total revenues decreased by $5,450,019, or 22.8%, to $18,425,312 for the year ended March 31, 2023 from $23,875,331 for the year ended March 31, 2022. Burdened by protracted property crisis, weak consumer and business confidence, mounting local government debts, and slower global growth, the post pandemic economy in China has been recovered at a slower pace than expected. Due to the declining demand from our customers, our revenue from sales of equipment decreased during the six months ended September 30, 2023 as compared to the same period last year. However, the decrease was partially offset by the increased revenue from maintenance and repair service, due to our effort in expanding of our service segment by developing new customers and products offered. Overall, our total revenue (excluding the impact of foreign currency translation) decreased slightly by 2.6% during the six months ended September 30, 2023 as compared to the same period last year. However, due to the depreciation of Renminbi against U.S. dollars by 8.0%, our total revenues decreased by $960,161, or 10.4%, to $8,283,330 for the six months ended September 30, 2023 from $9,243,491 for the six months ended September 30, 2022. See “—Results of Operations.”

 

75

 

 

Although the spread of the COVID-19 appeared to be under control currently, our PRC operating entities have been gradually recovered from the 2022 COVID-19 outbreak. However, the impact of COVID-19 pandemic still depends on the future developments that cannot be accurately predicted at this time, we may experience customer losses, including due to bankruptcy or customers cutting budget or ceasing operations, which may also result in delays in collections or an inability to collect accounts receivable from these customers. Although COVID-19 impact on our overall business operations appeared to be temporary, the extent to which COVID-19 may continue to impact our financial condition, results of operations, or liquidity continues to remain uncertain.  

 

A Severe or Prolonged Slowdown in the Global or Chinese Economy Could Materially and Adversely Affect Our Business and Our Financial Condition

 

The rapid growth of the Chinese economy has slowed down since 2012 and this slowdown may continue in the future. There is considerable uncertainty over trade conflicts between the United States and China and the long-term effects of the expansionary monetary and fiscal policies adopted by the central banks and financial authorities of some of the world’s leading economies, including the United States and China. The withdrawal of these expansionary monetary and fiscal policies could lead to a contraction. There continue to be concerns over unrest and terrorist threats in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, which have resulted in volatility in oil and other markets. There are also concerns about the relationships between China and other Asian countries, which may result in or intensify potential conflicts in relation to territorial disputes. The eruption of armed conflict could adversely affect global or Chinese discretionary spending, either of which could have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operation in financial condition. Economic conditions in China are sensitive to global economic conditions, as well as changes in domestic economic and political policies and the expected or perceived overall economic growth rate in China. Any severe or prolonged slowdown in the global or Chinese economy would likely materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, continued turbulence in the international markets may adversely affect our ability to access capital markets to meet liquidity needs.

 

76

 

  

Results of Operations

 

Comparison of Results of Operations for the Six Months Ended September 30, 2023 and 2022

 

The following table summarizes our operating results as reflected in our statements of income during the six months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and provides information regarding the dollar and percentage increase or (decrease) during such periods.

 

   For the Six Months ended September 30, 
   2023   2022   Variance 
       % of       % of         
   Amount   revenue   Amount   revenue   Amount   % of 
REVENUE  $8,283,330    100.0%  $9,243,491    100.0%  $(960,161)   (10.4)%
COST OF REVENUE   6,064,434    73.2%   6,965,568    75.4%   (901,134)   (12.9)%
GROSS PROFIT   2,218,896    26.8%   2,277,923    24.6%   (59,027)   (2.6)%
                               
Operating expenses                              
Selling expenses   497,483    6.0%   501,008    5.4%   (3,525)   (0.7)%
General and administrative expenses   1,107,014    13.4%   1,272,957    13.8%   (165,943)   (13.0)%
Research and development expenses   115,790    1.4%   108,382    1.2%   7,408    6.8%
Total operating expenses   1,720,287    20.8%   1,882,347    20.4%   (162,060)   (8.6)%
                               
Income from operations   498,609    6.0%   395,576    4.3%   103,033    26.0%
                               
Other income   26,400    0.3%   57,544    0.6%   (31,144)   (54.1)%
                               
Income before income tax provision   525,009    6.3%   453,120    4.9%   71,889    15.9%
                               
Provision for income taxes   43,239    0.5%   29,959    0.3%   13,280    44.3%
                               
Net income   481,770    5.8%   423,161    4.6%   58,609    13.9%
                               
Less: net income attributable to non-controlling interest   301,528    3.6%   283,371    3.1%   18,157    6.4%
                               
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO ESHALLGO INC  $180,242    2.2%  $139,790    1.5%  $40,452    28.9%

 

77

 

 

   For the Six Months ended September 30, 
   2023   2022   Variance 
       % of       % of         
   Amount   revenue   Amount   revenue   Amount   % of 
Revenue                        
Sale of equipment  $6,475,899    78.2%  $7,728,563    83.6%  $(1,252,664)   (16.2)%
Maintenance service   1,078,065    13.0%   741,699    8.0%   336,366    45.4%
Lease of equipment   722,601    8.7%   765,334    8.3%   (42,733)   (5.6)%
Finance income from sales type leases   6,765    0.1%   7,895    0.1%   (1,130)   (14.3)%
Total revenue   8,283,330    100.0%   9,243,491    100.0%   (960,161)   (10.4)%
                               
Cost of Revenue                              
Cost of sale of equipment   5,649,264    87.2%   6,564,256    84.9%   (914,992)   (13.9)%
Costs of service   134,947    12.5%   95,367    12.9%   39,580    41.5%
Costs of lease of equipment   280,223    38.8%   305,945    40.0%   (25,722)   (8.4)%
Cost of finance income   -    -    -    -    -    - 
Total cost of revenue   6,064,434    73.2%   6,965,568    75.4%   (901,134)   (12.9)%
                               
Gross Profit                              
Sale of equipment   826,635    12.8%   1,164,307    15.1%   (337,672)   (29.0