KNOW LABS, INC. - Annual Report: 2021 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021

For the transaction period from ________ to ________

Commission File number 000-30262

206-903-1351 

 (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

N/A

 (Former name, address, and fiscal year, if changed since last report)

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

Common Stock, par value $0.001

(Title of class)

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

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

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

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

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

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

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

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

As of March 31, 2021 (the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter), based upon the last reported trade on that date, the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates (for this purpose, all outstanding and issued common stock minus stock held by the officers, directors and known holders of 10% or more of the Company’s common stock) was $64,103,310.

The number of shares of common stock, $.001 par value, issued and outstanding as of December 17, 2021: 35,969,912 shares

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: None.

PART I

DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The following discussion, in addition to the other information contained in this report, should be considered carefully in evaluating us and our prospects. This report (including without limitation the following factors that may affect operating results) contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”) regarding us and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates” and similar expressions or variations of such words are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying forward-looking statements in this report. Additionally, statements concerning future matters such as revenue projections, projected profitability, growth strategies, development of new products, enhancements or technologies, possible changes in legislation and other statements regarding matters that are not historical are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements in this report reflect the good faith judgment of our management and these statements are based on facts and factors as we currently understand them. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and actual results and outcomes may differ materially from the results and outcomes discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences in results and outcomes include, but are not limited to, those discussed below in “Risk Factors” and in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” as well as those discussed elsewhere in this report. Readers are urged not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this report. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect any event or circumstance that may arise after the date of this report.

ITEM 1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

BACKGROUND AND CAPITAL STRUCTURE

Know Labs, Inc. was incorporated under the laws of the State of Nevada in 1998. Since 2007, the Company has been focused primarily on research and development of proprietary spectroscopic technologies spanning the electromagnetic spectrum. More recently, the Company has used its proprietary Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) Deep Learning Platform to further enhance the ability of its spectroscopic technologies to accurately identify and measure a wide range of organic and inorganic materials, analytes and compositions of matter. The AI platform has recently produced revenues through the sale of Non-Fungible Tokens (“NFT”) it generated. Our Common Stock trades on the OTCQB Exchange under the symbol “KNWN.”

BUSINESS

We are focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary biosensor technologies which, when paired with our AI deep learning platform, are capable of uniquely identifying and measuring almost any material or analyte using electromagnetic energy to detect, record, identify and measure the unique “signature” of said materials or analytes. We call these our “Bio-RFID™” technology platform when pertaining to radio and microwave spectroscopy; and “ChromaID” technology platform when pertaining to optical spectroscopy. The data obtained with our biosensor technology is analyzed with our trade secret algorithms which are driven by our AI Deep Learning platform.

ChromaID is the first technology developed and patented by the Company. For the past several years, we have focused upon extensions and new patentable inventions that are derived from and extend beyond our ChromaID technology and intellectual property. We call this technology platform Bio-RFID. The rapid advances made with our Bio-RFID technology in our laboratory have caused us to move quickly into the commercialization phase of our Company as we work to create revenue generating products for the marketplace. Today, the primary focus of the Company is on its Bio-RFID technology, its commercialization and development of related patent assets. Through its wholly owned subsidiary corporations the Company works to exploit additional opportunities and markets that its broad intellectual property and trade secret portfolio addresses.

The Know Labs Technology

We have internally and under contract with third parties developed proprietary platform technologies to uniquely identify and measure almost any organic and inorganic material or analyte. Our patented technology utilizes electromagnetic energy along a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum from visible light and infrared to radio and microwave wavelengths to perform analytics which allow the user to accurately identify and measure materials and analytes depending upon the specified targets or endpoints and field of use. The Company’s proprietary platform technologies are called Bio-RFID and ChromaID.

Our most recent technology platform is called Bio-RFID, which utilizes spectroscopy at higher wavelengths than ChromaID’s optical range, to span radio wave and microwave segments of the electromagnetic spectrum. Working in our lab over the last three years, we have developed extensions and new inventions derived in part from our ChromaID technology which we refer to as Bio-RFID. We believe an important competitive differentiator for Bio-RFID to be its ability to not only identify a wide range of organic and inorganic materials and analytes, but to do so concurrently, and in real time, which potentially enables new multivariate models of clinical diagnostics, and health and wellness monitoring. We are rapidly advancing the development of this technology by increasing its accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. We have announced detailed results confirming that we have successfully been able to non-invasively measure blood glucose levels in humans.

The ability of the Company to obtain exacting results from the data obtained from its Bio-RFID sensor technology, also referred to as Radio Frequency Spectroscopy or RF Spectroscopy is a consequence of the application of the Company’s trade secret algorithms. The Company has worked for the last several years on the AI and Machine Learning (“ML”) that drives the accurate pattern recognition of its algorithms. This work has led to the development of a robust AI Deep Learning Platform. This AI Platform drives the data pattern recognition for Bio-RFID’s exacting determination of blood glucose levels. It can also provide the data recognition for blood alcohol and blood oxygen levels which the Company also identified in preliminary tests. It will provide the analytics for the long list of other analytes in the human body that the Company will pursue non-invasive detection of, many of which are set forth in the Company’s issued patent USPTO 11,033,208 B1. The Company’s AI Deep Learning Platform will be monetized through the subsidiary AI Mind, Inc. AI Mind, Inc. was incorporated on September 17, 2021 and had limited operations through September 30, 2021 but expects to begin more substantive operations next quarter.

We continue to build the internal and external development team necessary to commercialize this newly discovered technology as well as make additional patent filings covering the intellectual property created with these new inventions. The first applications of our Bio-RFID technology will be in a product marketed as a Glucose Monitor. It will provide the user with real time information on their blood glucose levels. This product will require US Food and Drug Administration clearance prior to its introduction to the market, which we plan to pursue.

We have also announced the results of laboratory-based comparison testing between our Bio-RFID technology and the leading continuous glucose monitors from Abbott Labs (Freestyle Libre®) and DexCom (G6®). These results provide evidence of a high degree of correlation between our Bio-RFID technology and the current industry leaders and their continuous glucose monitors. Our patented technology is fundamentally differentiated from these industry leaders as our technology completely non-invasively monitors blood glucose levels.

In addition to internal testing, the Company engaged a world-renowned research institution to perform third party validation testing of the Bio-RFID technology. The purpose of the independent pre-clinical research was to confirm that Know Labs’ Bio-RFID technology is able to precisely and non-invasively measure and identify a variety of analytes in vitro by detecting their unique radio frequency spectral responses. The results of this testing were reported in a June 8, 2021, press release and Form 8-K filing. Unfortunately, the research institution would not allow their name to be used in the press release absent the publication of the report in a peer reviewed journal, which can take considerable time.

We have begun the internal process to pursue US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of our non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device as soon as possible. To guide us in that undertaking we previously announced the hiring of a Chief Medical Officer and formed a Medical and Regulatory Advisory Board to guide us through the FDA process. Additionally, we have retained third party quality assurance and documentation consultants to ensure that the rigorous requirements of the FDA are met. We are unable, however, to estimate the time necessary for such approval nor the likelihood of success in that endeavor.

Our ChromaID patented technology utilizes light at the photon (elementary particle of light) level through a series of emitters and detectors to generate a unique signature or “fingerprint” from a scan of almost any solid, liquid or gaseous material. This signature of reflected or transmitted light is digitized, creating a unique ChromaID signature. Each ChromaID signature is comprised of from hundreds to thousands of specific data points.

The ChromaID technology looks beyond visible light frequencies to areas of near infra-red and ultraviolet light and beyond that are outside the humanly visible light spectrum. The data obtained allows us to create a very specific and unique ChromaID signature of the substance for a myriad of authentication, verification, and identification applications.

Bio-RFID, ChromaID and AI Deep Learning: Foundational Platform Technologies

Our technologies provide a unique platform upon which a myriad of applications can be developed. As platform technologies, they are analogous to a smartphone, upon which an enormous number of previously unforeseen applications have been developed. Bio-RFID and ChromaID technologies are “enabling” technologies that bring the science of electromagnetic energy to low-cost, real-world commercialization opportunities across multiple industries. The technologies are foundational and, as such, the basis upon which the Company believes significant businesses can be built. While the Company is pursuing its core focus on commercializing its Glucose Monitor, it believes non-core clinical and non-clinical applications represent a myriad of opportunity for strategic collaboration and joint development agreements with leading companies in their respective industries.

As with other foundational technologies, a single application may reach across multiple industries. The Bio-RFID technology can non-invasively identify the presence and quantity of blood glucose in the human body. By extension, there may be other analytes or molecular structures this same technology can identify in the human body which, over time, the Company will focus on. They may include the monitoring of drug usage or the presence of illicit drugs. They may also involve identifying hormones and various biomarkers of disease or pre-conditions of disease.

Similarly, the ChromaID technology can, for example effectively differentiate and identify different brands of clear vodkas that appear identical to the human eye. By extension, this same technology could identify pure water from water with contaminants present. It could provide real time detection of liquid medicines such as morphine that have been adulterated or compromised. It could detect if jet fuel has water contamination present. It could determine when it is time to change oil in a deep fat fryer. These are but a few of the potential applications of the ChromaID technology based upon extensions of its ability to identify different liquids.

The AI Deep Learning Platform is an enabling technology which can identify patterns from data gathered from both the Bio-RFID and ChromaID platform technologies. The AI Deep Learning Platform is critical to the Company’s ability to identify accurately blood glucose levels and other analytes in the human body. Over time, utilizing our AI Deep Learning Platform we plan to develop analytics which, when using data collected from our sensors, will provide useful information on health and wellness to end users, and potentially lead to what the Company calls “Predictive Health.” In addition to identifying patterns, the inverse is also possible as the Company’s AI Deep Learning Platform can also create patterns in the form of 3D graphical images. That activity has found its first form in the work of the Company’s subsidiary, AI Mind, Inc., to generate beautiful 3D graphical images which were sold as NFTs providing revenue in the first quarter of fiscal year 2022, as reported in the Company’s recently filed Form 8-K and press release. The Company believes there will be future revenue generation from the sale of NFTs and from other applications of its AI Deep Learning Platform.

The cornerstone of a company with a foundational platform technology is its intellectual property portfolio. We have pursued an active intellectual property strategy which includes focus on patents where appropriate and a diligent protection of trade secrets. The Company has been granted 20 patents and 6 design patents. We currently have a number of patents pending and continue, on a regular basis, the filing of new patents. We possess all right, title and interest to the issued patents.

Our Patents and Intellectual Property

We believe that our 20 patents and 9 design patents, patent applications, registered trademarks, and our trade secrets, copyrights and other intellectual property rights are important assets. Our issued patents will expire at various times between 2027 and 2041. Pending patents, if and when issued, may have expiration dates that extend further in time. The duration of our trademark registrations varies from country to country. However, trademarks are generally valid and may be renewed indefinitely as long as they are in use and/or their registrations are properly maintained.

The issued patents cover the fundamental aspects of the Know Labs ChromaID and Bio-RFID technology and a number of unique applications. We have filed patents on the fundamental aspects of our Bio-RFID technology and growing number of unique applications. We will continue to expand the Company’s patent portfolio.

Additionally, significant aspects of our technology are maintained as trade secrets which may not be disclosed through the patent filing process. We are diligent in maintaining and securing our trade secrets.

The patents that have been issued to Know Labs and their dates of issuance are:

On August 9, 2011, we were issued US Patent No. 7,996,173 B2 entitled “Method, Apparatus and Article to Facilitate Distributed Evaluation of Objects Using Electromagnetic Energy,” by the United States Office of Patents and Trademarks. The patent expires August 24, 2029.

On December 13, 2011, we were issued US Patent No. 8,076,630 B2 entitled “System and Method of Evaluating an Object Using Electromagnetic Energy” by the United States Office of Patents and Trademarks. The patent expires November 7, 2028.

On December 20, 2011, we were issued US Patent No. 8,081,304 B2 entitled “Method, Apparatus and Article to Facilitate Evaluation of Objects Using Electromagnetic Energy” by the United States Office of Patents and Trademarks. The patent expires July 28, 2030.

On October 9, 2012, we were issued US Patent No. 8,285,510 B2 entitled “Method, Apparatus, and Article to Facilitate Distributed Evaluation of Objects Using Electromagnetic Energy” by the United States Office of Patents and Trademarks. The patent expires July 31, 2027.

On February 5, 2013, we were issued US Patent No. 8,368,878 B2 entitled “Method, Apparatus and Article to Facilitate Evaluation of Objects Using Electromagnetic Energy by the United States Office of Patents and Trademarks. The patent expires July 31, 2027.

On November 12, 2013, we were issued US Patent No. 8,583,394 B2 entitled “Method, Apparatus and Article to Facilitate Distributed Evaluation of Objects Using Electromagnetic Energy by the United States Office of Patents and Trademarks. The patent expires July 31, 2027.

On November 21, 2014, we were issued US Patent No. 8,888,207 B2 entitled “Systems, Methods, and Articles Related to Machine-Readable Indicia and Symbols” by the United States Office of Patents and Trademarks. The patent expires February 7, 2033. This patent describes using ChromaID to see what we call invisible bar codes and other identifiers.

On March 23, 2015, we were issued US Patent No. 8,988,666 B2 entitled “Method, Apparatus, and Article to Facilitate Evaluation of Objects Using Electromagnetic Energy” by the United States Office of Patents and Trademarks. The patent expires July 31, 2027.

On May 26, 2015, we were issued US Patent No. 9,041,920 B2 entitled “Device for Evaluation of Fluids using Electromagnetic Energy” by the United States Office of Patents and Trademarks. The patent expires March 12, 2033. This patent describes a ChromaID fluid sampling devices.

On April 19, 2016, we were issued US Patent No. 9,316,581 B2 entitled “Method, Apparatus, and Article to Facilitate Evaluation of Substances Using Electromagnetic Energy” by the United States Office of Patents and Trademarks. The patent expires March 12, 2033. This patent describes an enhancement to the foundational ChromaID technology.

On April 18, 2017, we were issued US Patent No. 9,625,371 B2 entitled “Method, Apparatus, and Article to Facilitate Evaluation of Substances Using Electromagnetic Energy.” The patent expires July 2027. This patent pertains to the use of ChromaID technology for the identification and analysis of biological tissue. It has many potential applications in medical, industrial and consumer markets.

On May 30, 2017, we were issued US Patent No. 9,664.610 B2 entitled “Systems for Fluid Analysis Using Electromagnetic Energy that is reflected a Number of Times through a Fluid Contained within a Reflective Chamber.” This patent expires approximately in approximately March 2034. This patent pertains to a method for the use of the Company’s technology analyzing fluids.

On April 4, 2018, we were issued US Patent No. 9,869,636 B2, entitled “Device for Evaluation of Fluids Using Electromagnetic Energy.” The patent expires in approximately April 2033. This patent pertains to the use of ChromaID technology for evaluating and analyzing fluids such as those following through an IV drip in a hospital or water, for example.

On February 4, 2020, we were issued US Patent No. 10,548,503 B2, entitled “Health Related Diagnostics Employing Spectroscopy in Radio/Microwave Frequency Band.” The patent expires in approximately May 2039. This patent pertains to the use of Bio-RFID technology for medical diagnostics.

On June 8, 2021, we were issued US Patent No. 11,031,970, entitled “Non-Invasive Analyte Sensor and System with Decoupled and Inefficient Transmit and Receive Antennas.” This patent expires in approximately December 2040. This patent pertains to the unique configuration of the antennas used in Know Labs’ Bio-RFID sensors.

On June 15, 2021, we were issued US Patent No. 11,033,208, entitled “Fixed Operation Time Frequency Sweeps for an Analyte Sensor.” This patent expires in approximately February 2041. This patent pertains to how operation of the Know Labs Bio-RFID sensor technology is controlled.

On July 13, 2021, we were issued US Patent No. 11,063,373, entitled “Non-Invasive Analyte Sensor and System with Decoupled Transmit and Receive Antennas.” This patent expires in approximately December 2040. This patent pertains to the unique configuration of the antennas used in Know Labs’ Bio-RFID sensors.

On July 13, 2021, we were issued US Patent No. 11,058,317, entitled “Non-Invasive Detection of an Analyte Using Decoupled and Inefficient Transmit and Receive Antennas.” This patent expires in approximately December 2040. This patent pertains to the unique configuration of the antennas used in Know Labs’ Bio-RFID sensors.

On July 13, 2021, we were issued US Patent No. 11,058,331, entitled “Analyte Sensor and System with Multiple Detector Elements that can Transmit or Receive.” This patent expires in approximately February 2041. This patent pertains to the technology that allows the implementation of radio frequency scans using different combinations of antennas to improve the detection capabilities of the Bio-RFID sensors in non-invasively measuring and identifying analytes, including glucose.

On December 7, 2021, we were issued US Patent No. 11,193,923, entitled “Detection of an Analyte Using Multiple Elements that can Transmit or Receive.” This patent expires in approximately February 2041. This patent pertains to the technology that allows the implementation of radio frequency scans using different combinations of antennas to improve the detection capabilities of the Bio-RFID sensors in non-invasively measuring and identifying analytes, including glucose.

Product Strategy

We are currently undertaking internal development work on potential products for the commercial marketplace. We have announced the development of our non-invasive glucose monitor and our desire to obtain US Food and Drug Administration clearance for the marketing of this product. We have also announced the engagement of a manufacturing partner we will work with to bring this product to market. We will make further announcements regarding this product as development, testing, manufacturing, and regulatory approval work progresses.

Currently we are focusing our efforts on productizing our Bio-RFID technology as we move it out of our research laboratory, through appropriate and required clinical trials and into the marketplace.

Our subsidiary corporation, Particle, Inc. is seeking a strategic distribution partner or partners to move its virus deactivating light bulb into the global marketplace. Our AI Mind, Inc. subsidiary is looking at additional ways to monetize its AI Deep Learning Platform beyond the NFT market for its graphical images and expects to test several product ideas over the next fiscal year.

Research and Development

Our current research and development efforts are primarily focused on improving our Bio-RFID technology, extending its capacity, and developing new and unique applications for this technology and the AI Deep Learning Platform that drives its analytics. As part of this effort, we conduct on-going laboratory testing to ensure that application methods are compatible with the end-user and regulatory requirements, and that they can be implemented in a cost-effective manner. We are also actively involved in identifying new applications. Our current internal team along with outside consultants have considerable experience working with the application of our technologies and their application. We engage third party experts as required to supplement our internal team. We believe that continued development of new and enhanced technologies is essential to our future success. We incurred expenses of $3,970,000 and $2,034,000 for the year ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, on development activities.

On April 30, 2020, we approved and ratified the incorporation of Particle, Inc. Particle is focused on the development and commercialization of our extensive intellectual property relating to electromagnetic energy outside of the medical diagnostic arena which remains the parent company’s singular focus. Since incorporation, Particle has engaged in research and development activities on threaded light bulbs that have a warm white light and can inactivate germs, including bacteria and viruses. It is now looking for partners to take the product to market.

On September 17, 2021, we approved and ratified the incorporation of AI Mind, Inc. AI Mind is focused on monetizing the AI Deep Learning Platform. Since incorporation it has focused on creating patterns from Company data which were sold as NFTs. The Company will continue to look for opportunities for new applications on its AI Deep Learning Platform which to generate revenues to support the continued development of its non-invasive diagnostic technology.

Related Patent Assets

Inherent in a platform technology is the ability to develop or license technology in diverse fields of use apart from the Company’s core focus. Know Labs focuses on human health and wellness with a first focus on the non-invasive monitoring of blood glucose. It will pursue the identification of a multitude of analytes in the human body important to diagnostics over time. The Company will also identify, over time, opportunities for its intellectual property to be deployed in areas outside human health and wellness. Examples are Particle, Inc. and AI Mind, Inc.

On April 30, 2020, we incorporated a subsidiary corporation, Particle, Inc. for the purpose of research and development on non-core Company intellectual property. The first research activity, undertaken by a separate Particle team has been on standard threaded light bulbs that have a warm white light that can inactivate germs, including bacteria and viruses. On June 1, 2020, we approved and ratified entry into an intercompany Patent License Agreement dated May 21, 2020 with Particle. Pursuant to the Agreement, Particle received an exclusive non-transferrable license to use certain patents and trademarks of the Company, in exchange the Company shall receive: (i) a one-time fee of $250,000 upon a successful financing of Particle, and (ii) a quarterly royalty payment equal to the greater of 5% of the Gross Sales, net of returns, from Particle or $5,000. As of September 30, 2021, the operations of Particle have generated no sales and operations are just commencing. The first product, the Particle bulb can be used in households, businesses, and other facilities to inactivate bacteria and viruses. Through internal preliminary testing, Particle personnel has confirmed the bulb’s efficacy in inactivating common germs such as E. coli and Staphylococcus. Final study results from Texas Biomedical Research Institute indicate the Particle bulb’s ability to inactivate SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 and most recently, the Alpha and Delta variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. The Particle team is working on certification, labeling, product manufacturing and related go-to-market requirements; as well as business development activities related to interest from potential strategic and channel partners in both consumer and business applications in the global marketplace.

On September 17, 2021 we incorporated a subsidiary corporation, AI Mind, Inc. for the purpose of identifying and capitalizing upon market opportunities for its AI Deep Learning Platform. The first revenue activity undertaken by the subsidiary was after the year ended September 30, 2021 and related to the creation of graphical images expressed as NFTs utilizing the AI Deep Learning Platform and our data. We plan to explore other opportunities to monetize our AI Deep Learning Platform.

We expect that other such subsidiaries may be created over time. Additionally, we may license its intellectual property to third parties so that they may pursue activities that are not a part of the Company’s core focus.

EMPLOYEES

As of September 30, 2021, we had 10 full-time employees. Our senior management and seven other personnel are located in our Seattle, Washington offices. We periodically utilize consulting firms and individual contractors to supplement our workforce.

THE COMPANY’S COMMON STOCK

Our common stock trades on the OTCQB Exchange under the symbol “KNWN.”

PRIMARY RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

We are exposed to various risks related to our need for additional financing, the sale of significant numbers of our shares and a volatile market price for our common stock. These risks and uncertainties are discussed in more detail below in Part II, Item 1A.

CORPORATE INFORMATION

We were incorporated under the laws of the State of Nevada on October 8, 1998. Our executive offices are located at 500 Union Street, Suite 810, Seattle, WA 98101. Our telephone number is (206) 903-1351 and its principal website address is located at www.knowlabs.co. The information on our website is not incorporated as a part of this Form 10-K.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

There are certain inherent risks which will have an effect on the Company’s development in the future and the most significant risks and uncertainties known and identified by our management are described below.

RISK FACTORS

Risks Related to Pandemics

The near-term effects of the recent COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic are known, as they adversely affected our business. Longer term effects are not immediately known and may adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flow.

Over the past year and a half the impact of COVID-19 has had adverse effects on our business by slowing down our ability to work with third parties outside of Seattle on testing and validation. It is difficult to predict what other adverse effects, if any, COVID-19 can have on our business, or against the various aspects of same.

On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (“WHO”) announced a global health emergency caused by a new strain of the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) and advised of the risks to the international community as the virus spread globally. In March 2020, the WHO classified the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic based on the rapid increase in exposure globally. The spread of COVID-19 coronavirus has caused public health officials to recommend precautions to mitigate the spread of the virus, especially as to travel and congregating in large numbers. In addition, certain states and municipalities have enacted quarantining and “shelter-in-place” regulations which severely limit the ability of people to move and travel and require non-essential businesses and organizations to close. While some states have lifted certain “shelter-in-place” restrictions and travel bans, as they are removed there is no certainty that an outbreak will not occur, and additional restrictions imposed again in response. Additionally, several states have lifted restrictions only to reimpose such restrictions as the number of cases rise and new variants arise. Lastly, as vaccinations become readily available, we cannot predict what restrictions may be imposed in the event of a vaccine mandate for travel to and from particular destinations.

It is unclear how such restrictions, which will contribute to a general slowdown in the global economy, and it is difficult to isolate the impact of the pandemic on our business, results of operations, financial condition and our future strategic plans. Further, while many businesses have survived the past year, and some thrived, as COVID-19 becomes more controlled, we cannot predict how the global economy will respond to the return to normalcy, or whether it will continue to sustain steadily.

In addition, the Company is uncertain of the full effect the pandemic will have on it for the longer term since the scope and duration of the pandemic is unknown, and evolving factors such as the level and timing of the distribution of efficacious vaccines across the world and the extent of any resurgences of the virus or emergence of new variants of the virus, such as the Delta variant and the Omicron variant, will impact the stability of economic recovery and growth. The extent to which the operations of the Company, and the operations of its customers and supply chain, may be adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic will depend largely on these future developments. The Company may experience long-term disruptions to its operations resulting from changes in government policy or guidance; quarantines of employees, customers and suppliers in areas affected by the pandemic; and closures of businesses or manufacturing facilities critical to its business or supply chains. The Company is actively monitoring, and will continue to actively monitor, the pandemic and the potential impact on its operations, financial condition, liquidity, suppliers, industry and workforce.

General securities market uncertainties resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the outset of the pandemic the United States and worldwide national securities markets have undergone unprecedented stress due to the uncertainties of the pandemic and the resulting reactions and outcomes of government, business and the general population. These uncertainties have resulted in declines in all market sectors, increases in volumes due to flight to safety and governmental actions to support the markets. As a result, until the pandemic has stabilized, the markets may not be available to the Company for purposes of raising required capital. Should we not be able to obtain financing when required, in the amounts necessary to execute on our plans in full, or on terms which are economically feasible we may be unable to sustain the necessary capital to pursue our strategic plan and may have to reduce the planned future growth and/or scope of our operations.

Risks Relating to the Company Generally

We need additional financing to support our technology development and ongoing operations, pay our debts and maintain ownership of our intellectual properties.

We are currently operating at a loss. We believe that our cash on hand will be sufficient to fund our operations through December 31, 2023. We may need additional financing to implement our business plan and to service our ongoing operations, pay our current debts (described below) and maintain ownership of our intellectual property. There can be no assurance that we will be able to secure any needed funding, or that if such funding is available, the terms or conditions would be acceptable to us. If we are unable to obtain additional financing when it is needed, we will need to restructure our operations and/or divest all or a portion of our business. We are each seeking additional capital through a combination of private and public equity offerings, debt financings and strategic collaborations. Debt financing, if obtained, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, and could increase our expenses and require that our assets secure such debt. Equity financing, if obtained, could result in dilution to our then-existing stockholders and/or require such stockholders to waive certain rights and preferences. If such financing is not available on satisfactory terms, or is not available at all, we may be required to delay, scale back, eliminate the development of business opportunities and our operations and financial condition may be materially adversely affected. There can be no assurance that we will be able to sell that number of shares, if any.

As of September 30, 2021, we owe approximately $2,676,665 and if we do not satisfy these obligations, the lenders may have the right to demand payment in full or exercise other remedies.

Mr. Erickson, our Chairman, and/or entities with which he is affiliated also have accounts payable and accrued liabilities $421,599 and $451,525 of as of September 30, 2021, and September 30, 2020, respectively, related to accrued compensation, accrued interest and expenses.

We owe $2,255,066 under various convertible promissory notes as of September 30, 2021 including $1,184,066 owed to entities controlled by our Chairman.

We may need additional financing, to service and/or repay these debt obligations. If we raise additional capital through borrowing or other debt financing, we may incur substantial interest expense. If and when we raise more equity capital in the future, it will result in substantial dilution to our current stockholders.

We have a history of operating losses and there can be no assurance that we can achieve or maintain profitability.

We have experienced net losses since inception. As of September 30, 2021, we had an accumulated deficit of $81,326,000 and net losses in the amount of $25,360,000, and $13,563,000 for the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. We incurred non-cash expenses of $17,701,000 and $9,366,000 during the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively

There can be no assurance that we will achieve or maintain profitability. If we achieve profitability in the future, we may not be able to sustain profitability in subsequent periods. Failure to become and remain profitable would impair our ability to sustain operations and adversely affect the price of our common stock and our ability to raise capital. Our operating expenses may increase as we spend resources on growing our business, and if our revenue does not correspondingly increase, our operating results and financial condition will suffer. Our Know Labs, Particle, and AI Mind businesses have produced minimal revenues and may not produce significant revenues in the near term, or at all, which would harm our ability to continue our operations or obtain additional financing and require us to reduce or discontinue our operations. You must consider our business and prospects in light of the risks and difficulties we will encounter as business with an early-stage technology in a new and rapidly evolving industry. We may not be able to successfully address these risks and difficulties, which could significantly harm our business, operating results and financial condition.

If the company were to dissolve or wind-up operations, holders of our common stock would not receive a liquidation preference.

If we were to wind-up or dissolve our company and liquidate and distribute our assets, our common stockholders would share in our assets only after we satisfy any amounts we owe to our creditors and preferred equity holders. If our liquidation or dissolution were attributable to our inability to profitably operate our business, then it is likely that we would have material liabilities at the time of liquidation or dissolution. Accordingly, it is very unlikely that sufficient assets will remain available after the payment of our creditors and preferred equity holders to enable common stockholders to receive any liquidation distribution with respect to any common stock.

We may not be able to generate sufficient revenue from the commercialization of our technology and related products to achieve or sustain profitability.

We are in the early stages of commercializing our technology. Failure to develop and sell products based upon our technology, grant additional licenses and obtain royalties or develop other revenue streams will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

To date, we have generated minimal revenue from sales of our products. We believe that our commercialization success is dependent upon our ability to significantly increase the number of customers that are using our products. In addition, demand for our products may not materialize, or increase as quickly as planned, and we may therefore be unable to increase our revenue levels as expected. We are currently not profitable. Even if we succeed in introducing our technology and related products to our target markets, we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue to achieve or sustain profitability.

We currently rely in part upon external resources for engineering and product development services. If we are unable to secure an engineering or product development partner or establish satisfactory engineering and product development capabilities, we may not be able to successfully commercialize our technology.

Our success depends upon our ability to develop products that are accurate and provide solutions for our customers. Achieving the desired results for our customers requires solving engineering issues in concert with them. Any failure of our technology or related products to meet customer expectations could result in customers choosing to retain their existing methods or to adopt systems other than ours.

We have not historically had sufficient internal resources which can work on engineering and product development matters. We have used third parties in the past and will continue to do so. These resources are not always readily available, and the absence of their availability could inhibit our research and development efforts and our responsiveness to our customers. Our inability to secure those resources could impact our ability to provide engineering and product development services and could have an impact on our customers’ willingness to use our technology.

We are in the early stages of commercialization and our technology and related products may never achieve significant commercial market acceptance.

Our success depends on our ability to develop and market products that are recognized as accurate and cost-effective. Many of our potential customers may be reluctant to use our new technology. Market acceptance will depend on many factors, including our ability to convince potential customers that our technology and related products are an attractive alternative to existing technologies. We will need to demonstrate that our products provide accurate and cost-effective alternatives to existing technologies. Compared to most competing technologies, our technology is relatively new, and most potential customers have limited knowledge of, or experience with, our products. Prior to implementing our technology and related products, some potential customers may be required to devote significant time and effort to testing and validating our products. In addition, during the implementation phase, some customers may be required to devote significant time and effort to training their personnel on appropriate practices to ensure accurate results from our technology and products. Any failure of our technology or related products to meet customer expectations could result in customers choosing to retain their existing testing methods or to adopt systems other than ours.

Many factors influence the perception of a system including its use by leaders in the industry. If we are unable to induce industry leaders in our target markets to implement and use our technology and related products, acceptance and adoption of our products could be slowed. In addition, if our products fail to gain significant acceptance in the marketplace and we are unable to expand our customer base, we may never generate sufficient revenue to achieve or sustain profitability.

Our management has concluded that we have material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting and that our disclosure controls and procedures are not effective.

A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. During the audit of our financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2021, Management identified the following material weakness during its assessment of internal controls over financial reporting:

Personnel: We do not employ a full time Chief Financial Officer. Our Chairman serves as interim Chief Financial Officer. We also utilize a consultant who is a qualified Chief Financial Officer to assist with our financial reporting. This consultant has increased his involvement in the Company.

If these weaknesses continue, investors could lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and other disclosures.

Our Particle, Inc. subsidiary was incorporated April 30, 2020, and has limited operating history.

Particle, Inc. was incorporated April 30, 2020, and to date has engaged in activities consisting primarily of research and development on threaded light bulbs that have a warm white light that can inactivate germs, including bacteria and viruses. On June 1, 2020, we approved and ratified entry into an intercompany Patent License Agreement dated May 21, 2020, with Particle. Pursuant to the Agreement, Particle received an exclusive non-transferrable license to use certain patents and trademarks of the Company, in exchange the Company shall receive: (i) a one-time fee of $250,000 upon a successful financing of Particle, and (ii) a quarterly royalty payment equal to the greater of 5% of the Gross Sales, net of returns, from Particle or $5,000. As of September 30, 2021, the operations of Particle have generated no sales and operations are just commencing. The first product, the Particle bulb can be used in households, businesses and other facilities to inactivate bacteria and viruses. Through internal preliminary testing, Particle personnel has confirmed the bulb’s efficacy in inactivating common germs such as E. coli and Staphylococcus. A world renowned, CDC-regulated biosafety level-4 laboratory has tested the Particle bulb’s ability to inactivate SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The results of these tests were successful, confirming the bulb’s ability to deactivate Alpha and Delta variants of the virus.

To date, we have generated no revenue from Particle. We may not generate revenues in the near future while products are being developed. We believe that Particle’s commercialization success is dependent upon its ability to develop successful products to take to market. In addition, once developed, demand for its products may not materialize, or increase as quickly as planned, and we may therefore be unable to increase our revenue levels as expected. Even if we succeed in introducing our technology and related products to our target markets, we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue to achieve or sustain profitability of the Particle subsidiary. The Company is also exploring strategic partnerships and distribution agreements for Particle. These efforts may not be successful which would adversely impact the sustainability of Particle.

Our AI Mind, Inc. subsidiary was incorporated on September 17, 2021, and has limited operating history.

The subsidiary, which is wholly owned by Know Labs, Inc. commenced activity in the last calendar quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of our 2022 fiscal year. It has generated its first revenues during the first quarter of fiscal 2022 time from its initial commercialization efforts related to the generation of NFT’s. There can be no assurance that it will continue to generate revenues nor be successful in continuing its marketing of parent company assets. These assets rely on fundamental trade secrets which at this time are proprietary yet not protected by any pending patents. It may not be possible to protect these trade secrets which would impact the ability of AI Mind, Inc. to continue to generate revenues.

We are dependent on key personnel.

Our success depends to a significant degree upon the continued contributions of key management and other personnel, some of whom could be difficult to replace, including Ronald P. Erickson, our Chairman and Phil Bosua, our Chief Executive Officer. We maintain key person life insurance on our Chief Executive Officer, Phil Bosua. Our success will depend on the performance of our officers, our ability to retain and motivate our officers, our ability to integrate new officers into our operations, and the ability of all personnel to work together effectively as a team. Our failure to retain and recruit officers and other key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our success also depends on our continued ability to identify, attract, hire, train, retain and motivate highly skilled technical, managerial, manufacturing, administrative and sales and marketing personnel. Competition for these individuals is intense, and we may not be able to successfully recruit, assimilate or retain sufficiently qualified personnel. In particular, we may encounter difficulties in recruiting and retaining a sufficient number of qualified technical personnel, which could harm our ability to develop new products and adversely impact our relationships with existing and future customers. The inability to attract and retain necessary technical, managerial, manufacturing, administrative and sales and marketing personnel could harm our ability to obtain new customers and develop new products and could adversely affect our business and operating results.

We have limited insurance which may not cover claims by third parties against us or our officers and directors.

We have limited directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and commercial liability insurance policies. Claims by third parties against us may exceed policy amounts and we may not have amounts to cover these claims. Any significant claims would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, our limited directors’ and officers’ liability insurance may affect our ability to attract and retain directors and officers.

Our inability to effectively protect our intellectual property would adversely affect our ability to compete effectively, our revenue, our financial condition and our results of operations.

We rely on a combination of patent, trademark, and trade secret laws, confidentiality procedures and licensing arrangements to protect our intellectual property rights. Obtaining and maintaining a strong patent position is important to our business. Patent law relating to the scope of claims in the technology fields in which we operate is complex and uncertain, so we cannot be assured that we will be able to obtain or maintain patent rights, or that the patent rights we may obtain will be valuable, provide an effective barrier to competitors or otherwise provide competitive advantages. Others have filed, and in the future are likely to file, patent applications that are similar or identical to ours or those of our licensors. To determine the priority of inventions or demonstrate that we did not derive our invention from another, we may have to participate in interference or derivation proceedings in the USPTO or in court that could result in substantial costs in legal fees and could substantially affect the scope of our patent protection. We cannot be assured our patent applications will prevail over those filed by others. Also, our intellectual property rights may be subject to other challenges by third parties. Patents we obtain could be challenged in litigation or in administrative proceedings such as ex parte reexam, inter parties review, or post grant review in the United States or opposition proceedings in Europe or other jurisdictions.

There can be no assurance that:

If we are enjoined from selling our products, or if we are required to develop new technologies or pay significant monetary damages or are required to make substantial royalty payments, our business and results of operations would be harmed.

Obtaining and maintaining a patent portfolio entails significant expense and resources. Part of the expense includes periodic maintenance fees, renewal fees, annuity fees, various other governmental fees on patents and/or applications due in several stages over the lifetime of patents and/or applications, as well as the cost associated with complying with numerous procedural provisions during the patent application process. We may or may not choose to pursue or maintain protection for particular inventions. In addition, there are situations in which failure to make certain payments or noncompliance with certain requirements in the patent process can result in abandonment or lapse of a patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. If we choose to forgo patent protection or allow a patent application or patent to lapse purposefully or inadvertently, our competitive position could suffer.

Legal actions to enforce our patent rights can be expensive and may involve the diversion of significant management time. In addition, these legal actions could be unsuccessful and could also result in the invalidation of our patents or a finding that they are unenforceable. We may or may not choose to pursue litigation or interferences against those that have infringed on our patents, or used them without authorization, due to the associated expense and time commitment of monitoring these activities. If we fail to protect or to enforce our intellectual property rights successfully, our competitive position could suffer, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and business.

Claims by others that our products infringe their patents or other intellectual property rights could prevent us from manufacturing and selling some of our products or require us to pay royalties or incur substantial costs from litigation or development of non-infringing technology.

In recent years, there has been significant litigation in the United States involving patents and other intellectual property rights. We may receive notices that claim we have infringed upon the intellectual property of others. Even if these claims are not valid, they could subject us to significant costs. Any such claims, with or without merit, could be time-consuming to defend, result in costly litigation, divert our attention and resources, cause product shipment delays or require us to enter into royalty or licensing agreements. Such royalty or licensing agreements, if required, may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all. We have engaged in litigation and litigation may be necessary in the future to enforce our intellectual property rights or to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others. Litigation may also be necessary to defend against claims of infringement or invalidity by others. A successful claim of intellectual property infringement against us and our failure or inability to license the infringed technology or develop or license technology with comparable functionality could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

If we are unable to secure a sales and marketing partner or establish satisfactory sales and marketing capabilities at Know Labs, we may not be able to successfully commercialize our technology.

If we are not successful entering into appropriate collaboration arrangements or recruiting sales and marketing personnel or in building a sales and marketing infrastructure, we will have difficulty successfully commercializing our technology, which would adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

We may not be able to enter into collaboration agreements on terms acceptable to us or at all. In addition, even if we enter into such relationships, we may have limited or no control over the sales, marketing and distribution activities of these third parties. Our future revenues may depend heavily on the success of the efforts of these third parties. If we elect to establish a sales and marketing infrastructure, we may not realize a positive return on this investment. In addition, we must compete with established and well-funded pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to recruit, hire, train and retain sales and marketing personnel. Factors that may inhibit our efforts to commercialize technology without strategic partners or licensees include:

Government regulatory approval may be necessary before some of our products can be sold and there is no assurance such approval will be granted.

Our technology may have a number of potential applications in fields of use which will require prior governmental regulatory approval before the technology can be introduced to the marketplace. For example, we are exploring the use of our technology for certain medical diagnostic applications, with an initial focus on the monitoring of blood glucose.

There is no assurance that we will be successful in developing glucose monitoring medical applications for our technology.

If we were to be successful in developing glucose monitoring medical applications of our technology, prior clearance by the FDA and other governmental regulatory bodies will be required before the technology could be introduced into the marketplace.

There is no assurance that such regulatory approval would be obtained for a glucose monitoring medical diagnostic device or other applications requiring such approval.

The FDA can refuse to grant, delay, and limit or deny approval of an application for clearance of marketing a glucose monitoring device for many reasons.

We may not obtain the necessary regulatory approvals or clearances to market these glucose monitoring systems in the United States or outside of the United States.

Any delay in, or failure to receive or maintain, approval or clearance for our products could prevent us from generating revenue from these products or achieving profitability.

Cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents could result in the compromise of confidential data or critical data systems and give rise to potential harm to customers, remediation and other expenses, expose us to liability under HIPAA, consumer protection laws, or other common law theories, subject us to litigation and federal and state governmental inquiries, damage our reputation, and otherwise be disruptive to our business and operations.

Cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. We collect and store on our networks sensitive information, including intellectual property, proprietary business information and personally identifiable information of our customers. The secure maintenance of this information and technology is critical to our business operations. We have implemented multiple layers of security measures to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of this data and the systems and devices that store and transmit such data. We utilize current security technologies, and our defenses are monitored and routinely tested internally and by external parties. Despite these efforts, threats from malicious persons and groups, new vulnerabilities and advanced new attacks against information systems create risk of cybersecurity incidents. These incidents can include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently and may not immediately produce signs of intrusion, we may be unable to anticipate these incidents or techniques, timely discover them, or implement adequate preventative measures.

These threats can come from a variety of sources, ranging in sophistication from an individual hacker to malfeasance by employees, consultants or other service providers to state-sponsored attacks. Cyber threats may be generic, or they may be custom crafted against our information systems. Over the past several years, cyber-attacks have become more prevalent and much harder to detect and defend against. Our network and storage applications may be vulnerable to cyber-attack, malicious intrusion, malfeasance, loss of data privacy or other significant disruption and may be subject to unauthorized access by hackers, employees, consultants or other service providers. In addition, hardware, software or applications we develop or procure from third parties may contain defects in design or manufacture or other problems that could unexpectedly compromise information security. Unauthorized parties may also attempt to gain access to our systems or facilities through fraud, trickery or other forms of deceiving our employees, contractors and temporary staff.

There can be no assurance that we will not be subject to cybersecurity incidents that bypass our security measures, impact the integrity, availability or privacy of personal health information or other data subject to privacy laws or disrupt our information systems, devices or business, including our ability to deliver services to our customers. As a result, cybersecurity, physical security and the continued development and enhancement of our controls, processes and practices designed to protect our enterprise, information systems and data from attack, damage or unauthorized access remain a priority for us. As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

We may engage in acquisitions, mergers, strategic alliances, joint ventures and divestures that could result in final results that are different than expected.

In the normal course of business, we engage in discussions relating to possible acquisitions, equity investments, mergers, strategic alliances, joint ventures and divestitures. Such transactions are accompanied by a number of risks, including the use of significant amounts of cash, potentially dilutive issuances of equity securities, incurrence of debt on potentially unfavorable terms as well as impairment expenses related to goodwill and amortization expenses related to other intangible assets, the possibility that we may pay too much cash or issue too many of our shares as the purchase price for an acquisition relative to the economic benefits that we ultimately derive from such acquisition, and various potential difficulties involved in integrating acquired businesses into our operations.

From time to time, we have also engaged in discussions with candidates regarding the potential acquisitions of our product lines, technologies and businesses. If a divestiture such as this does occur, we cannot be certain that our business, operating results and financial condition will not be materially and adversely affected. A successful divestiture depends on various factors, including our ability to effectively transfer liabilities, contracts, facilities and employees to any purchaser; identify and separate the intellectual property to be divested from the intellectual property that we wish to retain; reduce fixed costs previously associated with the divested assets or business; and collect the proceeds from any divestitures.

If we do not realize the expected benefits of any acquisition or divestiture transaction, our financial position, results of operations, cash flows and stock price could be negatively impacted.

We have made strategic acquisitions in the past and may do so in the future, and if the acquired companies do not perform as expected, this could adversely affect our operating results, financial condition and existing business.

We may continue to expand our business through strategic acquisitions. The success of any acquisition will depend on, among other things:

We may not be successful in effectively integrating acquired businesses and completing acquisitions in the future. We also may incur substantial expenses and devote significant management time and resources in seeking to complete acquisitions. Acquired businesses may fail to meet our performance expectations. If we do not achieve the anticipated benefits of an acquisition as rapidly as expected, or at all, investors or analysts may not perceive the same benefits of the acquisition as we do. If these risks materialize, our stock price could be materially adversely affected.

We are subject to corporate governance and internal control requirements, and our costs related to compliance with, or our failure to comply with existing and future requirements could adversely affect our business.

We must comply with corporate governance requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, as well as additional rules and regulations currently in place and that may be subsequently adopted by the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. These laws, rules, and regulations continue to evolve and may become increasingly stringent in the future. The financial cost of compliance with these laws, rules, and regulations is expected to remain substantial.

We cannot assure you that we will be able to fully comply with these laws, rules, and regulations that address corporate governance, internal control reporting, and similar matters in the future. Failure to comply with these laws, rules and regulations could materially adversely affect our reputation, financial condition, and the value of our securities.

The exercise prices of certain warrants, convertible notes payable and the Series C and D Preferred Shares may require further adjustment.

In the future, if we sell our common stock at a price below $0.25 per share, the exercise price of 8,108,356 outstanding shares of Series C and D Preferred Stock that adjust below $0.25 per share pursuant to the documents governing such instruments. In addition, the conversion price of Convertible Notes Payable of $16,464,066 or 16,124,764 common shares (9,020,264 common shares at $0.25 per share and 7,104,500 at $2.00) and the exercise price of additional outstanding warrants to purchase 10,384,381 shares of common stock would adjust below $0.25 per share pursuant to the documents governing such instruments. Warrants totaling 4,487,207 would adjust below $1.20 per share pursuant to the documents governing such instruments. Warrants totaling 3,954,625 would adjust below $2.40 per share pursuant to the documents governing such instruments.

Risks Relating to Our Stock

The price of our common stock is volatile, which may cause investment losses for our stockholders.

The market price of our common stock has been and is likely in the future to be volatile. Our common stock price may fluctuate in response to factors such as:

These broad market and industry factors may have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. These factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The sale of a significant number of our shares of common stock could depress the price of our common stock.

As of September 30, 2021, we had 35,166,551 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, held by 163 stockholders of record. The number of stockholders, including beneficial owners holding shares through nominee names, is approximately 3,600. Each share of common stock entitles its holder to one vote on each matter submitted to the stockholders for a vote, and no cumulative voting for directors is permitted. Stockholders do not have any preemptive rights to acquire additional securities issued by the Company. As of September 30, 2021, there were options outstanding for the purchase of 15,315,120 common shares (including unearned stock option grants totaling 11,775,745 shares related to performance targets), warrants for the purchase of 22,564,255 common shares, and 8,108,356 shares of the Company’s common stock issuable upon the conversion of Series C and Series D Convertible Preferred Stock. In addition, the Company currently has 16,124,764 common shares (9,020,264 common shares at the current price of $0.25 per share and 7,104,500 common shares at the current price of $2.00 per share) reserved and are issuable upon conversion of convertible debentures of $16,464,066. All of which could potentially dilute future earnings per share but are excluded from the September 30, 2021, calculation of net loss per share because their impact is antidilutive.

Significant shares of common stock are held by our principal stockholders, other company insiders and other large stockholders. As “affiliates” of Know Labs, as defined under Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, our principal stockholders, other of our insiders and other large stockholders may only sell their shares of common stock in the public market pursuant to an effective registration statement or in compliance with Rule 144.

These options, warrants, convertible notes payable and convertible preferred stock could result in further dilution to common stockholders and may affect the market price of the common stock.

Future issuance of additional shares of common stock and/or preferred stock could dilute existing stockholders. We have and may issue preferred stock that could have rights that are preferential to the rights of common stock that could discourage potentially beneficial transactions to our common stockholders.

Pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, after the annual shareholder meeting held on October 15, 2021, we currently have authorized 200,000,000 shares of common stock and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock. To the extent that common shares are available for issuance, subject to compliance with applicable stock exchange listing rules, our board of directors has the ability to issue additional shares of common stock in the future for such consideration as the board of directors may consider sufficient. The issuance of any additional securities could, among other things, result in substantial dilution of the percentage ownership of our stockholders at the time of issuance, result in substantial dilution of our earnings per share and adversely affect the prevailing market price for our common stock.

An issuance of additional shares of preferred stock could result in a class of outstanding securities that would have preferences with respect to voting rights and dividends and in liquidation over our common stock and could, upon conversion or otherwise, have all of the rights of our common stock. Our Board of Directors’ authority to issue preferred stock could discourage potential takeover attempts or could delay or prevent a change in control through merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise by making these attempts more difficult or costly to achieve. The issuance of preferred stock could impair the voting, dividend and liquidation rights of common stockholders without their approval.

Future capital raises may dilute our existing stockholders’ ownership and/or have other adverse effects on our operations.

If we raise additional capital by issuing equity securities, our existing stockholders’ percentage ownership will be reduced, and these stockholders may experience substantial dilution. We may also issue equity securities that provide for rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of our common stock. If we raise additional funds by issuing debt securities, these debt securities would have rights senior to those of our common stock and the terms of the debt securities issued could impose significant restrictions on our operations, including liens on our assets. If we raise additional funds through collaborations and licensing arrangements, we may be required to relinquish some rights to our technologies or candidate products, or to grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us.

We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future.

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain all of our future earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future. In addition, the terms of any future debt agreements may preclude us from paying dividends. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be your sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.

Anti-takeover provisions may limit the ability of another party to acquire our company, which could cause our stock price to decline.

Our certificate of incorporation, as amended, our bylaws and Nevada law contain provisions that could discourage, delay or prevent a third party from acquiring our company, even if doing so may be beneficial to our stockholders. In addition, these provisions could limit the price investors would be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock.

Our articles of incorporation allow for our board to create new series of preferred stock without further approval by our stockholders, which could adversely affect the rights of the holders of our common stock.

Our Board of Directors has the authority to fix and determine the relative rights and preferences of preferred stock. Our Board of Directors also has the authority to issue preferred stock without further stockholder approval. As a result, our Board of Directors could authorize the issuance of a series of preferred stock that would grant to holders the preferred right to our assets upon liquidation, the right to receive dividend payments before dividends are distributed to the holders of common stock and the right to the redemption of the shares, together with a premium, prior to the redemption of our common stock. In addition, our Board of Directors could authorize the issuance of a series of preferred stock that has greater voting power than our common stock or that is convertible into our common stock, which could decrease the relative voting power of our common stock or result in dilution to our existing stockholders.

We or our manufacturers may be unable to obtain or maintain international regulatory clearances or approvals for our current or future products, or our distributors may be unable to obtain necessary qualifications, which could harm our business.

Sales of the Know Labs products internationally are subject to foreign regulatory requirements that vary widely from country to country. In addition, the FDA regulates exports of medical devices from the U.S. Complying with international regulatory requirements can be an expensive and time-consuming process, and marketing approval or clearance is not certain. The time required to obtain clearances or approvals, if required by other countries, may be longer than that required for FDA clearance or approvals, and requirements for such clearances or approvals may significantly differ from FDA requirements. We may rely on third-party distributors to obtain regulatory clearances and approvals required in other countries, and these distributors may be unable to obtain or maintain such clearances or approvals. Our distributors may also incur significant costs in attempting to obtain and in maintaining foreign regulatory approvals or clearances, which could increase the difficulty of attracting and retaining qualified distributors. If our distributors experience delays in receiving necessary qualifications, clearances or approvals to market our products outside the U.S., or if they fail to receive those qualifications, clearances or approvals, we may be unable to market our products or enhancements in international markets effectively, or at all.

Foreign governmental authorities that regulate the manufacture and sale of medical devices have become increasingly stringent and, to the extent we market and sell our products outside of the U.S., we may be subject to rigorous international regulation in the future. In these circumstances, we would be required to rely on our foreign independent distributors to comply with the varying regulations, and any failures on their part could result in restrictions on the sale of our product in foreign countries.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

There are no unresolved SEC staff comments.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

Corporate Offices

On April 13, 2017, we leased our executive office located at 500 Union Street, Suite 810, Seattle, Washington, USA, 98101. We lease 943 square feet and the current net monthly payment is $3,334. The monthly payment increases approximately 3% each year and the lease expires on May 31, 2022.

Lab Facilities and Executive Offices

On February 1, 2019, we leased our lab facilities and executive offices located at 915 E Pine Street, Suite 212, Seattle, WA 98122. We lease 2,642 square feet and the net monthly payment at September 30, 2021 is $8,697. The monthly payment increases approximately 3% annually each year on July 1. The lease expires on June 30, 2024.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

We may from time to time become a party to various legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business. We are currently not a party to any pending legal proceeding that is not ordinary routine litigation incidental to our business.

PART II

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

Authorized Capital Stock

At September 30, 2021, we have authorized 105,000,000 shares of capital stock, of which 100,000,000 are shares of voting common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 5,000,000 are shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. At the annual shareholder meeting held on October 15, 2021, our authorized shares of common stock was increased to 200,000,000 shares of voting common stock, par value $0.001 per share. We have authorized 5,000,000 are shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share.

As of September 30, 2021, we had 35,166,551 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, held by 163 stockholders of record. The number of stockholders, including beneficial owners holding shares through nominee names, is approximately 3,600. Each share of common stock entitles its holder to one vote on each matter submitted to the stockholders for a vote, and no cumulative voting for directors is permitted. Stockholders do not have any preemptive rights to acquire additional securities issued by the Company. As of September 30, 2021, there were options outstanding for the purchase of 15,315,120 common shares (including unearned stock option grants totaling 11,775,745 shares related to performance targets), warrants for the purchase of 22,564,255 common shares, and 8,108,356 shares of the Company’s common stock issuable upon the conversion of Series C and Series D Convertible Preferred Stock. In addition, we currently have 16,124,764 common shares (9,020,264 common shares at the current price of $0.25 per share and 7,104,500 common shares at the current price of $2.00 per share) reserved and are issuable upon conversion of convertible debentures of $16,464,066. All of which could potentially dilute future earnings per share but are excluded from the September 30, 2021, calculation of net loss per share because their impact is antidilutive.

Series C and D Preferred Stock and Warrants

On August 5, 2016, we closed a Series C Preferred Stock and Warrant Purchase Agreement with Clayton A. Struve, an accredited investor for the purchase of $1,250,000 of preferred stock with a conversion price of $0.70 per share. The preferred stock has a yield of 8% and an ownership blocker of 4.99%. In addition, Mr. Struve received a five-year warrant to acquire 1,785,714 shares of common stock at $0.70 per share. On August 14, 2017, the price of the Series C Stock were adjusted to $0.25 per share pursuant to the documents governing such instruments. On September 30, 2021 and 2020 there are 1,785,715 Series C Preferred shares outstanding. On January 5, 2021, the Company extended the warrant expiration date to August 4, 2023.

As of September 30, 2021 and 2020, we have $750,000 of Series D Preferred Stock outstanding with Clayton A. Struve, an accredited investor. On August 14, 2017, the price of the Series D Stock were adjusted to $0.25 per share pursuant to the documents governing such instruments. The Series D Preferred Stock is convertible into shares of common stock at a price of $0.25 per share or by multiplying the number of Series D Preferred Stock shares by the stated value and dividing by the conversion price then in effect, subject to certain diluted events, and has the right to vote the number of shares of common stock the Series D Preferred Stock would be issuable on conversion, subject to a 4.99% blocker. The Preferred Series D has an annual yield of 8% The Series D Preferred Stock is convertible into shares of common stock at a price of $0.25 per share or by multiplying the number of Series D Preferred Stock shares by the stated value and dividing by the conversion price then in effect, subject to certain diluted events, and has the right to vote the number of shares of common stock the Series D Preferred Stock would be issuable on conversion, subject to a 4.99% blocker. The Preferred Series D has an annual yield of 8% if and when dividends are declared.

Series F Preferred Stock

On August 1, 2018, we filed with the State of Nevada a Certificate of Designation establishing the Designations, Preferences, Limitations and Relative Rights of Series F Preferred Stock. The Designation authorized 500 shares of Series F Preferred Stock. The Series F Preferred Stock shall only be issued to the current Board of Directors on the date of the Designation’s filing and is not convertible into common stock. As set forth in the Designation, the Series F Preferred Stock has no rights to dividends or liquidation preference and carries rights to vote 100,000 shares of common stock per share of Series F upon a Trigger Event, as defined in the Designation. A Trigger Event includes certain unsolicited bids, tender offers, proxy contests, and significant share purchases, all as described in the Designation. Unless and until a Trigger Event, the Series F shall have no right to vote. The Series F Preferred Stock shall remain issued and outstanding until the date which is 731 days after the issuance of Series F Preferred Stock (“Explosion Date”), unless a Trigger Event occurs, in which case the Explosion Date shall be extended by 183 days. As of September 30, 2021 and 2020, there are no Series F shares outstanding.

Securities Subject to Price Adjustments

In the future, if we sell our common stock at a price below $0.25 per share, the exercise price of 8,108,356 outstanding shares of Series C and D Preferred Stock that adjust below $0.25 per share pursuant to the documents governing such instruments. In addition, the conversion price of Convertible Notes Payable of $16,464,066 or 16,124,764 common shares (9,020,264 common shares at $0.25 per share and 7,104,500 at $2.00) and the exercise price of additional outstanding warrants to purchase 10,384,381 shares of common stock would adjust below $0.25 per share pursuant to the documents governing such instruments. Warrants totaling 4,487,207 would adjust below $1.20 per share pursuant to the documents governing such instruments. Warrants totaling 3,954,625 would adjust below $2.40 per share pursuant to the documents governing such instruments.

Common Stock

All of the offerings and sales described below were deemed to be exempt under Rule 506 of Regulation D and/or Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. No advertising or general solicitation was employed in offering the securities, the offerings and sales were made to a limited number of persons, all of whom were accredited investors and transfer was restricted by the company in accordance with the requirements of Regulation D and the Securities Act. All issuances to accredited and non-accredited investors were structured to comply with the requirements of the safe harbor afforded by Rule 506 of Regulation D, including limiting the number of non-accredited investors to no more than 35 investors who have sufficient knowledge and experience in financial and business matters to make them capable of evaluating the merits and risks of an investment in our securities.

Stock Incentive Plan

On January 23, 2019, the Board approved an amendment to its 2011 Stock Incentive Plan increasing the number of shares of common stock reserved under the Incentive Plan from 2,200,000 to 2,500,000 to common shares. On May 22, 2019, the Compensation Committee approved an amendment to its 2011 Stock Incentive Plan increasing the number of shares of common stock reserved under the Incentive Plan from 2,500,000 to 3,000,000 to common shares. On November 23, 2020, the Board of Directors increased the size of the stock available under the Stock Option Plan by 9,750,000 shares. This increase is based on an industry peer group study.

On October 15, 2021, at the 2021 annual shareholder meeting, our shareholders approved and adopted the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, increasing size of the stock available under the Stock Option Plan to 20,000,000 shares. On December 10, 2021, we filed a registration statement on Form S-8 that registered 34,650,120 shares issued under the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan. No future awards will be issued under the 2011 Plan.

Anti-Takeover Provisions

Nevada Revised Statutes

Acquisition of Controlling Interest Statutes. Nevada’s “acquisition of controlling interest” statutes contain provisions governing the acquisition of a controlling interest in certain Nevada corporations. These “control share” laws provide generally that any person who acquires a “controlling interest” in certain Nevada corporations may be denied certain voting rights, unless a majority of the disinterested stockholders of the corporation elects to restore such voting rights. These statutes provide that a person acquires a “controlling interest” whenever a person acquires shares of a subject corporation that, but for the application of these provisions of the Nevada Revised Statutes, would enable that person to exercise (1) one-fifth or more, but less than one-third, (2) one-third or more, but less than a majority or (3) a majority or more, of all of the voting power of the corporation in the election of directors. Once an acquirer crosses one of these thresholds, shares which it acquired in the transaction taking it over the threshold and within the 90 days immediately preceding the date when the acquiring person acquired or offered to acquire a controlling interest become “control shares” to which the voting restrictions described above apply. Our articles of incorporation and bylaws currently contain no provisions relating to these statutes, and unless our articles of incorporation or bylaws in effect on the tenth day after the acquisition of a controlling interest were to provide otherwise, these laws would apply to us if we were to (i) have 200 or more stockholders of record (at least 100 of which have addresses in the State of Nevada appearing on our stock ledger) and (ii) do business in the State of Nevada directly or through an affiliated corporation. As of September 30, 2021 we have less than 200 record stockholders. If these laws were to apply to us, they might discourage companies or persons interested in acquiring a significant interest in or control of the company, regardless of whether such acquisition may be in the interest of our stockholders.

Combinations with Interested Stockholders Statutes. Nevada’s “combinations with interested stockholders” statutes prohibit certain business “combinations” between certain Nevada corporations and any person deemed to be an “interested stockholder” for two years after the such person first becomes an “interested stockholder” unless (i) the corporation’s board of directors approves the combination (or the transaction by which such person becomes an “interested stockholder”) in advance, or (ii) the combination is approved by the board of directors and sixty percent of the corporation’s voting power not beneficially owned by the interested stockholder, its affiliates and associates. Furthermore, in the absence of prior approval certain restrictions may apply even after such two-year period. For purposes of these statutes, an “interested stockholder” is any person who is (x) the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of ten percent or more of the voting power of the outstanding voting shares of the corporation, or (y) an affiliate or associate of the corporation and at any time within the two previous years was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of ten percent or more of the voting power of the then outstanding shares of the corporation. The definition of the term “combination” is sufficiently broad to cover most significant transactions between the corporation and an “interested stockholder”. Subject to certain timing requirements set forth in the statutes, a corporation may elect not to be governed by these statutes. We have not included any such provision in our articles of incorporation.

The effect of these statutes may be to potentially discourage parties interested in taking control of us from doing so if it cannot obtain the approval of our Board of Directors.

Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws Provisions

Our articles of incorporation, as amended and restated, and our bylaws, as amended and restated, contain provisions that could have the effect of discouraging potential acquisition proposals or tender offers or delaying or preventing a change in control, including changes a stockholder might consider favorable. In particular, our articles of incorporation and bylaws, among other things:

However, these provisions could have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our shares that could result from actual or rumored takeover attempts. These provisions also may have the effect of preventing changes in our management.

Market Price of and Dividends on Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters

Our common stock trades on the OTCQB Exchange under the symbol “KNWN.” Trades in our common stock may be subject to Rule 15g-9 of the Exchange Act, which imposes requirements on broker/dealers who sell securities subject to the rule to persons other than established customers and accredited investors. For transactions covered by the rule, broker/dealers must make a special suitability determination for purchasers of the securities and receive the purchaser’s written agreement to the transaction before the sale.

As of December 17, 2021, the high and low sales price of our common stock was $2.02 per share and $2.20 per share, respectively. As of December 17, 2021, we had 35,969,992 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, held by 160 stockholders of record. This number does not include approximately 3,600 beneficial owners whose shares are held in the names of various security brokers, dealers and registered clearing agencies.

Transfer Agent

Our transfer agent is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company located at 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219, and their telephone number is (800) 937-5449.

Dividend Policy

We have not previously declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate or contemplate paying dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to use all of our available funds to finance the growth and development of our business. We can give no assurances that we will ever have excess funds available to pay dividends.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

During the three months ended September 30, 2021, we had the following sales of unregistered sales of equity securities:

We issued 966,282 shares of common stock at an average price of $0.629 per share or $600,000 related to the exercise of warrants.

We issued 480,600 shares of common stock at an average price of $2.00 per share or $961,200 related to the conversion of Particle Simple Agreements for Future Equity into our common shares.

Equity Compensation Information

The following table provides information as of September 30, 2021 related to the equity compensation plan in effect at that time.  

As of September 30, 2021, there were options outstanding for the purchase of 15,315,120 common shares (including unearned stock option grants totaling 11,775,745 shares related to performance targets).

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

Summary Financial Information

In the following table, we provide you with our selected consolidated historical financial and other data. We have prepared the consolidated selected financial information using our consolidated financial statements for the years ended September 30, 2021 through September 30, 2016. When you read this selected consolidated historical financial and other data, it is important that you read along with it the historical financial statements and related notes in our consolidated financial statements included in this report and prior 10-K filings, as well as Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

(dollars in thousands)

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

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our financial statements and related notes appearing at the end of this prospectus. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this prospectus, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business and related financing, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. You should read the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus for a discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.

We are focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary biosensor technologies which, when paired with our AI deep learning platform, are capable of uniquely identifying and measuring almost any material or analyte using electromagnetic energy to detect, record, identify and measure the unique “signature” of said materials or analytes. We call these our “Bio-RFID™” technology platform when pertaining to radio and microwave spectroscopy; and “ChromaID” technology platform when pertaining to optical spectroscopy. The data obtained with our biosensor technology is analyzed with our trade secret algorithms which are driven by our AI Deep Learning platform.

ChromaID is the first technology developed and patented by the Company. For the past several years, we have focused upon extensions and new patentable inventions that are derived from and extend beyond our ChromaID technology and intellectual property. We call this technology platform Bio-RFID. The rapid advances made with our Bio-RFID technology in our laboratory have caused us to move quickly into the commercialization phase of our Company as we work to create revenue generating products for the marketplace. Today, the primary focus of the Company is on its Bio-RFID technology, its commercialization and development of related patent assets. Through its wholly owned subsidiary corporations the Company works to exploit additional opportunities and markets that its broad intellectual property and trade secret portfolio addresses.

On April 30, 2020, we incorporated a subsidiary corporation, Particle, Inc. for the purpose of research and development on non-core Company intellectual property. The first research activity, undertaken by a separate Particle team has been on standard threaded light bulbs that have a warm white light that can inactivate germs, including bacteria and viruses. On June 1, 2020, we approved and ratified entry into an intercompany Patent License Agreement dated May 21, 2020 with Particle. Pursuant to the Agreement, Particle received an exclusive non-transferrable license to use certain patents and trademarks of the Company, in exchange the Company shall receive: (i) a one-time fee of $250,000 upon a successful financing of Particle, and (ii) a quarterly royalty payment equal to the greater of 5% of the Gross Sales, net of returns, from Particle or $5,000. As of September 30, 2021, the operations of Particle have generated no sales and operations are just commencing. The first product, the Particle bulb can be used in households, businesses, and other facilities to inactivate bacteria and viruses. Through internal preliminary testing, Particle personnel has confirmed the bulb’s efficacy in inactivating common germs such as E. coli and Staphylococcus. Final study results from Texas Biomedical Research Institute indicate the Particle bulb’s ability to inactivate SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 and most recently, the Alpha and Delta variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. The Particle team is working on certification, labeling, product manufacturing and related go-to-market requirements; as well as business development activities related to interest from potential strategic and channel partners in both consumer and business applications.

On September 17, 2021 we incorporated a subsidiary corporation, AI Mind, Inc. for the purpose of identifying and capitalizing upon market opportunities for its AI Deep Learning Platform. The first activity undertaken by the subsidiary was the creation of graphical images expressed as Non-Fungible Tokens (“NFTs”) utilizing the AI Deep Learning Platform and our data. We plan to explore other opportunities to monetize its AI Deep Learning Platform over time.

In 2010, we acquired TransTech Systems, Inc. as an adjunct to our business. Operating as an independent subsidiary, TransTech was a distributor of products for employee and personnel identification and authentication. TransTech historically provided substantially all of the Company’s revenues. The financial results from our TransTech subsidiary had been diminishing as vendors of their products increasingly moved to the Internet and direct sales to their customers. TransTech closed on June 30, 2020.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following table presents certain consolidated statement of operations information and presentation of that data as a percentage of change from year-to-year.

(dollars in thousands)

YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 COMPARED TO THE YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

Sales

Revenue for the year ended September 30, 2021 decreased $122,000 to $0 as compared to $122,000 for the year ended September 30, 2020. TransTech closed September 30, 2020.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales for the year ended September 30, 2021 decreased $70,000 to $0 as compared to $70,000 for the year ended September 30, 2020. TransTech closed September 30, 2020.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses for the year ended September 30, 2021 increased $1,936,000 to $3,970,000 as compared to $2,034,000 for the year ended September 30, 2020. The increase was due to increased personnel, use of consultant and expenditures related to the development of our Bio-RFID™ and Particle technologies.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses for the year ended September 30, 2021 increased $1,632,000 to $6,476,000 as compared to $4,844,000 for the year ended September 30, 2020.

The increase primarily was primarily due to increased stock based compensation of $1,873,000. On December 15, 2020, we issued a warrant to Ronald P. Erickson for 2,000,000 shares of common stock. The five year warrant is exercisable at $1.53 per share and was valued using a “Black-Scholes” model at $1,812,000.

As part of the selling, general and administrative expenses for the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, we recorded $613,000 and $206,000, respectively, of investor relationship expenses and business development expenses.

Other (Expense), Net

Other expense, net for the year ended September 30, 2021 was $14,914,000 as compared to other expense, net of $6,737,000 for the year ended September 30, 2020. The other expense, net for the year ended September 30, 2021 included The interest expense related to convertible notes payable and the amortization of the beneficial conversion feature and value of warrants issued. During the year ended September 30, 2020, we closed a private placement and received gross proceeds of $14,914,000 in exchange for issuing Subordinated Convertible Notes and Warrants in a private placement to accredited investors, pursuant to a series of substantially identical Securities Purchase Agreements, Common Stock Warrants, and related documents.

Other expense, net for the year ended September 30, 2020 was $6,737,000 as compared to other expense, net of $2,599,000 for the year ended September 30, 2019. The other expense for the year ended September 30, 2020 included (i) interest expense of $6,094,000 and (ii) loss on debt settlement of $708,000, offset by (iii) other income of $65,000. The interest expense related to convertible notes payable and the amortization of the beneficial conversion feature and value of warrants issued. During the year ended September 30, 2020, we closed a private placement and received gross proceeds of $5,639,500 in exchange for issuing Subordinated Convertible Notes and Warrants in a private placement to accredited investors, pursuant to a series of substantially identical Securities Purchase Agreements, Common Stock Warrants, and related documents. The gain on debt settlements related to the settlement of old accounts payable. On July 1, 2020, we entered into a Settlement Agreement and General Mutual Release with a shareholder of the Company. On July 6, 2020, the shareholder paid $125,000 to us and we issued 500,000 shares of common stock. We accrued for the loss on debt settlement of $825,000 as of June 30, 2020. This loss was reduced by a gain on settlement of certain TransTech liabilities of approximately $117,000.

Net Loss

Net loss for the year ended September 30, 2021 was $25,360,000 as compared to $13,563,000 for the year ended September 30, 2020. The net loss for the year ended September 30, 2021 included non-cash expenses of $17,701,000. The non-cash items include (i) depreciation and amortization of $201,000; (ii) issuance for capital stock for services and expenses of $203,000; (iii) stock based compensation- warrants of $2,547,000; (iv) stock based compensation- stock options of $1,029,000; (v) amortization of debt discount as interest expense of $13,722,000; and offset by (vi) other of $1,000. On December 15, 2020, we issued a warrant to Ronald P. Erickson for 2,000,000 shares of common stock. The five year warrant is convertible at $1.53 per share and was valued using a “Black-Scholes” model at $1,812,000.

The net loss for the year ended September 30, 2020 included non-cash items of non-cash expenses of $9,366,000. The non-cash items include (i) depreciation and amortization of $243,000; (ii) issuance of capital stock for services and expenses of $1,045,000; (iii) stock based compensation of $1,702,000; (iv) amortization of debt discount as interest expense of $5,663,000; (v) loss on debt settlement of $825,000; and (vi) other of $5,000, offset by (vii) gain on debt settlement of $117,000.

We expect losses to continue as we commercialize our ChromaID™ and Bio-RFID™ technology.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Liquidity is the ability of a company to generate funds to support its current and future operations, satisfy its obligations, and otherwise operate on an ongoing basis. Significant factors in the management of liquidity are funds generated by operations, levels of accounts receivable and accounts payable and capital expenditures.

We had cash of approximately $12,258,000 and net working capital of approximately $10,093,000 (net of convertible notes payable and right of use asset and liabilities) as of September 30, 2021. We have experienced net losses since inception and we expect losses to continue as we commercialize our ChromaID™ technology. As of September 30, 2021, we had an accumulated deficit of $81,326,000 and net losses in the amount of $25,360,000, and $13,563,000 for the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. We incurred non-cash expenses of $17,701,000 and $9,366,000 during the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively

On March 15, 2021, we closed private placement for gross proceeds of $14,209,000 in exchange for issuing Subordinated Convertible Notes and 3,552,250 Warrants in a private placement to accredited investors, pursuant to a series of substantially identical Securities Purchase Agreements, Common Stock Warrants, and related documents. The Convertible Notes will be automatically converted to our Common Stock at $2.00 per share on the one year anniversary starting on March 15, 2022.

The Convertible Notes had an original principal amount of $14,209,000 and bear annual interest of 8%. Both the principal amount and the interest are payable on a payment-in-kind basis in shares of our Common Stock.

We believe that our cash on hand will be sufficient to fund our operations through December 31, 2023.

We have financed our corporate operations and our technology development through the issuance of convertible debentures, the issuance of preferred stock, the sale of common stock and the exercise of warrants.

The proceeds of warrants which are not expected to be cashless may generate potential proceeds of up to $17,683,000.

Operating Activities

Net cash used in operating activities for the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 was $6,851,000 and $3,914,000, respectively. The net cash used in operating activities for the year ended September 30, 2021 was primarily related to (i) a net loss of $25,360,000; offset by (ii) working capital changes of $810,000; and (ii) non-cash expenses of $13,050,000. The non-cash items include (iii) depreciation and amortization of $201,000; (iv) issuance for capital stock for services and expenses of $203,000; (v) stock based compensation- warrants of $2,547,000; (vi) stock based compensation- stock options of $1,029,000; (vii) amortization of debt discount as interest expense of $13,722,000; and offset by (viii) other of $1,000. On December 15, 2020, we issued a warrant to Ronald P. Erickson for 2,000,000 shares of common stock. The five year warrant is convertible at $1.53 per share and was valued using a “Black-Scholes” model at $1,812,000.

The net cash used in operating activities for the year ended September 30, 2020 of $3,914,000 was primarily related to (i) a net loss of $13,563,000; offset by (ii) working capital changes of $283,000; and (ii) non-cash expenses of $9,366,000. The non-cash items include (iii) depreciation and amortization of $243,000; (iv) issuance for capital stock for services and expenses of $1,405,000; (v) stock based compensation- warrants of $1,702,000; (vi) amortization of debt discount as interest expense of $5,663,000; (vii) loss on debt settlement of $825,000; (viii) other of $5,000 and offset by (ix) gain on debt settlement of $117,000.

Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities for the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 was $300,000 and $70,000, respectively. There amounts were primarily related to the investment in equipment for research and development.

Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities for the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 was $15,110,000 and $6,381,000, respectively. The net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended September 30, 2021 was primarily related to (i) issuance of Simple Agreements for future Equity of $340,000; (ii) $14,209,000 related to proceeds from convertible notes payable; (iii) proceeds from notes payable- PPP of $206,000; (iv) proceeds from the issuance of common stock for the exercise of warrants of $1,313,000; (v) proceeds from the issuance of common stock for the exercise of stock option grants of $23,000; and offset by (vi) payment of issuance costs from notes payable of $727,000 and (vii) repayments on Simple Agreements for Future Equity.

On March 15, 2021, we closed private placement for gross proceeds of $14,209,000 in exchange for issuing Subordinated Convertible Notes and 3,552,250 Warrants in a private placement to accredited investors, pursuant to a series of substantially identical Securities Purchase Agreements, Common Stock Warrants, and related documents. The Convertible Notes will be automatically converted to our Common Stock at $2.00 per share on the one year anniversary starting on March 15, 2022.

The Convertible Notes had an original principal amount of $14,209,000 and bear annual interest of 8%. Both the principal amount and the interest are payable on a payment-in-kind basis in shares of our Common Stock.

Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended September 30, 2020 was $6,381,000. This amounts was primarily related to (i) issuance of convertible notes payable of $5,640,000; (ii) issuance of common stock for warrant exercises of $8,000; (iii) proceeds from notes payable of $226,000; (iv) proceeds for Simple Agreements for Future Equity of $785,000; and proceeds from issuance of shares related to debt settlement of $125,000; offset by (v) payments of issuance costs from convertible notes payable of $480,000.

Our contractual cash obligations as of September 30, 2021 are summarized in the table below:

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements (as that term is defined in Item 303 of Regulation S-K) that are reasonably likely to have a current or future material effect on our financial condition, revenue or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

The application of GAAP involves the exercise of varying degrees of judgment. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates and judgments based on historical experience and various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.

Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We believe that of our significant accounting policies (see summary of significant accounting policies more fully described in Note 2 to the financial statements set forth in this report), the following policies involve a higher degree of judgment and/or complexity:

Fair Value Measurements and Financial Instruments – ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement and Disclosures, defines fair value as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. This topic also establishes a fair value hierarchy, which requires classification based on observable and unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The fair value hierarchy distinguishes between assumptions based on market data (observable inputs) and an entity’s own assumptions (unobservable inputs).

Derivative Financial Instruments –Pursuant to ASC 815 “Derivatives and Hedging”, we evaluate all of our financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives. We then determines if embedded derivative must be bifurcated and separately accounted for. For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the consolidated statements of operations. For stock-based derivative financial instruments, we use a Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model to value the derivative instruments at inception and on subsequent valuation dates. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period. Derivative instrument liabilities are classified in the balance sheet as current or non-current based on whether or not net-cash settlement of the derivative instrument could be required within twelve months of the balance sheet date.

Stock Based Compensation – We have share-based compensation plans under which employees, consultants, suppliers and directors may be granted restricted stock, as well as options and warrants to purchase shares of our common stock at the fair market value at the time of grant. Stock-based compensation cost to employees is measured by us at the grant date, based on the fair value of the award, over the requisite service period under ASC 718. For options issued to employees, we recognize stock compensation costs utilizing the fair value methodology over the related period of benefit.

Convertible Securities – Based upon ASC 815-15, we have adopted a sequencing approach regarding the application of ASC 815-40 to convertible securities. We will evaluate our contracts based upon the earliest issuance date. In the event partial reclassification of contracts subject to ASC 815-40-25 is necessary, due to our inability to demonstrate we have sufficient shares authorized and unissued, shares will be allocated on the basis of issuance date, with the earliest issuance date receiving first allocation of shares. If a reclassification of an instrument were required, it would result in the instrument issued latest being reclassified first.

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

We have no investments in any market risk sensitive instruments either held for trading purposes or entered into for other than trading purposes.

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Reference is made to our consolidated financial statements beginning on page F-1 of this report.

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

None.

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We conducted an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures. The term “disclosure controls and procedures,” as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”), means controls and other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures also include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive and principal financial officers concluded as of September 30, 2021 that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective at the reasonable assurance level due to the material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting discussed immediately below.

Identified Material Weakness

A material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting is a control deficiency, or combination of control deficiencies, that results in more than a remote likelihood that a material misstatement of the financial statements will not be prevented or detected.

Management identified the following material weakness during its assessment of internal controls over financial reporting:

Personnel: We do not employ a full time Chief Financial Officer. Our Chairman serves as interim Chief Financial Officer. We also utilize a consultant who is a qualified Chief Financial Officer to assist with our financial reporting. This consultant has increased his involvement in the Company.

(b) Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Our internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, our CEO and CFO, or persons performing similar functions, and effected by our board of directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). Our 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 disposition of the assets of the Company; (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 of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorization of management and directors of the Company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Management assessed the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2021. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in the 2013 Internal Control-Integrated Framework. Based on its evaluation, management has concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of September 30, 2021.

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 the policies or procedures may deteriorate. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated can provide only reasonable, but not absolute, assurance that the control system’s objectives will be met. The design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their cost.

c) Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

During the three months ended September 30, 2021, there were no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting during this fiscal quarter that materially affected, or is reasonably likely to have a material effect on our internal control over financial reporting.

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION

There were no disclosures of any information required to be filed on Form 8-K during the three months ended September 30, 2021 that were not filed.

PART III

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Directors appoints our executive officers. Each director hold office until their successors are duly appointed or until their earlier resignation or removal. Each officer serves, at the pleasure of the Board of Directors.

Background and Business Experience

Ronald P. Erickson has been a director and officer of Know Labs since April 2003. He was appointed as our CEO and President in November 2009 and as Chairman of the Board in February 2015. Previously, Mr. Erickson was our President and Chief Executive Officer from September 2003 through August 2004 and was Chairman of the Board from August 2004 until May 2011. Mr. Erickson stepped down as Chief Executive Officer on April 10, 2018.

A senior executive with more than 30 years of experience in the high technology, telecommunications, micro-computer, and digital media industries, Mr. Erickson was the founder of Know Labs. He is formerly Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of Blue Frog Media, a mobile media and entertainment company; Chairman and CEO of eCharge Corporation, an Internet-based transaction procession company, Chairman, CEO and Co-founder of GlobalTel Resources, a provider of telecommunications services; Chairman, Interim President and CEO of Egghead Software, Inc. a software reseller where he was an original investor; Chairman and CEO of NBI, Inc.; and Co-founder of MicroRim, Inc. the database software developer. Earlier, Mr. Erickson practiced law in Seattle and worked in public policy in Washington, DC and New York, NY. Additionally, Mr. Erickson has been an angel investor and board member of a number of public and private technology companies. In addition to his business activities, Mr. Erickson is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Central Washington University where he received his BA degree. He also holds a MA from the University of Wyoming and a JD from the University of California, Davis. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Washington.

Mr. Erickson is our founder and was appointed as a director because of his extensive experience in developing technology companies.

Phillip A. Bosua was appointed a director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company on April 10, 2018. Previously, Mr. Bosua served as our Chief Product Officer since August 2017 and we entered into a Consulting Agreement on July 7, 2017. From September 2012 to February 2015, he was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of LIFX Inc. (where he developed and marketed an innovative “smart” light bulb) and from August 2015 until February 2016 was Vice President Consumer Products at Soraa (which markets specialty LED light bulbs). From February 2016 to July 2017, Mr. Bosua was the founder and CEO of RAAI, Inc. (where he continued the development of his smart lighting technology). From May 2008 to February 2013 he was the Founder and CEO of LimeMouse Apps, a leading developer of applications for the Apple App Store.

Mr. Bosua was appointed as a director because of his extensive experience in developing technology companies.

Ichiro Takesako has served as a director since December 28, 2012. Mr. Takesako has held executive positions with Sumitomo Precision Products Co., Ltd or Sumitomo since 1983. Mr. Takesako graduated from Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan where he majored in Social Science and graduated with a Degree of Bachelor of Social Science.

In the past few years, Mr. Takesako has held the following executive position in Sumitomo and its affiliates:

Mr. Takesako was appointed as a Director based on his previous position with Sumitomo and Sumitomo’s previous significant partnership with the Company.

Jon Pepper has served as an independent director since April 2006. Mr. Pepper founded Pepcom in 1980, a company that become the industry leader at producing press-only technology showcase events around the country and internationally. He sold his stake in the corporation and retired as a partner at the end of 2018. Prior to that, Mr. Pepper started the DigitalFocus newsletter, a ground-breaking newsletter on digital imaging that was distributed to leading influencers worldwide. Mr. Pepper has been closely involved with the high technology revolution since the beginning of the personal computer era. He was formerly a well-regarded journalist and columnist; his work on technology subjects appeared in The New York Times, Fortune, PC Magazine, Men’s Journal, Working Woman, PC Week, Popular Science and many other well-known publications. Pepper was educated at Union College in Schenectady, New York and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. He continues to be active in non-profit work and boards, and in 2017 founded Mulberry Tree Films, a non-profit that supports independent high-quality documentary films. The company funded and produced the acclaimed documentary, “The Gates of Shinto” and is looking into additional projects.

Mr. Pepper was appointed as a director because of his marketing skills with technology companies.

William A. Owens has served as an independent director since May 24, 2018. Admiral William A. Owens is currently the co- founder and executive chairman of Red Bison Advisory Group, a company which identifies opportunities with proven enterprises in China, the Middle East, and the United States and creates dynamic partnerships focusing on natural resources (oil, gas and fertilizer plants), real estate, and information and communication technology. Most recently, he was the chairman of the board of CenturyLink Telecom, the third largest telecommunications company in the United States and was on the advisory board of SAP USA. Owens serves on the board of directors at Wipro Technologies and Know Labs Inc. Owens is on the advisory board of the following private companies: Carillon Technologies, Platform Science, Prism, Sarcos, Sierra Nevada Corporation and Vodi. Owens is on the board of trustees at EastWest Institute, Seattle University, and an advisor to the Post COVID-19 Debt Initiative (PCDI). He is also a member of the Council of Foreign Relations.

From 2007 to 2015, Owens was the Chairman and Senior Partner of AEA Investors Asia, a private equity firm located in Hong Kong, and Vice Chairman of the NYSE for Asia. Owens also served as the Chairman of Eastern Airlines. He has served on over 20 public boards including Daimler, British American Tobacco, Telstra, Nortel Networks, and Polycom. Owens was the CEO/Chairman of Teledesic LLC, a Bill Gates/Craig McCaw company bringing worldwide broadband through an extensive satellite network and prior, was the President, COO/Vice Chairman of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). Owens has also served on the boards of the non-for-profit organizations; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Brookings Institution, and RAND Corporation.

Owens is a four-star US Navy veteran. He was Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the second-ranking United States military officer with responsibility for reorganizing and restructuring the armed forces in the post- Cold War era. He is widely recognized for bringing commercial high-grade technology into the Department of Defense for military applications. Owens was the architect of the Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA), an advanced systems technology approach to military operations, the most significant change in the system of requirements, budgets and technology for the four-armed forces since World War II. Owens, served as Commander of the U.S. Sixth Fleet from 1990 to 1992, which included Operation Desert Storm. Owens also served as the deputy chief of Naval Operations for Resources. Owens was senior military assistant to two Secretaries of Defense (Cheney and Carlucci) and served in the Office of Program Appraisal for the Secretary of the Navy. He began his military career as a nuclear submariner. He served on four strategic nuclear-powered submarines and three nuclear attack submarines, including tours as Commanding Officer aboard the USS Sam Houston, Michigan, and USS City of Corpus Christi. Owens spent a total of 2000 days submerged aboard submarines, including duty in Vietnam.

Owens is a 1962 honor graduate of the United States Naval Academy with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in politics, philosophy and economics from Oxford University, and a master’s degree in management from George Washington University. He has written more than fifty articles on national security and authored the book “High Seas.” His book, “Lifting the Fog of War,” was published in April 2000 with a revision published in Mandarin in 2009.

Owens has received numerous recognitions and awards: the “Légion d’Honneur” by France, and the highest awards given to foreigners by the countries of Indonesia and Sweden. He was named as one of The 50 Most Powerful People in Networking by Network World, one of the one hundred Best Board Members in the United States for 2011 and again in 2016 awarded by NACD, awarded the David Sarnoff Award for Technology Innovation and the Intrepid Salute Award in recognition of his business achievements and support of important philanthropic activities. Owens is active in philanthropy to foster Chinese – American relations including dialogues between the most senior retired officers in the United States and Chinese militaries and similar dialogues between very senior economists. He is one of North Dakota’s Roughriders recipients, the award given annually to some of the most prominent North Dakotans.

Family Relationships

There are no family relationships among our directors and executive officers.

Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings

None of our directors or executive officers has, during the past ten years:

Board Committees

The Board has three standing committees to facilitate and assist the Board in the execution of its responsibilities. The committees are currently the Audit Committee, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and the Compensation Committee. The Committees were formed in July 2010. The Audit and Compensation Committees are comprised solely of non-employee, independent directors. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has two management directors, Ronald P. Erickson as Chairman and Phillip A. Bosua as a member. Charters for each committee are available on our website at www.knowlabs.co. The discussion below describes current membership for each of the standing Board committees.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

No member of the Compensation Committee during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 served as an officer, former officer, or employee of the Company or participated in a related party transaction that would be required to be disclosed in this prospectus. Further, during this period, no executive officer of the Company served as:

Code of Ethics

We have adopted conduct and ethics standards titled the code of ethics, which is available at www.knowlabs.co. These standards were adopted by our Board of Directors to promote transparency and integrity. The standards apply to our Board of Directors, executives and employees. Waivers of the requirements of our code of ethics or associated polices with respect to members of our Board of Directors or executive officers are subject to approval of the full board.

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Overview of Compensation Program

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis describes the material elements of compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to each of our executive officers named in the Compensation Table under “Remuneration of Executive Officers” (the “Named Executive Officers”) who served during the year ended September 30, 2021. This compensation discussion primarily focuses on the information contained in the following tables and related footnotes and narrative for the last completed fiscal year. We also describe compensation actions taken after the last completed fiscal year to the extent that it enhances the understanding of our executive compensation disclosure. The principles and guidelines discussed herein would also apply to any additional executive officers that the Company may hire in the future.

The Compensation Committee of the Board has responsibility for overseeing, reviewing and approving executive compensation and benefit programs in accordance with the Compensation Committee’s charter. Starting 2020, the Committee has obtained advice from third parties regarding peer group compensation and other attributes of executive compensation. The members of the Compensation Committee are William A. Owens, Jon Pepper and Ichiro Takesako.

Compensation Philosophy and Objectives

The major compensation objectives for the Company’s executive officers are as follows:

Role of Chief Executive Officer in Compensation Decisions

The Board approves all compensation for the chief executive officer. The Compensation Committee makes recommendations on the compensation for the chief executive officer and approves all compensation decisions, including equity awards, for our executive officers. Our chief executive officer makes recommendations regarding the base salary and non-equity compensation of other executive officers that are approved by the Compensation Committee in its discretion.

Setting Executive Compensation

The Compensation Committee believes that compensation for the Company’s executive officers must be managed to what we can afford and in a way that allows for us to meet our goals for overall performance. During the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Compensation Committee and the Board compensated Ronald P. Erickson, its Chairman of the Board and Interim Financial Officer, with an annual salary of $195,000 from October 1, 2019 to May 1, 2020. From May 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, the annual compensation was $215,000. From April 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021, the annual compensation was $300,000. The Compensation Committee and the Board of Particle Inc. compensated Ronald P. Erickson with an annual salary of $120,000 from June 1, 2020 to August 15, 2021.

During the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Compensation Committee and the Board compensated Phillip A. Bosua, its Chief Executive Officer, with an annual salary of $240,000 from October 1, 2019 to May 1, 2020. May 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, the annual compensation was $260,000. From April 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021, the annual compensation was $350,000.

The Compensation Committee and the Board of Particle, Inc. compensated Phillip A. Bosua with an annual salary of $120,000 from June 1, 2020 to August 15, 2021.

This compensation reflected the financial condition of the Company. Other Named Executive Officers were paid by us during 2021 and 2020. The Compensation Committee starting using a peer group of publicly-traded and privately-held companies in structuring the compensation packages starting late 2020.

Executive Compensation Components for the Year Ended September 30, 2021

The Compensation Committee did not use a formula for allocating compensation among the elements of total compensation during the year that ended on September 30, 2021. The Compensation Committee believes that in order to attract and retain highly effective people it must maintain a flexible compensation structure. For the year that ended September 30, 2021, the principal components of compensation for named executive officers was base salary and stock and other equity awards.

Base Salary

Base salary is intended to ensure that our employees are fairly and equitably compensated. Generally, base salary is used to appropriately recognize and reward the experience and skills that employees bring to the Company and provides motivation for career development and enhancement. Base salary ensures that all employees continue to receive a basic level of compensation that reflects any acquired skills which are competently demonstrated and are consistently used at work.

Base salaries for the Company’s named executive officers are initially established based on their prior experience, the scope of their responsibilities and the applicable competitive market compensation paid by other companies for similar positions. Mr. Erickson

Performance-Based Incentive Compensation

The Compensation Committee believes incentive compensation reinforces performance objectives, rewards superior performance and is consistent with the enhancement of stockholder value. All of the Company’s Named Executive Officers are eligible to receive performance-based incentive compensation. The Compensation Committee did not recommend or approve payment of any performance-based incentive compensation to the Named Executive Officers during the year ended September 30, 2021 based on our financial condition.

Ownership Guidelines

The Compensation Committee does not require our executive officers to hold a minimum number of our shares. However, to directly align the interests of executive officers with the interests of the stockholders, the Compensation Committee encourages each executive officer to maintain an ownership interest in the Company.

Stock Option Program

Stock options are an integral part of our executive compensation program. They are intended to encourage ownership and retention of the Company’s common stock by named executive officers and employees, as well as non-employee members of the Board. Through stock options, the objective of aligning employees’ long-term interest with those of stockholders may be met by providing employees with the opportunity to build a meaningful stake in the Company.

The Stock Option Program assists us by:

Stock option award levels are determined by the Compensation Committee and vary among participants’ positions within the Company. Newly hired executive officers or promoted executive officers are generally awarded stock options, at the discretion of the Compensation Committee, at the next regularly scheduled Compensation Committee meeting on or following their hire or promotion date. In addition, such executives are eligible to receive additional stock options on a discretionary basis after performance criteria are achieved.

Options are awarded at the closing price of our common stock on the date of the grant or last trading day prior to the date of the grant. The Compensation Committee’s policy is not to grant options with an exercise price that is less than the closing price of our common stock on the grant date.

Generally, the majority of the options granted by the Compensation Committee vest quarterly over four year term. Vesting and exercise rights cease upon termination of employment and/or service, except in the case of death (subject to a one year limitation), disability or retirement. Stock options vest immediately upon termination of employment without cause or an involuntary termination following a change of control. Prior to the exercise of an option, the holder has no rights as a stockholder with respect to the shares subject to such option, including voting rights and the right to receive dividends or dividend equivalents. During the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Company issued stock option grants which vest when earned based on certain performance criteria. No stock compensation expense has been recorded for those options with performance milestones.

The Named Executive Officers received stock grants and option awards during the year ended September 30, 2021, as disclosed under the header Executive Compensation below.

Retirement and Other Benefits

We have no other retirement, savings, long-term stock award or other type of plans for the Named Executive Officers.

Perquisites and Other Personal Benefits

During the year ended September 30, 2021, we provided the Named Executive Officers with medical insurance. No other personal benefits were provided to these individuals. The committee expects to review the levels of perquisites and other personal benefits provided to Named Executive Officers annually.

Employment Agreement with Phillip A. Bosua, Chief Executive Officer

Phillip A. Bosua was appointed our Chief Executive Officer on April 10, 2018. Previously, Mr. Bosua served as the Company’s Chief Product Officer since August 2017. The Company entered into a Consulting Agreement with Mr. Bosua’s company, Blaze Clinical on July 7, 2017. From September 2012 to February 2015, Mr. Bosua was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of LIFX Inc. (where he developed and marketed an innovative “smart” light bulb) and from August 2015 until February 2016 was Vice President Consumer Products at Soraa (which markets specialty LED light bulbs). From February 2016 to July 2017, Mr. Bosua was the founder and CEO of RAAI, Inc. (where he continued the development of his smart lighting technology). From May 2008 to February 2013 he was the Founder and CEO of LimeMouse Apps, a leading developer of applications for the Apple App Store.

On April 10, 2018, we entered into an Employment Agreement with Mr. Bosua reflecting his appointment as Chief Executive Officer. The Employment Agreement is for an initial term of 12 months (subject to earlier termination) and will be automatically extended for additional 12-month terms unless either party notifies the other party of its intention to terminate the Employment Agreement with at least ninety (90) days prior to the end of the Initial Term or renewal term. Mr. Bosua was paid a base salary of $225,000 per year, received 500,000 shares of common stock valued at $0.33 per share and may be entitled to bonuses and equity awards at the discretion of the Board or a committee of the Board. The Employment Agreement provides for severance pay equal to 12 months of base salary if Mr. Bosua is terminated without “cause” or voluntarily terminates his employment for “good reason.” During the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Compensation Committee and the Board compensated Phillip A. Bosua, its Chief Executive Officer, with an annual salary of $240,000 from October 1, 2019 to May 1, 2020. May 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, the annual compensation was $260,000. From April 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021, the annual compensation was $350,000.

The Compensation Committee and the Board of Particle, Inc. compensated Phillip A. Bosua with an annual salary of $120,000 from June 1, 2020 to August 15, 2021.

Mr. Bosua will be entitled to participate in all group employment benefits that are offered by us to our senior executives and management employees from time to time, subject to the terms and conditions of such benefit plans, including any eligibility requirements.

If the Company terminates Mr. Bosua’s employment at any time prior to the expiration of the Term without Cause, as defined in the Employment Agreement, or if Mr. Bosua terminates his employment at any time for “Good Reason” or due to a “Disability,” Mr. Bosua will be entitled to receive (i) his Base Salary amount for one year; and (ii) medical benefits for eighteen months.

Employment Agreement with Ronald P. Erickson, Chairman of the Board and Interim Chief Financial Officer

On April 10, 2018, we entered into an Amended Employment Agreement for Ronald P. Erickson which amends the Employment Agreement dated July 1, 2017. The Agreement expires March 21, 2019. automatically be extended for additional one (1) year periods unless either Party delivers written notice of such Party’s intention to terminate this Agreement at least ninety (90) days prior to the end of the Initial Term or renewal term.

During the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Compensation Committee and the Board compensated Ronald P. Erickson, its Chairman of the Board and Interim Financial Officer, with an annual salary of $195,000 from October 1, 2019 to May 1, 2020. From May 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, the annual compensation was $215,000. From April 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021, the annual compensation was $300,000. The Compensation Committee and the Board of Particle Inc. compensated Ronald P. Erickson with an annual salary of $120,000 from June 1, 2020 to August 15, 2021.

Mr. Erickson will be entitled to participate in all group employment benefits that are offered by us to our senior executives and management employees from time to time, subject to the terms and conditions of such benefit plans, including any eligibility requirements.

If the Company terminates Mr. Erickson’s employment at any time prior to the expiration of the Term without Cause, as defined in the Employment Agreement, or if Mr. Erickson terminates his employment at any time for “Good Reason” or due to a “Disability,” Mr. Erickson will be entitled to receive (i) his Base Salary amount for one year; and (ii) medical benefits for eighteen months.

Tax and Accounting Implications

Deductibility of Executive Compensation

Subject to certain exceptions, Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) generally denies a deduction to any publicly held corporation for compensation paid to its chief executive officer and its three other highest paid executive officers (other than the principal financial officer) to the extent that any such individual’s compensation exceeds $1 million. “Performance-based compensation” (as defined for purposes of Section 162(m)) is not taken into account for purposes of calculating the $1 million compensation limit, provided certain disclosure, shareholder approval and other requirements are met. We periodically review the potential consequences of Section 162(m) and may structure the performance-based portion of our executive compensation to comply with certain exceptions to Section 162(m). However, we may authorize compensation payments that do not comply with the exceptions to Section 162(m) when we believe that such payments are appropriate and in the best interests of the stockholders, after taking into consideration changing business conditions or the officer’s performance.

Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation

Accounting for stock-based payments including its Stock Option Program is done in accordance with the requirements of ASC 718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation.”

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT

The Compensation Committee, composed entirely of independent directors in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations, sets and administers policies that govern the Company’s executive compensation programs, and incentive and stock programs. The Compensation Committee of the Company has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis required by Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K with management and based on such review and discussions, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Proxy Statement.

THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE

William A. Owens, Chairman

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

REMUNERATION OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The following table provides information concerning remuneration of the chief executive officer, the chief financial officer and another named executive officer for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020:

Summary Compensation Table

(1) During the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Compensation Committee and the Board compensated Ronald P. Erickson, its Chairman of the Board and Interim Financial Officer, with an annual salary of $195,000 from October 1, 2019 to May 1, 2020. From May 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, the annual compensation was $215,000. From April 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021, the annual compensation was $300,000. The Compensation Committee and the Board of Particle Inc. compensated Ronald P. Erickson with an annual salary of $120,000 from June 1, 2020 to August 15, 2021. On December 15, 2020, we issued a fully vested warrant to Ronald P. Erickson for 2,000,000 shares of common stock. The five year warrant is exercisable for cash or non-cash at $1.53 per share and was valued using a Black-Scholes model at $1,811,691. The 100,000 shares of restricted common stock issued on January 1, 2020 to Mr. Erickson were valued at the grant date market value of $1.90 per share. The stock grant was authorized at $0.17 per share. During the year end September 30, 2020, Mr. Erickson received a vested stock option grant from Particle for 500,000 Particle shares valued at $0.788 per share or $394,000.

(2) During the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Compensation Committee and the Board compensated Phillip A. Bosua, its Chief Executive Officer, with an annual salary of $240,000 from October 1, 2019 to May 1, 2020. May 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, the annual compensation was $260,000. From April 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021, the annual compensation was $350,000. The Compensation Committee and the Board of Particle, Inc. compensated Phillip A. Bosua with an annual salary of $120,000 from June 1, 2020 to August 15, 2021. On March 18, 2021, we approved a $250,000 bonus for Mr. Bosua. The bonus was paid during April 2021.The 150,000 shares of restricted common stock issued on January 1, 2020 to Mr. Bosua were valued at the grant date market value of $1.90 per share. Mr. Bosua received a vested stock option grant from Particle for 500,000 Particle shares valued at $0.788 per share or $394,000.

(3) These amounts reflect the grant date market value as required by Regulation S-K Item 402(n)(2), computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718.

Grants of Stock Based Awards in Fiscal Year Then Ended September 30, 2021

The Compensation Committee approved the following performance-based incentive compensation to the Named Executive Officers during the year ended September 30, 2021.

(1) On November 4, 2019, we granted a stock option grant to Ronald P. Erickson for 1,200,000 shares with an exercise price of $1.10 per share. The performance grant expires November 4, 2024 and vests upon uplisting to the NASDAQ or NYSE exchanges. On July 2, 2020, Particle approved stock option grants for 1,500,000 shares at $0.10 per share to Ronald P. Erickson. The stock option grants vest (i) 33.3% upon issuance; (ii) 33.3% after the first sale; and (iii) 33.4% after one million in sales are achieved. Mr. Erickson received a vested stock option grant from Particle for 500,000 Particle shares valued at $0.788 per share or $394,000. The remaining 1,000,000 Particle options are milestone based and expense will be recognized when the milestone is met or likely to be met. The Particle stock option grant was forfeited as of September 30, 2021. On December 15, 2020, we issued two stock option grants to Ronald P. Erickson, one for 1,865,675 shares and one for 1,865,675 shares at an exercise price of $1.53 per share. The stock option grants expire in five years. The stock option grants vest when earned based on certain performance criteria. On December 15, 2020, we issued a fully vested warrant to Ronald P. Erickson for 2,000,000 shares of common stock. The five year warrant is exercisable for cash or non-cash at $1.53 per share and was valued using a Black-Scholes model at $1,811,691.

(2) On November 4, 2019, we granted a stock option grant to Philip A. Bosua for 1,200,000 shares with an exercise price of $1.10 per share. The performance grant expires November 4, 2024 and vests upon FDA approval of the UBAND blood glucose monitor. On July 2, 2020, Particle approved stock option grants for 1,500,000 shares at $0.10 per share to Phillip A. Bosua. The stock option grants vest (i) 33.3% upon issuance; (ii) 33.3% after the first sale; and (iii) 33.4% after one million in sales are achieved. Mr. Bosua received a vested stock option grant from Particle for 500,000 Particle shares valued at $0.788 per share or $394,000. The remaining 1,000,000 Particle options are milestone based and expense will be recognized when the milestone is met or likely to be met. The Particle stock option grant was forfeited as of September 30, 2021. On December 15, 2020, we issued two stock option grant to Phillip A. Bosua, one for 2,132,195 shares and one for 2,132,200 shares at an exercise price of $1.53 per share. The stock option grants expire in five years. The stock option grants vest when earned based on certain performance criteria.

(3) These amounts reflect the grant date market value as required by Regulation S-K Item 402(n)(2), computed in accordance
with FASB ASC Topic 718.

Outstanding Equity Awards as of Fiscal Year Then Ended September 30, 2021 and 2020

Our Named Executive Officers have the following outstanding equity awards as of September 30, 2021 and 2020.

(1) On November 4, 2019, we granted a stock option grant to Ronald P. Erickson for 1,200,000 shares with an exercise price of $1.10 per share. The performance grant expires November 4, 2024 and vests upon uplisting to the NASDAQ or NYSE exchanges. On July 2, 2020, Particle approved stock option grants for 1,500,000 shares at $0.10 per share to Ronald P. Erickson. The stock option grants vest (i) 33.3% upon issuance; (ii) 33.3% after the first sale; and (iii) 33.4% after one million in sales are achieved. Mr. Erickson received a vested stock option grant from Particle for 500,000 Particle shares valued at $0.788 per share or $394,000. The remaining 1,000,000 Particle options are milestone based and expense will be recognized when the milestone is met or likely to be met. The stock option grant was forfeited as of September 30, 2021. On December 15, 2020, we issued two stock option grants to Ronald P. Erickson, one for 1,865,675 shares and one for 1,865,675 shares at an exercise price of $1.53 per share. The stock option grants expire in five years. The stock option grants vest when earned based on certain performance criteria. On December 15, 2020, we issued a fully vested warrant to Ronald P. Erickson for 2,000,000 shares of common stock. The five year warrant is exercisable for cash or non-cash at $1.53 per share and was valued using a Black-Scholes model at $1,811,691.

(2) On July 30, 2018, Mr. Bosua was awarded a stock option grant for 1,000,000 shares of our common stock that was awarded at $1.28 per share. The stock option grant vests quarterly over four years.On November 4, 2019, we granted a stock option grant to Philip A. Bosua for 1,200,000 shares with an exercise price of $1.10 per share. The performance grant expires November 4, 2024 and vests upon FDA approval of the UBAND blood glucose monitor. On July 2, 2020, Particle approved stock option grants for 1,500,000 shares at $0.10 per share to Phillip A. Bosua. The stock option grants vest (i) 33.3% upon issuance; (ii) 33.3% after the first sale; and (iii) 33.4% after one million in sales are achieved. Mr. Bosua received a vested stock option grant from Particle for 500,000 Particle shares valued at $0.788 per share or $394,000. The remaining 1,000,000 Particle options are milestone based and expense will be recognized when the milestone is met or likely to be met. The Particle stock option grant was forfeited as of September 30, 2021. On December 15, 2020, we issued two stock option grant to Phillip A. Bosua, one for 2,132,195 shares and one for 2,132,200 shares at an exercise price of $1.53 per share. The stock option grants expire in five years. The stock option grants vest when earned based on certain performance criteria.

(3) These amounts reflect the grant date market value as required by Regulation S-K Item 402(n)(2), computed in accordance
with FASB ASC Topic 718.

Option Exercises and Stock Vested

Our Named Executive Officers did not have any option exercises during the year ended September 30, 2021 and 2020.

Pension Benefits

We do not provide any pension benefits.

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation

We do not have a nonqualified deferral program.

Employment Agreements

We have an employment agreement with each of Ronald P. Erickson and Phillip A. Bosua, which are summarized in tabular format below.

Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control

We have the following potential payments upon termination or change in control with Ronald P. Erickson:

We have the following potential payments upon termination or change in control with Phillip A. Bosua: