What changed in BranchOut Food Inc.'s 10-K — 2024 vs 2025

ITEM 1. BUSINESS Overview BranchOut Food Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, the “Company,” “BranchOut,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) was originally incorporated as AvoChips Inc., an Oregon corporation, on February 21, 2017.

Our products have historically been manufactured for us by two contract manufacturers, one based in the Republic of Chile, and the other in the Republic of Peru, which housed our large-scale continuous through-put dehydration machine that completed its first production run in the first quarter of 2023.

Our dehydrated fruit and vegetable products are produced using a new proprietary dehydration technology licensed by us from a third party. Our customers are primarily located throughout the United States. In 2024, we decided to initiate our own production facility in Peru to become vertically integrated.

We recently completed the build out of the new facility (the “Peru Facility”), which commenced operations in December 2024, and utilizes three large-scale REV machines (a REV 60, REV 100 and REV 120) that we recently purchased from EnWave Corporation (“EnWave”), as well as, a small REV 10 R&D machine that is being used for product development and customer sample purposes.

Using our licensed technology platform, we believe our lines of branded, private-label and industrial ingredient products positively address current consumer trends. In our experience, conventional dehydration methods, such as freeze-drying and air drying, tend to degrade most fruit and vegetables through oxidation, browning/color degradation, nutritional content reduction and/or flavor loss.

As a result, certain highly sensitive fruits, such as avocados and bananas, have not previously been successfully offered as a dehydrated base for consumer products. We believe that our licensed technology platform and process is the only way to produce quality avocado and banana-based snack and powdered products.

Additionally, we believe our licensed technology platform produces superior products when using other fruits and vegetables when compared to conventional drying and dehydration technologies.

We license technology, consisting of a portfolio of patents, and purchased production machines, from EnWave, and we have been granted the exclusive rights to use the licensed technology platform as applied to several core products in Peru, and avocado based products in the United States.

In addition, BranchOut has the nonexclusive rights to use the licensed technology platform for other products. We entered into a private labeling contract with one of the world’s largest retailers in late 2022 to supply the retailer with two products for placement in half of their domestic stores.

In late 2023, the same retailer agreed to carry two additional products of ours in certain of their stores. In April 2024, we received a commitment from this retailer to carry another product of ours in their stores.

Based on this most recent commitment, our products have been carried in a total of 1,400 of this retailer’s stores as of December 31, 2024. On October 23, 2024, we entered into an At-The-Market Issuance Sales Agreement (the “ATM Agreement”) with Alexander Capital, L.P.

(“Alexander Capital”) for the sale of shares of common stock from time to time through Alexander Capital having an aggregate offering price of up to $3 million.

As of December 31, 2024, we had sold 1,317,307 shares of common stock under the ATM Agreement resulting in gross proceeds of approximately $2.5 million and aggregate net proceeds of approximately $2.3 million, after deducting expenses, including a 3% commission paid to Alexander Capital.

Subsequent to December 31, 2024, the ATM Agreement was amended to increase the aggregate offering price of shares of common stock that may be sold under the ATM Agreement to $5 million.

Following December 31, 2024, we sold 1,303,115 additional shares of common stock under the ATM for gross proceeds of approximately $2.5 million and aggregate net proceeds of approximately $2.4 million.

As of the date of the filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as a result of such sales of common stock under the ATM Agreement, the Company believes it has stockholders’ equity in excess of $2.5 million, in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1).

In June 2023, we completed our initial public offering (“IPO”) in which we issued 1,190,000 shares of common stock at a price of $6.00 per share. We received net proceeds of $6,226,000 in the IPO after deducting underwriters’ discounts and commissions and before consideration of other issuance costs.

In connection with the IPO, a total of $6,029,204 of convertible debt, consisting of $5,526,691 of principal and $502,513 of interest, was converted into 1,572,171 shares of common stock. 2 Our Products We plan to continue to grow revenues strategically by penetrating the multi-billion dollar grocery, industrial ingredient and online market.

Our current product line includes: ● BranchOut Snacks: dehydrated fruit and vegetable-based snacks, including Avocado Chips, Chewy Banana Bites, Pineapple Chips, Brussels Sprout Crisps, Strawberry Crisps and Bell Pepper Crisps. ● Private Label: Prunes, Carrots, Brussel Sprouts and Raisins sold to major retailers. ● BranchOut Industrial Ingredients: Banana, Mango, Blueberry, Pineapple, Cherry Tomato, Avocado and many others.

We are currently developing many additional products for all sales channels. BranchOut Snacks We currently produce all of our BranchOut snack products at our plant in Peru using our licensed technology. Our snacks are mostly single ingredient products.

Our Avocado Chips are real avocado slices, dehydrated using our licensed technology and process to create crispy, crunchy avocado slices while maintaining their vibrant green color, rich creamy avocado flavor, and superfood nutritional content. We offer these in three flavors, “Sea Salt with a Hint of Lime”, “Chili Lime” and “Sriracha” seasoned topically on the avocado slices.

We also offer a “Chewy Banana Bite”. Each “Banana Bite” is an actual banana slice, providing a unique marshmallow-like, chewy texture. Previous market offerings in the banana snack space include fried plantain chips and dark brown air-dried banana snacks.

We believe that our “Chewy Banana Bite” product is superior due to its fresh-looking, natural yellow color, single ingredient base and fresh banana flavor. We offer the banana bites in two flavors, “Original”, and “Cinnamon Churro”.

According to widely accepted market data, fresh bananas have historically shown to be the most consumed fruit in America and the highest selling item in grocery stores; however, we do not believe that any banana snack has been offered prior to our “Chewy Banana Bite” product that is of similar quality.

Our “Pineapple Chip” product is made up of 100% dried pineapple slices. The Pineapple Chips are made from real pineapple slices and offer a fresh pineapple flavor. In addition, we recently added two vegetable-based snacks, Brussels Sprout Crisps and Bell Pepper Crisps to our BranchOut branded product line.

BranchOut Private Label We also manufacture and supply products to major retailers in North America on a private label basis. The business line allows us to manufacture and supply fruits and vegetables from South America to the distribution centers of major US retailers.

BranchOut Industrial Ingredients While BranchOut remains focused on the growth of its branded snack business, demand for industrial ingredients has continued to increase as we expand our market presence. To accelerate the scaling of this growing business line, we have entered into an Agreement with MicroDried, a market leader in premium dried ingredients.

This partnership leverages MicroDried’s strong industry relationships and sales infrastructure alongside BranchOut’s proprietary GentleDry™ technology. Under the agreement, the companies will collaborate on the production and commercialization of fruit and vegetable pieces, powders and fragments, manufactured at our Peru Facility.

The collaboration is expected to generate several million dollars in annual ingredient sales for BranchOut, with upside potential as the partnership expands. Products in Development We are currently working on several new items at the request of major national retailers, consumer product brands and ingredient manufacturers for their private label brand, as well as our own brand.

In addition, we have been in discussions with the U.S. Army about the possibility of including certain of our products in their Meals Ready-to-Eat for their personnel. The U.S. Army has asked us to develop snack concepts for sensory and shelf-life testing, which is currently in progress.

Separately, we have been developing a line of salad toppers with one of the largest salad dressing producers in the U.S. 3 Industry We operate within the U.S. grocery market, which reached approximately $1.5 trillion in 2024, making it the largest retail sector in the country by sales volume.

Within this market, BranchOut is focused on the growing demand for clean-label, minimally processed snack products that meet modern consumer expectations for quality, convenience, and transparency. The shift in consumer behavior over the past several years has moved firmly away from highly processed, artificial, and sugar-laden packaged foods.

Shoppers are increasingly seeking snacks with short ingredient lists, simple processing, and real food appeal, especially in categories like chips, fruit snacks, and shelf-stable produce alternatives. This trend is reflected in the rapid expansion of premium snack sets in national retailers, club stores, and e-commerce platforms.

Among shelf-stable snack technologies, freeze-drying has gained popularity for its ability to extend shelf life while maintaining nutritional integrity. However, freeze-dried products often suffer from poor texture, muted flavor, and high production costs—limitations that have hindered broader consumer adoption. We believe that many traditional snack brands, and freeze-dried products in particular, are failing to meet evolving consumer demands.

BranchOut is uniquely positioned to fill this gap with our proprietary GentleDry™ technology, which delivers superior taste, texture, and color, while preserving up to 95% of the nutrition found in fresh produce.

Our Growth Strategy BranchOut’s long-term goal is to build a scalable and widely recognized brand that delivers exceptional products across multiple grocery aisles, supported by complementary private label and bulk ingredient businesses.

In a category crowded with short-lived brands and lookalike products, we believe that a reputation for quality and trust remains one of the most effective barriers to entry and a critical driver of long-term value in the competitive consumer-packaged goods space. In addition, we aim to leverage our capabilities by offering major retailers private label products.

These two approaches make up the heart of our platform strategy. Our primary growth strategies are as follows: Open-Ended and Long Duration Growth Opportunity in the Enormous Grocery Market The U.S. grocery market is one of the largest retail end-markets in the world.

BranchOut’s strategy is to maximize penetration of this opportunity through a variety of avenues, including growing brand trust and recognition, significantly expanding our grocery distribution footprint to multiples of our current level of customer retail locations, driving shelf velocity through an acceleration of online and offline advertising and introducing new products to expand our store footprint.

ITEM 1A. Risk Factors The following important factors, and the important factors described elsewhere in this report or in our other filings with the SEC, could affect (and in some cases have affected) our results and could cause our results to be materially different from estimates or expectations. Other risks and uncertainties may also affect our results or operations adversely.

The following and these other risks could materially and adversely affect our business, operations, results or financial condition. Risks Related to Our Operating History, Financial Position and Capital Needs We are an early-stage company and have incurred significant losses since our inception. We expect to incur losses for the foreseeable future and may never achieve or maintain profitability.

We are an early-stage company. We were formed and commenced operations in November 2017. We face all the risks faced by newer companies, including significant competition from existing and emerging competitors, many of which are established and have better access to capital.

In addition, as a new business, we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays, and other known and unknown factors. We will need to transition from an early-stage company to a company capable of supporting larger scale commercial activities. If we are not successful in such a transition, our business, results, and financial condition will be harmed.

Even if we do achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. Furthermore, we may not be able to control overhead expenses even where our operations successfully expand.

Our failure to become and remain profitable would depress our value and could impair our ability to raise capital, expand our business, diversify our product offerings, or even continue our operations.

Our audited financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 included a statement from our independent registered public accounting firm that there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, and a continuation of negative financial trends could result in our inability to continue as a going concern.

There is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern over the next twelve months and our independent registered public accounting firm has included a “going concern” explanatory paragraph in their report in our financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

If our operating results fail to improve, our financial condition will deteriorate which could render us unable to continue as a going concern. Our failure to meet the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq could result in a delisting of our securities.

On April 11, 2024, we received a letter from Nasdaq stating that we were not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) (the “Rule”) because our stockholders’ equity of $2,210,476 as of December 31, 2023 was below the minimum requirement of $2,500,000.

Pursuant to Nasdaq’s Listing Rules, on May 28, 2024, we submitted to Nasdaq a plan to regain compliance with the Rule, which was accepted by Nasdaq and provided us with an extension of 180 calendar days from April 11, 2024 (until October 8, 2024) to regain compliance with the Rule.

On October 10, 2024, Nasdaq notified us that we did not meet the terms of the extension to regain compliance with the Rule, and as a result, unless we requested an appeal, trading of our common stock would be suspended.

On October 11, 2024, we submitted a request for a hearing with Nasdaq’s Hearings Panel to appeal Nasdaq’s delisting determination, which stayed the suspension of trading of our common stock.

As of November 14, 2024, as a result of the sale of 928,602 Shares under the ATM Agreement for aggregate gross offering proceeds of approximately $1,795,000, we regained compliance with the Rule, and the hearing before the Hearing Panel was cancelled.

However, Nasdaq informed us that it will continue to monitor the Company’s ongoing compliance with the stockholders’ equity requirement and, if we fail to evidence compliance with the Rule upon the filing of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, we may be subject to delisting.

As of December 31, 2024, we were again not in compliance with the Rule, with stockholders’ equity of $2,341,583 as reported in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

However, as a result of the sale of 1,303,115 additional shares of our common stock under the ATM Agreement following December 31, 2024 for net proceeds of approximately $2.4 million, as of the date of filing this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Company believes it has regained compliance with the Rule.

However, Nasdaq will continue to monitor the Company’s ongoing compliance with the stockholders’ equity requirement and, if at the time of its next periodic report the Company does not evidence compliance, it may be subject to delisting.

A delisting would likely have a negative effect on the price of our common stock and may impair the ability of our stockholders to sell our stock. 7 We may need to raise additional capital to fund our existing commercial operations and develop and commercialize new products and expand our operations.

If our available cash balances, net proceeds from financing activities, and anticipated cash flow from operations are insufficient to satisfy our liquidity requirements, we may seek to sell common stock or other securities, and/or seek additional debt financing.

We may consider raising additional capital in the future to expand our business, to pursue strategic investments, to take advantage of financing opportunities or for other reasons, including to: ● increase our sales and marketing efforts and address competitive developments; ● provide for supply and inventory costs; ● maintain compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements; ● fund development and marketing efforts of any future products or additional features to then-current products; ● acquire, license or invest in new technologies; and ● acquire or invest in complementary businesses or assets.

Our present and future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including: ● our ability to achieve revenue growth and improve gross margins; ● the cost of expanding our operations and offerings, including our sales and marketing efforts; ● the effect of competing market developments; and ● costs related to international expansion.

The various ways we could raise additional capital carry potential risks. If we raise funds by issuing equity securities, dilution to our stockholders could result. Any equity securities issued also could provide for rights, preferences, or privileges senior to those of holders of shares of our common stock.

If we raise funds by issuing debt securities, those debt securities would have rights, preferences, and privileges senior to those of holders of shares of our common stock. The terms of any debt securities issued or borrowings made pursuant to a credit agreement could impose significant restrictions on our operations.

If we raise additional funds through collaborations and licensing arrangements, we might be required to relinquish significant rights or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us. Our current growth may not be indicative of our future growth, and our limited operating history may make it difficult to assess our future viability.

We expect that, in the future, as our revenue increases, our revenue growth rate will decline.

Our growth has placed, and may continue to place, significant demands on our organizational, administrative, and operational infrastructure, including manufacturing operations, quality control, technical support and customer service, sales force management and general and financial administration.

As we continue to grow, we will need to make significant investments in multiple divisions of our company, including in sales, marketing, product development, information technology, equipment, facilities, and human resources.

Managing our planned growth effectively will require us to: ● maintain a low cost of customer acquisition relative to customer lifetime value; ● identify products that will be viewed favorably by customers; ● expand operations with our contract manufacturers; and ● successfully hire, train, and motivate additional employees, including additional personnel for our technology, sales and marketing efforts.

The expansion of our products and customer base may result in increases in our overhead and selling expenses. Any increase in expenditures in anticipation of future sales that do not materialize would adversely affect our profitability.

In addition, if we are unable to effectively manage the growth of our business, the quality of our products may suffer and we may be unable to address competitive challenges, which would adversely affect our overall business, operations, and financial condition. Our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.

Upon the completion of the IPO, we became subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and implemented disclosure controls and procedures to reasonably assure that information we must disclose in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, and recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC.

However, we believe that any disclosure controls and procedures or internal controls and procedures, no matter how well-conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake.

However, to date, given the small size of our company and the nature of our operations, our reliance on information systems has been limited to the use of standard off-the-shelf software (such as Google, QuickBooks and Microsoft Office) and the use by our employees of standard personal computers.

We discuss how cybersecurity incidents could materially affect us in our risk factor disclosures in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Governance As discussed above, given the nature of our current operations and our experience to date, we do not currently perceive cybersecurity as a particularly significant risk to our business.

Accordingly, we have not tasked our Board of Directors with any additional cybersecurity oversight duties, or designated any committee of the Board of Directors to specifically oversee cybersecurity risks to our business .

The lease of the Peru Facility requires monthly lease payments of $8,000 in the first two years of the lease, $20,000 in the third year of the lease, $22,000 in the fourth year of the lease, $24,000 in the fourth year of the lease, and $25,000 thereafter.

The lease also has a 10-year renewal option, and a buy-out option under which we may purchase the Peru Facility for $1,865,456. We believe that our current facilities are adequate for our current needs.

Any cash dividends in the future to common shareholders will be payable when, as and if declared by our board of directors, based upon the board’s assessment of our financial condition and performance, earnings, need for funds, capital requirements, prior claims of preferred stock to the extent issued and outstanding, and other factors, including income tax consequences, restrictions and applicable laws.

There can be no assurance, therefore, that any dividends on our common stock will ever be paid. 22 Equity Compensation Plan Information This following table provides information about shares our common stock that may be issued under our options outstanding at December 31, 2024.

Other than individual options outstanding reflected in the table below, we did not have any shares authorized for issuance under equity plans at December 31, 2024.

Plan category Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a)) (a) (b) (c) Equity compensation plans approved by security holders 593,470 $ 2.39 415,530 Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders (1) 182,735 3.76 N/A Total 776,205 $ 2.71 415,530 (1) Represents warrants issued on June 21, 2023 to the underwriter in the Company’s IPO, and warrants issued on June 26, 2024 to underwriter in our follow-on public offering. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan General Our board of directors and stockholders adopted the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan as of January 1, 2022, which provides for the grant of incentive stock options and non-qualified stock options to purchase shares of our common stock and other types of awards.

The general purpose of the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan is to provide a means whereby eligible employees, officers, non-employee directors and other individual service providers develop a sense of proprietorship and personal involvement in our development and financial success, and to encourage them to devote their best efforts to our business, thereby advancing our interests and the interests of our stockholders.

By means of the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan, we seek to retain the services of such eligible persons and to provide incentives for such persons to exert maximum efforts for our success and the success of our subsidiaries.

Description of the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan The following description of the principal terms of the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan is a summary and is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan. Administration. In general, the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the board of directors.

The Compensation Committee determines the persons to whom options to purchase shares of common stock, stock appreciation rights (or “SARs”), restricted stock units, restricted or unrestricted shares of common stock, performance shares, performance units, incentive bonus awards, other stock-based awards and other cash-based awards may be granted.

The Compensation Committee may also establish rules and regulations for the administration of the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan and amendments or modifications of outstanding awards.

No options, stock purchase rights or awards may be made under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan on or after January 7, 2032 (or, the expiration date), but the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan will continue thereafter in effect with respect to previously granted options, SARs or other awards that remain outstanding. Eligibility.

Persons eligible to receive options, SARs or other awards under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan are those employees, officers, directors, consultants, advisors and other individual service providers of ours who, in the opinion of the Compensation Committee, are in a position to contribute to our success, or any person who is determined by the Compensation Committee to be a prospective employee, officer, director, consultant, advisor or other individual service provider of the Company or any subsidiary.

Shares Subject to the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan. The aggregate number of shares of common stock initially available for issuance in connection with options and other awards granted under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan was 600,000.

The number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan automatically increases on the first day of each fiscal year of the Company commencing with fiscal year 2023, and the first day of each fiscal year thereafter until the expiration date, in an amount equal to 5% percent of the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding on the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year of the Company, unless the board of directors takes action prior thereto to provide that there will not be an increase in the share reserve for such year or that the increase in the share reserve for such year will be of a lesser number of shares of common stock than would otherwise occur.

As of December 31, 2024, the annual increases to the plan resulted in 1,009,000 shares being able to be issued under the plan. 23 “Incentive stock options”, or ISOs, that are intended to meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) may be granted under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan with respect to all of the shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan.

If any option or SAR granted under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan terminates without having been exercised in full or if any award is forfeited, the number of shares of common stock as to which such option or award was forfeited will be available for future grants under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan.

Awards settled in cash will not count against the number of shares available for issuance under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan.

No non-employee director may receive awards in any calendar year having an accounting value in excess of $250,000 (inclusive of any cash awards to the non-employee director for such year that are not made pursuant to the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan); provided that, in the case of a new non-employee director, such amount is increased to $350,000 for the initial year of the non-employee director’s term.

The number of shares authorized for issuance under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan and the foregoing share limitations are subject to customary adjustments for stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions. Terms and Conditions of Options.

Options granted under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan may be either ISOs or “non-statutory stock options” that do not meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Code. The Compensation Committee will determine the exercise price of options granted under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan.

The exercise price of stock options may not be less than the fair market value per share of our common stock on the date of grant (or 110% of fair market value in the case of ISOs granted to a ten-percent stockholder).

If on the date of grant the common stock is listed on a stock exchange or is quoted on the automated quotation system of the Nasdaq Stock Market, the fair market value will generally be the closing sale price on the date of grant (or the last trading day before the date of grant if no trades occurred on the date of grant).

If no such prices are available, the fair market value will be determined in good faith by the Compensation Committee based on the reasonable application of a reasonable valuation method. No option may be exercisable for more than ten years (five years in the case of an ISO granted to a ten-percent stockholder) from the date of grant.

Options granted under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan will be exercisable at such time or times as the Compensation Committee prescribes at the time of grant. No employee may receive ISOs that first become exercisable in any calendar year in an amount exceeding $100,000.

The Compensation Committee may, in its discretion, permit a holder of an option to exercise the option before it has otherwise become exercisable, in which case the shares of our common stock issued to the recipient will continue to be subject to the vesting requirements that applied to the option before exercise.

Generally, the option price may be paid in cash, by certified check, or by bank draft. The Compensation Committee may permit other methods of payment, including through delivery of shares of our common stock having a fair market value equal to the purchase price.

The Compensation Committee is authorized to establish a cashless exercise program and to permit the exercise price (and/or tax withholding obligations) to be satisfied by reducing from the shares otherwise issuable upon exercise a number of shares having a fair market value equal to the exercise price.

No option may be transferred other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and during a recipient’s lifetime an option may be exercised only by the recipient.

However, the Compensation Committee may permit the holder of an option, SAR or other award to transfer the option, right or other award to immediate family members or a family trust for estate planning purposes. The Compensation Committee will determine the extent to which a holder of a stock option may exercise the option following termination of service with us.

Stock Appreciation Rights. The Compensation Committee may grant SARs under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan. The Compensation Committee will determine the other terms applicable to SARs.

The exercise price per share of a SAR will not be less than 100% of the fair market value of a share of our common stock on the date of grant, as determined by the Compensation Committee. The maximum term of any SAR granted under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan is ten years from the date of grant.

Generally, each SAR will entitle a participant upon exercise to an amount equal to: ● the excess of the fair market value on the exercise date of one share of our common stock over the exercise price, multiplied by ● the number of shares of common stock covered by the SAR. 24 Payment may be made in shares of our common stock, in cash, or partly in common stock and partly in cash, all as determined by the Compensation Committee.

Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units. The Compensation Committee may award restricted common stock and/or restricted stock units under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan. Restricted stock awards consist of shares of stock that are transferred to a participant subject to restrictions that may result in forfeiture if specified conditions are not satisfied.

Restricted stock units confer the right to receive shares of our common stock, cash, or a combination of shares and cash, at a future date upon or following the attainment of certain conditions specified by the Compensation Committee. The restrictions and conditions applicable to each award of restricted stock or restricted stock units may include performance-based conditions.

Dividends with respect to restricted stock may be paid to the holder of the shares as and when dividends are paid to stockholders or at the time that the restricted stock vests, as determined by the Compensation Committee.

Dividend equivalent amounts may be paid with respect to restricted stock units either when cash dividends are paid to stockholders or when the units vest. Unless the Compensation Committee determines otherwise, holders of restricted stock will have the right to vote the shares. Performance Shares and Performance Units.

The Compensation Committee may award performance shares and/or performance units under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan. Performance shares and performance units are awards, denominated in either shares or U.S. dollars, which are earned during a specified performance period subject to the attainment of performance criteria, as established by the Compensation Committee.

The Compensation Committee will determine the restrictions and conditions applicable to each award of performance shares and performance units. Incentive Bonuses. The Compensation Committee may grant incentive bonus awards under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan from time to time. The terms of incentive bonus awards will be set forth in award agreements.

Each award agreement will have such terms and conditions as the Compensation Committee determines, including performance goals and amount of payment based on achievement of such goals. Incentive bonus awards are payable in cash and/or shares of our common stock. Other Stock-Based and Cash-Based Awards.

The Compensation Committee may award other types of equity-based or cash-based awards under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan, including the grant or offer for sale of shares of our common stock that do not have vesting requirements and the right to receive one or more cash payments subject to satisfaction of such conditions as the Compensation Committee may impose.

The Compensation Committee may, at the time of the grant of an award provide for the effect of a change in control (as defined in the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan) on any award, including (i) accelerating or extending the time periods for exercising, vesting in, or realizing gain from any award, (ii) eliminating or modifying the performance or other conditions of an award, or (iii) providing for the cash settlement of an award for an equivalent cash value, as determined by the Compensation Committee.

The Compensation Committee may, in its discretion and without the need for the consent of any recipient of an award, also take one or more of the following actions contingent upon the occurrence of a change in control: (a) cause any or all outstanding options and SARs to become immediately exercisable, in whole or in part; (b) cause any other awards to become non-forfeitable, in whole or in part; (c) cancel any option or SAR in exchange for a substitute option; (d) cancel any award of restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares or performance units in exchange for a similar award of the capital stock of any successor corporation; (e) cancel or terminate any award for cash and/or other substitute consideration in exchange for an amount of cash and/or property equal to the amount, if any, that would have been attained upon the exercise of such award or realization of the participant’s rights as of the date of the occurrence of the change in control, but if the change in control consideration with respect to any option or SAR does not exceed its exercise price, the option or SAR may be canceled without payment of any consideration; or (f) make such other modifications, adjustments or amendments to outstanding awards as the Compensation Committee deems necessary or appropriate.

The board of directors may at any time amend the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan for the purpose of satisfying the requirements of the Code, or other applicable law or regulation or for any other legal purpose, provided that, without the consent of our stockholders, the board of directors may not (a) increase the number of shares of common stock available under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan, (b) change the group of individuals eligible to receive options, SARs and/or other awards, or (c) extend the term of the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan.

Tax Withholding As and when appropriate, we shall have the right to require each optionee purchasing shares of common stock and each grantee receiving an award of shares of common stock under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan to pay any federal, state, or local taxes required by law to be withheld. Issuer Purchase of Equity Securities None.