CREATIVE REALITIES, INC. - Annual Report: 2022 (Form 10-K)

Table of Contents

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

 

FORM 10-K

 

(Mark one)

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022

 

OR

 

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from ___________ to ___________

 

Commission file number 001-33169

 

Creative Realities, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Minnesota		41-1967918
State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization		I.R.S. Employer Identification No.
13100 Magisterial Drive, Suite 100, Louisville KY		40223
Address of principal executive offices		Zip Code

 

(502) 791-8800

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class		Trading Symbol(s)		Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share		CREX		The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Warrants to purchase Common Stock		CREXW		The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐  No ☒

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

	Large accelerated filer ☐		Accelerated filer ☐
	Non-accelerated filer ☒		Smaller reporting company ☒
			Emerging growth company ☐

 

If an emerging growth company, 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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐

 

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.  ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

 

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates was $13,263,727 as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter.

 

As of March 29, 2023, the registrant had 7,394,407 shares of common stock outstanding.

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Table of Contents

 

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS;

RISK FACTOR SUMMARY

The information in this Report contains various forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Although we believe that, in making any such statements, our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, any such statements may be influenced by factors that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those projected. When used in the following discussion, the words “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “projects,” should,” “may,” “propose,” and similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions), are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.

We caution you that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this Report occur, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this Report are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary note. This cautionary note should also be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that we or persons acting on our behalf may issue. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, we disclaim any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Report.

A summary of the principal risk factors that make investing in our securities risky and might cause our actual results to differ is set forth below. The following is only a summary of the principal risks that may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. This summary should be read in conjunction with the more complete discussion of the risk factors we face, which are set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in this Report.

Risks Related to our Business and our Industry

Risks Related to our Securities and our Company

General Risk Factors

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(All currency is rounded to the nearest thousand, except share and per share amounts. On March 27, 2023, the Company effectuated a l-for-3 reverse stock split of its outstanding common stock. This Annual Report on Form 10-K, and the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements herein, give retroactive effect to the reverse stock split for all periods presented. The shares of common stock retained a par value of $0.01 per share.)

PART I

ITEM 1 BUSINESS

Our Company

Creative Realities, Inc. (“Creative Realities”, or the “Company”) provides digital solutions to enhance communications in a wide-ranging variety of out-of-home environments by providing innovative digital signage solutions for key market segments and use cases, including:

We serve market-leading companies, so there is a good chance that if you leave your home today to shop, work, eat or play, you will encounter one or more of our digital signage experiences. Our solutions are increasingly visible because we help our enterprise clients achieve a wide range of business objectives including:

Through a combination of organically grown platforms and a series of strategic acquisitions, including our recent acquisition of Reflect Systems, Inc. in February 2022, the Company assists clients to design, deploy, manage, and monetize their digital signage networks. The Company sources leads and opportunities for its solutions through its digital and content marketing initiatives, close relationships with key industry partners, equipment manufacturers, and the direct efforts of its in-house industry sales experts. Client engagements focus on consultative conversations that ensure the Company’s solutions are positioned to help clients achieve their business objectives in the most cost-effective manner possible.

When comparing Creative Realities to other digital signage competitors, our customers value the following competitive advantages:

The three primary sources of revenue for the company are:

While hardware sales and support services revenues can fluctuate more significantly year over year based on new, large-scale network deployments, the Company expects to see continuous growth in recurring SaaS revenue for the foreseeable future as digital signage adoption/utilization continues to expand across the vertical markets we serve.

We believe that the adoption and evolution of our digital signage technology solutions will increase substantially in years to come in the industries in which we currently focus and in others; however it has been delayed in recent years. First, our current and potential customer base reduced capital expenditures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, including capital expenditures that we believe would have been used to implement digital technology solutions. The costs of hardware configurations and software media players used to process and display content have also increased recently. Throughout 2021, we faced significant supply chain challenges which limited the availability of each of these components to our sold solutions and expect the availability of those products to continue to face supply constraints at least through the first half of 2022. Nevertheless, we believe that the costs of such hardware will decrease over time as it has done so historically, and will do so at an accelerating rate. Flat panel displays and players typically constitute a large portion of the expenditure customers make relative to the entire cost of implementing a digital marketing system implementation and can be a barrier to customer deployment. As a result, we believe that the broader adoption of digital marketing technology solutions is likely to increase, although we cannot predict the rate at which such adoption will occur.

Another key component of our business strategy, given the evolving dynamics of the industry in which we operate, is to acquire and integrate other operating companies in the industry in conjunction with pursuing our organic growth objectives. We believe that the selective acquisition and successful integration of certain companies will: accelerate our growth in targeted vertical and operating markets; enable us to cost-effectively aggregate multiple customer bases onto a single business and technology platform; provide us with greater operating scale on a consolidated basis; enable us to leverage a common set of processes and tools, and cost efficiencies company-wide; and ultimately result in higher operating profitability and cash flow from operations. Our management team evaluates acquisition opportunities on an ongoing basis. Our management team and Board of Directors have broad experience with the execution, integration, and financing of acquisitions. We believe that the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected our smaller competitors, and as a result, there may exist acquisition opportunities in the future. We also believe that, based on the foregoing, we can successfully serve as a consolidator of multiple business and technology platforms serving similar markets. As part of our acquisition strategy, we acquired Allure in 2018, and Reflect in February 2022.

Business Strategy

We believe that our existing business model is highly scalable and can be expanded successfully as we continue to grow organically, seek to acquire and integrate other companies in our target markets, strengthen our operational practices and procedures, further streamline our administrative office functions, and continue to capitalize on various marketing programs and activities.

Industry Background

We believe certain digital marketing technology industry trends are creating the opportunity for retailers, brands, venue-operators, enterprises, non-profits and other organizations to create innovative shopping, marketing, and informational experiences for their customers and other stakeholders in various venues worldwide. These trends include: (i) the expectations of technology-savvy consumers; (ii) addressing on-line competitors by improving physical experiences; (iii) a decline in the cost of hardware configurations (primarily flat panel displays) and software media players; (iv) the continued evolution of mobile, social, software and hardware technologies, applications and tools; (v) increasing sophistication of social networking platforms; (vi) increasingly complex customer requirements related to their specific digital marketing technology and solution objectives; and (vii) customers challenging service providers with the delivery of a satisfactory consumer experience with the traditional pressure on reducing installation and ongoing operating costs. 

As a result, a growing number of retailers, brands, venue-operators and other organizations have identified the need and opportunity to implement increasingly cost-effective and “sales-lifting” digital marketing, and interactive experiences to market to their customers. These experiences include creating unique and customized experiences for targeted, timely offerings and relevant promotions; improving engagement resulting in increased sales; and increasing shopping basket size. We believe our clients consider capitalizing on these industry trends to be increasingly critical to any successful “store of the future” retail and brand sales environment, especially where sales staff turnover is high, training outcomes are inconsistent and product knowledge is low.

Companies are implementing various digital marketing technology solutions, which: are implemented in multiple forms and types of configurations and locations; attempt to achieve any of a broad range of individual or combination of objectives; contain various levels of targeting; have the ability to instantly manage single or multiple locations remotely from a customer’s desktop or other connected device at each location; and are built to deliver or contain a standard or customized customer experience unique to and within the customer’s environment. Examples of such solutions include:

Our Markets

We currently market and sell our marketing technology solutions through our direct sales force, inside sales team, and word-of-mouth referrals from existing customers. Select strategic partnerships and lead generation programs also drive business to the Company through targeted business development initiatives. We market to companies that seek digital marketing solutions across multiple connected devices and who specifically seek or could benefit from enhancements to the customer experience offered in their stores, venues, brands or organizations.

Our digital marketing technology solutions have application in a wide variety of industries. The industries in which we sell our solutions are established and include automotive, apparel & accessories, banking, baby/children, beauty, CPG, department stores, digital out-of-home (“DOOH”), electronics, fashion, fitness, foodservice/quick service restaurant (“QSR”), financial services, gaming, luxury, mass merchants, mobile operators, and pharmacy retail; however, the planning, development, implementation and maintenance of technology-enabled experiences involving combinations of digital marketing technologies are relatively new and evolving. Moreover, a number of participants in these industries have only recently started considering or expanding the adoption of these types of technologies, solutions and experiences as part of their overall marketing strategies. 

Seasonality

A portion of our customer activity is influenced by seasonal effects related to traditional end of calendar year peak retail sales periods, traditional spring stadium/venue opening seasons, and certain other factors that arise from our target customer base. Nevertheless, our revenues can be materially affected by the launch of new markets, the timing of production rollouts, and other factors, any of which have the ability to reduce or outweigh certain seasonal effects.

Effect of General Economic Conditions on our Business

We believe that demand for our services will increase in the future in part because of new construction and remodeling activities of pre-existing retail, convenience store, stadium and event venues. While we do see reductions in retail footprints across the U.S., we see a continued focus on integration of digital into the retail marketplace and a focus on digital refreshes within the retail space to stay relevant in an evolving e-commerce marketplace. Recent general economic improvements generally make it easier for our customers to justify decisions to invest in digital marketing technology solutions. A change in the macroeconomic trend in the U.S. could have a negative impact on our customers’ ability and/or willingness to advance their digital initiatives.

Effect of Supply Chain Constraints

A key component of our business includes the sale of digital media players and digital displays supplied by third parties, each of which require semiconductors to complete the manufacturing process. Throughout 2021 and the first half of 2022, we experienced disruptions and delays related to fulfillment of inventory purchases from vendors, which represent the key components to our digital signage solutions, because of a global shortage of semiconductor chips. In instances in which inventory was available, we experienced delays in transportation of these goods from manufacturers to the Company, and in delivery of our solutions to our customers.

Regulation

We are subject to regulation by various federal and state governmental agencies. Such regulation includes radio frequency emission regulatory activities of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, the consumer protection laws of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, product safety regulatory activities of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and environmental regulation in areas in which we conduct business. Some of the hardware components that we supply to customers may contain hazardous or regulated substances, such as lead. A number of U.S. states have adopted or are considering “takeback” bills addressing the disposal of electronic waste, including CRT style and flat panel monitors and computers. Electronic waste legislation is developing. Some of the bills passed or under consideration may impose on us, or on our customers or suppliers, requirements for disposal of systems we sell and the payment of additional fees to pay costs of disposal and recycling. Presently, we do not believe that any such legislation or proposed legislation will have a materially adverse impact on our business.

Competition 

While we believe there is presently no direct competitor with the comprehensive offering of technologies, solutions and services we provide to our customers, there are multiple individual competitors who offer pieces of our solutions. These include digital signage software companies such as Stratacache and Four Winds Interactive; marketing services companies such as Sapient Nitro or digital signage systems integrators such as SageNet. Some of these competitors may have significantly greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do and may be able to respond more rapidly than we can to new or emerging technologies or changes in customer requirements. We believe that our holistic sales and business development capabilities, network operations / field service management capabilities, our comprehensive offering of digital signage technology and solutions, brand awareness, and proprietary processes are the primary factors providing our competitive advantage.

Major Customers

We had three (3) and two (2) customers that accounted for 44.0% and 41.1% of revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

We had three (3) and two (2) customers that in the aggregate accounted for 49.2% and 56.6% of accounts receivable as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.

Decisions by one or more of these key customers to not renew, terminate or substantially reduce their use of our products, technology, services, and platform could substantially slow our revenue growth and lead to a decline in revenue. Our business plan assumes continued growth in revenue, and it is unlikely that we will become profitable without a continued increase in revenue.

Territories

We sell products and services primarily throughout North America, with limited software licensing agreements operating in other international jurisdictions.

Human Capital

We have a workforce comprised of approximately 120 employees as of March 29, 2023, We do not have any employees that operate under collective-bargaining agreements.

Our principal offices are located at 13100 Magisterial Drive, Ste 100, Louisville, Kentucky 40223, and our telephone number at that office is (502) 791-8800. We have additional offices in the Dallas, TX, Atlanta, GA, and Windsor, Ontario (Canada) metro areas.

Corporate Organization

We originally incorporated and organized as a Minnesota corporation under the name “Wireless Ronin Technologies, Inc.” in March 2003 and focused on our expertise in digital media marketing solutions, including digital signage, interactive kiosks, mobile, social media and web-based media solutions. We acquired the interactive marketing technology business that we currently operate in a 2014 merger with Creative Realities, LLC. Shortly after that merger, we changed our corporate name from “Wireless Ronin Technologies, Inc.” to “Creative Realities, Inc.” On October 15, 2015, we acquired the systems integration and marketing technology business of ConeXus World Global, LLC. On November 20, 2018, we acquired Allure Global Solutions, Inc., an enterprise software development company. On February 17, 2022, we acquired Reflect Systems, Inc.

ITEM 1A RISK FACTORS  

Our business involves a high degree of risk. In evaluating our business, you should carefully consider the specific risks described below, and any risks described in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Any of the risks we describe below could cause our business, financial condition, results of operations or future prospects to be materially adversely affected. In addition, some of the following statements are forward-looking statements.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS AND OUR INDUSTRY

We have generally incurred losses, and may never become or remain profitable.

We have incurred historical net losses, and we have had negative cash flows from operations. While we have been able to achieve profitability in 2021 and 2022, it is uncertain whether we will be able to sustain or increase our profitability in successive periods.

We have formulated our business plans and strategies based on certain assumptions regarding the acceptance of our business model and the marketing of our products and services. Nevertheless, our assessments regarding market size, market share, market acceptance of our products and services and a variety of other factors may prove incorrect. Our future success will depend upon many factors, including factors beyond our control and those that cannot be predicted at this time. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has also caused a significant increase in suspended, delayed, and cancelled customer projects, initiatives, and capital expenditures, and it is not known when these opportunities will be revived for the Company, if at all.

Our digital marketing business is evolving in a rapidly changing market, and we cannot ensure the long-term successful operation of our business or the execution of our business plan.

Our digital marketing technology and solutions are an evolving business offering and the markets in which we compete are rapidly changing. As a result, our prospects must be considered in light of the risks, expenses and difficulties frequently encountered by growing companies in new and rapidly evolving markets. We may be unable to accomplish any of the following, which would materially impact our ability to implement our business plan:

Our business strategy may be unsuccessful and we may be unable to address the risks we face in a cost-effective manner, if at all. If we are unable to successfully accomplish these tasks, our business will be harmed.

Adequate funds for our operations may not be available, requiring us to raise additional financing or else curtail our activities significantly.

During February of 2022, the Company completed a Debt Financing and Equity Financing (as further described in this Annual Report), which resulted in gross proceeds to the Company, prior to deducting placement agent and other offering fees, of approximately $20,000.

The net proceeds from the forgoing financings were used to pay the cash portion of the merger consideration payable to former stockholders of Reflect in connection with our acquisition of Reflect in February 2022. As a result, we may be required to raise additional funding through public or private financings, including equity financings, through 2022 and beyond. We have an “at-the-market” offering in place, pursuant to which we may direct Roth Capital Partners, our sale agent, to sell shares of our common stock to investors in the market, subject to the terms and conditions of a sales agreement. These sales will dilute the percentages of ownership interest of then-current holders of our capital stock and may dilute our book value per share. Any additional equity financings may also be dilutive to shareholders and may be completed at a discount to the then-current market price of our securities. Debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants on our operations or pertaining to future financing arrangements. Nevertheless, we may not successfully complete any future equity or debt financing. Adequate funds for our operations, whether from financial markets, collaborative or other arrangements, may not be available when needed or on terms attractive to us. If adequate funds are not available, our plans to operate our business may be adversely affected and we could be required to curtail our activities significantly and/or cease operating.

We do not have sufficient capital to engage in material research and development, which may harm our long-term growth.

In light of our limited resources in general, we have limited material investments in research and development over the past several years. This conserves capital in the short term. In the long term, as a result of our failure to invest in research and development, our technology and product offerings may not keep pace with the market, and we may lose any current existing competitive advantage. Over the long term, this may harm our revenues growth and our ability to become profitable.

The variable sales cycle of our products will likely make it difficult to predict operating results.

Our revenues in any quarter depend substantially upon contracts signed and the related shipment and installation or delivery of hardware and software products in that quarter. It is therefore difficult for us to accurately predict revenues and this difficulty also will affect the Company. It is difficult to forecast the timing of large individual hardware and software sales with a high degree of certainty due to the extended length of the sales cycle and the generally more complex contractual terms that may be associated with our products that could result in the deferral of some or all of the revenue to future periods.

Accordingly, large individual sales have sometimes occurred in quarters subsequent to when we anticipated or not at all. If we receive any significant cancellation or deferral of customer orders, or it is unable to conclude license negotiations by the end of a fiscal quarter, our operating results may be lower than anticipated. In addition, any weakening or uncertainty in the economy may make it more difficult for the Company to predict quarterly results in the future, and could negatively impact our business, operating results and financial condition for an indefinite period of time.

We are reliant on the continued support of a related party for adequate financing of our operations.

As of March 29, 2023, our largest shareholder and investor, Slipstream Communications LLC (“Slipstream”) is the holder of 93% of our outstanding debt instruments, including three term loans, and has beneficial ownership of approximately 38% of our common stock (on an as-converted, fully diluted basis including conversion of outstanding warrants, and assuming no other convertible securities, options and warrants are converted or exercised by other parties). Slipstream has also provided us with a continued support letter through March 31, 2024. If we are unable to extend the maturity or replace our existing financing agreements in the future, our plans to operate our business may be adversely affected and we could be required to curtail our activities significantly and/or cease operating.

There has been, and we expect that there will continue to be, significant consolidation in our industry. Our failure or inability to lead that consolidation would have a severe adverse impact on our access to financing, customers, technology, and human resources.

Our industry is currently composed of a large number of relatively small businesses; no single business dominates or provides integrated solutions and product offerings incorporating much of the available industry technology. Accordingly, we believe that substantial consolidation may occur in our industry in the near future. We believe that our prior acquisitions of Allure and Reflect illustrate acquisition opportunities that exist in our industry. If we do not play a positive role in that consolidation, either as a leader or as a participant whose capability is merged in a larger entity, we may be left out of this process, with product offerings of limited value compared with those of our competitors. Moreover, even if we lead the consolidation process, we may incur unknown liabilities in such consolidations, fail to fully integrate the operations, personnel or technology from such consolidations, and the market may not validate the decisions we make in that process. 

Unpredictability in financing markets could impair our ability to grow our business through acquisitions.

We anticipate that opportunities to acquire similar businesses will materially depend on, among other things, the availability of financing alternatives with acceptable terms. As a result, poor credit and other market conditions or uncertainty in financial markets could materially limit our ability to grow through acquisitions since such conditions and uncertainty make obtaining financing more difficult.

Our success depends on our interactive marketing technologies achieving and maintaining widespread acceptance in our targeted markets.

Our success will depend to a large extent on broad market acceptance of our interactive marketing technologies among our current and prospective customers. Our prospective customers may still not use our solutions for a number of other reasons, including preference for static advertising, lack of familiarity with our technology, preference for competing technologies or perceived lack of reliability. We believe that the acceptance of our interactive marketing technologies by prospective customers will depend primarily on the following factors:

Our interactive technologies are complex and must meet stringent user requirements. Some undetected errors or defects may only become apparent as new functions are added to our technologies and products. The need to repair or replace products with design or manufacturing defects could temporarily delay the sale of new products and adversely affect our reputation. Delays, costs and damage to our reputation due to product defects could harm our business.

Our financial condition and potential for continued net losses may negatively impact our relationships with customers, prospective customers and third-party suppliers.

Our financial condition and potential for continued net losses may cause current and prospective customers to defer placing orders with us, to require terms that are less favorable to us, or to place their orders with our competitors, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. On the same basis, third-party suppliers may refuse to do business with us, or may do so only on terms that are unfavorable to us, which also could cause our expenses to increase.

Because we do not have long-term purchase commitments from our customers, the failure to obtain anticipated orders or the deferral or cancellation of commitments could have adverse effects on our business.

Our business is characterized by short-term purchase orders and contracts that do not require that purchases be made by our customers. This makes forecasting our sales difficult. The failure to obtain anticipated orders and deferrals or cancellations of purchase commitments because of changes in customer requirements, or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We have experienced such challenges in the past and may experience such challenges in the future.

Our continued growth and financial performance could be adversely affected by the loss of several key customers.

We had three (3) and two (2) customers that accounted for 44.0% and 41.1% of revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Decisions by one or more of these key customers to not renew, terminate or substantially reduce their use of our products, technology, services, and platform could substantially slow our revenue growth and lead to a decline in revenue. Our business plan assumes continued growth in revenue, and it is unlikely that we will become profitable without a continued increase in revenue.

Most of our contracts are terminable by our customers with limited notice and without penalty payments, and early terminations could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

Most of our contracts are terminable by our customers following limited notice and without early termination payments or liquidated damages due from them. In addition, each stage of a project often represents a separate contractual commitment, at the end of which the customers may elect to delay or not to proceed to the next stage of the project. We cannot assure you that one or more of our customers will not terminate a material contract or materially reduce the scope of a large project. The delay, cancellation or significant reduction in the scope of a large project or a number of projects could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

It is common for our current and prospective customers to take a long time to evaluate our products, most especially during economic downturns that affect our customers’ businesses, as we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lengthy and variable sales cycle makes it difficult to predict our operating results.

It is difficult for us to forecast the timing and recognition of revenue from sales of our products and services because our actual and prospective customers often take significant time to evaluate our products before committing to a purchase. Even after making their first purchases of our products and services, existing customers may not make significant purchases of those products and services for a long period of time following their initial purchases, if at all. The period between initial customer contact and a purchase by a customer may be years with potentially an even longer period separating initial purchases and any significant purchases thereafter. During the evaluation period, prospective customers may decide not to purchase or may scale down proposed orders of our products for various reasons, including:

Our prospective customers routinely require education regarding the use and benefit of our products. This may also lead to delays in receiving customers’ orders.

Our industry is characterized by frequent technological change. If we are unable to adapt our products and services and develop new products and services to keep up with these rapid changes, we will not be able to obtain or maintain market share.

The market for our products and services is characterized by rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards, changes in customer needs, heavy competition and frequent new product and service introductions. If we fail to develop new products and services or modify or improve existing products and services in response to these changes in technology, customer demands or industry standards, our products and services could become less competitive or obsolete.

We must respond to changing technology and industry standards in a timely and cost-effective manner. We may not be successful in using new technologies, developing new products and services or enhancing existing products and services in a timely and cost-effective manner. Furthermore, even if we successfully adapt our products and services, these new technologies or enhancements may not achieve market acceptance.

A portion of our business involves the use of software technology that we have developed or licensed. Industries involving the ownership and licensing of software-based intellectual property are characterized by frequent intellectual-property litigation, and we could face claims of infringement by others in the industry. Such claims are costly and add uncertainty to our operational results.

A portion of our business involves our ownership and licensing of software. This market space is characterized by frequent intellectual property claims and litigation. We could be subject to claims of infringement of third-party intellectual-property rights resulting in significant expense and the potential loss of our own intellectual property rights. From time to time, third parties may assert copyright, trademark, patent or other intellectual property rights to technologies that are important to our business. Any litigation to determine the validity of these claims, including claims arising through our contractual indemnification of our business partners, regardless of their merit or resolution, would likely be costly and time consuming and divert the efforts and attention of our management and technical personnel. If any such litigation resulted in an adverse ruling, we could be required to:

Our proprietary platform architectures and data tracking technology underlying certain of our services are complex and may contain unknown errors in design or implementation that could result in system performance failures or inability to scale.

The platform architecture, data tracking technology and integration layers underlying our proprietary platforms, our contract administration, procurement, timekeeping, content and network management, network services, device management, virtualized services, software automation and other tools, and back-end services are complex and include specially developed software and code. This software and code are developed internally, licensed from third parties, or integrated by in-house personnel and third parties. Any of the system architecture, system administration, integration layers, software or code may contain errors, or may be implemented or interpreted incorrectly, particularly when they are first introduced or when new versions or enhancements to our tools and services are released. Consequently, our systems could experience performance failure, or we may be unable to scale our systems, which may:

Our business may be adversely affected by malicious applications that interfere with, or exploit security flaws in, our products and services.

Our business may be adversely affected by malicious applications that make changes to our customers’ computer systems and interfere with the operation and use of our products or products that impact our business. These applications may attempt to interfere with our ability to communicate with our customers’ devices. The interference may occur without disclosure to or consent from our customers, resulting in a negative experience that our customers may associate with our products and services. These applications may be difficult or impossible to uninstall or disable, may reinstall themselves and may circumvent other applications’ efforts to block or remove them. The ability to provide customers with a superior interactive marketing technology experience is critical to our success. If our efforts to combat these malicious applications fail, or if our products and services have actual or perceived vulnerabilities, there may be claims based on such failure or our reputation may be harmed, which would damage our business and financial condition.

We compete with other companies that have more resources, which puts us at a competitive disadvantage.

The market for interactive marketing technologies is generally highly competitive and we expect competition to increase in the future. Some of our competitors or potential competitors may have significantly greater financial, technical and marketing resources than us. These competitors may be able to respond more rapidly than we can to new or emerging technologies or changes in customer requirements. They may also devote greater resources to the development, promotion and sale of their products than us.

We expect competitors to continue to improve the performance of their current products and to introduce new products, services and technologies. Successful new product and service introductions or enhancements by our competitors could reduce sales and the market acceptance of our products and services, cause intense price competition or make our products and services obsolete. To be competitive, we must continue to invest significant resources in research and development, sales and marketing and customer support. If we do not have sufficient resources to make these investments or are unable to make the technological advances necessary to be competitive, our competitive position will suffer. Increased competition could result in price reductions, fewer customer orders, reduced margins and loss of market share. Our failure to compete successfully against current or future competitors could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

Our future success depends on key personnel and our ability to attract and retain additional personnel.

Our key personnel include:

If we fail to retain our key personnel or to attract, retain and motivate other qualified employees, our ability to maintain and develop our business may be adversely affected. Our future success depends significantly on the continued service of our key technical, sales and senior management personnel and their ability to execute our growth strategy. The loss of the services of our key employees could harm our business. We may be unable to retain our employees or to attract, assimilate and retain other highly qualified employees who could migrate to other employers who offer competitive or superior compensation packages.

We are subject to cyber security risks and interruptions or failures in our information technology systems and will likely need to expend additional resources to enhance our protection from such risks. Notwithstanding our efforts, a cyber incident could occur and result in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption and/or financial loss.

We depend on digital technologies to process and record financial and operating data and rely on sophisticated information technology systems and infrastructure to support our business, including process control technology. At the same time, cyber incidents, including deliberate attacks, have increased. The U.S. government has issued public warnings that indicate that energy assets might be specific targets of cyber security threats. Our technologies, systems and networks and those of our vendors, suppliers and other business partners may become the target of cyberattacks or information security breaches that could result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, misuse, loss or destruction of proprietary and other information, or other disruption of business operations. In addition, certain cyber incidents, such as surveillance, may remain undetected for an extended period. Our systems for protecting against cyber security risks may not be sufficient. As the sophistication of cyber incidents continues to evolve, we will likely be required to expend additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any vulnerability to cyber incidents. Additionally, any of these systems may be susceptible to outages due to fire, floods, power loss, telecommunications failures, usage errors by employees, computer viruses, cyber-attacks or other security breaches or similar events. The failure of any of our information technology systems may cause disruptions in our operations, which could adversely affect our revenues and profitability.

Our reliance on information management and transaction systems to operate our business exposes us to cyber incidents and hacking of our sensitive information if our outsourced service provider experiences a security breach.

Effective information security internal controls are necessary for us to protect our sensitive information from illegal activities and unauthorized disclosure in addition to denial of service attacks and corruption of our data. In addition, we rely on the information security internal controls maintained by our outsourced service provider. Breaches of our information management system could also adversely affect our business reputation. Finally, significant information system disruptions could adversely affect our ability to effectively manage operations or reliably report results.

Because our technology, products, platform, and services are complex and are deployed in and across complex environments, they may have errors or defects that could seriously harm our business.

Our technology, proprietary platforms, products and services are highly complex and are designed to operate in and across data centers, large and complex networks, and other elements of the digital media workflow that we do not own or control. On an ongoing basis, we need to perform proactive maintenance services on our platform and related software services to correct errors and defects. In the future, there may be additional errors and defects in our software that may adversely affect our services. We may not have in place adequate reporting, tracking, monitoring, and quality assurance procedures to ensure that we detect errors in our software in a timely manner. If we are unable to efficiently and cost-effectively fix errors or other problems that may be identified, or if there are unidentified errors that allow persons to improperly access our services, we could experience loss of revenues and market share, damage to our reputation, increased expenses and legal actions by our customers.

We may have insufficient network or server capacity, which could result in interruptions in our services and loss of revenues.

Our operations are dependent in part upon: network capacity provided by third-party telecommunications networks; data center services provider owned and leased infrastructure and capacity; our dedicated and virtualized server capacity located at its data center services provider partner and a geo-redundant micro-data center location; and our own infrastructure and equipment. Collectively, this infrastructure, equipment, and capacity must be sufficiently robust to handle all of our customers’ web-traffic, particularly in the event of unexpected surges in high-definition video traffic and network services incidents. We (and our service providers) may not be adequately prepared for unexpected increases in bandwidth and related infrastructure demands from our customers. In addition, the bandwidth we have contracted to purchase may become unavailable for a variety of reasons, including payment disputes, outages, or such service providers going out of business. Any failure of these service providers or our own infrastructure to provide the capacity we require, due to financial or other reasons, may result in a reduction in, or interruption of, service to our customers, leading to an immediate decline in revenue and possible additional decline in revenue as a result of subsequent customer losses.

Our business operations are susceptible to interruptions caused by events beyond our control.

Our business operations are susceptible to interruptions caused by events beyond our control. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in authorities implementing numerous preventative measures to contain or mitigate the outbreak of the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, limitations on business activity, quarantines, and shelter-in-place orders. These measures caused business slowdowns and shutdowns in certain affected areas, both regionally and worldwide, which significantly adversely impacted our business and results of operations. We are vulnerable to the following potential problems when events beyond our control arise, including, among others:

The occurrence of any of the foregoing could result in claims for consequential and other damages, significant repair and recovery expenses and extensive customer losses and otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our competitors are constantly evolving, and we may be unable to compete successfully against existing or future competitors to our business.

The market in which we operate is becoming increasingly competitive.  Our current competitors generally include general digital signage companies, specialized digital signage operators targeting certain vertical markets (e.g., financial services), content management software companies, or integrators and vertical solution providers who develop single implementations of content distribution, digital marketing technology, and related services. These competitors, including future new competitors who may emerge, may be able to develop a comparable or superior solution capabilities, software platform, technology stack, and/or series of services that provide a similar or more robust set of features and functionality than the technology, products and services we offer. If this occurs, we may be unable to grow as necessary to make our business profitable.

Whether or not we have superior products, many of these current and potential future competitors have a longer operating histories in their current respective business areas and greater market presence, brand recognition, engineering and marketing capabilities, and financial, technological and personnel resources than we do. Existing and potential competitors with an extended operating history, even if not directly related to our business, have an inherent marketing advantage because of the reluctance of many potential customers to entrust key operations to a company that may be perceived as new, inexperienced or unproven. In addition, our existing and potential future competitors may be able to use their extensive resources to:

If we are unable to compete effectively in our various markets, or if competitive pressures place downward pressure on the prices at which we offer our products and services, our business, financial condition and results of operations may suffer.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR SECURITIES AND OUR COMPANY

Our largest shareholder and senior lender possesses significant voting power with respect to our common stock and has proposed a transaction to purchase all of our common stock that is not beneficially owned by such shareholder and its affiliates.

As of March 29, 2023, our largest shareholder and investor, Slipstream Communications LLC (“Slipstream”) is the holder of 93% of our outstanding debt instruments, including three term loans, and has beneficial ownership of approximately 38% of our common stock (on an as-converted, fully diluted basis including conversion of outstanding warrants, and assuming no other convertible securities, options and warrants are converted or exercised by other parties). Slipstream has also provided us with a continued support letter through March 31, 2024.  

On February 2, 2023, we received an unsolicited proposal from Pegasus Capital Advisors, L.P., on behalf of itself and certain of its affiliates, including Slipstream (collectively, “Pegasus”), to acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company that are not owned by Pegasus for a purchase price of $0.83 per share in cash (or, as a result of our recent reverse stock split $2.49 per share). Pegasus is the beneficial owner of our common stock owned of record by Slipstream. The Special Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Special Committee”) has concluded that such proposal undervalues the Company based on the Special Committee’s views of the intrinsic value of the Company’s existing business and current and future prospects, and is not in the best interests of the Company’s existing shareholders. Consequently, the Special Committee has advised Pegasus that it has rejected the proposal.

Pegasus may or may not determine to revise its proposal. The Special Committee remains available to evaluate and respond to a revised proposal by Pegasus. There can be no assurance that any revised proposal or definitive offer will be made or accepted, that any agreement will be executed, or that any transaction will be consummated.

Slipstream has significant influence on our management and affairs, including the election and removal of our Board of Directors and all other matters requiring shareholder approval, including the future merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. This stockholder position, especially in light of Pegasus' proposal, may discourage others from initiating any potential merger, takeover or other change-of-control transaction that may otherwise be beneficial to our shareholders. Furthermore, this concentrated ownership will limit the practical effect of your participation in Company matters, through shareholder votes and otherwise.

Our Articles of Incorporation grant our Board of Directors the power to issue additional shares of common and preferred stock and to designate other classes of preferred stock, all without shareholder approval.

Our authorized capital consists of 116,666,666 shares of capital stock, 50,000,000 of which is undesignated preferred stock. Pursuant to authority granted by our Articles of Incorporation, our Board of Directors, without any action by our shareholders, may designate and issue shares in such classes or series (including other classes or series of preferred stock) as it deems appropriate and establish the rights, preferences and privileges of such shares, including dividends, liquidation and voting rights, provided such designation is consistent with Minnesota law. The rights of holders of other classes or series of stock that may be issued could be superior to the rights of holders of our common shares. The designation and issuance of shares of capital stock having preferential rights could adversely affect other rights appurtenant to shares of our common stock. Furthermore, any issuances of additional stock (common or preferred) will dilute the percentage of ownership interest of then-current holders of our capital stock and may dilute our book value per share.

We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future.

We do not plan to pay dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future. Earnings of the business will be reinvested in future growth strategies or utilized to repay outstanding debt.

We do not have significant tangible assets that could be sold upon liquidation.

We have nominal tangible assets. As a result, if we become insolvent or otherwise must dissolve, there will be no tangible assets to liquidate and no corresponding proceeds to disburse to our shareholders. If we become insolvent or otherwise must dissolve, shareholders will likely not receive any cash proceeds on account of their shares.

We can provide no assurance that our securities will continue to meet Nasdaq listing requirements. If we fail to comply with the continuing listing standards of the Nasdaq, our securities could be delisted.

On April 14, 2022, the Company received a letter (the “Notice”) from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) advising the Company that for 30 consecutive trading days preceding the date of the Notice, the bid price of the Company’s common stock had closed below the $1.00 per share minimum required for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) (the “Minimum Bid Price Requirement”).  The Notice stated that the Company had 180 days, or until October 11, 2022, to demonstrate compliance by maintaining a minimum closing bid price of at least $1.00 for a minimum of 10 consecutive trading days.

On October 12, 2022, Nasdaq notified the Company that while the Company had not regained compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, it was eligible for an additional 180-day grace period, or until April 10, 2023, to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement. Nasdaq’s determination was based on the Company having met the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other applicable requirements for initial listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, with the exception of the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, and on the Company’s written notice to Nasdaq of its intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary. Effective March 27, 2023, we effectuated a one-for-three reverse stock split of the shares of the Company’s common stock seeking to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement. There is no guarantee that we will be successful in satisfying the Minimum Bid Price Requirement by April 10, 2023.

If the Company does not regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement by April 10, 2023, Nasdaq will provide written notification to the Company that its common stock will be delisted. At that time, the Company may appeal Nasdaq’s delisting determination to a Hearings Panel (the “Panel”). The Company’s common stock would remain listed pending the Panel’s decision. There can be no assurance that if the Company does appeal such a delisting determination by Nasdaq to the Panel, that such appeal would be successful.

In the event our common stock is delisted from The Nasdaq Capital Market and we are also unable to maintain listing on another alternate exchange, trading in our common stock could thereafter be conducted in FINRA’s OTC Bulletin Board or in the over-the-counter markets in the so-called pink sheets. In such event, the liquidity of our common stock would likely be impaired, not only in the number of shares which could be bought and sold, but also through delays in the timing of the transactions, and there would likely be a reduction in our coverage by security analysts and the news media, thereby resulting in lower prices for our common stock than might otherwise prevail.

The impact of our 1-for-3 reverse stock split on the future market price of our common stock, and our ability to maintain the listing of our common stock on Nasdaq, is uncertain.

On March 23, 2023, we filed Articles of Amendment with the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota to effectuate, effective March 27, 2023, a one-for-three reverse stock split of the shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share. The Company’s common stock began trading on a split-adjusted basis on March 27, 2023. In connection with the reverse stock split, the total number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance was reduced from 200,000,000 shares to 66,666,666 shares in proportion to the reverse stock split.

We cannot assure shareholders that the reverse stock split will sufficiently increase our stock price by April 10, 2023, the deadline for the Company to comply with the Minimum Bid Requirement. The effect of the reverse stock split on our stock price cannot be predicted with any certainty, and the history of reverse stock splits for us and other companies, is varied, particularly since some investors may view a reverse stock split negatively. It is possible that our stock price after a reverse stock split will not increase in the same proportion as the reduction in the number of shares outstanding, causing a reduction in our overall market capitalization. Further, our stock price may decline due to various factors, including our future performance and general industry, market and economic conditions. This percentage decline, as an absolute number and as a percentage of our overall market capitalization, may be greater than would occur in the absence of the reverse stock split. If we continue to fail to meet Nasdaq’s listing requirements, Nasdaq may suspend trading and commence delisting proceedings.

In addition, the reverse stock split may decrease the liquidity of our common stock and result in higher transaction costs. The liquidity of our common stock may be negatively impacted by the reduced number of shares outstanding after the reverse stock split, which would be exacerbated if the stock price does not increase following the reverse stock split. In addition, the reverse stock split increased the number of stockholders owning “odd lots” of fewer than 100 shares, which generally means that trading our stock results in higher transaction costs. Accordingly, the reverse stock split may not achieve the desired results of increasing marketability and liquidity.

The implementation of the reverse stock split did not have an effect on the actual or intrinsic value of our business or a shareholder’s proportional ownership interest (subject to the treatment of fractional shares as a result of the reverse stock split). However, should the overall value of our common stock decline after the reverse stock split, then the actual or intrinsic value of shares held by shareholders will also proportionately decrease as a result of the overall decline in value.

Significant issuances of our common stock, or the perception that significant issuances may occur in the future, could adversely affect the market price for our common stock.

Significant actual or perceived potential future issuance of our common stock could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Generally, issuances of substantial amounts of common stock in the public market, and the availability of shares for future sale, could adversely affect the prevailing market price of our common stock and could cause the market price of our common stock to remain low for a substantial amount of time.

We cannot foresee the impact of potential securities issuances of common shares on the market for our common stock, but it is possible that the market for our shares may be adversely affected, perhaps significantly. It is also unclear whether or not the market for our common stock could absorb a large number of attempted sales in a short period of time, regardless of the price at which they might be offered.

There may not be an active market for shares of our common stock.

In general, there has been minimal trading volume in our common stock. Small trading volumes would likely make it difficult for our shareholders to sell their shares as and when they choose. Furthermore, small trading volumes are generally understood to depress market prices. As a result, you may not always be able to resell shares of our common stock publicly at the time and prices that you feel are fair or appropriate.

GENERAL RISK FACTORS

Because of our limited internal resources, we may not have in place various processes and protections common to more mature companies and may be more susceptible to adverse events.

We have limited internal resources. As a result, we may not have in place systems, processes and protections that many of our competitors have or that may be essential to protect against various risks. For example, we have in place only limited resources and processes addressing human resources, timekeeping, data protection, business continuity, personnel redundancy, and knowledge institutionalization concerns. As a result, we are at risk that one or more adverse events in these and other areas may materially harm our business, financial condition, and results from operations.

General global market and economic conditions may have an adverse impact on our operating performance and results of operations.

Our business has been and could continue to be affected by general global economic and market conditions. Any downturn in the United States and worldwide economy could have a negative effect on our operating results, including a decrease in revenue and operating cash flow. To the extent our customers are unable to profitably leverage various forms of digital marketing technology and solutions, and/or the content we create, deliver and publish on their behalf, they may reduce or eliminate their purchase of our products and services. Such reductions in traffic would lead to a reduction in our revenues. Additionally, in a down-cycle economic environment, we may experience the negative effects of increased competitive pricing pressure, customer loss, slowdown in commerce over the Internet and corresponding decrease in traffic delivered over our network and failures by our customers to pay amounts owed to us on a timely basis or at all. Suppliers on which we rely for equipment, field services, servers, bandwidth, co-location and other services could also be negatively impacted by economic conditions that, in turn, could have a negative impact on our operations or revenues. Flat or worsening economic conditions may harm our operating results and financial condition.

In addition, our business could be adversely affected by the effects of a widespread outbreak of contagious disease, including another outbreak of COVID-19 or another respiratory illness. A significant outbreak of contagious diseases in the human population could result in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect the economies and financial markets of many countries, resulting in an economic downturn that could affect demand for our products, our ability to collect against existing trade receivables and our operating results. Specifically, such event may cause us, our customers or suppliers to temporarily suspend operations in the affected city or country, and customers may suspend or terminate capital improvements including in-store digital deployments or refresh projects, all of which may have a material adverse effect on our business.

ITEM 2 PROPERTIES

(All currency is rounded to the nearest thousands, except share and per share amounts.)

Our headquarters is located at 13100 Magisterial Drive, Suite 100, Louisville, KY 40223. There, we have approximately 17,500 square-feet of office space, including approximately 6,500 square-feet of warehouse space, which we believe is sufficient for our projected near-term future growth. The lease was modified and extended during 2022 and the monthly lease amount is currently $27 and escalates 1% annually through the end of the lease term in December 2025.

We also lease office space of approximately 6,000 square feet to support our Canadian operations at a facility located at 4600 Rhodes Drives, Unit 3& 4, Windsor, Ontario under a lease that expires November 30, 2025 and with a monthly rental, inclusive of CAMS and related realty taxes, of $7 per month.

We also lease office space of approximately 4,500 square feet to support our Atlanta operations at a facility known as Northridge Center II and and having as its street address at 365 Northridge Road, Atlanta, GA 30350. This property lease began in March 2022 and expires in July 2027 with a monthly rental of $8, escalating 3% annually.

We also lease office space of approximately 15,350 square feet to support the Reflect operations at a facility located at 2221 Lakeside Blvd, Richardson, TX 75082 under a lease that expires March 2024 and with a monthly rental, inclusive of CAMS and related realty taxes, of $38 per month.

The corporate phone number is (502) 791-8800.

ITEM 3 LEGAL PROCEEDINGS  

Information regarding legal proceedings can be found in Note 9 Commitments and Contingencies to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report.

ITEM 4 MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

PART II

ITEM 5 MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

(All currency is rounded to the nearest thousands, except share and per share amounts.)

Market Information

Our common stock is listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Markets (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “CREX”. The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Limited, 401 2nd Avenue North, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401. 

Shareholders

As of March 29, 2023, we had 395 holders of record of our common stock. The actual number of stockholders is greater than this number of record holders, and includes stockholders who are beneficial owners, but whose shares are held in street name by brokers and other nominees. This number of holders of record also does not include stockholders whose shares may be held in trust by other entities.

Dividend Policy

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our common stock. We currently intend to retain future earnings, if any, to operate and expand our business and to finance the development and expansion of our business. We do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Any payment of cash dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon our results of operations, earnings, capital requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors deemed relevant by our Board of Directors.

Holders of our common stock are entitled to share pro rata in dividends and distributions with respect to the common stock when, as and if declared by our Board of Directors out of funds legally available therefor. Our future dividend policy is subject to the sole discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon a number of factors, including future earnings, capital requirements and our financial condition.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

None.

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

Information about our equity compensation plans is set forth in Item 12 of Part III of this Annual Report, which is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 6 [RESERVED]

Not applicable.

ITEM 7 MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

(All currency is rounded to the nearest thousands, except share and per share amounts.) 

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and related for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, which are included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contains statements that are forward-looking. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risk, uncertainties and other factors. These statements are often identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “estimate,” or “continue,” and similar expressions or variations.

You should review the "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements; Risk Factor Summary", and "Risk Factors" sections of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements described in the following discussion and analysis.

Overview

Creative Realities, Inc. (“Creative Realities”, or the “Company”) transforms environments through digital solutions by providing innovative digital signage solutions for key market segments and use cases, including:

We serve market-leading companies, so there is a good chance that if you leave your home today to shop, work, eat or play, you will encounter one or more of our digital signage experiences. Our solutions are increasingly visible because we help our enterprise customers achieve a range of business objectives including:

Through a combination of organically grown platforms and a series of strategic acquisitions, including our recent acquisition of Reflect Systems, Inc. in February 2022, the Company assist clients to design, deploy, manage, and monetize their digital signage networks. The Company sources leads and opportunities for its solutions through its digital and content marketing initiatives, close relationships with key industry partners, specifically equipment manufacturers, and the direct efforts of its in-house industry sales experts. Client engagements focus on consultative conversations that ensure the Company’s solutions are positioned to help clients achieve their business objectives in the most cost-effective manner possible.

When comparing Creative Realities to other digital signage providers, our customers value the following competitive advantages:

Our Sources of Revenue

The three primary sources of revenue for the company are:

While hardware sales and support services revenues can fluctuate more significantly year over year based on new, large-scale network deployments, the Company expects to see continuous growth in recurring SaaS revenue for the foreseeable future as digital signage adoption/utilization continues to expand across the vertical markets we serve.

Our Expenses

Our expenses are primarily comprised of three categories: sales and marketing, research and development, and general and administrative. Sales and marketing expenses include salaries and benefits for our sales, business development solution management and marketing personnel, and commissions paid on sales. This category also includes amounts spent on marketing networking events, promotional materials, hardware and software to prospective new customers, including those expenses incurred in trade shows and product demonstrations, and other related expenses. Our research and development expenses represent the salaries and benefits of those individuals who develop and maintain our proprietary software platforms and other software applications we design and sell to our customers. Our general and administrative expenses consist of corporate overhead, including administrative salaries, real property lease payments, salaries and benefits for our corporate officers and other expenses such as legal and accounting fees.

Recent Developments

Reverse stock split

On March 23, 2023, the Company filed Articles of Amendment with the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota to effectuate, effective March 27, 2023, a one-for-three stock split of the shares of the Company's common stock, par value $0.01 per share.

As a result of the reverse stock split, effective 12:01 am on March 27, 2023, every three shares of common stock then-issued and outstanding automatically combined into one share of common stock, with no change in par value per share.  No fractional shares were outstanding following the reverse stock split and any fractional shares resulting from the reverse split were rounded up to the nearest whole share of common stock.  In connection with the reverse stock split, the total number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance was reduced from 200,000,000 shares to 66,666,666 shares in proportion to the reverse stock split.

Effective as of the same time as the reverse stock split, the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the Company's equity compensation plans were reduced in proportion to the reverse stock split.  The reverse stock split also resulted in the number of shares of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants, or the exercise or vesting of equity awards, in proportion to the reverse stock split and caused a proportionate increase in exercise price or share-based performance criteria, where applicable.

Rejection of unsolicited offer

On February 2, 2023, we received an unsolicited proposal from Pegasus Capital Advisors, L.P., on behalf of itself and certain of its affiliates, including Slipstream (collectively, “Pegasus”), to acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company that are not owned by Pegasus for a purchase price of $0.83 per share (or, as a result of our recent reverse stock split, $2.49 per share) in cash. Pegasus is the beneficial owner of our common stock owned of record by Slipstream. The Special Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Special Committee”) has concluded that such proposal undervalues the Company based on the Special Committee’s views of the intrinsic value of the Company’s existing business and current and future prospects, and is not in the best interests of the Company’s existing shareholders. Consequently, the Special Committee has advised Pegasus that it has rejected the proposal.

Pegasus may or may not determine to revise its proposal. The Special Committee remains available to evaluate and respond to a revised proposal by Pegasus. There can be no assurance that any revised proposal or definitive offer will be made or accepted, that any agreement will be executed, or that any transaction will be consummated.

Please see Note 8 Loans Payable, Note 10 Business Combinations, Note 12 Warrants, and Note 13 Stock-based Compensation to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements contained in this Report for a description of other recent developments of the Company that occurred during, and subsequent to, the year ended December 31, 2022.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our management is responsible for our financial statements and has evaluated the accounting policies to be used in their preparation. Our management believes these policies are reasonable and appropriate. The Company’s significant accounting policies are described in Note 2 Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements included within Part II, ITEM 8 of this Annual Report. The following discussion identifies those accounting policies that we believe are critical in the preparation of our financial statements, the judgments and uncertainties affecting the application of those policies and the possibility that materially different amounts will be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires that management make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of commitments and contingencies at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Our actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

We recognized revenue in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”). Under ASC 606, we account for revenue using the following steps:

See Note 2 Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Note 4 Revenue Recognition in our Consolidated Financial Statements, included in Part II, ITEM 8 of this Annual Report, for a complete discussion of our revenue recognition policies.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

We have not made any material changes in the accounting methodology we use to measure the estimated liability for doubtful accounts during the past two fiscal years. The Company’s methodology for calculating the allowance for doubtful accounts consists of (1) reserving for specific receivables which (a) are known to be facing serious financial problems, (b) have a trade dispute with the Company, or (c) are significantly aged and/or unresponsive, and (2) a general reserve for unaged accounts receivable based on a percentage of revenue each period. We do not believe there is a reasonable likelihood that there will be a material change in the future estimates or assumptions we use to establish the liability for doubtful accounts. However, if actual results are not consistent with our estimates or assumptions, we may be exposed to losses or gains that could be material.

Goodwill

Goodwill is evaluated for impairment annually as of September 30 and whenever events or circumstances make it more likely than not that impairment may have occurred. We have no other indefinite-lived intangible assets. We test goodwill for impairment by comparing the book value to the fair value at the reporting unit level. We have only one reporting unit, and therefore the entire goodwill is allocated to that reporting unit. The fair value of the reporting unit is determined by using a discounted cash flow analyses consisting of various assumptions, including expectations of future cash flows based on projections or forecasts derived from analysis of business prospects and economic or market trends that may occur. We use these same expectations in other valuation models throughout the business. In addition to the discounted cash flow analysis, we utilize a leveraged buy-out model, trading comps and market capitalization to ultimately determine an estimated fair value of our reporting unit based on weighted average calculations from these models. We base our fair value estimates on assumptions we believe to be reasonable but that are unpredictable and inherently uncertain. If the carrying amount exceeds the fair value, further analysis is performed to measure the impairment loss.

In addition, our market capitalization could fluctuate from time to time. Such fluctuation may be an indicator of possible impairment of goodwill if our market capitalization falls below its book value. If this situation occurs, we perform the required detailed analysis to determine if there is impairment.

No impairment was recorded as a result of our annual assessment completed as of September 30, 2022.  At December 31, 2022, we concluded the decline in our market value represented an interim indicator of potential impairment.  Based on a quantitative assessment of our fair value performed at December 31, 2022, using the same approach as our annual impairment performed at September 30, described above, we concluded that the carrying value of our goodwill did not exceed the reporting unit fair value.  There was no impairment during the year-ended December 31, 2022.   

The valuation of goodwill is subject to a high degree of judgment, uncertainty and complexity. We do not believe there is a reasonable likelihood that there will be a material change in the future estimates or assumptions we use to test for impairment losses on goodwill. However, if actual results are not consistent with our estimates or assumptions, we may be exposed to an impairment charge that could be material.

Income Taxes

Accounting for income taxes requires recognition of deferred tax liabilities and assets for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities. These deferred taxes are measured by applying the provisions of tax laws in effect at the balance sheet date, including the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) enacted on December 22, 2017.

We recognize in income the effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities in the period that includes the enactment date.

As of December 31, 2022, a full valuation allowance is recorded against our deferred tax. The valuation allowance is based, in part, on our estimate of future taxable income, the expected utilization of federal and state tax loss carryforwards, and credits and the expiration dates of such tax loss carryforwards. Significant assumptions are used in developing the analysis of future taxable income for purposes of determining the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets which, in our opinion, are reasonable under the circumstances.

Impact of Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Refer to Note 3 Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements in our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, ITEM 8 of this Annual Report, for a full description of recent accounting pronouncements, including the expected dates of adoption and estimated effects on results of operations and financial condition, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Results of Operations

Note: All dollar amounts reported in Results of Operations are in thousands, except per-share information.

Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021

The tables presented below compare our results of operations from one period to another, and present the results for each period and the change in those results from one period to another in both dollars and percentage change.

Sales

Sales increased by $24,913, or 135%, in 2022 as compared to 2021 driven in part by the acquisition of Reflect Systems, Inc. ("Reflect") via merger (the "Merger") on February 17, 2022, and the Company's successful sales activities as a combined company post-Merger.

Hardware revenues were $19,895 in 2022, an increase of $10,445 or 111%, as compared to the prior year.  The increase was driven by large scale LED deployments during the year by multiple customers and the acquisition of Reflect.  Services and other revenues were $23,455 in 2022, an increase of $14,468, driven by the acquisition of Reflect and the Company's successful sales activities post-Merger.  Managed services revenue, which includes both SaaS and help desk technical subscription services were $14,320 for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to $5,596 for the year ended December 31, 2021.  The increase is driven by the addition of Reflect's SaaS subscription revenue in the current year.  This represents a year-over-year growth rate of 156% in our higher margin, typically subscription-based, managed service revenue.  

Gross Profit

Gross profit increased $9,382 to $17,739 in 2022 from $8,357 in 2021, or 112%, through a combination of a 135% increase in revenue offset partially by a 4.4% reduction in gross margin percentage.  Gross margin decreased to 40.9% from 45.3% driven by (i) revenue mix during 2022 related to several material customer hardware rollouts in the year that had a lower gross profit margin than our software services and (ii) a $1,249 increase in our inventory reserve related to Safe Space Solutions. We are no longer actively promoting the sale of our Safe Space Solutions or purchasing inventory to support such solutions. We expect the contraction in gross margin to be less severe as we move beyond 2022.

Sales and Marketing Expenses

Sales and marketing expenses generally include the salaries, taxes, and benefits of our sales and marketing personnel, as well as trade show activities, travel, and other related sales and marketing costs. Sales and marketing expenses increased by $2,498, or 217%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the same period in 2021 driven primarily by (i) the inclusion in the prior year of a benefit of $232 related Employee Retention Credits (“ERC”) related to the retention and payment of salaries to sales personnel throughout 2020 and the nine months ended September 30, 2021, (ii) the acquisition of Reflect via the Merger on February 17, 2022, and (iii) the Company’s enhanced investments into sales and marketing activities post-COVID-19 pandemic. Immediately following the Merger, the Company integrated the sales and marketing functions of the Company and Reflect and did not disaggregate expenses between the two legacy companies. Following the Merger and through integration activities, the Company adopted certain tools, technology, and processes – particularly with respect to lead generation and brand marketing – that the Company believes were undercapitalized historically by the Company. Additionally, the Company engaged an investor relations firm and has increased investor relations activities, including conferences and presentations. As a result, we expect the sales and marketing expenses of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2022 to adequately reflect the pace for spend in these areas in future reporting periods.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses generally include personnel and development tools costs associated with the continued development of the Company’s content management systems and other related application development. Research and development expenses increased by $701, or 127%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the same period in 2021 driven primarily by (i) the inclusion in the prior year of a benefit of $196 related ERC, and (ii) the acquisition of Reflect via the Merger on February 17, 2022. Through the Merger, we acquired a fully staffed, experienced software development team and elected to keep that team in-tact, particularly given employment market conditions with respect to talented software engineers. We have integrated the pre-existing CRI development team with the acquired team and have experienced enhanced speed to market on new feature and functionality development activities from increasing this resource pool. We expect this elevated level of expense during the year ended December 31, 2022 to continue into the future as we develop our current and future product set.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses increased $4,571, or 62%, driven primarily by (i) the inclusion in the prior year of a benefit of $694 related ERC, (ii) a prior period cash recovery of $555 related to a customer bankruptcy for which the Company previously recorded a reserve, and (iii) increased headcount and operations as a result of the acquisition of Reflect on February 17, 2022. While the Company anticipates carrying higher general and administrative expenses moving forward as a result of the acquisition and subsequent expansion in organic revenues, the Company continues to execute integration activities (including but not limited to consolidation of CMS tools, cloud hosting environments, IT tools, and rightsizing leases for office space) that we expect will be realized by the end of 2022 and into 2023.

Depreciation and Amortization Expenses

Depreciation and amortization expenses increased by $1,469, or 108%, in 2022 compared to 2021. This was driven by the addition of $17,160 in amortizing intangible assets as a result of the Merger. Depreciation was consistent in both periods. 

Interest Expense

See Note 8 Loans Payable to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of the Company’s debt and related interest expense obligations.

Changes in Fair Value of Warrant Liability

During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recorded a gain of $7,902 as the result of assessing the fair value of warrant liabilities associated with the Company’s issuance of warrants in its debt and equity offerings completed in February 2022 to finance the Merger. These warrants were initially assessed at fair value through Black Scholes calculation, with changes in fair value recognized at each period end.

Change in Fair Value of Equity Guarantee

The Company has contingent consideration arrangements related to certain acquisitions to potentially pay additional cash amounts in future periods based on the lack of achievement of certain share price performance goals of our common stock. Such contingent consideration arrangements are recorded at fair value and are classified as liabilities on the acquisition date and are remeasured at each reporting period in accordance with ASC 805-30-35-1 using a Monte Carlo simulation model. The change in the period represents the mark-to-market adjustment as of the balance sheet date.

Change in fair value of Convertible Loan

The Company updated its fair value analysis of the Convertible Loan, resulting in a change in fair value of the Convertible Loan of $166, recognized during the year ended December 31, 2021.

Loss on Debt Waiver

On February 17, 2022, in connection with obtaining a waiver of certain restrictions in investment documents between an investor and the Company in order to consummate the financing contemplated by the Company's credit agreement with Slipstream Communications, the Company paid consideration to such investor in the form of a warrant (the “Purchaser Warrant”) to purchase 466,667 shares of Company common stock in an at-the-market offering under Nasdaq rules. The number of shares of Company common stock subject to the Purchaser Warrant was equal to the waiver fee ($175) divided by $0.375 per share. The exercise price of the Purchaser Warrant is $4.23 per share, and the Purchaser Warrant became exercisable on August 17, 2022. The Purchaser Warrant expires five years from the date of issuance. At the date of issuance, the Company performed a Black-Scholes valuation of the Purchaser Warrant, resulting in a fair value of $2.5968 per warrant. In recording the warrant liability, the Company recorded an expense in the Consolidated Statement of Operations associated with the issuance of the Purchaser Warrant of $1,212.

Loss on Warrant Amendment

Effective June 30, 2022, the Company amended the terms of certain of its outstanding warrants. The amendments to such warrants removed the holder’s option to determine the value of such warrants utilizing the volume weighted average price (“VWAP”) of the Company’s common stock on the trading day immediately preceding the date of a notice in a cashless exercise, and removed the condition to exercising such warrants that the Company’s shareholders approve the exercise thereof (which had already been obtained). The amendments to the warrants also extended the term of such warrants for an additional one year. As a result of the extension in term provided in exchange for the amendment, the Company reassessed the fair value of each of the affected warrants, resulting in the Company recording a loss on the fair value of these warrants of $345.

Gain/Loss on Settlement of Obligations

On February 17, 2022, the Company refinanced its debt facilities with Slipstream. The Company assessed the combination of the pre-existing senior secured term loan and secured convertible loan in accordance with ASC 470 Debt and determined the transaction should be accounted for as an extinguishment, in part as the Consolidation Term Loan eliminated a substantive conversion feature. In aggregate the Company recorded a loss on extinguishment of $295, primarily associated with the write-off of pre-existing debt discounts.

On January 11, 2021, the Company received a notice from Old National Bank regarding forgiveness of the loan in the principal amount of $1,552 (the “PPP Loan”) that was made pursuant to the Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act of 2020. According to such notice, the full principal amount of the PPP Loan and the accrued interest have been forgiven, resulting in a gain of $1,552 during the year ended December 31, 2021.

On May 13, 2021, the Company and seller of Allure (“Seller”) entered into a settlement agreement wherein neither party admitted liability, and the Company agreed to pay, and Seller agreed to accept, $100 as settlement in full for the outstanding balance of principal and accrued interest under the Seller Note and a mutual release of all claims related to the Seller Note and Allure sale transaction under the Purchase Agreement and all related agreements.

As a result of this settlement, the full principal amount of the Seller Note and the accrued interest have been eliminated, resulting in a gain in the Consolidated Financial Statements of $1,624, representing $1,538 related to the Seller Note and $86 of related interest thereon, during the year ended December 31, 2021.

Supplemental Operating Results on a Non-GAAP Basis

The following non-GAAP data, which adjusts for the categories of expenses described below, is a non-GAAP financial measure. Our management believes that this non-GAAP financial measure is useful information for investors, shareholders and other stakeholders of our Company in gauging our results of operations on an ongoing basis. We believe that EBITDA is a performance measure and not a liquidity measure, and therefore a reconciliation between net loss/income, a GAAP financial measure, and EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA has been provided. EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to net loss/income as an indicator of performance or as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities as an indicator of cash flows, in each case as determined in accordance with GAAP, or as a measure of liquidity. In addition, EBITDA does not take into account changes in certain assets and liabilities as well as interest and income taxes that can affect cash flows. We do not intend the presentation of these non-GAAP measures to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for results prepared in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP measures should be read only in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements prepared in accordance with GAAP that are included elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

See Note 1 Nature of Organization and Operations to the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for a detailed discussion of liquidity and financial resources.

Operating Activities

The cash flows (used in) / provided by operating activities were $(708) and $471 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.  We produced net income of $1,876.  Following the Merger, our revenues have significantly expanded, particularly with respect to managed services revenue.  Other than net income, cash provided by operating activities was driven by an expansion of accounts receivable and inventory of $3,927 and $1,472, partially offset by growth of $914 of accounts payable and $1,112 of accrued expenses, respectively. 

Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities during the year ended December 31, 2022 was $21,475 as compared to $1,159 for the same period in 2021. The use of cash in the current year was driven by (1) completion of the Merger and (2) continued investments in our software platforms.  We currently do not have any material commitments for capital expenditures as of December 31, 2022; however, we anticipate continued elevated capital expenditures in excess of historical trends through second quarter of 2023 as we complete the modernization and internationalization of our automotive platform in an effort to capture incremental SaaS-based revenue contracts.

Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 was $20,933 and $1,745, respectively. The current year results were primarily driven by completion of the Company’s Equity Financing and Debt Financing (each as described in Note 10 Business Combinations to the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements) in the period to facilitate the Merger, which provided net cash of $10,109 and $9,868, respectively.  The Company also executed a $2,000 term note ("Term Note (2022)") with Slipstream (as described in Note 8 Loans Payable to the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements).  Cash provided by financing activities were reduced by $1,044 as a result of repayments of principal on the Secured Promissory Note (as described in Note 8 Loans Payable to the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements). 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

During the year ended December 31, 2022, we did not engage in any off-balance sheet arrangements set forth in Item 303(a) (4) of Regulation S-K.

ITEM 7A QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

Not applicable.

ITEM 8 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

See Index to Consolidated Financial Statements on Page F-1.

ITEM 9 CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

None

ITEM 9A CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

An evaluation was performed under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) and Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer), of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act (“Exchange Act”), as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report. Based on that evaluation, our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2022, and designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting 

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their control objectives.

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022 based on the framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). Based on our assessment and those criteria, management believes that we maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2022, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

ITEM 9B OTHER INFORMATION

None.

ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS.

Not applicable.

PART III

ITEM 10 DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to our definitive proxy statement for the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "Proxy Statement"), which will be filed with the SEC pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act.

ITEM 11 EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from the Proxy Statement.

ITEM 12 SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

The table below sets forth certain information, as of the close of business on December 31, 2022, regarding equity compensation plans (including individual compensation arrangements) under which our securities were then authorized for issuance.

For information regarding the material features of each of the above plans see Note 13 Stock-based Compensation in our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report.

All other information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from the Proxy Statement.

ITEM 13 CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from the Proxy Statement.

ITEM 14 PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from the Proxy Statement.

PART IV

ITEM 15 EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

EXHIBIT INDEX

ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY.

None.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. 

March 30, 2023.

In accordance with the Exchange Act, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant, and in the capacities and on the date indicated.

CREATIVE REALITIES, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

CREATIVE REALITIES, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

CREATIVE REALITIES, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021

(in thousands, except shares)