DUOS TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, INC. - Annual Report: 2020 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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FORM 10-K

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þ ANNUAL REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

o TRANSITION REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from: _____________ to _____________

Commission file number: 000-55497

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DUOS TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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6622 Southpoint Drive South, Suite 310

Jacksonville, Florida 32216

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

(904) 296-2807

 (Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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

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

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 o   No þ

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 þ   No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 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 þ   No o

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

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. o

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 from that prepared or issued its audit report: o

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

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the average bid and asked price of such common equity on June 30, 2020, was $14,244,100.  As of March 26, 2021, the registrant has one class of common equity, and the number of shares outstanding of such common equity is 3,534,015.

Documents Incorporated by Reference: None.

DUOS TECHNOLOGIES GROUP INC.

2020 FORM 10-K ANNUAL REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes contained elsewhere in this Form 10-K. Certain statements made in this discussion are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).  Forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expects”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “estimates”, “predicts”, or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology and include, without limitation, statements below regarding our ability to continue as a going concern, our business plans, the ability to raise working capital and expectations as to market acceptance of our products. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, our ability to continue as a going concern, our ability to generate sufficient cash to continue and expand operations, the competitive environment generally and in our specific market areas, changes in technology, the availability of and the terms of financing, changes in costs and availability of goods and services, economic conditions in general and in our specific market areas, changes in federal, state and/or local government laws and regulations potentially affecting the use of our technology, changes in operating strategy or development plans and the ability to attract and retain qualified personnel. Although we believe that expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, performance or achievements. Indeed, it is likely that some of our assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Our actual results and financial position may vary from those projected or implied in the forward-looking statements and the variances may be material. Moreover, we do not assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of these forward-looking statements. The Company is under no duty to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this report to conform such statements to actual results, except as may be required by law.

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PART I

Item 1. Business.

Our Corporate History

Information Systems Associates, Inc. (“ISA”). was incorporated in Florida on May 31, 1994. Our original business operations consisted of consulting services for asset management of large corporate data centers and the development and licensing of information technology (“IT”) asset management software. In late 2014, ISA entered negotiations with Duos Technologies, Inc. (“duostech™”) for the purposes of executing a merger between the two organizations (also known as a “reverse triangular merger”). Incorporated under the laws of Florida on November 30, 1990, duostech™ operated in various industry segments, specializing in the design, development and deployment of proprietary technology applications and turn-key engineered systems. This transaction was completed on April 1, 2015, whereby duostech™ became a wholly owned subsidiary of ISA.  After the merger was completed, ISA changed its corporate name to Duos Technologies Group, Inc. The Company, based in Jacksonville, Florida, oversees its wholly owned subsidiary, duostech™ which employs approximately 59 people and is a technology integrator, software applications and artificial intelligence (“AI”) company with a strong portfolio of intellectual property. The Company’s headquarters are located at 6622 Southpoint Drive South, Suite 310, Jacksonville, Florida 32216 and main telephone number is (904) 296-2807.

Overview

The Company, operating under its brand name duostech, designs, develops, deploys and operates intelligent technology solutions supporting rail, logistics and intermodal businesses that streamline operations, improve safety and reduce costs.  Our employee team include engineering subject matter expertise in hardware, software, artificial intelligence and information technology.

Our main offering, the Railcar Inspection Portal (RIP), provides both freight and transit railroad customers and select government agencies the ability to conduct fully automated railcar inspections of trains while they are moving at full speed.  The RIP utilizes a variety of sophisticated optical, laser and speed sensors to scan each passing railcar to create a high-resolution image-set of the top, sides and undercarriage.  These images are then processed with our edge data center using artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to identify safety and security defects on each railcar.  Within minutes of the railcar passing through the RIP, a detailed report is sent to the customer where they are able to action items immediately.  This solution has the potential to transform the railroad industry increasing safety, improving efficiency and reducing costs. The Company has already deployed this system with several Class 1 railroads and anticipates an increased demand from transit and short line railroad customers along with selected government agencies that operate and/or manage rail traffic.  The Company currently operates with our RIP in Canada, Mexico and the United States and anticipates expanding this solution into Europe and Australia in coming years.  

The Company has also developed the Automated Logistics Information System (ALIS) which automates gatehouse operations where transport trucks enter and exit large logistics and intermodal facilities. This solution incorporates a similar set of sensors, data processing and artificial intelligence to streamline the customer’s logistics transactions and tracking and can also automate the security and safety inspection if called for.  The Company has already deployed this system with one large North American retailer and anticipates increased demand from other large retailers, railroad intermodal operators and select government agencies that manage logistics and border crossing points.  

To support the RIP and ALIS, the Company has developed two proprietary solutions that operate our software and artificial intelligence.  centraco^® is an Enterprise Information Management Software platform that consolidates data and events from multiple sources into a unified and distributive user interface. Customized to the end user’s Concept of Operations (CONOPS), it provides improved situational awareness and data visualization for operational objectives.  centraco^® supports the integration of data from existing systems, including cameras and other sensor-based systems, within the same user interface. With centraco^®, authorized personnel can simultaneously view, monitor and analyze data and other events from multiple geographic locations.  truevue360^™ is our fully integrated platform that we utilize to develop and deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms, including Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Object Detection and Deep Neural Network-based processing for real-time applications. We develop and deploy turn-key intelligent applications that provide highly accurate results to automate and optimize our customer’s operations.

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Another offering is our IT Asset Management (ITAM) solution which utilizes dcVue^® to help data center operators more effectively manage mission critical assets.  This proprietary enterprise system utilizes intelligent bar code scanning technology, which quickly and seamlessly provides accurate, cataloged results for data center asset inventory and audit services.  We have over 15 years of experience physically reviewing data center equipment and documenting customer defined attributes associated to each piece of equipment such as location, make, model, asset tag, serial number, number of blades, and power connectivity. Our team of trained professionals will quickly and efficiently gather the required data without disruption to your data center’s operation. All of the solutions can be offered as service or through licensing, the end-user can perform the service internally.

The year 2020 brought significant challenges, changes and opportunities for our business that will be discussed in greater detail later in this report.  They include:

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The up listing onto a national exchange (Nasdaq) in first quarter, 2020.

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Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in first quarter, 2020 and which continues as of this report.

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The delay of new orders from existing customers beginning in first quarter, 2020 with a restart being expected in second quarter 2021.

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The retirement of Gianni Arcaini as Chairman and CEO, and the hiring of new CEO and Director Charles Ferry in third quarter, 2020.

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Restructuring of the organization by establishing a CCO (Scott Carns) and hiring a new COO (Ben Eiser) in third quarter, 2020.

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Addition of Mr. Edmond Harris, former COO of CSX and CN, to our Board of Directors in fourth quarter, 2020.

duostech™

Over the past 10 years, duostech™ has developed a series of industry specific technologies some of which are described below.

Railcar Inspection Portal (rip®)

Federal regulations require each railcar/train to be inspected for mechanical defects prior to leaving a rail yard. Founded in 1934, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) is responsible for setting the standards for the safety and productivity of the U.S./North American freight rail industry, and by extension, has established the inspection parameters for the rail industry’s rolling stock. Also known as the “Why Made” codes, the AAR established approximately 110 inspection points under its guidelines for mechanical inspections.

Under current practice, inspections are conducted manually, a very labor intensive and inefficient process that only covers a select number of inspection points and can take several hours per train. Our Railcar Inspection Portal can reduce this inspection to minutes while the train is moving at speed improving safety, reducing dwell time and optimizing maintenance.   

Our system combines high-definition image and data capture technologies with our AI-based analytics applications that are typically installed on active tracks located between two rail yards. We inspect railcars traveling through our inspection portal at speeds of up to 70 mph and report mechanical anomalies detected by our system to the inbound train yard, well ahead of the train entering the yard.

Currently, three Class 1 railroads are operating our rip® technology with the ultimate objective to change inspection regulations that would allow replacement of the current manual inspection (in the yard) with our fully automated process.

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The following examples of automated detections are the result of the combination of our image capture technologies. Some of these mechanical defects, if unattended, could cause a derailment. Other examples of our AI-based detection applications include inspections at rail border crossings in support of the Customs and Border Protection Agency.

Samples of Automated Detections

The Company continues to expand its detection capabilities through the development and integration of additional sensor technologies to include laser, infrared, thermal, sound and x-ray to process AI-based analytics of inspection points.  

The following proprietary capture and sensor technologies are sold as stand-alone systems as well as sub-systems of the modular Railcar Inspection Portal system:

Vehicle Undercarriage Examiner (vue®)

A system that inspects the undercarriage of railcars (both freight and transit rail) traveling at speeds of up to 70 mph. We are currently developing an expanded version for higher speeds with additional sensor technologies.  We are developing additional algorithms for an increasing number of automated detection of anomalies, which we believe once completed and successfully tested, may have a significant impact on our revenues.

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Thermal Undercarriage Examiner (t-vue™)

The Company has developed and deployed a new thermal undercarriage examiner. The system uses high-speed thermal imaging technology to inspect the thermal signature of undercarriage components. Thermal monitoring of component heat signatures while underway will provide indications of the overall operating health of the railcars that are not possible to observe during static yard inspections.

Enterprise Command and Control Suite (centraco®)

This intelligent user interface is at the core of all our systems and enables end users to connect to an unlimited number of operational sites from one central interface, the centraco® Enterprise Command and Control Suite. A multi-layered command and control interface, it is designed to function as the central point and aggregator for information consolidation, connectivity and communications. The platform is browser based and agnostic to the interconnected sub-systems. It provides full integration for seamless user credentialing and performs the following major functions:

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Collection: Device management independently collects data from any number of disparate devices or sub-systems.

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Analysis: Correlates and analyzes data, events and alarms to identify real-time situations and their priorities for response measures and end-user’s Concept of Operations (“CONOPS”).

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Verification: The contextual layer represents relevant information in a quick and easily interpreted format which provides operators optimal situational awareness.

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Resolution: Event-specific presentation of user-defined Standard Operating Procedures (“SOPs”), that includes step-by-step instructions on how to resolve situations.

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Reporting: Tracking of data and events for statistical, pattern and/or forensic analysis. Features include mathematical, statistical and comparative data reporting as well as interoperability with third-party databases. Reports are customized to the end user’s data formats and infrastructure.

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Auditing: Device-level drill down that records each operator’s login interaction with the system and tracks manual changes including calculations of operator alertness and reaction time for each event.

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AutoCheck: The system pings each device connected to its wide area network and performs periodic functionality audits. A variable alert feature sends out error messages to an unlimited number of user-definable stakeholders in case any device does not perform to specifications.

centraco® User Interface

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Automated Logistics Information Systems (alis™)

We have developed and deployed a proprietary intelligent system to automate security gate operations at nine distribution centers owned and operated by a national retail chain. Using similar technology that is used in our Rail Inspection Portal, this solution automates the process of entering and exiting a large logistics or intermodal yard.  This automates the logistics transaction, improves throughput and can also be used to automate security and maintenance screening/detection if desired by the customer.  

Automated Gate Operation alis™ deployed at nine Kohl’s distribution centers

Markets

The opportunity for our Rail Inspection Portal business is substantial and our number one priority at this time.  We are currently providing this solution to three of seven Class 1 railroad operators with 10 systems already deployed.  Because of our early leadership position, we have been able to accumulate experience and intellectual property that would be time consuming and expensive for a new competitor to replicate.  Furthermore, we have given ourselves the ability to upgrade and scale our solutions with additional technologies in the future.  Recently, the new CEO directed our operations and technical teams to improve our current design to meet anticipated Federal Railroad Administration, or FRA and Association of American Railroads regulatory guidelines.  We currently estimate the total Class 1 railroads addressable market at 156 systems in North America alone. Between initial RIP installations, upgrades and long-term service agreements, we believe this equates to $800 million, which is realistically attainable in the coming years.  At the same time, we recognize that the technology life cycle is fast and evolving. Potential competitors could move into this sector, and it is possible that some Class 1 railroads could develop their own solutions that limit our total addressable market.

Another market we are pursuing as our second priority is using our Automated Logistics and Information Systems solution (alis™). Potential customers include commercial retail logistics and intermodal operators, Class 1 rail intermodal operators that are moving large amounts of automobiles, and U.S. Government agencies such as the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.  Today, we currently have 20 production systems in use, but we believe the greenfield opportunity here to be substantial. We have identified over 900 lanes of traffic within nearly 300 facilities as potential business opportunities in the near-term. The addressable market equates to well over $100 million.

Currently, we are focused on the North American market, but plan to expand globally in the future.

Patents and Trademarks

The Company holds a number of patents and trademarks for our technology solutions.  We protect our intellectual property rights by relying on federal, state, and common law rights, as well as contractual restrictions. We control access to our proprietary technology by entering into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees and contractors, and confidentiality agreements with third parties. We also actively engage in monitoring activities with respect to infringing uses of our intellectual property by third parties.

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Specific Areas of Competition

One of our primary commercial goals is to develop innovative technology solutions and target potential “greenfield” market spaces in order to maximize our business footprint and give us the ability to help define the market parameters for the future.

With regards to our Railcar Inspection Portal (RIP), we currently have no direct competition domestically or globally.  There are several companies that do provide visual and optical (laser) based imaging systems, but they are specifically designed to focus on a single aspect of a railcar whereas our latest RIP will identify 50+ inspection points on each car.  This is not to be confused with track inspection technologies, where we do not compete with. We are the only company, to our best knowledge, that creates images of the entire car from multiple perspectives and with many inspection points.  Other companies that participate in the visual and optical (laser) based railcar inspection systems market include:

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Trimble Rail Solutions/Beena Vision – Atlanta, GA – Trimble Rail Solutions is a conglomerate of companies focused on various aspects of the maintenance and construction of rail infrastructure or management of rail transportation assets.  In 2017, they acquired Beena Vision which focuses on wayside inspection systems to analyze specific aspects of a railcar such as wheels and brakes among other critical points.  All their systems are currently designed to focus on a singular aspect of a railcar.  While they do advertise a full-scale train imaging and inspection portal, it is generally not comparable to our offering nor, to our knowledge, has it been widely adopted by North American Class 1 railroads for automated wayside inspection purposes.

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KLD Labs – Hauppauge, NY – KLD Labs develops and deploys wayside measurement and inspection systems for railcar inspection.  Like most others, their products are focused on singular aspects of a railcar such as wheels and brakes.  They have also developed some technologies for rail track assessment and measurement.

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Class 1 Railroads – Some of the Class 1 railroads, such as Union Pacific, have worked to develop their own “in-house” solutions but are also specifically focusing on singular aspects of a railcar. 

Our Automated Logistics Information System (ALIS) also represents an opportunity to expand into a very mature market with a major technology gap.  While most facilities, such as distribution centers, that process commercial trucks in and out have sophisticated software management applications for logistics control, they have most often not implemented an advanced gatehouse automation solution.  Historically, this category was referred to as “Automated Gate Systems” or AGS.  The purpose of AGS technology is to streamline entry in to and exit out of facilities.  The marketplace for this was mostly seaports and intermodal transfer facilities and was relatively expensive technology to deploy.  We identified a market gap with regards to distribution facilities that all currently utilize manual processes and heavy staffing to accomplish commercial truck entry and exit.  The barrier to entry for distribution centers was predominately “cost”, as well as the requirement for a different set of logistics management software and tools.  The current defined competition is as follows:

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Nascent – Charlotte, NC – Their primary market focus has been on seaports and intermodal transfer facilities.

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Potential End Users/Customers – In communications with potential customers, many have identified the desire to add this technology but have faced difficulties in finding companies offering a solution that meets their specific needs. 

Due to the nature of our innovations, our current customer base, which is predominately in the railroad industry, constantly challenges us to develop new systems that do not yet exist in the marketplace.  Each of these opportunities for new product development is evaluated from both a business and technical perspective.  We evaluate the following: “can it technically be accomplished?” “Does it leverage our core technology competencies” and ultimately, “Is there a market for this product?”  Recently, we were asked to develop a variant of our Railcar Inspection Portal to assess for damaged automobiles being transported by the railroads.  This is a perfect example of being able to leverage our experience with imaging, system development and field deployment combined with an addressable market into penetrating a new greenfield. 

Our Growth Strategy

Vision

Duos develops, deploys and operates cutting-edge technologies that help to transform precision railroading, logistics and intermodal transportation solutions.

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Objectives

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Improve our operational and technical execution, customer satisfaction and speed.

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Expand Rail Inspection Portal and Automated Logistics Information System with current and future customers in Rail, Logistics and U.S. Government sectors.

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Offer both CAPEX and OPEX pricing models that increase recurring revenue and improve profitability.

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Form strategic partnerships that improve market access and credibility.

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Improve policy, processes, and toolsets to become a viable platform for internal growth and for mergers and acquisitions.

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Thoughtfully execute mergers and acquisitions once the business is more mature and profitable to expand offerings and/or capabilities.

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Promote a performance-based work force where employees enjoy their work and are incentivized to excel and innovate.

Organic Growth

Our organic growth strategy is to continue our focus and prioritization in the rail, logistics and intermodal market space.  To ensure our success, the Company has made significant changes in the senior management team to include a new Chief Executive Officer who has years of experience successfully leading start-up and turn-around companies. In addition, the former divisional COO who has 20 years of experience with the Company delivering technology into rail, logistics, intermodal, and other industries, has been promoted to Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of our wholly owned subsidiary, duostech. We have also hired a divisional Chief Operating Officer (COO) with a strong background in operations in multiple former assignments. The Company’s CFO will continue in the same role providing continuity and multiple years of public company experience. The Company’s Board of Directors is being strengthened with the addition of a retired Chief Operating Officer for a Class 1 railroad with more than 50 years of experience in the rail industry. The shareholders also approved the appointment of our CEO to the Board of Directors.

The new leadership team’s focus is to improve operational and technical execution which will in turn enable the commercial side of the business to expand RIP and ALIS delivery into existing customers. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to still be an issue during 2021, the Company’s primary customers have indicated readiness to order more equipment and services based upon the Company’s current performance.

Additionally, the new CEO has directed that the Company make engineering and software upgrades to the RIP to meet anticipated Federal Railroad Association (FRA) and Association of American Railroad (AAR) standards. Similar upgrades are also being developed to improve the ALIS system.

Manufacturing and Assembly

The Company designs and develops technology solutions using a combination of in-house fabrication, commercial off-the-shelf technology, and outsourced manufacturing.  On-site installations are performed using a combination of in-house project managers and engineers and using third-party sub-contractors as needed.  Throughout the process of design, develop, deploy and operate, the Company maintains responsibility for all aspects.  Our internal manufacturing operations consist primarily of materials procurement, assembly, testing and quality control by our engineers. If not manufactured internally, we use third-party manufacturing partners to produce our hardware related components and hardware products and we most often complete final assembly, testing and quality control processes for these components and products. Our manufacturing processes are based on standardization of components across product types, centralization of assembly and distribution centers, and a “build-to-order” methodology in which products generally are built only after customers have placed firm orders. For most of our hardware products, we have existing alternate sources of supply.

Research and Development

The Company’s R&D and software development teams design and develop all systems and software applications with a combination of full-time in-house software engineers and outside contractors. Internal development allows us to maintain technical control over the design and development of our products. Rapid technological advances in hardware and software development, evolving standards in computer hardware and software technology, and changing customer requirements characterize the markets in which we compete. We plan to continue to dedicate significant resources to research and development efforts, including software development, to maintain and improve our current product and services offerings.

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Government Regulations

The Company has worked with various agencies of the federal government for more than 10-years including the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”). When our solutions have been deployed into these agencies, they meet specific requirements for certification, safety and security that are stipulated in requirements and contract documents.  The Company is currently competing for other government related work and strictly follows the rules and regulations outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulations.

Employees

We have a current staff of 59 employees of which 57 are full-time, the majority of which work in the Jacksonville area, none of which are subject to a collective bargaining agreement. We also have seven contract staff based in Europe who are primarily focused on our AI software development. We have not experienced any work stoppages and we consider our relationship with our employees to be good.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Risks Related to Our Company and Business

The nature of the technology management platforms utilized by us are complex and highly integrated, and if we fail to successfully manage releases or integrate new solutions, it could harm our revenues, operating income, and reputation.

The technology platforms developed and designed by us accommodate integrated applications that include our own developed technology and third-party technology, thereby substantially increasing their functionality.

Due to this complexity and the condensed development cycles under which we operate, we may experience errors in our software, corruption or loss of our data, or unexpected performance issues from time to time. For example, our solutions may face interoperability difficulties with software operating systems or programs being used by our customers, or new releases, upgrades, fixes or the integration of acquired technologies may have unanticipated consequences on the operation and performance of our other solutions. If we encounter integration challenges or discover errors in our solutions late in our development cycle, it may cause us to delay our launch dates. Any major integration or interoperability issues or launch delays could have a material adverse effect on our revenues, operating income and reputation.

We face risks related to the coronavirus (COVID-19 pandemic) which could significantly disrupt our research and development, operations, sales, and financial results.

Our business has been adversely impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to global macroeconomic effects, the COVID-19 pandemic and related adverse public health developments have caused disruption and/or delays to our operations and sales activities. Our third-party manufacturers and our customers have been disrupted by worker absenteeism, quarantines and restrictions on employees’ ability to work, office and factory closures, disruptions to ports and other shipping infrastructure, border closures, or other travel or health-related restrictions. Depending on the magnitude of such effects on our activities or the operations of our third-party manufacturers and third-party distributors, the supply of our products could be delayed, which could continue to adversely affect our business, operations and customer relationships. In addition, the pandemic or other disease outbreak have had and may continue to have over the longer term a material adverse effect on the economies and financial markets of many countries, resulting in an economic downturn that will affect demand for our products and services and impact our operating results. There can be no assurance that any decrease in sales resulting from the pandemic will be offset by increased sales in subsequent periods. Although the magnitude of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our business and operations remains uncertain, the continued spread of COVID-19 and the related public health measures and travel and business restrictions may adversely impact our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows. In addition, we have experienced and may in the future experience disruptions to our business operations resulting from quarantines, self-isolations, or other movement and restrictions on the ability of our employees to perform their jobs that may impact our ability to develop and design our products and services in a timely manner or meet required milestones or customer commitments.

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Our products and services may fail to keep pace with rapidly changing technology and evolving industry standards.

The market in which we operate is characterized by rapid, and sometimes disruptive, technological developments, evolving industry standards, frequent new product introductions and enhancements and changes in customer requirements. In addition, both traditional and new competitors are investing heavily in our market areas and competing for customers. As next-generation video analytics technology continues to evolve, we must keep pace in order to maintain or expand our market position. We continue to introduce new product offerings focused on automating mechanical and security inspections in the rail, logistics, intermodal and government sectors as potential revenue drivers. If we are not able to successfully add staff resources with sufficient technical skills to develop and bring these new products to market in a timely manner, achieve market acceptance of our products and services or identify new market opportunities for our products and services, our business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

The market opportunity for our products and services may not develop in the ways that we anticipate.

The demand for our products and services could change quickly and in ways that we may not anticipate. Our operating results may be adversely affected if the market opportunity for our products and services does not develop in the ways that we anticipate or if other technologies become more accepted or standard in our industry or disrupt our technology platforms.

Our revenues are dependent on general economic conditions and the willingness of enterprises to invest in technology.

We believe that operators in the business sectors we are focused on continue to be cautious about sustained economic growth and seek to maintain or improve profitability through cost control and constrained spending. While our core technologies are designed to address cost reduction, other factors may cause companies to delay or cancel capital projects, including the implementation of our products and services. In addition, the business sectors in which we are focused are under financial pressure to reduce capital investment which may make it more difficult for us to close large contracts in the immediate future. We believe there is a growing market trend toward more customers exploring operating expense models as opposed to capital expense models for procuring technology. We believe the market trend toward operating expense models will continue as customers seek ways of reducing their overhead and other costs. All of the foregoing may result in continued pressure on our ability to increase our revenue and may potentially create competitive pricing pressures and price erosion. If these or other conditions limit our ability to grow revenue or cause our revenue to decline our operating results may be materially and adversely affected.

Some of our competitors are larger and have greater financial and other resources than we do.

Some of our product offerings compete and will compete with other similar products from our competitors. These competitive products could be marketed by well-established, successful companies that possess greater financial, marketing, distributional, personnel and other resources than we possess. In certain instances, competitors with greater financial resources also may be able to enter a market in direct competition with us offering attractive marketing tools to encourage the sale of products that compete with our products or present cost features that our target end users may find attractive.

We have a history of losses and our growth plans may lead to additional losses and negative operating cash flows in the future.

Our accumulated deficit was approximately $39 million as of December 31, 2020. Our operating losses may continue as we continue to expend resources to further develop and enhance our technology offering, to complete prototyping for proof-of-concept, obtain regulatory clearances or approvals as required, expand our business development activities and finance capabilities and conduct further research and development. We also expect to experience negative cash flow in the short-term until our revenues and margins increase at a rate greater than our expenses, which may not occur.

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We may be unable to protect our intellectual property, which could impair our competitive advantage, reduce our revenue, and increase our costs.

Our success and ability to compete depend in part on our ability to maintain the proprietary aspects of our technologies and products. We rely on a combination of trade secrets, patents, copyrights, trademarks, confidentiality agreements, and other contractual provisions to protect our intellectual property, but these measures may provide only limited protection. We customarily enter into written confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements with our employees, consultants, customers, manufacturers, and other recipients of information about our technologies and products and assignment of invention agreements with our employees and consultants. We may not always be able to enforce these agreements and may fail to enter into any such agreement in every instance when appropriate. We license from third-parties certain technology used in and for our products. These third-party licenses are granted with restrictions; therefore, such third-party technology may not remain available to us on terms beneficial to us. Our failure to enforce and protect our intellectual property rights or obtain from third parties the right to use necessary technology could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights as fully as do the laws of the United States.

Patents may not be issued from the patent applications that we have filed or may file in the future. Our issued patents may be challenged, invalidated, or circumvented, and claims of our patents may not be of sufficient scope or strength, or issued in the proper geographic regions, to provide meaningful protection or any commercial advantage. We have registered certain of our trademarks in the United States and other countries. We cannot assure you that we will obtain registrations of principal or other trademarks in key markets in the future. Failure to obtain registrations could compromise our ability to protect fully our trademarks and brands and could increase the risk of challenge from third parties to our use of our trademarks and brands.

We may be required to incur substantial expenses and divert management attention and resources in defending intellectual property litigation against us.

We cannot be certain that our technologies and products do not and will not infringe on issued patents or other proprietary rights of others. While we are not currently subject to any infringement claim, any future claim, with or without merit, could result in significant litigation costs and diversion of resources, including the attention of management, and could require us to enter into royalty and licensing agreements, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business. We may not be able to obtain such licenses on commercially reasonable terms, if at all, or the terms of any offered licenses may be unacceptable to us. If forced to cease using such technology, we may be unable to develop or obtain alternate technology. Accordingly, an adverse determination in a judicial or administrative proceeding, or failure to obtain necessary licenses, could prevent us from manufacturing, using, or selling certain of our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition.

Furthermore, parties making such claims could secure a judgment awarding substantial damages, as well as injunctive or other equitable relief, which could effectively block our ability to make, use, or sell our products in the United States or abroad. Such a judgment could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition. In addition, we are obligated under certain agreements to indemnify the other party in connection with infringement by us of the proprietary rights of third parties. In the event that we are required to indemnify parties under these agreements, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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We may incur substantial expenses and divert management resources in prosecuting others for their unauthorized use of our intellectual property rights.

Other companies, including our competitors, may develop technologies that are similar or superior to our technologies, duplicate our technologies, or design around our patents, and may have or obtain patents or other proprietary rights that would prevent, limit, or interfere with our ability to make, use, or sell our products. Although we do not have operations outside North America at this time, we may compete for contracts in other countries in the future. Effective intellectual property protection may be unavailable, or limited, in some foreign countries in which we may do business, such as China. Unauthorized parties may attempt to copy or otherwise use aspects of our technologies and products that we regard as proprietary. Our means of protecting our proprietary rights in the United States or abroad may not be adequate or competitors may independently develop similar technologies. If our intellectual property protection is insufficient to protect our intellectual property rights, we could face increased competition in the market for our technologies and products.

Should any of our competitors file patent applications or obtain patents that claim inventions also claimed by us, we may choose to participate in an interference proceeding to determine the right to a patent for these inventions, because our business would be harmed if we fail to enforce and protect our intellectual property rights. Even if the outcome is favorable, this proceeding could result in substantial cost to us and disrupt our business.

In the future, we also may need to file lawsuits to enforce our intellectual property rights, to protect our trade secrets, or to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others. This litigation, whether successful or unsuccessful, could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

If we are unable to apply technology effectively in driving value for our clients through technology-based solutions or gain internal efficiencies and effective internal controls through the application of technology and related tools, our operating results, client relationships, growth and compliance programs could be adversely affected.

Our future success depends, in part, on our ability to anticipate and respond effectively to the threat and opportunity presented by new technology disruption and developments. These may include new software applications or related services based on artificial intelligence, machine learning, or robotics. We may be exposed to competitive risks related to the adoption and application of new technologies by established market participants or new entrants, start-up companies and others. These new entrants are focused on using technology and innovation, including artificial intelligence to simplify and improve the client experience, increase efficiencies, alter business models and effect other potentially disruptive changes in the industries in which we operate. We must also develop and implement technology solutions and technical expertise among our employees that anticipate and keep pace with rapid and continuing changes in technology, industry standards, client preferences and internal control standards. We may not be successful in anticipating or responding to these developments on a timely and cost-effective basis and our ideas may not be accepted in the marketplace. Additionally, the effort to gain technological expertise and develop new technologies in our business requires us to incur significant expenses. If we cannot offer new technologies as quickly as our competitors, or if our competitors develop more cost-effective technologies or product offerings, we could experience a material adverse effect on our operating results, client relationships, growth and compliance programs.

We are dependent on information technology networks and systems to securely process, transmit and store electronic information and to communicate among our locations around the world and with our people, clients, partners and vendors. As the breadth and complexity of this infrastructure continues to grow, including as a result of the use of mobile technologies, social media and cloud-based services, the risk of security breaches and cyberattacks increases. Such breaches could lead to shutdowns or disruptions of or damage to our systems and those of our clients, alliance partners and vendors, and unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential information, including personal data. In the past, we have experienced data security breaches resulting from unauthorized access to our and our service providers’ systems, which to date have not had a material impact on our operations, however, there is no assurance that such impacts will not be material in the future.

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In providing services and solutions to clients, we may be required to manage, utilize and store sensitive or confidential client data, possibly including personal data, and we anticipate these activities to increase, including through the use of artificial intelligence, the internet of things and analytics. Unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential client data, whether through systems failure, employee negligence, fraud, misappropriation, or other intentional or unintentional acts, could damage our reputation, could cause us to lose clients and could result in significant financial exposure. Similarly, unauthorized access to our or through our or our service providers’ information systems or those we develop for our clients, whether by our employees or third parties, including a cyberattack by computer programmers, hackers, members of organized crime and/or state-sponsored organizations, who continuously develop and deploy viruses, ransomware or other malicious software programs or social engineering attacks, could result in negative publicity, significant remediation costs, legal liability, damage to our reputation and government sanctions and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. Cybersecurity threats are constantly expanding and evolving, thereby increasing the difficulty of detecting and defending against them and maintaining effective security measures and protocols.

We depend on key personnel who would be difficult to replace, and our business plan will likely be harmed if we lose their services or cannot hire additional qualified personnel.

Our success depends substantially on the efforts and abilities of our senior management and certain key personnel. The competition for qualified management and key personnel, especially engineers, is intense. Although we maintain non-competition and non-disclosure covenants with all our key personnel, we do not have employment agreements with most of them. The loss of services of key employees, or the inability to hire, train, and retain key personnel, especially engineers and technical support personnel, could delay the development and sale of our products, disrupt our business, and interfere with our ability to execute our business plan.

Due to our dependence on a limited number of customers, we are subject to a concentration of credit risk.

As of December 31, 2020, two customers accounted for 86% of our accounts receivable. In the case of insolvency by one of our significant customers, accounts receivable with respect to that customer might not be collectible, might not be fully collectible, or might be collectible over longer than normal terms, each of which could adversely affect our financial position. Additionally, our two largest customers accounted for approximately 68% of our total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2020. This concentration of credit risk makes us more vulnerable economically. The loss of any of these customers could materially reduce our revenues and net income, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

The Company owed the IRS penalty payments in connection with the delinquent payment of payroll taxes.

The Company has subsequently paid its delinquent IRS payroll taxes and late fees.  At December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the payroll taxes payable balance of $3,146 and $115,111 includes accrued late fees in the amount of zero and $37,210, respectively.  The remaining balance of $3,146 with the state of California will be remitted in 2021.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

There is currently not an active liquid trading market for the Company’s common stock.

Our common stock is quoted on the Nasdaq Capital Market tier under the symbol “DUOT”. However, there is currently limited active trading in our common stock. Although there are periodic volume spikes from time to time, we cannot give an assurance that a consistent, active trading market will develop. If an active market for our common stock develops, there is a significant risk that our stock price may fluctuate in the future in response to any of the following factors, some of which are beyond our control:

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You may experience dilution of your ownership interest due to future issuance of our securities.

We are in a capital-intensive business and we may not have sufficient funds to finance the growth of our business or to support our projected capital expenditures. As a result, we may require additional funds from future equity or debt financings, including potential sales of preferred shares or convertible debt, to complete the development of new projects and pay the general and administrative costs of our business. We may in the future issue our previously authorized and unissued securities, resulting in the dilution of the ownership interests of holders of our common stock. We are currently authorized to issue 500,000,000 shares of common stock and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock. We may also issue additional shares of common stock or other securities that are convertible into or exercisable for common stock in future public offerings or private placements for capital raising purposes or for other business purposes. The future issuance of a substantial number of shares of common stock into the public market, or the perception that such issuance could occur, could adversely affect the prevailing market price of our common shares. A decline in the price of our common stock could make it more difficult to raise funds through future offerings of our common stock or securities convertible into common stock.

Our Board of Directors may issue and fix the terms of shares of our Preferred Stock without stockholder approval, which could adversely affect the voting power of holders of our Common Stock or any change in control of our Company.

Our Articles of Incorporation authorize the issuance of up to 10,000,000 shares of "blank check" preferred stock, with such designations rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors. Our Board of Directors is empowered, without shareholder approval, to issue shares of preferred stock with dividend, liquidation, conversion, voting or other rights which could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of our common stock. In the event of such issuances, the preferred stock could be used, under certain circumstances, as a method of discouraging, delaying, or preventing a change in control of our Company. 

We do not expect to pay dividends and investors should not buy our common stock expecting to receive dividends.

We do not anticipate that we will declare or pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. Consequently, you will only realize an economic gain on your investment in our common stock if the price appreciates. You should not purchase our common stock expecting to receive cash dividends.  Accordingly, our stockholders will not realize a return on their investment unless the trading price of our common stock appreciates, which is uncertain and unpredictable. In addition, because we do not pay dividends, we may have trouble raising additional funds which could affect our ability to expand our business operations.

Our operating results are likely to fluctuate from period to period.

We anticipate that there may be fluctuations in our future operating results. Potential causes of future fluctuations in our operating results may include:

We are subject to the Florida anti-takeover provisions, which may prevent you from exercising a vote on business combinations, mergers or otherwise.

As a Florida corporation, we are subject to certain anti-takeover provisions that apply to public corporations under Florida law. Pursuant to Section 607.0901 of the Florida Business Corporation Act, or the Florida Act, a publicly held Florida corporation, under certain circumstances, may not engage in a broad range of business combinations or other extraordinary corporate transactions with an interested shareholder without the approval of the holders of two-thirds of the voting shares of the corporation (excluding shares held by the interested shareholder).

An interested shareholder is defined as a person who together with affiliates and associates beneficially owns more than 15% of a corporation’s outstanding voting shares. We have not made an election in our amended Articles of Incorporation to opt out of Section 607.0901.

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In addition, we are subject to Section 607.0902 of the Florida Act which prohibits the voting of shares in a publicly held Florida corporation that are acquired in a control-share acquisition unless (i) our board of directors approved such acquisition prior to its consummation or (ii) after such acquisition, in lieu of prior approval by our board of directors, the holders of a majority of the corporation’s voting shares, exclusive of shares owned by officers of the corporation, employee directors or the acquiring party, approve the granting of voting rights as to the shares acquired in the control-share acquisition. A control-share acquisition is defined as an acquisition that immediately thereafter entitles the acquiring party to 20% or more of the total voting power in an election of directors.

Item 1b. Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.

Item 2. Properties.

The Company has an operating lease agreement for office space of approximately 8,308 square feet that was amended on May 1, 2016 and again on April 1, 2019, increasing the office space to approximately 10,203 square feet, with the lease ending on October 31, 2021. The rent is subject to an annual escalation of 3%, beginning May 1, 2017.

The Company entered a new lease agreement of office and warehouse combination space of approximately 4,400 square feet on June 1, 2018 and ending May 31, 2021.  On December 21, 2020, this lease was extended to October 31, 2021.  This additional space allows for resource growth and engineering efforts for operations before deploying to the field.  The rent is subject to an annual escalation of 3%.

The Company now has a total of office and warehouse space of approximately 14,603 square feet.

Rental expense for the office lease during 2020 and 2019 was $279,975 and $262,710, respectively.

The Company is currently considering whether to extend our current leases or move to a new location and consolidate the Company into a single operating location in Jacksonville, FL.   

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

We are not currently involved in any litigation that we believe could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. There is no action, suit, or proceeding by any court, public board, government agency, self-regulatory organization or body pending or, to the knowledge of the executive officers of our Company or our subsidiary, threatened against or affecting our Company, our common stock, our subsidiary or our Company’s or our subsidiary’s officers or directors in their capacities as such, in which an adverse decision could have a material adverse effect.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not Applicable.

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PART II

Item 5. Market for Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Market Information

Our common stock is quoted on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) under the trading symbol “DUOT”. Our common stock was initially quoted on the OTCQB in 2008 under the symbol “IOSA”.

Authorized Capital

The Company is authorized to issue an aggregate number of 510,000,000 shares of capital stock, of which 10,000,000 shares are blank check preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share and 500,000,000 shares are common stock, $0.001 par value per share.

Series A Convertible Preferred Stock

Our board of directors has designated 500,000 of the 10,000,000 authorized shares of preferred stock as Series A Convertible Preferred Stock. As of December 31, 2020, we have no shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock issued and outstanding.

Series B Convertible Preferred Stock

Our board of directors has designated 15,000 of the 10,000,000 authorized shares of preferred stock as Series B Convertible Preferred Stock.

Each share of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock is convertible at any time at the holder’s option into a number of shares of common stock equal to $1,000 divided by the conversion price of $7.00 per share. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we shall not effect any conversion of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, with certain exceptions, to the extent that, after giving effect to an attempted conversion, the holder of shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (together with such holder’s affiliates, and any persons acting as a group together with such holder or any of such holder’s affiliates) would beneficially own a number of shares of our common stock in excess of 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of the shares of our common stock then outstanding after giving effect to such exercise. Holders of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock will vote on an as converted basis on all matters on which the holders of common stock are entitled to vote, subject to beneficial ownership limitations. As of December 31, 2020, there are 1,705 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock issued and outstanding.

Series C Convertible Preferred Stock

On February 26, 2021, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with certain existing investors in the Company (the “Purchasers”).  Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the Purchasers purchased 4,500 shares of a newly authorized Series C Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series C Convertible Preferred Stock”), and the Company received proceeds of $4,500,000.  The Purchase Agreement contains customary representations, warranties, agreements and indemnification rights and obligations of the parties.

Under the Purchase Agreement, the Company is required to hold a meeting of shareholders at the earliest practical date, but in no event later than June 25, 2021 (or July 26, 2021 in the event of a review of the proxy statement by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”)).  Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 5635(d) limits the number of shares of common stock (or securities that are convertible into common stock) without shareholder approval.  The Company is required to obtain shareholder approval (the “Stockholder Approval”) in order to issue shares of common stock underlying the Series C Convertible Preferred Stock at a price less than the greater of book or market value which equal 20% or more of the number of shares of common stock outstanding before the issuance.  As described below, the terms of the Series C Convertible Preferred Stock limit its convertibility to a number of shares less than the 20% limit, until the Stockholder Approval is obtained.  If the Company does not obtain the Stockholder Approval at the first meeting, it is required to hold shareholder meetings every four months until the Stockholder Approval is obtained.

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In connection with the Purchase Agreement, the Company also entered into a Registration Rights Agreement with the Purchasers.  Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company shall file with the SEC a registration statement covering the resale by the Purchasers of the shares of common stock into which the shares of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock are convertible.  Subject to certain conditions, the Company must cause the registration statement to be declared effective by May 27, 2021 (or in the event of a full review by the SEC, by June 25, 2021).  The Registration Rights Agreement contains customary representations, warranties, agreements and indemnification rights and obligations of the parties.

The Company’s Board of Directors has designated 5,000 shares as the Series C Convertible Preferred Stock.  Each share of the Series C Convertible Preferred Stock has a stated value of $1,000.  The holders of the Series C Convertible Preferred Stock, the holders of the common stock and the holders of any other class or series of shares entitled to vote with the common stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders of the Company.  Each share of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock has 172 votes (subject to adjustment); provided that in no event may a holder of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock be entitled to vote a number of shares in excess of such holder’s Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined in the Certificate of Designation and as described below).  Each share of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock is convertible, at any time and from time to time, at the option of the holder, into that number of shares of common stock (subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) determined by dividing the stated value of such share ($1,000) by the conversion price, which is $5.50 (subject to adjustment).

The Company shall not effect any conversion of the Series C Convertible Preferred Stock, and a holder shall not have the right to convert any portion of the Series C Convertible Preferred Stock, to the extent that after giving effect to the conversion sought by the holder such holder (together with such holder’s Attribution Parties (as defined in the Certificate of Designation)) would beneficially own more than 4.99% (or upon election by a holder, 19.99%) of the number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of common stock issuable upon such conversion (the “Beneficial Ownership Limitation”).  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Certificate of Designation, until the Company has obtained Stockholder Approval, the Company may not issue upon the conversion of any share of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock a number of shares of common stock which, when aggregated with any shares of common stock issued upon conversion of any other shares of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock, would exceed 706,620 (subject to adjustment).

Approximate Number of Equity Security Holders

As of March 26, 2021, there were approximately 56 holders of record of our common stock, and the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on March 26, 2021 was $10.45 per share.

Dividends

To date, we have not paid any dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate paying any such dividends in the foreseeable future. The declaration and payment of dividends on the common stock is at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our operating results, financial condition, capital requirements, contractual restrictions or such other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant. We currently expect to use all available funds to finance the future development and expansion of our business and do not anticipate paying dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities

There were no unregistered sales of the Company’s equity securities during 2020 that were not previously disclosed in a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or in a Current Report on Form 8-K.

Transfer Agent

The transfer agent and registrar for our Common Stock is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust located at 1 State Street, 30^th Floor, New York, NY 10004-1561.

Item 6. Selected Financial Data.

Not applicable.

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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

This Form 10-K and other reports filed by the Company from time to time with the  Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) contain or may contain forward-looking statements and information that are based upon beliefs of, and information currently available to, the Company’s management as well as estimates and assumptions made by Company’s management.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. When used in the filings, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “future,” “intend,” “plan,” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions as they relate to the Company or the Company’s management identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current view of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors, including the risks contained in the “Risk Factors” section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, relating to the Company’s industry, the Company’s operations and results of operations, and any businesses that the Company may acquire.  Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ significantly from those anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended, or planned.

Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements.  Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States, the Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). These accounting principles require us to make certain estimates, judgments and assumptions. We believe that the estimates, judgments and assumptions upon which we rely are reasonable based upon information available to us at the time that these estimates, judgments and assumptions are made. These estimates, judgments and assumptions can affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. Our consolidated financial statements would be affected to the extent there are material differences between these estimates and actual results. In many cases, the accounting treatment of a particular transaction is specifically dictated by GAAP and does not require management’s judgment in its application. There are also areas in which management’s judgment in selecting any available alternative would not produce a materially different result.  The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report.

Overview

We intend for this discussion to provide information that will assist in understanding our financial statements, the changes in certain key items in those financial statements, and the primary factors that accounted for those changes, as well as how certain accounting principles affect our financial statements.

Our Company

Information Systems Associates, Inc. (“ISA”). was incorporated in Florida on May 31, 1994. Our original business operations consisted of consulting services for asset management of large corporate data centers and the development and licensing of information technology (“IT”) asset management software. In late 2014, ISA entered negotiations with Duos Technologies, Inc. (“duostech™”) for the purposes of executing a merger between the two organizations (also known as a “reverse triangular merger”). Incorporated under the laws of Florida on November 30, 1990, duostech™ operated in various industry segments, specializing in the design, development and deployment of proprietary technology applications and turn-key engineered systems. This transaction was completed on April 1, 2015, whereby duostech™ became a wholly owned subsidiary of ISA.  After the merger was completed, ISA changed its corporate name to Duos Technologies Group, Inc. The Company, based in Jacksonville, Florida, oversees its wholly owned subsidiary, duostech™ which employs approximately 59 people and is a technology integrator, software applications and artificial intelligence (“AI”) company with a strong portfolio of intellectual property. The Company’s headquarters are located at 6622 Southpoint Drive South, Suite 310, Jacksonville, Florida 32216 and main telephone number is (904) 296-2807.

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Plan of Operation

The Company’s growth strategy includes expansion of its technology base through organic development efforts, strategic partnerships, and strategic acquisitions where appropriate. The Company provides its broad range of technology solutions with an emphasis on mission critical security, mechanical inspection and operations within the rail transportation sector including both freight and passenger modes. The Company is also enhancing its offerings for automating gatehouse operations for commercial clients and offers professional and consulting services for large data centers.

Specifically, based upon the current and anticipated business growth, the Company is investing in resources to focus on execution within its target markets, including but not limited to rail, distribution centers and data center operations. We continue to evaluate key requirements within those markets and add development resources to allow us to compete for additional projects to drive additional revenue growth.

Prospects and Outlook

Over the past several years, we have made substantial investments in product research and development and achieved significant milestones in the development of our technology and turnkey solutions. We have made significant progress in penetrating the market with our proprietary technology solutions, specifically in the rail industry which is currently undergoing a major shift in maintenance strategies. We believe that this shift will be a significant motivating factor for the industry’s use of our technologies.

Our business success in the immediate future will largely depend on the increased penetration into our target markets for our proprietary intelligent analytical technology solutions.

Notwithstanding the above, no assurance can be provided that our product offerings will generate the market acceptance and orders that we contemplate.

Results of Operations

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements included in this report.

For the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to December 31, 2019

The following table sets forth a modified version of our Consolidated Statements of Operations that is used in the following discussions of our results of operations:

Revenues

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Revenues were substantially lower in 2020, largely as the result of significant delays in receiving expected new orders due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which became a factor late in the first quarter.  The effect of this was to postpone planned implementations that were originally anticipated during the year as well as impacting installations that were underway due to travel and other constraints.  Importantly, the Company received no cancellations of current contracts or expected orders and the order flow began to recover in the fourth quarter where revenues were substantially better than in the prior quarters.  Management focused its efforts during the slowdown to working on technology innovations and improvements in quality and execution, the results of which are expected to manifest themselves in 2021 and beyond.  Management believes this was an anomaly in the otherwise steady increase in overall revenues experienced in prior years driven by the strength of the technology systems portion of our business. The Company’s stable capital structure since the raise in early 2020 as well as certain organizational changes, enables us to more aggressively pursue large projects requiring the ability to deploy major resources. The temporary decrease in systems deployments was offset by an increase in technical support revenues which are recurring in nature.  This revenue source has been in transition for the past year as older legacy systems are replaced by the next generation of technology systems which are currently being installed. There is typically a lag of approximately 6 months from installation of a new system until the recurring revenue is recognized. The Company continues to replace the declining revenues from one customer with new, long term recurring revenue from new customers which will be coming on-line in the next several months. The maintenance and technical support revenues are driven by successful completion on projects and represent services and support for those installations. The expectation is that revenues from this area will continue to grow based on the success of multiple installations anticipated in 2021.

Our consulting services business is focused into the area of data center asset management. It experienced a decrease in revenues for 2020 due to the effects of the pandemic where two going projects were delayed significantly. The Company released a new version of its dcVue™ software which is anticipated to broaden market acceptance of its offerings. The software was beta tested at a financial institution with the objective of ultimately rolling out to additional locations and was deployed at a number of locations in 2020.  The division continues to execute consulting services engagements through its partners.

The AI technologies recorded their first quarter of revenue during the second quarter of 2020 and recorded additional revenues for the rest of the year. The Company received a large (over $2 million) contract for AI related development from a large client which is expected to add revenues in the following quarters in 2021. The Company expects to continue the growth with new revenue from other existing customers which also will be coming on-line in the next several months.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues on technology systems decreased during the year compared to 2019, although at a slower rate than the decline in revenues. This is due to higher staffing costs related to project implementation which were put in place early in the year, prior to the impact from COVID-19.  There is a continued focus on build costs and savings through efficiency, but the Company has elected to maintain key employees in anticipation of expected sales of such systems in 2021. Cost of revenues overall increased on technical support at a higher rate than the increase in revenue for technical support which is a negative trend for the year albeit the rate of increase was lower for the last half of the year and this trend is expected to continue with the re-organization in operations and focus on costs.  Going forward the expectation is that more of the Company’s revenue will come from this recurring revenue business.

The consulting services recorded a small decrease in cost of revenues for the year reflecting the improvements in execution efficiency put in place from the Company’s new dcVue™ software. This trend is expected to continue as additional revenue from expected license sales of this software are recognized in 2021. The current pandemic related to COVID-19 has impacted both expected receipt of awards and delays in execution due to travel and other restrictions.  These delays will continue to impact the consulting services revenue portion of our business at this time.

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The AI technologies recorded costs during the last three quarters of 2020. The Company expects to continue the growth with new revenue from existing customers which will be coming on-line in the next several months.

Gross Profit

Gross profit was $2,786,393 or 35% of revenues compared to $6,481,438 or 48% of revenues for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The decrease in gross profit of 57% was mainly the result of the significant slowdowns in project revenues due to the delay in new orders as previously discussed.  This was offset by continued growth in our technical support and the positive effect of new revenues from the deployment of AI applications. It should be noted that the accounting treatment was changed to the ASC 606 reporting standard for 2019 and that the results compared with the previous year are now comparable. As previously discussed, the implementation of ASC 606 covering revenue from contracts with customers, has a temporary impact on overall gross margin as certain costs are recognized ahead of revenues. The Company recorded an overall increase in gross margin for the year compared to the prior year fourth quarter which is a positive trend highlighting that the business is starting a recovery from the pandemic delays in implementation.  Management anticipates the overall gross margins for the business to continue to improve in the coming year driven by higher sales from both existing and new customers and certain “economies of scale” from larger projects.  In late September 2020, the Company began several initiatives to improve margins from projects by focusing on costs of materials, implementation efficiencies and a better understanding of our overall costs for completing projects.  We also expect that the increase in recurring technical support revenues will continue to positively impact overall revenues with an expected increase in gross margin.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses were higher by 6% than in 2019 largely as the result of a one-time charge for severance payment due to the retirement of the Company’s former CEO in the amount of approximately $885,000.  Excluding this amount, expenses for continuing operations would have decreased overall by 4%.  The Company implemented some staff cuts during the year but maintained key personnel reflecting necessary resources related to the Company’s anticipated growth in 2021. Research and development and AI development expenses, as an aggregate, decreased due to the completion of the TrueVue360 platform and a focus shift to executing machine learning algorithms for current contracts that are expected to be complete by year end. The increase in engineering expenses is largely due to increased staffing for unfilled positions that were identified earlier in the year as necessary for implementing new projects in 2021. Sales and marketing expense also decreased due to fluctuations in staffing and limited travel expense as a result of the pandemic. Administration expenses increased significantly as discussed above relating largely to a one-time charge for severance costs and increased legal and hiring costs for the new CEO. These costs were offset by lower overall expenses in the other functional areas.

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Loss From Operations

The losses from operations for the years ended, December 31, 2020 and 2019 were $6,634,428 and $2,406,522, respectively. The losses for 2020 were considerably higher than originally anticipated largely as the result of delayed revenues and one-time costs related to senior management severance as previously discussed.  The delayed revenues had a significant impact in that given the anticipated increase in business post-pandemic, and although certain staffing cuts were made, the Company elected to maintain key operations and technical staff to allow for a faster rebound.  These extra costs were financed through a CARES Act PPP loan in the amount of $1,410,270, the expectation being that because of the staff levels that were maintained, much or all of the loan would be forgiven in accordance with its terms (see Note 15).  The Company continues to focus on measures to move toward breakeven and profitability through a strategic plan that is being implemented in 2021.

Interest Expense

Interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were $150,137 and $69,322, respectively. The increase in interest expense was primarily due to the Company’s financing actions to fund certain staffing during the slowdowns experienced in the second and third quarters. This was partially offset by interest earned from substantial additional capital held in reserve (see Other Income).

Other Income

Other income for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $ 37,130 and $4,962, respectively. The increase is money earned on deposits and which offsets some of the interest cost of short-term borrowings as previously discussed.

Net Loss

The net loss for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $6,747,435 and $2,470,882, respectively. The large increase in net loss is primarily attributable to the decrease in revenues as previously discussed as well as certain one-time charges related to the former CEO severance. Net loss applicable to Common Stock was $6,747,435 in 2020 versus $2,470,882 in 2019, an increase of $4,276,553. Net loss per common share was $2.03 and $1.39 for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of December 31, 2020, the Company has a cash balance of $3,969,100.  

Cash Flows

The following table sets forth the major components of our statements of cash flows data for the periods presented:

Net cash used in operating activities for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $4,231,439 and $4,019,560, respectively. The slight increase in net cash used in operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 was due to higher operating costs which was offset by cash generated from our AI and technical support, the majority of which is recurring in nature.

Net cash used in investing activities for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $287,331 and $219,575, respectively, representing continuing investments in computing and lab equipment during 2020 related to supporting the machine learning activities of TrueVue360.

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Net cash provided in financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $8,431,621 and $3,086,083, respectively. Cash flows provided by financing activities during 2020 were primarily attributable to proceeds from the issuance of common stock as a result of our registered direct offering in conjunction with up-listing to a national exchange.  We also received $1,410,270 in funding from the CARES Act PPP loan program.  This loan, including the deferred interest was forgiven. The Company accrued interest in the amount of $10,577 during 2020.

During 2020, we funded our operations through a combination of the sale of our equity (or equity linked) securities, non-equity based debt and through revenues generated and cash received from ongoing project execution, services and associated maintenance revenues. As of March 26, 2021, we have cash on hand of approximately $7,435,000. We have approximately $140,500 in monthly lease and other mandatory payments, not including payroll and ordinary expenses which are due monthly.

On a long-term basis, our liquidity is dependent on the continuation and expansion of operations and receipt of revenues. Our current capital and revenues are sufficient to fund such expansion although we are now less dependent on timely payments by our customers for projects and work in process, however we expect such timely payments to continue.

Demand for the products and services will be dependent on, among other things, market acceptance of our products and services, the technology market in general, and general economic conditions, which are cyclical in nature. In as much as a major portion of our activities is the receipt of revenues from the sales of our products and services, our business operations may be adversely affected by our competitors and prolonged recession periods although these are not considered to be a factor at present.

Liquidity

Under Accounting Standards Update, or ASU, 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements—Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40) (“ASC 205-40”), the Company has the responsibility to evaluate whether conditions and/or events raise substantial doubt about its ability to meet its future financial obligations as they become due within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. As required by ASC 205-40, this evaluation shall initially not take into consideration the potential mitigating effects of plans that have not been fully implemented as of the date the financial statements are issued. Management has assessed the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern in accordance with the requirement of ASC 205-40.

As reflected in the accompanying consolidated financial statements, the Company had a positive working capital of $2,167,058 and an accumulated deficit of $39,488,150 at December 31, 2020. During the same period in 2019, the Company had a negative working capital of $607,372 and an accumulated deficit of $32,740,715.  In previous financial reports, the Company had raised substantial doubt about continuing as a going concern. This was principally due to a lack of working capital prior to an underwritten offering which was completed during the first quarter of 2020 (the “2020 Offering”).

Upon completion of the 2020 Offering of approximately $8,200,000 after payment of expenses and fees, management has secured sufficient working capital to fund the Company for at least 12 months.  Although the Company continues to be successful in attracting new business and establishing a backlog of projects, the effects of business delays to starting and implementing identified projects manifested themselves during the year. The Company was able to maintain operations due to this additional working capital which was further bolstered with the CARES Act loan previously discussed.  This extra working capital allowed the Company to maintain key staffing and put us in a good position to move forward once the restrictions were lifted.  Most importantly, the Company has been successful in maintaining a sufficient working capital cushion despite the setbacks that were encountered during the year. 

Management now believes that these actions allow the Company to continue as a going concern for the following 12 months and will continue to grow its business and achieve profitability without the absolute requirement to raise additional capital for existing operations. Management will continue to evaluate these plans in future filings.

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have no off-balance sheet contractual arrangements, as that term is defined in Item 303(a)(4) of Regulation S-K.

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates. The most significant estimates in the accompanying consolidated financial statements include the allowance on accounts receivable, valuation of deferred tax assets, valuation of intangible and other long-lived assets, estimates of net contract revenues and the total estimated costs to determine progress toward contract completion, valuation of warrants issued with debt and valuation of stock-based awards. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

We have identified the accounting policies below as critical to our business operations and the understanding of our results of operations.

Revenue Recognition and Contract Accounting

The Company generates revenue from four sources: (1) Technology Systems; (2) Technical Support; (3) Consulting Services and (4) AI Technologies.

Technology Systems

The Company constructs intelligent technology systems consisting of materials and labor under customer contracts. Revenues and related costs on project revenue are recognized based on ASC 606-10-25-27, where control of a good or service transfers over time if the entity’s performance does not create an asset with an alternative use to the entity and the entity has an enforceable right to payment for performance completed to date including a profit margin or reasonable return on capital. Control is deemed to pass to the customer instantaneously as the goods are manufactured and revenue is recognized accordingly.

In addition, the Company has adopted ASC 606-10-55-21 such that if the cost incurred is not proportionate to the progress in satisfying the performance obligation, we adjust the input method to recognize revenue only to the extent of the cost incurred. Therefore, the Company will recognize revenue at an equal amount to the cost of the goods to satisfy the performance obligation. To accurately reflect revenue recognition based on the input method, the Company has adopted the implementation guidance as set out in ASC 606-10-55-187 through 192.

Under this method, contract revenues are recognized over the performance period of the contract in direct proportion to the costs incurred. Costs include direct material, direct labor, subcontract labor and other allocable indirect costs. All un-allocable indirect costs and corporate general and administrative costs are also charged to the periods as incurred. Any recognized revenues that have not been billed to a customer are recorded as an asset in “contract assets”. Any billings of customers more than recognized revenues are recorded as a liability in “contract liabilities”. However, in the event a loss on a contract is foreseen, the Company will recognize the loss when such loss is determined.

Technical Support

Maintenance and technical support services are provided on both an as-needed and extended-term basis and may include providing both parts and labor. Maintenance and technical support provided outside of a maintenance contract are on an as-requested basis, and revenue is recognized as the services are provided. Revenue for maintenance and technical support provided on an extended-term basis is recognized ratably over the term of the contract.

For sales arrangements that do not involve multiple elements such as professional services, which are of short-term duration, revenues are recognized when services are completed.

Consulting Services

The Company’s consulting services business generates revenues under contract with customers from three sources: (1) Professional Services (consulting and auditing); (2) Software licensing with optional hardware sales; and (3) Customer Service (training and maintenance support).

For sales arrangements that do not involve performance obligations: 

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AI Technologies

The Company has begun to derive revenue from applications that incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) in the form of predetermined algorithms to provide important operating information to the users of our systems.  The revenue generated from these applications of AI consists of an annual application maintenance fee which will be recognized ratably over the year, plus fees for the design, development, testing and incorporation of new algorithms into the system which will be recognized upon completion of each deliverable.

Multiple Elements

Arrangements with customers may involve multiple elements including project revenue and maintenance services in our Intelligent Technology Systems business. Maintenance will occur after the project is completed and may be provided on an extended-term basis or on an as-needed basis. In our consulting services business, multiple elements may include any of the above four sources. Training and maintenance on software products may occur after the software product sale while other services may occur before or after the software product sale and may not relate to the software product. Revenue recognition for a multiple element arrangement is as follows:

Each element is accounted for separately when each element has value to the customer on a standalone basis and there is Company specific objective evidence of selling price of each deliverable. For revenue arrangements with multiple deliverables, the Company allocates the total customer arrangement to the separate units of accounting based on their relative selling prices as determined by the price of the items when sold separately. Once the selling price is allocated, the revenue for each element is recognized using the applicable criteria under GAAP as discussed above for elements sold in non-multiple element arrangements. A delivered item or items that do not qualify as a separate unit of accounting within the arrangement are combined with the other applicable undelivered items within the arrangement. The allocation of arrangement consideration and the recognition of revenue is then determined for those combined deliverables as a single unit of accounting. The Company sells its various services and software and hardware products at established prices on a standalone basis which provides Company specific objective evidence of selling price for purposes of multiple element relative selling price allocation. The Company only sells maintenance services or spare parts based on its established rates after it has completed a system integration project for a customer. The customer is not required to purchase maintenance services. All elements in multiple element arrangements with Company customers qualify as separate units of account for revenue recognition purposes. 

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are stated at estimated net realizable value. Accounts receivable are comprised of balances due from customers net of estimated allowances for uncollectible accounts. In determining the collections on the account, historical trends are evaluated, and specific customer issues are reviewed to arrive at appropriate allowances. The Company reviews its accounts to estimate losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments. Any required allowance is based on specific analysis of past due accounts and also considers historical trends of write-offs. Past due status is based on how recently payments have been received from customers.

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Long-Lived Assets

The Company evaluates the recoverability of its property, equipment, and other long-lived assets in accordance with FASB ASC 360-10-35-15 “Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets”, which requires recognition of impairment of long-lived assets in the event the net book value of such assets exceed the estimated future undiscounted cash flows attributable to such assets or the business to which such intangible assets relate. This guidance requires that long-lived assets and certain identifiable intangibles be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risks.

We do not hold any derivative instruments and do not engage in any hedging activities.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Our consolidated financial statements are contained in pages F-1 through F-34 which appear at the end of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosures.

There are no reportable events under this item for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

With the participation of our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer, we have evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), as of the end of the period covered by this Report. Based upon such evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer have concluded that, as of the end of such period, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting 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 Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act). Our management, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of the end of the period covered by this report. In making this assessment, our management used the criteria set forth in the framework contained in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Based on that evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of the end of the period covered by this report based on those criteria.

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Our internal control over financial reporting is a process designed under the supervision of our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of our consolidated financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP. Internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our assets, (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and that receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors, and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) during the year ended December 31, 2020 that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal control over financial reporting.

Item 9b. Other Information.

None

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PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

The following is a list of our executive officers and directors. All directors serve one-year terms or until their successors are duly qualified and elected or his earlier resignation, removal or disqualification. The officers of the Company are elected by the Board.

———————

Charles P. Ferry, Chief Executive Officer, Director

Mr. Ferry was appointed Chief Executive Officer, effective September 1, 2020.  Mr. Ferry was further appointed a Director on November 19, 2020 by a vote of the shareholders.  Mr. Ferry combines over three years of experience in the energy industry and seven years in the defense contracting industry following 26 years of active-duty service in the United States Army. Previously, Mr. Ferry had been involved in two companies in the defense industry holding positions including Director, Business Development and Operations, Vice President of Operations, and General Manager. From 2018 through 2020, Mr. Ferry was the Chief Executive Officer for APR Energy, a global fast-track power company. Prior to this, Mr. Ferry was the President and Chief Operating Officer of APR Energy from 2016 to 2018. From 2014 to 2016, Mr. Ferry was the General Manager for ARMA Global Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, a defense contracting company that delivered Information Technology engineering, services, and logistics. Mr. Ferry was the Vice President of ARMA Global Corporation from 2010 to 2014 before being acquired by General Dynamics. From 2009 to 2010, Mr. Ferry was the Director, Business Development and Operations at Lockheed-Martin.  His leadership assignments in the U.S. Army include:  Director, NORAD-NORTHCOM Current Operations, Infantry Battalion Task Force Commander, Joint Special Operations Task Force Commander, Regimental and Battalion Operations Officer, and Airborne Rifle Company Commander.  His military leadership assignments include 48 months of combat in Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Mr. Ferry has an undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University.

The Board believes Mr. Ferry brings significant commercial and operational experience to the Company and has shown demonstrable leadership skills as both a Military officer with a distinguished service record and in leading companies to profitable growth.  

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Adrian G. Goldfarb, Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Goldfarb served as a Director from April 2010 to November 2020. Effective July 1, 2012, he was appointed as President and Chief Financial Officer of Information Systems Associates, Inc., which merged with Duos Technologies, Inc in April 2015 upon which he agreed to continue serving the merged company, Duos Technologies Group, Inc., as Chief Financial Officer and Director. Mr. Goldfarb managed the Company’s listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market in 2020. Prior to joining Duos, Mr. Goldfarb served as CFO for Ecosphere Technologies, overseeing growth from $0 to $24 million and profitability. Mr. Goldfarb was also Managing Director of WSI Europe, a division of the Weather Channel from 1998 until 2002. From 2002 to 2007, Mr. Goldfarb served as interim-CFO for MOWIS GmbH, a Weather Technology Media start-up company which was successfully sold to a large European media group. Mr. Goldfarb’s extensive business and financial experience includes10-years at a subsidiary of Fujitsu where he served as Director of Operations for a new software venture. Mr. Goldfarb started his formal career at IBM and was given responsibility for an account team focused on Latin America and Southeast Asia.

Mr. Goldfarb also currently serves as non-Executive Chairman of GelStat Corporation, a public company engaged in the development and marketing of homeopathic and natural supplements. Mr. Goldfarb is a 35-year technology industry veteran including more than 25 years in information technology.

The Board believes Mr. Goldfarb’s significant experience in financial stewardship of small public companies will be of great value to the Company as it grows. Mr. Goldfarb has over 40 years of business experience in technology companies including more than 12-years as CFO of public companies.  Mr. Goldfarb did his initial accounting training in London and graduated “cum laude” with a business degree specializing in Finance from Rutgers University, Newark, NJ. Mr. Goldfarb also has more than 20 years’ experience in financial derivatives including model development for valuation of complex financial instruments and has served as a consultant for small companies dealing with restructuring issues.

Connie L. Weeks, Chief Accounting Officer

Ms. Weeks has been a key member of the Company for 35 years and now serves as Chief Accounting Officer with responsibility for all aspects of financial reporting, internal controls, and cash management.

Ms. Weeks has over 40 years of operational accounting experience and is responsible for overseeing and managing the day-to-day accounting and financial reporting, internal controls, and cash management. She has been a key member of the Duos team progressing from an assistant to the staff accountant and subsequently being promoted to roles with increasingly more responsibility including serving as Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller. In 2015, when the Company became public, Ms. Weeks continued to serve as VP of Finance, overseeing the Audit process and interfacing with PCAOB auditors, managing the audit process. As the Company’s most senior female executive, Ms. Weeks is actively engaged with management and provides guidance on diversity matters and has also taken courses in Human Resources. Ms. Weeks attended Florida State College of Jacksonville where she majored in Accounting.

The Board believes that Ms. Weeks’s long service with the Company and her expertise in the areas of project accounting is of considerable value to the Company.

Kenneth Ehrman, Director

Mr. Ehrman joined the Board on January 31, 2019.  He was elected as Chairman of the Board in November 2020 and is a member of the Compensation and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees. He currently serves as an independent consultant to several high-technology companies in supply chain/logistics and transportation. Mr. Ehrman advises technology companies focused on solutions for these industries and joins the Company with a strong background in technology. As an innovator in intelligent machine-to-machine (“M2M”) wireless technology and industrial applications of the Internet of Things (“IoT”), Mr. Ehrman has been awarded more than 20 patents in wireless communications, mobile data, asset tracking, power management, cargo and impact sensing, and connected car technology. Mr. Ehrman previously served as Chief Executive Officer of I.D. Systems, Inc. (“IDS”), a company he founded in 1993 as a Stanford University engineering student, pioneering the commercial use of radio frequency identification (“RFID”) technology for industrial asset management. Under Mr. Ehrman’s leadership, IDS began trading on the NASDAQ in 1999 and was named one of North America’s fastest growing technology companies by Deloitte in 2005, 2006, and 2012. During his tenure at IDS, Mr. Ehrman received multiple awards, including Deloitte Entrepreneur of the Year and Ground Support Worldwide Engineer/Innovator Leader. He also served on the Board of Financial Services, Inc. from 2012 to2016 before it was successfully sold to a large financial software company.

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The Board believes that Mr. Ehrman’s management experience, engineering expertise and long history and familiarity with industries the Company currently operates in, makes him ideally qualified to help lead the Company towards continued growth.

Blair M. Fonda, Director

Mr. Fonda was appointed as a Director on May 3, 2017 and serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Compensation Committee. Since 2013, Mr. Fonda has served as the Chief Financial Officer of Emergent Financial Partners (“EFP”). EFP is an accounting and consulting services firm which offers financial consulting services to businesses and organizations throughout the United States and the Caribbean Islands. From 2013 to 2016, Mr. Fonda was contracted through EFP to serve as the outside Chief Financial Officer of Mountainstar Capital Engagement, a private equity and commercial real estate company. From 2007 to 2013, Mr. Fonda served as the Vice President and Controller of the Hospitality Division of Gate Petroleum, an owner and operator of convenience stores, resorts, construction and real estate operations throughout the United States. Mr. Fonda has previously served as Controller for Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Mr. Fonda is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

The Board believes that Mr. Fonda’s education and background qualify him as a financial expert. He has extensive and directly applicable accounting experience qualifying him to serve as Chairman of the Audit Committee.

Edmond L. Harris, Director

Mr. Harris was appointed as a Director on November 19, 2020 and serves as Chairman of the Corporate Governance and  Nominating Committee and serves as a member of the Audit Committee. From April 2010 until his retirement in April 2011, Mr. Harris served as Executive VP of Operations at Canadian Pacific Railway. In December of 2011 he was appointed to CP’s Board, where he served until May of 2012.  He also served as Omnitrax’s Chairman of the Board (a privately held regional railroad company in Denver, CO).  He served as Executive Vice President of Operations at Canadian National Railway Company (“CN”) from March 2005 to January 2007, as its Senior Vice President of Operations from July 2003 to March 2005, and as Chief Transportation Officer from January 2001 to June 2003. Mr. Harris also held various key operating positions at Illinois Central Railroad prior to its acquisition by CN. At Illinois Central Railroad and CN, Mr. Harris worked closely with E. Hunter Harrison, the company’s former President and Chief Executive Officer, to implement the Precision Scheduled Railroad model. Mr. Harris has also served as an independent rail operations consultant providing advice to various rail shippers and railroads, including CSX, from June 2007 to March 2010, and again following his retirement for Canadian Pacific Limited and Canadian Pacific Railway Company in April 2011.  Mr. Harris has a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Illinois and served in the US Marine Corps from 1969-1973.

The Board believes that Mr. Harris’ extensive background in the railroad industry and as a large company executive serving in many roles makes him a significant addition to the Company’s Board and will provide leadership and direction to the Company’s management team.

Ned Mavrommatis, Director

Mr.  Mavrommatis joined the Board on August 13, 2018 and serves as Chairman of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Audit and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees. Mr. Mavrommatis has served as Chief Financial Officer of PowerFleet, Inc. ("PowerFleet") since October 2019. PowerFleet is a global leader and provider of subscription-based wireless IoT and M2M solutions for securing, controlling, tracking, and managing high-value enterprise assets such as industrial trucks, tractor trailers, containers, cargo, and vehicles and truck fleets. From August 1999 until October 2019, he served as Chief Financial Officer of IDS. Mr. Mavrommatis serves on the Board of PowerFleets' wholly owned subsidiary PowerFleet Israel and is also the Managing Director of PowerFleets’ wholly owned subsidiaries, PowerFleet GmbH and PowerFleet Systems Ltd.

Mr. Mavrommatis received a Master of Business Administration in finance from New York University’s Leonard Stern School of Business and a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Bernard M. Baruch College, The City University of New York. Mr. Mavrommatis is also a Certified Public Accountant.

The Board believes that Mr. Mavrommatis’ management experience, accounting expertise and long history and familiarity with industries the Company currently operates in, makes him ideally qualified to help lead the Company towards continued growth.

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Key Employees

Wm. Scott Carns, Chief Commercial Officer, Operating Subsidiary Duos Technologies, Inc.

Mr. Carns is Chief Commercial Officer for the operating subsidiary, Duos Technologies Inc., and is responsible for overseeing and managing day to day commercial operations.  He is also directly responsible for account management of Duos’ major accounts.  Mr. Carns is an original founding employee of Duos Technologies and has spent over 20 years with the organization in a variety of roles. In this current position, he is responsible for the development and execution of Duos’ growth strategy and expansion. His management and capabilities provide leadership and direction to the entire organization. Mr. Carns has extensive experience in the information technology industry. He works with Duostech’s major clients to develop and create solutions to meet their operational challenges. He is a co-inventor of the Company’s Train Rider Detection System developed for U.S. Customs and Border Protection which is the predecessor of the Railcar Inspection Portal (RIP) and in use at many Class 1 freight railroads today. Prior to joining Duostech, Mr. Carns worked as the Information Technologies Coordinator for Environmental Capital Holdings, Inc. and was the owner and President of Software Solutions Group, Inc. He served in the United States Army as a Military Police Officer and attended Kansas State University.

Ben Eiser, Chief Operating Officer, Operating Subsidiary Duos Technologies, Inc.

Mr. Eiser was newly appointed to the operating subsidiary in late 2020.  He has over 27 years of active-duty military service and private-sector leadership, Project and IT Management experience. Prior to joining Duos Technologies, he was the Vice President for Global Projects for APR Energy from 2016 to 2020 leading a Project Management Team for global fast-track power, responsible for the installation and demobilization of temporary power plants, synchronization and coordination for the deployment of personnel and materials, ensuring that all projects were completed on-time and under budget. The APR PMO Team was able to deliver 17 power plants faster than ever completed in the company’s history while becoming profitable and implementing process and procedures to ensure mission success. Mr. Eiser was the Director of Projects for ARMA Global where he was the operations officer for a large, complex IT program in US Special Operations Command. He supervised hiring over 300 people across six different locations in just 60 days. He then provided the leadership and management to deliver more than 50 complex projects with a very demanding customer. He served 21 years on active duty in the U.S. Army leading Infantry (Light, Airborne and Mechanized), and Ranger Units for over 48 months that includes four combat tours in Afghanistan, and three combat tours in Iraq. Mr. Eiser has an undergraduate degree from Illinois State University in Industrial Technology Construction and earned his MBA while still serving his Country.

David Ponevac, Chief Technology Officer, Operating Subsidiary Duos Technologies, Inc.

Mr. Ponevac serves as the CTO of the operating subsidiary focusing on computer vision, high speed imaging, high speed data processing, edge and low-power computing and Internet-of-Things. Mr. Ponevac is a technology enthusiast with over 24 years of experience in software engineering and software architecture. He has considerable expertise in Objective-C, Java, C#, PHP and many other scripting languages. He is also driving the Company’s Artificial Intelligence efforts including platform development. Previously, he was CTO of Luceon LLC and worked with a wide range of domestic and international clients operating in the public and private sectors. He has worked on high profile projects for Fortune 500 companies including FedEx, HBO, Time Warner, and Aetna as well as government agencies including Bundeswehr, the New York City Department of Transportation, and the Slovak Ministry of Education. Mr. Ponevac holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Masters in Computer Science, both from University of Texas, El Paso.

Family Relationships

There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires the Company’s executive officers and directors, and persons who own more than 10% of the Company’s common stock, to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership on Forms 3, 4 and 5 with the SEC.

Based solely on the Company’s review of the copies of such Forms and written representations from certain reporting persons, the Company believes that all filings required to be made by the Company’s Section 16(a) reporting persons during the Company’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 were made on a timely basis.

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Code of Ethics

The Company has adopted a Code of Ethics for adherence by its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to ensure honest and ethical conduct, full, fair and proper disclosure of financial information in the Company’s periodic reports filed pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations. Any person may obtain a copy of our Code of Ethics by mailing a request to the Company at the address appearing on the front page of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Board Composition and Director Independence

Our board of directors currently consists of five members: Mr. Charles P. Ferry, Mr. Edmond Harris, Mr. Ned Mavrommatis, Mr. Blair M. Fonda and Mr. Kenneth Ehrman. The directors will serve until our next annual meeting and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. The Company defines “independent” as that term is defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the NASDAQ listing standards.

In making the determination of whether a member of the board is independent, our board considers, among other things, transactions and relationships between each director and his immediate family and the Company, including those reported under the caption “Related Party Transactions”. The purpose of this review is to determine whether any such relationships or transactions are material and, therefore, inconsistent with a determination that the directors are independent. Based on such review and its understanding of such relationships and transactions, our board affirmatively determined that Mr. Ehrman, Mr. Fonda, Mr. Harris and Mr. Mavrommatis are all qualified as independent and none of them have any material relationship with us that might interfere with his exercise of independent judgment.

Board Committees

Our board of directors has established an audit committee, a compensation committee and a corporate governance and nominating committee. Each committee has its own charter, which is available on our website at www.duostech.com. Each of the board committees has the composition and responsibilities described below.

Members will serve on these committees until their resignation or until otherwise determined by our Board of Directors.

The Chairman of each committee are Blair M. Fonda, Ned Mavrommatis and Edmond L. Harris, respectively, all of whom are independent directors within the meaning of the Nasdaq Stock Market rules. Each of the independent Board members also serves on one or more committees as previously disclosed.

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee oversees our accounting and financial reporting processes and oversees the audit of our financial statements and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. The specific functions of this Committee include, but are not limited to:

Our board has determined that both Mr. Fonda and Mr. Mavrommatis are currently qualified as an “audit committee financial expert”, as such term is defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K. Mr. Fonda serves as the Chairman of the Audit Committee.

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Compensation Committee

The Committee’s compensation-related responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Mr. Mavrommatis serves as the Chairman of the Compensation Committee.

Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee

The responsibilities of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee include:

Mr. Harris serves as the Chairman of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee.

Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings

To the best of our knowledge, none of our directors or executive officers has, during the past ten years:

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Except as set forth in our discussion below in “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions,” none of our directors or executive officers has been involved in any transactions with us or any of our directors, executive officers, affiliates or associates which are required to be disclosed pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Commission.

Item 11. Executive Compensation.

The following table sets forth the total compensation received for services rendered in all capacities to our Company for the last two fiscal years, which was awarded to, earned by, or paid to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer (the “Named Executive Officers”).

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The Company estimates the fair value of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes option-pricing formula with expected volatility derived from a binomial lattice model. This fair value is then amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service periods of the awards, which is generally the vesting period. The Company’s determination of fair value using an option-pricing model is affected by the stock price as well as assumptions regarding the number of highly subjective variables.

The Company estimates volatility based upon the historical stock price of the Company and estimates the expected term for employee stock options using the simplified method for employees and directors and the contractual term for non-employees. The risk-free rate is determined based upon the prevailing rate of United States Treasury securities with similar maturities defined by the Federal Reserve Statistical Release, 3-year treasury bond.

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Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2020

Executive Severance Agreement

Gianni B. Arcaini

On April 1, 2018, the Company entered into an employment agreement (the “Arcaini Employment Agreement”) with Gianni B. Arcaini, pursuant to which Mr. Arcaini served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company. Under the Arcaini Employment Agreement, Mr. Arcaini was paid an annual salary of $249,260 and an annual car allowance of $18,000. In addition, as incentive-based compensation, Mr. Arcaini was entitled to 1% of annual gross revenues of the Company and its subsidiaries. The Arcaini Employment Agreement had an initial term through March 31, 2020, subject to renewal for successive one-year terms unless either party gave notice of that party’s election to not renew to the other at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the then-current term. The Arcaini Employment Agreement was approved by the Compensation Committee.

As previously disclosed, on July 10, 2020, the Company announced that Mr. Arcaini would retire from these positions, effective as of September 1, 2020 (the “CEO Transition”). In order to facilitate a transition of his duties, the Company and Mr. Arcaini entered into a separation agreement which became effective as of July 10, 2020 (the “Separation Agreement”). Pursuant to the Separation Agreement, Mr.Arcaini’s employment with the Company ended on September 1, 2020 and he will receive separation payments over a 36-month period equal to his base salary plus $75,000 as well as certain limited health and life insurance benefits. The Separation Agreement also contains confidentiality, non-disparagement and non-solicitation covenants and a release of claims by Mr. Arcaini who continued to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company.  The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee did not submit Mr. Arcaini for re-election as a director and on November 19, 2020 at the Annual Shareholders meeting a new non-Executive Chairman was appointed.

In accordance with the Separation Agreement the Company will pay to Mr. Arcaini the total sum of $747,788. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the status of Mr. Arcaini as a “Specified Employee” as defined in Internal Revenue Code Section 409A has the effect of delaying any payments to Mr. Arcaini under the Separation Agreement for six months after the Separation Date. On March 1, 2021, the Company paid to Mr. Arcaini a lump-sum amount equal to the first six months of payments, or $124,631, owed to Mr. Arcaini and the Company will continue to pay him in bi-weekly installments for 30 months thereafter, as contemplated in the Arcaini Employment Agreement.  In addition, the Company will pay one-half of Mr. Arcaini’s current life insurance premiums for 36 months of approximately $1,200 and provide and pay for his health insurance for 18 months following the Separation Date of approximately $1,700. Unvested options in the amount of 50,358 became exercisable and vested in their entirety on the Separation Date valued at $95,127. The Company made payment of his attorneys’ fees for legal work associated with the negotiation and drafting of the Separation Agreement of approximately $17,000.

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Employment Agreements

Charles P. Ferry

On September 1, 2020, the Company entered into an employment agreement (the “Ferry Employment Agreement”) with Charles P. Ferry pursuant to which Mr. Ferry serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Company.  The Ferry Employment Agreement is for a term of one year (the “Initial Term”) and shall be automatically extended for additional terms of successive one-year periods (the “Additional Term”) unless the Company or Mr. Ferry gives at least 60 days written notice of non-renewal prior to the expiration of the Initial Term or an Additional Term.  Mr. Ferry is to receive a base salary at an annual rate of $250,000. Mr. Ferry received a one-time cash incentive bonus in the amount of up to $50,000 in accordance with criteria determined by the Board and based on the review and recommendation of the Compensation Committee.  Mr. Ferry is also eligible for an annual bonus in an amount up to $150,000 in accordance with criteria, including but not limited to, revenue targets, profitability and other key performance indicators.  Additionally, Mr. Ferry received 100,000 options that are exercisable into 100,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $4.18, of which 50% will vest on September 1, 2021 and the balance which will vest on September 1, 2022. The Ferry Employment Agreement can be terminated with or without case at any time during the Initial Term or during an Additional Term.  As a full-time employee of the Company, Mr. Ferry is eligible to participate in all of the Company’s benefit programs.

Potential Payments upon Change of Control or Termination following a Change of Control and Severance

The Ferry Employment Agreement contains certain provisions for early termination, which may result in a severance payment equal to up to six months of base salary then in effect. Generally, we do not provide any severance specifically upon a change in control, nor do we provide for accelerated vesting upon a change in control.

Adrian G. Goldfarb

On April 1, 2018, the Company entered into an employment agreement (the “Goldfarb Employment Agreement”) with Adrian G. Goldfarb, pursuant to which Mr. Goldfarb serves as Chief Financial Officer of the Company. During 2020, Mr. Goldfarb was paid an annual salary of $197,750 and an annual car allowance of $7,500. The Goldfarb Employment Agreement had an initial term through March 31, 2019, subject to renewal for successive one-year terms unless either party gives the other notice of that party’s election to not renew at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the then-current term. The Goldfarb Employment Agreement remains in effect through March 31, 2021. The Goldfarb Employment Agreement was approved by the Compensation Committee and it is anticipated that Mr. Goldfarb’s compensation terms will be revisited in the future by the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board.

Potential Payments upon Change of Control or Termination following a Change of Control and Severance

The Goldfarb Employment Agreement contains certain provisions for early termination, which may result in a severance payment equal to one year of base salary then in effect. Generally, we do not provide any severance specifically upon a change in control, nor do we provide for accelerated vesting upon change in control.

Connie L. Weeks

On April 1, 2018, the Company entered into an employment agreement (the “Weeks Employment Agreement”) with Connie L. Weeks, pursuant to which Ms. Weeks serves as Chief Accounting Officer of the Company. During 2020, Ms. Weeks was paid an annual salary of $150,000. The Weeks Employment Agreement had an initial term that extended through March 31, 2019, subject to renewal for successive one-year terms unless either party gives notice of that party’s election to not renew to the other party at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the then-current term. The Weeks Employment Agreement remains in effect through March 31, 2021. The Weeks Employment Agreement was approved by the Compensation Committee and it is anticipated that Ms. Weeks’s compensation terms will be revisited in the future by the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board.

Potential Payments upon Change of Control or Termination following a Change of Control and Severance

The Weeks Employment Agreement contains certain provisions for early termination, which may result in a severance payment equal to two years of base salary then in effect. Generally, we do not provide any severance specifically upon a change in control, nor do we provide for accelerated vesting upon a change in control.

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Director Compensation

Each independent director was entitled to receive $15,000 annually for service on our Board in 2020. In addition, Chairmen of committees were awarded an additional $5,000 annually in compensation in connection with their service in such capacity.  The Company can elect to pay up to 50% of awarded compensation in restricted common stock.

Starting in 2021, the Compensation Committee has determined that directors will receive $40,000 for serving as a member of a committee and $10,000 for serving as Chairman of a committee.  The board compensation will be paid 40% in cash and 60% in shares of common stock or options to purchase shares of common stock, as elected by the board member.

The following table summarizes data concerning the compensation of our non-employee directors for the year ended December 31, 2020.

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Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.

As of March 26, 2021, our authorized capitalization was 500,000,000 shares of common stock $0.001 par value per share,500,000 shares of Series A Redeemable Preferred Stock, 15,000 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock and 5,000 shares of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock. As of the same date, there are 3,534,015 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding, 1,705 shares of Preferred B and 4,500 shares of Preferred C outstanding, respectively. Our common stock entitles its holder to one vote on each matter submitted to the stockholders. Our Series B Convertible Preferred allows its holder one of vote for each common stock equivalent, subject to a maximum represented by 9.99% of total Common Stock outstanding plus that number of Preferred B as represented as common stock equivalent.  Our Series C Convertible Preferred allows its holder one of vote for each common stock equivalent, subject to a maximum represented by 19.99% of total Common Stock outstanding plus that number of Preferred C as represented as common stock equivalent.

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The following table sets forth, as of March 26, 2021, the number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned by (i) each person who is known by us to own of record or beneficially five percent or more of our outstanding shares, (ii) each of our directors, (iii) each of our executive officers and (iv) all of our directors and executive officers as a group. Unless otherwise indicated, each of the persons listed below has sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares of our common stock beneficially owned. The address of our directors and executive officers is c/o Duos Technologies Group, Inc., at 6622 Southpoint Drive S., Suite 310, Jacksonville, Florida 32216.

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*Denotes less than 1%

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Equity Compensation Plan Information

2016 Equity Plan

We maintained the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2016 Plan”) for employees, officers, directors and other entities and individuals whose efforts contribute to our success. The table below sets forth certain information as of the year ended December 31, 2020 regarding the shares of our common stock available for grant or granted under the 2016 Plan.  The 2016 Plan terminated pursuant to its terms on December 31, 2020, although all outstanding awards on such date continue in full force and effect.

The following table provides equity compensation plan information as of December 31, 2020:

On March 11, 2016, the Board adopted, subject to the receipt of stockholder approval, which was received on April 21, 2016, the 2016 Plan providing for the issuance of up to 16,327 shares of our common stock. The 2016 Plan was subsequently modified with stockholder approval twice: on January 18, 2018 to increase the total maximum number of shares issuable under the 2016 Plan to 178,572 and on July 31, 2019 to increase the total maximum number of shares issuable under the 2016 Plan to 321,429. The purpose of the 2016 Plan was to assist the Company in attracting and retaining key employees, directors and consultants and to provide incentives to such individuals to align their interests with those of our stockholders.

Administration

The 2016 Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board, which currently consists of two members of the Board, each of whom is a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act and an “outside director” within the meaning of Code Section 162(m). Among other things, the Compensation Committee had complete discretion, subject to the express limits of the 2016 Plan, to determine the directors, employees and nonemployee consultants to be granted an award, the type of award to be granted the terms and conditions of the award, the form of payment to be made and/or the number of shares of common stock subject to each award, the exercise price of each option and base price of each stock appreciation right (“SAR”), the term of each award, the vesting schedule for an award, whether to accelerate vesting, the value of the common stock underlying the award, and the required withholding, if any. The Compensation Committee may amend, modify or terminate any outstanding award, provided that the participant’s consent to such action is required if the action would impair the participant’s rights or entitlements with respect to that award. The Compensation Committee is also authorized to construe the award agreements and may prescribe rules relating to the 2016 Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Compensation Committee does not have any authority to modify an award under the 2016 Plan with terms or conditions that would cause the grant, vesting or exercise thereof to be considered nonqualified “deferred compensation” subject to Code Section 409A.

Grant of Awards, Shares Available for Awards

The 2016 Plan provided for the grant of stock options, SARs, performance share awards, performance unit awards, distribution equivalent right awards, restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards and unrestricted stock awards to non-employee directors, officers, employees and nonemployee consultants of the Company or its affiliates. The Company had reserved a total of 321,429 shares of common stock for issuance as or under awards to be made under the 2016 Plan.  If any award expires, is cancelled, or terminates unexercised or is forfeited, the number of shares subject thereto is again available for grant under the 2016 Plan.

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Currently, there are twenty five identified employees (including four executive officers and directors), three non-employee directors, and up to thirty other current or future staff members who would be entitled to receive stock options and/or shares of restricted stock under the 2016 Plan. Future new hires and additional non-employee directors and/or consultants would be eligible to participate in the 2016 Plan as well.

Stock Options

The 2016 Plan provided for either “incentive stock options” (“ISOs”), which are intended to meet the requirements for special federal income tax treatment under the Code, or “nonqualified stock options” (“NQSOs”). Stock options could be granted on such terms and conditions as the Compensation Committee determined, provided, however, that the per share exercise price under a stock option could not be less than the fair market value of a share of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant and the term of the stock option could not exceed 10 years (110% of such value and five years in the case of an ISO granted to an employee who owned (or was deemed to own) more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of capital stock of our Company or a parent or subsidiary of our Company. ISOs could only be granted to employees. In addition, the aggregate fair market value of our common stock covered by one or more ISOs (determined at the time of grant) which are exercisable for the first time by an employee during any calendar year could not exceed $100,000. Any excess would have been treated as a NQSO.

Stock Appreciation Rights

A SAR entitles the participant, upon exercise, to receive an amount, in cash or stock or a combination thereof, equal to the increase in the fair market value of the underlying common stock between the date of grant and the date of exercise. SARs could be granted in tandem with, or independently of, stock options granted under the 2016 Plan. A SAR granted in tandem with a stock option (i) is exercisable only at such times, and to the extent, that the related stock option is exercisable in accordance with the procedure for exercise of the related stock option, (ii) terminates upon termination or exercise of the related stock option (likewise, the common stock option granted in tandem with a SAR terminates upon exercise of the SAR), (iii) is transferable only with the related stock option, and (iv) if the related stock option is an ISO, may be exercised only when the value of the stock subject to the stock option exceeds the exercise price of the stock option. A SAR that was not granted in tandem with a stock option is exercisable at such times as the Compensation Committee may have specified.

Performance Shares and Performance Unit Awards

Performance share and performance unit awards entitle the participant to receive cash or shares of our common stock upon the attainment of specified performance goals. In the case of performance units, the right to acquire the units is denominated in cash values.

Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Unit Awards

A restricted stock award is a grant or sale of common stock to the participant, subject to our right to repurchase all or part of the shares at their purchase price (or to require forfeiture of such shares if issued to the participant at no cost) in the event that conditions specified by the Compensation Committee in the award are not satisfied prior to the end of the time period during which the shares subject to the award may be repurchased by or forfeited to us. Our restricted stock unit entitles the participant to receive a cash payment equal to the fair market value of a share of common stock for each restricted stock unit subject to such restricted stock unit award, if the participant satisfies the applicable vesting requirement.

Unrestricted Stock Awards

An unrestricted stock award is a grant or sale of shares of our common stock to the participant that is not subject to transfer, forfeiture or other restrictions, in consideration for past services rendered to the Company or an affiliate or for other valid consideration.

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Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.

On August 1, 2012 the Company entered into an independent contractor master services agreement (the “Services Agreement”) with Luceon, LLC, a Florida limited liability company, owned by our Chief Technology Officer, David Ponevac. The Services Agreement provides that Luceon will provide support services including management, coordination or software development services and related services to Duos.  In January 2019, additional services were contracted with Luceon for TrueVue360 primarily for software development through the provision of 7 additional full-time contractors located in Slovakia at a cost of $16,250 for January initially, rising to $25,583 after fully staffed, per month starting February 2019.  This is in addition to the existing contract of $7,480 per month for Duos Technologies, Inc for 4 full-time contractors which increased to $8,231 per month in June of 2019.  During 2020 efforts in reducing cost, Luceon reduced its staff for the TrueVue360 software development team from a staff of 7 to 3 full-time employees at a cost of $11,666 per month starting June 1, 2020.  The total amount expensed to Luceon for 2020 is $335,334.  

Policy on Future Related Party Transactions

The Company requires that any related party transactions must be approved by a majority of the Company’s independent directors.

Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

Fees Billed for Audit and Non-Audit Services

The following table presents for each of the last two fiscal years the aggregate fees billed in connection with the audits of our financial statements and other professional services rendered by our independent registered public accounting firm Salberg & Company, P.A.

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(1)

Audit Fees. These are fees for professional services for the audit of our annual financial statements, and for the review of the financial statements included in our filings on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, and for services that are normally provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements.

(2)

Audit-Related Fees. These are fees for assurance and related services by the principal accountant that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the registrant’s financial statements.

(3)

Tax Fees. These are fees for professional services rendered by the principal accountant with respect to tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning.

(4)

All Other Fees. These are fees for products and services provided by the principal accountant, other than the services reported above.

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PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.

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*

filed herewith

**

furnished herewith

Item 16.

Form 10-K Summary

Not applicable

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements 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.

Pursuant to requirements with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.