Loop Industries, Inc. - Annual Report: 2022 (Form 10-K)

United States

Securities and Exchange Commission

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended February 28, 2022

or

Commission File No. 000-54768

480 Fernand-Poitras Terrebonne, Québec, Canada J6Y 1Y4

(Address of principal executive offices zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (450) 951-8555

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 if 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. Yes ☐      No ☒

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

As at August 31, 2021, the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of the voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant (without admitting that any person whose shares are not included in such calculation is an affiliate) was approximately $172,940,955. As at May 25, 2022, there were 47,400,709 shares of the Registrant’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, outstanding.

Documents incorporated by reference:

Items 10, 11, 12 (as to security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management), 13 and 14 of Part III shall be incorporated by reference information from the registrant’s proxy statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the registrant’s 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

LOOP INDUSTRIES, INC.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K of Loop Industries, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company,” “Loop,” “we,” or “our”), contains “forward-looking statements,” as defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of such terms and other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements about our market opportunity, our strategies, ability to improve and expand our capabilities, competition, expected activities and expenditures as we pursue our business plan, the adequacy of our available cash resources, regulatory compliance, plans for future growth and future operations, the size of our addressable market, market trends, and the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Actual results may differ materially from the predictions discussed in these forward-looking statements. The economic environment within which we operate could materially affect our actual results. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. These risks and other factors include, but are not limited to, those listed under “Risk Factors.” Additional factors that could materially affect these forward-looking statements and/or predictions include, among other things: (i) commercialization of our technology and products, (ii) our status of relationship with partners, (iii) development and protection of our intellectual property and products, (iv) industry competition, (v) our need for and ability to obtain additional funding relative to our current and future financial commitments, (vi) engineering, contracting and building our manufacturing facilities, (vii) our ability to scale, manufacture and sell our products in order to generate revenues, (viii) our proposed business model and our ability to execute thereon, (ix) adverse effects on the Company’s business and operations as a result of increased regulatory, media or financial reporting scrutiny, practices, rumors, or otherwise, (x) disease epidemics and health-related concerns, such as the current outbreak of additional variants of coronavirus (COVID-19), which could result in (and, in the case of the COVID-19 outbreak, has resulted in some of the following) reduced access to capital markets, supply chain disruptions and scrutiny or embargoing of goods produced in affected areas, government-imposed mandatory business closures and resulting furloughs of our employees, government employment subsidy programs, travel restrictions or the like to prevent the spread of disease, and market or other changes that could result in noncash impairments of our intangible assets, and property, plant and equipment, (xi) the outcome of the current SEC investigation or recent class action litigation filed against us, (xii) our ability to hire and/or retain qualified employees and consultants and (xiii) other factors discussed in our subsequent filings with the SEC.

Management has included projections and estimates in this Form 10-K, which are based primarily on management’s experience in the industry, assessments of our results of operations, discussions and negotiations with third parties and a review of information filed by our competitors with the SEC or otherwise publicly available.

In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as at the date of this Form 10-K, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.

We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as at the date made. We disclaim any obligation subsequently to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

PART I

As used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the following terms are being provided so investors can better understand our business:

Depolymerization refers to the chemical process of breaking a polymer down into its monomer component(s), or smaller oligomers.

DMT is an acronym for dimethyl terephthalate, which is a monomer used in the production of polyethylene terephthalate (“PET”).

MEG is an acronym for Monoethylene Glycol, which is a monomer used in the production of PET.

Polymerization refers to a process of reacting monomer molecules together in a chemical reaction to form polymer chains or three-dimensional networks.

PET is an acronym for polyethylene terephthalate, which is a resin and a type of polyester showing excellent tensile and impact strength, chemical resistance, clarity, and processability, and reasonable thermal stability. PET is the material which is most commonly used for the production of polyester fiber, and plastic packaging, including plastic bottles for water and carbonated soft drinks, and containers for food and other consumer products; it is commonly identified by the number “1”, often inside an image of a triangle, on the packaging. PET is also used as a polyester fiber for a variety of applications including textiles, clothing and apparel.

rPET is an acronym for recycled polyethylene terephthalate.

Industry and Market Data

The industry and market data relating to our business included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K on our internal estimates and research, as well as publications, research, surveys and studies conducted by independent third parties not affiliated to us.

Industry publications, studies and surveys generally state that they were prepared based on sources believed to be reliable, although there is no guarantee of accuracy. While we believe that each of these studies and publications is reliable, we have not independently verified the market and industry data provided by third-party sources. In addition, while we believe our internal research is reliable, not all such research has been verified by any independent source. We note that assumptions underlying industry and market data are subject to risks and uncertainties, including those discussed under “Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this annual report.

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Overview

Loop is a technology company whose mission is to accelerate the world’s shift towards sustainable PET plastic and polyester fiber and away from our dependence on fossil fuels. Loop owns patented and proprietary technology that depolymerizes no and low-value waste PET plastic and polyester fiber, including plastic bottles and packaging, carpets and textiles of any color, transparency or condition and even ocean plastics that have been degraded by the sun and salt, to its base building blocks (monomers). The monomers are filtered, purified and polymerized to create virgin-quality Loop^™ branded PET resin and polyester fiber suitable for use in food-grade packaging, thus enabling our customers to meet their sustainability objectives. Loop Industries is contributing to the global movement towards a circular economy by preventing plastic waste and recovering waste plastic for a more sustainable future for all.

The Company is in the planning stages of pursuing the construction of Infinite Loop™ commercial scale facilities in Québec, Canada, and with strategic partners in Europe and South Korea. Additionally, the Company has a joint venture to pursue the retrofitting of existing fossil fuel PET polymerization facilities with its recycling technology.

Industry Background and Market Opportunity

The global annual market demand for PET plastic and polyester fiber is expected to exceed $160 billion by 2022 as projected in the 2018 IHS Polymer Market Report. We believe plastic pollution and climate change continue to be the most persistently covered environmental issues by media and local and global environmental non-governmental organizations. Some of the main concerns associated with PET are the greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions associated with its production from non-renewable hydrocarbons and the length of time it persists in landfills and the natural environment. There is an increasing demand for action to address the global plastic crisis, as evidenced by the March 2022 endorsement by 175 nations of a historic resolution at the UN Environmental Assembly to end plastic pollution and forge an international legally binding agreement by the end of 2024. In the last few years, governments in North America, Europe and Asia have been enacting and proposing laws and regulations mandating the use of minimum recycled content in packaging underlying the strength of this issue in the marketplace. Consumer brands are seeking a solution to their plastic challenge, and they are taking action. In recent years we have seen major brands make significant commitments to close the loop on their plastic packaging by transitioning their packaging to recyclable materials and by incorporating more recycled content into their packaging.

Global consumer packaged goods companies (“CPG companies”), apparel manufacturers, and retail brands have announced significant public commitments and targets to make the transition to a circular plastic economy, namely:

There is a growing regulatory and policy environment to encourage a reduction in the production of virgin fossil fuel-based plastic and for minimum recycled content in packaging imposed by various governments:

The growing regulatory environment combined with global consumer goods companies, apparel manufacturers, and retail brand commitments for 2025 and 2030 are expected to increase the demand for recycled PET (“rPET”) plastic further.

Mechanical recycled PET plastic is produced principally through the conversion of bales of PET bottles. The materials have been collected and transported to a materials recovery facility (“MRF”), where they are sorted from other materials, baled, and sent to specific PET recycling facilities. The bales are broken and sorted to remove any non-PET materials. The PET is then ground and put through a separation process which separates the PET from the bottle cap and label materials. Clean PET flake is then further processed depending on its intended end market. It may become more highly refined PET pellet for new bottles or extruded into PET sheet for clamshells, trays, and cups. Recycled PET is also spun into fiber for carpet, clothing, fiber fill, or other materials.

We believe mechanically recycled PET has a number of challenges in meeting the quality specifications and growing volume requirements implied by commitments from major brands, mainly due to the cost and variety of acceptable PET feedstock. Some mechanical recycling processes involve remelting the PET flake which reduces the quality of the rPET output each time it is recycled relative to the specifications of virgin PET produced from fossil fuels. Each time the PET plastic is mechanically recycled, its quality and clarity are reduced. Therefore, mechanically recycled PET may need to be mixed with virgin PET from fossil fuels to maintain quality. Lower quality mechanically recycled PET is often downcycled to alternate uses such as polyester fibers which may be dyed and used in carpets or clothing. Additionally, mechanically recycled PET manufactured for use in clear bottles or food containers requires predominantly clear and clean PET flakes separated from waste bales, and cannot accommodate darkly colored PET flakes, lower quality fiber feedstock, or materially contaminated feedstock, which may be cheaper.

We believe the commercialization plans of Loop^™ PET resin and polyester fiber may provide the ideal solution for global brands because Loop^™ PET resin and polyester fiber contains 100% recycled PET and polyester fiber content. The Loop^™ PET resin and polyester fiber is virgin-quality suitable for use in food-grade packaging. That means consumer packaged goods companies will be able to choose to market packaging made from a 100% recycled Loop^™ branded PET resin and polyester fiber.

Proprietary Technology and Intellectual Property

We believe the power of our technology lies in its ability to use post-industrial and post-consumer waste PET plastic and polyester fiber feedstocks, which could end up in landfills, rivers, oceans and natural areas, to create Loop^™ PET resin. We believe our technology can deliver high-purity profitable virgin-quality, 100% recycled PET resin suitable for use in food-grade packaging and polyester fiber.

Our Generation I technology (“GEN I”) is a hydrolysis-based depolymerization technology which yielded purified terephthalic acid (“PTA”) and monoethylene glycol (“MEG”), two common monomers of PET. As the Company evaluated the transition from the GEN I technology from pilot scale to commercial scale, several challenges involving PTA and MEG purification were identified. To overcome the GEN I technology challenges, we embarked on the development of a second generation of our technology. Our Generation II technology (“GEN II”) is a methanolysis-based depolymerization technology that uses temperatures below 90 °C to depolymerize waste PET and polyester fiber. The low temperature offers several key advantages which the Company believes will improve its ability to commercialize the GEN II technology, including;

This shift, from producing the monomer PTA to the monomer DMT, was a pivotal moment for Loop. We believe that GEN II requires less energy and fewer resource inputs than conventional PET production processes. We also believe it is an environmentally sustainable method for producing virgin-quality food-grade PET plastic by decoupling PET manufacturing from the fossil fuel industry.

To independently validate that our GEN II technology can produce DMT and MEG monomers at mini-pilot and pilot scale, we commissioned Kemitek, a College Centre for Technology Transfer specialized in the fields of green chemistry and chemical process scale-up. Kemitek’s findings allowed them to confirm that our technology produces monomers that meet our purity specifications for the production of PET resin and polyester fiber. The complete Kemitek report was filed with the SEC by the Company on December 14, 2020.

To protect our technology, we rely on a combination of patents, trademarks, trade secrets, confidentiality agreements and provisions as well as other contractual provisions to protect our proprietary rights, which are primarily our patents, brand names, product designs and marks. We have two technology areas, referred to as GEN I technology and the GEN II technology, with patent claims relating to our technology for depolymerizing PET.

Loop owns registrations for its trademarks in Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. Loop also has pending applications in Cambodia, Canada, Indonesia, Taiwan, the U.S., and Vietnam.

Government Regulation and Approvals

As we seek to further develop and commercialize our technology, we will be subject to extensive and frequently developing federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations. Compliance with current and future regulations, including food packaging regulations, could increase our operational costs.

Our operations require various governmental permits and approvals. We are in the process of obtaining all necessary permits and approvals for the operation of our business; however, any of these permits or approvals may be subject to denial, revocation or modification under various circumstances. Additionally, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we may experience delays in obtaining such permits or approvals. Failure to obtain or comply with the conditions of permits and approvals or to have the necessary approvals in place may adversely affect our operations and may subject us to penalties. See “Risk Factors” below for additional information.

We believe that if we are successful in addressing food packaging regulations in various countries and economic regions, that the regulatory environment may provide Loop^™ PET resin a competitive advantage relative to mechanically recycled alternative resins and virgin PET.

Loop’s PET resin was subjected to independent testing by an external and certified laboratory, which confirmed the PET complies with FDA Regulation 21 CFR § 177.1630 on August 26, 2021, as well as EU Commission Regulation No 10/2011 on July 27, 2021. These results attest that Loop’s PET is safe for use in food-contact applications, including but not limited to bottled water, carbonated drinks and food trays. Demonstration of compliance with food-contact requirements follows the No Objection Letter (“NOL”) from the FDA previously granted to Loop in March 2021. The NOL confirms Loop’s monomers can produce rPET of a purity suitable for food-contact use, provided it meets the applicable requirements of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The monomers used in the PET resin submitted for testing were produced at Loop’s small-scale production facility in Terrebonne, Québec (the “Terrebonne Facility”).

We have received from the European Chemicals Agency a confirmation of registration for our MEG on November 17, 2020, and for our DMT on December 7, 2020. The registration under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (“REACH”) Regulation (EC 1907/2006) confirms that our monomers are of a purity equal to what is currently recognized within Europe and entitles us to manufacture/import the monomers into Europe. It should be noted that MEG and DMT are on the positive list for plastic materials, which means that the two monomers can be used as food contact materials.

On August 31, 2021, Loop also received a NOL from Health Canada, which states that the PET produced by Loop’s recycling process is suitable for use in the manufacture of water bottles and articles for contact with all food types under all conditions of use.

Supply Agreements with Global Consumer Brands

Consumer brands are seeking a solution to their plastic challenge and they are taking bold action. In the past years, we have seen major brands make significant commitments to close the loop on their plastic use in two ways; by transitioning their packaging to recyclable materials, like PET, and by incorporating more recycled content into their packaging. We believe Loop^™ PET resin provides the ideal solution for these brands because it is recyclable and is made from 100% recycled PET waste and polyester fiber, while being virgin-quality and suitable for use in food-grade packaging and polyester fiber.

Due to the commitments by large global consumer brands to incorporate more recycled content into their product packaging, the regulatory requirements for minimum recycled content in packaging imposed by governments, the virgin-quality of Loop^™ branded PET resin and its marketability to extoll the sustainability credentials of consumer brands that incorporate it, we believe we will be able to sell Loop^™ branded PET resin at a premium price relative to virgin and mechanically recycled PET resin.

We currently have agreements with some of the world’s leading brands to be supplied from our planned commercial facilities, including:

We are pursuing amended supply agreements with existing customers and new agreements with additional customers that are located in North America, Europe, and Asia to sell the production volumes of our planned Infinite Loop^™ commercial facilities.

Turning PET Waste into Feedstock

We use waste PET plastic and polyester fiber as feedstock. Our technology can use PET plastic bottles and packaging of any color, transparency or condition, carpet, clothing and other polyester textiles that may contain colors, dyes or additives, and even PET plastics that have been recovered from the ocean and degraded by exposure to sun and salt. We believe that our ability to use many materials that mechanical recyclers cannot use is both an important advantage of Loop^™ PET resin over mechanically recycled PET resin and is additive to the number of PET waste streams that may be recycled. This also means we are creating a new market for materials that have persistently been leaking out of the waste management system and into our shared rivers, oceans and natural areas.

Commercialization Strategy

Our objective is to achieve global expansion of Loop’s technology through a mix of fully owned manufacturing facilities, strategic partnerships, and licensing agreements. We believe that industrial companies, some of which today may not be in the business of manufacturing PET resin or polyester fiber, will view involvement in Infinite Loop^™ projects as a significant growth opportunity, which may offer attractive economic returns either as Loop manufacturing partners or as licensees of the technology. We are currently pursuing projects for future commercial production facilities in three regions: North America, Europe and Asia. The global expansion plan for our technology will allow our customers, mostly comprised of CPG brand companies and apparel companies, to expand the use of Loop^™ PET resin and polyester fiber into their packaging and clothing. As countries around the globe continue to increase sustainability targets and recycled content mandates, our customers are increasing the use of sustainably produced materials into their products.

The Infinite Loop^™ manufacturing technology is the key pillar of our commercialization blueprint. We believe our technology is at the forefront of the global transition away from fossil fuels and petrochemicals and into the circular economy, where PET plastic and polyester fiber are produced by recycling waste plastic rather than depleting finite resources. The Infinite Loop^™ manufacturing technology allows for waste PET plastic and polyester fiber to be broken down into its base building blocks, monomers DMT and MEG, using Loop’s patented technology. Once the monomers are purified, they are then repolymerized into PET plastic or polyester fiber using INVISTA know how, which Loop licenses, and Chemtex Global Corporation’s engineering.  The INVISTA polymerization process and the associated designs are historically proven in the commercial production of PET resin and polyester fiber.

We have completed our basic design package for the Infinite Loop^™ full-scale manufacturing facilities with our engineering partners Worley, BBA and Chemtex, all leading global engineering and construction companies. The engineering philosophy we have adopted is “design one, build many.” This approach allows for the basic design package, to be used as the base engineering platform for all future geographical expansion. We believe this approach allows for a quick execution, speed to market and lends itself well to modular construction. The basic design package has a capacity of up to 70,000 M/T of PET resin output per year. Permitting, site and regulatory considerations may impact plant capacity. Our engineering partners may also play a role in the future design of larger capacity facilities.

Our market strategy is to assist global consumer goods brands in meeting their public sustainability commitments by offering packaging or polyester fibers that are made with Loop co-branded, 100% recycled, virgin-quality PET or polyester fibers. We believe that Loop^™ recycled PET resin and polyester fiber could command premium pricing over virgin, petroleum-based PET resin and provide attractive economic returns. We are targeting multi-year take or pay offtake agreements for planned Infinite Loop^™ production. Factors under consideration in determining project economics include the feasibility design engineering and cost estimate work, timing and permitting of a facility, customer offtake demand, commitment terms, and feedstock sources, quality, availability, PET bale index pricing, logistics, and ramp up, among others.

Strategic Partnership with SK geo centric

Loop and SK geo centric Co., Ltd. (formerly known as SK global chemical Co. Ltd.) (“SKGC”) intend to form a joint venture with exclusivity to build sustainable PET plastic and polyester fiber manufacturing facilities throughout Asia, which accounts for approximately 60% of the world’s population and an estimated 70% of global PET consumption making it the largest market in terms of plastic manufacturing, consumption and waste. Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) for the proposed joint venture, which was entered into in July, 2021, SKGC will own 51 percent of the joint venture and Loop will own 49 percent. Loop will also receive a recurring annual royalty fee as a percentage of revenue from each facility for the use of its technology. As of the date of the filing on this Annual Report on Form 10-K, final joint venture agreements have not been entered into.

In addition, on June 22, 2022, Loop and SKGC concluded a definitive agreement for SKGC to become a strategic investor in Loop. Under this agreement, SKGC purchased 4,714,813 new treasury common shares of Loop at a price of $12 per share, for total consideration of $56.5 million. The equity investment transaction closed on July 29, 2021. SKGC was also granted warrants to acquire an additional 461,298 common shares at $11 per share with an expiration date of June 14, 2022, 4,714,813 common shares at a price of $15 per share with an expiration date of July 29, 2024, and a further 2,357,407 shares at $20 per share, conditional upon the timing of construction of the first Asian manufacturing facility.

SKGC currently owns approximately 10% of Loop’s common shares. In conjunction with the equity investment, Mr. Jonghyuk Lee, Vice President of SKGC’s Green Business Division, was appointed to Loop’s Board of Directors. This appointment reflects SKGC’s strategic view of the importance of its investment in Loop, as part of its “Green for Better Life” global strategic vision.

As reported on July 8, 2021 SKGC signed a memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) with the city of Ulsan, South Korea to develop an industrial complex which is planned to include the first Infinite Loop^™ manufacturing facility in Asia.

SKGC unveiled on August 31, 2021 its rebrand as SK geo centric, aligning with the company’s goal of transforming into a green company and focusing on eco-friendly products such as recyclable plastics. These announcements further reinforce Loop’s alignment as an important strategic partner for SK geo centric, as we move to commercialize our technology in Asia.

Unveiling of New evian Loop Bottle

On September 20, 2021, Loop, in partnership with iconic global beverage brand evian, unveiled a new “evian Loop” prototype virgin-quality water bottle made from 100% recycled content. The monomers used to produce the evian Loop bottles were made at the Terrebonne Facility. We expect evian to begin selling water bottles made from Loop^™ PET initially in South Korea during the second half of 2022, and subsequently in other global markets. The waste plastic used to produce these bottles include polyester fibers from carpets and clothing which are considered unrecyclable and destined for landfill and other natural environments. This initiative reflects evian’s commitment to its stated 2025 goals for circularity and 100% recycled content.

Loop continues to work toward new brand and market introductions with additional consumer goods brand companies.

Technology Due Diligence Report

Loop's strategic partners, Suez and Danone,  among others, collectively engaged an independent, globally recognized third-party engineering firm to execute a thorough due diligence and technology validation report.  We believe the final report, which was communicated in May 2022, validated and reinforced the quality, effectiveness, and scalability of Loop Industries’ technology.

Infinite Loop^™ Bécancour, Québec

Our Infinite Loop^™ Québec project (the “Quebec Project”) is aligned with the Government of Canada’s announced zero plastic waste goal by 2030. We believe the project could be critical infrastructure for customers to meet their 2025 and 2030 sustainability commitments and will assist the Government of Canada with achieving its Canada-wide zero plastic waste target and any proposed additional requirements, such as the requirement that all plastic packaging in Canada contain at least 50% recycled content by 2030.

The Québec Project is currently contemplated as wholly-owned and operated by Loop which allows us to commercialize near our innovation and engineering teams located in Terrebonne, Québec.

We acquired the project site in Bécancour, Québec in May of 2021. During the year ended February 28, 2022, we completed initial site preparation work on the Bécancour, Québec project land for the planned Infinite Loop^™ manufacturing facility. During the third and fourth quarters, the Company invested $1.14 million in civil construction costs which included building access roads, landscaping and drainage to ready the site for full construction. We are currently in the process of negotiating and entering into commercial contracts for the acquisition and fabrication of long lead item equipment to develop the project. In December 2021, the Company entered into an agreement for the purchase of long lead machinery and equipment in connection with the construction of our Infinite Loop™ manufacturing facility in Bécancour, Québec for up to $8.55 million over the next 9 months, based on certain milestones subject to various terms and conditions, including securing financing for the Quebec Project. We may enter into additional commitments to move the project ahead within our targeted final investment decision and construction timeframes.

On May 16, 2022, we announced a new multi-year agreement to supply Danone brands, including evian water, with Loop^™ branded PET resin made from 100% recycled content. The resin is to be supplied from the planned Infinite Loop^™ Bécancour manufacturing facility. We continue to work with existing and additional customers to sign definitive multi-year contracts for the Québec Project’s commercial output. We are exploring financing options to fully fund the project. Alternatives under exploration include incentive and financing programs supported by, or in partnership with, various levels of government.

The site offers attractive logistics being located on the St-Lawrence river and access to rail. The site size exceeds our project needs and we plan to sell a portion of the land to offset part of our project commitment.

Infinite Loop^™ Europe

We announced on September 10, 2020 a strategic partnership with SUEZ GROUP (“Suez”), with the objective to build the first Infinite Loop^™ manufacturing facility in Europe. With the combination of the Infinite Loop^™ technology and the resource management expertise of Suez, this partnership seeks to respond to growth in demand in Europe from global beverage and consumer goods brand companies for virgin quality PET resin made from 100 percent recycled content. We are working with our partner Suez on acquiring the preferred project site, alignment of various levels of government support and additional steps for the project which include advancing permitting, site specific engineering, customer offtake contracts, feedstock and financing.

Joint Venture with Indorama for Retrofit

In September 2018 we announced a joint venture with Indorama to retrofit certain PET manufacturing facilities. We entered into a Limited Liability Company Agreement (the “LLC Agreement”), a Marketing Agreement (the “Marketing Agreement”) and a License Agreement (the “License Agreement”), with Indorama through our wholly-owned subsidiary Loop Innovations, LLC (“Loop Innovations”). Each company has 50/50 equity interest in the joint venture. We are contributing to the 50/50 joint venture an exclusive worldwide royalty-free license to use our proprietary technology to produce 100% sustainably produced PET resin in addition to our equity cash contribution. In 2019, the joint venture decided to increase the capacity of the planned Spartanburg, South Carolina plant due to customer demand to 40,000 metric tons per year from the initially planned 20,700 metric tons per year. The joint venture made a decision over the summer of 2020 that due to the COVID-19 pandemic it would temporarily delay work on the project. Since then, no expenditures have been incurred by the joint venture. Both joint venture partners currently remain committed to the project and we continue to discuss the project timetable.

To conform with the terms of the SK strategic partnership mentioned above, on June 18, 2021, the Company, Loop Innovations, Indorama and Indorama Loop Technologies, LLC (the “Indorama Joint Venture Company”) amended (i) the LLC Agreement, (ii) the Marketing Agreement and (iii) the License Agreement (collectively such amendments, the “Indorama Joint Venture Amendments”).

Under the Indorama Joint Venture Amendments, the Company, Indorama and the Indorama Joint Venture Company agreed to:

Terrebonne Facility

As part of our plan for the commercialization of future Infinite Loop^™ manufacturing facilities, we enhanced our Terrebonne, Québec pilot plant to become a small-scale PET depolymerization production facility. In addition to our research and development activities, this facility is used to deliver initial production volumes to support co-branded market launch campaigns with partners and customers and will also be used to showcase the Infinite Loop^™ end-to-end technology and train operational teams in advance of the commissioning of the Infinite Loop^™ full-scale commercial facilities.

We made purchases of $9.55 million in machinery and equipment for the facility in the year ended February 28, 2022. We have completed the planned upgrades at the Terrebonne Facility which have increased its production capacity, giving us the opportunity to further support product campaigns with customers. In particular, we installed and began operation of new distillation columns in this period. We also advanced testing and production with the two installed depolymerization reactors which substantially increase the Terrebonne Facility’s depolymerization capacity and confirm the design and scale-up factors for the engineering of the planned commercial-scale facilities. In completing the upgrade of the Terrebonne facility to incorporate all key pieces of depolymerization equipment that will be used in the full-scale commercial facilities, we have achieved a key milestone in proving the effectiveness of our process.

Materials for the marketing launch of the prototype evian Loop bottle to be introduced in the South Korean market in calendar 2022 were produced at the Terrebonne Facility. Also, we have entered into an agreement with On AG  to supply Loop^™ PET  to be utilized in polyester fiber by the brand. This initial volume is planned to be supplied in 2022 and manufactured using MEG and DMT monomers produced at the Terrebonne Facility. The Terrebonne Facility continues to support our customers and partners with R&D and analytical capabilities.

We have also previously entered into an agreement to acquire PET polymerization equipment from Chemtex to manufacture Loop^™ branded PET resin from the recycled monomers produced at the Terrebonne Facility and deliver initial production volume of Loop^™ branded PET resin to customers.

In addition to the capital requirements for our commercialization, we continue to invest in strengthening our intellectual property portfolio, building a core competency in managing strategic relationships and continue enhancing our brand value with activities such as the co-branded marketing launch of an evian Loop bottle. Our research and development innovation center in Terrebonne, Québec will continue to push forward the continuous improvement of our technology.

Human Capital

Our employees are essential to our success and we are committed to providing a safe, productive, discrimination-free and harassment-free work environment. All employees are responsible for compliance with our Code of Ethics as well as our health and safety, and anti-harassment policies. These policies and practices help us foster a workplace environment that promotes inclusion and diversity.

To attract and retain highly capable and innovative employees, we have developed competitive compensation packages and benefits programs. Our compensation packages include market-competitive pay, healthcare benefits, paid time off and family leave and flexible work schedules. We also offer equity awards with multi-year vesting provisions to incentivize and reward our employees for long-term corporate performance and promote retention throughout the vesting period.

To support our employees this fiscal year and to promote their health and safety, we encouraged administrative and engineering employees to work remotely during certain periods. We also provided emergency leave for employees to take care of a child or parent due to COVID-19 disruptions.

As of February 28, 2022, we had 89 employees of which 32 work in research and development and 42 in engineering and operations.

Corporate History

We were originally incorporated in Nevada in March 2010 under the name Radikal Phones Inc. Loop Holdings, Inc. (“Loop Holdings”) was originally incorporated in Nevada in October 2014. In June 2015 we completed a reverse acquisition of Loop Holdings and the depolymerization business of Loop Holdings became our sole operating business. In July 2015 we changed our name to Loop Industries, Inc.

On November 20, 2017, Loop Industries, Inc. commenced trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the trading symbol, “LOOP.”

Corporate Information

Our principal executive offices are located at 480 Fernand-Poitras Street, Terrebonne, Québec, Canada J6Y 1Y4. Our telephone number is (450) 951-8555.

Available Information

Our website is www.loopindustries.com, and our investor relations web page can be found at http://www.loopindustries.com/en/investors/overview. Copies of our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are available, free of charge, on our investor relations website as soon as reasonably practicable after we file such material electronically with or furnish it to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The SEC also maintains a website that contains our SEC filings. The address of the site is www.sec.gov. The information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Exchange Act.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

You should carefully consider the risks described below together with all of the other information included in this Form 10-K before making an investment decision with regard to our securities. The statements contained in or incorporated herein that are not historic facts are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in or implied by forward-looking statements. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be harmed. In that case, you may lose all or part of your investment.

RISK FACTORS SUMMARY

This risk factor summary contains a high-level summary of risks associated with our business, but does not address all of the risks that we face. Additional discussion of the risks summarized below, and other risks that we face, may be found immediately following this summary.

RISKS RELATING TO OUR BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY

We have incurred net losses since inception. We expect to continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future and may never achieve or maintain profitability. We have never generated material revenue and may never be profitable.

Since our inception in 2010, we have incurred net losses. Our net loss for the year ended February 28, 2022 was $44.92 million and we have earned no revenues to date. We have financed our operations primarily through sales of common stock and incurrence of debt and have devoted substantial efforts to research and development, as well as building our team. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and increasing operating losses for the foreseeable future. The net losses we incur may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter. Although we believe that our business plan has significant profit potential, we may not attain profitable operations and management may not succeed in realizing our business objectives. Our ability to generate revenue depends on our ability to successfully complete the development of our technology and products, obtain the regulatory approvals necessary to commercialize our products, attract additional customers, finance, build and operate commercial facilities. We expect to incur operating losses in future periods. These losses will occur as we do not have any revenues to offset the expenses associated with our business operations. We may not generate revenues from product sales for the next several years, if ever. If we are not able to develop our business as anticipated, we may not be able to generate revenues or achieve profitability. We cannot guarantee that we will ever be successful in generating revenues in the future. If we are unable to generate revenues, we will not be able to earn profits or continue operations.

Our limited operating history may make it difficult for you to evaluate the success of our business to date and to assess our future viability.

Our business was started in October 2014 with the incorporation of Loop Holdings, Inc. and 8198381 Canada Inc., and the acquisition of our GEN I technology in October 2014. Our operations to date have been primarily limited to organizing and staffing our company, business planning, raising capital and developing our technology and our Terrebonne Facility. We have not yet demonstrated the ability to manufacture a commercial-scale product or conduct sales and marketing activities necessary for successful commercialization. Consequently, any predictions you make about our future success or viability may not be as accurate as they could be if we had a longer operating history. In addition, as a new business, we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other known and unknown factors. We will need to transition from a company with a research focus to a company that is also capable of supporting commercial activities. We may not be successful in such a transition.

There is no history upon which to base any assumption as to the likelihood that we will prove successful, and we can provide investors with no assurance that we will generate any operating revenues or ever achieve profitable operations. If we are unsuccessful in addressing these risks, our business will almost certainly fail.

We may not be able to execute our business plan or stay in business without additional funding.

Our ability to successfully commercialize our business and generate future revenues depends on whether we can obtain the financing necessary to implement our business plan. We will require additional financing through a combination of the issuance of debt, equity, and/or joint ventures and/or government incentive programs in order to establish profitable operations, and such financing may not be forthcoming. We are pursuing financial incentives and financing for our proposed projects with various countries through various programs that involve federal, provincial, state and local governments. If we are unable to attract government incentives and financing to our projects or investors to invest in our business, we may not be able to acquire additional financing through debt or equity markets. Even if additional financing is available, it may not be available on terms favorable to us. Our failure to secure additional financing on favorable terms when it becomes required would have an adverse effect on our ability to execute our business plan or remain in business.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected, and may in the future adversely affect, our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the source of disrupted business operations for us and our customers, suppliers, vendors and other parties with whom we do business, and such disruptions could continue into the future as a result of the ongoing pandemic. In an effort to control the spread of COVID-19, governments and municipalities around the world instituted restrictive measures, including orders to shelter-in-place, travel restrictions, mandated business closures and social distancing. The pandemic and resulting governmental restrictions and regulations adversely affected businesses, economies, and financial markets globally.

These measures have had and may continue to have negative effects on critical development and commercialization efforts. For example, the situation globally and the continued travel restrictions between Canada and the United States have caused disruptions in our timetable of our joint venture with Indorama in the development of our Spartanburg facility and commercialization of our technology. We cannot determine whether there will be further delays in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and further delays on the development and commercialization of our technology could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows. 

In addition, as a result of COVID-19 and the measures designed to contain the spread of the virus, we may experience further restrictions on the movement of employees, disruption of supply chains, shipping of raw materials, restrictions on manufacturing and decline in value of assets held by us, including property and equipment. Additionally, our management team has, and may continue, to spend time, attention and resources monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and seeking to manage its effects on our business and workforce.

Although we continue to monitor the situation and may adjust our current policies as more information and public health guidance become available, the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, and its dynamic nature, including uncertainties relating to the ultimate spread of the virus, the severity of the disease, the duration of the outbreak and actions that may be taken by governmental authorities to contain the outbreak or to treat its impact, makes it difficult to accurately forecast any effects on our results of operations for 2022 and beyond.

COVID-19 and the measures designed to contain the spread of the virus may affect our capacity to continue our development efforts according to our schedule. Further, there may be logistics issues,  operations impacts, and transportation disruptions that may cause further delays or increase costs.

The macroeconomic environment in the United States and abroad has adversely affected, and may in the future adversely affect, our ability to raise capital, which may potentially impact our ability to continue our operations.

We have and, prior to commercialization, will continue to rely on raising funds from investors and/or other sources to support our research and development activities and our operations. Macro-economic conditions in the United States and abroad as well as geo-political disruptions may result in a tightening of the credit markets and/or less capital available for small public companies, which may make it more difficult to raise capital. Specifically, the outbreak of COVID-19 has caused significant disruptions to the global financial markets, which could increase the cost of capital or volatility and adversely impact our ability to raise additional capital, which could negatively affect our liquidity in the future. If we are unable to raise funds as and when we need them, we may be forced to curtail our operations or even cease operating altogether. Therefore, unfavorable macroeconomic and geo-political conditions, including as a result of COVID-19 and any resulting recession or slowed economic growth, could have a negative impact on us. It is not possible at this time to estimate the impact that COVID-19 could have on our business, as the impact will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain.

Our technology may not be successful in developing commercial products.

We and our potential future collaborators may spend many years and dedicate significant financial and other resources developing our technology that may never be successfully commercialized. Our technology may never become successfully commercialized for any of the following reasons:

If any of these things were to occur, it could have a material adverse effect on our business and our results of operations.

We face business risks due to our relationships with strategic partners.

We rely on our strategic partner relationships for the scaling, manufacturing and commercialization of our technology. We have various arrangements with Indorama, SK geo centric and Suez to commercially scale our technology in Spartanburg, Asia and Europe respectively and with Chemtex and our external engineering partners. We also have various supply agreements with Danone, Pepsi, L’Oreal and L’OCCITANE en Provence for our planned commercial facilities. Termination of any of these agreements could have an adverse effect on our business. In particular, certain of our agreements with our strategic partners have termination rights related to the satisfaction of milestones, some of which we have not achieved. Other than as noted below and though we have not received any indication from our strategic partners as to their indication to terminate, we cannot provide assurance that these strategic partners with whom we have entered into such agreements will not exercise their applicable termination rights, which are not within our control. For example, we previously announced that Coca-Cola Cross Enterprise Procurement Group (“CEPG”) advised us that it was terminating our Master Terms and Conditions Supply Agreement for Loop PET plastic, dated November 14, 2018 (the “MTC”) because we did not satisfy our first production milestone from the joint venture facility by July 2020 as required by the MTC. CEPG indicated in its notice that it is open and interested in exploring a new framework agreement with us for North America and/or Europe. We cannot provide any assurances that we will be able to enter into a new agreement with CEPG on terms that are favorable to us or at all. 

Any failure of our strategic partners or us to meet our required commitments, whether financial or otherwise, could result in a termination of such agreements as described above, operational issues, increased expenditures or damage to our reputation or loss of clients or customers, any of which could adversely affect our business and operations, financial performance or prospects.

If we are unable to successfully scale our manufacturing processes, we may not meet customer demand.

To be successful, we will have to scale our manufacturing processes while maintaining high product quality and reliability. If we cannot maintain high product quality at a large scale, our business will be adversely affected. We may encounter difficulties in scaling up production, including problems with the supply of key components. Even if we are successful in developing our manufacturing capability, we do not know whether we will do so in time to satisfy the requirements of our customers. The current manufacturing facility is a small-scale plant with limited production capacity used principally for research and development, training and customer marketing purposes. In order to fully implement our business plan, we will need to scale the operations to a larger industrial commercial facility, develop strategic partnerships or find other means to produce greater volumes of finished product. We, however, have not yet tested our technology at the scale that will be required for large commercial use nor at a scale sufficient to conclude the success of our technology.

Decreases in our ability to develop or apply new technology and know-how may affect our competitiveness.

Our success depends partially on our ability to improve production processes and services. We must also introduce new products and services to meet changing customer needs. If we are unable to implement better production processes or to develop new products through research and development or licensing of new technology, we may not be able to remain competitive with other manufacturers. As a result, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be adversely affected.

Disruption at, damage to or destruction of our Terrebonne Facility could impede our ability to continue innovating and refining our technological process, which would harm our business, financial condition and operating results.

Our research and development activities are performed from a single location in Terrebonne, Québec. Our continued innovation activities rely on an uninterrupted and fully functioning plant. Interruptions in operations at this location could result in our inability to provide the most efficient and effective technological solution to our customers. A number of factors could cause interruptions, including, but not limited to, equipment malfunctions or failures, technology malfunctions, work stoppages or slow-downs, damage to or destruction of the facility or regional power shortages. As our equipment ages, it will need to be replaced. Any disruption that impedes our ability to optimize our process in a timely manner could reduce our revenues and materially harm our business.

The plastics manufacturing industry is extremely price-competitive because of the commodity-like nature of virgin PET resin and its correlation to the price of crude oil. If our cost to manufacture recycled PET is not competitive with virgin PET or if the price of oil reduces significantly, it may adversely impact our ability to penetrate the market or be profitable.

The demand for recycled PET has historically fluctuated with the price of crude oil. If crude oil prices decline, the cost to manufacture recycled PET may become comparatively higher than the cost to manufacture virgin PET. Our ability to penetrate the market will depend in part on the cost of manufacturing virgin PET and if we do not successfully distinguish our product from those of virgin PET manufacturers our entry into the market and our ability to secure customer contracts can be adversely affected.

We are vulnerable to fluctuations in the supply and price of raw materials.

We purchase raw materials and packaging supplies from several sources. While all such materials are available from independent suppliers, raw materials are subject to fluctuations in price and availability attributable to a number of factors, including general economic conditions, commodity price fluctuations, the demand by other industries for the same raw materials and the availability of complementary and substitute materials. The profitability of our business also depends on the availability and proximity of these raw materials to our factories. The choice of raw materials to be used at our facility is determined primarily by the price and availability, the yield loss of lower quality raw materials, and the capabilities of the producer’s production facility. Additionally, the cost of transportation could favor suppliers located in close proximity to our factories. If the quality of these raw materials is lower, the quality of our product may suffer. Economic and financial factors could impact our suppliers, thereby causing supply shortages. Increases in raw material costs could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. Our feedstock supply strategy, including any hedging procedures, may be insufficient, and our results could be materially impacted if costs of materials increase. In light of the uncertain and evolving situation relating to the global COVID-19 pandemic, our access to raw materials, the quality and proximity of such materials may be disrupted. We currently cannot predict the impact that the global COVID-19 pandemic will have on our access to raw materials.

The loss of the services of Mr. Daniel Solomita, our President and Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors, or our failure to timely identify and retain competent personnel could negatively impact our ability to develop our business.

The development of our business and the marketing of our prospective products will continue to place a significant strain on our limited personnel, management, and other resources. Our future success depends upon the continued services of our executive officers who are developing our business, and on our ability to identify and retain competent consultants and employees with the skills required to execute our business objectives. The loss of the services of Mr. Daniel Solomita or our failure to timely identify and retain competent personnel could negatively impact our ability to develop our business which could adversely affect our financial results and impair our growth.

We are subject to certain risks related to litigation filed by or against us and investigations we are subject to, and adverse results may harm our business.

We cannot predict with certainty the cost of defense, of prosecution or of the ultimate outcome of litigation, investigations and other proceedings filed by or against us, including penalties or other civil or criminal sanctions, or remedies or damage awards, and adverse results in any litigation and other proceedings may materially harm our business, including the subpoena we received from the SEC in October 2020 requesting certain information regarding testing, testing results and details of results from our GEN I and GEN II technologies and certain of our partnerships and agreements. In March 2022, we received a subpoena requesting additional information, including information concerning our reverse-merger in 2015, and communications with certain individuals and entities. There have been no further information requests relating to the Company’s business or technology. Litigation and other proceedings may include, but are not limited to, actions relating to intellectual property, international trade, commercial arrangements, product liability, environmental, health and safety, joint venture agreements, labor and employment or other harms resulting from the actions of individuals or entities outside of our control. In the case of intellectual property litigation and proceedings, adverse outcomes could include the cancellation, invalidation or other loss of material intellectual property rights used in our business and injunctions prohibiting our use of business processes or technology that are subject to third-party patents or other third-party intellectual property rights. We expect to continue to incur legal fees in relation to litigation, investigations and other proceedings.

We were named as a defendant in putative shareholder class action lawsuits and are subject to an SEC Investigation which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operation, cash flows and reputation.

We are defending against putative shareholder class action lawsuits described in “Item 3. Legal Proceedings—Litigation,” including any appeals of such lawsuit. We are currently unable to estimate the possible loss or possible range of loss, if any, associated with the resolution of these lawsuits. In the event that our initial defense of these lawsuits is unsuccessful, there can be no assurance that we will prevail in any appeal. Any adverse outcome, including any plaintiff’s appeal of the judgment in this case, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operation, cash flows and reputation. In addition, there can be no assurance that our insurance carriers will cover all or part of the defense costs, or any liabilities that may arise from these matters. The litigation process may utilize a significant portion of our cash resources and divert management’s attention from the day-to-day operations of our company, all of which could harm our business. We also may be subject to claims for indemnification related to these matters, and we cannot predict the impact that indemnification claims may have on our business or financial results.

As explained in Item 3 Legal Proceedings, we have entered a settlement for the consolidated class action In re Loop Industries, Inc. Securities Litigation, Master File No. 7:20-cv-08538-NSR. The settlement is subject to conditions including court approval. There is no guarantee that the settlement will become final.

In addition, as described in “Item 3. Legal Proceedings—SEC Investigation,” of this annual report, the SEC in October 2020 requesting certain information regarding testing, testing results and details of results from our GEN I and GEN II technologies and certain of our partnerships and agreements. In March 2022, we received a subpoena requesting additional information, including information concerning our reverse-merger in 2015, and communications with certain individuals and entities. There have been no further information requests relating to the Company’s business or technology. We cannot predict or provide any assurance as to the timing, outcome or consequences of the SEC investigation. If the SEC were to conclude that enforcement action is appropriate, we could be required to pay civil penalties and fines, and the SEC could impose other sanctions against us or against our current and former officers and directors. We have incurred, and may continue to incur, significant expenses related to legal and other professional services in connection with matters relating to or arising from the SEC investigation. In addition, our board of directors, management and employees may expend a substantial amount of time on the SEC investigation, diverting resources and attention that would otherwise be directed toward our operations and implementation of our business strategy, all of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, while the SEC has informed us that the investigation should not be construed as an indication by the SEC or its staff that any violation of law has occurred, nor as a reflection upon any person, entity or security, publicity surrounding the foregoing, or any SEC enforcement action or settlement as a result of the SEC’s investigation, even if ultimately resolved favorably for us, could have an adverse impact on our reputation, business, financial condition, results of operations or cash position.

Our Terrebonne Facility or other planned facilities must operate under policies, procedures, and controls for the operation of a chemical manufacturing facility as required under various federal, provincial and local regulations and codes. Failure to comply with such regulations and codes may lead to disruption of operations at the Terrebonne Facility or other planned facilities and the development of our technology, and financial sanctions.

We are subject to health and safety as well as environmental, zoning and any other regulatory requirements to operate our Terrebonne Facility and our other planned facilities, and as our business evolves, we, directly or indirectly through our partners or other related parties, may be subject to additional government regulations. Any failure to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements, as well as discovery of previously unknown problems, may result in, among other things, costly regulatory inspections, fines or remediation plans. If regulatory issues arise, the value of our business and our operating results may be adversely affected.

Additionally, applicable regulations may change, and additional government regulations may be enacted that could impact our business. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in Canada, the United States or abroad. If we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, are slow or unable to adopt new requirements or policies, or effect changes to existing requirements, our business may be adversely affected.

Our failure to protect our intellectual property and proprietary technology may significantly impair our competitive advantage.

Our success and ability to compete depend in large part upon protecting our proprietary technology. We rely on a combination of patent, trademark and trade secret protection, confidentiality, nondisclosure and non-use agreements to protect our proprietary rights. The steps we have taken may not be sufficient to prevent the misappropriation of our intellectual property, particularly in foreign countries where the laws may not protect our proprietary rights as fully as in the United States. The patent and trademark law and trade secret protection may not be adequate to deter third party infringement or misappropriation of our patents, trademarks and similar proprietary rights.

We may face costly intellectual property infringement claims, the result of which would decrease the amount of cash available to operate and complete our business plan.

We anticipate that, from time to time, we will receive communications from third parties asserting that we are infringing certain patents and other intellectual property rights of others or seeking indemnification against alleged infringement. If anticipated claims arise, we will evaluate their merits. Any claims of infringement brought forth by third parties could result in protracted and costly litigation, damages for infringement, and the necessity of obtaining a license relating to one or more of our products or current or future technologies, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Litigation, which could result in substantial costs to us and diversion of our resources, may be necessary to enforce our patents or other intellectual property rights or to defend us against claimed infringement of the rights of others. Any intellectual property litigation and the failure to obtain necessary licenses or other rights could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. 

We rely in part on trade secrets to protect our technology, and our failure to obtain or maintain trade secret protection could harm our business.

We rely on trade secrets to protect some of our technology and proprietary information, especially where we believe patent protection is not appropriate or obtainable. However, trade secrets are difficult to protect. Litigating a claim that a third party had illegally obtained and used our trade secrets would be expensive and time consuming, and the outcome would be unpredictable. Moreover, if our competitors independently develop similar knowledge, methods and know-how, it will be difficult for us to enforce our rights and our business could be harmed.

If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and the price of our common stock.

We are required to evaluate our internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Section 404”). Section 404 requires us to include an internal control report with our Annual Report on Form 10-K. This report must include management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as at the end of the fiscal year. This report must also include disclosure of any material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting that we have identified. 

The process of designing and implementing internal control over financial reporting required to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is time consuming, costly and complicated. If during the evaluation and testing process, we identify one or more other material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting or determine that existing material weaknesses have not been remediated, our management will be unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective. Even if our management concludes that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, our independent registered public accounting firm may conclude that there are material weaknesses with respect to our internal controls or the level at which our internal controls are documented, designed, implemented or reviewed. If we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or when required in the future, if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our common stock could be adversely affected and we could become subject to litigation or investigations by the stock exchange on which our securities are listed, the SEC or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources.

We are subject to risks associated with currency fluctuations, and changes in foreign currency exchange rates could impact our results of operations.

We operate mainly through two entities, Loop Industries, Inc., which is a Nevada corporation and has a U.S. dollar functional currency, and our wholly-owned subsidiary, Loop Canada Inc. (“Loop Canada”), which is based in Terrebonne, Québec, Canada and has a Canadian dollar functional currency. Our reporting currency is the U.S. dollar.

We mainly finance our operations through the sale and issuance of shares of common stock of Loop Industries, Inc. in U.S. dollars while our operations are concentrated in our wholly-owned subsidiary, Loop Canada. Additionally, we are planning a commercial development project in Bécancour, Québec which is expected to involve the purchase of various equipment primarily in Canadian dollars and U.S. dollars. Accordingly, we are exposed to foreign exchange risk as we maintain bank accounts in U.S. dollars and a significant portion of our operational costs (including payroll, site costs, costs of locally sourced supplies and income taxes) are denominated in Canadian dollars.

Significant fluctuations in U.S. dollar to Canadian dollar exchange rates could materially affect our result of operations, cash position and funding requirements. To the extent that fluctuations in currency exchange rates cause our results of operations to differ materially from our expectations or the expectations of our investors, the trading price of our common stock could be adversely affected.

From time to time, we may engage in exchange rate hedging activities in an effort to mitigate the impact of exchange rate fluctuations. As part of our risk management program, we may enter into foreign exchange forward contracts to lock in the exchange rates for future foreign currency transactions, which is intended to reduce the variability of our operating costs and future cash flows denominated in currencies that differ from our functional currencies. We do not enter into these contracts for trading purposes or speculation, and our management believes all such contracts are entered into as hedges of underlying transactions. Nonetheless, these instruments involve costs and have risks of their own in the form of transaction costs, credit requirements and counterparty risk. If our hedging program is not successful, or if we change our hedging activities in the future, we may experience significant unexpected expenses from fluctuations in exchange rates. Any hedging technique we implement may fail to be effective. If our hedging activities are not effective, changes in currency exchange rates may have a more significant impact on the trading price of our common stock.

We are subject to various federal, provincial, state and local laws and regulations and failure to secure and maintain permits could result in costs that have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Many federal, provincial, state and local regulations govern plants and facilities and licenses to be held by individuals. We are in the process of obtaining all necessary permits and approvals for the operation of our business; however, any of these permits or approvals may be subject to denial, revocation or modification under various circumstances. The requirements for such permits vary depending on the location where our regulated activities are operated. As these are governmental permitting processes, there is a degree of uncertainty as to whether a permit will be granted, the time it will take for a permit to be issued, the duration of the permit and the conditions that may be imposed in connection with the granting of the permit.

We believe that we have all licenses required to conduct our operations and are in material compliance with applicable regulatory requirements. Failure to comply with applicable regulations could result in substantial fines or revocation of our permits and licenses or an inability to perform work, which could adversely affect our business.

RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR SECURITIES

Raising additional funds may cause dilution to our existing stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies.

If we raise additional funds through equity offerings or offerings of equity-linked securities, including warrants or convertible debt securities, our existing stockholders may experience significant dilution, and the terms of such securities may include liquidation or other preferences that may adversely affect the rights of our stockholders. Our existing $15 and $20 warrants are subject to a broad based weighted average anti-dilution provision, which may result in a reduction of the warrant exercise price if new equity above $65 million is raised under certain levels. The warrant exercise prices cannot be adjusted to less than $12.45. Debt financings, if available, may subject us to restrictive covenants that could limit our flexibility in conducting future business activities, including covenants limiting or restricting our ability to incur additional debt, dispose of assets or incur capital expenditures. We may also incur ongoing interest expense and be required to grant a security interest in our assets in connection with any debt issuance. If we raise additional funds through strategic partnerships or licensing agreements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us.

Trading volume in our stock can fluctuate and an active trading market for our common stock may not be available on a consistent basis to provide stockholders with adequate liquidity. Our stock price may be volatile, and our stockholders could incur significant investment losses.

The trading price for our common stock will be affected by a number of factors, including:

As a result of these factors, our stockholders may not be able to resell their shares at, or above, their purchase price. In addition, the stock prices of many technology companies have experienced wide fluctuations that have often been unrelated to the operating performance of those companies. Any negative change in the public’s perception of the prospects of companies in our industry could depress our stock price regardless of our results of operations. These factors may have a material adverse effect on the market price and liquidity of our common stock and affect our ability to obtain required financing.

Our President and Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Daniel Solomita, beneficially owns a majority of the total voting power of our capital stock, and accordingly, has control over stockholder matters, our business and management.

As at May 25, 2022, Mr. Daniel Solomita, our President and Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and controlling shareholder, beneficially owns 19,210,000 shares of common stock, or 40.5% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock and also holds one share of Series A Preferred Stock. The one share of Series A Preferred Stock issued to Mr. Solomita holds a majority of the total voting power so long as Mr. Solomita holds not less than 7.5% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock, assuring Mr. Solomita of control of the Company in the event that his ownership of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock is diluted to a level below a majority. Currently, Mr. Solomita’s beneficial ownership of 19,210,000 shares of common stock and 1 share of Series A Preferred Stock provides him with 75.8% of the voting control of the Company.

Additionally, the one share of Series A Preferred Stock issued to Mr. Solomita contains protective provisions, which precludes us from taking certain actions without Mr. Solomita’s (or that of any person to whom the one share of Series A Preferred Stock is transferred) approval. More specifically, so long as any shares of Series A Preferred Stock are outstanding, we are not permitted to take certain actions without first obtaining the approval (by vote or written consent, as provided by law) of the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting as a separate class, including for example and without limitation, amending our articles of incorporation, changing or modifying the rights of the Series A Preferred Stock, including increasing or decreasing the number of authorized shares of Series A Preferred Stock, increasing or decreasing the size of the board of directors or remove the director appointed by the holders of our Series A Preferred Stock and declaring or paying any dividend or other distribution.

Moreover, because of the significant ownership position held by our insiders, new investors may not be able to effect a change in our business or management, and therefore, stockholders would have no recourse as a result of decisions made by management.

In addition, sales of significant amounts of shares held by Mr. Solomita, or the prospect of these sales, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Management’s stock ownership may discourage a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us, which in turn could reduce our stock price or prevent our stockholders from realizing a premium over our stock price.

Anti-takeover effects of certain provisions of Nevada state law hinder a potential takeover of our company.

Though not now, we may in the future become subject to Nevada’s control share law. A corporation is subject to Nevada’s control share law if it has more than 200 stockholders, at least 100 of whom are stockholders of record and residents of Nevada, and it does business in Nevada or through an affiliated corporation. The law focuses on the acquisition of a “controlling interest” which means the ownership of outstanding voting shares sufficient, but for the control share law, to enable the acquiring person to exercise the following proportions of the voting power of the company in the election of directors: (i) one-fifth or more but less than one-third, (ii) one-third or more but less than a majority, or (iii) a majority or more. The ability to exercise such voting power may be direct or indirect, as well as individual or in association with others.

The effect of the control share law is that the acquiring person, and those acting in association with it, obtains only such voting rights in the control shares as are conferred by a resolution of our stockholders, approved at a special or annual meeting of stockholders. The control share law contemplates that voting rights will be considered only once by the other stockholders. Thus, there is no authority to strip voting rights from the control shares of an acquiring person once those rights have been approved. If the stockholders do not grant voting rights to the control shares acquired by an acquiring person, those shares do not become permanent non-voting shares. The acquiring person is free to sell its shares to others. If the buyers of those shares themselves do not acquire a controlling interest, their shares do not become governed by the control share law.

If control shares are accorded full voting rights and the acquiring person has acquired control shares with a majority or more of the voting power, any stockholder of record, other than an acquiring person, who has not voted in favor of approval of voting rights, is entitled to demand fair value for such stockholder’s shares.

In addition to the control share law, Nevada has a business combination law which prohibits certain business combinations between Nevada corporations and “interested stockholders” for three years after the “interested stockholder” first becomes an “interested stockholder,” unless the company’s board of directors approves the combination in advance. For purposes of Nevada law, an “interested stockholder” is any person who is (i) the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of ten percent or more of the voting power of the outstanding voting shares of the company, or (ii) an affiliate or associate of the company 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 company. The definition of the term “combination” is sufficiently broad to cover virtually any kind of transaction that would allow a potential acquirer to use the company’s assets to finance the acquisition or otherwise to benefit its own interests rather than the interests of the company and its other stockholders.

The effect of Nevada’s business combination law is to potentially discourage parties interested in taking control of us from doing so if it cannot obtain the approval of our board of directors.

Because we do not intend to pay any cash dividends on our common stock, our stockholders will not be able to receive a return on their shares unless they sell them.

We intend to retain any future earnings to finance the development and expansion of our business. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Unless we pay dividends, our stockholders will not be able to receive a return on their shares unless they sell them. Stockholders may not be able to sell shares when desired. Before you invest in our securities, you should be aware that there are various risks. You should consider carefully these risk factors, together with all of the other information included in this annual report before you decide to purchase our securities. If any of the following risks and uncertainties develop into actual events, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Changes in tax legislation in the countries the Company has operations could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) that significantly reforms the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The TCJA, among other things, includes changes to U.S. federal tax rates, imposes significant additional limitations on the deductibility of interest and net operating loss carryforwards, allows for the expensing of capital expenditures, and puts into effect the migration from a “worldwide” system of taxation to a territorial system. The impact of enactment of U.S. tax reform was recorded on a provisional basis as the legislation provides for additional guidance to be issued by the U.S. Treasury Department on several provisions including the computation of the transition tax. We continue to examine the impact this tax reform legislation may have on our business and we urge our stockholders to consult with their legal and tax advisors with respect to such legislation and the potential tax consequences of investing in our common stock.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

On January 26, 2018, we completed the purchase of the land and building housing our Terrebonne Facility and corporate offices located at 480 Fernand-Poitras, Terrebonne, Québec, Canada J6Y 1Y4. The 33.2 thousand square foot facility includes 13.0 thousand square feet for our executive offices and 20.2 thousand square feet for our innovation and operational activities. We believe that our existing facilities are adequate for our current needs.

On May 27, 2021, we acquired a 19 million square foot parcel of land in Bécancour, Québec for approximately $4.8 million (CDN $ 5.9 million). The site is part of our planning for an Infinite Loop^™ manufacturing facility. The location is near existing industrial infrastructure, which reduces project costs, permitting time and does not result in the destruction of wetlands or forest.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

SEC Investigation

We received a subpoena from the SEC in October 2020 requesting certain information from us, including information regarding testing, testing results and details of results from our GEN I and GEN II technologies and certain of our partnerships and agreements. In March 2022, we received a subpoena requesting additional information, including information concerning our reverse-merger in 2015, and communications with certain individuals and entities. There have been no further information requests relating to the Company’s business or technology. The SEC informed us that its investigation does not mean that the SEC has concluded that anyone has violated the law and that the investigation does not mean that the SEC has a negative opinion of us. We cannot predict when this matter will be resolved or what, if any, action the SEC may take following the conclusion of the investigation.

Litigation

On October 13, 2020, the Company and certain of its officers were named as defendants in a proposed class action lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, captioned Olivier Tremblay, Individually and on Behalf of All Other Similarly Situated v. Loop Industries, Inc., Daniel Solomita, and Nelson Gentiletti, Case No. 7:20-cv-0838-NSR (“Tremblay Class Action”). The complaint alleges that the defendants violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) and Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by allegedly making materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as allegedly failing to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects, which caused the Company’s securities to trade at artificially inflated prices. The complaint seeks unspecified damages on behalf of a class of purchasers of Loop’s securities between September 24, 2018 and October 12, 2020.

On October 28, 2020, the Company and certain of its officers were named as defendants in a second proposed class action lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, captioned Michelle Bazzini, Individually and on Behalf of All Other Similarly Situated v. Loop Industries, Inc., Daniel Solomita, and Nelson Gentiletti, Case No. 7:20-cv-09031-NSR. The complaint allegations are similar in nature to those in the Tremblay Class Action.

On January 4, 2021, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York consolidated the two proposed class-action lawsuits as In re Loop Industries, Inc. Securities Litigation, Master File No. 7:20-cv-08538-NSR. Sakari Johansson and John Jay Cappa were appointed as Co-Lead Plaintiffs and Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP and Pomerantz LLP were appointed as Co-Lead Counsel for the class.

Plaintiffs served a consolidated amended complaint on February 18, 2021, which alleges that the defendants violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) and Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by allegedly making materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as allegedly failing to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects, which caused the Company’s securities to trade at artificially inflated prices. The consolidated amended complaint relies on the October 13, 2020 report published by a third party regarding the Company to support their allegations. Defendants served a motion to dismiss the consolidated amended complaint on April 27, 2021. Plaintiffs’ opposition to the motion to Dismiss was served on May 27, 2021 and Defendants’ reply in support of the motion to dismiss is due on June 11, 2021.

On March 1, 2022, the Company and the current and former officer defendants entered into an agreement for the settlement of the consolidated class action lawsuit, and, on March 4, 2022, advised the Court of the agreement to settle.  The agreement, which is subject to certain conditions, including court approval, requires the Company to pay $3.1 million to the plaintiff class.  The Company’s total cash contribution to the settlement and outstanding legal fees related to the lawsuit, combined, will be approximately $2.52 million.  The remainder of the settlement will be paid by the Company’s D&O insurance carriers. As explained in Note 22 in our consolidated financial statements, the Company recorded a contingency loss in relation to the settlement.

The settlement agreement does not constitute an admission, concession, or finding of any fault, liability, or wrongdoing by the Company or any defendant.

On October 13, 2020, the Company, Loop Canada Inc. and certain of their officers and directors were named as defendants in a proposed securities class action filed in the Superior Court of Québec (District of Terrebonne, Province of Québec, Canada), in file no. 700-06-000012-205. The Application for authorization of a class action and for authorization to bring an action pursuant to section 225.4 of the Québec Securities Act (“the Application”) was filed by an individual shareholder on behalf of himself and a class of buyers who purchased our securities during the “Class Period” (not defined). Plaintiff alleges that throughout the Class Period, the defendants allegedly made false and/or misleading statements and allegedly failed to disclose material adverse facts concerning the Company’s technology, business model, operations and prospects, thus causing the Company’s stock price to be artificially inflated and thereby causing plaintiff to suffer damages. Plaintiff seeks unspecified damages stemming from losses he claims to have suffered as a result of the foregoing. On December 13, 2020, the Application was amended in order to add allegations regarding specific misrepresentations. The authorization hearing was held on February 24, 2022 and the matter is currently under advisement.

Management believes that this case lacks merit and intends to defend it vigorously. No amounts have been provided for in the consolidated financial statements with respect to this claim. Management has not yet determined what effect this lawsuit may have on its financial position or results of operations as it is still in the preliminary stages.

From time to time, we may become involved in various lawsuits and legal proceedings or investigations which arise in the ordinary course of business. Except as noted above, we are not presently a party to any legal proceedings, government actions, administrative actions, investigations or claims that are pending against us or involve us that, in the opinion of our management, could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or operating results. However, litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties, and an adverse result in these or other matters may arise from time to time that may harm our business.

It is possible that we may expend financial and managerial resources in the defense of our intellectual property rights in the future if we believe that our rights have been violated. It is also possible that we may expend financial and managerial resources to defend against claims that our products and services infringe upon the intellectual property rights of third parties.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

ITEM 4.1. EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT
 

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from the section captioned “Executive Officers” contained in our proxy statement for the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders, to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A, not later than 120 days after February 28, 2022.

PART II

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

Market Information for Common Stock

Our common stock is currently traded on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “LOOP.”

Holders

As at May 25, 2022, there were 47,400,709 shares of common stock issued and outstanding (excluding shares of common stock issuable upon conversion or conversion into shares of common stock of all of our currently outstanding Series A Preferred Stock) held by approximately 43 stockholders of record. The actual number of stockholders is greater than this number of record holders, and includes stockholders who are beneficial owners, but whose shares are held in street name by brokers and other nominees. This number of holders of record also does not include stockholders whose shares may be held in trust by other entities.

Dividends

We have not declared any dividends and we do not plan to declare any dividends in the foreseeable future. There are no restrictions in our Articles of Incorporation or By-laws that prevent us from declaring dividends. The Nevada Revised Statutes, however, prohibit us from declaring dividends where, after giving effect to the distribution of the dividend:

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

As discussed further in Note 13 to the financial statements included in this Annual Report, in connection with the strategic partnership with SK geo centric Co., Ltd. (formerly known as SK global chemical Co. Ltd.) (“SKGC”), on July 29, 2021, we issued 4,714,813 shares of our common stock and warrants to purchase 7,533,518 shares of our common stock to SKGC.

As discussed further in Note 11 to the financial statements included in this Annual Report, in connection with the Investissement Québec financing facility, on August 26, 2021, we issued a warrant to purchase 17,180 shares of our common stock to Investissement Québec.

On May 12, 2020, we issued to a service provider a warrant to acquire 25,000 shares of common stock at a strike price of $9.43 per share.

Each issuance listed above was exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 and/or Rule 506 of Regulation D promulgated thereunder.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Registrant and Affiliated Purchasers

We did not purchase any of our shares of common stock or other securities during the year ended February 28, 2022.

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

Pursuant to SEC Release No. 33-8876, we are permitted to use the scaled disclosure requirements applicable to a “smaller reporting company,” as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, and therefore, we are not required to provide the information called for by this Item.

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

The following information and any forward-looking statements should be read in conjunction with “Risk Factors” discussed elsewhere in this Report. Please refer to the Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements on page 4.

Overview

Loop is a technology company whose mission is to accelerate the world’s shift towards sustainable PET plastic and polyester fiber and away from our dependence on fossil fuels. Loop owns patented and proprietary technology that depolymerizes no and low-value waste PET plastic and polyester fiber, including plastic bottles and packaging, carpets and textiles of any color, transparency or condition and even ocean plastics that have been degraded by the sun and salt, to its base building blocks (monomers). The monomers are filtered, purified and polymerized to create virgin-quality Loop^™ branded PET resin and polyester fiber suitable for use in food-grade packaging, thus enabling our customers to meet their sustainability objectives. Loop is contributing to the global movement towards a circular economy by preventing plastic waste and recovering waste plastic for a more sustainable future for all.

The Company is in the planning stages of pursuing the construction of Infinite Loop™ commercial scale facilities in Québec, Canada, and with strategic partners in Europe and South Korea. Additionally, the Company has a joint venture to pursue the retrofitting of existing fossil fuel PET polymerization facilities with its recycling technology.

Consumer brands are seeking a solution to their plastic challenge, and they are taking bold action. In the past years, we have seen major brands make significant commitments to close the loop on their plastic use in two ways; by transitioning their packaging to recyclable materials and by incorporating more recycled content into their packaging. We believe Loop^™ PET resin and polyester fiber provides the ideal solution for these brands because it is recyclable and is made from 100% recycled waste PET and polyester fiber, while being virgin-quality and suitable for use in food-grade packaging.

Commercialization Plan and Progress

Our objective is to achieve global expansion of Loop’s technology through a mix of fully owned manufacturing facilities, strategic partnerships, and licensing agreements. We believe that industrial companies, some of which today may not be in the business of manufacturing PET resin or polyester fiber, will view involvement in Infinite Loop^™ projects as a significant growth opportunity, which may offer attractive economic returns either as Loop manufacturing partners or as licensees of the technology. We are currently pursuing projects for future commercial production facilities in three regions: North America, Europe and Asia. The global expansion plan for our technology will allow our customers, mostly comprised of CPG brand companies and apparel companies, to expand the use of Loop^™ PET resin and polyester fiber into their packaging and clothing. As countries around the globe continue to increase sustainability targets and recycled content mandates, our customers are increasing the use of sustainably produced materials into their products.

The Infinite Loop^™ manufacturing technology is the key pillar of our commercialization blueprint. We believe our technology is at the forefront of the global transition away from fossil fuels and petrochemicals and into the circular economy, where PET plastic and polyester fiber are produced by recycling waste plastic rather than depleting finite resources. The Infinite Loop^™ manufacturing technology allows for waste PET plastic and polyester fiber to be broken down into its base building blocks, monomers DMT and MEG, using Loop’s patented technology. Once the monomers are purified, they are then repolymerized into PET plastic or polyester fiber using INVISTA know how, which Loop licenses, and Chemtex Global Corporation’s engineering.  The INVISTA polymerization process and the associated designs are historically proven in the commercial production of PET resin and polyester fiber.

We have completed our basic design package for the Infinite Loop^™ full-scale manufacturing facilities with our engineering partners Worley, BBA and Chemtex, all leading global engineering and construction companies. The engineering philosophy we have adopted is “design one, build many.” This approach allows for the basic design package, to be used as the base engineering platform for all future geographical expansion. We believe this approach allows for a quick execution, speed to market and lends itself well to modular construction. The basic design package has a capacity of up to 70,000 M/T of PET resin output per year. Permitting, site and regulatory considerations may impact plant capacity. Our engineering partners may also play a role in the future design of larger capacity facilities.

Our market strategy is to assist global consumer goods brands in meeting their public sustainability commitments by offering packaging or polyester fibers that are made with Loop co-branded, 100% recycled, virgin-quality PET or polyester fibers. We believe that Loop^™ recycled PET resin and polyester fiber could command premium pricing over virgin, petroleum-based PET resin and provide attractive economic returns. We are targeting multi-year take or pay offtake agreements for planned Infinite Loop^™ production. Factors under consideration in determining project economics include the feasibility design engineering and cost estimate work, timing and permitting of a facility, customer offtake demand, commitment terms, and feedstock sources, quality, availability, PET bale index pricing, logistics, and ramp up, among others.

Results of Operations

Fourth Quarter Ended February 28, 2022

The following table summarizes our operating results for the three-month periods ended February 28, 2022 and February 28, 2021, in U.S. Dollars.

The net loss for the three-month period ended February 28, 2022 increased $1.08 million to $14.27 million, as compared to the net loss for the three-month period ended February 28, 2021 which was $13.19 million. The increase is primarily due to a contingency loss for legal settlement of $2.52 million and a loss from equity investment of $1.12 million, partially offset by decreased general and administrative expenses of $1.39 million and decreased research and development expenses of $1.20 million.

The contingency loss for legal settlement of $2.52 million is related to the agreement for the settlement of the consolidated class action lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York described in “Item 3. Legal Proceedings” entered into by the Company and the current and former officer defendants on March 1, 2022.  The agreement, which is subject to certain conditions, including court approval, requires the Company to pay $3.1 million to the plaintiff class.  The Company’s total cash contribution to the settlement and outstanding legal fees related to the lawsuit, combined, will be approximately $2.52 million.  The remainder of the settlement will be paid by the Company’s D&O insurance carriers. 

The recognition of a loss from equity investment of $1.12 million in the three-month period ended February 28, 2022 is related to management’s determination that the capitalized costs in our joint venture with Indorama, Indorama Loop Technologies (“ILT”) were no longer recoverable. The joint venture had made a decision during 2020 that it would temporarily delay work on the project, largely due to factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since that date, no expenditures have been incurred by the joint venture. Also, the Company achieved significant advancements in its engineering design independently from that which was accomplished in ILT. Due to these advancements, management has determined that engineering design costs initially capitalized in ILT are now obsolete and no longer recoverable. Therefore, the Company recorded a loss of $1.12 million relating to its investment in ILT during the three-month period ended February 28, 2022. This amount represents the Company’s 50% portion of the engineering design costs capitalized in ILT.

The $1.39 million decrease in general and administrative expenses for the three-month period ended February 28, 2022 was primarily attributable to the following:

These decreases were partially offset by a $0.53 million increase in insurance expenses mainly due to directors and officers (“D&O”) insurance upon extension of the Company’s policy and a $0.14 million increase in other general and administrative expenses.

The $1.20 million decrease in research and development for the three-month period ended February 28, 2022 was primarily attributable to the following:

These decreases were partially offset by a $0.51 million increase in employee compensation expenses related to increased headcount to support the Company’s commercialization efforts, a $0.15 million increase in plant and laboratory operating expenses and a $0.28 million increase in other research and development expenses.

Fiscal Year Ended February 28, 2022 

The following table summarizes our operating results for the years ended February 28, 2022 and February 28, 2021, in U.S. Dollars.

The net loss for the year ended February 28, 2022 increased $8.58 million to $44.92 million, as compared to the net loss for the year ended February 28, 2021 which was $36.34 million. The increase is primarily due to increased research and development expenses of $9.05 million, a contingency loss for legal settlement of $2.52 million, increased general and administrative expenses of $1.25 million and a loss from equity investment of $1.12 million, partially offset by decreased impairment of assets of $5.04 million, lower depreciation and amortization expenses of $0.23 million and a decreased foreign exchange loss of $0.20 million.

The $9.05 million increase in research and development for the year ended February 28, 2022 was primarily attributable to the following:

The contingency loss for legal settlement of $2.52 million is related to the agreement for the settlement of the consolidated class action lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York described above in Results of Operations, Fourth Quarter Ended February 28, 2022.

The $1.25 million increase in general and administrative expenses for the year ended February 28, 2022 was primarily attributable to the following:

These increases were partially offset by lower stock-based compensation expenses of $1.73 million which are mainly due to forfeitures of RSUs for $0.94 million and a $0.37 million decrease in expenses for legal and professional fees due to costs principally associated with the SEC investigation and class action suits described in “Item 3. Legal Proceedings”.

The recognition of a loss from equity investment of $1.12 million in the year ended February 28, 2022 is related to its investment in ILT as discussed in the fourth quarter results above.

The $5.04 million decrease in write-down and impairment of assets is related to the decision in the third quarter of fiscal 2021 to dedicate the Terrebonne Facility to brand activation, initial customer volumes and Infinite Loop™ demonstration, and research and development activities. Although the machinery and equipment will continue to be utilized at the Terrebonne Facility as it is an integral part of supporting the commercialization of our technology, application of ASC 730, Research and Development Costs requires machinery and equipment assets to be written off and all future costs associated with the Terrebonne Facility to be recognized as a research and development expense in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

The $0.23 million decrease in depreciation and amortization expenses for year ended February 28, 2022 is mainly attributable to the write-down of machinery and equipment described above.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

From inception to February 28, 2022, the Company has been in the development stage with no revenues, with its ongoing operations and commercialization plans financed primarily by raising equity. To date, we have been successful in raising capital to finance our ongoing operations. Although our liquidity position consists of cash and cash equivalents on hand of $44.06 million at February 28, 2022, our liquidity position is subject to risks and uncertainties, including those discussed under “Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Risk Factors section included in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Management actively monitors the Company’s cash resources against the Company’s short-term cash commitments to ensure the Company has sufficient liquidity to fund its costs for at least twelve months from the financial statement issuance date. Management evaluates the Company’s liquidity to determine if there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.  In preparing this liquidity assessment, management applies significant judgment in estimating future cash flow requirements of the Company based on budgets and forecasts which includes developing assumptions related to: (i) estimation of amount and timing of future cash outflows and cash inflows and (ii) determining what future expenditures are committed and what could be considered discretionary. Management prepared the Company’s consolidated financial statements on a going concern basis in accordance with ASC 205-40, as management believes that the Company will be able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of operations as they become due for a period of no less than 12 months from the date of issuance of these consolidated financial statements.

Management continues to pursue our growth strategy and is evaluating our financing plans to continue to raise capital to finance the start-up of commercial operations and continue to fund our ongoing operations. We will require a significant amount of capital to fund our growth as we invest in the planned construction of our Infinite Loop™ manufacturing facility in Bécancour, Québec and our planned commercial facilities in Europe, Asia and Spartanburg, South Carolina, as well as additional research and development. In addition to our cash on hand, we may also raise additional capital through equity offerings or debt financings, government incentives, as well as through collaborations or strategic alliances to execute our growth strategy. Such financing will depend on many factors, including actual construction costs of the planned commercial facilities, potential delays in our supply chain, and our ability to secure customers, which may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital when required, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected.

As the Company pursues its commercialization strategy and invests in the Bécancour, Québec project site and other projects, certain project site improvements and long lead capital commitments are being incurred and we expect to enter into additional commitments in the future, provided we obtain the required funding. In December 2021, the Company entered into an agreement for the purchase of long lead machinery and equipment in connection with the planned construction of our Infinite Loop™ manufacturing facility in Bécancour, Québec for up to $8.55 million over the next 9 months, based on certain milestones subject to various terms and conditions, including securing financing for our Infinite Loop™ manufacturing facility in Bécancour, Québec. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company has paid a cash deposit of $2.14 million.

As part of our strategic partnership with SKGC, SKGC purchased 4,714,813 new treasury common shares of Loop at a price of $12 per share, for total consideration of $56.5 million. The strategic equity investment closed on July 29, 2021. SKGC was also granted warrants to acquire an additional 461,298 common shares at $11 per share within the next 12 months, 4,714,813 common shares at a price of $15 per share, within the next 3 years, and a further 2,357,407 shares at $20 per share, conditional upon the timing of construction of the first Asian manufacturing facility.

We have a long-term debt obligation to Investissement Québec in connection with a financing facility for the expansion of the Terrebonne Facility up to a maximum of $3.62 million (CDN$4.60 million). We received the first disbursement in the amount of $1.74 million (CDN$2.21 million) on February 21, 2020 and the second disbursement in the amount of $1.88 million (CDN$2.39 million) on August 26, 2021. There is a 36-month moratorium on both capital and interest repayments as of the first disbursement date. At the end of the 36-month moratorium, capital and interest will be repayable in 84 monthly installments. The loan bears interest at 2.36%. We have also agreed to issue to Investissement Québec warrants to purchase shares of our common stock in an amount equal to 10% of each disbursement up to a maximum aggregate amount of $0.36 million (CDN$0.46 million). The warrants were issued at a price per share equal to the higher of (i) $11.00 per share and (ii) the ten-day weighted average closing price of Loop Industries shares of common stock on the Nasdaq stock market for the 10 days prior to the issue of the warrants. The warrants can be exercised immediately upon grant and have a term of three years from the date of issuance. The loan can be repaid at any time by us without penalty. On February 21, 2020, upon the receipt of the first disbursement under this facility, we issued a warrant to purchase 15,153 shares of common stock at a price of $11.00 to Investissement Québec. On August 26, 2021, upon the receipt of the second disbursement under this facility, we issued a warrant to purchase 17,180 shares of common stock at a price of $11.00 to Investissement Québec. There is no remaining amount available under the financing facility after the second disbursement.

From time to time, we may engage in exchange rate hedging activities in an effort to mitigate the impact of exchange rate fluctuations. As part of our risk management program, we may enter into foreign exchange forward contracts to lock in the exchange rates for future foreign currency transactions, which is intended to reduce the variability of our operating costs and future cash flows denominated in currencies that differs from our functional currencies. We do not enter into these contracts for trading purposes or speculation, and our management believes all such contracts are entered into as hedges of underlying transactions.

The following table summarizes the exchange rates used:

Expenditures are translated at the average exchange rate for the period presented.

Flow of Funds

Summary of Cash Flows

A summary of cash flows for the years ended February 28, 2022, and February 28, 2021 was as follows:

Net Cash Used in Operating Activities

During the year ended February 28, 2022, we used $42.98 million in operations compared to $22.49 million during the year ended February 28, 2021. The increase over each year is mainly due to increased operating expenses as we move forward on our commercialization plan and to complete the upgrade of the Terrebonne Facility. As discussed above in the Results of Operations, the main increases in expenses were machinery and equipment, employee compensation, engineering fees and insurance.

Net Cash Used in Investing Activities

During the year ended February 28, 2022, we used $5.11 million in investing activities. We made investments of $4.82 million in property, plant and equipment as compared to $1.74 million for the year ended February 28, 2021, primarily in connection with the purchase for $4.80 million of a parcel of Land in Bécancour, Québec for the construction of our first Infinite Loop™ manufacturing facility. The size of this parcel of land exceeds that needed for the construction of the Infinite Loop™ manufacturing facility and a portion of the land is therefore available for sale. For additional information on the land held for sale, please refer to Note 5 of the attached condensed consolidated financial statements. We also invested $0.29 million in our intellectual property as we developed, during the year ended February 28, 2022, our GEN II technology and filed various patents in various jurisdictions around the world which await approval.

During the year ended February 28, 2021, we used $2.98 million in investing activities. We made capital asset investments of $1.74 million of which was mainly attributable to the expansion and additions to the Terrebonne Facility and executive offices. We also invested $0.59 million in our intellectual property as we developed, during the year ended February 28, 2021, our GEN II technology and filed various patents in various jurisdictions around the world which await approval. During the year ended February 28, 2021 we made capital contributions to our joint venture with Indorama for a total of $0.65 million.

Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities

During the year ended February 28, 2022, we raised $56.5 million through a private offering of common stock, together with warrants, in the net amount of $56.05 million. We also repaid the remaining balance of a term loan from a Canadian bank in January 2022 included in payments made against our long-term debt totaling $0.94 million.

On August 26, 2021, we received $1.87 million (CDN$2.40 million) in connection with the credit facility from Investissement Québec to finance capital expenses incurred for the expansion of the Terrebonne Facility. There is a moratorium on both capital and interest repayments until February 2023.

During the year ended February 28, 2021, we raised $26.65 million through a registered direct offering of common stock, in the net amount of $25.00 million and through warrants exercised for $1.65 million. We also made payments totaling $0.05 million against our long-term debt, representing the loan agreement we entered into during the year ended February 28, 2018 to purchase the land and building of our Terrebonne Facility and executive offices.

OUTLOOK

In connection with the upcoming fiscal year ending February 28, 2023, we intend to continue to execute our corporate strategy. We believe we must execute on several areas of our operational strategic plan, namely:

Risks that may affect our ability to execute on this strategy include, but are not limited to, those listed under “Risk Factors” elsewhere in this Annual Report.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to use its judgment to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. We believe that the accounting policies discussed below are critical to understanding our historical and future performance, as these policies relate to the more significant areas involving management’s judgments and estimates.

Liquidity Assessment

From inception to February 28, 2022, the Company has been in the development stage with no revenues, with its ongoing operations and commercialization plans financed primarily by raising equity. The Company has incurred net losses and negative cash flow from operating activities since its inception and expects to incur additional net losses while it continues to develop and plan for commercialization. As at February 28, 2022, the Company has cash and cash equivalents of $44.06 million. Management actively monitors the Company’s cash resources against the Company’s short-term cash commitments to ensure the Company has sufficient liquidity to fund its costs for at least twelve months from the financial statement issuance date. Management evaluates the Company’s liquidity to determine if there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. In preparing this liquidity assessment, management applies significant judgment in estimating future cash flow requirements of the Company based on budgets and forecasts, which includes developing assumptions related to: (i) estimation of amount and timing of future cash outflows and cash inflows and (ii) determining what future expenditures are committed and what could be considered discretionary. Based on this assessment, management believes that the Company will be able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of operations as they become due for a period of no less than the next 12 months from the date of issuance of the annual consolidated financial statements.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company periodically issues stock options, warrants and restricted stock units to employees and non-employees in non-capital raising transactions for services and financing expenses. The Company accounts for stock options granted to employees based on the authoritative guidance provided by the FASB wherein the fair value of the award is measured on the grant date and recognized as compensation expense on the straight-line basis over the vesting period. When performance conditions exist, the Company recognizes compensation expense when it becomes probable that the performance condition will be met. Forfeitures on share-based payments are accounted for by recognizing forfeitures as they occur.

The Company accounts for stock options and warrants granted to non-employees in accordance with the authoritative guidance of the FASB wherein the fair value of the stock compensation is based upon the measurement date determined as the earlier of the date at which either a) a commitment is reached with the counterparty for performance or b) the counterparty completes its performance.

The Company estimates the fair value of restricted stock unit awards to employees and directors based on the closing market price of its common stock on the date of grant.

The fair value of the stock options granted is estimated using the Black-Scholes-Merton Option Pricing (“Black-Scholes”) model, which uses certain assumptions related to risk-free interest rates, expected volatility, expected life of the stock options, and future dividends. Stock-based compensation expense is recorded based on the value derived from the Black-Scholes model and on actual experience. The assumptions used in the Black-Scholes model could materially affect stock-based compensation expenses recorded in the current and future periods.

Research and development expenses

Research and development expenses relate primarily to process development and design, testing of preproduction samples, purchases of machinery and equipment for the Terrebonne Facility, compensation, and consulting and engineering fees, and are expensed as incurred.

See Notes to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Form 10-K for management’s discussion of recently issued accounting pronouncements.

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

Pursuant to SEC Release No. 33-8876, we are permitted to use the scaled disclosure requirements applicable to a “smaller reporting company,” as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, and therefore, we are not required to provide the information called for by this Item.

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Loop Industries, Inc.

February 28, 2022

Index to the Consolidated Financial Statements

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Montreal Canada

May 26, 2022

We have served as the Company's auditor since 2017

Loop Industries, Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in United States dollars)

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

Loop Industries, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss

(in United States dollars)

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

Loop Industries, Inc.

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity

For the Years Ended February 28, 2022 and February 28, 2021

(in United States dollars)

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

Loop Industries, Inc.

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity

For the Years Ended February 28, 2022 and February 28, 2021 (continued)

(in United States dollars)

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

Loop Industries, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in United States dollars)