Quantum Computing Inc. - Quarter Report: 2022 September (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

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

For the quarterly period ended: September 30, 2022

or

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

For the transition period from __________ to __________

Commission File Number: 000-40615

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

215 Depot Court SE, Suite 215

Leesburg, VA 20175

(Address of principal executive offices)

(703) 436-2121

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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

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, and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes ☒    No ☐ 

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definition 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 whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes ☐    No ☒

As of November 11, 2022, there were 53,301,805 shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock. 

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1.  Consolidated Financial Statements 

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

Index to the Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

Consolidated Statement of Operations

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

Consolidated Statement of Stockholders’ Deficit

For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021

(Unaudited) 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these audited financial statements.

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

Consolidated Statement of Stockholders’ Deficit

For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these audited financial statements.

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022 and 2021

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

September 30, 2022

(Unaudited)

Note 1 – Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies:

Organization:

Quantum Computing Inc., formerly known as Innovative Beverage Group Holdings, Inc. a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) was the surviving entity as the result of a merger between Ticketcart, Inc. and Innovative Beverage Group, Inc., both Nevada corporations. Innovative Beverage Group, Inc. was the surviving entity as the result of a merger between Kat-A-Tonic Distributing, Inc., a Texas corporation and United European Holdings, Ltd., a Nevada Corporation. In 2021, the Company established three wholly owned subsidiaries, Qubitech, Inc., Qubittech Federal, Inc. and Qubittech International, Inc., all of which are Delaware corporations. At this time there are no personnel, assets or liabilities associated with any of the subsidiaries. In 2022, the Company established two wholly owned subsidiaries, Project Alpha Merger Sub I, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Merger Sub I”), and Project Alpha Merger Sub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Merger Sub II” and, together with Merger Sub I, the “Merger Subs”). Merger Sub I merged with QPhoton, Inc. (“QPhoton”), a Delaware corporation, with QPhoton as the surviving entity as a wholly-owned subsidiary. QPhoton then merged into Merger Sub II with Merger Sub II as the surviving entity. On August 5, 2022, Merger Sub II amended and restated its certificate of formation to change its name to QPhoton, LLC.

History

Quantum Computing Inc. (“QCI” or the “Company”), was incorporated in the State of Nevada on July 25, 2001 as Ticketcart, Inc. Ticketcart’s original business plan involved in the sale of ink-jet cartridges online. Ticketcart offered remanufactured and compatible cartridges for Hewlett-Packard, Epson, Lexmark, and Canon inkjet printers. On July 25, 2007, Ticketcart, Inc. acquired Innovative Beverage Group, Inc. and changed its name to Innovative Beverage Group Holdings, Inc. (“IBGH”) to better reflect its business operations at the time which was beverage distribution and product development. In 2013, IBGH ceased operations. On May 22, 2017, one of IBGH’s shareholders, William Alessi (the “Plaintiff”), filed suit against the Company alleging “(1) fraud; and (2) breach of fiduciary duties of care, loyalty and good faith to the Corporation’s shareholders.” Mr. Alessi’s complaint alleged that the officers and directors of IBGH had abandoned it and allowed the Company’s assets to be wasted, causing injury to the Company and its shareholders. Mr. Alessi sought damages of $30,000 for each claim, plus reimbursement of filing costs of $1,000, and the appointment of a Receiver for the Company. 

On August 28, 2017, the North Carolina Court, Superior Court Division (the “North Carolina Court”), entered a default judgment for Plaintiff and appointed an exclusive Receiver (the “Receiver”) over the Company. The default judgment provided that Innovative Beverage Group Holdings, Inc. was (i) to issue to the Plaintiff 18,500,000 shares of free-trading stock without registration under Section 3(a)(10) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (ii) issue 100,000,000 shares of stock to Innovative Beverage Group Holdings, Inc.’s treasury, and (iii) that the receivership be terminated upon any change of control, and that any and all claims against Innovative Beverage Group Holdings, Inc. that were not submitted to the Receiver as of September 16, 2017, were disallowed. On October 4, 2017 the Receiver filed Articles of Incorporation in North Carolina for Innovative Beverage Group Holdings, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, (“IBGH North Carolina”). On October 26, 2017, Innovative Beverage Group, redomiciled to North Carolina.

On January 22, 2018, while the Company was in receivership, the Company (acting through the court-appointed receiver in her capacity as CEO and sole Director of the Company) sold 500,000 shares (the “CRG Shares”) of its common stock to Convergent Risk Group (“CRG” or “Convergent Risk”), an entity owned and operated by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Robert Liscouski, for $155,000. On February 21, 2018, by written consent of the majority shareholder (Convergent Risk), Mr. Robert Liscouski (the Chief Executive Officer of Convergent Risk) and Mr. Christopher Roberts were elected as members of the Company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Liscouski was simultaneously elected as Chairman of the Board. The majority shareholder also directed the Company to take the necessary action to change its domicile from North Carolina to Delaware and change its name to Quantum Computing Inc. On February 21, 2018 the Company filed Articles of Conversion in North Carolina to convert the Company to a Delaware corporation with the name changed to Quantum Computing Inc. On February 22, 2018 the Company filed a Certificate of Conversion in Delaware to convert to a Delaware corporation with the name changed to Quantum Computing Inc. and re-domiciled to the state of Delaware on February 23, 2018.

On June 16, 2022 the Company merged with QPhoton in a stock for stock exchange, pursuant to which the shareholders of QPhoton will own 49% of the combined entity. QPhoton was formed in 2020 to develop and commercialize a nanophotonic quantum-powered platform that will transform numerous areas of industry, including defense, healthcare, finance, network communications, and machine vision.

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

September 30, 2022

(Unaudited)

Nature of Business

The Company is a developer of full stack quantum computing systems, including hardware platforms and ready-to-run software for complex optimization computations. The Company was founded in 2018 by leaders in supercomputing, mathematics, and massively parallel programming to solve the enormous challenge with quantum computing in terms of the high cost and lengthy times required for quantum software development. While much of the market focuses on Quantum Processing Unit (QPU) hardware, QCI’s experts realized that the quantum marketplace and vendors were limiting access to quantum computers due to the complexity of programming them. At the present time, only a very limited number of highly specialized quantum experts are able to use software development toolkits (“SDKs”) to create these critical programs and applications. The Company’s software solution, Qatalyst, enables subject matter experts (SMEs) to run existing software on quantum processing units without the need for specialized programming with SDKs.

Significant Accounting Policies:

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation:

The Company prepares its consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) as determined by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its controlled subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. The accompanying audited Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2021, and the unaudited consolidated interim financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP for interim financial information, the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Our significant accounting policies are summarized in Note 1 to our audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited, financial statements contain all adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position of the Company as of September 30, 2022, and the cash flows and results of operations for the three and nine months then ended. Such adjustments consisted only of normal recurring items. The results of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 are not necessarily indicative of the results for subsequent periods.

The Company’s fiscal year end is December 31.

Use of Estimates:

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Because a precise determination of assets and liabilities, and correspondingly revenues and expenses, depends on future events, the preparation of financial statements for any period necessarily involves the use of estimates and assumption an example being assumptions in valuation of stock options. Actual amounts may differ from these estimates. These financial statements have, in management’s opinion, been properly prepared within reasonable limits of materiality and within the framework of the accounting policies summarized below.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company maintains its cash, in deposit accounts with high quality financial institutions which, at times, may exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts and believes it is not exposed to significant credit risk on cash.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The Company records accounts receivable at their net realizable value. Periodically the Company evaluates its accounts receivable to establish an allowance for doubtful accounts, when deemed necessary, based on the history of past write-offs, collections and current credit conditions. As of September 30, 2022 accounts receivable were considered fully collectible and thus management has not recorded an allowance for doubtful accounts.

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

September 30, 2022

(Unaudited)

Revenue

The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC 606 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Revenue from time and materials-based contracts is recognized as the direct hours worked during the period times the contractual hourly rate, plus direct materials and other direct costs as appropriate, plus negotiated materials handling burdens, if any. Revenue from units-based contracts is recognized as the number of units delivered or performed during the period times the contractual unit price. Revenue from fixed price contracts is recognized as work is performed with estimated profits recorded on a percentage of completion basis. The Company has no cost-plus type contracts at this time.

Operating Leases - ASC 842

On January 1, 2019, we adopted FASB Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, Topic 842, Leases (“ASC 842”) which requires the recognition of the right-of-use assets and relating operating and finance lease liabilities on the balance sheet. As permitted by ASC 842, we elected the adoption date of January 1, 2019, which is the date of initial application. As a result, the consolidated balance sheet prior to January 1, 2019 was not restated, continues to be reported under ASC Topic 840, Leases (“ASC 840”), which did not require the recognition of operating lease liabilities on the balance sheet, and is therefore not comparative. Under ASC 842, all leases are required to be recorded on the balance sheet and are classified as either operating leases or finance leases. The lease classification affects the expense recognition in the income statement. Operating lease charges are recorded entirely in operating expenses. Finance lease charges are split, where amortization of the right-of-use asset is recorded in operating expenses and an implied interest component is recorded in interest expense. The expense recognition for operating leases and finance leases under ASC 842 is substantially consistent with ASC 840. As a result, there is no significant difference in our results of operations presented in our consolidated income statement and consolidated statement of comprehensive income for each period presented.

We lease substantially all our office space used to conduct our business. For contracts entered into on or after the effective date, at the inception of a contract we assess whether the contract is, or contains, a lease. Our assessment is based on (1) whether the contract involves the use of a distinct identified asset, (2) whether we obtain the right to substantially all the economic benefit from the use of the asset throughout the period, and (3) whether we have the right to direct the use of the asset. At inception of a lease, we allocate the consideration in the contract to each lease component based on its relative stand-alone price to determine the lease payments. Leases entered into prior to January 1, 2019 are accounted for under ASC 840 and were not reassessed.

Leases are classified as either finance leases or operating leases. A lease is classified as a finance lease if any one of the following criteria are met: (1) the lease transfers ownership of the asset by the end of the lease term, (2) the lease contains an option to purchase the asset that is reasonably certain to be exercised, (3) the lease term is for a major part of the remaining useful life of the asset or (4) the present value of the lease payments equals or exceeds substantially all of the fair value of the asset. A lease is classified as an operating lease if it does not meet any one of these criteria. Substantially all our operating leases are comprised of office space leases and as of December 31, 2021 and September 30, 2022 we had no finance leases.

For all leases at the lease commencement date, a right-of-use asset and a lease liability are recognized. The right-of-use asset represents the right to use the leased asset for the lease term. The lease liability represents the present value of the lease payments under the lease. The Company is currently leasing space in three locations, Leesburg, VA, Minneapolis, MN and Hoboken, NJ, and we have recognized right-of-use assets and lease liabilities accordingly.

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

September 30, 2022

(Unaudited)

The right-of-use asset is initially measured at cost, which primarily comprises the initial amount of the lease liability, plus any initial direct costs incurred, consisting mainly of brokerage commissions, less any lease incentives received. All right-of-use assets are reviewed for impairment. The lease liability is initially measured at the present value of the lease payments, discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease, or if that rate cannot be readily determined, our secured incremental borrowing rate for the same term as the underlying lease. For our real estate and other operating leases, we use our secured incremental borrowing rate. For our finance leases, we use the rate implicit in the lease or our secured incremental borrowing rate if the implicit lease rate cannot be determined.

Lease payments included in the measurement of the lease liability comprise the following: the fixed noncancelable lease payments, payments for optional renewal periods where it is reasonably certain the renewal period will be exercised, and payments for early termination options unless it is reasonably certain the lease will not be terminated early.

Lease expense for operating leases consists of the lease payments plus any initial direct costs, primarily brokerage commissions, and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost or contributed value. Depreciation of furniture, software and equipment is calculated using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives, and leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the lease term. The cost and related accumulated depreciation of equipment retired or sold are removed from the accounts and any differences between the undepreciated amount and the proceeds from the sale are recorded as a gain or loss on sale of equipment. Maintenance and repairs are charged against expense as incurred.

Research and Development Costs

Research and development costs include costs directly attributable to the conduct of research and development programs, including the cost of services provided by outside contractors, acquiring work-in-progress intellectual property, development, and mandatory compliance fees and contractual obligations. All costs associated with research and development are expensed as incurred.

Stock Based Compensation

The Company has adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-07, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting. ASU 2018-07 expands the scope of Topic 718 to include share-based payment transactions for acquiring goods and services from nonemployees. An entity should apply the requirements of Topic 718 to nonemployee awards except for specific guidance on inputs to an option pricing model and the attribution of cost. ASU 2018-07 specifies that Topic 718 applies to all share-based payment transactions in which a grantor acquires goods or services to be used or consumed in a grantor’s own operations by issuing share-based payment awards, and that Topic 718 does not apply to share based payments used to effectively provide (1) financing to the issuer or (2) awards granted in conjunction with selling goods or services to customers as part of a contract accounted for under Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers

Stock-based compensation expense is recorded for all option grants and awards of non-vested stock and recognized in the financial statements based on the grant date fair value of the awards granted. Stock-based compensation is recognized as expense over the requisite service period, which generally represents the vesting period. The Company calculates the fair value of stock options using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model at grant date.

Net Loss Per Share:

Net loss per share is based on the weighted average number of common shares and common shares equivalents outstanding during the period.

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

September 30, 2022

(Unaudited)

Note 2 – Federal Income Taxes:

The Company has made no provision for income taxes because there have been no operations to date causing income for financial statements or tax purposes.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards Number 109 (“SFAS 109”). “Accounting for Income Taxes”, which requires a change from the deferred method to the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under the asset and liability method, deferred income taxes are recognized for the tax consequences of “temporary differences” by applying enacted statutory tax rates applicable to future years to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax basis of existing assets and liabilities.

At September 30, 2022, the Company had net operating loss carry forwards of approximately $8,369,585.

The Company experienced a change in control during the 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022 calendar years and therefore no more than an insignificant portion of this net operating allowance will ever be used against future taxable income. FASB Codification ASC 740 requires changes in recognition and measurement for uncertain tax positions. The Company has analyzed its tax positions and concluded that it is not aware of any uncertain tax positions. If this conclusion changes, the Company will assess the impact of any such changes on its financial position and the results of operations.

Note 3 – Financial Accounting Developments:

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06, Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity, as part of its overall simplification initiative to reduce costs and complexity of applying accounting standards while maintaining or improving the usefulness of the information provided to users of financial statements. Among other changes, the new guidance removes from GAAP separation models for convertible debt that require the convertible debt to be separated into a debt and equity component, unless the conversion feature is required to be bifurcated and accounted for as a derivative or the debt is issued at a substantial premium. As a result, after adopting the guidance, entities will no longer separately present such embedded conversion features in equity, and will instead account for the convertible debt wholly as debt. The new guidance also requires use of the “if-converted” method when calculating the dilutive impact of convertible debt on earnings per share, which is consistent with the Company’s current accounting treatment under the current guidance. The guidance is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted, but only at the beginning of the fiscal year. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2020-06 will have on its financial position, results of operations and disclosures.

Except for the changes discussed above, Quantum has consistently applied the accounting policies to all periods presented in these unaudited consolidated financial statements. The Company has evaluated all recently implemented accounting standards and concluded that none currently apply to the Company. From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) or other standard setting bodies that the Company adopts as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, the Company does not believe that the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective will have a material impact on its financial position or results of operations upon adoption.

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

September 30, 2022

(Unaudited)

Note 4 – Property and Equipment

The Company acquired $282,521 of Property and Equipment during the nine months ended September 30, 2022. Of the total amount acquired, $116,315 was acquired through the merger with QPhoton. It is the Company’s policy to capitalize purchases of property and equipment with a cost of $2,500 or more that benefit future periods. The Company depreciates computer and laboratory equipment over a period of five years and software over a period of three years. Maintenance and repairs are charged to operations when incurred. When property and equipment are sold or otherwise disposed, the asset account and related accumulated depreciation and amortization accounts are relieved, and any gain or loss is included in other income or expense.

Note 5 – Loans

Paycheck Protection Program Loan

In early 2020, an outbreak of the novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) emerged globally. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak to be a global pandemic, which continues to spread throughout the United States. Subsequently, federal, state and local authorities issued mandates for social distancing and working from home to delay the spread of the coronavirus, resulting in an overall decline in economic activity for several years. Some of the mandates have been lifted, but the ultimate impact of COVID-19 on the Company is not reasonably estimable at this time and the Company has not recorded any reserves relating to potential COVID-19 financial impacts.

On March 27, 2020, the United States enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (the “SBA”) as a response to the economic uncertainty resulting from COVID-19. Congress amended the CARES Act on December 27, 2020. The CARES Act established the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”) to loan money to small businesses to enable them to continue to meet payroll obligations in the face of business interruptions and loss of revenue due to COVID-19 related restrictions.

On May 6, 2020, the Company executed an unsecured promissory note (the “Note”) with BB&T/Truist Bank N.A. to evidence a loan to the Company in the amount of $218,371 under the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”) established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (the “SBA”). 

In accordance with the requirements of the CARES Act, the Company used the proceeds from the PPP Loan exclusively for qualified expenses under the PPP, including payroll costs, mortgage interest, rent and utility costs. The Company applied for forgiveness of the entire PPP Loan balance, and in June 2021 the SBA informed the Company that the full balance of the PPP Loan had been forgiven, along with accrued interest. Upon notification from the SBA that the PPP Loan balance had been forgiven, the Company reclassified the PPP Loan balance to other income.

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

September 30, 2022

(Unaudited)

Note Purchase Agreement – the Company and QPhoton

On February 18, 2022, the Company entered into a Note Purchase Agreement (the “Note Purchase Agreement”) with QPhoton, pursuant to which the Company agreed to purchase from QPhoton two unsecured promissory notes (each, a “Note”), each in the principal amount of $1,250,000, subject to the terms and conditions of the Note Purchase Agreement. Also on February 18, 2022, pursuant to the terms of the Note Purchase Agreement, the Company purchased the first Note from QPhoton and loaned the principal amount of $1,250,000 to QPhoton on April 1, 2022, pursuant to the terms of the Note Purchase Agreement, the Company purchased the second Note from QPhoton and loaned the principal amount of $1,250,000 to QPhoton.

The Note Purchase Agreement contains customary representations and warranties by QPhoton and the Company, as well as a “most favored nations” provision for the benefit of the Company. The Notes issued under the Note Purchase Agreement, including the Note issued on February 18, 2022 April 1, 2022, provide that the indebtedness evidenced by the applicable Note bears simple interest at the rate of 6% per annum (or 15% per annum during the occurrence of an event of default, as defined in the Notes), and becomes due and payable in full on the earlier of (i) March 1, 2023, subject to extension by one year at the option of QPhoton, (ii) a change of control (as defined in the Notes) of QPhoton or (iii) an event of default. As a result of the merger, the Note and accrued interest is eliminated through consolidation.

Notes Payable – BV Advisory Partners, LLC

On March 1, 2021, QPhoton entered into a Note Purchase Agreement with BV Advisory. Under the Note Purchase Agreement, on March 1, 2021, March 23, 2021 and July 9, 2021, QPhoton and BV Advisory, a related party shareholder, entered into convertible promissory notes for $200,592, $150,000, and $150,000, respectively, for a total of $500,592 (the “BV Notes”). The BV Notes all bore interest at a rate of 6% per annum and matured 2 years from the grant date. However, QPhoton only received approximately $375,000 in cash proceeds as $125,041 was paid by BV Advisory directly to The Trustees of the Stevens Institute of Technology (“Stevens Institute”) on behalf of QPhoton, to satisfy QPhoton’s obligations to reimburse costs incurred under the terms of their patent License agreement with the Stevens Institute.

On June 16, 2022 QPhoton tendered a cashier’s check to BV Advisory in the amount of $535,68.44, representing the full principal balance of the BV Notes and accrued interest through June 16, 2022. On July 14, 2022 BV Advisory returned the cashier’s check and disputed the calculation of the amount paid to settle the BV Notes.

Unsecured Promissory Note

On September 23, 2022, Quantum Computing Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a note purchase agreement (the “NPA”) with Streeterville Capital, LLC (the “Investor”), pursuant to which the Investor purchased an unsecured promissory note (the “Note” or the “Streeterville Unsecured Note”) in the initial principal amount of $8,250,000. The Note bears interest at 10% per annum. The maturity date of the Note is 18 months from the date of its issuance (the “Maturity Date”). The Note carries an original issue discount of $750,000, which is included in the principal balance of the Note. If the Company elects to prepay the Note prior to the Maturity Date, it must pay to Investor 120% of the portion of the Outstanding Balance the Company elects to prepay.

Beginning on the date that is six (6) months after the issuance date of the Note, the Investor has the right to redeem up to $750,000 of the outstanding balance of the Note per month (“Redemption Amount”) by providing written notice to the Company (“Redemption Notice”). Upon receipt of any Redemption Notice, the Company shall pay the applicable Redemption Amount in cash to the Investor within three (3) trading days of the Company’s receipt of such Redemption Notice. No prepayment premium shall be payable in respect of any Redemption Amount.

Pursuant to the terms of the NPA, the parties provided customary representations and warranties to each other. Also, until amounts due under the Note are paid in full, the Company agreed, among other things, to: (i) timely make all filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, (ii) ensure the Common Stock continues to be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) (iii) ensure trading in Company’s Common Stock will not be suspended, halted, chilled, frozen, reach zero bid or otherwise cease trading on Company’s principal trading market, (iv) ensure Company will not make any Restricted Issuance (as defined in the Note) without Investor’s prior written consent, which consent may be granted or withheld in Investor’s sole and absolute discretion, (v) ensure Company shall not enter into any agreement or otherwise agree to any covenant, condition, or obligation that locks up, restricts in any way or otherwise prohibits Company from entering into certain additional transactions with the Investor, and (vi) with the exception for Permitted Liens (as defined in the Note) ensure Company will not pledge or grant a security interest in any of its assets without Investor’s prior written consent, which consent may be granted on withheld in Investor’s sole and absolute discretion.

The Note set forth certain standard events of default (such event, an “Event of Default”) that generally, if uncured within seven (7) trading days, may result in the discretion of the Investor in certain penalties under the terms of the Note. In this regard, upon an Event of Default, Investor may accelerate the Note by written notice to the Company, with the outstanding balance becoming immediately due and payable in cash at the Mandatory Default Amount (as defined in the Note). Additionally, upon written notice given by Investor to the Company, interest shall accrue on the Outstanding Balance beginning on the date the applicable Event of Default occurred at an interest rate equal to the lesser of fifteen percent (15%) per annum simple interest or the maximum rate permitted under applicable law upon an Event of Default.

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

September 30, 2022

(Unaudited)

Note 6 – Capital Stock:

Series A Convertible Preferred Offering

From November 10, 2021 through November 17, 2021, the Company conducted a private placement offering (the “Private Placement”) pursuant to securities purchase agreements (the “Purchase Agreements”) with 7 accredited investors (the “Preferred Investors”), whereby the Preferred Investors purchased from the Company an aggregate of 1,545,459 shares of the Company’s newly created Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) and warrants to purchase 1,545,459 shares of the Company’s common stock for an aggregate purchase price of $8,500,000. The Private Placement was completed and closed to further investment on November 17, 2021.

The number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of any share of Series A Preferred Stock pursuant shall be determined by dividing (x) the Conversion Amount of such share of Series A Preferred Stock by (y) the Conversion Price (the “Conversion Rate”). Conversion Amount means, with respect to each share of Series A Preferred Stock, as of the applicable date of determination, the sum of (1) the Stated Value thereof plus (2) any accrued dividends. “Conversion Price” means, with respect to each share of Series A Preferred Stock, as of any Optional Conversion Date, Mandatory Conversion Date or other date of determination, $5.50, subject to adjustment for stock splits, dividends, recapitalizations and similar corporate events.

The Warrants are two-year warrants to purchase shares of the Company’s Common Stock at an exercise price of $7.00 per share, subject to adjustment, and are exercisable at any time on or after the date that is six (6) months following the issuance date. The Warrants provide for cashless exercise in the event the underlying shares of common stock are not registered.

In connection with the Purchase Agreement, the Company and the Preferred Investors entered into a registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) pursuant to which the Company agreed to file a registration statement to register the shares of the Company’s Common Stock underlying the Series A Preferred Stock and Warrants within 180 days. Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, the Investors received certain rights, including but not limited to piggyback registration rights, providing that the holder be given notice of any proposed registration of securities by the Company, and requiring that the Company register all or any portion of the registrable securities that the holders request to be registered, in each case, subject to the terms and conditions of the Registration Rights Agreement.

On April 27, 2022 the Company filed a Resale Form S-3 as required by the Registration Rights Agreement with the Preferred Investors, pursuant to which the Company agreed to file a registration statement to register the shares of the Company’s Common Stock underlying the Series A Preferred Stock and Warrants within 180 days from the Closing of the Preferred investment round. The Resale Form S-3 went effective on June 2, 2022.

On June 13, 2022, one of the investors in the Series A Convertible Preferred financing round, Falcon Capital Partners, converted 45,455 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred stock into 47,728 shares of the Company’s Common Stock.

Merger with QPhoton, Inc.

On May 19, 2022, the Company, the Merger Subs, QPhoton, and Yuping Huang, the principal stockholder of QPhoton (“Mr. Huang”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to acquire QPhoton through a series of merger transactions (collectively with the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the “Transactions”). On June 16, 2022, all conditions precedent having been met or waived by the Parties, the Company Closed the Transaction with QPhoton.

Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, immediately following the closing of the Transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (the “Closing”), Merger Sub I merged with and into QPhoton, with QPhoton surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, immediately after which the surviving corporation merged with and into Merger Sub II, with Merger Sub II surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Surviving Company”). The merger consideration to be paid to the stockholders of QPhoton (the “Merger Consideration”) consists of (i) 5,802,206 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock”), (ii) 2,377,028 shares of a new series of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, to be designated Series B convertible preferred stock (“Series B Preferred Stock”), and (iii) warrants to purchase up to 7,028,337 shares of Common Stock (the “Warrants”). The Merger Consideration for stockholder Yuping Huang was issued and the remaining Merger Consideration for the other stockholders will be issued upon presentation of certain required documents and surrender of their QPhoton shares.

Note 7 – Related Party Transactions

There were no related party transactions during the period ended September 30, 2022. 

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

September 30, 2022

(Unaudited)

Note 8 – Employee Benefits:

The Company offers a health and welfare benefit plan to current full time employees that provides medical, dental, vision, life and disability benefits. The Company also offers a 401K retirement savings plan to all full-time employees. There are no unpaid liabilities under the Company’s benefit plans, and the Company has no obligation to pay for post-retirement health and medical costs of retired employees.

Note 9 – License Agreement – Stevens Institute of Technology

Effective December 17^th, 2020, QPhoton signed a License Agreement with the Stevens Institute. The License Agreement enables the Company to commercially use technology such as licensed patents, licensed patent applications and licensed “Know-How”. QPhoton is also able to issue sublicenses for the technology under the agreement. The agreement is effective until the later of: (i) the 30-year anniversary of the effective date, or (ii) the expiration of the licensed patent or licensed patent application that is last to expire. As part of the merger of the Company and QPhoton, the Stevens License Agreement was assigned to the Company.

During the term of the agreement and prior to any commercialization or sublicensing of the technology by the Company, the Company shall be required to submit annual reports to the Stevens Institute reporting on all research, development, and efforts toward commercialization and/or sublicensing made during the year. Once any commercialization and/or sublicensing has been initiated, the Company shall deliver quarterly reports to the Stevens Institute reporting on the revenue received by the Company, all sublicenses derived from the sale of licensed products, and the net sales price associated with each transaction. The Company will be responsible for reimbursing Stevens for any costs associated with the prosecution and maintenance of the licensed patents and licensed patent applications moving forward.

Consideration for the agreement

As consideration for the license and other rights granted under the agreement, QPhoton agreed to pay the following: (i) $35,000 within 30 days of execution of the agreement, (ii) $28,000 within 30 days of each annual anniversary of the effective date, (iii) equity in the Company equivalent to nine percent of the membership units of the Company within 30 days of the execution of the agreement, and (iv) royalties of 3.5% of the Net Sales Price of each licensed product sold or licensed by the company during the quarter then-ended, for which it also received payment, concurrent with the delivery of the relevant quarterly report.

As of September 30, 2022 the Company has not yet begun to commercialize or sublicense any of the licensed technology and therefore does not owe the Stevens Institute any royalties.

Note 10 - Subsequent Events:

On October 11, 2022 the Company issued 155,000 shares of common stock to seven employees and consultants in exchange for services rendered.

On October 13, 2022 BV Advisory filed a petition in Delaware Chancery Court seeking appraisal rights on their QPhoton shares. 

On October 17, 2022 the Company converted the 1,925,392 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred stock into 19,253,920 shares of the Company’s common stock, as approved by the stockholders at the annual meeting on September 1, 2022

There are no other events of a subsequent nature that in management’s opinion are reportable.

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,

This quarterly report on Form 10-Q and other reports filed Quantum Computing, Inc. (the “Company” “we”, “our”, and “us”) from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) contain or may contain forward-looking statements and information that are based upon beliefs of, and information currently available to, the Company’s management as well as estimates and assumptions made by Company’s management. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. When used in the filings, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “future,” “intend,” “plan,” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions as they relate to the Company or the Company’s management identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current view of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors, including the risks contained in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, relating to the Company’s industry, the Company’s operations and results of operations, and any businesses that the Company may acquire. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ significantly from those anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended, or planned.

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

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

Overview

Quantum Computing Inc. (“QCI” or the “Company”) is a full-stack quantum solutions company. Our mission is to be the democratizing force that brings quantum solutions to business, academia, and government clients. Our solutions enable subject matter experts (SMEs) and end users to get answers to critical business problems today, using the computing solutions that best deliver those results.

Since our formation in 2018, the Company has focused on providing software tools and applications for several commercially available quantum computers and we remain committed to that goal. However, following the June 2022 acquisition of QPhoton, Inc. (“QPhoton”) and its associated IP and engineering team, the Company is now able to provide full-stack quantum information services.

The core of our quantum information services today is our Entropy Quantum Computing (EQC) technology. We have built room-temperature, photonic quantum information processing systems underpinned by a series of patented and patent pending technologies. We believe this will enable us to develop and produce multiple generations of quantum information processors with increasing computational power, capacity, and speed. Such systems are expected to deliver compelling performance advantages over classical computational machines and will eventually be able to solve complex problems more effectively and efficiently in terms of scalability, power consumption, and cost compared with current high-performance computing technology. This technology, supported by professional services through our “Quantum Solutions” offering, helps our clients benefit from the technology today.

In addition, our leading-edge photonic technology and engineering teams will enable QCI to develop quantum LIDAR and sensing systems, imaging systems, quantum-secured network solutions, and photonic quantum chips. These important technologies are already under development today.

Our short-term core business model will be based on generating revenue from selling access to our advanced quantum data processing systems via the cloud, with the long-term model focused on selling desktop or rack-sized quantum devices and systems to commercial and individual users. We currently offer access to our quantum computing machines via our own in-house cloud service and plan to eventually offer access through other commercial service providers.

In the near term, we plan to generate revenue from our “Quantum Solutions” team, collaborating directly with customers to take them from problem formulation to solution. This end-to-end support empowers a spectrum of clientele, from users with little to no experience in quantum processing to advanced users capable of independent problem formulation and execution through the service.

The Company already produces its own lithium niobate nanophotonic circuits and has plans to scale production to meet projected demand. The Company has announced plans to construct and operate a new state-of-the-art quantum nanophotonics technology manufacturing and research center, which we believe could be the world’s first dedicated quantum-photonic chip manufacturer. The plan for the facility is to produce a range of lithium niobate nanophotonic circuits for internal use in our own product lines and for general sale in the market. This initiative is expected to benefit from the US CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (the “CHIPS Act”), which allocates $52 billion for the revitalization and onshoring of semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. The CHIPS Act funding includes $39 billion in manufacturing incentives and $13 billion to support new research and development.

QCI is focused on providing integrated quantum information acquisition, transmission, and processing solutions, including both the user interface software and the quantum hardware. With our proprietary full-stack technologies that are designed using our solution-oriented system architectures, we believe we will have a competitive advantage in the market. With an integrated engineering team working across multiple quantum technology domains, we believe we are uniquely positioned to leverage our expertise in software, hardware, and nanophotonic circuits to develop quantum services and products, from quantum chip design and manufacturing through cloud delivery and eventually sales of hardware systems. We believe this full-stack development approach offers both the fastest and lowest risk path to building commercially valuable quantum machines.

Strategy

QCI’s strategy has evolved to become a full stack quantum solutions company. When QCI was formed quantum computing was a fundamentally new paradigm compared with conventional computing, requiring a new and highly technical set of skills to create the hardware and software to drive quantum results. The pool of people with those skills today is limited and in high demand. In addition, the predominant quantum software development approach, using one or more toolkits (“SDK’s”) to create a quantum computing program is slow and costly, and therefore poorly suited for non-quantum experts attempting to solve real world problems. Moreover, many types of quantum computing hardware require delicate and expensive cryogenic isolation systems just to maintain stability, which makes it difficult for users to interact with quantum computing systems. While quantum computing is generally still used for research and science experiments, the user community is demanding greater capabilities from quantum systems, leading to frustration and comparisons to the similar market characteristics faced by artificial intelligence in its early days – high expectations but low performance results.

QCI’s acquisition of QPhoton, combined with QCI’s significant IP work that culminated in the development of the Company’s Qatalyst software, enables the Company to currently offer room temperature quantum computation systems through cloud services now, as well as affordable, turn-key products in the future. This combination of quantum hardware and software will address the steep learning curve and highly particular skillsets generally associated with quantum information processing, which have historically represented significant barriers to adoption for companies and government entities looking to leverage novel quantum computing capabilities to solve problems.

For the past 45 years or so, silicon-based processor manufacturers have been able to double their processing power every 18 to 24 months, a phenomenon known in the computer industry as “Moore’s Law.” Recently, the computer processor industry has found it increasingly difficult to offer faster, more powerful processors due to fundamental physical effects limiting further size reduction of transistors, according to We’re not prepared for the end of Moore’s Law, MIT Technology Review, February 2020; https:// www.technologyreview.com/2020/02/24/905789/ (Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, this website is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and you should not consider information on this website to be part of this prospectus). Despite this progress in transistors and computing power, many of the world’s most important computational problems are still considered impractical to solve with classical computers of today and the foreseeable future.

With this in mind, quantum computing represents a potential alternative approach to the hard limits now being approached by conventional computers that utilize silicon-based processors. This is because quantum computers apply the properties of quantum physics to operate in a fundamentally different way. Classical computer chips use binary bits (ones and zeros) to represent information. Quantum computers utilize qubits, which leverage some of the properties of quantum physics to potentially process computations that would otherwise be intractably difficult using classical computers.

Research suggests that quantum computers may be ideally suited to run optimization algorithms, where further advancements in approaches and quantum computing hardware could result in computational benefit over currently used conventional systems. See Quantum Computing for Finance: Overview and Prospects, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405428318300571 (Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, this website is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and you should not consider information on this website to be part of this prospectus). The ability to solve challenging computational problems in a reasonable period of time is of particular interest in compute-heavy fields that include, but are not limited to: big data, artificial intelligence, healthcare, and cybersecurity. We believe these are natural markets for quantum computing, due to the immense compute power required to process large data sets, which have experienced rapid growth in size and complexity in recent years.

Products and Products in Development

Qatalyst

QCI’s evolution into full-stack quantum computing company was enabled by the prior creation of its Qatalyst software. The Qatalyst development platform is QCI’s answer to the broader industry’s current approach to quantum software development, which relies on highly trained scientists working with SDK’s at the circuit level, which is analogous to programming in assembly language. Unlike SDK’s, which require deep level quantum expertise to create quantum workflows, Qatalyst is not a tool kit, but a complete platform. Qatalyst enables developers to create and execute quantum-ready applications on conventional computers, while also being ready to run on multiple quantum computers. Qatalyst performs the complex problem transformations necessary to be executed on a variety of quantum processor platforms today. Users can call upon the same Qatalyst APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) on conventional computers to achieve optimization performance advantages using our cloud-based solution.

Qatalyst dramatically reduces the required time, and the associated costs, for obtaining results from both conventional and quantum computers. It accelerates performance and results on classic and quantum computers, with no additional quantum programming or quantum computing expertise required. Qatalyst manages the workflow, optimizations, and results, without any further intervention by the user. Qatalyst provides a unique advantage to reduce applications development risks and costs by eliminating the need for scarce high-end quantum programmers. Building a quantum program with an SDK is time consuming and the resulting program must be updated constantly as QPUs evolve and change, resulting in significant development costs. Qatalyst automatically optimizes the same problem submitted by a subject matter expert (“SME”) for multiple quantum and classical processors. With Qatalyst, users only have to learn to use six API calls, which can be learned in a day by most programmers. Instead of spending months or years developing new applications and workflows requiring complex and extremely low-level coding with SDKs, users, workflows or applications can immediately submit a problem to Qatalyst within a day, using the same familiar constructs they use right now, via the Qatalyst API. Users have utilized Qatalyst’s simple API and familiar constructs to solve their first complex problem within a week, as compared to the 6-12 months associated with quantum software toolkits.

Qatalyst is integrated with the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud-based Braket service (“AWS Braket”), which offers access to multiple Quantum Processing Units (“QPUs”) including Rigetti and IonQ. Qatalyst also integrates directly with IBM’s QPUs and with QCI’s own EQC and RQC systems. By using Qatalyst, users can run their applications on any or all of the available QPUs by merely selecting which QPU they prefer to run on based on the desired performance results of the application.

In addition, Qatalyst contains QCI’s proprietary QGraph and QAmplify tools. QGraph is a powerful transformation engine that enables SMEs to submit and analyze graph models as part of their complex optimizations. QGraph accepts familiar graph models and functions including Clique Cover, Community Detection and Partitioning. QAmplify is a patented software technology that expands the processing power of any current quantum computer by as much as twenty times. QAmplify is capable of supercharging any quantum computer to solve real-world realistic business problems, and is designed to work on gate model quantum computers as well as quantum annealers.

Entropy Quantum Computer

The core of QCI’s hardware offering is the Entropy Quantum Computer (EQC). The EQC leverages the principle of open quantum systems. The EQC differs substantially from today’s Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum (NISQ) computers offered by most of our competitors. Quantum systems are naturally “open”, meaning, they inevitably interact with their surrounding environment. However, as a result of these interactions, the wavefunctions describing those systems collapse, which is the point where quantum information is lost and the NISQ system “decoheres” which causes significant processing challenges for NISQ architectures.

The EQC works by coupling photonic states to their surrounding environment (the Entropy), including quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic vacuum. This approach runs completely counter to those being developed with other atom / ion-based NISQ systems.

The quantum vacuum fluctuations are ubiquitous and can be used to capture every possible outcome in a very large system with many configurations, simultaneously, making the approach ideal for fast and accurate computations in optimization problems.

Today’s NISQ computers are designed to produce closed quantum systems in pristine quantum states that are isolated from the environment, but there is a significant engineering cost to protect quantum information from the environment to eliminate noise. This is why NISQ quantum computers usually require cryogenic cooling, pure vacuum, vibration isolation and electromagnetic shielding. Those requirements introduce high cost, complex maintenance, and ongoing stability issues.

Our EQC machines are not subject to those environmental isolation requirements and can function effectively in normal device settings (desktop or rack sizes, room temperature, battery-powered, turn-key, etc.). In addition to the Company’s announcement of Dirac 1, our first commercially-available EQC, QCI plans to release a series of additional EQC products starting in 2023. This family of products will include next generations of EQC that further expand the scale and capabilities of the EQC to broader, larger, and more complex optimization problems. Developing this family of products will involve improving the size and capacity of the EQC machines by continuing to innovate in the number, quality and operational fidelity of the qubits. This will include developing technology that operates using quantum digits (“qudits”) instead of quantum bits (“qubits”). A qudit-based computer may prove better at tackling complex problems than qubit-based computers, and may allow more computational power with fewer components.

EQC Subscription Service

The combination of the Entropy Quantum Computer and Qatalyst has enabled QCI to launch its cloud-based quantum computing solutions on a subscription basis. Subscriptions are offered on an annual, quarterly, and proof of concept (short term) basis with discounts provided for multiyear commitments. Subscription prices are based on the expected usage from each customer. A dedicated system subscription (currently offered as the “Dirac Dedicated Subscription”), is also available that provides unlimited usage within the SLA included in our agreement. QCI anticipates that our subscription service will be competitive with the quantum computing subscription services offered by our competitors, such as IBM, IonQ and Quantinuum. However, we believe our subscription service will offer significant computational advantage that will differentiate it from our competitors.

The Dirac Dedicated Subscription will provide a customer with exclusive use of a Dirac EQC system from our datacenter without ever having to wait for other users to complete their work nor having to worry about the time it will take to solve their problem.

QCI is also offering potential clients the opportunity to run problems on our EQC on an hourly-rate basis to demonstrate our computational value prior to entering into a longer subscription. Our Dirac Introductory Rate, which can be used for proof of concept evaluation, is an example of when this rate may apply.

Some companies utilize a per transaction-based model. Quantum computers typically use “shots” (a shot is a single processing submission or ‘run’) to measure usage on their machines and per shot models typically cost a small fraction of a cent. Most quantum problems require hundreds of thousands of shots. While the cost per shot is very low, the cost to solve a problem can quickly rise to hundreds or thousands of dollars. AWS is one of the larger “per shot” providers utilizing their AWS Braket services for companies including IonQ, Rigetti, Oxford Quantum Circuits, and QuEra.

Usage of the Dirac EQC is done using a problem solution model, which is different from most other quantum computers. Rather than measure the number of shots made by our system; we solve the problem by finding the lowest ground state energy and measure the completion of the solution in the number of seconds or minutes it takes to complete solving the problem. While subscription sales will be the primary strategy moving forward – we have not ruled out providing a per usage-based model by partnering with ‘per shot” providers such as AWS Braket and Strangeworks. 

Initially the EQC subscription services will all be hosted at the Company’s data center in Hoboken, New Jersey. As usage grows, we may utilize other data centers including Amazon Web Services (AWS) for datacenter services. Many large computing and datacenter companies like, Google and Microsoft also sell access to third party Quantum Computers over their networks on a commission basis. While we are focused on selling subscriptions on Dirac in our own datacenter, there may be a time where we also provide subscriptions through Google, Microsoft, and Amazon through their Marketplaces.

In addition to shared subscription services and dedicated subscription services, we intend in the future to provide to customers an on-premise implementation of the Dirac EQC as customer demand grows and our service organization matures. There are multiple markets which will require this type of delivery including: the United States Government, United States Military and European Financial Organizations, where European laws require customer data to be always be in the control of the financial institutions. There are only a few on premise implementations of quantum computers today and they require commitments of tens of millions of dollars. While pricing has not been determined for the Dirac on-premise implementation, we expect it will be very competitive with the few on-premise quantum implementations available today from other firms.

As a full stack quantum solutions provider, while selling subscriptions in some manner to Dirac EQCs will be the cornerstone of our business model, providing professional services or quantum solutions support will likely be needed in many cases, especially in the beginning of a customers’ quantum journey. We partner today with large management consulting companies as a way to scale our business and we expect that consulting partners will continue to grow in numbers and as a percentage of our customers. In addition, we plan to always provide a Quantum Solutions offering for customers that prefer to work directly with a full stack provider and customers who are using cutting edge technologies that may not have become supported yet by our consulting partners.

As we evolve the LiDAR and sensing systems, imaging systems, and quantum-secured networking technologies into products, the models described above will be reused to evaluate the best pricing and routes to market for each new product. Some will likely use the existing direct sale model that we are using for Dirac, some may use an OEM model for inclusion in other companies’ products, and others may be sold through 1 or 2 tier distribution. Each product will be evaluated for the best route to market to maximize the shareholder value based upon their individual product attributes.

Reservoir Quantum Computer (RQC)

Reservoir computing is a framework for computation derived from recurrent neural network theory, which maps input signals into higher dimensional computational spaces through the dynamics of a fixed, highly non-linear and complex system called a reservoir. The input signal is fed into the reservoir, which is treated as a “black box”. A simple readout mechanism is trained to read the state of the reservoir and convert it to the desired output. There are several key benefits to this framework. The first key benefit of this framework is that training is performed only at the readout stage, as the reservoir dynamics are fixed. This makes the data training process very fast, since there is no recursive back projection of trained data through the reservoir. The second is that the computational power of naturally available systems, both classical and quantum mechanical, can be conveniently utilized to reduce the effective computational cost. The third is to significantly reduce the total power consumption, by off-loading complex and costly kernel functions to optics domains to achieve speed-of-light processing with extreme parallelism, ultralow power, and nearly no heat deposition. We plan to release a hybrid photonic-electronic machine for reservoir computing in late 2022, which will be made available through the Qatalyst platform.

Quantum Photonic Applications

The acquisition of QPhoton has broadened the Company’s technology portfolio and enables us to develop a group of closely related products based on a common core photonic technology. Products in development include:

Quantum Photonic Applications

The acquisition of QPhoton has broadened the Company’s technology portfolio and enables us to develop a group of closely related products, such as the EQC and RQC, based on our common core photonic technology. Products in development include:

Quantum Optical Chips

Optical chips will ultimately provide the greatest scalability and performance advantages for quantum information processing, sensing and imaging. The Company is actively working on the specification and design for a dedicated quantum optical chip fabrication facility to develop and produce Lithium Niobate optical chips (“Quantum Chips”) for quantum information processing and other single photon detection and sensing applications. The Company believes there is an opportunity to benefit from the recently authorized CHIPS Act and will take steps to establish a U.S.-based chip facility in 2023. The Company is evaluating multiple options for a facility site, as well as potential federal, state and regional funding incentives to help finance the project and advance quantum technology innovation, but has not made a final decision. Construction of such a fabrication facility for the Quantum Chips may take several years and there is no assurance that the Company will be able to raise the necessary funding.

Quantum Imaging

One of the most exciting opportunities in development involves leveraging the ability to count single photons and filter their associated wave functions precisely to obtain optical imaging through otherwise opaque and dense materials. At a minimum, quantum imaging will be a powerful supplement to modern reconstructed computerized tomography (CT) imaging applications, where tissue damage from high energy radiation can and needs to be avoided. Optical chips will ultimately provide the greatest scalability and performance advantages for quantum information processing, sensing and imaging. When all of the critical optical components can be “embedded” on a fully integrated chip, the efficiency and fidelity of the photonic quantum technologies will be fully realized. A prototype has been built and is currently undergoing testing by the Company.

Cybersecurity – Quantum Networks and Quantum Authentication

The Cybersecurity field has been aware for some time of the potential threats and benefits of quantum computing resulting from the expectation that quantum computers will eventually have the capability to can “break” any of the currently utilized non-quantum-based encryption methods. However, effective cybersecurity goes well beyond encryption for protection. Effective cybersecurity requires a holistic approach to protecting the enterprise. The Company believes that our quantum computing capabilities may have applications in encryption. However, initially we are applying our quantum technologies to create secure transport layers (quantum networks) and endpoints (quantum authentication) which will contribute greatly to the cybersecurity domain, beyond encryption. QCI has several patents in the area of quantum-based technologies for protection of data at rest and in quantum private communication. QCI plans to begin commercial development of quantum networking products in 2023 and partnerships are actively being explored.

Quantum Remote Sensing – QLiDAR

Our Quantum LiDAR (“QLiDAR”) can see through dense fog and provide image fidelity at great distances and through difficult environments such as snow, ice, and water. Once again, by leveraging the power of quantum mechanics and single photon detection, LiDAR systems can be greatly enhanced in their ability to measure at improved resolution and distances as well as extend these photonic signals to applications in vibrometry for material stress analysis, particle size analysis, and potential remote sensing from aircraft, drones and even satellites.

Results of Operations

Three Months Ended September 30, 2022 vs. September 30, 2021

Revenues

Revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2022 were $37,646 as compared with $0 for the comparable prior year period. There is no revenue comparison for the comparable prior year period because the Company had not yet sold any products or services. All revenue in the current reporting period is derived from professional services provided to multiple commercial customers under multi-month contracts.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2022 was $24,891 as compared with $0 for the comparable prior year period. There is no cost of revenues comparison for the comparable prior year period because the Company had not yet sold any products or services. Cost of revenues for the current reporting period consists primarily of salary expense.

Gross Margin

Gross margin for the three months ended September 30, 2022 was $12,755 or 34% as compared with 0% for the comparable prior year period. There is no gross margin comparison for the comparable prior year period because the Company had not yet sold any products or services.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2022 were $6,846,750 as compared with $4,779,988 for the comparable prior year period, an increase of $2,066,762 or 43%. The increase in operating expenses is due in large part to the $644,570 increase in salary expense due to changes in the number and composition of staff, $2,096,240 increase in other SG&A costs, $653,432 increase in research and development expenses related primarily to hiring additional technical staff, offset in part by a $4,639 decrease in consultant and professional services expense, and a $1,322,841 decrease in stock-based compensation compared with the comparable prior year period.

Net Income (Loss)

Our net loss for the three months ended September 30, 2022 was $7,569,280 as compared with a net loss of $4,777,957 for the comparable prior year period, an increase of $2,791,323 or 58%. The increase in net loss is primarily due to the increase in operating expenses, noted above, as well as $241,445 increase in interest expense related to preferred stock dividends and interest on term loan, recorded during the three months ended September 30, 2022 compared with interest expense of $0 during the comparable prior year period.

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022 vs. September 30, 2021

Revenues

Revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 were $134,370 as compared with $0 for the comparable prior year period. There is no revenue comparison for the comparable prior year period because the Company had not yet sold any products or services. Revenue in the current reporting period is derived from professional services provided to multiple commercial customers under multi-month contracts.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $41,692 as compared with $0 for the comparable prior year period. There is no cost of revenues comparison for the comparable prior year period because the Company had not yet sold any products or services. Cost of revenues for the current reporting period consists primarily of salary expense.

Gross Margin

Gross margin for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $92,678 or 69% as compared with $0 for the comparable prior year period. There is no gross margin comparison for the comparable prior year period because the Company had not yet sold any products or services.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 were $18,443,966 as compared with $12,501,818 for the comparable prior year period, an increase of $5,942,148 or 48%. The increase in operating expenses is due to the $1,346,326 increase in research and development expenses offset by a $2,444,350 decrease in stock-based compensation expense in the first nine months of 2022 compared with the comparable period in 2021. In addition, changes in the number and composition of staff resulted in a $2,367,269 increase in salary and benefit expenses, $4,576,852 increase in other SG&A costs and a $96,051 increase in consulting expenses compared to the comparable prior year period, largely related to an increased focus on sales and marketing. There was an increase in legal fees of $2,207,895 in the nine months ended September 30, 2022 compared with the comparable period in 2021 due in large part to the costs of the merger with QPhoton.

Net Income (Loss)

Our net loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $19,807,546 as compared with a net loss of $12,278,422 for the comparable prior year period, an increase of $7,529,124 or 61%. The increase in net loss is primarily due to the increase in operating expenses, noted above, as well as $1,501,445 increase in interest expense related to dividends and amortization of the Original Issue Discount for the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, Warrants and Investor Note, and interest accrued on loans, recorded during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 compared with interest expense of $0 during the comparable prior year period, and $218,371 decrease in other income associated with the forgiveness of the SBA PPP Loan during the three months ended September 30, 2021.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Since commencing operations as Quantum Computing in February 2018, the Company has raised $27,759,904 through private placement of equity and $12,633,000 through private placements of Convertible Promissory Notes and other debt for a total of $40,392,904 in new investment. The Company has no line of credit, and $8,250,000 in short and long-term debt obligations outstanding. As of September 30, 2022, the Company had cash and equivalents of $10,381,376 on hand.

The following table summarizes total current assets, liabilities and working capital at September 30, 2022, compared to December 31, 2021:

At September 30, 2022, we had working capital of $7,168,756 as compared to working capital of $16,139,357 at December 31, 2021, a decrease of $8,970,601. The decrease in working capital is primarily attributable to the use of cash to pay for operating expenses, capital investments, including the Note Purchase Agreement with QPhoton, and the costs relating to the merger with QPhoton.

Net Cash

Net cash used in operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 was $11,565,125 and $4,863,392, respectively. The net loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, was $19,807,546 and $12,278,422, respectively.

Net cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 were $86,237,313 and $11,415. The increase in investment in the current period is primarily due to the merger with QPhoton.

Net cash provided by financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $91,445,157 compared with $111,567 during the same period of 2021. Cash flows provided in financing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 were attributable to the acquisition of QPhoton, the amortization of the original issue discount for the Series A Convertible Preferred stock, and the Streeterville Unsecured Note. The cash flow provided by financing activities during the period ended September 30, 2021 was primarily attributable to issuance of common stock for the exercise of options and the exercise of warrants.

Previously, we have funded our operations primarily through the sale of our equity (or equity linked) and debt securities. During the first nine months of 2022, we have funded our operations primarily through the use of cash on hand. As of November 11, 2022, we had cash on hand of approximately $8,556,768. We have approximately $94,772 in monthly lease and other mandatory payments, not including payroll, employee benefits and ordinary expenses which are due monthly.

On a long-term basis, our liquidity is dependent on continuation and expansion of operations and receipt of revenues. Demand for the products and services will be dependent on, among other things, market acceptance of our products and services, the technology market in general, and general economic conditions, which are cyclical in nature. In as much as a major portion of our activities will be the receipt of revenues from the sales of our products, our business operations may be adversely affected by our competitors and prolonged recession periods.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Certain of our accounting policies require the application of significant judgment by our management, and such judgments are reflected in the amounts reported in our condensed consolidated financial statements. In applying these policies, our management uses judgment to determine the appropriate assumptions to be used in the determination of estimates. Those estimates are based on our historical experience, terms of existing contracts, our observance of market trends, information provided by our strategic partners and information available from other outside sources, as appropriate. Actual results may differ significantly from the estimates contained in our condensed consolidated financial statements.

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

Revenue

The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC 606 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Revenue from time and materials-based contracts is recognized as the direct hours worked during the period times the contractual hourly rate, plus direct materials and other direct costs as appropriate, plus negotiated materials handling burdens, if any. Revenue from units-based contracts is recognized as the number of units delivered or performed during the period times the contractual unit price. Revenue from fixed price contracts is recognized as work is performed with estimated profits recorded on a percentage of completion basis. The Company has no cost reimbursement (“cost-plus”) type contracts at this time.

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

During the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and for fiscal 2021, we did not engage in any material off-balance sheet activities or have any relationships or arrangements with unconsolidated entities established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes. Further, we have not guaranteed any obligations of unconsolidated entities nor do we have any commitment or intent to provide additional funding to any such entities.

Critical Accounting Estimates

We have identified the following critical accounting estimates. An accounting estimate is “critical” if it (a) requires Company management to make assumptions about matters that are highly uncertain at the time of the estimate, and also (b) Company management reasonably could have used different estimates in the current period, or changes in the accounting estimate that are reasonably likely to occur from period to period, would have a material impact on the presentation of the Company’s financial condition, changes in financial condition or results of operations.

The Company uses the Black-Scholes model to calculate the fair value of stock options and derivatives. The Black-Scholes model, developed in 1973, is a differential equation which requires five input variables, the strike price of an option, the current stock price, the time to expiration, the risk-free rate, and the volatility of the Company common stock. The Black-Scholes model is widely used for pricing options but it does rely on certain assumptions about the market which may not be correct over time. Specifically,

To the extent that any of these assumptions is not correct, that could result in the over or under pricing of the stock options involved. The assumption that the risk-free rate (the Company uses the one-year US Treasury Bill rate as a proxy for the risk-free rate) can vary over time, and if the T-Bill rate varies substantially over the life of the stock option that could affect the pricing. Similarly, the volatility of the Company’s common stock, also known as the Beta, has moved within a limited range over the past year, but the volatility of any security can change over time, which would affect the option pricing calculation. Another critical estimate relating to option pricing is the default rate, which means the estimate of granted options that will either expire unexercised, or be forfeited, over the life of the stock options. If the Company’s estimate of the default rate turns out to be substantially different from the actual, experienced default rate, that could result in over or under estimating the total option expense.

The Black-Scholes model is not the only available approach for pricing stock options, the Company could have used a Binomial pricing model or a Monte Carlo simulation model. However, there is no assurance that either a Binomial or Monte Carlo pricing approach would be more accurate than the Black-Scholes model over time. Moreover, both the Binomial model, which calculates the price of an option at each point in time during the option period, or the Monte Carlo model, which simulates the possible movements in future stock prices and uses them to calculate the option value, rely on critical assumptions. The Binomial model assumes that stock markets are perfectly efficient, which may not hold for all periods of time. The Monte Carlo simulation model assumes changes in stock prices over time cannot be predicted from the historical trends (known as a “random walk”), which also may not hold for all periods.

Another area of critical accounting estimates involves determining the fair market value and useful life of the intangible assets acquired by the Company through the merger with QPhoton. In the absence of market pricing for the intangible assets, the Company relied on comparison with similar transactions to arrive at estimates of value as well as useful life. The Company will perform periodic assessments of the intangible assets for impairment, but if any of the initial estimates are incorrect, that could result in a calculation of amortization expense that is too high or too low.

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

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

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We maintain “disclosure controls and procedures,” as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, our management recognized that disclosure controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of disclosure controls and procedures are met. Additionally, in designing disclosure controls and procedures, our management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible disclosure controls and procedures. The design of any disclosure controls and procedures also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions.

As of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Principal Executive Officer and our Principal Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act. Based on the controls evaluation, our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer concluded that as of the date of their evaluation, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective to provide reasonable assurance that (a) the information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and (b) such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and President and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Specifically, the Company does not have sufficient accounting staff to enable proper segregation of duties. The Company has commenced hiring additional administrative and accounting staff to address this deficiency in the near term.

(b) Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and Rule 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during our most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

PART II – OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

Except as listed below, there is no action, suit, or proceeding by any court, public board, government agency, self-regulatory organization or body pending or, to the knowledge of the executive officers of our Company or our subsidiaries, threatened against or affecting our Company, our common stock, our subsidiary or of our companies or our subsidiary’s officers or directors in their capacities as such, in which an adverse decision could have a material adverse effect.

BV Advisory Partners, LLC (“BV Advisory”) was a shareholder of QPhoton, Inc. (“QPhoton”) immediately prior to the Company’s acquisition of QPhoton. On October 13, 2022 BV Advisory filed a petition in Delaware Chancery Court seeking appraisal rights on the shares of Common Stock of QPhoton (which shares represented 10% of the shares of Common Stock of QPhoton outstanding immediately prior to the Company’s acquisition of QPhoton) pursuant to Section 262 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. The Company does not have sufficient information to assess the potential impact of the appraisal demand at this time.

In addition, on March 1, 2021, QPhoton entered into a Note Purchase Agreement with BV Advisory. Under the Note Purchase Agreement, on March 1, 2021, March 23, 2021 and July 9, 2021, QPhoton and BV Advisory, a related party shareholder, entered into convertible promissory notes for $200,592, $150,000, and $150,000, respectively, for a total of $500,592 (the “BV Notes”). The BV Notes all bore interest at a rate of 6% per annum and matured 2 years from the grant date.

On June 16, 2022 QPhoton tendered a cashier’s check to BV Advisory in the amount of $535,68.44, representing the full principal balance of the BV Notes and accrued interest through June 16, 2022. On July 14, 2022 BV Advisory returned the cashier’s check and disputed the calculation of the amount paid to settle the BV Notes.

On August 15, 2022, BV Advisory Partners, LLC (the “Plaintiff”) filed a complaint in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware naming the Company and certain of its directors and officers (among others) as defendants (the “Lawsuit”). BV Advisory Partners, LLC v. Quantum Computing Inc., et al., C.A. No. 2022-0719-VCG (Del. Ch.). The Plaintiff is seeking, among other relief, monetary damages for an alleged breach of the Note Purchase Agreement between the Plaintiff and QPhoton, Inc., the predecessor in interest to Qphoton, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, as well as monetary damages for breach of an alleged binding letter of intent among Barksdale Global Holdings, LLC, Inference Ventures, LLC and QPhoton, Inc. The Company believes that the Plaintiff’s claims have no merit and intends to defend itself vigorously. Moreover, the Company believes that numerous alleged facts and characterizations set forth in the Plaintiff’s complaint are false, misleading and intentionally designed to damage the Company’s reputation, and the Company categorically rejects those alleged facts and characterizations. The Plaintiff’s key principal, Keith Barksdale, misrepresented his role with QPhoton, Inc. during the early stages of the Company’s negotiations with respect to the acquisition of QPhoton. The Company believes that Mr. Barksdale misrepresented his role in order to arrogate to Plaintiff and related parties an undue portion of the consideration payable to QPhoton’s stockholders. In addition to defending itself vigorously against the allegations in the Lawsuit, the Company is evaluating its rights and remedies against the Plaintiff and related parties. 

Item 1A.  Risk Factors

We believe there are no changes that constitute material changes from the risk factors previously disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 15, 2022, other than the following:

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

The COVID-19 global health pandemic which started in March 2020, continues to present business challenges in 2022, primarily in coronavirus related costs, travel delays and restrictions, and delays in supplier deliveries. The COVID 19 pandemic has driven the implementation and continuation of significant government-imposed measures to prevent or reduce its spread, including travel restrictions, “shelter in place” orders, and business closures. Although to date, the Company has not been adversely affected by COVID-19, the measures taken by the governments of countries affected could adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, and results of operations. The long term impact of COVID-19 on our operations and financial performance in future periods, including our ability to meet expected schedules, remains uncertain and will depend on future pandemic related developments, including the duration of the pandemic, potential subsequent waves of COVID-19 infections, including new variants, the effectiveness and adoption of COVID-19 vaccines and medicines, and government actions to manage the spread of the disease, which could include vaccine mandates and travel restrictions, are uncertain and cannot be predicted.

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

None.

Item 3. Defaults upon Senior Securities

There has been no default in the payment of principal, interest, sinking or purchase fund installment, or any other material default, with respect to any indebtedness of the Company.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not Applicable.

Item 5. Other Information

There is no additional other information required to be disclosed under this item which has not been previously reported.

Item 6. Exhibits

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report on Form 10-Q to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

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