Related parties

12 Months Ended

Dec. 28, 2024

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

Related parties

Related parties

Shared Services

Tony Isaac, the Company’s President, is the father of Jon Isaac, President and Chief Executive Officer of Live Ventures and managing member of ICG. Tony Isaac and Richard Butler, Board of Directors members of the Company, are members of the Board of Directors of Live Ventures. The Company also shares certain executive, accounting and legal services with Live Ventures. The total services shared were approximately $144,000 and approximately $203,000 for fiscal years ending December 28, 2024 and December 30, 2023, respectively. Customer Connexx rented approximately 9,900 square feet of office space from Live Ventures in Las Vegas, Nevada. Effective August 2023, due to the winding down of operations of the Recycling Subsidiaries, the Company ceased leasing office space in the Las Vegas, Nevada facility. The total rent and common area expenses for Connexx at the Las Vegas, Nevada office were approximately $17,000 and approximately $103,000 for fiscal years ending December 28, 2024 and December 30, 2023, respectively.

During Q4 2023, operations of the Recycling Subsidiaries were wound down and, ultimately, ceased. See Note 4. Consequently, outstanding liabilities for shared rent and services for the Recycling Subsidiaries reverted to the Company. As such, the Company has recorded a liability in the amount of approximately $258,000, which was offset against the gain on sale of the Recycling Subsidiaries.

Notes with Live Ventures and ICG

On February 7, 2024, the Company entered into a promissory notes with each of Live Ventures and ICG. The initial principal amount of each note is $300,000, with an interest rate of 10% per annum. Pursuant to an amendment to each note, $100,000 of principal, and accrued interest thereon, is due on September 7, 2024 for each note, and the balance of each note is due on December 31, 2024. At the Company’s option, the obligation under each note is convertible after the six-month anniversary thereof at a per-share conversion price of $0.61, subject to standard adjustments for (i) stock dividends and splits, (ii) subsequent rights offerings, and (iii) pro rata distributions. The Company’s board of directors approved the issuance of the two notes on February 7, 2024. As of December 28, 2024, the principal balances outstanding on each of the promissory notes was $327,000.

Isaac Consulting Agreement

On March 4, 2024, the Company entered into a two-year Consulting Agreement with Jon Isaac, pursuant to which he will provide to the Company (the “Services”): (i) strategic financial advice, including growth strategies, capital allocation, and financial restructuring; (ii) sales and business development advice, including for the acquisition of new clients and new products through networking, referrals, and marketing efforts for our prospective products; (iii) in-depth research and market intelligence on specific industries, sectors, and market trends; (iv) financial models and financial analysis to support strategic decision-making; (v) assistance, through site visits, in the preparation of new client offers and bids for proposed projects; (vi) weekly update calls with management to align on progress of objectives and goals; (vii) enhanced non-confidential materials; (viii) business risk management support; and (ix) other services to which the Company and he may agree that will be memorialized in writing if, when, and as needed during the two-year term.

As compensation for the Services, the Company (i) assigned to him two universal life insurance policies that relate to the life of one of the founders of our now-disposed legacy recycling business (as of March 4, 2024, the first policy had an accumulated value/surrender value of approximately $3,854 and the second had an accumulated value/surrender value of approximately $468); (ii) agreed to tender to him funds in our Canadian counsel’s trust account in the event that the prospective Order of the Court of Appeal for Ontario Canada in the matter styled, Amtim Capital Inc. and Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Case No. COA-23-CV-0156, became the final Order of the Court, which amount we received during the reporting period and tendered to Mr. Isaac $220,000; (iii) issued to him 200,000 restricted shares of our common stock with the per-share value being the average of the Nasdaq Historical NOCP closing price during the five trading days prior to our board approving the Consulting Agreement, which shares were awarded from our 2023 Equity Incentive Plan; and (iv) issued to him a two-year, straight 10.0% convertible promissory note in the initial principal amount of $500,000, with an interest rate of 10.0% and a per-share conversion price equivalent to the per-share value of the restricted common stock that he was granted ($1.16). The maturity date of the promissory note is March 4, 2026. The value of the restricted shares was $232,000 on the date issued. As of December 28, 2024, there was no principal balance outstanding on the promissory note.

Short-Term Advances

On April 18, 2024, ICG made a short-term demand advance to the Company in the amount of $100,000. The advance bears interest at a rate of 10% per annum until repaid. As of December 28, 2024, the principal amount outstanding was $48,000.

On May 28, 2024 and June 3, 2024, Novalk made short-term demand advances in the amount of $120,000 and $100,000, respectively, to the Company. Juan Yunis, an employee of Live Ventures, is the managing member of Novalk. The advances bears interest at a rate of 10% per annum until repaid. As of December 28, 2024, the principal amount outstanding was $110,000.

During June 3, 2024, Tony Isaac made a number of short-term demand advances in the aggregate amount of $62,000 to the Company. The advances bears interest at a rate of 10% per annum until repaid. As of December 28, 2024, the Company had repaid the advance in full (see Note 20).

Sale of Recycling Subsidiaries

On March 9, 2023, the Company entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Recycling Purchase Agreement”) with VM7 Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“VM7”), under which it agreed to acquire all of the outstanding equity interests of the Recycling Subsidiaries consisting of: (a) ARCA Recycling, Inc., (b) ARCA Canada, and (c) Connexx. The principal of VM7 is Virland A. Johnson, our Chief Financial Officer. The sale of all of the outstanding equity interests of the Recycling Subsidiaries to VM7 under the Recycling Purchase Agreement was consummated simultaneously with the execution of the Recycling Agreement. The Company's Board of Directors unanimously approved the Recycling Purchase Agreement and the Disposition Transaction. The Recycling Purchase Agreement is retroactively effective as of March 1, 2023. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, VM7 determined that, after expending significant amounts of time and resources, it was unable to obtain sufficient equity or debt financing to continue the operations of the Recycling Subsidiaries. Accordingly, the Company was advised that the operations of the Recycling Subsidiaries were wound down and, ultimately, ceased. Because the Company did not receive all of the economic benefits of the Disposition Transaction and understands that it will not receive any future benefits of the Disposition Transaction, the Company determined to fully impair the $5.3 million carrying value of the Disposition Transaction on its balance sheet. The Company also determined not to exercise any of its remedies under the Recycling Purchase Agreement so that the Company could maintain its focus on its clinical-stage biopharmaceutical activities.

ICG Note

On August 28, 2019, ARCA Recycling entered into and delivered to ICG a secured revolving line of credit promissory note, whereby ICG agreed to provide ARCA Recycling with a $2.5 million revolving credit facility (the “ICG Note”). Jon Isaac is the manager and sole member of ICG, and the son of Tony Isaac, the President of ALT5 Sigma Corporation and, previously, ARCA Recycling. ICG is a record and beneficial owner of 13.6% of the outstanding common stock of the Company. The ICG Note was originally a component of the sale of the Recycling Subsidiaries in March 2023; however, because of the winding down of operations of the Recycling Subsidiaries during Q4 2023, and because the ICG Note was guaranteed by the Company, it recorded a liability in the amount of approximately $690,000 for the principal balance due on the note, which was offset against the gain on sale of the Recycling Subsidiaries (see Note 4). Additionally, effective February 2024, the ICG Note was amended to reflect the Company as co-maker on the ICG Note (see Note 20). The ICG Note matures in March 2026, and bears interest at 8.75% per annum. Monthly payments on the note are approximately $24,767. As of December 28, 2024 and December 30, 2023, the balance outstanding was $0 and $706,000, respectively.