DEFM14A: Definitive proxy statement relating to a merger, acquisition, or disposition
Published on June 12, 2020
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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SCHEDULE 14A
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Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No.)
Filed by the Registrant |
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Filed by a Party other than the Registrant |
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Check the appropriate box:
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Preliminary proxy statement. |
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Confidential, for use of the Commission only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)). |
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Definitive proxy statement. |
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Definitive additional materials. |
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Soliciting material pursuant to §240.14a-12. |
AKERNA CORP.
(Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
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(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant)
Payment of filing fee (check the appropriate box):
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Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. |
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Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the form or schedule and the date of its filing. |
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To the Stockholders of Akerna Corp.:
You are cordially invited to attend the special meeting of stockholders (the “Special Meeting”) of Akerna Corp. (“Akerna,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Company”), to be held at Akerna’s headquarters at 1630 Welton Street, Denver, Colorado 80202, on Friday, June 26, at 9:00 a.m., Mountain Time to vote on matters related to two transactions.
As part of Akerna’s precautions related to the outbreak of novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) and in light of the priority we place on the health, safety, and well-being of our stockholders, employees, and directors, we are planning for the possibility that the Special Meeting will be held solely by means of remote communication. If we determine that the Special Meeting will be held remotely, we will announce the decision in advance, and participation details will be publicly announced in a press release, available on our website at www.akerna.com and filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) as additional proxy solicitation materials. Please check our website one week in advance of the Special Meeting for any such additional information. If we hold a virtual meeting, you will need the control number included on your proxy card in order to participate.
As previously disclosed, on December 18, 2019, Akerna entered into an arrangement agreement (the “Agreement”) to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Ample Organics Inc. (“Ample”) in a cash and stock acquisition. Under the terms of the Agreement and the plan of arrangement attached thereto, the aggregate consideration to be paid for Ample’s common and preferred shares consists of (1) CAD$7,500,000 in cash, (2) 3,294,574 redeemable preferred shares of 2732805 Ontario Inc., a company existing under the laws of the Province of Ontario and a wholly owned subsidiary of Akerna (“Purchaser”), which are exchangeable for shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Akerna on a 1:1 basis (such redeemable preferred shares of Purchaser being the “Exchangeable Shares”), as determined in accordance with the Agreement (and the assumption of out-of-money warrants and options to acquire capital stock of Ample on the terms specified in the Agreement) and (3) contingent value rights to be issued pursuant to a rights indenture entitling the holders thereof to receive, subject to certain adjustments as set forth in the Agreement and the related plan of arrangement, an aggregate of up to CAD$10,000,000 of Exchangeable Shares that will be issued upon exchange of the Exchangeable Shares issued upon conversion of contingent value rights and the occurrence of certain events set forth in those contingent value rights issued to Ample shareholders in the event that Ample achieves certain revenue targets as specified in the Agreement (the “CVR Shares”). As previously disclosed, on February 28, 2020, the Agreement was amended by that certain Amendment to Arrangement Agreement (the “Amendment”) entered into by the parties, and further amended by that certain Amendment No. 2 to Arrangement Agreement (“Amendment No. 2”) and that certain Amendment No. 3 to Arrangement Agreement (“Amendment No. 3”) each entered into by the parties. The Amendment primarily revised the Effective Date and Closing Date of the Arrangement (as later defined). Amendment No. 2 primarily revised the Arrangement (as later defined) to incorporate the terms of an agreement entered into between the holders of preferred shares and common shares of Ample. Amendment No. 3 primary revised the Arrangement (as later defined) to clarify the method of issuance and registration of the Exchangeable Shares.
In relation to the Agreement, to satisfy Canadian legal requirements, the parties entered into a “Plan of Arrangement” pursuant to the Business Corporations Act, R.S.O. 1900, c. B.16, as amended, including the regulations promulgated thereunder (the “OCBA”). The “Arrangement” means the arrangement under the provisions of Section 182 of the OBCA on the terms and conditions set forth in the Plan of Arrangement, as supplemented, modified or amended in accordance with Article 8 of the Plan of Arrangement.
Upon completion of the acquisition (and prior to the issuance of the CVR Shares, if any), former Ample stockholders would beneficially own approximately 20.3% of the outstanding shares of the combined company.
The issuance of shares of Akerna common stock (the “Akerna Shares”), which are exchangeable for the Exchangeable Shares, requires the approval of Akerna stockholders under the requirements of the Nasdaq Stock Market Listing Rules. At the Special Meeting, you will be asked to consider and vote on a proposal to approve the issuance of Akerna Shares pursuant to the Agreement (the “Stock Issuance”). You will be asked to consider and
vote on a proposal to approve the Arrangement and related Plan of Arrangement (the “Arrangement Approval”). The attached notice of the Special Meeting and proxy statement provide additional information about the proposed arrangement with Ample and the proposals for stockholder approval.
As previously disclosed, on November 25, 2019, Akerna entered into a stock purchase agreement (the “Solo SPA”) with substantially all of the shareholders (the “Shareholders”) of Solo Sciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Solo”), Ashesh C. Shah, Lokesh Chugh and Palle Pedersen, each an adult individual (collectively, the “Shareholder Representatives”) and Solo, pursuant to which Akerna would acquire all right, title and interest in 80.40% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Solo (calculated on a fully diluted basis), free and clear of all liens. The consideration amount under the Solo SPA was 1,950,000 Akerna Shares, less 570,000 Akerna Shares to be held in escrow subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions stipulated in the Solo SPA. This consideration may be subject to an adjustment no later than 120 days following the closing date.
On January 15, 2020, Akerna closed on the acquisition of 80.40% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Solo (calculated on a fully diluted basis) pursuant to the Solo SPA.
The Solo SPA also contained an option for Akerna to purchase all (but not less than all) of the remaining 19.6% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Solo, to be exercised within twelve months after the transaction closing date (the “Solo Option”). The Solo Option may be paid, at the sole option of Akerna, in either cash or Akerna Shares in an amount equal to either (1) if Akerna Shares are trading at an amount less than or equal to $16.00 per share, the greater of (i) 800,000 Akerna Shares or (ii) the difference between the number of Akerna Shares worth $20,000,000 valued at Market Price (as defined in the Solo SPA) and 1,950,000 Akerna Shares, or (2) if Akerna Shares are trading at more than $16.00 per share, the number of Akerna Shares equal to the (i) difference between (A) the product of the Market Price and 1,950,000 Akerna Shares and (B) $44,000,000, divided by (ii) the Market Price.
The issuance of Akerna Shares as consideration for the Solo Option requires the approval of Akerna stockholders under the requirements of the Nasdaq Stock Market Listing Rules. At the Special Meeting, you will be asked to consider and vote on a proposal to approve the issuance of shares of Akerna Shares to pay for the Solo Option pursuant to the Solo SPA. The attached notice of the Special Meeting and proxy statement provide additional information about the proposed transaction with Solo and the proposals for stockholder approval.
In connection with both transactions, the board of directors of Akerna (the “Akerna Board”) expects that it will increase its number of employees. Therefore, the Akerna Board believes an amendment to the 2019 Long Term Incentive Plan (the “Incentive Plan”) providing for an increase of 525,000 Akerna Shares would allow Akerna to properly incentivize new employees (the “Incentive Plan Amendment”). The Incentive Plan Amendment requires the approval of Akerna stockholders under the requirements of the Nasdaq Stock Market Listing Rules. The attached notice of the Special Meeting and proxy statement provide additional information about the proposed amendment and the proposals for stockholder approval. You will also be asked to consider and vote on a proposal to approve the adjournment of the Special Meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies, in the event that there are not sufficient votes at the Special Meeting to approve the Stock Issuance, Arrangement Approval, Solo Option or Incentive Plan Amendment.
The Akerna Board expects that the acquisition of Ample and acquisition of the remaining shares of Solo will provide significant strategic and financial benefits to the stockholders of Akerna. The Akerna Board expects that both transactions will provide Akerna with a significant advantage as it accelerates its vision to create the preeminent global technology platform, addressing the entire supply chain and its regulatory bodies through accountability and transparency.
After careful consideration, the Akerna Board has unanimously determined that the proposed acquisition of Ample is advisable and in the best interests of Akerna and its stockholders and, subject to the approval by Akerna’s stockholders, authorized and approved the issuance of shares of Akerna Shares in accordance with the Agreement. The Akerna Board has unanimously determined that the proposal to approve the Arrangement and related Plan of Arrangement is advisable and in the best interest of Akerna and its stockholders. The Akerna Board has unanimously determined that the proposal to approve the Solo Option is advisable and in the best interest of Akerna and its stockholders. Further, the Akerna Board has unanimously determined that the proposal to amend the Incentive Plan is advisable and in the best interest of Akerna and its stockholders. Finally, the Akerna Board has also unanimously
determined that the proposal to approve the adjournment of the Special Meeting, if necessary or appropriate, in the event that there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Special Meeting, is advisable and in the best interest of Akerna and its stockholders. The Akerna Board therefore unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” the Stock Issuance proposal, the Arrangement Approval, the Solo Option, the Incentive Plan Amendment and the adjournment proposal.
Your vote is important. You are requested to carefully read the proxy statement for a more complete statement of matters to be considered at the Special Meeting.
By Order of the Board,
/s/ Jessica Billingsley |
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Jessica Billingsley |
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Chief Executive Officer and Director |
June 12, 2020
NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS OF
AKERNA CORP.
TO BE HELD ON JUNE 26, 2020
To the Stockholders of Akerna Corp. (“Akerna,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Company”):
We will hold a special meeting of the stockholders (the “Special Meeting”) at Akerna’s headquarters at 1630 Welton Street, Denver, Colorado 80202*, on Friday, June 26, at 9:00 a.m., Mountain Time, to consider and vote upon the following matters:
• Proposal 1 — a proposal to approve, as required by Rule 5635 of the Nasdaq Manual, the issuance of an amount of shares of Akerna common stock (the “Akerna Shares”) in connection with the Arrangement as contemplated by the Arrangement Agreement, dated as of December 18, 2019 (the “Agreement”) and the Plan of Arrangement attached thereto, by and among Akerna, Ample Organics Inc. (“Ample”), 2732805 Ontario Inc., a company existing under the laws of the Province of Ontario and wholly-owned subsidiary of Akerna (“Purchaser”) and John Prentice, in his capacity as shareholder representative. If approved, (i) 3,294,574 Akerna Shares will be approved for issuance in exchange for 3,294,574 redeemable preferred shares of the Purchaser on a 1:1 basis (such redeemable preferred shares of Purchaser being the “Exchangeable Shares”), and (ii) up to CAD$10,000,000 Akerna Shares that will be issued upon exchange of the Exchangeable Shares issued upon conversion of contingent value rights and the occurrence of certain events set forth in those contingent value rights issued to Ample shareholders (the “CVR Shares,” collectively with the Exchangeable Shares, the “Stock Issuance”);
• Proposal 2 — a proposal to approve the Arrangement (the “Arrangement Approval”);
• Proposal 3 — a proposal to approve, as required by Rule 5635 of the Nasdaq Manual, the issuance of up to 800,000 Akerna Shares in connection with the Solo Option as contemplated by the stock purchase agreement, dated as of November 25, 2019 (the “Solo SPA”), by and among Akerna, substantially all of the shareholders (the “Shareholders”) of Solo Sciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Solo”), Ashesh C. Shah, Lokesh Chugh and Palle Pedersen, each an adult individual (collectively, the “Shareholder Representatives”) and Solo. If approved, up to 800,000 Akerna Shares will be approved for issuance in exchange for all (but not less than all) of the remaining 19.6% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Solo;
• Proposal 4 — a proposal to approve an amendment to the Incentive Plan to increase the number of Akerna Shares reserved for issuance under the Incentive Plan by 525,000 shares, resulting in an aggregate of 1,565,038 Akerna Shares reserved under the Incentive Plan (the “Incentive Plan Amendment”);
• Proposal 5 — a proposal to approve the adjournment of the Special Meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies in the event that there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Special Meeting to approve the foregoing proposals;
• and to transact such other business as may properly come before the Special Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Special Meeting.
The Akerna Board unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” the proposals listed above.
The board of directors of Akerna (the “Akerna Board”) has fixed the close of business on June 5, 2020, as the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Special Meeting or at any adjournment or postponement thereof. The proxy statement is dated June 12, 2020, and, together with the enclosed form of proxy card, is first being mailed to Akerna stockholders on or about June 12, 2020.
Stockholders are cordially invited to attend the meeting in person. Whether or not you plan to be present at the meeting, you are requested to sign and return the enclosed proxy in the enclosed envelope, or vote all of your shares over the telephone or over the Internet, so that your shares may be voted in accordance with your wishes and in order that the presence of a quorum may be assured. The giving of such proxy will not affect your right to vote in person, should you later decide to attend the meeting. Please date and sign the enclosed proxy and return it promptly in the enclosed envelope, or vote over the telephone or Internet. Your vote is important.
Denver, Colorado |
By Order of the Board of Directors, |
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/s/ John Fowle |
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John Fowle, |
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Special Meeting of Stockholders to be Held on June 26, 2020:
The Notice of Special Meeting and Proxy Statement are available at https://ir.akerna.com/proxy-statement.
* Important Notice Regarding the Possibility of Holding a Virtual Meeting:
As part of Akerna’s precautions related to the outbreak of novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) and in light of the priority we place on the health, safety, and well-being of our stockholders, employees, and directors, we are planning for the possibility that the Special Meeting will be held solely by means of remote communication. If we determine that the Special Meeting will be held remotely, we will announce the decision in advance, and participation details will be publicly announced in a press release, available on our website at www.akerna.com and filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as additional proxy solicitation materials. Please check our website one week in advance of the Special Meeting for any such additional information. If we hold a virtual meeting, you will need the control number included on your proxy card in order to participate.
IMPORTANT
Whether or not you expect to attend the Special Meeting, you are respectfully requested by the Akerna Board to sign, date and return the enclosed proxy promptly, or follow the instructions contained in the Notice of Availability of Proxy Materials to vote on the Internet. If you grant a proxy, you may revoke it at any time prior to the Special Meeting or vote in person at the Special Meeting. If you received this Proxy Statement in the mail, a return envelope is enclosed for your convenience.
PLEASE NOTE: If your shares are held in street name, your broker, bank, custodian, or other nominee holder cannot vote your shares in the election of directors unless you direct the nominee holder how to vote, by returning your proxy card or by following the instructions contained in the Notice of Availability of Proxy Materials to vote on the Internet.
VOTING BY TELEPHONE, INTERNET OR MAIL
Stockholders of record may submit their proxies:
Via the Internet. You may vote via the Internet by following the instructions on the proxy card. You will be asked to provide the company number and control number from the enclosed proxy card.
By Telephone. You may vote by proxy by calling the toll-free number found on the proxy card.
By Mail. You may vote by proxy by filling out the proxy card and sending it back in the envelope provided.
In Person. Attend the Special Meeting and vote in person.
If you are a beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” (that is, if you hold your shares through a broker, bank or other holder of record), you can vote in one of four ways:
Via the Internet. You may vote via the Internet by following the instructions on the voting instruction form accompanying the proxy materials.
By Telephone. You may vote by proxy by calling the toll-free number found on the voting instruction form.
By Mail. You may vote by proxy by filling out the voting instruction form and sending it back in the envelope provided.
In Person. You must obtain a legal proxy from the organization that holds your shares if you wish to attend the Special Meeting and vote in person.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL INFORMATION |
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PROPOSAL 1: ISSUANCE OF AKERNA SHARES PURSUANT TO THE AGREEMENT |
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PROPOSAL 3: ISSUANCE OF AKERNA SHARES PURSUANT TO THE SOLO OPTION |
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PROPOSAL 4: VOTE TO AMEND THE AKERNA 2019 LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN |
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F.1-1 |
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Annex A |
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Annex B |
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Annex C |
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AMENDING AGREEMENT NO. 3 TO ARRANGEMENT AGREEMENT DATED JUNE 1, 2020 |
Annex D |
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Annex E |
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Annex F |
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE SPECIAL MEETING
The following are answers to certain questions that you may have regarding the Special Meeting. Akerna urges you to read carefully the remainder of this proxy statement because the information in this section may not provide all of the information that might be important to you in determining how to vote. Additional important information is also contained in the annexes to this proxy statement.
Q: Why am I receiving this document?
A: Akerna is delivering this document to Akerna stockholders to solicit proxies from Akerna stockholders to approve the Stock Issuance, Arrangement Approval, Solo Option, Incentive Plan Amendment and the adjournment proposal.
Q: What will happen in the Arrangement?
A: The Arrangement will combine the businesses of Akerna and Ample. Akerna’s wholly-owned Ontario corporation, 2732805 Ontario Inc. (the “Purchaser”), will acquire all right, title and interest in 100% of the issued and outstanding common shares and outstanding Class A Preferred Shares of Ample, being all the issued and outstanding equity securities of Ample (collectively, the “Ample Shares”). The consideration for the Ample Shares consists of (1) CAD$7,500,000 in cash, (2) 3,294,574 redeemable preferred shares of the Purchaser which are exchangeable for shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Akerna on a 1:1 basis (such redeemable preferred shares of Purchaser being the “Exchangeable Shares”), as determined in accordance with the Agreement (and the assumption of out-of-money warrants and options to acquire capital stock of Ample on the terms specified in the Agreement) and (3) contingent value rights to be issued pursuant to a rights indenture entitling the holders thereof to receive, subject to certain adjustments as set forth in the Agreement and the related Plan of Arrangement, an aggregate of up to CAD$10,000,000 in Exchangeable Shares, in the event that Ample achieves certain revenue targets as specified in the Agreement.
Q: What will happen in the Solo Option?
A: Should Akerna decide to exercise the Solo Option, Akerna will acquire all (and not less than all) of the remaining 19.6% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Solo. The Solo Option may be paid, at the sole option of Akerna, in either cash or shares of common stock in the authorized share capital of Akerna (“Akerna Shares”) in an amount equal to either (1) if Akerna Shares are trading at an amount less than or equal to $16.00 per share, the greater of (i) 800,000 Akerna Shares or (ii) the difference between the number of Akerna Shares worth $20,000,000 valued at Market Price (as defined in the Solo SPA) and 1,950,000 Akerna Shares, or (2) if Akerna Shares are trading at more than $16.00 per share, the number of Akerna Shares equal to the (i) difference between (A) the product of the Market Price and 1,950,000 Akerna Shares and (B) $44,000,000, divided by (ii) the Market Price.
Q: What is the Akerna 2019 Long Term Incentive Plan?
A: The purpose of the Incentive Plan is to enable Akerna to offer its employees, officers, directors and consultants whose past, present and/or potential future contributions to Akerna have been, are, or will be important to its success, an opportunity to acquire a proprietary interest in Akerna. The various types of incentive awards that may be provided under the Incentive Plan are intended to enable Akerna to respond to changes in compensation practices, tax laws, accounting regulations and the size and diversity of its business. The Incentive Plan is administered by the compensation committee of the Akerna Board (the “Compensation Committee”) or by the full Akerna Board, which may determine, among other things, (1) the persons who are to receive awards, (2) the type or types of awards to be granted to such persons, (3) the number of shares of Akerna Shares to be covered by, or with respect to which payments, rights, or other matters are to be calculated in connection with the awards, (4) the terms and conditions of any awards, (5) whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances awards may be settled or exercised in cash, Akerna Shares, other securities, other awards or other property, or cancelled, forfeited, or suspended and the method or methods by which awards may be settled, exercised, cancelled, forfeited, or suspended, (6) whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances the delivery of cash, Akerna Shares, other securities, other awards or other property and other amounts payable with respect to an award, and (7) make any other determination and take any other action that the Compensation Committee deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Incentive Plan.
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The Incentive Plan provides that in the event of a change of control event, (a) all of the then outstanding options and stock appreciation rights granted pursuant to the Incentive Plan will immediately vest and become immediately exercisable as of a time prior to the change in control and (b) any performance goal restrictions related to an award will be deemed achieved at 100% of target levels and all other conditions met as of a time prior to the change in control. In the event of the sale of all of Akerna’s assets or a change of control event, then the Compensation Committee may (1) accelerate the vesting of any and all stock options and other awards granted and outstanding under the Incentive Plan, (2) require a holder of outstanding options to relinquish such award to Akerna upon the tender by Akerna to holder of cash, stock or other property, or any combination thereof pursuant to the terms of the Incentive Plan and (3) terminate all incomplete performance periods in respect of awards in effect on the date the acquisition occurs, determine the extent to which performance goals have been met based upon such information then available as it deems relevant and cause to be paid to the holder all or the applicable portion of the award based upon the Compensation Committee’s determination of the degree of attainment of performance goals, or on such other basis determined by the Compensation Committee.
The Akerna Board may at any time, and from time to time, amend alter, suspend or discontinue any of the provisions of the Incentive Plan, but no amendment, alteration, suspension or discontinuance shall be made that would impair the rights of a holder under any agreement theretofore entered into hereunder, without the holder’s consent, except as set forth in this Incentive Plan or the agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no amendment to the provisions of the Incentive Plan shall be effective unless approved by the stockholders of Akerna to the extent stockholder approval is necessary to satisfy any provision of the Akerna Ethics Code or other applicable law or the listing requirements of any national securities exchange on which Akerna’s securities are listed, including the Nasdaq Stock Market Listing Rules.
Q: Why did Akerna decide to enter into the Agreement with Ample?
A: Akerna believes that the Arrangement will provide strategic and financial benefits, including:
• as Canada’s leading seed-to-sale compliance tracking and eCommerce platform, with approximately 70% market share of licensed producers under the Cannabis Act (Canada) and approximately 80% of Canadian medical Cannabis patients, we believe Ample is well positioned to continue to grow within the Canadian market and expand internationally;
• Canada is the largest federally legal market, where Ample is well positioned to provide technology solutions that enable software tracking, payments, data, analytics and more;
• Ample has a large cannabis dataset with aggregate anonymized data of all aspects of the supply chain; and
• Ample has a proven management team with strong track record of innovation.
Q: Why did Akerna decide to enter into the Solo SPA with Solo?
A: Akerna believes that the Solo SPA and related Solo Option will provide strategic and financial benefits, including:
• Solo is a leader in the anti-counterfeiting and consumer engagement market in the cannabis industry, adding new capabilities to Akerna that strengthens cannabis supply chain transparency. By enabling consumers to determine if a product is real or fake, providing detailed product information and promoting loyalty for brands and manufacturers, Solo extends Akerna’s ability to create a more transparent cannabis supply chain;
• with Solo, Akerna extends its supply chain reach to the consumer, accessing a large addressable market that was previously untapped by Akerna;
• Solo enables Akerna to differentiate its Leaf Data Systems product with Solo’s unique authentication tagging technology. Akerna and Solo have already won a joint contract with the state of Utah, where authentication with the solo*TAG was a critical factor. Utah mandates the use of both technologies for their closed loop program; and
• Solo has a proven management team with strong track record of innovation.
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Q: Why does the Akerna Board wish to amend the Incentive Plan?
A: In connection with the transactions described in proposals 1, 2 and 3, Akerna expects that it will increase the number of its employees. Therefore, the Akerna Board believes an amendment to the Incentive Plan providing for an increase of 525,000 Akerna Shares would allow Akerna to properly incentivize these new employees.
Q: When and where is the Special Meeting?
A: The Special Meeting will be held at Akerna’s headquarters at 1630 Welton Street, Denver, Colorado 80202, on Friday, June 26, at 9:00 a.m., Mountain Time. However, as part of Akerna’s precautions related to Novel Coronavirus 2019 (“COVID-19”) we are planning for the possibility that the Special Meeting will be held solely by means of remote communication. If we determine that the Special Meeting will be held remotely, we will announce the decision in advance, and participation details will be publicly announced in a press release, available on our website at www.akerna.com and filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as additional proxy solicitation materials. Please check our website one week in advance of the Special Meeting for any such additional information. Additional information relating to the Special Meeting, including the potential for holding the Special Meeting solely by means of remote communication, is set forth beginning on page 40.
Q: Are there any risks in the Arrangement or Solo Option that I should consider?
A: Yes. There are risks associated with all business combinations, including the Arrangement and Solo Option. Certain of these risks and other risks are described in more detail under “Risk Factors” beginning on page 22.
Q: What are the holders of Akerna Shares being asked to vote on?
A: Holders of Akerna Shares are being asked to:
• approve the Stock Issuance;
• approve the Arrangement Approval;
• approve the Solo Option;
• approve the Incentive Plan Amendment;
• approve the adjournment of the Special Meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies in favor of approval of the Stock Issuance, Arrangement Approval, Solo Option and Incentive Plan Amendment; and
• act upon other business that may properly come before the Special Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Special Meeting.
The Akerna Shares are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Under Rule 5635(a) of the Nasdaq Manual, a company listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market is required to obtain stockholder approval prior to the issuance of common stock in connection with the acquisition of the stock or assets of another company if 20% or more of the common stock or voting power of the issuer outstanding before such issuance would be issued in connection with such acquisition. Under Rule 5635(c) of the Nasdaq Manual, a company listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market is required to obtain stockholder approval when an equity incentive plan pursuant to which officers, directors, employees or consultants may acquire stock is materially amended.
As of the record date of June 5, 2020, there were 13,258,707 Akerna Shares outstanding.
Q: Am I being asked to vote to approve the Arrangement?
A: Yes.
Q: Am I being asked to vote to approve the Solo Option?
A: Yes.
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Q: Am I being asked to vote to approve the Incentive Plan Amendment?
A: Yes.
Q: What is required to complete the Arrangement?
A: In order to complete the Arrangement, Akerna’s stockholders must approve Proposal 1, authorizing the Stock Issuance, and Proposal 2, authorizing the Arrangement. The Arrangement must also be approved by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. In addition, all other conditions to the Arrangement set forth in the Agreement must be satisfied or waived. For a more complete discussion of the conditions to closing, see the section entitled “The Arrangement Agreement — Conditions to the Arrangement Becoming Effective” on page 95 of this proxy statement.
Ample will hold a separate meeting of its stockholders to obtain the required approval of the Arrangement.
Q: What is required to complete the Solo Option?
A: In order to complete the Solo Option, Akerna’s stockholders must approve Proposal 3, authorizing the issuance of Akerna Shares as consideration for the remaining Solo shares. In addition, all other conditions set forth in the Solo SPA must be satisfied or waived. For a more complete discussion of the conditions to closing, see the section entitled “The Solo SPA — Conditions to Effectiveness” on page 102 of this proxy statement.
Q: What is required to complete the Incentive Plan Amendment?
A: In order to amend the Incentive Plan, Akerna’s stockholders must approve Proposal 4, authorizing the Incentive Plan Amendment. For a more complete discussion of the Incentive Plan, see the section entitled “Summary — 2019 Long Term Incentive Plan Summary” on page 13 of this proxy statement.
Q: Will Akerna stockholders receive any shares as a result of the Arrangement or Solo Option?
A: No. Akerna stockholders will continue to hold the Akerna Shares they currently own. However, as a result of the Stock Issuance and/or Solo Option, each outstanding Akerna Share immediately prior to the transactions will represent a smaller percentage of the aggregate number of Akerna Shares outstanding after the transactions, and each Akerna stockholder before the transactions will hold a smaller percentage of Akerna after them. However, the combined value of the companies (Akerna, Solo and Ample) will likely be greater after the closing of the Arrangement and Solo Option than the value of Akerna prior to the closing of the Arrangement and Solo Option.
Q: When do you expect to complete the Arrangement?
A: The Arrangement will be completed when all the conditions in the Agreement are satisfied (or, where permitted, waived). Such conditions are described further in “The Arrangement Agreement — Conditions to the Arrangement Becoming Effective” beginning on page 95. Assuming the requisite stockholder approvals of both companies are received, the approval of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice is received, and all other conditions are satisfied or waived, Akerna and Ample expect to complete the Arrangement before the end of the third quarter of 2020, although completion of the Arrangement cannot be assured by any particular date or at all.
Q: When do you expect to complete the Solo Option?
A: Subject to the terms and conditions of the Solo SPA, Akerna was granted, during the time period commencing on the closing date of the transaction (January 15, 2020) and ending on the twelve-month anniversary of such closing date (the “Option Period”) the option to purchase all (but not less than all) remaining Solo shares; provided, that Akerna obtain the approval of its stockholders to the exercise of such Solo Option prior to exercising such option.
Q: Am I entitled to appraisal or dissenters’ rights for the Arrangement or the Solo Option?
A: No. Akerna stockholders are not entitled to appraisal or dissenters’ rights in connection with the Arrangement or the Solo Option.
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Q: Are the Arrangement or the Solo Option expected to be taxable to stockholders?
A: Akerna’s existing stockholders will simply retain their Akerna Shares, and accordingly there will be no material U.S. federal income tax consequences to Akerna’s existing stockholders resulting from the issuance of Akerna Shares in the Arrangement or the Solo Option.
Q: Who is eligible to vote at the Special Meeting?
A: Only Akerna’s stockholders’ proxies are being solicited. We are not soliciting any proxies or votes from Ample or Solo stockholders through this proxy statement. If you are an Ample or Solo stockholder and are not an Akerna stockholder as of the record date, and you have received or gained access to this proxy statement, you should disregard it completely and should not treat it as any solicitation of your proxy, vote or support on any matter. If you are an Akerna stockholder as of the record date and an Ample stockholder or Solo stockholder, you should treat this proxy statement as soliciting only your proxy with respect to your Akerna Shares, and should not treat it as an offer or invitation to subscribe or purchase Akerna Shares or as a solicitation of your proxy, vote or support on any matter with respect to your Ample shares or Solo shares.
Holders of Akerna Shares as of the close of business on June 5, 2020 the record date for the Special Meeting, are eligible to vote. As of the close of business on the record date, there were 13,258,707 Akerna Shares outstanding and entitled to vote at the Special Meeting.
Q: How many votes do Akerna’s officers and directors have?
A: As of the record date, directors and executive officers of Akerna as a group beneficially owned and were entitled to vote approximately 1,879,952 Akerna Shares, representing approximately 14% of the shares of Akerna Shares issued and outstanding. All of the directors and executive officers of Akerna who are entitled to vote at the Special Meeting have advised Akerna that they intend to vote their Akerna Shares in favor of each of the proposals and the directors and executive officers have entered into agreements obligating them to do so.
Q: What vote is required to approve the Stock Issuance, the Arrangement Approval, the Solo Option, the Incentive Plan Amendment and related matters?
A: For Akerna, assuming a quorum is present:
• The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote is required to approve the Stock Issuance. Abstentions have the same effect as an “AGAINST” vote on the outcome of this proposal. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of this proposal. If the Stock Issuance is not approved, Akerna will not be able to effect the Arrangement under the terms set forth in the Agreement.
• The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote is required to approve the Arrangement proposal. Abstentions have the same effect as an “AGAINST” vote on the outcome of this proposal. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of this proposal. If the Arrangement is not approved, Akerna will not be able to effect the Arrangement under the terms set forth in the Agreement.
• The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote is required to approve the Solo Option. Abstentions have the same effect as an “AGAINST” vote on the outcome of this proposal. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of this proposal. If the Solo Option is not approved, Akerna will not be able to effect the Solo Option under the terms set forth in the Solo SPA.
• The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote is required to approve the Incentive Plan Amendment. Abstentions have the same effect as an “AGAINST” vote on the outcome of this proposal. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of this proposal. If the Incentive Plan Amendment is not approved, Akerna will not be able to amend the Incentive Plan under the terms set forth in the Incentive Plan Amendment.
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• The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote is required to approve an adjournment. Abstentions have the same effect as an “AGAINST” vote on the outcome of this proposal.
Additional information on the vote required to approve the Stock Issuance, Arrangement Approval, Solo Option, Incentive Plan Amendment, adjournment proposal and related matters is located on page 10.
Q: Why is my vote important? What happens if I don’t vote?
A: In order to complete the transactions as specified above, Akerna stockholders must approve the Stock Issuance, Arrangement Approval, Solo Option and Incentive Plan Amendment. If you submit an “Abstain” vote or fail to vote (either in person or by proxy), your shares will be treated as present and thus have the same effect as an “AGAINST” vote on the Stock Issuance, Arrangement Approval, Solo Option, Incentive Plan Amendment and the adjournment proposals, and consequently will have a negative effect on the outcome of the vote.
If you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” (that is, if you hold your shares through a broker, bank or other holder of record), the broker, bank or other holder of record who holds your Akerna Shares will have authority to vote on “routine” proposals. However, banks, brokerage firms and other nominees are precluded from exercising their voting discretion with respect to non-routine matters, such as the Stock Issuance, Arrangement Approval, Solo Option and the Incentive Plan Amendment. As a result, absent specific instructions from the beneficial owner of such shares, brokers, banks or other holders of record are not empowered to vote such shares on non-routine matters, which we refer to as a “broker non-vote.” The effect of not instructing your broker, bank or other holder of record regarding how you wish your shares to be voted will NOT be counted as “FOR” or “AGAINST” and will NOT have an effect on the proposals before the Special Meeting.
Q: How does the Akerna Board recommend that I vote?
A: The Akerna Board unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” the Stock Issuance, Arrangement Approval, Solo Option, Incentive Plan Amendment and, if necessary or appropriate, “FOR” the adjournment of the Special Meeting to solicit additional proxies.
Q: Do any executive officers or directors of Akerna have interests in the Arrangement, the Solo Option or the issuance of Akerna Shares in relation to the Arrangement or Solo Option that may be different from, or in addition to, those of other stockholders?
A: None of Akerna’s directors or executive officers have any substantial financial interest, direct or indirect, in the Arrangement, the Solo Option or the issuance of Akerna Shares in relation to the Arrangement or Solo Option, other than being a director or executive officer and a stockholder of Akerna.
Q: What agreements have Akerna officers and directors entered into in connection with the Arrangement?
A: Each of the officers and directors of Akerna has entered into voting support agreements obligated them to vote in favor of the transaction.
Q: What agreements have Akerna officers and directors entered into in connection with the Solo Option?
A: Each of the officers and directors of Akerna has indicated that they intend to vote in favor of the Solo Option, although they have not entered into an agreement obligating them to do so.
Q: What do I need to do now?
A: After carefully reading and considering the information contained in this proxy statement, please vote promptly by calling the toll-free number listed on your proxy card, accessing the Internet website listed on your proxy card or by completing, signing and dating your proxy card and returning it by mail in the enclosed postage-paid envelope. If you hold your stock in “street name” through a bank or broker, you must direct your bank or broker to vote in accordance with the instructions you have received from your bank or broker. Submitting your proxy by telephone, Internet or mail or directing your bank or broker to vote your shares will ensure that your shares are represented and voted at the Special Meeting. For information on how to vote your shares in person at the Special Meeting, see “Can I attend the Special Meeting and vote my shares in person?” below.
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Q: How will my proxy be voted?
A: If you vote by telephone, over the Internet, or by completing, signing, dating and returning your signed proxy card, your proxy will be voted in accordance with your instructions. The proxy confers discretionary authority to the named proxies. Accordingly, if you complete, sign, date and return your proxy card and do not indicate how you want to vote, your shares will be voted “FOR” the approval of the Stock Issuance, “FOR” the approval of the Arrangement Approval, “FOR” the approval of the Solo Option, “FOR” the approval of the Incentive Plan Amendment, and, if necessary or appropriate, “FOR” the adjournment of the Special Meeting to solicit additional proxies.
Q: If my broker holds my shares in “street name,” will my broker automatically vote my shares for me?
A: No. Brokers are not authorized to vote the shares that they hold for your benefit on non-routine matters, such as the proposals set forth in this proxy statement. If you do not provide your broker with instructions on how to vote your “street name” shares, your broker will not be permitted to vote them on your behalf. You should therefore be sure to provide your broker with instructions on how to vote your shares, following the directions your broker provides to you. Please check the voting form used by your broker to see if the broker offers telephone or Internet voting.
All stockholder are urged to have their voices heard on this important matter — please vote your shares today.
Q: Can I attend the Special Meeting and vote my shares in person?
A: Yes. All holders of Akerna Shares, including stockholders of record and stockholders who hold their shares through banks, brokers, custodians or any other record holder, are invited to attend the Special Meeting. Holders of record of Akerna Shares as of the record date can vote in person at the Special Meeting. If you are not a stockholder of record, you must obtain a valid proxy, executed in your favor, from the record holder of your shares, such as a bank, broker, custodian or other record holder, to be able to vote in person at the Special Meeting.
If you plan to attend the Special Meeting, you must hold your shares in your own name, have a letter or recent brokerage statement from the record holder of your shares confirming your ownership or have a valid proxy authorizing you to vote shares at the meeting, and you must bring a form of personal photo identification with you in order to be admitted. Akerna reserves the right to refuse admittance to anyone without proper proof of share ownership, proper authorization to vote shares, or proper photo identification.
Q: What does it mean if I receive more than one set of materials?
A: This means you own Akerna Shares that are registered under different names. For example, you may own some shares directly as a stockholder of record and other shares through a broker, or you may own shares through more than one broker. In these situations, you will receive multiple sets of proxy materials. You must complete, sign, date and return all of the proxy cards or follow the instructions for any alternative voting procedures on each of the proxy cards you receive in order to vote all of the shares you own. Each proxy card you receive will come with its own postage-paid return envelope; if you vote by mail, make sure you return each proxy card in the return envelope that accompanied that proxy card.
Q: What constitutes a quorum for the Special Meeting?
A: The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of record of a majority of the issued and outstanding Akerna Shares entitled to vote at the Special Meeting constitutes a quorum under Akerna’s amended and restated bylaws. Akerna will treat shares of common stock represented by a properly signed and returned proxy, including abstentions, as present at the Special Meeting for the purposes of determining the existence of a quorum. If there be no such quorum, the holders of a majority of such shares so present or represented may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without further notice, until a quorum shall have been obtained. When a quorum is once present it is not broken by the subsequent withdrawal of any stockholder.
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Q: What can I do if I want to change or revoke my vote?
A: Regardless of the method you used to cast your vote, if you are a holder of record, you may change your vote by completing, signing, dating and returning a new proxy card with a later date, by calling the toll-free number, if any, listed in your proxy materials or by accessing the Internet website, if any, listed in your proxy materials, in either case by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the business day before the day of the Special Meeting or by attending the Special Meeting and voting by ballot at the Special Meeting. You may also revoke your proxy card by sending a notice of revocation, which must be received prior to the Special Meeting, to Akerna Corp., Attention: Secretary, 1630 Welton Street, Denver, Colorado 80202.
If you hold your shares in “street name,” and wish to change or revoke your vote, please refer to the information on the voting instruction form included with these materials and forwarded to you by your bank, broker, custodian or other record holder to see your voting options.
Q: Whom should I call if I have questions about the Special Meeting, the Arrangement, the Solo Option or the Incentive Plan Amendment?
A: You should call Advantage Proxy, Akerna’s proxy solicitor, at (206) 870-8565, or Akerna’s corporate secretary at (888) 932-6537.
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SUMMARY
This proxy statement is being furnished to the stockholders of Akerna in connection with the solicitation of proxies by Akerna’s board of directors (the “Akerna Board”) for use at the Special Meeting of the Stockholders (the “Special Meeting”) to be held on Friday, June 26, at 9:00 a.m., Mountain Time, and at any reconvened meeting following any adjournment or postponement thereof. The meeting will be held at our corporate headquarters, 1630 Welton Street, Denver, Colorado 80202, unless we deem it necessary to hold the Special Meeting solely by means of remote communication as further described on page 40 of this proxy statement.
The following summary highlights selected information in this proxy statement and may not contain all of the information that may be important to you. Accordingly, you are urged to read carefully this entire proxy statement, including the attached annexes, and the other documents to which this proxy statement refers you in order for you to fully understand the proposals described in this summary. See “Where You Can Find More Information” beginning on page 122 of this proxy statement. Each item in this summary refers to the page of this proxy statement on which that subject is discussed in more detail.
The functional currency of Akerna and Solo is the United States dollar. Unless otherwise specified, all references to “dollars,” “$,” “USD” or “US$” shall mean U.S. dollars. Ample Organics Inc. (“Ample”) uses the Canadian dollar (“CAD$”) as its functional currency.
The Companies (Page 61)
Akerna Corp. |
Ample Organics Inc. |
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Solo Sciences, Inc. |
Meeting of Akerna Stockholders (Page 39)
At the Special Meeting, Akerna stockholders will vote on the following matters:
Proposal 1 — a proposal to approve, as required by Rule 5635 of the Nasdaq Manual, the issuance of an amount of shares of Akerna common stock in connection with the Arrangement contemplated by the Arrangement Agreement, dated as of December 18, 2019 (the “Agreement”) and the Plan of Arrangement attached thereto, by and among Akerna, Ample Organics Inc. (“Ample”), 2732805 Ontario Inc., a company existing under the laws of the Province of Ontario and wholly-owned subsidiary of Akerna (“Purchaser”) and John Prentice, in his capacity as shareholder representative. If approved, (i) 3,294,574 shares of Akerna common stock (“Akerna Shares”) will be approved for issuance in exchange for 3,294,574 redeemable preferred shares of the Purchaser on a 1:1 basis (such redeemable preferred shares of Purchaser being the “Exchangeable Shares”), and (ii) up to CAD$10,000,000 of Akerna Shares that will be issued upon exchange of the Exchangeable Shares issued upon conversion of contingent value rights and the occurrence of certain events set forth in those contingent value rights issued to Ample shareholders (the “CVR Shares,” collectively with the Exchangeable Shares, the “Stock Issuance”);
The Akerna Board recommends a vote “FOR” this proposal.
Proposal 2 — a proposal to approve the Arrangement (the “Arrangement Approval”);
The Akerna Board recommends a vote “FOR” this proposal.
Proposal 3 — a proposal to approve, as required by Rule 5635 of the Nasdaq Manual, the issuance of 800,000 Akerna Shares in connection with the Solo Option as contemplated by the stock purchase agreement, dated as of November 25, 2019 (the “Solo SPA”), by and among Akerna, substantially all of the shareholders (the “Shareholders”) of Solo Sciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Solo”), Ashesh C. Shah, Lokesh Chugh
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and Palle Pedersen, each an adult individual (collectively, the “Shareholder Representatives”) and Solo. If approved, up to 800,000 Akerna Shares will be approved for issuance in exchange for all (but not less than all) of the remaining 19.6% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Solo;
The Akerna Board recommends a vote “FOR” this proposal.
Proposal 4 — a proposal to approve an amendment to the Incentive Plan to increase the number of Akerna Shares reserved for issuance under the Incentive Plan by 525,000 shares, resulting in an aggregate of 1,565,038 Akerna Shares reserved under the Incentive Plan (the “Incentive Plan Amendment”);
The Akerna Board recommends a vote “FOR” this proposal.
Proposal 5 — a proposal to approve the adjournment of the Special Meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies, in the event that there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Special Meeting to approve Proposal 1, 2, 3 or 4;
The Akerna Board recommends a vote “FOR” this proposal.
Conduct other business that may properly come before the Special Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.
The Special Meeting will be held at the Akerna’s headquarters at 1630 Welton Street, Denver, Colorado 80202, on Friday, June 26, at 9:00 a.m., Mountain Time, unless Akerna deems it necessary hold the Special Meeting solely by means of remote communication as further described on page 40 of this proxy statement.
Record Date
The record date for the Special Meeting is June 5, 2020.
Required Vote (Page 40)
Each Akerna Share is entitled to one vote on each matter to be voted upon at the Special Meeting. The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of record of a majority of the issued and outstanding Akerna Shares entitled to vote at the Special Meeting constitutes a quorum under Akerna’s amended and restated bylaws. Votes “FOR” and “AGAINST” or “WITHHOLD,” and abstentions will all be counted as present to determine whether a quorum has been established.
Approval of the Stock Issuance requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote.
Approval of the Arrangement the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote.
Approval of the Solo Option requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote.
Approval of the Incentive Plan Amendment requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote.
Approval of, if appropriate, the adjournment requires the affirmative vote of a majority of votes present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote.
Akerna’s Reasons for the Arrangement and the Solo Option (Pages 47 and 58)
The Akerna Board expects both transactions to provide significant strategic and financial benefits to the stockholders of Akerna, including:
• as Canada’s leading seed-to-sale compliance tracking and eCommerce platform, with approximately 70% market share of licensed producers under the Cannabis Act (Canada) (“LPs”) and approximately 80% of Canadian medical Cannabis patients, we believe Ample is well positioned to continue to grow within the Canadian market and expand internationally;
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• Canada is the largest federally legal market, where Ample is well positioned to provide technology solutions that enable software tracking, payments, data, analytics and more;
• Ample has a large cannabis dataset with aggregate anonymized data of all aspects of the supply chain;
• Ample has a proven management team with strong track record of innovation;
• Solo is a leader in the anti-counterfeiting and consumer engagement market in the cannabis industry, adding new capabilities to Akerna that strengthens cannabis supply chain transparency. By enabling consumers to determine if a product is real or fake, providing detailed product information and promoting loyalty for brands and manufacturers, Solo extends Akerna’s ability to create a more transparent cannabis supply chain;
• with Solo, Akerna extends its supply chain reach to the consumer, accessing a large addressable market that was previously untapped by Akerna;
• Solo enables Akerna to differentiate its Leaf Data Systems product with Solo’s unique authentication tagging technology. Akerna and Solo have already won a joint contract with the state of Utah, where authentication with the solo*TAG was a critical factor. Utah mandates the use of both technologies for their closed loop program; and
• Solo has a proven management team with strong track record of innovation.
Following closing of the two acquisitions, Akerna, Ample and Solo will be combined to create a larger, more diversified cannabis compliance technology provider.
Opinion of Financial Advisor to the Akerna Board (Page 48)
Akerna retained Cowen and Company, LLC (“Cowen”) to act as its exclusive financial advisor and to render an opinion to the Akerna Board as to the fairness, from a financial point of view, to Akerna of the consideration paid in the Arrangement.
On December 17, 2019, Cowen delivered certain of its written analyses and its oral opinion to the Akerna Board, subsequently confirmed in writing as of the same date, to the effect that and subject to the various assumptions, qualifications and limitations set forth therein, as of December 17, 2019, the consideration paid in the Arrangement was fair, from a financial point of view, to Akerna.
The full text of the written opinion of Cowen, dated December 17, 2019, is attached as Annex E and is incorporated by reference. Holders of Akerna Shares are urged to read the opinion in its entirety for the assumptions made, procedures followed, other matters considered and limits of the review by Cowen. The summary of the written opinion of Cowen set forth herein is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such opinion. Cowen’s analyses and opinion were prepared for and addressed to the Akerna Board are directed only to the fairness, from a financial point of view, of the consideration paid in the Arrangement, and do not constitute an opinion as to the merits of the Arrangement or a recommendation to any stockholder as to how to vote on the proposed proposals. The consideration paid in the Arrangement was determined through negotiations between Akerna and Ample and not pursuant to recommendations of Cowen.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management of Akerna Shares (Page 40)
As of the record date, directors and executive officers of Akerna as a group beneficially owned and were entitled to vote approximately 1,879,952 Akerna Shares, representing approximately 14% of the Akerna Shares issued and outstanding. All of the directors and executive officers of Akerna who are entitled to vote at the Special Meeting have advised Akerna that they intend to vote their Akerna Shares in favor of each of the proposals, and the directors and executive officers have entered into agreements obligating them to do so.
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The Arrangement Agreement (Page 94)
The terms and conditions of the Arrangement are contained in the Agreement, which is attached to this proxy statement as Annex A. We encourage you to read the Agreement carefully, as it is the legal document that governs the Arrangement. Capitalized terms used in this section and not otherwise defined have the meanings ascribed to them in the Agreement.
Arrangement Consideration (Page 94)
The consideration paid for Ample’s common and preferred shares consists of (1) CAD$7,500,000 in cash, (2) 3,294,574 Exchangeable Shares, which are exchangeable Akerna Shares on a 1:1 basis, as determined in accordance with the Agreement (and the assumption of out-of-money warrants and options to acquire capital stock of Ample on the terms specified in the Agreement) and (3) contingent value rights to be issued pursuant to a rights indenture entitling the holders thereof to receive, subject to certain adjustments as set forth in the Agreement and the related plan of arrangement, an aggregate of up to CAD$10,000,000 in Exchangeable Shares, in the event that Ample achieves certain revenue targets as specified in the Agreement.
Conditions to the Arrangement Becoming Effective (Page 95)
The respective obligations of Ample and Akerna to complete the Arrangement are subject to the satisfaction or mutual waiver of the following conditions:
• receipt of the Interim Order and Final Order of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice;
• the Arrangement Resolution will have been passed by the Ample shareholders;
• the Akerna stockholder matters (including the Stock Issuance and Arrangement Approval) will have been passed by the Akerna stockholders;
• no governmental entity shall have enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any order or law which is then in effect and has the effect of making the Arrangement illegal or otherwise preventing or prohibiting consummation of the Arrangement;
• all regulatory approvals will have been obtained on terms and conditions satisfactory to each of Akerna, Purchaser and Ample, each acting reasonably;
• the Akerna Shares to be issued upon the exchange of Exchangeable Shares shall, subject to customary conditions, have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Stock Market; and
• the Exchangeable Shares and the CVRs (as later defined), in each case to be issued pursuant to the Arrangement, shall be exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act pursuant to Section 3(a)(10) thereof.
Non-Solicitation (Page 97)
The Agreement contains customary non-solicitation covenants that prohibit Ample or any of its representatives from soliciting an alternative proposal or entering into, engaging in, continuing or participating in any discussion or negotiations, with any person regarding an alternative proposal.
Termination (Page 99)
• Both Akerna and Purchaser or Ample may terminate the Agreement in certain circumstances.
The Solo Option (Page 101)
The terms and conditions of the Solo Option are contained in the Solo SPA, which is attached to this proxy statement as Annex F. We encourage you to read the Solo SPA carefully, as it is the legal document that governs the Solo Option. Capitalized terms used in this section and not otherwise defined have the meanings ascribed to them in the Solo SPA.
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Solo Option Consideration (Page 101)
The Solo SPA also contained an option for Akerna to purchase all (but not less than all) of the remaining 19.6% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Solo, to be exercised within twelve months after the transaction closing date (the “Solo Option”). The Solo Option may be paid, at the sole option of Akerna, in either cash or Akerna Shares in an amount equal to either (1) if Akerna Shares are trading at an amount less than or equal to $16.00 per share, the greater of (i) 800,000 Akerna Shares or (ii) the difference between the number of Akerna Shares worth $20,000,000 valued at Market Price (as defined in the Solo SPA) and 1,950,000 Akerna Shares, or (2) if Akerna Shares are trading at more than $16.00 per share, the number of Akerna Shares equal to the (i) difference between (A) the product of the Market Price and 1,950,000 Akerna Shares and (B) $44,000,000, divided by (ii) the Market Price.
Exercise of the Solo Option (Page 102)
The procedure for Akerna to exercise the Solo Option is as follows: Akerna must exercise its purchase option during the time period commencing on the closing date of the Solo transaction and ending on the twelve-month anniversary of the closing date (the “Option Period”) by giving written notice. The date of Akerna’s or the Solo shareholders’ receipt of such notice shall be the “Date of Exercise”. The Solo Option closing will take place at 10:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time on the date which is no later than sixty days after the Date of Exercise (the “Akerna Option Closing Date”) or at such other date and place as is mutually agreed upon by the parties.
Repurchase Option (Page 104)
In the event the Solo Option is not exercised by the Akerna during the Option Period and consummated within ninety days after the Date of Exercise, Akerna granted to the Solo shareholders, during the time period commencing on the day following the expiration of the Option Period and ending on the three month anniversary of such date (the “Repurchase Option Period”), the option to purchase an amount between 40% and 55% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Solo (the “Repurchase Shares”) from Akerna (the “Repurchase Option”) for the Shareholder Repurchase Price (as defined below). All of such Repurchase Shares would be delivered free of liens, encumbrances or options. Such Solo shareholders may exercise the Repurchase Option by delivering written notice of exercise to Akerna, along with proof of a bona fide financing offer, within the Repurchase Option Period. The date of Akerna’s receipt of such notice shall be the “Repurchase Date of Exercise.” The “Shareholder Repurchase Price” will equal the lesser of (1) the product of (X) $20,000,000 and (Y) the percentage of Solo’s shares to be repurchased from Akerna, or (2) the difference between (i) the product of (X) $20,000,000 and (Y) the percentage of Solo’s shares to be repurchased from Akerna and (ii) the product of (A) 1,950,000 Akerna Shares and (B) $8.00 minus the Market Price.
Interests of Akerna’s Executive Officers and Directors in the Arrangement and Solo Option
None of Akerna’s directors or executive officers has any substantial financial interest, direct or indirect, in the Arrangement, the Solo Option or the issuance of Akerna Shares in relation to the Arrangement or Solo Option, other than being a director or executive officer and a stockholder of Akerna.
2019 Long Term Incentive Plan Summary
The purpose of the Incentive Plan is to enable Akerna to offer its employees, officers, directors and consultants whose past, present and/or potential future contributions to Akerna have been, are, or will be important to its success, an opportunity to acquire a proprietary interest in Akerna. The various types of incentive awards that may be provided under the Incentive Plan are intended to enable Akerna to respond to changes in compensation practices, tax laws, accounting regulations and the size and diversity of its business. The Incentive Plan is administered by the compensation committee of the Akerna Board (the “Compensation Committee”) or by the full Akerna Board, which may determine, among other things, (1) the persons who are to receive awards, (2) the type or types of awards to be granted to such persons, (3) the number of Akerna Shares to be covered by, or with respect to which payments, rights, or other matters are to be calculated in connection with the awards, (4) the terms and conditions of any awards, (5) whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances awards may be settled or exercised in cash, Akerna Shares, other securities, other awards or other property, or cancelled, forfeited, or suspended and the method or methods by which awards may be settled, exercised, cancelled, forfeited, or suspended, (6) whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances the delivery of cash, Akerna Shares, other securities, other awards or other property and other amounts payable with respect to an award, and (7) make any other determination and take any other action that the Compensation Committee deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Incentive Plan.
13
The Incentive Plan provides that in the event of a change of control event, (i) all of the then outstanding options and stock appreciation rights granted pursuant to the Incentive Plan will immediately vest and become immediately exercisable as of a time prior to the change in control and (ii) any performance goal restrictions related to an award will be deemed achieved at 100% of target levels and all other conditions met as of a time prior to the change in control. In the event of the sale of all of Akerna’s assets or a change of control event, then the Compensation Committee may (1) accelerate the vesting of any and all Stock Options and other awards granted and outstanding under the Incentive Plan; (2) require a holder of outstanding options to relinquish such award to Akerna upon the tender by Akerna to holder of cash, stock or other property, or any combination thereof pursuant to the terms of the Incentive Plan and (3) terminate all incomplete performance periods in respect of awards in effect on the date the acquisition occurs, determine the extent to which performance goals have been met based upon such information then available as it deems relevant and cause to be paid to the holder all or the applicable portion of the award based upon the Compensation Committee’s determination of the degree of attainment of performance goals, or on such other basis determined by the Compensation Committee.
The Akerna Board may at any time, and from time to time, amend alter, suspend or discontinue any of the provisions of the Incentive Plan, but no amendment, alteration, suspension or discontinuance shall be made that would impair the rights of a holder under any agreement theretofore entered into hereunder, without the holder’s consent, except as set forth in this Incentive Plan or the agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no amendment to the provisions of the Incentive Plan shall be effective unless approved by the stockholders of Akerna to the extent stockholder approval is necessary to satisfy any provision of the Ethics Code or other applicable law or the listing requirements of any national securities exchange on which Akerna’s securities are listed.
Description of Akerna’s Common Stock
Akerna’s authorized share capital consists of 75,000,000 Akerna Shares, $0.0001 par value per share, of which 13,258,707 Akerna Shares are issued and outstanding as of the record date and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.0001 par value per share, of which none are issued and outstanding. Akerna is a Delaware corporation and its affairs are governed by its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated By-laws.
The Akerna Shares are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “KERN”.
All outstanding Akerna Shares are of the same class and have equal rights and attributes. The holders of Akerna Shares are entitled to one vote per share on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. Subject to the prior rights of all classes or series of stock at the time outstanding having prior rights as to dividends or other distributions, all stockholders are entitled to share equally in dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by the Akerna Board out of funds legally available. Subject to the prior rights of creditors of the corporation and the holders of all classes or series of stock at the time outstanding having prior rights as to distributions upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the corporation, in the event of liquidation, the holders of Akerna Shares are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of all liabilities. The stockholders do not have cumulative, preemptive rights, or subscription rights.
Further, under the Agreement, Akerna agreed to cause the Purchaser to create a special voting share prior to the Effective Time (as later defined). Such special voting share will be a certificated share in the capital of Akerna to be deposited with Odyssey Trust Company (the “Trustee”) selected by Akerna pursuant to the Voting and Exchange Trust Agreement, which, at any time, entitles the Trustee to that number of votes at meetings of holders of Akerna Shares equal to the number of Exchangeable Shares outstanding at such time (excluding any Exchangeable Shares held by Akerna or any affiliate) (the “Special Voting Share”). At the Effective Time, the Voting and Exchange Trust Agreement will be entered into by and among Akerna, Purchaser, 2732804 Ontario Inc., a subsidiary of Akerna incorporated under the laws of Ontario and the Trustee. With respect to all meetings of shareholders of Akerna at which holders of Akerna Shares are entitled to vote, each registered holder of Exchangeable Shares (each, a “Beneficiary”) shall be entitled to instruct the Trustee to cast and exercise, in the manner instructed, that number of votes equal to the “Equivalent Vote Amount” (with respect to any matter, proposition, proposal or question on which holders of Akerna Shares are entitled to vote, consent or otherwise act, the number of votes to which a holder of one Akerna Share is entitled with respect to such matter, proposition or question) for each Exchangeable Share owned of record by such Beneficiary at the close of business on the record date established by Akerna or by applicable law for such meeting, in respect of each matter, question, proposal or proposition to be voted on at such meeting.
14
In sum, certain voting rights will be vested in and exercisable by the Trustee, including the right to consent to or vote in person or by proxy the Special Voting Share, on any matter, question, proposal or proposition whatsoever that may properly come before the Akerna stockholders at an Akerna special meeting.
Description of Exchangeable Shares
The Exchangeable Shares are exchangeable on a one-for-one basis at any time at the option of the holder of the Exchangeable Shares into Akerna Shares. The following is a summary description of the material provisions of the rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to the Exchangeable Shares and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Plan of Arrangement and the Voting and Exchange Trust Agreement.
• Retraction of Exchangeable Shares by Holders: Subject to applicable law and the due exercise by either us or Purchaser of our of its retraction call right, holders of Exchangeable Shares will be entitled at any time to retract (i.e., to require Purchaser to redeem) any or all Exchangeable Shares held by them and to receive in exchange one Akerna Share, plus the full amount of all declared and unpaid dividends on the Exchangeable Shares and all dividends and distributions declared on an Akerna Share that have not yet been declared or paid on the Exchangeable Shares, if any (the “Dividend Amount”), subject to restrictions based on applicable solvency requirements or other provisions of applicable law.
• Distribution on Liquidation of Purchaser: Subject to applicable law and the exercise by either us or Purchaser of our or its liquidation call right, in the event of the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of Purchaser or any other distribution of its assets among its shareholders for the purpose of winding up its affairs, holders of Exchangeable Shares shall be entitled to receive from the assets of Purchaser a liquidation payment that will be satisfied by issuance of one share of our common stock plus the Dividend Amount, if any, for each outstanding Exchangeable Share.
• Automatic Exchange Upon Liquidation of Akerna: Under the Voting and Exchange Trust Agreement, in the event of our liquidation, all of the then outstanding Exchangeable Shares will be automatically exchanged for shares of our common stock.
• Redemption of Exchangeable Shares by Purchaser: Subject to applicable law and the due exercise by either us or Purchaser of our or its redemption call right, Purchaser will, on the redemption date, redeem all of the then outstanding Exchangeable Shares for a purchase price equal to one share of our common stock for each outstanding Exchangeable Shares plus the Dividend Amount, if any. As further described in and pursuant to and subject to the conditions of the Exchangeable Shares, the board of directors of the Purchaser may accelerate the redemption date.
• Call Rights: As further described in the Plan of Arrangement, we and Purchaser will have certain overriding rights to acquire Exchangeable Shares from the holders upon certain events including but not limited to a change of law, a retraction event, a liquidation event, or a redemption event. In each case, we have the initial call right and to the extent we do not exercise our right, a Purchaser may exercise its right.
• Purchase for Cancellation: Subject to applicable law and the Articles of Incorporation of Purchaser, Purchaser may at any time purchase for cancellation all or any part of the outstanding Exchangeable Shares by private agreement with any holder of such Exchangeable Shares or by tender to all holders of record of the Exchangeable Shares or through the facilities of any stock exchange on which the Exchangeable Shares are listed or quoted at any price per share together with the dividend amount for which the record date has occurred prior to the date of purchase.
• Voting Rights: Under the Voting and Exchange Trust Agreement we will enter into with Purchaser and other parties thereto, holders of Exchangeable Shares will be entitled to receive notice of and attend any meeting of our shareholders and to vote at any meetings. For more information on the Voting and Exchange Trust Agreement, review the section of this proxy statement titled “Description of Akerna’s Common Stock.”
• Dividends: Holders of Exchangeable Shares will be entitled to receive dividends equivalent to the dividends, if any, paid from time to time by us on shares of our common stock. The declaration date, record date and payment date for dividends on the Exchangeable Shares will be the same as that for any corresponding dividends on shares of our common stock.
15
Terms of the Contingent Value Rights and Rights Indenture
Pursuant to the Agreement, each Ample shareholder immediately prior to the time at which the Arrangement becomes effective on the Closing Date (the “Closing Time”) (other than Ample shareholders that validly exercised dissent rights in connection with the Arrangement) will be entitled to one CVR at the Closing Time. Each CVR entitles the holder thereof to receive that portion of Deferred Consideration (as defined in the Agreement) that the initial holder of such CVR is entitled to receive in its capacity as an Ample shareholder. The amount of the entitlement attaching to each CVR will be determined in accordance with the Arrangement and with reference to the shareholder register of Ample.
In the event that Ample’s recurring revenue derived from or associated with Ample’s core seed-to-sale, AmpleCentral and “Last Call Analytics” products (“Recurring Revenue”) is equal to or more than CAD$9,000,000 during the period beginning on the Effective Date (as later herein defined) and ending on the date that is 12 months after the Effective Date, each CVR will entitle the holder to additional Exchangeable Shares in the aggregate value of CAD$10,000,000. In the event the Recurring Revenue is less than CAD$9,000,000, the amount of Deferred Consideration will be reduced by an amount equal to the product of CAD$6.67 multiplied by the difference between CAD$9,000,000 and the amount of Recurring Revenue (up to a maximum reduction of CAD$10,000,000).
The aggregate number of additional Exchangeable Shares to be issued in respect of all CVRs shall be equal to the quotient obtained by dividing: (i) the amount of the Deferred Consideration payable, divided by (ii) the 20-day volume weighted average price of the Akerna Shares (converted to Canadian dollars from US dollars using the exchange rate applicable on the Deferred Consideration payment date) as quoted on the Nasdaq Stock Market on the last trading day immediately preceding the Deferred Consideration payment date.
All issued and outstanding CVRs shall rank parri passu.
No certificates or other entitlements to fractional Exchangeable Shares shall be issued to any holder of CVRs, and any holder otherwise entitled to a fractional interest in an Exchangeable Share will receive the nearest whole number of Exchangeable Shares (with fractions equal to or greater than 0.5 being rounded up and fractions less than 0.5 being rounded down).
The CVRs shall, as at the Termination Date of the Rights Indenture (as defined in the Agreement), be null and void and of no effect. The “Termination Date” is the date that Akerna and Purchaser fully pay to the holders of CVRs all Deferred Consideration to which such holders are entitled (if any).
Transfer of CVRs
The CVRs may only be transferred in certain limited circumstances. Any attempted sale, assignment, transfer, pledge, encumbrance or disposition of the CVRs shall be void and of no effect unless the terms of the Rights Indenture and all applicable securities legislation and regulatory requirements are complied with.
Covenants of Akerna and Purchaser
Among other covenants, Akerna and Purchaser have agreed to the following covenants in the Rights Indenture. If Akerna and Purchaser fail to perform the covenants, the Rights Agent (as defined in the Agreement) may perform the covenants:
• Maintain Existence — So long as any CVRs are outstanding, Akerna and Purchaser shall use commercially reasonable efforts to at all times maintain their existence, carry on and conduct their business and that of their material subsidiaries in accordance with good business practice.
• To Pay Rights Agent’s Remuneration and Expenses — Akerna will pay the fees and expenses of the Rights Agent.
• To Perform Covenants — Akerna and Purchaser will perform and carry out all of the acts or things to be done by them as provided in the Rights Indenture and will promptly advise the Rights Agent in writing of any material default in the performance by them of any of the covenants in the Rights Indenture.
The foregoing summary of certain terms of the CVRs and the Rights Indenture that may be entered into among Akerna, Purchaser, the Shareholder Representative and the Rights Agent is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the Rights Indenture.
16
Questions
If you would like to receive additional copies of this proxy statement, without charge, or if you have questions about the meeting, including the procedures for voting your shares, you should contact us at: Akerna Corp., Attention: Secretary, 1630 Welton Street, Denver, Colorado 80202, or by calling (888) 932-6537 or contact Advantage Proxy at (206) 870-8565.
Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data of Akerna
The following table sets forth selected consolidated financial data for Akerna. The selected consolidated financial data as of and for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 have been derived from, and are qualified by reference to, Akerna’s audited consolidated historical financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this proxy statement. The selected consolidated financial data as of and for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 have been derived from, and are qualified by reference to, Akerna’s unaudited condensed consolidated historical financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this proxy statement. The summary financial data as of and for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 are unaudited, but in the opinion of Akerna’s management reflect all adjustments of a normal recurring nature necessary for a fair statement of Akerna’s financial position and results of operations at the dates and for the periods indicated.
Akerna’s historical financial data may not be indicative of the results of operations or financial position to be expected in the future, and results for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any other interim period or the entire fiscal year.
You should read this selected historical consolidated financial data of Akerna in conjunction with the section entitled “Information About the Companies — Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Akerna’s Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and with Akerna’s consolidated financial statements and the related notes to those financial statements starting on page F.1-1 to this proxy statement.
For the nine-months ended |
For the year ended |
|||||||||||||||
2020 |
2019 |
2019 |
2018 |
|||||||||||||
Total Revenues |
$ |
9,569,638 |
|
$ |
7,201,191 |
|
$ |
10,919,785 |
|
$ |
10,476,783 |
|
||||
Gross Profit |
|
5,112,528 |
|
|
3,650,579 |
|
|
6,285,941 |
|
|
6,114,820 |
|
||||
Net loss |
|
(12,634,762 |
) |
|
(6,580,157 |
) |
|
(12,306,547 |
) |
|
(2,488,309 |
) |
||||
Net loss per share |
|
(1.11 |
) |
|
(1.13 |
) |
|
(2.04 |
) |
|
(0.51 |
) |
As of |
As of June 30, |
||||||||
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
|||||||
Total Assets |
$ |
41,348,584 |
$ |
24,522,671 |
$ |
3,017,731 |
Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data of Ample
The following tables set forth the selected historical consolidated financial and operating data for Ample. The selected consolidated statement of operations data for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019 and the selected balance sheet data as of December 31, 2018 and 2019 are derived from Ample’s consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this proxy statement. The selected consolidated financial data as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 have been derived from, and are qualified by reference to, Ample’s unaudited interim condensed consolidated historical financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this proxy statement. The summary financial data as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 are unaudited, but in the opinion of Ample’s management, reflect all adjustments of a normal recurring nature necessary for a fair statement of Ample’s financial position and results of operations at the dates and for the periods indicated. All financial information is presented in Canadian dollars (“CAD$”) and has been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (or “IFRS”).
Ample’s historical financial data may not be indicative of the results of operations or financial position to be expected in the future, and results for any period are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any other period.
17
You should read this selected historical consolidated financial data of Ample in conjunction with the section entitled “Information About the Companies — Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Ample’s Financial Condition, Results of Operations, Properties and Other Information” and with Ample’s consolidated financial statements and the related notes to those financial statements starting on page F.2-1 to this proxy statement.
For the nine-months ended |
For the year ended |
|||||||||||
2020 |
2019 |
2019 |
2018 |
|||||||||
Total Revenues |
CAD$ 1,874,726 |
|
CAD$ 1,715,983 |
|
CAD$ 7,420,199 |
|
CAD$ 6,436,876 |
|
||||
Gross Profit |
1,166,260 |
|
630,347 |
|
3,056,336 |
|
3,145,310 |
|
||||
Net loss |
(1,480,951 |
) |
(5,368,236 |
) |
(18,020,784 |
) |
(6,696,371 |
) |
As of |
As of December 31, |
|||||
2019 |
2018 |
|||||
Total Assets |
CAD$ 13,190,831 |
CAD$ 13,403,618 |
CAD$ 11,174,856 |
|||
Preferred share liabilities(1) |
13,758,104 |
13,636,522 |
5,234,811 |
____________
(1) Following Akerna’s acquisition of Ample, Akerna will own all preferred shares and as such, this liability would be eliminated upon consolidation.
Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data of Solo
The following tables set forth the selected historical consolidated financial and operating data for Solo. The selected consolidated statement of operations data for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 and the selected balance sheet data as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 are derived from Solo’s historical financial statements included elsewhere in this proxy statement.
Solo’s historical financial data may not be indicative of the results of operations or financial position to be expected in the future, and results for any period are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any other period.
You should read this selected historical consolidated financial data of Solo in conjunction with the section entitled “Information About the Companies — Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Solo’s Financial Condition, Results of Operations, Properties and Other Information” and with Solo’s consolidated financial statements and the related notes to those financial statements starting on page F.3-1 to this proxy statement.
For the year ended |
||||||||
2019 |
2018 |
|||||||
Total Revenues(1) |
$ |
104,770 |
|
$ |
299 |
|
||
Gross Profit |
|
100,536 |
|
|
299 |
|
||
Net loss |
|
(2,806,344 |
) |
|
(1,015,439 |
) |
As of December 31, |
||||||
2019 |
2018 |
|||||
Total Assets |
$ |
5,499,351 |
$ |
3,754,254 |
||
Deferred purchase obligation(2) |
|
3,000,000 |
|
3,000,000 |
____________
(1) During the year ended December 31, 2019, Solo earned $90,000 in revenue from Akerna.
(2) The deferred purchase obligation was settled concurrent with Akerna’s acquisition of Solo.
18
Unaudited Pro Forma Financial Information
The following table sets forth selected historical financial information of Akerna, Ample and Solo and unaudited pro forma financial information after giving effect to the acquisitions of Ample and Solo and the exercise of the Solo Option.
For the nine months ended |
||||||||||||||||
Akerna Corp |
Solo Sciences Historical |
Ample Corp |
Pro Forma |
|||||||||||||
Total Revenues |
$ |
9,569,638 |
|
$ |
90,000 |
|
$ |
4,353,490 |
|
$ |
14,013,128 |
|
||||
Gross Profit |
|
5,112,528 |
|
|
86,936 |
|
|
2,266,620 |
|
|
7,466,084 |
|
||||
Net loss |
|
(12,634,762 |
) |
|
(2,461,485 |
) |
|
(6,656,281 |
) |
|
(17,645,502 |
) |
||||
Net loss per share, basic and diluted(2) |
|
(1.11 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
(1,24 |
) |
As of March 31, 2020 |
|||||||||
Akerna Corp |
Ample Corp |
Pro Forma |
|||||||
Total Assets |
$ |
41,348,584 |
$ |
9,379,145 |
$ |
71,090,717 |
|||
Preferred share liabilities(3) |
|
— |
|
9,782,497 |
|
— |
____________
(1) The historical financial information for Ample Organics presented in the above table has been translated to United States Dollars using the exchange rates in effect as of and for the disclosed periods.
(2) Pro forma net loss per share, basic and diluted, has been adjusted to reflect the shares of Akerna common stock that would have been issued had the Solo Option been exercised on July 1, 2018.
(3) Following Akerna’s acquisition of Ample, Akerna will own all preferred shares and as such, this liability would be eliminated upon consolidation.
For the year ended |
||||||||||||||||
Akerna Corp |
Solo Sciences |
Ample Corp |
Pro Forma |
|||||||||||||
Total Revenues |
$ |
10,919,785 |
|
$ |
14,770 |
|
$ |
5,165,876 |
|
$ |
16,100,431 |
|
||||
Gross Profit |
|
6,285,941 |
|
|
13,600 |
|
|
1,956,353 |
|
|
8,255,894 |
|
||||
Net loss |
|
(12,306,547 |
) |
|
(1,031,058 |
) |
|
(12,611,054 |
) |
|
(24,195,335 |
) |
||||
Net loss per share, basic and diluted(2) |
|
(2.04 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
(2.75 |
) |
____________
(1) The historical financial information for Ample Organics presented in the above table has been translated to United States Dollars using the exchange rates in effect as of and for the disclosed periods.
(2) Pro forma net loss per share, basic and diluted, has been adjusted to reflect the shares of Akerna common stock that would have been issued had the Solo Option been exercised on July 1, 2018.
19
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This proxy statement contain or may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “can,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “potential,” “project,” “assume,” “guide,” “target,” “forecast,” “is confident that” and “seek” or the negative of such terms or other variations on such terms or comparable terminology.
Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about (1) the timing and completion of the proposed transactions described in this proxy statement, (2) expectations as a result of the proposed transactions described in this proxy statement, (3) the ability to optimize technical and operational components of a future combined business, (4) capital resources, capitalization and ownership, including relationships with major stockholders and other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the respective managements of Akerna, Ample and Solo and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially.
You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Akerna does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this proxy statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties set forth under the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 22 of this proxy statement, as well as the following:
• the inability to complete the Arrangement on time or at all due to the failure to obtain stockholder approval or governmental or regulatory clearances or the failure to satisfy other conditions to the completion of the Arrangement or the failure of the Arrangement to be completed for any other reason;
• the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Agreement;
• any disruption from the Arrangement making it difficult to maintain business and operations;
• the incurrence of unexpected transaction and combination-related costs in connection with the Arrangement;
• the impact of potentially immediate sales of Akerna Shares tangentially received in the Arrangement by Ample shareholders;
• the future financial performance, anticipated liquidity and capital expenditures of Akerna;
• the ability to raise additional capital in the future;
• success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, Akerna’s and Ample’s officers, key employees or directors following the Arrangement;
• the risk that the businesses will not be coordinated successfully, or that the coordination will be more costly or more time consuming and complex than anticipated;
• effectiveness of Akerna’s and Ample’s systems of internal controls;
• adverse developments in general market, business, economic, labor, regulatory and political conditions, including worldwide demand for cannabis and the spot price and long-term contract price of cannabis;
• the impact of competitive risks;
• market reaction to negative publicity of cannabis;
• government regulation of the cannabis industry;
• the impact of any cyber-breaches, acts of war or terrorism or natural disasters;
20
• the impact of any unanticipated geological, processing, environmental, regulatory and legal or other restrictions which may be encountered;
• the impact of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and measures taken in response; and
• other factors which are more fully described in the Akerna’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and as updated by subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
21
You should carefully consider the following risk factors and all of the other information contained in this proxy statement, including the matters addressed under the caption “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” on page 20 and the annexes hereto, before deciding how to vote your shares on the proposals presented. If any of the risks described below, or elsewhere in this proxy statement, actually occur, the business, financial results, financial condition, operating results or stock price of Akerna or the combined company could be materially adversely affected.
Risks Relating to the Arrangement
The benefits of integrating the companies may not be realized.
To be successful after the Arrangement, Akerna will need to combine and integrate the operations of Akerna and Ample. Integration will require substantial management attention and could detract attention from the day-to-day business of the combined company. Akerna could encounter difficulties in the integration process, such as the need to revisit assumptions about future production, revenues, capital expenditures and operating costs, including synergies, the loss of key employees or commercial relationships or the need to address unanticipated liabilities. If Akerna cannot integrate the Akerna and Ample businesses successfully, it may fail to realize the expected benefits of the Arrangement.
Failure to complete the Arrangement or delays in completing the Arrangement could negatively affect Akerna’s stock price and Akerna’s and Ample’s future businesses and operations.
If the Arrangement is not completed for any reason, Akerna and Ample may be subject to a number of risks, including the following:
• the separate companies will not realize the benefits expected from the Arrangement, including potential operational efficiencies and improved access to capital;
• the current market price of the Akerna Shares may reflect a market assumption that the Arrangement will occur and a failure to complete the Arrangement could result in a negative perception by the stock market of Akerna and a resulting decline in the market price of its common stock; and
• there may be substantial disruption to Akerna’s business and distraction of its management and employees from day-to-day operations because matters related to the Arrangement (including integration planning) may require substantial commitments of time and resources, which could otherwise have been devoted to other opportunities that could have been beneficial to Akerna.
Delays in completing the Arrangement could exacerbate uncertainties concerning the effect of the Arrangement, which may have an adverse effect on the business following the Arrangement and could defer or detract from the realization of the benefits expected to result from the Arrangement.
Akerna stockholders will suffer immediate dilution to their equity and voting interests as a result of the Stock Issuance.
In connection with the Arrangement, Purchaser will issue up to 3,294,574 Exchangeable Shares which are exchangeable for Akerna Shares, on a 1:1 basis. Further, the transaction consideration also consists of an aggregate of up to CAD$10,000,000 worth of CVR Shares. Additionally, the Special Voting Share issued by Akerna will entitle the holder of record to that number of votes at meetings of holders of Akerna Shares equal to the number of Exchangeable Shares outstanding at such time (excluding any Exchangeable Shares held by Akerna or any affiliate). Immediately following the completion of the Arrangement (and prior to the issuance of the CVR Shares, if any), former Ample stockholders will own collectively approximately 20.3% of the total number of Akerna Shares outstanding and the existing stockholders of Akerna will own approximately 79.7% of the outstanding Akerna Shares. Accordingly, the issuance of Akerna Shares in relation to the Arrangement will have the effect of reducing the percentage of equity and voting interest held by each of Akerna’s existing stockholders. Consequently, Akerna stockholders as a group will have less influence over the management and policies of the combined company after the Arrangement than they currently exercise.
22
If the Ample holders sell Akerna Shares received in the Arrangement, they could depress Akerna’s stock price.
If the Ample holders who receive Akerna Shares in the Arrangement, or other holders of Akerna Shares, sell significant amounts of Akerna Shares following the Arrangement, the market price of Akerna Shares could decrease. These sales may also make it more difficult for Akerna to sell equity securities or equity-related securities in the future at a time and at a price that Akerna otherwise would deem appropriate.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financials are presented for illustrative purposes only and may not be indicative of Akerna’s financial condition or results of operations following the Arrangement or the exercise of the Solo Option.
The pro forma financial statements contained in this proxy statement are presented for illustrative purposes only and may not be an indication of Akerna’s financial condition or results of operations following the Arrangement or the exercise of the Solo Option for several reasons. For example, the pro forma financial statements have been derived from the historical financial statements of Akerna, Ample and Solo, and certain adjustments and assumptions have been made regarding the combined company after giving effect to the Arrangement and option exercise by which each entity would become a part of the combined company. The information upon which these adjustments and assumptions have been made is preliminary, and such adjustments and assumptions are difficult to make with complete accuracy.
Moreover, the pro forma financial statements do not reflect all costs that are expected to be incurred by the combined company in connection with the Arrangement and option exercise. For example, the impact of any incremental costs incurred in integrating the companies is not reflected in the pro forma financial statements. As a result, the actual financial condition and results of operations of the combined company following the Arrangement may differ significantly from these pro forma financial statements.
In addition, the assumptions used in preparing the pro forma financial statements may not prove to be accurate, and other factors may affect the combined company’s financial condition or results of operations following the Arrangement and option exercise. Any potential decline in the combined company’s financial condition or results of operations may cause significant variations in the stock price of the combined company. See the section entitled “Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information” beginning on page 28.
Akerna will incur significant transaction and combination-related costs in connection with the Arrangement.
Akerna and Ample expect to incur significant costs associated with the Arrangement and combining the operations of the two companies. Akerna’s fees and expenses related to the Arrangement include financial advisor fees, filing fees, legal and accounting fees, regulatory fees and mailing costs, some of which will be paid regardless of whether the Arrangement is completed. Such fees and expenses will reduce Akerna’s cash on hand. Furthermore, following the completion of the Arrangement, the combined company will incur costs associated with combining the operations of the two companies. However, it is difficult to predict the amount of these costs before the combined company begins the integration process. The combined company may incur additional unanticipated costs as a consequence of difficulties arising from efforts to integrate the companies.
The fairness opinion obtained by Akerna from its financial advisors will not reflect changes in circumstances subsequent to the date of the fairness opinion.
Akerna obtained an opinion from its financial advisor regarding the fairness, from a financial point of view, that the aggregate consideration to by paid by Akerna pursuant to the Agreement was fair to Akerna. See “The Arrangement — Opinion of Financial Advisor to the Akerna Board” on page 48 of this proxy statement. The fairness opinion is provided as Annex E to this proxy statement. Such opinion does not reflect changes that may occur or may have occurred after the date of the opinion, including changes to the operations and prospects of Akerna, changes in Akerna’s stock price, changes in exchange rates, general market and economic conditions or regulatory or other factors. Any such changes, or changes in other factors on which the fairness opinion is based, may materially alter or affect the fairness of the Arrangement to the stockholders of Akerna.
23
If Akerna fails to implement an effective system of internal controls with respect to Ample after the Arrangement, it may not be able to accurately report its financial results or prevent fraud and, as a result, its business could be harmed and current and potential stockholders could lose confidence in Akerna, which could cause Akerna’s value to fall.
If Akerna is not able to establish and maintain, effective internal controls with respect to Ample in a timely manner following the Arrangement or with adequate compliance, it may not be able to accurately report the financial results of the combined company or prevent fraud and might be subject to sanctions or investigation by, among others, the Nasdaq Capital Market. Any such action could harm its business or investors’ confidence in Akerna, and could cause its stock price to fall.
Risks Related to the Businesses of Akerna, Ample, Solo and the Combined Company
The combined company will require significant capital to fund its future operations, which may not be available on terms acceptable to Akerna or at all.
The continued operations of the combined company will be dependent on its ability to obtain financing through debt and equity financing, or generating sufficient cash flows from future operations. There is a risk that the combined company may not be able to access capital from debt or equity markets (or via any other forms of available financing) for future projects or developments, which could have a material adverse impact on the combined company’s business and financial condition. If, after the Arrangement or Solo Option are finalized, financing is undertaken through the issuance of new equity or equity-linked securities of the combined company other than on a pro rata basis, existing stockholders may experience additional dilution and the control of the combined company may change.
The combined company will face significant competitive risks from other companies in our industry.
In addition to Akerna’s existing businesses, the businesses to be acquired as a result of the Arrangement and the Solo Option are highly competitive. The combined company will face competition from existing companies, which are capable of producing cannabis compliance software. Many of these companies are larger companies with greater financial resources than the combined company, which companies are more able to withstand price volatility, should the price of cannabis significantly decrease.
Any potential growth in the cannabis industry continues to be subject to new and changing state and local laws and regulations.
Continued development of the cannabis industry is dependent upon continued legislative legalization of cannabis at the state level, and a number of factors could slow or halt progress in this area, even where there is public support for legislative action. Any delay or halt in the passing or implementation of legislation legalizing cannabis use, or its sale and distribution, or the re-criminalization or restriction of cannabis at the state level could negatively impact the combines company’s business. Additionally, changes in applicable state and local laws or regulations could restrict the products and services that the combined company offers or impose additional compliance costs on the combined company or their customers. Violations of applicable laws, or allegations of such violations, could disrupt the combined company’s business and result in a material adverse effect on operations. We cannot predict the nature of any future laws, regulations, interpretations or applications, and it is possible that regulations may be enacted in the future that will be materially adverse to either companies’ business.
The cannabis industry faces significant opposition, and any negative trends will adversely affect the combined company’s business operations.
Each of Akerna, Solo and Ample is substantially dependent on the continued market acceptance, and the proliferation of consumers, of medical and recreational cannabis. It is possible that with further legalization, cannabis may become more accepted, potentially resulting in a growth in consumer demand. However, we cannot predict the future growth rate or future market potential, and any negative outlook on the cannabis industry may adversely affect the combined company’s business operations.
Large, well-funded business sectors may have strong economic reasons to oppose the development of the cannabis industry. For example, medical cannabis may adversely impact the existing market for the current “cannabis pill”
24
sold by mainstream pharmaceutical companies. Should cannabis displace other drugs or products, the medical cannabis industry could face a material threat from the pharmaceutical industry, which is well-funded and possesses a strong and experienced lobby. Any inroads the pharmaceutical, or any other potentially displaced, industry or sector could make in halting or impeding the cannabis industry could have a detrimental impact on the combined company’s business.
The combined company’s operations are subject to government regulations and licensing.
The future operations of the combined company require licenses, permits or other approvals from various federal, state or local governmental authorities and such operations are or will be governed by laws and regulations. Current and possible future cannabis legislation, regulations and actions could prohibit the combined company’s operations or cause additional expense, capital expenditures, restrictions and delay the combined company’s operations, the extent of which cannot be predicted. Failure to comply with applicable laws, regulations and permitting requirements may result in enforcement actions thereunder, including orders issued by regulatory or judicial authorities causing operations to cease or be curtailed, and may include corrective measures requiring capital expenditures, installation of additional equipment, or remedial actions.
Hiring or retaining qualified people or obtaining all necessary services for Solo’s and/or Ample’s operations may be difficult.
Hiring or retaining qualified people or obtaining all necessary services for Solo’s and/or Ample’s operations may be difficult. It may be difficult to hire qualified people, or to retain service providers, with the requisite expertise who are situated in or willing to work in the relevant local jurisdiction at reasonable rates. If qualified people and services cannot be obtained in the relevant local jurisdiction, the combined company may need to obtain these services from people located outside such jurisdiction, which could result in delays and higher costs to the combined company to conduct its operations.
Risks Relating to the Novel Coronavirus 2019 (“COVID-19”)
The recent outbreak of COVID-19, which has been declared by the World Health Organization to be a pandemic, has spread across the globe and is impacting worldwide economic activity.
A pandemic, including COVID-19 or other public health epidemic, poses the risk that we or our employees, contractors, suppliers, and other partners may be prevented from conducting business activities for an indefinite period of time, including due to spread of the disease within these groups or due to shutdowns that may be requested or mandated by governmental authorities. While it is not possible at this time to estimate the impact that COVID-19 could have on our business, the continued spread of COVID-19 and the measures taken by the governments of countries affected could disrupt supply chains and adversely impact our business, financial condition or results of operations. The COVID-19 outbreak and mitigation measures may also have an adverse impact on global economic conditions which could have an adverse effect on our business and financial condition. The Corporation is actively assessing and responding where possible to the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The extent to which the COVID-19 outbreak impacts our results will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information that may emerge concerning the severity of the virus and the actions to contain its impact.
25
In this proxy statement, unless otherwise specified or the context otherwise requires:
• “Canadian dollars” and “CAD$” each refer to the lawful currency of Canada; and
• “U.S. dollars,” “dollars,” “U.S.$,” “$,” “USD” or “US$” each refer to the lawful currency of the United States.
The functional currency of Akerna and Solo are U.S. dollars. Ample uses the Canadian dollar as its functional currency. See the section entitled “Exchange Rate Information” for additional information regarding the exchange rate between the Canadian dollar and the U.S. dollar.
26
The following table shows, for the periods indicated, information concerning the exchange rate between U.S. dollars and Canadian dollars. The information in the following table is expressed in U.S. dollars per Canadian dollar and is based on the average exchange rate during the applicable period, as reported by the Bank of Canada.
On June 11, 2020, the latest practicable date for which such information was available prior to the printing of this proxy statement, the exchange rate was US$0.7387 per CAD$1.00. These conversions should not be construed as a representation that the U.S. dollar amounts actually represent, or could be converted into, Canadian dollars at the rates indicated.
Average rate |
|||
Recent monthly data |
|
||
May 2020 |
$ |
0.7158 |
|
April 2020 |
$ |
0.7113 |
|
March 2020 |
$ |
0.7170 |
|
February 2020 |
$ |
0.7527 |
|
January 2020 |
$ |
0.7641 |
|
December 2019 |
$ |
0.7592 |
|
November 2019 |
$ |
0.7553 |
|
October 2019 |
$ |
0.7582 |
|
September 2019 |
$ |
0.7552 |
|
August 2019 |
$ |
0.7532 |
|
|
|||
Annual Data (year ended December 31) |
|
||
2019 |
$ |
0.7536 |
|
2018 |
$ |
0.7718 |
|
2017 |
$ |
0.7701 |
27
AKERNA CORP.
UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The following unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as of March 31, 2020 and the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations for the year ended June 30, 2019 and nine months ended March 31, 2020, are based on the historical financial statements of Akerna Corp. (“Akerna”, “we”, “our”), Solo Sciences (“Solo”) and Ample Organics Inc. (“Ample”), after giving effect to the acquisition of Solo, the probable exercise of the Solo Option, the probable acquisition of Ample (collectively “the Acquisitions”) and after applying the assumptions and adjustments described in the accompanying notes to the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations for the year ended June 30, 2019 and nine months ended March 31, 2020 give effect to the Acquisitions as if they had occurred on July 1, 2018, the first day of the first year presented.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as of March 31, 2020, gives effect to the acquisition of Ample and the exercise of the Solo Option as if they had occurred on March 31, 2020. The acquisition of Ample has not closed and we have not exercised the Solo Option.
The partial acquisition of Solo and the acquisition of Ample has been and will be accounted for pursuant to Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 805, Business Combinations. The exercise of the Solo Option will also be accounted for pursuant to ASC 810, Consolidation. The total estimated consideration to be transferred, calculated as described in Note 1 to these unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements, is allocated to the net tangible assets and intangible assets of Ample acquired in connection with the acquisition, based on their estimated fair values as of the date of the acquisition, and the excess is allocated to goodwill. Akerna has made a preliminary allocation of the estimated purchase price to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The acquisition accounting is dependent upon certain valuations and other studies that have yet to progress to a stage where there is sufficient information for a definitive measurement. We have made significant assumptions and estimates in determining the preliminary estimated purchase price and the preliminary allocation of the estimated purchase price in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements. These preliminary estimates and assumptions are subject to change during the estimated purchase price allocation period (generally one year from the acquisition date) as we finalize the valuations of the net intangible assets. The final valuations of identifiable intangible assets, fixed assets and deferred revenue and associated tax effects may change significantly from our preliminary estimates. Differences between these preliminary estimates and the final acquisition accounting could have a material impact on the accompanying unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements and the combined company’s future results of operations and financial position. Accordingly, the pro forma adjustments are preliminary and have been made solely for the purpose of providing unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements.
The historical consolidated financial information has been adjusted in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements to give effect to pro forma events that are (1) directly attributable to the acquisition; (2) factually supportable; and (3) with respect to the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations, expected to have a continuing impact on the combined results.
The unaudited pro forma condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by management for illustrative purposes only and are not necessarily indicative of the consolidated results of operations or financial position of Akerna that would have been reported had the Acquisitions been completed as of the dates presented and should not be taken as representative of the future consolidated results of operations or financial position of Akerna. The unaudited pro forma financial statements do not reflect any operating efficiencies and cost savings that Akerna may achieve, or any additional expenses that it may incur, with respect to the combined companies.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements, including the notes thereto should be read in conjunction with:
• The accompanying notes to the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements;
• Our audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes as of and for the year ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, included elsewhere in the Proxy;
28
• Our unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements as of and for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, included elsewhere in this Proxy;
• Ample’s unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, included elsewhere in this Proxy;
• Ample’s audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, included elsewhere in this Proxy, and
• Solo’s audited financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, included elsewhere in this Proxy.
On January 15, 2020, we closed on a stock purchase agreement with substantially all of the shareholders of Solo pursuant to which we acquired all right, title and interest in 80.40% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Solo, calculated on a fully diluted basis. As a result of our investment, Solo became a controlled subsidiary and we commenced consolidation of Solo on January 15, 2020, the results of which are included in our March 31, 2020 unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet.
We have the option to acquire the remaining 19.6% equity interest in Solo for either cash or Akerna shares in an amount dependent upon the market value of Akerna shares. This transaction would be accounted for as an equity transaction with the difference between the fair value of the consideration exchanged and the carrying value of the non-controlling interest recorded in additional paid in capital.
29
UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED BALANCE SHEET
As of March 31, 2020
Historical |
Ample |
IFRS to US |
Pro forma |
Note 2 |
Pro forma |
||||||||||||||||||||
Akerna Corp. |
Ample |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
ASSETS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
CURRENT ASSETS: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
Cash |
$ |
14,309,996 |
|
CAD 1,144,834 |
|
$ |
814,017 |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
(5,332,765 |
) |
A |
$ |
9,791,248 |
|
|||||||
Restricted cash |
|
500,000 |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
500,000 |
|
||||||||
Accounts receivable, net |
|
1,324,051 |
|
1,553,158 |
|
|
1,104,350 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
2,428,401 |
|
||||||||
Inventory |
|
— |
|
26,810 |
|
|
19,063 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
19,063 |
|
||||||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
|
1,762,371 |
|
228,804 |
|
|
162,688 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
1,925,059 |
|
||||||||
Total current assets |
|
17,896,418 |
|
2,953,606 |
|
|
2,100,118 |
|
|
— |
|
|
(5,332,765 |
) |
|
14,663,771 |
|
||||||||
Property and equipment, |
|
65,582 |
|
1,896,538 |
|
|
1,348,505 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
1,414,087 |
|
||||||||
Goodwill |
|
— |
|
4,542,224 |
|
|
3,229,681 |
|
|
— |
|
|
21,796,594 |
|
B |
|
25,026,275 |
|
|||||||
Intangible assets, net |
|
23,136,584 |
|
1,231,637 |
|
|
875,737 |
|
|
— |
|
|
5,724,263 |
|
C |
|
29,736,584 |
|
|||||||
Right of use asset |
|
— |
|
2,566,826 |
|
|
1,825,104 |
|
|
(1,825,104 |
) |
|
— |
|
D |
|
— |
|
|||||||
Investments |
|
250,000 |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
250,000 |
|
||||||||
TOTAL ASSETS |
$ |
41,348,584 |
|
CAD 13,190,831 |
|
$ |
9,379,145 |
|
$ |
(1,825,104 |
) |
$ |
22,188,092 |
|
$ |
71,090,717 |
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
CURRENT LIABILITIES: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities |
$ |
4,025,199 |
|
CAD 1,498,116 |
|
$ |
1,065,213 |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
5,090,412 |
|
||||||||
Short-term debt, current |
|
— |
|
5,779,432 |
|
|
4,109,380 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
4,109,380 |
|
||||||||
Lease liabilities |
|
— |
|
541,368 |
|
|
384,932 |
|
|
(384,932 |
) |
|
— |
|
D |
|
— |
|
|||||||
Deferred revenue, current |
|
743,317 |
|
501,940 |
|
|
356,897 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
1,100,214 |
|
||||||||
Total current |
|
4,768,516 |
|
8,320,856 |
|
|
5,916,422 |
|
|
(384,932 |
) |
|
— |
|
|
10,300,006 |
|
||||||||
Lease liabilities |
|
— |
|
3,035,642 |
|
|
2,158,449 |
|
|
(2,158,449 |
) |
|
— |
|
D |
|
— |
|
|||||||
Preferred stock liabilities |
|
— |
|
13,758,104 |
|
|
9,782,497 |
|
|
— |
|
|
(9,782,497 |
) |
E |
|
— |
|
|||||||
Deferred tax liabilities |
|
— |
|
326,384 |
|
|
232,071 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
232,071 |
|
||||||||
TOTAL LIABILITIES |
|
4,768,516 |
|
25,440,986 |
|
|
18,089,439 |
|
|
(2,543,381 |
) |
|
(9,782,497 |
) |
|
10,532,077 |
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
Warrants |
|
— |
|
823,778 |
|
|
585,735 |
|
|
— |
|
|
(585,735 |
) |
E |
|
— |
|
|||||||
Preferred stock |
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
23,978,572 |
|
F |
|
23,978,572 |
|
|||||||
Common stock |
|
1,286 |
|
14,345,721 |
|
|
10,934,970 |
|
|
— |
|
|
(10,934,970 |
) |
E |
|
1,286 |
|
|||||||
Additional paid-in |
|
69,916,857 |
|
777,274 |
|
|
592,670 |
|
|
— |
|
|
4,169,588 |
|
E,G |
|
74,679,115 |
|
|||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive loss |
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
554,457 |
|
|
— |
|
|
(554,457 |
) |
E |
|
— |
|
|||||||
Accumulated deficit |
|
(38,100,333 |
) |
(28,196,928 |
) |
|
(21,378,126 |
) |
|
718,277 |
|
|
20,659,849 |
|
D,E |
|
(38,100,333 |
) |
|||||||
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY |
|
31,817,810 |
|
(12,250,155 |
) |
|
(8,710,294 |
) |
|
718,277 |
|
|
36,732,847 |
|
|
60,558,640 |
|
||||||||
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated |
|
4,762,258 |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(4,762,258 |
) |
G |
|
— |
|
|||||||
TOTAL EQUITY |
|
36,580,068 |
|
(12,250,155 |
) |
|
(8,710,294 |
) |
|
718,277 |
|
|
31,970,589 |
|
|
60,558,640 |
|
||||||||
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY |
$ |
41,348,584 |
|
CAD 13,190,831 |
|
$ |
9,379,145 |
|
$ |
(1,825,104 |
) |
$ |
22,188,092 |
|
$ |
71,090,717 |
|
See accompanying Notes to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information
30
UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2019
Historical |
Pro forma |
Note 3 |
Pro forma |
|||||||||||||||
Akerna |
Solo |
|||||||||||||||||
Net revenue: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Software |
$ |
8,256,492 |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
8,256,492 |
|
||||||
Consulting |
|
2,403,797 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
2,403,797 |
|
||||||
Other |
|
259,496 |
|
|
14,770 |
|
|
— |
|
|
274,266 |
|
||||||
Total net revenue |
|
10,919,785 |
|
|
14,770 |
|
|
— |
|
|
10,934,555 |
|
||||||
Cost of revenue |
|
4,633,844 |
|
|
1,170 |
|
|
— |
|
|
4,635,014 |
|
||||||
Gross profit |
|
6,285,941 |
|
|
13,600 |
|
|
— |
|
|
6,299,541 |
|
||||||
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Product development |
|
5,565,097 |
|
|
7,787 |
|
|
— |
|
|
5,572,884 |
|
||||||
Selling, general and administrative |
|
13,136,522 |
|
|
1,038,017 |
|
|
778,597 |
|
A,B |
|
14,953,136 |
|
|||||
Total operating expenses |
|
18,701,619 |
|
|
1,045,805 |
|
|
778,597 |
|
|
20,526,020 |
|
||||||
Loss from operations |
|
(12,415,678 |
) |
|
(1,032,204 |
) |
|
(778,597 |
) |
|
(14,226,479 |
) |
||||||
Interest income, net |
|
91,239 |
|
|
1,146 |
|
|
— |
|
|
92,385 |
|
||||||
Other income |
|
17,892 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
17,892 |
|
||||||
Loss before provision for income taxes |
|
(12,306,547 |
) |
|
(1,031,058 |
) |
|
(778,597 |
) |
|
(14,116,202 |
) |
||||||
Provision for income taxes |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
||||||
Net loss |
$ |
(12,306,547 |
) |
$ |
(1,031,058 |
) |
$ |
(778,597 |
) |
$ |
(14,116,202 |
) |
||||||
Net loss per share |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Basic |
$ |
(2.04 |
) |
|
|
|
|
$ |
(1.60 |
) |
||||||||
Diluted |
$ |
(2.04 |
) |
|
|
|
|
$ |
(1.60 |
) |
||||||||
Shares used in computing loss per share: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Basic |
|
6,045,382 |
|
|
|
|
2,750,000 |
|
C |
|
8,795,382 |
|
||||||
Diluted |
|
6,045,382 |
|
|
|
|
2,750,000 |
|
C |
|
8,795,382 |
|
See accompanying Notes to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information
31
UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2019
Historical |
Ample |
IFRS to |
Pro forma |
Note 3 |
Pro forma |
|||||||||||||||||||
Akerna Corp. |
Ample |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Net revenue: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
Software |
$ |
8,256,492 |
|
CAD 6,839,407 |
|
$ |
5,165,876 |
|
$ |
— |
$ |
— |
|
$ |
13,422,368 |
|
||||||||
Consulting |
|
2,403,797 |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
2,403,797 |
|
||||||||
Other |
|
274,266 |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
274,266 |
|
||||||||
Total net revenue |
|
10,934,555 |
|
6,839,407 |
|
|
5,165,876 |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
16,100,431 |
|
||||||||
Cost of revenue |
|
4,635,014 |
|
4,249,276 |
|
|
3,209,523 |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
7,844,537 |
|
||||||||
Gross profit |
|
6,299,541 |
|
2,590,131 |
|
|
1,956,353 |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
8,255,894 |
|
||||||||
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
Product development |
|
5,572,884 |
|
7,212,904 |
|
|
5,447,982 |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
11,020,866 |
|
||||||||
Sales, general and administrative |
|
14,953,136 |
|
7,442,291 |
|
|
5,621,240 |
|
|
— |
|
966,264 |
|
A,B |
|
21,540,640 |
|
|||||||
Loss on fair value of preferred share liabilities |
|
— |
|
4,631,453 |
|
|
3,498,185 |
|
|
— |
|
(3,498,185 |
) |
C |
|
— |
|
|||||||
Total operating expenses |
|
20,526,021 |
|
19,286,648 |
|
|
14,567,407 |
|
|
— |
|
(2,531,921 |
) |
|
32,561,506 |
|
||||||||
Loss from operations |
|
(14,226,479 |
) |
(16,696,517 |
) |
|
(12,611,054 |
) |
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
(24,305,612 |
) |
||||||||
Interest income, net |
|
92,385 |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
92,385 |
|
||||||||
Other income, net |
|
17,892 |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
17,892 |
|
||||||||
Loss before provision for income taxes |
|
(14,116,202 |
) |
(16,696,517 |
) |
|
(12,611,054 |
) |
|
— |
|
2,531,921 |
|
|
(24,195,335 |
) |
||||||||
Provision for income taxes |
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
||||||||
Net loss |
$ |
(14,116,202 |
) |
CAD (16,696,517 |
) |
$ |
(12,611,054 |
) |
$ |
— |
$ |
2,531,921 |
|
$ |
(24,195,335 |
) |
||||||||
Net loss per share: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
Basic |
$ |
(1.60 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
(2.75 |
) |
||||||||||||
Diluted |
$ |
(1.60 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
(2.75 |
) |
||||||||||||
Shares used in computing earnings per share: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
Basic |
|
8,795,382 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8,795,382 |
|
||||||||||||
Diluted |
|
8,795,382 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8,795,382 |
|
See accompanying Notes to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information
32
UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2020
Historical |
Pro forma |
Note 4 |
Pro forma |
|||||||||||||||
Akerna |
Solo |
|||||||||||||||||
Net revenue: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Software |
$ |
7,148,964 |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
7,148,964 |
|
||||||
Consulting |
|
2,248,947 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
2,248,947 |
|
||||||
Other |
|
171,727 |
|
|
90,000 |
|
|
— |
|
|
261,727 |
|
||||||
Total net revenue |
|
9,569,638 |
|
|
90,000 |
|
|
— |
|
|
9,659,638 |
|
||||||
Cost of revenue |
|
4,457,110 |
|
|
3,064 |
|
|
— |
|
|
4,460,174 |
|
||||||
Gross profit |
|
5,112,528 |
|
|
86,936 |
|
|
— |
|
|
5,199,464 |
|
||||||
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Product development |
|
4,024,743 |
|
|
57,195 |
|
|
— |
|
|
4,081,938 |
|
||||||
Sales, general and administrative |
|
13,881,055 |
|
|
2,495,011 |
|
|
(1,115,720 |
) |
A,B,C |
|
15,260,346 |
|
|||||
Total operating expenses |
|
17,905,798 |
|
|
2,552,206 |
|
|
(1,115,720 |
) |
|
19,342,284 |
|
||||||
Loss from operations |
|
(12,793,270 |
) |
|
(2,465,270 |
) |
|
1,115,720 |
|
|
(14,142,820 |
) |
||||||
Gain on sale of business |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
||||||
Interest income, net |
|
158,762 |
|
|
3,785 |
|
|
— |
|
|
162,547 |
|
||||||
Other expense, net |
|
(254 |
) |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(254 |
) |
||||||
Loss before provision for income taxes |
|
(12,634,762 |
) |
|
(2,461,485 |
) |
|
1,115,720 |
|
|
(13,980,527 |
) |
||||||
Provision for income taxes |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
||||||
Net loss |
|
(12,634,762 |
) |
|
(2,461,485 |
) |
|
1,115,720 |
|
|
(13,980,527 |
) |
||||||
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests in subsidiary |
|
101,175 |
|
|
— |
|
|
(101,175 |
) |
D |
|
— |
|
|||||
Net loss attributable to Akerna stockholders |
$ |
(12,533,587 |
) |
$ |
(2,461,485 |
) |
$ |
1,014,545 |
|
$ |
(13,980,527 |
) |
||||||
Net loss per share: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Basic |
$ |
(1.11 |
) |
|
|
|
|
$ |
(0.99 |
) |
||||||||
Diluted |
$ |
(1.11 |
) |
|
|
|
|
$ |
(0.99 |
) |
||||||||
Shares used in computing earnings per share: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Basic |
|
11,299,997 |
|
|
|
|
2,750,000 |
|
E |
|
14,049,997 |
|
||||||
Diluted |
|
11,299,997 |
|
|
|
|
2,750,000 |
|
E |
|
14,049,997 |
|
See accompanying Notes to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information
33
UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2020
Historical |
Ample |
IFRS to US |
Pro forma |
Note 3 |
Pro forma |
|||||||||||||||||||
Akerna Corp. |
Ample |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Net revenue: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
Software |
$ |
7,148,964 |
|
CAD 5,780,957 |
|
$ |
4,353,490 |
|
$ |
— |
$ |
— |
|
$ |
11,502,454 |
|
||||||||
Consulting |
|
2,248,947 |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
2,248,947 |
|
||||||||
Other |
|
261,727 |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
261,727 |
|
||||||||
Total net revenue |
|
9,659,638 |
|
5,780,957 |
|
|
4,353,490 |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
14,013,128 |
|
||||||||
Cost of revenue |
|
4,460,174 |
|
2,771,134 |
|
|
2,086,870 |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
6,547,044 |
|
||||||||
Gross profit |
|
5,199,464 |
|
3,009,823 |
|
|
2,266,620 |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
7,466,084 |
|
||||||||
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
Product development |
|
4,081,938 |
|
1,929,286 |
|
|
1,452,896 |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
5,534,834 |
|
||||||||
Sales, general and administrative |
|
15,260,346 |
|
6,060,879 |
|
|
4,564,292 |
|
|
— |
|
(267,864 |
) |
A,B,D |
|
19,556,774 |
|
|||||||
Loss on fair value of preferred share liabilities |
|
— |
|
3,855,453 |
|
|
2,903,442 |
|
|
— |
|
(2,903,442 |
) |
C |
|
— |
|
|||||||
Total operating expenses |
|
19,342,284 |
|
11,845,618 |
|
|
8,920,630 |
|
|
— |
|
(3,171,306 |
) |
|
25,091,608 |
|
||||||||
Loss from operations |
|
(14,142,820 |
) |
(8,835,795 |
) |
|
(6,654,010 |
) |
|
— |
|
3,171,306 |
|
|
(17,625,524 |
) |
||||||||
Interest income, net |
|
162,547 |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
162,547 |
|
||||||||
Other expense, net |
|
(254 |
) |
(25,000 |
) |
|
(18,827 |
) |
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
(19,081 |
) |
||||||||
Loss before provision for income taxes |
|
(13,980,527 |
) |
(8,860,795 |
) |
|
(6,672,837 |
) |
|
— |
|
3,171,306 |
|
|
(17,482,058 |
) |
||||||||
Provision for income taxes |
|
— |
|
21,984 |
|
|
16,556 |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
16,556 |
|
||||||||
Net loss |
$ |
(13,980,527 |
) |
CAD (8,838,811 |
) |
$ |
(6,656,281 |
) |
$ |
— |
$ |
3,171,306 |
|
$ |
(17,465,502 |
) |
||||||||
Net loss per share: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
Basic |
$ |
(0.99 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
(1.24 |
) |
||||||||||||
Diluted |
$ |
(0.99 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
(1.24 |
) |
||||||||||||
Shares used in computing earnings per share: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
Basic |
|
14,049,997 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14,049,997 |
|
||||||||||||
Diluted |
|
14,049,997 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14,049,997 |
|
See accompanying Notes to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information
34
Note 1: Basis of Pro Forma Presentation
Accounting Periods Presented — Ample, Solo
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as of March 31, 2020, is presented as if the Ample acquisition had occurred and the Solo Option had been exercised on March 31, 2020. Certain pro forma adjustments to record differences between historical book values and preliminary values as of the date of the pro forma condensed combined financial statements are based on the assumption that the acquisition occurred on March 31, 2020. The actual adjustments to be recorded in Akerna’s consolidated financial statements will be as of the acquisition date and the option exercise date, respectively.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations of Akerna, Solo and Ample for the year ended June 30, 2019 and the nine months ended on March 31, 2020, are presented as if the Acquisitions had taken place on July 1, 2018.
Preliminary Purchase Consideration — Ample
On December 18, 2019, we entered into an arrangement agreement (the “Agreement”) to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Ample. Under the terms of the Agreement, the aggregate consideration for the Ample shares consists of (1) CAD$7,500,000 in cash, (2) 3,294,574 redeemable preferred shares of a wholly-owned subsidiary of Akerna, which are exchangeable for shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Akerna on a 1:1 basis (“Exchangeable Shares”) as determined in accordance with the Agreement and (3) contingent value rights to be issued pursuant to a rights indenture entitling the holders thereof to receive, subject to certain adjustments as set forth in the Agreement, an aggregate of up to CAD$10,000,000 in redeemable preferred shares (“Exchangeable Shares”), in the event that Ample achieves certain revenue targets as specified in the Agreement. These rights are accounted for as contingent consideration that will be recorded at fair value when the acquisition closes.
(in thousands) |
|||
Cash |
$ |
5,333 |
|
Redeemable preferred shares |
|
16,868 |
|
Exchangeable shares contingent value rights |
|
7,110 |
|
Total purchase consideration |
$ |
29,311 |
Preliminary Purchase Consideration Allocation
The following represents the preliminary allocation of the fair value of the purchase consideration to the acquired assets and assumed liabilities based on Ample’s balance sheet as of March 31, 2020 and is for illustrative purposes only.
(in thousands) |
||||
Net tangible assets |
$ |
(2,436 |
) |
|
Intangible assets: |
|
|
||
Developed technology |
|
6,000 |
|
|
Customer relationships |
|
600 |
|
|
Goodwill |
|
25,147 |
|
|
Total purchase consideration |
$ |
29,311 |
|
Goodwill of approximately $25.1 million represents the excess of the purchase consideration over the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired. Goodwill is primarily attributable to expected post-acquisition synergies from integrating Ample’s industry-leading seed-to-sale platform into Akerna’s supply chain solutions. None of the goodwill recorded as part of the Ample acquisition will be deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
35
The following table sets forth the components of identifiable intangible assets acquired and their preliminary estimated useful lives as of the date of acquisition (in thousands):
Intangible assets: |
Preliminary |
Estimated |
|||
Trade names |
$ |
6,000 |
5 |
||
Developed technology |
|
600 |
5 |
||
Total |
$ |
6,600 |
These preliminary estimates of fair value and their preliminary estimated useful lives will likely be different from the amounts included in the acquisition accounting upon the close of the acquisition and the difference could have a material impact on the accompanying unaudited pro forma combined condensed financial statements. Once Akerna has full access to information about Ample’s intangible assets, additional insight will be gained that could impact (i) the estimated total value assigned to identifiable intangible assets (ii) the estimated weighted average useful life of each category of intangible asset (iii) the value of fixed assets (iv) the value of deferred revenue and (v) the value of deferred tax liabilities associated with purchase accounting adjustments. The estimated intangible asset values and their useful lives could be impacted by a variety of factors that may become known to Akerna only upon access to additional information or by changes in such factors that may occur prior to completion of the offer and the merger. These factors include, but are not limited to, historical information obtained from Ample, discussions with management and product roadmap. Increased knowledge about these or other elements could result in a change to the estimated fair value of the identifiable intangible assets or to the estimated weighted average useful lives from what Akerna has assumed in these unaudited pro forma combined condensed financial statements. The combined effect of any such changes could then also result in a significant increase or decrease to Akerna’s estimate of associated amortization expense.
Prior to the acquisition, Ample had a net deferred tax liability and expects they will continue to be in a net deferred tax liability position, after adjustments for estimated preliminary deferred tax liability related to estimated purchase accounting adjustments and the net deferred tax asset is subject to a full valuation allowance. Therefore, the combined U.S. and international deferred tax asset position is expected to remain unchanged. As such, the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information does not include adjustments for tax-related items.
Accounting Policies — Ample
We did not adopt new accounting standards for revenue or leases in the year ended June 30, 2019, and as an emerging growth company, we have elected to implement the disclosure requirements of the new revenue standard in our annual financial statements for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021. We have elected to adopt the new leasing standard in our annual financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022. Ample, as a Canadian company, has adopted these standards. We have reflected adjustments to remove the material differences between the new standards and the standards applied in our financial statements in the column “IFRS to US GAAP Adjustments” as described in Note 2.
The Solo Option
The Solo Option may be paid, at the sole option of Akerna, in either cash or shares of Akerna’s common stock the amount of which is dependent upon the market value of Akerna Shares. When the Solo Option is exercised, it will be accounted as an equity transaction with the difference between the fair value of the consideration exchanged and the carrying value of the non-controlling interest recorded in additional paid in capital. Because Akerna Shares were trading at a weighted average 20 day trading value ending March 31, 2020 of $5.19 per share, we calculated number of shares resulting for the exercise of the Solo Option as difference in the number of shares valued at $20,000,000 at $5.19 per share, or 3.9 million shares, and 1,950,000 Akerna Shares, which were issued to Solo shareholders in exchange for the initial 80.4% equity interest.
If the option had been exercised on March 31, 2020, Akerna would have issued an additional 1.9 million shares to the Solo Shareholders. Changes in trading price of the Akerna common shares could have a material effect on the number of shares ultimately issued.
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Note 2: Adjustments to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Balance Sheets
The pro forma adjustments and IFRS to GAAP adjustments included in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet for the acquisition of Ample are as follows:
A. To record the estimated cash portion of the purchase consideration of $5.3 million funded from cash and cash equivalents, valued using exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2020. Changes in the exchange rate in effect on the closing date could have a material effect on the value of the consideration that we ultimately record.
B. To record estimated preliminary goodwill from acquisition of $25.1 million reduced by goodwill from prior acquisitions of $3.2 million.
C. To record the estimated preliminary fair value of identifiable intangible assets of $6.6 million reduced by the book value of intangible assets of $876,000 prior to the acquisition.
D. To eliminate the accounting under the new lease accounting standard to conform to Akerna’s accounting principles.
E. To record purchase accounting adjustments by eliminating preferred stock liabilities, historical equity, accumulated deficit, paid in capital and accumulated other comprehensive loss from the impact of foreign exchange.
F. To record estimated consideration of the preferred shares and the Exchangeable Shares contingent value rights of $24.0 million valued based on the closing price of an Akerna common share and the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2020. Changes in either the value of an Akerna common share of exchange rates on the closing date could have a material effect on the value of the aggregate consideration that we ultimately record.
G. To record the elimination of noncontrolling interest included in the condensed consolidated balance sheet of $4.8 million for the exercise of the Solo Option.
Note 3: Adjustments to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Statements of Operations for the year ended June 30, 2019
The pro forma adjustments included in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of operations for the acquisition of Solo are as follows:
A. To reflect $996,000 amortization expense of preliminarily estimated purchased intangible assets.
B. To reduce stock-based compensation of $217,403, due to accelerated vesting of Solo restricted stock and settlement of options in connection with the Acquisition.
C. To reflect the issuance of shares for the partial acquisition of Solo and to reflect the estimated number of shares that would have been issued in connection with the exercise of the Solo Option as if it had occurred as if these transactions had occurred on July 1, 2018. Because Akerna shares were not traded on July 1, 2018, the estimated number of shares that would have been issued in connection with the Solo Option was 800,000.
The pro forma adjustments included in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of operations for the acquisition of Ample adjust the condensed combined pro forma financial statement of operations for Akerna and Solo as described above. The adjustments related to the Ample acquisition are as follows:
A. To record amortization of $1.3 million due to purchased intangibles as part of acquisition.
B. To reduce stock-based compensation of $354,000, due to settlement of options in connection with the acquisition.
C. To remove the effect of remeasurement of $3.5 million for preference shares as the preference shares will be settled in connection with the acquisition.
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The pro forma basic and diluted net loss per share are based on 8,795,382 shares common stock. Dilutive potential common shares, including the redeemable preference shares and Exchangeable Shares expected to be issued in the Ample acquisition, are included only if they have a dilutive effect on earnings per share. No adjustment has been made for assumed equity awards or the Exchangeable Shares in the computation of pro forma combined diluted net loss per share because their effect would be anti-dilutive.
Note 4: Adjustments to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Statements of Operations for the nine months ended March 31, 2020
The pro forma adjustments included in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of operations for the acquisition of Solo are as follows:
A. To reflect $747,000 of amortization expense of preliminarily estimated purchased intangible assets.
B. To reduce stock-based compensation of $1.6 million due to accelerated vesting of Solo’s restricted stock and settlement of options in connection with the acquisition.
C. To remove $0.3 million of nonrecurring transaction costs.
D. To remove allocation of net loss to noncontrolling interests in Solo, which would not have been recorded had the Solo Option been exercised on July 1, 2018.
E. To reflect the issuance of shares for the partial acquisition of Solo and to reflect the estimated number of shares that would have been issued in connection with the exercise of the Solo Option as if it had occurred as if these transactions had occurred on July 1, 2018. Because Akerna shares were not traded on July 1, 2018, the estimated number of shares that would have been issued in connection with the Solo Option was 800,000.
The pro forma adjustments included in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of operations for the acquisition of Ample adjust the condensed combined pro forma financial statement of operations for Akerna and Solo as described above. The adjustments related to the Ample acquisition are as follows:
A. To reflect $990,000 of amortization expense of preliminary estimated purchased intangible assets.
B. To reduce stock-based compensation of $258,000, due to settlement of options in connection with the acquisition.
C. To remove the effect of remeasurement of preference shares of $2.9 million as the preference shares will be settled in connection with the acquisition.
D. To remove $1.0 million of nonrecurring transaction costs.
The pro forma combined basic and diluted net loss per share are based on 14,049,997 shares common stock. Dilutive potential common shares, including the redeemable preferred shares and the Exchangeable Shares expected to be issued as consideration for the Ample acquisition, are included only if they have a dilutive effect on earnings per share. No adjustment has been made for assumed equity awards or the Exchangeable Shares in the computation of pro forma combined diluted net loss per share because their effect would be anti-dilutive.
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Purpose
This proxy statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by Akerna on behalf of the Akerna Board for the Special Meeting. Akerna is first making this proxy statement and the accompanying proxy available on or about June 12, 2020.
At the Special Meeting, Akerna stockholders will vote on the following matters:
Proposal 1 — a proposal to approve, as required by Rule 5635 of the Nasdaq Manual, the issuance of an amount of Akerna Shares in connection with the Arrangement contemplated by the Arrangement Agreement and the Plan of Arrangement attached thereto, by and among Akerna, Ample, 2732805 Ontario Inc., a company existing under the laws of the Province of Ontario and wholly-owned subsidiary of Akerna, and John Prentice, in his capacity as shareholder representative. If approved, (i) 3,294,574 Akerna Shares will be approved for issuance in exchange for 3,294,574 redeemable preferred shares of the Purchaser on a 1:1 basis (such redeemable preferred shares of Purchaser being the “Exchangeable Shares”), and (ii) up to CAD$10,000,000 of Akerna Shares that will be issued upon exchange of the Exchangeable Shares issued upon conversion of contingent value rights and the occurrence of certain events set forth in those contingent value rights issued to Ample shareholders (the “CVR Shares,” collectively with the Exchangeable Shares, the “Stock Issuance”);
The Akerna Board recommends a vote “FOR” this proposal.
Proposal 2 — a proposal to approve the Arrangement;
The Akerna Board recommends a vote “FOR” this proposal.
Proposal 3 — a proposal to approve, as required by Rule 5635 of the Nasdaq Manual, the issuance of 800,000 Akerna Shares in connection with the Solo Option as contemplated by the stock purchase agreement, dated as of November 25, 2019 (the “Solo SPA”), by and among Akerna, substantially all of the shareholders (the “Shareholders”) of Solo Sciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Solo”), Ashesh C. Shah, Lokesh Chugh and Palle Pedersen, each an adult individual (collectively, the “Shareholder Representatives”) and Solo. If approved, up to 800,000 Akerna Shares will be approved for issuance in exchange for all (but not less than all) of the remaining 19.6% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Solo;
The Akerna Board recommends a vote “FOR” this proposal.
Proposal 4 — a proposal to approve an amendment to the Incentive Plan to increase the number of Akerna Shares reserved for issuance under the Incentive Plan by 525,000 shares, resulting in an aggregate of 1,565,038 Akerna Shares reserved under the Incentive Plan (the “Incentive Plan Amendment”);
The Akerna Board recommends a vote “FOR” this proposal.
Proposal 5 — a proposal to approve the adjournment of the Special Meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies, in the event that there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Special Meeting to approve the foregoing proposals;
The Akerna Board recommends a vote “FOR” this proposal.
Conduct other business that may properly come before the Special Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.
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Date, Time and Place
The Special Meeting will be held at Akerna’s headquarters at 1630 Welton Street, Denver, Colorado 80202, on Friday, June 26, at 9:00 a.m., Mountain Time.
As part of Akerna’s precautions related COVID-19 and in light of the priority we place on the health, safety, and well-being of our stockholders, employees, and directors, we are planning for the possibility that the Special Meeting will be held solely by means of remote communication. If we determine that the Special Meeting will be held remotely, we will announce the decision in advance, and participation details will be publicly announced in a press release, available on our website at www.akerna.com and filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as additional proxy solicitation materials. Please check our website one week in advance of the Special Meeting for any such additional information. If we hold a virtual meeting, you will need the control number included on your proxy card in order to participate.
Record Date; Outstanding Shares; Shares Entitled to Vote
Holders of record of Akerna Shares at the close of business on June 5, 2020, the record date, or their duly authorized proxy holders, are entitled to vote on each matter submitted to a vote at the Special Meeting and at any adjournment or postponement thereof. You are entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at, the meeting if you owned Akerna Shares as of the close of business on the record date. At the close of business on the record date, there were 13,258,707 Akerna Shares outstanding and entitled to one vote per Akerna Share each at the Special Meeting.
If you own shares that are registered in the name of someone else, such as a broker, bank or other nominee, you need to direct that organization to vote those shares or obtain an authorization from them and vote the Akerna Shares yourself at the Special Meeting.
Quorum
The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of record of a majority of the issued and outstanding Akerna Shares entitled to vote at the Special Meeting constitutes a quorum under Akerna’s amended and restated bylaws. Akerna will treat Akerna Shares represented by a properly signed and returned proxy, including abstentions, as present at the Special Meeting for the purposes of determining the existence of a quorum. If there be no such quorum, the holders of a majority of such shares so present or represented may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without further notice, until a quorum shall have been obtained. When a quorum is once present it is not broken by the subsequent withdrawal of any stockholder.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management of Akerna Shares
As of the record date, directors and executive officers of Akerna as a group beneficially owned and were entitled to vote approximately 1,879,952 Akerna Shares, representing approximately 14% of the Akerna Shares issued and outstanding. All of the directors and executive officers of Akerna who are entitled to vote at the Special Meeting have advised Akerna that they intend to vote their Akerna Shares in favor of each of the proposals, and the directors and executive officers have entered into agreements obligating them to do so.
See page 117 of this proxy statement for additional information about beneficial ownership of Akerna Shares by Akerna’s directors, executive officers and significant stockholders.
Required Vote
Assuming the existence of a quorum at the Special Meeting, the following vote is required for each proposal:
Proposal 1 — the Stock Issuance. The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote is required to approve the Stock Issuance. Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted as present and thus will have the same effect as an against vote on the outcome of this proposal.
Proposal 2 — the Arrangement. The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote is required to approve the Arrangement Approval. Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted as present and thus will have the same effect as an against vote on the outcome of this proposal.
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Proposal 3 — the Solo Option. The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote is required to approve the Solo Option. Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted as present and thus will have the same effect as an against vote on the outcome of this proposal.
Proposal 4 — the Incentive Plan Amendment. The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote is required to approve the Incentive Plan Amendment. Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted as present and thus will have the same effect as an against vote on the outcome of this proposal.
Proposal 5 — Adjournment. The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote is required to approve an adjournment. Abstentions are counted as present and thus will have the same effect as an against vote on the outcome of this proposal.
Shares will be voted on each proposal as instructed in the accompanying proxy. However, if no instructions are given on a validly signed and returned proxy, the shares will be voted in accordance with the Akerna Board’s recommendations “FOR” the approval of the issuance of Akerna Shares pursuant to the Agreement, “FOR” the approval of the Arrangement, “FOR” the approval of the issuance of Akerna Shares pursuant to the Solo Option, “FOR” the approval of the Incentive Plan Amendment, and, “FOR” the adjournment in the event there are not sufficient votes. With respect to any other matter that may come before the Special Meeting, as recommended by the Akerna Board or otherwise in the proxies’ discretion.
Approval of any other matter properly submitted to the stockholders at the Special Meeting generally will require the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on that matter.
Method by Which Votes are Counted
If you vote by telephone, over the Internet, or by completing, signing, dating and returning your signed proxy card, your proxy will be voted in accordance with your instructions. The proxy confers discretionary authority to the named proxies. Accordingly, if you complete, sign, date and return your proxy card and do not indicate how you want to vote, your shares will be voted “FOR” the approval of the Stock Issuance, “FOR” the Arrangement Approval, “FOR” the approval of the Solo Option, “FOR” the approval of the Incentive Plan Amendment, and, if necessary or appropriate, “FOR” the adjournment of the Special Meeting to solicit additional proxies.
In order to complete the Arrangement, Akerna stockholders must approve the Stock Issuance and Arrangement Approval. In order to exercise the Solo Option, Akerna stockholders must approve the Solo Option. In order to amend the Incentive Plan, Akerna stockholders must approve the Incentive Plan Amendment. If you abstain from voting, fail to vote (either in person or by proxy), or fail to provide your broker, bank or other nominee with instructions on how to vote your shares in connection with the Stock Issuance, Arrangement Approval, Solo Option, and Incentive Plan Amendment, your shares will not be treated as votes cast on the Stock Issuance, Arrangement Approval, Solo Option or Incentive Plan Amendment and thus will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.
If you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” (that is, if you hold your shares through a broker, bank or other holder of record), the broker, bank or other holder of record who holds your Akerna Shares will have authority to vote on “routine” proposals. However, banks, brokerage firms and other nominees are precluded from exercising their voting discretion with respect to non-routine matters, such as the Stock Issuance, Arrangement Approval, Solo Option, and the Incentive Plan Amendment. As a result, absent specific instructions from the beneficial owner of such shares, brokers, banks or other holders of record are not empowered to vote such shares on non-routine matters, which we refer to as a “broker non-vote.” The effect of not instructing your broker, bank or other holder of record regarding how you wish your shares to be voted will NOT be counted as “FOR” or “AGAINST” and will NOT have an effect on the proposals before the Special Meeting.
Voting by Proxy
General
This proxy statement is being sent to you on behalf of the Akerna Board for the purpose of requesting that you allow your Akerna Shares to be represented at the meeting by the persons named in the enclosed proxy card. All Akerna Shares represented at the meeting by properly executed proxy cards, voted over the telephone or
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voted over the Internet will be voted in accordance with the instructions indicated on those proxies. If you hold Akerna Shares in your name and sign and return a proxy card or submit a proxy by telephone or over the Internet without giving specific voting instructions, your shares will be voted “FOR” the Stock Issuance, approving the Arrangement, the Solo Option, Incentive Plan Amendment and the adjournment in the event there are not sufficient votes at the Special Meeting.
After carefully reading and considering the information contained in this proxy statement, please vote promptly by calling the toll-free number listed on your proxy card, accessing the Internet website listed on your proxy card or by completing, signing and dating your proxy card and returning it by mail in the enclosed postage-paid envelope. If you hold your stock in “street name” through a bank or broker, you must direct your bank or broker to vote in accordance with the instructions you have received from your bank or broker. Submitting your proxy by telephone, Internet or mail or directing your bank or broker to vote your shares will ensure that your Akerna Shares are represented and voted at the Special Meeting.
Revoking Your Proxy
Regardless of the method you used to cast your vote, if you are a holder of record, you may change your vote by completing, signing, dating and returning a new proxy card with a later date, by calling the toll-free number, if any, listed in your proxy materials or by accessing the Internet website, if any, listed in your proxy materials, in either case by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the day of the Special Meeting or by attending the Special Meeting and voting by ballot at the Special Meeting. You may also revoke your proxy card by sending a notice of revocation, which must be received prior to the Special Meeting, to Akerna Corp., Attention: Secretary, 1630 Welton Street, Denver, Colorado 80202.
If you hold your Akerna Shares in “street name” and wish to change or revoke your vote, please refer to the information on the voting instruction form included with these materials and forwarded to you by your bank, broker, custodian or other record holder to see your voting options.
Voting in Person at the Special Meeting
All stockholders of record may vote their Akerna Shares in person by attending the Special Meeting and submitting the ballot that will be provided there. If your Akerna Shares are held in “street name,” you may vote in person at the meeting if you have a document known as a “legal proxy” from the holder of record. You will need to ask the broker, bank or other nominee holding your shares for a legal proxy and bring the legal proxy with you to the meeting. You will not be able to vote your shares at the meeting without a legal proxy. If you request a legal proxy, any previously executed proxy will be revoked, and your vote will not be counted unless you appear at the meeting and vote in person or legally appoint another proxy to vote on your behalf.
Akerna Board Recommendation
The Akerna Board unanimously recommends that its stockholders vote “FOR” each of the proposals.
After determining that it is advisable and in the best interests of Akerna and its stockholders to consummate the Arrangement as contemplated by the Agreement, the Akerna Board unanimously authorized, approved, and declared advisable the issuance of shares of Akerna Shares in accordance with the Agreement. The Akerna Board also unanimously authorized, approved, and declared advisable the entering into of the Arrangement. The Akerna Board further unanimously authorized, approved and declared advisable the entering into of the Solo Option. The Akerna Board unanimously authorized, approved and declared advisable amending the Incentive Plan. The Akerna Board further unanimously authorized, approved, and declared advisable the adjournment of the Special Meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies, in the event there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Special Meeting.
There are certain risks associated with the Arrangement. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 22 of this proxy statement for more information regarding such risks. Akerna stockholders should carefully read this proxy statement in its entirety for more detailed information concerning the Arrangement and the Solo Option. In particular, Akerna stockholders are directed to the Agreement, which is attached as Annex A to this proxy statement, and the Solo SPA, which is attached as Annex F to this proxy statement.
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Solicitation of Proxies; Payment of Solicitation Expenses
Akerna is providing these proxy materials in connection with the solicitation by its Board of Directors of proxies to be voted at our Special Meeting. Akerna has retained Advantage Proxy as its proxy solicitor and will pay Advantage Proxy approximately $3,500. Akerna will bear all expenses incurred in connection with the solicitations of proxies. In addition to the solicitation of proxies by mail, Akerna may ask brokers and bank nominees to solicit proxies from their principals and will pay the brokers and bank nominees their expenses for the solicitation. Akerna’s directors, officers and employees also may solicit proxies by mail, telephone, electronic or facsimile transmission or in person.
Adjournments and Postponements
Although it is not currently expected, the meeting may be adjourned on one or more occasions for the purpose of soliciting additional proxies if a quorum is not present at the meeting. An adjournment may be made with the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote thereon. Any adjournment of the meeting for the purpose of soliciting additional proxies will allow Akerna stockholders who have already sent in their proxies to revoke them at any time prior to their use at the meeting as adjourned.
Other Business
Akerna does not expect that any matter other than the proposals listed above will be brought before the meeting. If, however, other matters are properly brought before the meeting, or any adjournment or postponement of the meeting, the persons named as proxies will vote in accordance with their judgment.
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If you would like to receive additional copies of this proxy statement, without charge, or if you have questions about the meeting, including the procedures for voting your shares, you should contact Advantage Proxy, Akerna’s proxy solicitor, at (206) 870-8565, or contact us at Akerna Corp., Attention: Secretary, 1630 Welton Street, Denver, Colorado 80202, or by calling us (888) 932-6537.
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This discussion of the Arrangement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Agreement, which is attached to this proxy statement as Annex A. You should read the entire Agreement carefully as it is the legal document that governs the Arrangement.
Background of the Arrangement
An integral aspect of Akerna’s strategy is to be an active acquiror of highly complementary technology that serves the cannabis industry. When Akerna was formed as a result of the merger between MTech Acquisition Corp. and MJ Freeway LLC in June 2019, it began to execute this strategy. Akerna has proactively sought out potential acquisition targets directly and has also evaluated a number of inbounds from potential targets. On June 20, 2019, INFOR Financial contacted Akerna to present a potential acquisition target.
On June 20, 2019, INFOR Financial emailed Jessica Billingsley inquiring if Akerna would be interested in discussing a potential acquisition opportunity.
On July 2, 2019, Ms. Billingsley and representatives of INFOR Financial had a telephone conversation, wherein INFOR described a potential opportunity for a transaction involving Ample Organics. Ms. Billingsley mentioned that she was familiar with Ample and would welcome the opportunity to take initial steps in exploring a transaction. A follow-up conference call with Ample was discussed as a next step.
On July 8, 2019, a conference call took place between Ms. Billingsley, Akerna’s Head of Corporate Development, Scott Sozio, Ample’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, John Prentice and Ample’s Chief Financial Officer, Peter Slater. Both companies acknowledged a familiarity with the other and expressed that there may be strategic value in a combination of the market leaders in each of the United States and Canada. Both companies agreed that they were interested in exploring the opportunity further. Mr. Prentice suggested that as a next step Akerna could prepare an indication of interest letter (“IOI”) that Mr. Prentice could share with Ample’s board of directors. Akerna agreed to work on the IOI along with a mutual nondisclosure agreement (“NDA”). The IOI was intended to demonstrate to Ample’s board of directors that Akerna would consider a transaction with Ample and that Akerna would work expeditiously to determine possible terms of a transaction after receiving initial due diligence materials, while also serving as a record of the conversation being initiated.
On July 10, 2019, Akerna held a board of directors meeting in Denver where all the members of the Akerna Board were present in person. During the meeting, Ms. Billingsley provided an update on the development of Akerna’s acquisition pipeline and noted that Ample was a potential target. The Akerna Board held a discussion and concluded with instructions for Akerna management to pursue Ample as a potential target.
On July 21, 2019, Mr. Sozio sent a draft of the IOI to Ample. After Akerna and Ample discussed certain revisions to the IOI, the letter was signed on July 26, 2019.
On July 30, 2019, Akerna and Ample executed the NDA.
On August 2, 2019, Mr. Slater provided preliminary diligence materials to Akerna including historical financial information, customer pipeline opportunities on a no-names basis and corporate marketing materials.
On August 26, 2019, Ample hosted a virtual product demonstration to Akerna, including Mr. Sozio and Ray Thompson, Akerna’s Chief Operating Officer.
On September 5, 2019, Ms. Billingsley and Mr. Sozio met in-person with Mr. Prentice and Mr. Slater in Toronto to continue exploring potential terms for an acquisition of Ample by Akerna. The meeting was concluded with the understanding that Akerna would prepare a non-binding letter of intent (“LOI”) for Ample to review and consider.
On September 9, 2019, Mr. Sozio send a draft of the LOI to Mr. Prentice and Mr. Slater outlining the proposed terms of an acquisition.
On September 16, 2019, Mr. Slater notified Mr. Sozio that Ample had engaged INFOR Financial to act as Ample’s financial advisor. An introductory call was scheduled between Mr. Sozio and INFOR Financial.
On September 25, 2019, INFOR Financial provided Ample’s updated financial model to Akerna.
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On October 1, 2019, INFOR Financial provided a revised LOI to Mr. Sozio for review and that reflected discussions to that point.
On October 2, 2019, Ms. Billingsley provided a written update to the Akerna Board, including details of the status of potential acquisition targets. Relating to Ample, Ms. Billingsley noted that a LOI had been in the process of being negotiated and that she believed the LOI could be finalized later in the week.
On October 3, 2019, the LOI was fully executed and Akerna’s diligence list was sent to INFOR Financial on October 4, 2019. Mr. Sozio introduced INFOR Financial to Cowen, Akerna’s financial advisor.
On October 7, 2019, an introductory call was conducted between the advisors, Cowen and INFOR Financial, with representatives from Akerna and Ample participating. The discussion centered around the diligence process and arranging an on-site visit to Ample’s office in Toronto, Canada.
On October 9, 2019, Cowen provided an illustrative timeline for the transaction to INFOR Financial.
On October 11, 2019, a financial model diligence call took place between Ample, Akerna, INFOR Financial and Cowen. Separately, on October 11, 2019, Akerna conducted a telephonic board of directors meeting, which included an update on the proposed acquisition of Ample. Based on the deal terms that were agreed to in the LOI, a summary of the deal was provided along with a summary of the strategic rationale. Ample financials were reviewed, which included a pro forma valuation and sensitivity analysis.
On October 16, 2019, representatives of Akerna and Cowen visited Ample’s office in Toronto, Canada for an all-day diligence meeting. Present from Akerna was Mr. Sozio. Present from Cowen were Mike Baca, James Brown and Odette Rodrigues. Present from INFOR Financial were Greg Lewis and Garrett Moore. Present from Ample were Mr. Prentice, Mr. Slater and several other Ample executives. The meeting agenda included a general corporate and business overview, review of product, sales and go-to-market strategy, technology, financials and other due diligence items.
On October 18, 2019, Cowen sent an additional diligence request list to INFOR Financial, based on discussions during the on-site visit.
On October 23, 2019, Ample conducted a product demonstration for the Cowen team.
On October 25, 2019, Ample and Cowen held a follow-up call to review further details of the financial model.
On October 28, 2019, Ample conducted a product demonstration for Akerna and Cowen relating to Last Call Analytics.
On October 29, 2019, Mr. Prentice met with various executive of Akerna, including Ms. Billingsley, Mr. Sozio and Mr. Thompson in Denver, Colorado. During the meetings, the parties discussed various topics including due diligence matters, transaction timing, integration strategy, investor communication and general industry dynamics.
On October 30, 2019, Akerna counsel sent an initial draft of the Arrangement Agreement to counsel for Ample.
On November 4, 2019, Akerna and Ample executed an extension to the LOI, extending the exclusivity period to November 17, 2019.
On November 11, 2019, Akerna held a telephonic board of directors meeting, which included a discussion on the status of the Ample transaction. Ms. Billingsley and Mr. Sozio provided an update on the status of the deal and the potential timing for finalizing the Arrangement Agreement.
On November 20, 2019, Akerna, Ample, Cowen and INFOR Financial held a financial diligence call.
On December 1, 2019, Akerna received the results of the technical diligence that was conducted on Ample by Akerna’s third-party consultant.
On December 4, 2019, Akerna held a telephonic board of directors meeting to discuss the status of Akerna’s mergers and acquisitions activities. Mr. Sozio advised the Akerna Board on the general terms of the Ample transaction and a discussion followed. Ms. Billingsley noted to the Akerna Board that the negotiation of the Arrangement Agreement was proceeding and that it was anticipated to be executed during the week of December 16.
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On December 12, 2019, Ms. Billingsley, Mr. Sozio and Mr. Prentice met in person. Discussion during the meeting included the anticipated timing of the transaction and post-announcement priorities.
On December 16, 2019, Ms. Billingsley sent an email to the Akerna Board attaching a presentation prepared by Cowen summarizing its final diligence findings. Ms. Billingsley also sent to the Akerna Board a fairness opinion presentation that was prepared by Cowen. Both documents were sent for review in advance of the Akerna Board call scheduled for December 17, 2019.
On December 17, 2019, Akerna held a telephonic board of directors meeting to discuss the materials prepared by Cowen and distributed the prior day. Attending from Cowen was Mr. Baca, Mr. Brown and Gabriel Petcu. Mr. Baca and Mr. Petcu explained the fairness opinion and advised on the related analysis. Later in the day, the Akerna Board voted to approve entering into of the Arrangement Agreement, providing authorization in a unanimous written consent.
On December 18, 2019, the Arrangement Agreement was executed, and trading in Akerna stock was halted pending the news.
On February 28, 2020, Akerna entered into an Amendment to Arrangement Agreement (the “Amendment”) among Purchaser, Ample and John Prentice, an individual resident in the Province of Ontario (collectively, the “Parties”), which amended the Agreement. The Amendment primarily revised the Agreement so that the Outside Date of the Arrangement (as defined therein) would be August 31, 2020, or such later date as agreed to in writing by Akerna and Ample. The Parties also revised the Effective Date of the Arrangement by agreeing to use their commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Effective Date to occur on or about July 3, 2020, or as soon thereafter as reasonably practicable, but in any event, by the Outside Date.
On May 26, 2020, Akerna entered into Amendment No. 2 together with Purchaser, Ample, and John Prentice, an individual resident in the Province of Ontario, which amended the Agreement, as previously amended. Amendment No. 2 primarily revised the Agreement, as previously amended, to update the Plan of Arrangement to incorporate the terms of an agreement entered into between the holders of preferred shares and common shares of Ample with respect to their entitlement to certain consideration to be received by them under the Arrangement.
On June 1, 2020, Akerna entered into Amendment No. 3 together with Purchaser, Ample, and John Prentice, an individual resident in the Province of Ontario, which amended the Agreement, as previously amended. Amendment No. 3 primarily revised the Agreement, as previously amended, to provide that (i) the Exchangeable Shares and the CVRs, but not the Akerna Shares, will be issued pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Section 3(a)(10) of the U.S. Securities Act, (ii) Akerna will file registration statement on appropriate form (“Registration Statement”) with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on the Effective Date or as soon as practicable thereafter in order to register under the U.S. Securities Act the Akerna Shares issuable upon exchange of the Exchangeable Shares and cause the Registration Statement to become effective as soon as practicable following the time that any Exchangeable Shares are first issued and (iii) revise the number of Exchangeable Shares to be released from escrow and delivered to the Ample Shareholders at each interval, as further described in Form of Escrow Agreement appended as Schedule “D” to the Agreement, which is attached to this proxy statement as Annex A.
Akerna’s Reasons for the Arrangement
Akerna believes that the Arrangement will provide strategic and financial benefits, including:
• as Canada’s leading seed-to-sale compliance tracking and eCommerce platform, with approximately 70% market share of Canadian LPs and approximately 80% of Canadian medical Cannabis patients, we believe Ample is well positioned to continue to grow within the Canadian market and expand internationally;
• Canada is the largest federally legal market, where Ample is well positioned to provide technology solutions that enable software tracking, payments, data, analytics and more;
• Ample has a large cannabis dataset with aggregate anonymized data of all aspects of the supply chain; and
• Ample has a proven management team with strong track record of innovation.
47
Recommendation of the Akerna Board
After careful consideration of various factors described in the section entitled “The Arrangement — Akerna’s Reasons for the Arrangement” beginning on page 47 of this proxy statement, the Akerna Board has unanimously determined that it is advisable and in the best interests of Akerna and its stockholders to consummate the Arrangement as contemplated by the Agreement. Accordingly, Akerna Board unanimously recommends that Akerna’s stockholders vote “FOR” the approval of the issuance of Akerna Shares pursuant to the Agreement and “FOR” the approval of the Arrangement.
Opinion of Financial Advisor to the Akerna Board
Akerna retained Cowen to act as its exclusive financial advisor and to render an opinion to the Akerna Board as to the fairness, from a financial point of view, to Akerna of the consideration paid in the Arrangement.
On December 17, 2019, Cowen delivered certain of its written analyses and its oral opinion to the Akerna Board, subsequently confirmed in writing as of the same date, to the effect that and subject to the various assumptions, qualifications and limitations set forth therein, as of December 17, 2019, the consideration paid in the Arrangement was fair, from a financial point of view, to Akerna.
The full text of the written opinion of Cowen, dated December 17, 2019, is attached as Annex E and is incorporated by reference. Holders of Akerna Shares are urged to read the opinion in its entirety for the assumptions made, procedures followed, other matters considered and limits of the review by Cowen. The summary of the written opinion of Cowen set forth herein is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such opinion. Cowen’s analyses and opinion were prepared for and addressed to the Akerna Board are directed only to the fairness, from a financial point of view, of the consideration paid in the Arrangement, and do not constitute an opinion as to the merits of the Arrangement or a recommendation to any stockholder as to how to vote on the proposed proposals. The consideration paid in the Arrangement was determined through negotiations between Akerna and Ample and not pursuant to recommendations of Cowen.
In arriving at its opinion, Cowen reviewed and considered such financial and other matters as it deemed relevant, including, among other things:
• a draft of the Agreement dated December 17, 2019, including the plan of arrangement forming a schedule thereto, the rights indenture with respect to the CVRs and form of CVR;
• certain publicly available financial and other information for Akerna and certain other relevant financial and operating data furnished to Cowen by management of Akerna;
• certain publicly available financial and other information for Ample and certain other relevant financial and operating data furnished to Cowen by Ample management;
• certain internal financial analyses, financial forecasts, reports and other information concerning Akerna prepared by management of Akerna and Ample prepared by the management of Ample or prepared or supplemented by the management of Akerna, and the amounts and timing of the cost savings and related expenses expected to result from the Arrangement furnished to Cowen by the management of Akerna (the “Estimated Cost Savings”);
• discussions Cowen had with certain members of the management of Akerna concerning the historical and current business operations, financial conditions and prospects of Akerna and Ample;
• certain operating results of Akerna and Ample as compared to the operating results of certain publicly traded companies Cowen deemed relevant;
• certain financial and stock market information for Akerna and Ample as compared with similar information for certain publicly traded companies Cowen deemed relevant;
• certain financial terms of the Arrangement as compared to the financial terms of certain selected business combinations Cowen deemed relevant; and
• such other information, financial studies, analyses and investigations and such other factors that Cowen deemed relevant for the purposes of its opinion.
48
In conducting its review and arriving at its opinion, Cowen, with Akerna’s consent, assumed and relied, without independent investigation, upon the accuracy and completeness of all financial, tax, legal, regulatory, accounting and other information provided to it by Akerna and Ample, respectively, or which was publicly available. Cowen did not undertake any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or reasonableness of, or independent verification of, such information. Cowen relied upon, without independent verifications, the assessment of Akerna management as to the existing products and services of Ample and Akerna and the viability of, and risks associated with, the future products and services of Ample and Akerna. In addition, Cowen did not conduct, nor assumed any obligation to conduct, any physical inspection of the properties or facilities of Akerna or Ample. Cowen further relied upon Akerna’s representation that all information provided to it by Akerna was accurate and complete in all material respects. Cowen, with Akerna’s consent, assumed that the financial forecasts and estimated cost savings provided to Cowen were reasonably prepared by the managements of Akerna and Ample, on bases reflecting the best available estimates and good faith judgments of such managements as to the future performance of Akerna and Ample, respectively, and the estimated cost savings, and that such financial forecasts and estimated cost savings provided a reasonable basis for its opinion. Cowen expressed no opinion as to the financial forecasts or the assumptions on which they were made. Cowen expressly disclaimed any undertaking or obligation to advise any person of any change in any fact or matter affecting its opinion of which Cowen becomes aware after the date of its opinion.
Cowen did not make or obtain any independent evaluations, valuations or appraisals of the assets or liabilities of Akerna or Ample, nor was Cowen furnished with these materials. In addition, Cowen did not evaluate the solvency or fair value of Akerna, Ample or the Purchaser under any state, provincial or federal laws relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or similar matters. Cowen made no independent investigation of any legal, tax or accounting matters related to the Agreement or the Arrangement, and Cowen assumed the correctness in all respects material to its analysis of the legal, tax and accounting advice given to Akerna and the Akerna Board, including without limitation, advice as to the legal, accounting and tax consequences of the terms of, and the Arrangement contemplated by, the Agreement to Akerna and its stockholders. Cowen’s opinion addressed only the fairness, from a financial point of view to Akerna of the consideration paid in the Arrangement. Cowen noted that projecting the future results of any company is inherently subject to uncertainty. Cowen expressed no view as to any other aspect or implication of the Agreement or any other agreement, arrangement or understanding entered into in connection with the Arrangement or otherwise. Cowen’s opinion was necessarily based upon economic and market conditions and other circumstances as they existed and could be evaluated by Cowen on the date of its opinion. It should be understood that although subsequent developments may affect its opinion, Cowen does not have any obligation to update, revise or reaffirm its opinion and Cowen expressly disclaims any responsibility to do so.
Cowen did not consider any potential legislative or regulatory changes being considered or recently enacted by the United States, Canada or any other foreign government, or any United States, Canadian or other regulatory body, or any changes in accounting methods or generally accepted accounting principles that may be adopted by the SEC, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, Canadian securities regulatory authorities or any similar foreign regulatory body or board.
In rendering its opinion, Cowen assumed, in all respects material to its analysis, that the representations and warranties of each party contained in the Agreement are true and correct, that each party will perform all of the covenants and agreements required to be performed by it under the Agreement and that all conditions to the consummation of the Arrangement will be satisfied without waiver or breach thereof. Cowen assumed that the final form of the Agreement would be substantially similar to the last draft received by Cowen prior to rendering its opinion. Cowen also assumed that all governmental, regulatory and other consents and approvals contemplated by the Agreement would be obtained and that, in the course of obtaining any of those consents, no restrictions will be imposed or waivers made that would have an adverse effect on Akerna, the Purchaser, the stockholders of Akerna or the contemplated benefits of the Arrangement. Cowen assumed that the Arrangement will be consummated in a manner that complies with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and all other applicable state, provincial and federal statutes, rules and regulations.
Cowen’s opinion does not constitute a recommendation to any stockholder as to how the stockholder should vote on the proposed Arrangement. Cowen’s opinion does not imply any conclusion as to what the value, price or the trading range of Akerna or Ample common stock actually will be before or after the announcement or the consummation of the Arrangement, which may vary depending on numerous factors that generally influence the price of securities. Cowen’s opinion is limited to the fairness, from a financial point of view, of the consideration paid by Akerna
49
in the Arrangement. Cowen expressed no opinion as to (i) Akerna’s underlying business decision to effect the Arrangement, (ii) the relative merits of the Arrangement as compared to other business strategies or transactions that might be available to Akerna or (iii) the terms of the Agreement or the documents referred to therein. Cowen’s opinion does not in any manner address (i) the fairness of the Arrangement or the consideration paid by Akerna to the holders of any class of securities, creditors or other constituencies of Akerna or Ample, or (ii) whether Akerna or the Purchaser has sufficient cash, available lines of credit or other sources of funds to enable it to pay the consideration at the closing of the Arrangement.
Summary of Material Financial Analyses
The following is a summary of the principal financial analyses Cowen performed to arrive at its opinion. Some of the summaries of financial analyses include information presented in tabular format. In order to fully understand the financial analyses, the tables must be read together with the text of each summary. The tables alone do not constitute a complete description of the financial analyses. Considering the data set forth in the tables without considering the full narrative description of the financial analyses, including the methodologies and assumptions underlying the analyses, could create a misleading or incomplete view of the financial analyses. Cowen performed certain procedures, including each of the financial analyses described below, and reviewed with the Akerna Board and the management of Akerna the assumptions on which such analyses were based and other factors, including the historical and projected financial results of Akerna and Ample. Financial data utilized for Akerna and Ample in the financial analyses described below was based on public filings or financial forecasts and estimates of Akerna and Ample management, respectively.
Arrangement Overview
For purposes of its opinion, Cowen calculated the implied value of the consideration, as of December 17, 2019, payable by Akerna in the Arrangement pursuant to the Agreement to be CAD$66.9 million (the “Total Transaction Consideration”), which was determined by adding (1) CAD$7.5 million, payable in cash by Akerna and expected to be applied to the repayment of Ample’s existing debt and liabilities per the Agreement (the “Cash Consideration”), to (2) CAD$50.7 million, the implied aggregate value of the Akerna Shares to be issued by Akerna at the closing of the Arrangement (the “Upfront Stock Consideration”), which was derived by multiplying the closing price of $11.68 per Akerna Share as reported by the Nasdaq Stock Market on December 13, 2019, by 3,294,574 Akerna Shares, which number of shares was derived by dividing CAD$42.5 million upfront stock consideration payable by Akerna under the Agreement by the CAD$12.90 deemed value per Akerna Share specified in the Agreement, and multiplying the resulting amount of US$38.5 million by the CAD/US dollar exchange rate of 1.318, as of December 13, 2019, per Bank of Canada, plus (3) CAD$8.7 million, the implied present value of the CVRs payable in Akerna Shares by Akerna under the Agreement (the “Contingent Stock Consideration”), which was calculated by Cowen by discounting the maximum aggregate amount payable pursuant to the CVRs of CAD$10 million to present value using a weighted average cost of capital (“WACC”) for Ample of 15.5% calculated by Cowen.
Pro forma Ownership Analysis
Cowen analyzed the relative equity values of Akerna and Ample, on a stand-alone basis and excluding Estimated Cost Savings, utilizing (1) estimated 2020 revenue multiple from the Akerna Selected Companies and Ample Selected Companies, respectively, each as defined below, (2) discounted cash flow analysis using a revenue exit multiple and (3) discounted cash flow analysis using an EBITDA exit multiple, each as set forth below under “Akerna Valuation” and “Ample Valuation,” respectively, adjusted for the present value of Akerna’s and Ample’s respective stand-alone net operating loss tax benefits of US$2.3 million and CAD$2.1 million, respectively, calculated by Cowen based on the Akerna Management Projections and Ample Management Projections, respectively, and the relative pro forma ownership of Akerna Shares implied thereby and compared the results to the pro forma ownership of Akerna immediately following the Arrangement contemplated by the Agreement and based on the assumptions described below.
This analysis indicated that Akerna common stockholders’ ownership of Akerna common stock after giving effect to the Arrangement based on relative equity values of each of Akerna and Ample on a stand-alone basis calculated utilizing (1) the 2020E revenue multiple from the selected companies analysis, (2) discounted cash flow analysis using a revenue exit multiple and (3) discounted cash flow analysis using an EBITDA exit multiple, each as set forth below under “Akerna Valuation” and “Ample Valuation,” respectively, adjusted for the present value of Akerna’s and
50
Ample’s respective stand-alone net operating loss tax benefits of US$2.3 million and CAD$2.1 million, respectively, was as follows.
Ample Adjusted |
Akerna Adjusted |
Implied Akerna |
||||||||||||||||
Low |
High |
Low |
High |
Low |
High |
|||||||||||||
(Equity values in millions of Canadian dollars) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Selected Companies Analysis – |
$ |
52.3 |
$ |
86.9 |
$ |
156.4 |
$ |
230.7 |
64.3 |
% |
81.5 |
% |
||||||
Discounted Cash Flow Analysis – |
$ |
82.2 |
$ |
140.1 |
$ |
219.6 |
$ |
364.8 |
61.1 |
% |
81.6 |
% |
||||||
Discounted Cash Flow Analysis – |
$ |
135.6 |
$ |
163.1 |
$ |
225.8 |
$ |
267.0 |
58.1 |
% |
66.3 |
% |
____________
(1) Converted into Canadian dollars using CAD/USD exchange rate of 1.318 as of December 13, 2019 per Bank of Canada.
Cowen noted that these implied ranges of post-Arrangement fully diluted ownership by Akerna common stockholders compared to Akerna common stockholders owning approximately 76.7% of Akerna’s fully diluted common stock pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, based on the Akerna closing share price on December 13, 2019 and 10,958,656 Akerna Shares outstanding as of December 13, 2019, plus 1,950,000 Akerna Shares to be issued to Solo pursuant to Akerna’s agreement to acquire Solo and assuming the issuance of 89,602 Akerna Shares under 5,814,205 outstanding Akerna warrants as determined using the treasury stock method, and the issuance pursuant to the Agreement of 3,294,574 Akerna Shares in Upfront Stock Consideration and 649,593 Akerna Shares pursuant to the CVRs (which assumes the full CAD$10 million becoming payable under the CVRs and an issuance price for the Akerna Shares issuable under the CVRs of $11.68 per Akerna Share, which was the closing price reported by the Nasdaq Stock Market on December 13, 2019).
“Has/Gets” Analysis — Akerna Perspective
Cowen reviewed and compared the equity value of Akerna attributable to Akerna stockholders prior to the completion of the Arrangement with the value of what Akerna stockholders will be receiving in the Arrangement (i.e., the value of such stockholder’s interest in Akerna after giving effect to the Arrangement), in terms of equity value. For this analysis, the stand-alone equity values of Akerna and Ample were calculated utilizing both a discounted cash flow analysis using a revenue exit multiple and a discounted cash flow analysis using an EBITDA exit multiple, as set forth below under “Akerna Valuation — Discounted Cash Flow Analysis” and “Ample Valuation — Discounted Cash Flow Analysis”, respectively. To conduct a “Has/Gets” analysis, Cowen combined the respective stand-alone Akerna and Ample equity values determined by such standalone discounted cash flow analyses weighted by an assumed Akerna fully diluted capital stock ownership after the Arrangement of 76.7% by Akerna stockholders and 23.3% by Ample stockholders (based on the assumptions described above under “— Pro Forma Ownership Analysis” regarding the number of Akerna Shares outstanding and to be issued in the Arrangement, including pursuant to the CVRs), and adjusted such amounts by adding Akerna common stockholders’ aggregate 76.7% post-Arrangement proportionate share of the present values of (1) Akerna’s stand-alone net operating loss tax benefits per Akerna management, which equaled $1.8 million, (2) Ample’s stand-alone Canadian net operating loss tax benefits, discounted to present value using a WACC of 15.5% and converted into U.S. dollars using the CAD/USD exchange rate of 1.318 as of December 13, 2019 per Bank of Canada, per Ample management, which equaled $1.2 million, and (3) estimated cost savings, per Akerna management, using a perpetuity growth rate of 0% to 4% and a discount rate range of 15% to 17% based on Akerna’s WACC, which resulted in range of $3.9 million to $5.7 million, and deducting $4.4 million which represented the 76.7% post-Arrangement proportionate share of Ample’s estimated increase in net debt of $7.5 million.
51
The following table summarizes the results of Cowen’s “Has/Gets” analysis, in each case assuming Akerna stockholders own 76.7% of the fully diluted capital stock of Akerna, calculated based on the assumptions described above, immediately following the consummation of the Arrangement.
Akerna Adjusted |
Akerna Adjusted |
Illustrative Equity |
||||||||||||||||
Low |
High |
Low |
High |
Low |
High |
|||||||||||||
(Equity values in millions of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Discounted Cash Flow Analysis – |
$ |
166.6 |
$ |
276.7 |
$ |
175.2 |
$ |
295.1 |
5.2 |
% |
6.7 |
% |
||||||
Discounted Cash Flow Analysis – |
$ |
171.3 |
$ |
202.6 |
$ |
209.9 |
$ |
251.6 |
22.6 |
% |
24.2 |
% |
____________
(1) Includes $2.3 million of Akerna stand-alone net operating loss tax benefits.
Ample Valuation
Analysis of Selected Publicly Traded Companies. To provide contextual data and comparative market information, Cowen compared selected historical operating and financial data and ratios for Ample to the corresponding financial data and ratios of certain other companies (the “Ample Selected Companies”) whose securities are publicly traded and which Cowen believes have operating, market valuation and trading valuations similar to what might be expected of Ample. These companies were:
• Akerna Corp.
• AppFolio, Inc.
• Avalara, Inc.
• Blackbaud, Inc.
• Constellation Software Inc.
• Guidewire Software, Inc.
• Phreesia, Inc.
• RealPage, Inc.
• Roper Technologies, Inc.
• Tyler Technologies, Inc.
• Veeva Systems Inc.
• Workiva Inc.
The data and ratios included the enterprise value of the Ample Selected Companies as multiples of estimated 2019 and estimated 2020 revenues and EBITDA (in each case, as available from research analyst reports or, if not so available, First Call) for the Ample Selected Companies. The following table presents, for the periods indicated, the multiples implied by the ratio of estimated revenues and estimated EBITDA for calendar years 2019 and 2020.
52
|
Multiple Implied |
|||||||||
Low |
Mean |
Median |
High |
|||||||
Implied Enterprise Value as a multiple of: |
||||||||||
2019E Revenue |
5.0x |
10.3x |
9.4x |
20.1x |
8.2x |
|||||
2020E Revenue |
4.7x |
8.5x |
7.3x |
15.8x |
5.8x |
|||||
2019E EBITDA |
21.4x |
35.5x |
24.0x |
67.4x |
NM |
|||||
2020E EBITDA |
18.6x |
30.7x |
24.7x |
54.0x |
NM |
____________
* EBITDA multiples of greater than 75.0x and negative multiples were deemed not meaningful or “NM”.
(1) Includes the implied present value of the CVRs payable in Akerna common stock by Akerna under the Agreement of CAD$8.7 million.
Cowen then applied a selected range of estimated 2020 revenue multiples of 5.0x to 8.0x derived from the Ample Selected Companies to Amples’ estimated 2020 revenue of CAD$11.5 million, and deducted CAD$7.5 million of net debt, each per the Ample Management Projections provided by Ample management as adjusted by Akerna management. This analysis indicated an approximate implied equity value range for Ample of CAD$50.2 million to CAD$84.8 million.
Although the Ample Selected Companies were used for comparison purposes, none of those companies is directly comparable to Ample. Accordingly, an analysis of the results of such a comparison is not purely mathematical, but instead involves complex considerations and judgments concerning differences in historical and projected financial and operating characteristics of the Ample Selected Companies and other factors that could affect the public trading value of the Ample Selected Companies or Ample to which they are being compared.
Discounted Cash Flow Analysis. Cowen estimated a range of enterprise values for Ample based upon the discounted present value of the projected after-tax unlevered cash flows of Ample described in the Ample Management Projections provided by management of Ample and adjusted by Akerna for the calendar years ended December 31, 2020 through December 31, 2024, and of the terminal value of Ample at December 31, 2024, in one case based upon multiples of revenue and in another case based upon multiples of EBITDA, and in each case discounted back to December 31, 2019 using the mid-period convention. After-tax unlevered cash flow was calculated by taking projected EBIT and subtracting from this amount projected taxes, capital expenditures, changes in working capital and changes in other assets and liabilities and adding back projected depreciation and amortization. This analysis was based upon certain assumptions described by, projections supplied by Ample and adjusted by management of Akerna and discussions held with the management of Akerna. In performing this analysis, Cowen utilized discount rates discounting unlevered fee cash flows and terminal values to present value ranging from 15% to 17%, which were selected by Cowen based on an estimated weighted average cost of capital analysis for Ample. Equity value was calculated as enterprise value less CAD$7.5 million net debt per the Ample Management Projections.
Cowen utilized terminal multiples of revenue ranging from 5.0 times to 8.0 times, which range was selected by Cowen in its professional judgment and based on multiples implied by the ratios of enterprise values to estimated revenues for the Ample Selected Companies. Utilizing this methodology, the implied equity value of Ample ranged from CAD$80.1 million to CAD$138.0 million.
Cowen utilized terminal multiples of EBITDA ranging from 19.0 times to 21.0 times, which range was selected by Cowen in its professional judgment and based on multiples implied by the ratios of enterprise values to estimated EBITDA for the Ample Selected Companies. Utilizing this methodology, the implied equity value of Ample ranged from CAD$133.5 million to CAD$161.0 million.
Akerna Valuation
Analysis of Selected Publicly Traded Companies. To provide contextual data and comparative market information, Cowen compared selected historical operating and financial data and ratios for Akerna to the corresponding financial data and ratios of certain other companies (the “Akerna Selected Companies”) whose securities are
53
publicly traded and which Cowen believes have operating, market valuation and trading valuations similar to what might be expected of Akerna. These companies were:
• AppFolio, Inc.
• Avalara, Inc.
• Blackbaud, Inc.
• Constellation Software Inc.
• Guidewire Software, Inc.
• Phreesia, Inc.
• RealPage, Inc.
• Roper Technologies, Inc.
• Tyler Technologies, Inc.
• Veeva Systems Inc.
• Workiva Inc.
The data and ratios included the enterprise value of the Akerna Selected Companies as multiples of estimated 2019 and estimated 2020 revenue and EBITDA (in each case, as available from research analyst reports or, if not so available, First Call) for the Akerna Selected Companies. The following table presents, for the periods indicated, the multiples implied by the ratio of estimated revenue and estimated EBITDA for calendar years 2019 and 2020. The information in the table is based on the closing stock price of Akerna stock on December 13, 2019 of $11.68 per share.
Selected Company Multiples |
||||||||||
Low |
Mean |
Median |
High |
Akerna |
||||||
Implied Enterprise Value as a multiple of: |
||||||||||
2019E Revenue |
5.0x |
10.3x |
8.7x |
20.1x |
10.1x |
|||||
2020E Revenue |
4.7x |
8.7x |
7.6x |
15.8x |
6.9x |
|||||
2019E EBITDA |
21.4x |
35.5x |
24.0x |
67.4x |
NM |
|||||
2020E EBITDA |
18.6x |
30.7x |
24.7x |
54.0x |
NM |
____________
* EBITDA multiples of greater than 75.0x and negative multiples were deemed not meaningful or “NM”.
Cowen then applied a selected range of estimated 2020 revenue multiples of 5.0x to 8.0x derived from the Akerna Selected Companies to Akerna’s estimated 2020 revenue of $18.8 million per the Akerna Management Projections provided by Akerna management plus US$22.4 million of cash as of September 30, 2019 per Akerna’s SEC filings. This analysis indicated an approximate implied equity value range for Akerna of US$116.3 million to US$172.7 million.
Although the Akerna Selected Companies were used for comparison purposes, none of those companies is directly comparable to Akerna. Accordingly, an analysis of the results of such a comparison is not purely mathematical, but instead involves complex considerations and judgments concerning differences in historical and projected financial and operating characteristics of the Akerna Selected Companies and other factors that could affect the public trading value of the Akerna Selected Companies or Akerna to which they are being compared.
Discounted Cash Flow Analysis. Cowen estimated a range of enterprise values for Akerna based upon the discounted present value of the projected after-tax unlevered cash flows of Akerna described in the Akerna Management Projections provided by management of Akerna for the calendar years ended December 31, 2020 through December 31, 2024, and of the terminal value of Akerna at December 31, 2024, in one case based upon multiples of revenue and in another case based upon multiples of EBITDA, and in each case discounted back to December 31, 2019 using mid-period convention. After-tax unlevered cash flow was calculated by taking projected EBIT and subtracting from this amount projected taxes, capital expenditures, changes in working capital and changes in other assets and liabilities and adding back projected depreciation and amortization. This analysis was
54
based upon certain assumptions described by, projections supplied by management of Akerna and discussions held with the management of Akerna. In performing this analysis, Cowen utilized discount rates discounting unlevered fee cash flows and terminal values to present value ranging from 17% to 19%, which were selected by Cowen based on an estimated weighted average cost of capital analysis for Akerna. Equity value was calculated as enterprise value plus US$22.4 million cash per Akerna Management Projections.
Cowen utilized terminal multiples of revenue ranging from 5.0 times to 8.0 times, which range was selected by Cowen in its professional judgment and based on multiples implied by the ratios of enterprise values to estimated revenues for the Akerna Selected Companies. Utilizing this methodology, the implied equity value of Akerna ranged from US$164.3 million to US$274.4 million, based on the Akerna Management Projections.
Cowen utilized terminal multiples of EBITDA ranging from 19.0 times to 21.0 times, which range was selected by Cowen in its professional judgment and based on multiples implied by the ratios of enterprise values to estimated EBITDA for the Akerna Selected Companies. Utilizing this methodology, the implied equity value of Akerna ranged from US$169.0 million to US$200.3 million, based on the Akerna Management Projections.
The summary set forth above does not purport to be a complete description of all the analyses performed by Cowen. The preparation of a fairness opinion involves various determinations as to the most appropriate and relevant methods of financial analysis and the application of these methods to the particular circumstances and, therefore, such an opinion is not readily susceptible to partial analysis or summary description. Cowen did not attribute any particular weight to any analysis or factor considered by it, but rather made qualitative judgments as to the significance and relevance of each analysis and factor. Accordingly, notwithstanding the separate factors summarized above, Cowen believes, and has advised the Akerna Board, that its analyses must be considered as a whole and that selecting portions of its analyses and the factors considered by it, without considering all analyses and factors, could create an incomplete view of the process underlying its opinion. In performing its analyses, Cowen made numerous assumptions with respect to industry performance, business and economic conditions and other matters, many of which are beyond the control of Akerna and Ample. These analyses performed by Cowen are not necessarily indicative of actual values or future results, which may be significantly more or less favorable than suggested by such analyses. In addition, analyses relating to the value of businesses do not purport to be appraisals or to reflect the prices at which businesses or securities may actually be sold. Accordingly, such analyses and estimates are inherently subject to uncertainty, being based upon numerous factors or events beyond the control of the parties or their respective advisors. None of Akerna, Ample, Cowen or any other person assumes responsibility if future results are materially different from those projected. The analyses supplied by Cowen and its opinion were among several factors taken into consideration by the Akerna Board in making its decision to enter into the Agreement and should not be considered as determinative of such decision.
Certain Financial Advisory Fees Paid by Akerna
Cowen was selected by the Akerna Board to render an opinion to the Akerna Board because Cowen is a nationally recognized investment banking firm and because, as part of its investment banking business, Cowen is continually engaged in the valuation of businesses and their securities in connection with mergers and acquisitions, negotiated underwritings, secondary distributions of listed and unlisted securities, private placements and valuations for corporate and other purposes. Cowen is providing financial services for Akerna for which it will receive customary fees. In addition, in the ordinary course of its business, Cowen and its affiliates trade the equity securities of Akerna for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and, accordingly, may at any time hold a long or short position in such securities. In the two years preceding the date of its opinion, Cowen has been retained to provide investment banking services to Akerna and has received fees in connection therewith in the amount of $50,000, and has not provided investment banking services to Ample or any other party to the Agreement. Cowen and its affiliates may in the future provide commercial and investment banking services to Akerna and may receive fees for the rendering of such services. The issuance of Cowen’s opinion was approved by Cowen’s Fairness Opinion Review Committee.
Pursuant to the Cowen engagement letter, if the Arrangement is consummated, Cowen will be entitled to receive a transaction fee equal to approximately $1.26 million. Akerna has also agreed to pay a fee of $500,000 to Cowen for rendering its opinion, which fee will be credited against any transaction fee paid. Additionally, Akerna has agreed to reimburse Cowen for its out-of-pocket expenses, including attorneys’ fees, and has agreed to indemnify Cowen
55
against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the federal securities laws. The terms of the fee arrangement with Cowen, which are customary in transactions of this nature, were negotiated at arm’s length, and the Akerna Board was aware of the arrangement, including the fact that a significant portion of the fee payable to Cowen is contingent upon the completion of the Arrangement.
Board of Directors and Management of the Combined Company Following the Arrangement; Headquarters
There will be no change to the Akerna Board or Akerna’s management team following the Arrangement. Akerna’s headquarters will remain at 1630 Welton Street, Denver, CO 80202.
Accounting Treatment
In accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), the Arrangement will be accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting. Akerna will be treated as the acquirer for accounting purposes. The assets and liabilities and results of operations of Ample will be consolidated into the results of operations of Akerna as of the completion of the business combination.
Regulatory Approval
The transactions contemplated by the Arrangement are not subject to any additional federal or state regulatory requirements or approvals, except for (1) the Hart-Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (2) filings with the State of Delaware necessary to effectuate the transactions contemplated by the Arrangement and (3) the approval of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
U.S. Federal Income and Estate Tax Consequences
Akerna’s existing stockholders will simply retain their Akerna Shares, and accordingly there will be no material U.S. federal income tax consequences to Akerna’s existing stockholders resulting from the issuance of Akerna Shares in the Arrangement.
Dissenters or Appraisal Rights
Akerna stockholders are not entitled to appraisal or dissenters’ rights in connection with the Arrangement.
Ample’s Shareholder Approval
Ample will hold a special meeting of its shareholders to consider and vote upon the resolution to approve the Agreement and the contemplated Arrangement and such meeting is expected to occur in June 2020, and such resolution must be approved, with or without variation, by the affirmative vote of 66 2/3% of the votes cast on the Arrangement Resolution by Ample shareholders present in person or represented by proxy at the Ample meeting voting together as a single class, together with the affirmative vote of the holders holding not less than a majority of the Ample Preferred Shares.
Stockholder Voting and Support Agreements
On December 18, 2019, Akerna and Ample entered into the Voting and Support Agreements (the “Akerna Voting Agreements”) with each of the directors and officers of Ample and certain related shareholders (the “Ample Supporting Shareholders”). The Akerna Voting Agreements set forth, among other things, the agreement of such shareholders to vote their Ample Securities (as defined in the Agreement) in favor of the Arrangement and any other matter necessary for the consummation of the Arrangement.
On December 18, 2019, Akerna and Ample entered into the Voting and Support Agreements (the “Ample Voting Agreements”) with each of the directors and officers of Akerna and certain related shareholders (the “Akerna Supporting Shareholders”). The Ample Voting Agreements set forth, among other things, the agreement of such shareholders to vote their Akerna Shares in favor of the Arrangement and any other matter necessary for the consummation of the Arrangement.
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Nasdaq Listing Notification Requirement
Under Rule 5250(e)(2)(D) of the Nasdaq Manual, a Nasdaq Stock Market listed corporation must notify the Nasdaq Stock Market of the issuance of additional shares in connection with the issuance of common stock, or any security convertible into common stock in a transaction that may result in the potential issuance of common stock (or securities convertible into common stock) greater than 10% of either the total shares outstanding or the voting power outstanding on a pre-transaction basis. Akerna has so notified the Nasdaq Stock Market.
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This discussion of the Solo Option is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Solo SPA, which is attached to this proxy statement as Annex F. You should read the entire Solo SPA carefully as it is the legal document that governs the Solo Option.
Background of the Solo SPA and Solo Option
Akerna provides state governments with track and trace technology through its Leaf Data Systems SaaS product. As a competitive advantage, Akerna’s technology is able to integrate with any number of plant-tagging systems, including RFID and QR coding solutions. As a result of Akerna’s efforts to provide best-in-class tagging system alternatives, Akerna identified Solo as a potential partner in early 2019. The two companies began exploring a partnership in March, 2019.
On May 1, 2019, Akerna signed a partnership agreement with Solo granting Akerna exclusive rights to utilize Solo’s tagging technology for applications in the cannabis industry. Subsequently, on April 5, 2019, Akerna responded to a request for proposal from the state of Utah for a state tracking system, which submission included Solo’s tagging solution. On August 9, 2019, Akerna was awarded the contract from the state of Utah. Since that time, Akerna and Solo have worked closely to deploy Solo’s tagging technology in conjunction with Leaf Data Systems.
Beginning in August 2019, Akerna and Solo began discussing the opportunity to work on other projects together. Executives from Akerna and Solo met on August 20, 2019 to discuss such opportunities. At the conclusion of the meeting, Akerna and Solo agreed that the next step in exploring a broader partnership would be to have a third-party review and evaluate Solo’s technology.
On August 23, 2019, Scott Sozio, Akerna’s head of corporate development, and Lokesh Chugh, Solo’s chief financial officer, had a call to discuss the process for the third-party technology evaluation. On the call, Mr. Chugh mentioned that Solo was in the process of raising a round of funding and suggested that they would be interested in having Akerna participate as a strategic partner. Mr. Sozio responded that Akerna would consider it and asked Mr. Chugh to provide investor materials that Akerna could review. On August 24, 2019, Mr. Chugh began providing such materials.
On August 27, 2019, Solo granted Akerna access to its investor data room, and the companies executed a nondisclosure agreement.
On September 13, 2019, Akerna received from its third-party consultant the technical evaluation report.
In mid-September 2019, Ms. Billingsley began discussing with Ashesh Shah, Founder and chief executive officer of Solo, the potential opportunity for Mr. Shah to join the Akerna Board. After many discussions with Mr. Shah over the course of several weeks, Ms. Billingsley presented Mr. Shah to the Akerna Board for consideration as a new member on September 20, 2019. On September 26, 2019, Akerna announced the appointment of Mr. Shah as a director of Akerna.
On September 30, 2019, after several weeks of discussions between Akerna and Solo, Akerna sent Solo a draft letter of intent (“Solo LOI”). Negotiations relating to the terms of the Solo LOI continued and on October 1, 2019, Akerna sent a revised draft of the Solo LOI to Solo.
On October 2, 2019, Ms. Billingsley provided an update to the Akerna Board. The update included the status of the potential acquisition of Solo, noting that the negotiation of a letter of intent was in process. The Akerna Board instructed management to continue to pursue the potential acquisition, with the goal of signing a letter of intent in the near term.
After several more revised drafts of the Solo LOI were exchanged, on October 9, 2019, Akerna and Solo entered into the Solo LOI, outlining a transaction that would result in Akerna acquiring up to 100% of Solo for $20 million in an all-stock transaction.
On October 11, 2019, Akerna conducted a board meeting. During the meeting, Ms. Billingsley and Mr. Sozio provided an update on the status of potential acquisitions. For the discussion relating to the potential Solo acquisition, Mr. Shah recused himself. The Akerna Board discussed the strategic value of the Solo acquisition and instructed Akerna management to continue to pursue the deal consistent with the terms outlined in the Solo LOI.
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After the Solo LOI was executed on October 9, 2019, Akerna continued to perform due diligence on Solo through the month of October and Akerna and Solo continued to discuss the terms of the potential acquisition. On October 23, 2019, Akerna sent an email to Solo suggesting that Akerna and Solo agree to set the price for the issuance of Akerna shares to Solo. Conversations continued relating to setting the Akerna share price and determining how much of Solo Akerna would acquire.
On October 30, Akerna sent Solo a draft of the stock purchase agreement. During the month of November, Akerna and Solo negotiated the stock purchase agreement.
On November 24, 2019, Mr. Shah resigned from the Akerna Board.
On November 25, 2019, the Akerna board approved the transaction, and, on November 26, 2019, it was publicly announced.
Akerna’s Reasons for the Solo SPA and Solo Option
Akerna believes that the Solo SPA and related Solo Option will provide strategic and financial benefits, including:
• Solo is a leader in the anti-counterfeiting and consumer engagement market in the cannabis industry, adding new capabilities to Akerna that strengthens cannabis supply chain transparency. By enabling consumers to determine if a product is real or fake, providing detailed product information and promoting loyalty for brands and manufacturers, Solo extends Akerna’s ability to create a more transparent cannabis supply chain;
• with Solo, Akerna extends its supply chain reach to the consumer, accessing a large addressable market that was previously untapped by Akerna;
• Solo enables Akerna to differentiate its Leaf Data Systems product with Solo’s unique authentication tagging technology. Akerna and Solo have already won a joint contract with the state of Utah, where authentication with the solo*TAG was a critical factor. Utah mandates the use of both technologies for their closed loop program; and
• Solo has a proven management team with strong track record of innovation.
Recommendation of the Akerna Board
After careful consideration of various factors described in the section entitled “The Solo Option — Akerna’s Reasons for the Solo SPA and Solo Option” beginning on page 59 of this proxy statement, the Akerna Board has unanimously determined that it is advisable and in the best interests of Akerna and its stockholders to exercise the Solo Option as contemplated by the Solo SPA. Accordingly, Akerna Board unanimously recommends that Akerna’s stockholders vote “FOR” the approval of the issuance of Akerna Shares pursuant to the Solo SPA to exercise the Solo Option.
Board of Directors and Management of Solo Following the Closing of the Solo Transaction
Subject to the terms of his employment agreement, Ashesh C. Shah shall serve as Chief Executive Officer of Solo following the closing of the transaction. For the period between the closing and the earlier to occur of (1) Akerna’s exercise of the Solo Option and the closing thereof; (2) the Solo shareholders’ exercise of the Repurchase Option and the closing thereof; or (3) the expiration of the Repurchase Option (the “Transition Period”), the board of directors of Solo shall consist of four persons nominated by Akerna and three persons nominated by the Shareholder Representatives, who shall constitute a special committee of the board of directors of Solo. In the event any member of the special committee dies or resigns, the remaining members shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy, and Akerna shall cause such person to be elected to Solo’s board of directors. During the Transition Period, the special committee shall have sole authority to make all decisions on behalf of Solo concerning transactions between Akerna and Solo. The Solo board of directors shall adopt resolutions in customary form appointing the special committee, and empowering it to hire, on terms and conditions acceptable to the special committee and at Solo’s expense, legal and financial advisors who are independent of Akerna and Solo to assist the special committee in the fulfillment of its duties, as described above, and to enter into, on behalf of Solo, agreements to retain such advisors, which may include, among other things, indemnification arrangements that are acceptable to the special committee; and that, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the deliberations and records of the special committee shall
59
be confidential and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, all statutory and common law privileges shall be available with respect to legal advice rendered to, and documents prepared by counsel to assist the Special Committee in its deliberations. During the Transition Period, (x) Akerna shall not sell any of the transferred Solo shares, (y) shall not sell substantially all of Solo’s assets, and (z) shall not issue additional equity securities of Solo or options to purchase equity securities of Solo without the approval of the special committee, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.
U.S. Federal Income and Estate Tax Consequences
Akerna’s existing stockholders will simply retain their Akerna Shares, and accordingly there will be no material U.S. federal income tax consequences to Akerna’s existing stockholders resulting from the issuance of Akerna shares from the exercise of the Solo Option.
Dissenters or Appraisal Rights
Akerna stockholders are not entitled to appraisal or dissenters’ rights in connection with the Solo Option.
Solo Shareholder Approval
The shareholders of Solo have approved the Solo Option.
Nasdaq Listing Notification Requirement
Under Rule 5250(e)(2)(D) of the Nasdaq Manual, a Nasdaq Stock Market listed corporation must notify the Nasdaq Stock Market of the issuance of additional shares in connection with the issuance of common stock, or any security convertible into common stock in a transaction that may result in the potential issuance of common stock (or securities convertible into common stock) greater than 10% of either the total shares outstanding or the voting power outstanding on a pre-transaction basis. Akerna has so notified the Nasdaq Stock Market.
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANIES
Akerna Corp.
1630 Welton Street
Denver, Colorado 80202
Telephone: (888) 932-6537
Business Overview
We are a leading enterprise software solutions provider that enables regulatory compliance and inventory management. Our proprietary software platform is adaptable for industries in which interfacing with government regulatory agencies for compliance purposes is required, or where the tracking of organic materials from seed or plant to end products is desired. Ten years ago, we identified a need for organic material tracking and regulatory compliance software a service (“SaaS”) solutions in the growing cannabis and hemp industry. We developed products intended to assist states in monitoring licensed businesses’ compliance with state regulations, and to help state-licensed businesses operate in compliance with such law. We provide our regulatory software platform, Leaf Data Systems®, to government regulatory agencies, and our business software platform, MJ Platform®, to state and federally-licensed businesses. Although we have helped monitor legal compliance for more than $17 billion in cannabis sales to date, we do not handle any cannabis related material, do not process sales transactions within the United States, and our revenue generation is not related to the type or amount of sales made by our clients, as revenues are generated by us on a fixed-fee based subscription model.
Our core products, Leaf Data Systems and MJ Platform, are highly-versatile platforms that provide our clients with a central data management system for tracking regulated products — from seed to initial plant growth to product — throughout the complete supply chain, using a global unique identifier method. Our platforms also provide clients with integrated security, transparency and scalability capabilities. These capabilities allow our state-licensed clients to control inventory, operate efficiently in a fast-changing industry and comply with state, local, and federal (in countries such as Canada, Italy, Macedonia and Colombia) regulation at all times, and allows our government regulatory clients to effectively and cost-efficiently monitor licensees and ensure that commercial businesses are complying with their states’ regulations.
We generate revenue in three principal areas:
• Government Regulatory Software — Leaf Data Systems is our SaaS product for government agencies. Leaf Data Systems is a compliance tracking system designed to give regulators visibility into the activity of licensed cannabis businesses in their jurisdictions. We have been serving three clients for Leaf Data Systems, the State of Washington, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of Utah.
• Commercial Software — MJ Platform is our SaaS offering for state and federally-licensed businesses. MJ Platform is an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) compliance system specific to the cannabis industry, including state-legal marijuana, hemp and Cannabidiol (CBD) industry. MJ Platform is comprised of integrated modules designed to meet the regulations and inventory management needs of cannabis and hemp CBD cultivators, manufacturers, distributors and retailers, but has applications in other industries.
• Consulting Services — We provide consulting services to cannabis industry operators interested in entering the cannabis industry and in integrating our platforms into their respective operations and systems. We consult with clients on a wide range of areas to help them successfully maintain compliance with state law. We work with clients to efficiently comply with state requirements in connection with the launch and operations of their cannabis businesses. Our management team and key personnel have broad experience gained form working with numerous cannabis operations. Our consulting team has experience in most aspects of cannabis operations in most verticals (e.g., cultivation, processing, distribution, manufacturing and retail). Our service providers understand the intricacies of the varying regulations governing cannabis in each jurisdiction and, to the extent necessary, modify the professional services based on the jurisdiction.
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We provide project-focused consulting services to clients that are initiating or expanding their cannabis businesses or are interested in data consulting engagements with respect to the legal cannabis industry. Our advisory engagements include service offerings focused on compliance requirement assessments, readiness and best practices, compliance monitoring systems, application processes, inspection readiness and business plan and compliance reviews. We typically provide our consulting services to clients in emerging markets that are seeking consultation on newly introduced licensing regimes and assistance with the regulatory compliant build-out of operations in newly legal states
We also resell a limited number of printers for printing compliance product labels and scales that are National Type Evaluation Program (“NTEP”) certified legal for trade. Revenue from these resale activities was approximately 2% of total revenue in each of the three and six months ended December 31, 2019, and December 31, 2018, and is not expected to become a significant generator of revenue.
Our commercial software revenue growth is driven by leveraging our reputation and continued cannabis, hemp and CBD industry growth. We believe we are well known in these industries and can leverage our reputation, brand recognition, and wealth of relevant experience to attract existing cultivation, manufacturing and dispensary customers, and attract new market entrants. We believe that the reputation of our existing products and our ability to provide services in all areas of the seed to sale life cycle will attract customers from competitors that are seeking more comprehensive services and will attract new customers as they enter into existing markets and markets that become newly legalized. We also experience revenue growth in mature, established states and countries by providing a solution to operators seeking to vertically integrate their operations and improve their operations. We provide not only a vertically integrated solution across the cannabis, hemp, and CBD supply chain, but also have the business intelligence capture which allows operators to run their businesses in a more informed and efficient manner. This business intelligence capture is derived from the suite of services provided by us and sets us apart from competitors.
Through our acquisition strategy, we are expanding the features available to new and existing customers of MJ Platform and Leaf Data Systems, including the ability to track organic matter from seed-to-self (consumer), with an interactive consumer product experience. We believe that such features create further value by providing additional add-ins that should enhance utilization and the experience of our new and existing customers. For example: (1) our agreement with Netsuite will provide tax planning services to our customers in Canada; (2) our integration with Sage Intacct provides tax planning services globally (3) our license with ZolTrain will provide our MJ Platform customers with training modules to educate them and improve their experience by pairing education with product information at the point of sale; (4) our Leaf Data Systems track-and-trace solution specifically customized for the State of Utah to include an electronic verification system and inventory control system, will utilize solo*tag, the world’s first cryptographically-secure, cannabis product authentication system, exclusively for governments as an alternative to RFID tracking; and (5) our agreement with Isolocity enables cannabis enterprises to pursue international expansion by providing a QMS framework to support local and national compliance needs and by leveraging such QMS, MJ Platform can support GMP certification requirements, including the stricter EU-GMP standard required for the export of medical cannabis into Europe and Asia.
For more information about Akerna, please visit Akerna’s Internet website at www.akerna.com. Akerna’s Internet website address is provided as an inactive textual reference only. The information contained on Akerna’s Internet website is not incorporated into, and does not form a part of, this proxy statement or any other report or document on file with or furnished to the SEC.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Akerna’s Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The Management’s Discussion and Analysis of the Financial Condition and Results of Operations should be read together with the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements and Unaudited Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and the related notes thereto that is part of this proxy statement.
Financial Results of Operations
Revenue
Our software revenue is derived from MJ Platform, our SaaS enterprise resource planning tool offering for state-licensed businesses, and Leaf Data Systems, our track-and-trace product for government agencies. MJ Platform contracts are generally annual contracts paid monthly in advance of service and cancellable upon 30 days’ notice,
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although we do have some multi-year MJ Platform contracts. We defer recognition of revenue from these payments until services have been provided. Leaf Data Systems contracts are generally multi-year contracts payable annually or quarterly. A percentage retainer or holdback fees (generally ranging from 10% to 30%) are common until all initial deliverables are complete. MJ Platform and Leaf Data Systems contracts generally may only be terminated early for breach of contract as defined in the respective agreements. Our consulting revenue is derived throughout the life cycle of a customer. Our other revenue is derived primarily from point of sale hardware and labels.
Consulting services revenue growth is driven by numerous factors. In new emerging states, we provide solutions for aspiring operators in the pre-application of licensures and pre-operational phases of development. These services include application and business plan preparation as they seek licenses to be granted. Consulting services are provided to post operational licensees to consult during the setup and buildout phases as they open and begin operating their businesses. We also provide business optimization services for established businesses that can benefit from consulting to increase efficiencies as they expand and grow.
We contract our consulting services through Statements of Work (SOW) for businesses or entrepreneurs interested in developing operations in the cannabis, hemp and CBD industries. SOW issued and completed during the pre-application phase generally solidify us as the contractor of choice for subsequent operational phases once the operator is granted the license. As a result, our consulting revenue is driven as new emerging states pass legislation and as our client-operators gain licenses. Accordingly, we expect our consulting services to continue to grow as more states emerge with legalization reforms, such as Missouri, New Jersey, Illinois and Utah.
Cost of Revenue
Our cost of revenue is derived from direct costs derived primarily from government contract subcontractor expenses in addition to hosting and infrastructure costs associated with operating MJ Platform and Leaf Data Systems. We record cost of revenue based on the direct cost method. This method requires allocation of direct costs including support services and materials to cost of revenue. Consulting cost of revenue is primarily determined as a result of our employees’ salaries and other related compensation expenses.
Product and Development Expenses
Our product and development expenses include salaries and benefits, contractor expenses, technology expenses, and other overhead. These expenses have grown over time, and we expect these expenses to continue to increase with our growth.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Our selling, general and administrative expenses include salaries and benefits, sales and marketing expenses, public relations and investor relations fees, outage expenses, professional fees, and other overhead. These expenses have grown over time, and we expect these expenses to continue to increase with our growth.
Marketing and sales expenses are our largest cost and consist primarily of salaries and related expenses for our sales and marketing staff; including commissions, as well as payments to partners and marketing programs. Marketing programs consist of advertising, events, corporate communications, brand building and product marketing activities. We plan to continue to invest in marketing and sales by expanding our domestic and international selling and marketing activities, building brand awareness, attracting new customers, and sponsoring additional marketing events. The timing of these marketing events will affect our marketing costs in a quarter.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
We disclose our significant accounting policies in Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in our Audited Consolidated Financial Statements that is part of this proxy statement. Since the date of the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements, there have been no material changes to our significant accounting policies.
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Results of Operations for the Year Ended June 30, 2019 Compared with the Year Ended June 30, 2018
The following table sets forth information comparing the components of net loss for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018:
Years ended |
||||||||
2019 |
2018 |
|||||||
Revenues: |
|
|
|
|
||||
Software |
$ |
8,256,492 |
|
$ |
8,082,424 |
|
||
Consulting |
|
2,403,797 |
|
|
2,281,836 |
|
||
Other |
|
259,496 |
|
|
112,523 |
|
||
Total Revenue |
|
10,919,785 |
|
|
10,476,783 |
|
||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Cost of revenues |
|
4,633,844 |
|
|
4,361,963 |
|
||
Gross Profit |
|
6,285,941 |
|
|
6,114,820 |
|
||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
||||
Product development: |
|
5,565,097 |
|
|
2,645,093 |
|
||
Selling, general and administrative |
|
13,136,522 |
|
|
5,932,887 |
|
||
Total operating expenses |
|
18,701,619 |
|
|
8,577,980 |
|
||
Other income (expenses) |
|
109,131 |
|
|
(25,149 |
) |
||
Net loss |
$ |
(12,306,547 |
) |
$ |
(2,488,309 |
) |
Total Revenue
Total revenue increased to approximately $10.9 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019 from approximately $10.5 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, an increase of approximately $0.4 million, or 4%. The increase in total revenue compared to the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018 was driven primarily by growth achieved across our commercial software business, MJ Platform, in addition to our consulting business. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in revenue from our government regulatory software business, Leaf Data Systems.
Software Revenue
Our total software revenue increased to approximately $8.3 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019 from $8.1 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, for an increase of approximately $0.2 million, or 2%. Total software revenue accounted for 76% and 77% of total revenue for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The increase in software revenue over the fiscal year was primarily driven by growth in the number of commercial software subscriptions to MJ Platform (thus increasing recurring SaaS revenue).
Our software revenues generated from government customers under Leaf Data Systems totaled approximately $4.3 million and $4.5 million during the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Leaf Data Systems revenue decreased for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019 primarily as a result of a smaller volume of change orders and initial license fees in the current year period. Change orders represent out-of-scope functionality modifications requested by the client. Revenues earned from these change orders are recognized upon successful implementation and delivery of the requested modifications. As a result, revenues from these clients when compared year over year may be impacted by the timing of the agreement relative to the number of requested change orders in one or either period.
Consulting Revenue
Our consulting revenue includes revenue generated from consulting professional services delivered to prospective and current cannabis, hemp and CBD businesses and business operators. Our consulting revenue was approximately $2.4 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019 compared to $2.2 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, an increase of approximately $0.1 million, or 5%, as a result of a higher volume of consulting activities and engagements during the second half of our 2019 fiscal year. Consulting services are correlated to state legalizations and other regulatory expansion activity. As a result, individual year-over-year comparisons may experience variability depending on the timing of recent legislative changes.
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Consulting revenue was 22% of total revenue for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Due to the nature of consulting revenue and our dependence on emerging market activity as a driver of demand, the months in which we recognize consulting revenue has varied from year to year depending on whether state legislation has expanded to allow new market entrants or growth of existing market participant operations. For example, while consulting activity appeared to have slowed earlier during this fiscal year, it increased significantly during the three months ended June 30, 2019 due to emerging opportunities in Missouri, Maryland, Utah, New Jersey, and Arkansas as these states have experienced recent state legal changes. Further, five of our clients in Ohio have recently won processing licenses.
Other Revenue
Our retail/resale revenue represents revenue generated from point of sale hardware and labels. Retail/resale revenue increased to approximately $0.3 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019 from $0.1 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, an increase of approximately $0.1 million, or 131%. Retail/resale revenue was 2% of total revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019.
Cost of Revenue and Gross Margin
Our cost of revenue increased to approximately $4.6 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019 from $4.4 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, an increase of approximately 6%. The increase compared to the prior fiscal year period was primarily due to an increase in hosting and infrastructure costs incurred to support our Software business. Hosting and infrastructure costs grew from approximately $1.0 million to $1.4 million, an increase of approximately $0.4 million, or 40%, as we continued to increase Amazon Web Services usage as part of both the growth of MJ Platform in addition to the ramp of the contract with WSLCB.
Additionally, we incurred higher direct labor costs associated with providing our consulting services of approximately $0.2 million. These increases in cost of revenue were partially offset by fewer third-party subcontractor costs associated with servicing our contract with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Overall, our gross profit margin remained consistent at 58% for both of the years ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018.
Additionally, we experienced increased costs of revenue associated with retail hardware sales of approximately $128,000.
Since the applications and services available through the Leaf Data System are provided through relationships with third-party service providers at higher costs than those from our MJ Platform contracts, the gross profit margins from the government contracts are generally lower than those from our commercial software clients. Total costs of government revenues incurred by us, which are included in cost of revenues on the statement of operations, were approximately $2.0 million and $2.7 million during the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The decrease in cost of government revenues incurred by us was due to a smaller volume of ongoing support and maintenance services provided in connection with the contract with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Operating Expenses
The following table presents operating expense line items for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 and the period-over-period dollar and percentage changes for those line items:
Years ended |
||||||||||||||||||
2019 |
% of |
2018 |
% of |
Change |
||||||||||||||
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Product development |
$ |
5,565,097 |
51 |
% |
$ |
2,645,093 |
25 |
% |
$ |
2,920,004 |
110 |
% |
||||||
Selling, general and administrative |
|
13,136,522 |
120 |
% |
|
5,932,887 |
54 |
% |
|
7,203,635 |
121 |
% |
||||||
Total operating expenses |
$ |
18,701,619 |
171 |
% |
$ |
8,577,980 |
79 |
% |
$ |
10,123,639 |
118 |
% |
65
Our operating expenses increased to approximately $18.7 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019 from approximately $8.6 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, an increase of approximately $10.1 million, or 118%. The increased level of operating expenses for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019 was driven by increased product development expenses of approximately $2.9 million, or 110% in addition to higher selling, general and administrative expenses of approximately $7.2 million, or 121%.
The increased level of operating expenses for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019 was primarily driven by increases in salary expenses across Engineering, Sales and Marketing and Administrative functions as we continued to add headcount in order to support our growth. Salary expenses for Product Development functions increased by approximately $2.7 million. Salary expenses for Sales and Marketing and Administrative functions increased by approximately $3.5 million. Approximately $3.8 million of salaries in the current fiscal year were paid in the form of non-cash stock-based compensation. No non-cash stock-based compensation was paid during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018.
Non-payroll related expenses within Selling, General and Administrative functions also increased for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019 by approximately $3.7 million. These are primarily comprised of Sales and Marketing expenses related to our marketing initiatives including payments to partners and marketing programs. Marketing programs consist of advertising, events, corporate communications, brand building and product marketing activities. We plan to continue to invest in marketing and sales by expanding our domestic and international selling and marketing activities, building brand awareness, attracting new customers, and sponsoring additional marketing events. The timing of these marketing events will affect our marketing costs in a particular quarter. Additionally, we incurred professional fees of approximately $1.5 million in connection with the Business Combination and Private Placement discussed below. We also incurred fewer operating expenses during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018 as a result of insurance proceeds received from our 2017 security breach. Non-payroll related expenses within Product development functions also increased by approximately $0.2 million as we enhanced our cybersecurity and enterprise software capabilities following our 2017 security breach.
Results of operations for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 compared to nine months ended March 31, 2019
The following table highlights the various sources of revenues and expenses for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 as compared to the nine months ended March 31, 2019:
Nine months ended |
||||||||
2020 |
2019 |
|||||||
Revenues: |
|
|
|
|
||||
Software |
$ |
7,148,964 |
|
$ |
6,174,102 |
|
||
Consulting |
|
2,248,947 |
|
|
826,777 |
|
||
Other |
|
171,727 |
|
|
200,312 |
|
||
Total Revenue |
|
9,569,638 |
|
|
7,201,191 |
|
||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Cost of revenues |
|
4,457,110 |
|
|
3,550,612 |
|
||
Gross Profit |
|
5,112,528 |
|
|
3,650,579 |
|
||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
||||
Product development: |
|
4,024,743 |
|
|
2,877,869 |
|
||
Selling, general and administrative |
|
13,881,055 |
|
|
7,440,115 |
|
||
Total operating expenses |
|
17,905,798 |
|
|
10,317,984 |
|
||
Other income |
|
158,508 |
|
|
87,248 |
|
||
Net loss |
$ |
(12,634,762 |
) |
$ |
(6,580,157 |
) |
Total Revenue
Total revenue increased to $9.6 million for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 from $7.2 million for the nine months ended March 31, 2019, an increase of $2.4 million, or 33%. The increase in total revenue was achieved across all our products. The increase in total revenue was driven primarily by growth achieved in MJ Platform and in our consulting services business. The revenues from our government regulatory software business, Leaf Data Systems, increased slightly with the addition of the State of Utah contract.
66
Software Revenue
Our total software revenue increased to $7.1 million for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 from $6.2 million for the nine months ended March 31, 2019, an increase of $1.0 million, or 16%. Software revenue accounted for 75% and 86% of total revenue for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The increase in software revenue was primarily driven by 27% growth in revenue from MJ Platform. This increase in software revenue was primarily the result of volume-driven increases from new business, which includes new customers, upgrades and additional subscriptions from existing customers. We continue to invest in a variety of customer programs and initiatives which, along with increasing adoption, have helped keep our attrition rate consistent as compared to the prior year. Consistent attrition rates play a role in our ability to maintain growth in our subscription revenues. Changes in the net price per user per month have not been a significant driver of revenue growth for the periods presented. Our software revenue during the nine months ended March 31, 2020 was not significantly impacted by COVID-19, in most jurisdictions our customers were deemed “essential businesses” and continued operations. Revenue recognition for new customers in our pipeline may be delayed if the timing of implementation and onboarding is negatively impacted in future periods. The significance of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our business and the duration for which it may have an impact cannot be determined at this time.
Software revenues generated from government customers under Leaf Data Systems increased to $3.5 million for the nine months ended March 31, 2020, up from $3.4 million for the nine months ended March 31, 2019. While our revenues from Leaf Data Systems from our contracts with the State of Washington and the State of Pennsylvania declined for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 compared to the nine months ended March 31, 2019 by $0.7 million primarily as a result of the completion of professional services and transition to the more consistent run and maintain mode, we recorded revenue of $0.8 million from our contract with the State of Utah, which commenced in August 2019
Consulting Revenue
Our consulting revenue includes revenue generated from consulting professional services delivered to prospective and current cannabis, hemp and CBD businesses and business operators. Our consulting revenue was $2.2 million for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 compared to $0.8 million for the nine months ended March 31, 2019, for an increase of $1.4 million, or 172%. The increase in consulting services and other revenues was due primarily to the higher demand for services from an increased number of customers. We delivered approximately 30 operational license applications on behalf of Missouri-based clients during the month of August alone, and we continue to experience strong demand for our consulting services in other emerging states. Further, during the nine-month period ended March 31, 2020, we serviced a large contract with a Midwest-based client for the preparation, completion and delivery of operational license applications for a portfolio of recreational retail and cultivation facilities. Consulting services are correlated to state legalizations and other regulatory expansion activity. As a result, individual period-over-period comparisons may experience variability depending on the timing of recent legislative changes. During the COVID-19 outbreak, state legislatures have turned their focus to the pandemic, tabling work on cannabis legislation. The significance of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our business and the duration for which it may have an impact cannot be determined at this time.
Consulting revenue was 24% and 11% of total revenue for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Due to the nature of consulting revenue and our dependence on emerging market activity as a driver of demand, the months in which we recognize consulting revenue has varied from period to period depending on whether state legislation has expanded to allow new market entrants or growth of existing market participant operations. We expect this variability to continue.
Other Revenue
Our other revenue represents revenue generated from the resale of point of sale hardware and labels. Other revenue decreased to $172,000 for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 from $200,000 for the nine months ended March 31, 2019, a decrease of $28,000, or 14%. Other revenue was 2% and 3% of total revenue for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 and March 31, 2019, respectively.
67
Cost of Revenue and Gross Profit
Our cost of revenue for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 was $4.5 million, an increase of $0.9 million, or 26%, as compared to cost of revenue for the nine months ended March 31, 2019 of $3.6 million. The increase compared to the prior nine-month period was primarily as a result of the costs incurred to service the new contract with the State of Utah, $0.9 million. With the reduction of professional services related to implementation and our exiting contracts’ transition to run and maintain mode, we expect these costs to decrease then level off in future periods. Direct labor costs associated with providing our consulting services increased by $0.1 million, while the increase in hosting and infrastructure costs associated with our Software business accounted for $0.2 million of total increase in cost of revenue. Infrastructure costs have increased primarily due to our investment for future growth, we expect to realize incremental per customer cost savings from this investment in the next fiscal year. The overall increase in cost of revenue was partially offset by a decrease of $0.3 million as a result of a change in third-party subcontractor costs related to our contract with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We intend to continue to invest additional resources in our enterprise software group to facilitate the adoption of our services. The timing of these expenses will affect our cost of revenues, both in terms of absolute dollars and as a percentage of revenues in future periods.
Our gross profit for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 was $5.1 million, an increase of $1.5 million, or 40%, as compared to gross profit for the nine months ended March 31, 2019 of $3.7 million. Our gross profit margin for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 was 53.4%, an increase of 270 basis points as compared to gross profit margin for the nine months ended March 31, 2019 of 50.7%. The increase compared to the prior nine-month period was primarily as a result of increased consulting revenue and the minimal marginal cost to provide these services.
Because some of the applications and services available through the Leaf Data System are provided through relationships with third-party service providers, the costs are higher than those allocated from our employees’ salaries to support our MJ Platform and consulting contracts. Therefore, the gross profit margins from the government contracts are generally lower than those from our commercial software clients. Total costs of government revenues incurred by us, which are included in cost of revenues on the statement of operations, was $2.2 million and $1.6 million during the nine months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Operating Expenses
The following table presents operating expense line items for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 and the period-over-period dollar and percentage changes for those line items:
Nine months ended |
||||||||||||||||||
2020 |
% of |
2019 |
% of |
Change |
||||||||||||||
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Product development |
$ |
4,024,743 |
42 |
% |
$ |
2,877,869 |
40 |
% |
$ |
1,146,874 |
40 |
% |
||||||
Selling, general and administrative |
|
13,881,055 |
145 |
% |
|
7,440,115 |
103 |
% |
|
6,440,940 |
87 |
% |
||||||
Total operating expenses |
$ |
17,905,798 |
187 |
% |
$ |
10,317,984 |
143 |
% |
$ |
7,587,814 |
74 |
% |
Our operating expenses increased to $17.9 million for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 from $10.3 million for the nine months ended March 31, 2019, an increase of $7.6 million, or 74%. The increase in operating expenses was driven by higher selling, general and administrative expenses, an increase of $6.4 million, or 87%, in addition to higher product development expenses, an increase of $1.1 million, or 40%.
Salary expenses for product development functions, excluding product development salaries for Solo, increased by $0.7 million, or 25%, which includes $0.1 million of stock-based compensation recognized during the nine months ended March 31, 2020 that was not incurred in 2019. Product development costs also increased $0.3 million as a result of our January 2020 acquisition of the controlling interest in Solo. Other product development costs increased by $0.2 million for the nine months ended March 31, 2020, primarily related to recruiting costs. Our investments in product development were made to improve and extend our service offerings and develop new technologies. We expect that such costs will continue to increase in absolute dollars and may increase as a percentage of revenues in
68
future periods as we continue to invest in additional employees and technology to support the development of new, and improve existing, technologies and the integration of acquired technologies.
Selling, general and administrative expenses include sales and marketing expenses, including personnel costs, related to our marketing initiatives including payments to partners and marketing programs; general and administrative functions, such as executives, finance and other supporting departments; transaction related costs; professional fees; and facilities expenses. Changes in selling, general and administrative expenses for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 as compared to 2019 were as follows:
• $1.6 million increase in acquisition related costs associated primarily with our acquisitions of Solo in January 2020, Trellis in April 2020 and Ample, planned for the summer for 2020, this increase was partially offset by a $0.4 million decrease in costs incurred in connection with the Mergers in June 2019;
• $0.2 million increase due to the addition of Solo’s selling general and administrative expenses;
• $1.2 million, or 48%, increase in sales and marketing expense primarily due to higher personnel costs including $0.2 million of stock-based compensation for 2020;
• $1.1 million increase in general and administrative personnel costs, $0.5 million of this increase is attributable to stock-based compensation; and
• $2.8 million increase in other general and administrative costs, primarily as a result of our investments in technology and other infrastructure to position ourselves for future growth and the cost of operating as a public company.
Results of Operations for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 Compared to Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
The following table highlights the various sources of revenues and expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2020 as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2019:
Three months ended |
||||||||
2020 |
2019 |
|||||||
Revenues: |
|
|
|
|
||||
Software |
$ |
2,346,310 |
|
$ |
2,024,916 |
|
||
Consulting |
|
692,584 |
|
|
216,897 |
|
||
Other |
|
31,652 |
|
|
86,067 |
|
||
Total Revenue |
|
3,070,546 |
|
|
2,327,880 |
|
||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Cost of revenues |
|
1,420,909 |
|
|
1,166,482 |
|
||
Gross Profit |
|
1,649,637 |
|
|
1,161,398 |
|
||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
||||
Product development: |
|
1,632,353 |
|
|
1,001,394 |
|
||
Selling, general and administrative |
|
5,500,837 |
|
|
2,663,171 |
|
||
Total operating expenses |
|
7,133,190 |
|
|
3,664,565 |
|
||
Other income |
|
33,398 |
|
|
13,064 |
|
||
Net loss |
$ |
(5,450,155 |
) |
$ |
(2,490,103 |
) |
Total Revenue
Total revenue increased to $3.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 from $2.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019, an increase of $0.7 million, or 32%. The increase in total revenue was achieved across all our products. The increase in total revenue was driven by growth achieved across our commercial software business, MJ Platform, in addition to our consulting business, and our government regulatory software business, Leaf Data Systems.
69
Software Revenue
Our total software revenue increased to $2.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 from $2.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019, an increase of $0.3 million, or 16%. Total software revenue accounted for 76% and 87% of total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The increase in software revenue was primarily driven by 11% growth in revenue from MJ Platform. This increase in software revenue was primarily the result of volume-driven increases from new business, which includes new customers, upgrades and additional subscriptions from existing customers. We continue to invest in a variety of customer programs and initiatives which, along with increasing adoption, have helped keep our attrition rate consistent as compared to the prior year. Consistent attrition rates play a role in our ability to maintain growth in our subscription revenues. Changes in the net price per user per month have not been a significant driver of revenue growth for the periods presented. Our software revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2020 was not significantly impacted by COVID-19, in most jurisdictions our customers were deemed “essential businesses” and continued operations. Revenue recognition for new customers in our pipeline may be delayed if the timing of implementation and onboarding is negatively impacted in future periods. The significance of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our business and the duration for which it may have an impact cannot be determined at this time.
Software revenues generated from government customers under Leaf Data Systems increased by $0.2 million as a result of our contract with the State of Utah, which commenced in August 2019.
Consulting Revenue
Our consulting revenue includes revenue generated from consulting professional services delivered to prospective and current cannabis, hemp and CBD businesses and business operators. Our consulting revenue was $0.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to $0.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019, for an increase of $0.5 million, or 219%. The increase was driven by a higher volume of consulting activities and engagements during the period as we continue to experience strong demand for our consulting services in emerging states. Further, during the three-month period ended March 31, 2020, we serviced a large contract with a Midwest-based client for the preparation, completion and delivery of operational license applications for a portfolio of cultivation facilities. Consulting services are correlated to state legalizations and other regulatory expansion activity. As a result, individual period-over-period comparisons may experience variability depending on the timing of recent legislative changes. During the COVID-19 outbreak, state legislatures have turned their focus to the pandemic, tabling work on cannabis legislation. The significance of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our business and the duration for which it may have an impact cannot be determined at this time.
Consulting revenue was 23% and 9% of total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Due to the nature of consulting revenue and our dependence on emerging market activity as a driver of demand, the months in which we recognize consulting revenue has varied from period to period depending on whether state legislation has expanded to allow new market entrants or growth of existing market participant operations. We expect this variability to continue in future periods.
Other Revenue
Our other revenue represents revenue generated from the resale of point of sale hardware and labels. Other revenue decreased to $32,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2020 from $86,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2019, a decrease of $54,000, or 63%. Other revenue was 1% and 4% of total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and March 31, 2019, respectively.
Cost of Revenue and Gross Margin
Our cost of revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was $1.4 million, an increase of $0.3 million, or 22%, as compared to cost of revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2019 of $1.2 million. The increase compared to the prior year’s quarter was primarily as a result of the costs incurred to service the new contract with the State of Utah of $0.2 million. With the completion of professional services related to implementation and our existing contracts transition to run and maintain mode, these costs are expected to decrease and level off in future periods. Software hosting costs have increased due primarily to higher transaction volumes. We intend to continue to
70
invest additional resources in our enterprise software group to facilitate the adoption of our services. The timing of these expenses will affect our cost of revenues, both in terms of absolute dollars and as a percentage of revenues in future periods.
Our gross profit for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was $1.6 million, an increase of $0.5 million, or 42%, as compared to gross profit for the three months ended March 31, 2019 of $1.2 million. Our gross profit margin for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was 53.7%, an increase of 380 basis points as compared to gross profit margin for the three months ended March 31, 2019 of 49.9%. The increase compared to the three months ended March 31, 2019 was primarily as a result of increased consulting revenue and the minimal marginal cost to provide such services.
Because the applications and services available through the Leaf Data System are provided through relationships with third-party service providers, the costs are higher than those allocated from our employees’ salaries to support our MJ Platform and consulting contracts. Therefore, the gross profit margins from the government contracts are generally lower than those from our commercial software clients. Total costs of government revenues incurred by us, which are included in cost of revenues on the statement of operations, was $0.6 million and $0.5 million during the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Operating Expenses
The following table presents operating expense line items for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 and the period-over-period dollar and percentage changes for those line items:
Three Months Ended |
Change |
||||||||||||||
2020 |
2019 |
Period over Period |
|||||||||||||
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Salary expenses, excluding Solo |
$ |
1,042,008 |
|
$ |
981,318 |
|
$ |
60,690 |
|
6 |
% |
||||
Solo product development |
|
327,567 |
|
|
— |
|
|
327,567 |
|
nm |
|
||||
Other product development |
|
262,778 |
|
|
20,076 |
|
|
242,702 |
|
nm |
|
||||
Product development |
|
1,632,353 |
|
|
1,001,394 |
|
|
630,959 |
|
63 |
% |
||||
Percentage of revenue |
|
53 |
% |
|
43 |
% |
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Sales and marketing |
|
1,142,318 |
|
|
975,007 |
|
|
167,311 |
|
17 |
% |
||||
Solo selling, general and administrative |
|
198,208 |
|
|
— |
|
|
198,208 |
|
nm |
|
||||
General and administrative salaries |
|
1,735,749 |
|
|
1,159,060 |
|
|
576,689 |
|
50 |
% |
||||
Merger related costs |
|
— |
|
|
195,000 |
|
|
(195,000 |
) |
(100 |
)% |
||||
Acquisition related costs |
|
1,097,283 |
|
|
— |
|
|
1,097,283 |
|
nm |
|
||||
Other general and administrative |
|
1,327,279 |
|
|
334,104 |
|
|
993,175 |
|
297 |
% |
||||
Selling, general and administrative |
|
5,500,837 |
|
|
2,663,171 |
|
|
2,837,666 |
|
107 |
% |
||||
Percentage of revenue |
|
179 |
% |
|
114 |
% |
|
|
|
||||||
Total operating expenses |
$ |
7,133,190 |
|
$ |
3,664,565 |
|
$ |
3,468,625 |
|
95 |
% |
||||
Percentage of revenue |
|
232 |
% |
|
157 |
% |
|
|
|
Our operating expenses increased to $7.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 from $3.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019, an increase of $3.5 million, or 95%. The increase in operating expenses was driven by higher selling, general and administrative expenses, an increase of $2.8 million, or 107%, in addition to higher product development expenses, an increase of $0.6 million, or 63%.
Salary expenses for product development functions, excluding product development salaries for Solo, increased by $0.1 million, or 6%. Product development costs also increased $0.3 million as a result of our January 2020 acquisition of the controlling interest in Solo. Other product development costs increased by $0.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020, primarily related to recruiting costs. Our investments in product development were made to improve and extend our service offerings and develop new technologies. We expect that such costs will increase in absolute dollars and may increase as a percentage of revenues in future periods as we continue to invest in additional employees and technology to support the development of new, and improve existing, technologies and the integration of acquired technologies.
71
Selling, general and administrative expenses include sales and marketing expenses, including personnel costs, related to our marketing initiatives including payments to partners and marketing programs; general and administrative functions, such as executives, finance and other supporting departments; transaction related costs, professional fees; and facilities expenses. Changes in selling, general and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to 2019 were as follows:
• $1.1 million increase in acquisition related costs associated primarily with our acquisitions of Solo in January 2020, Trellis in April 2020 and Ample, planned for the summer for 2020, this increase was partially offset by a $0.2 million decrease in costs incurred in connection with the Mergers in June 2019;
• $0.2 million increase due to the addition of Solo’s selling, general and administrative expenses;
• $0.2 million, or 17%, increase in sales and marketing expenses primarily due to higher personnel costs;
• $0.6 million increase in general and administrative personnel costs, $0.3 million of this increase is attributable to stock-based compensation recognized in 2020; and
• $1.0 million increase in other general and administrative costs, primarily as a result of our investments in technology and other infrastructure to position ourselves for future growth and the cost of operating as a public company.
We plan to continue to invest in marketing and sales by expanding our domestic and international selling and marketing activities, building brand awareness, attracting new customers, and sponsoring additional marketing events. The timing of these marketing events will affect our marketing costs in a quarter. During the three months ended March 31, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of travel and participation in marketing events, which reduced costs slightly relative to 2019.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash Flows
Our cash and restricted cash balance were $14.8 million and $22.4 million as of March 31, 2020 and June 30, 2019, respectively. Cash flow information for the nine months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 is as follows:
Nine months ended |
||||||||
2020 |
2019 |
|||||||
Cash provided by (used in): |
|
|
|
|
||||
Operating activities |
$ |
(11,602,077 |
) |
$ |
(6,357,935 |
) |
||
Investing activities |
|
(202,281 |
) |
|
— |
|
||
Financing activities |
|
4,247,065 |
|
|
10,000,000 |
|
||
Net change in cash and restricted cash |
$ |
(7,557,293 |
) |
$ |
3,642,065 |
|
Net cash used in operating activities increased to $11.6 million during the nine months ended March 31, 2020, from $6.4 million during the nine months ended March 31, 2019, an increase of $5.2 million. Cash used in operating activities during the nine months ended March 31, 2020 was primarily driven by the net loss of $12.6 million.
Net cash used in investing activities was $0.2 million during the nine months ended March 31, 2020, due to $0.3 million used to acquire minority stake in Zol Solutions, Inc, partially offset by $0.1 million of cash and restricted cash acquired in our acquisition of the majority stake in Solo. Please see Notes 7 and 3 to the Akerna condensed consolidated financial statements included in this proxy statement for more information about our investments in Zol Solutions, Inc. and Solo, respectively.
Net cash provided by financing activities totaled $4.2 million during the nine months ended March 31, 2020 due to receipt of proceeds from warrants exercised during the period. Net cash provided by financing activities totaled $10 million during the nine months ended March 31, 2019 as a result of proceeds raised in MJF Series C financing in August 2018. Upon the consummation of the Mergers, the Series C Preferred Units issued in connection with the transaction were converted into shares of Akerna common stock
72
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of March 31, 2020, we had cash of $14.3 million, excluding restricted cash. We had a working capital balance of $13.1 million as of March 31, 2019, as compared to $21.8 million as of June 30, 2019.
Since our inception, we have incurred recurring operating losses, used cash from operations, and relied on capital raising transactions to continue ongoing operations. Although we have continuing negative cash flow from operations, the cash outflow since the Mergers is partially attributable to approximately $1.8 million in costs incurred in connection with specific transactions, including the Mergers and acquisitions completed or expected to close within the next twelve months. The transaction costs we expect to occur over the next twelve months are far less than the costs incurred during the nine months ended March 31, 2020. In addition, we are implementing a cost reduction plan during the fourth quarter 2020 that we expect to reduce recurring operating expenses between $2 million and $3 million annually. We anticipate our current cash will be sufficient to meet the working capital requirements for the next twelve months. From time to time, we may pursue various strategic business opportunities. These opportunities may include investment in or ownership of additional technology companies through direct investments, acquisitions, joint ventures and other arrangements. We can provide no assurance that we will successfully identify such opportunities or that, if we identify and pursue any of these opportunities, any of them will be consummated. Consequently, we may raise additional equity or debt capital or enter into arrangements to secure necessary financing to fund the completion of such strategic business opportunities, although no assurance can be provided that we will be successful in completing a future capital raise. The sale of additional equity could result in additional dilution to our existing stockholders, and financing arrangements may not be available to us, or may not be available in sufficient amounts or on acceptable terms. Our future operating performance will be subject to future economic conditions and to financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. See “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019 for a discussion of the risks related to our liquidity and capital structure.
Convertible Note Transaction
On June 8, 2020, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “SPA”) with two institutional investors (each a “Holder” and collectively the “Holders”) to sell a new series of senior secured convertible notes (the “Convertible Notes”) of the Company in a private placement (the “Private Placement”) to the Holders, in the aggregate principal amount of $17,000,000 having an aggregate original issue discount of 12%, and ranking senior to all outstanding and future indebtedness of the Company.
The Convertible Notes were sold on June 9, 2020 with an original issue discount pursuant to which the Holders paid $880 per each $1,000 in principal amount of the Convertible Notes and do not bear interest except upon the occurrence of an event of default.
The Company will use the proceeds from the sale of the Convertible Notes for general corporate purposes, but not, as covenanted in the SPA, directly or indirectly, for (i) the satisfaction of any indebtedness of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) the redemption or repurchase of any securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iii) the settlement of any outstanding litigation.
The Convertible Notes mature on June 1, 2023, are payable by the Company in installments and are convertible at the election of the Holders as more fully described below.
Under the terms of the Convertible Notes, the Convertible Notes are convertible at any time, in whole or in part, at the option of the holders thereof, into shares of common stock at a rate equal to the amount of principal, interest (if any) and unpaid late charges (if any), divided by a conversion price of $11.50.
The SPA contains customary representations and warranties of the Holders and the Company regarding the purchase and offer and sale of the Notes.
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The Convertible Notes
Maturity and Repayment Dates
The Convertible Notes mature (the “Maturity Date”) on June 1, 2023.
Under the terms of the Convertible Notes, the Convertible Notes are convertible at any time, in whole or in part, at the option of the holders thereof, into shares of common stock at a rate equal to the amount of principal, interest (if any) and unpaid late charges (if any), divided by a conversion price of $11.50.
The principal amount is payable in monthly installments beginning on October 1, 2020. Unless deferred by the holder, on installment dates from October 1, 2020 through, and including, January 4, 2021, $500,000 in principal amount will be payable, (y) with respect to the installment dates from, and including, February 1, 2021 through, and including, June 1, 2021, $825,000 in principal amount will be payable and (z) with respect to installment dates from, and including, July 1, 2021 through, and including, the earlier of the repayment of the Principal and the Maturity Date, $1,000,000 in principal amount will be payable. The Company may not prepay any portion of the principal amount nor interest, if any.
Interest
The Convertible Notes are being sold with an original issue discount and do not bear interest except upon the occurrence of an Event of Default (described below), in which event the applicable rate will be 15.00% per annum.
Conversion
The Convertible Notes are convertible at any time in whole or in part, at the option of the holders thereof, into shares of the common stock at a rate equal to the amount of principal, interest (if any) and unpaid late charges (if any), divided by a conversion price of $11.50 (the “Conversion Price”). The Conversion Price is subject to standard adjustments in the event of any stock split, stock dividend, stock combination, recapitalization or other similar transaction.
In connection with the occurrence of Events of Default, the holders of the Convertible Notes will be entitled to convert all or any portion of the Convertible Notes at an alternate conversion price equal to the lower of (i) the conversion price then in effect, and (ii) 80% of the lower of (x) the VWAP of the common stock as of the Trading Day immediately preceding the applicable date of determination and (y) the quotient of (A) the sum of the VWAP of the common stock for each of the two (2) Trading Days with the lowest VWAP of the common stock during the ten (10) consecutive Trading Day period ending and including the Trading Day immediately prior to the applicable date of determination, divided by (B) two (2), but not less than the Floor Price.
Conversion Limitation and Exchange Cap
The holders of the Convertible Notes will not have the right to convert any portion of the Convertible Notes, to the extent that, after giving effect to such conversion, such Holder (together with certain related parties) would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% of the shares of the common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such conversion. A holder may from time to time increase this limit to 9.99%, provided that any such increase will not be effective until the 61st day after delivery of a notice to the Company of such increase.
In addition, the Convertible Notes shall not be convertible to the extent the conversion would result in the Company issuing more shares of common stock than permitted under the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market until such time as the Company shall have obtained stockholder approval.
Under the SPA, among other things, the Company agreed to hold a stockholder meeting, by no later than November 30, 2020 to approve resolutions authorizing the issuance of shares of common stock under the Convertible Notes for the purposes of compliance with the stockholder approval rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market. If such approval is not received by November 30, 2020 the Company will be obligated to continue to seek stockholder approval by February 28, 2021 and every three months thereafter until such approval is obtained.
Events of Default
The Convertible Notes are subject to certain customary events of default.
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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of March 31, 2020, we did not have any relationships with unconsolidated organizations or financial partnerships, such as structured finance or special purpose entities that would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes.
Ample Organics Inc.
629 Eastern Avenue, Building B
Canada, Toronto, ON, M4M 1E4
Telephone: (866) 691-8407
Ample was incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) on August 1, 2014. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Ample is a technology provider for cannabis businesses with a focus on providing solutions to Canadian LPs and other cannabis producers outside of Canada operating in accordance with applicable laws, to ensure cannabis cultivation operations remain compliant with the applicable regulatory landscape. Ample’s seed-to-sale platform allows cultivators to track and report every stage of their cannabis growing operations, production, and sales processes by implementing unique workflows and methods to ensure that traceability identifiers are attached to various entities at every stage of production and sale. Furthermore, the Ample technology provides insight and control for regulators by generating mandatory compliance reports on inventory, patients, physicians, and any other details required within a specific regulatory jurisdiction.
Ample currently has 74 full-time employees and provides services to over 120 LPs and 5 other licensed cannabis producers in Colombia, Jamaica, New Zealand, and Australia. Ample was a Deloitte FAST50 Company to Watch in 2018, placed 9th on the Deloitte FAST50 in 2019, and was ranked the 19th Top Growing Company in Canada by the Globe and Mail in 2019. Additionally, Ample is Service Organization Control (SOC) Type 2 certified.
In December 2018, Ample acquired Last Call Analytics (“LCA”), a retail analytics platform designed for the beverage alcohol industry, with a focus on allowing its customers to use data to empower retail operations and generate revenue growth. The platform ingests sales and product data from a wide variety of sources, normalizes and homogenizes the dataset, and displays the resultant analysis in a proprietary application. With the underlying technologies built by LCA, Ample has created AmpleData, a retail analytics platform for the cannabis industry that applies the same proven solution to data streams ingested from various points within the regulated supply chain.
The Ample Organics suite of products also includes:
• AmpleCentral — a government reporting and tracking solution that uses proprietary tags to identify cannabis plants, biomass, and products as they move through the possession of various license holders within the supply chain, and ultimately, to patients or consumers. The software serves as the system of record within a jurisdiction, through which, every licensee must report their compliance information.
• AmpleExchange — a software product designed to conduct the wholesale exchange of cannabis, accessories, and cannabis derivative products through a defined procurement process between producers, distributors, and retailers.
• AmplePayments — an exclusive payment processing offering that, through partnerships with leading payment providers and financial institutions, provides credit card processing, electronic funds transfers, and PayPal merchant integration within the Ample Organics E-Commerce platform used by LPs across Canada.
• AmpleCare — an API-first middleware solution that allows for the submission of both patient registration documents and medical documents in a secure electronic format to LPs using the Ample Organics seed-to-sale platform. This product enables clinics and healthcare practitioners to prescribe and register their patients directly from their clinic management or electronic medical record software in minutes instead of days.
• AmpleLearn — a dynamic education and training platform designed to educate and onboard personnel working within a licensed cannabis company. Additionally, the platform and course content have been adopted by post-secondary institutions in Canada to be used when training students for a career in the cannabis industry.
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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Ample’s Financial Condition, Results of Operations, Properties and Other Information
The purpose of this Management’s Discussion and Analysis [“MD&A”] is to provide the reader with an overview of the consolidated financial position, operating results, and cash flows of Ample Organics Inc. [the “Company” or “Ample”] for the three-month periods ending March 31, 2020 and 2019 and the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018. This MD&A should be read in conjunction with the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, and the notes related thereto [the “Quarterly Financial Statements”] and the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, and the notes related thereto [the “Annual Financial Statements”].
This MD&A is presented as of June 11, 2020 and is current to that date unless otherwise stated. The financial information presented in this MD&A is derived from the Company’s Annual Financial Statements which were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards [“IFRS”] as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. All amounts are in Canadian dollars ($) except where otherwise indicated.
This MD&A contains forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on a number of opinions, estimates and assumptions that Ample considered appropriate and reasonable as of the date such statements are made, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to the risk factors described below. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, prospective investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, which speaks only as of the date made.
Overview
Ample Organics Inc. (“Ample”) was incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) on August 1, 2014. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Ample is a technology provider for cannabis businesses with a focus on providing solutions to licensed producers under the Cannabis Act (Canada) (“LPs”) and other cannabis producers outside of Canada operating in accordance with applicable federal laws, to ensure cannabis cultivation operations remain compliant with the applicable regulatory landscape.
Ample’s seed-to-sale platform allows cultivators to track and report every stage of their cannabis growing operations, production, and sales processes by implementing unique workflows and methods to ensure that traceability identifiers are attached to various entities at every stage of production and sale. Furthermore, the Ample technology provides insight and control for regulators by generating mandatory compliance reports on inventory, patients, physicians, and any other details required within a specific regulatory jurisdiction. Ample currently has 74 full-time employees and provides services to over 120 LPs and 5 other licensed cannabis producers in Colombia, Jamaica, New Zealand, and Australia.
In December 2018, Ample acquired Last Call Analytics (“LCA”), a retail analytics platform designed for the beverage alcohol industry, with a focus on allowing its customers to use data to empower retail operations and generate revenue growth. The platform ingests sales and product data from a wide variety of sources, normalizes and homogenizes the dataset, and displays the resultant analysis in a proprietary application. With the underlying technologies built by LCA, Ample has created AmpleData, a retail analytics platform for the cannabis industry that applies the same proven solution to data streams ingested from various points within the regulated supply chain.
The Ample Organics suite of products also includes:
a) AmpleCentral — a government reporting and tracking solution that uses proprietary tags to identify cannabis plants, biomass, and products as they move through the possession of various license holders within the supply chain, and ultimately, to patients or consumers. The software serves as the system of record within a jurisdiction, through which, every licensee must report their compliance information.
b) AmpleExchange — a software product designed to conduct the wholesale exchange of cannabis, accessories, and cannabis derivative products through a defined procurement process between LPs, distributors, and retailers.
76
c) AmplePayments — an exclusive payment processing offering that, through partnership with leading payment providers and financial institutions, provides credit card processing, electronic funds transfers, and PayPal merchant integration within the Ample Organics E-Commerce platform used by LPs across Canada.
d) AmpleCare — an API-first middleware solution that allows for the submission of both patient registration documents and medical documents in a secure electronic format to LPs using the Ample Organics seed-to-sale platform. This product enables clinics and healthcare practitioners to prescribe and register their patients directly from their clinic management or electronic medical record software in minutes instead of days.
e) AmpleLearn — a dynamic education and training platform designed to educate and onboard personnel working within a licensed cannabis company. Additionally, the platform and course content have been adopted by post-secondary institutions in Canada to be used when training students for a career in the cannabis industry.
Ample generates revenue primarily from the sale of its platform, which is sold on the basis of a monthly subscription fee and which is typically prepaid on a monthly basis. Ample offers its customers the flexibility to choose annual or multi-year contract terms, resulting in a relatively smooth revenue curve with good visibility into near-term revenue growth. Ample typically enter into subscription agreements its customers, with pricing based on the number of end users in the customer’s organization and the number of modules requested by the customer. Ample’s goal is to continue to grow revenues arising from its existing customer base as well as adding new subscription customers to its platform. Ample’s business does not have significant seasonal attributes.
Summary of Factors Affecting Ample’s Performance
Ample believes that the growth and future success the company’s business depends on many factors, including those described below. While each of these factors presents significant opportunities for the business, they also pose important challenges, some of which are discussed below.
Market adoption of Ample’s SaaS platform
Ample intends to continue to drive adoption of its SaaS platform by scaling its solutions to meet the needs of both new and existing customers of all types and sizes. Ample believes that there is significant potential to increase penetration of its total addressable market and attract new customers. Ample plans to do this by further developing its products and services as well as continuing to invest in marketing strategies tailored to attract new businesses to its platform, both in its existing geographies and new markets around the world. Ample plans to continue to invest in its platform to expand its customer base and drive market adoption. The success of its operations may fluctuate as Ample makes these investments.
Up-selling with existing customers
Ample’s existing customers represent a significant opportunity to up-sell additional functionality with limited incremental sales and marketing expense. Ample plans to continually invest in product development and sales and marketing to add additional solutions to its platform as well as increase the usage and awareness of its platform. Ample’s future revenue growth and its ability to achieve and maintain profitability is dependent upon its ability to maintain existing customer relationships and to continue to expand its customers’ use of Ample’s platform.
Scaling Ample’s sales and marketing team
Ample’s ability to achieve significant growth in future revenue will largely depend upon the effectiveness of its sales and marketing efforts. The majority of Ample’s sales and marketing efforts are accomplished in-house and Ample believes the strength of its sales and marketing team is critical to its success. Ample has invested, and intend to continue to invest meaningfully, in the expansion of its sales force and consequently, Ample anticipates that its headcount will continue to increase as a result of these investments.
77
Key Components of Results of Operations
Ample has always been operated and managed as a single economic entity, notwithstanding the fact that it has operations in multiple countries. There is one management team that directs the activities of all aspects of the company and it is managed centrally. As a result, Ample believes that it has one reporting segment, being the consolidated company. Over time, this may change as the company grows and when this occurs Ample will reflect the change in its reporting practice.
Revenue
Ample provides seed to sale compliance software for the licensed entities under the Cannabis Act in Canada. Ample’s product portfolio address the growing demand for smart technology in the new and highly regulated cannabis industry.
Ample generates revenue from the following two primary sources:
• Recurring Subscriptions to Ample’s Platform and Related Products. Ample’s customers enter into agreements that provide for recurring subscription fees. The majority of the customer agreements currently being entered into have a term of one year and is non-cancelable or cancelable with penalty. All the customer agreements generally automatically renew on a month-to-month basis unless cancelled by customers or a new contract is signed. Subscription revenue per contract will vary depending upon the particular products that each customer subscribes for, the number and type of users intended to utilize the platform and the term of the agreement. Subscription revenue is typically recognized evenly over the life of a contract, commencing on the in-service date and terminating on the end date of the agreement.
• Professional Services. Ample’s clients generally require support in implementing its product. This support can include system integration, application integration, user training and any required process-change analysis. Normally, these services are purchased at the same time as the original customer agreement is completed. When customer agreements are renewed, there is not typically a need for additional professional services so as overall revenue increases over time, the percentage of revenue that is generated from professional services will decrease. Revenues derived from professional services are recognized over the term that the service is provided and proportionately to the work performed.
Cost of Sales
Cost of sales is comprised of costs of the cloud-based infrastructure and monitoring related to hosting its platform and related products as well as the delivery of professional services. Significant expenses included in cost of sales include employee wages and benefits expenses as well as hardware and software costs.
Operating Expenses
Our primary operating expenses are as follows:
• General and administrative. General and administrative expenses are comprised primarily of employee salaries and benefits expenses for its administrative, finance, legal and human resources teams, consulting and professional fees, and general office and administrative expenses. As the Company grows, Ample expects that general and administrative expenses will decrease as a percentage of revenue.
• Sales and marketing. Sales and marketing expenses are comprised primarily of employee salaries and benefits related to its sales and marketing teams. To implement its growth strategy, Ample intends to continue to grow its sales and marketing teams. As the Company continues to grow, Ample expects sales and marketing expenses to increase, while these expenses may fluctuate from year to year, consistent with its overall growth.
78
• Research and development. Research and development expenses are comprised primarily of employee salaries and benefits related to its research and development team, consulting and professional fees, and outsourced software development costs. Ample’s research and development team is focused on both continuous improvement in its existing platform, as well as developing new product modules and features. In the immediate future, as Ample’s growth continues, Ample expects its research and development costs to increase proportionately. However, over time Ample believes it is reasonable to expect that they would decline as a percentage of revenue.
• Share-based compensation. Share-based compensation expenses are comprised of the value of stock options granted to employees expensed over the vesting period of the options.
• Depreciation and amortization. Depreciation expense primarily relates to depreciation on intangibles, property and equipment and right-of-use assets. Property and equipment are comprised of leasehold improvements, furniture and equipment, and computer hardware. Right-of-use asset relates to the adoption of IFRS 16 on January 1, 2019 which requires all major leases to be recognized on the statement of financial position.
Other Expenses
• Finance costs. These costs include interest on short-term debt and lease liabilities, as well as transaction costs for and loss on modification of short-term debt.
• Loss on change in fair value of preferred share liabilities. This relates to the change in the fair value of preferred shares and warrants convertible into preferred shares that fluctuate with the estimated value of the Company’s common shares and the number of common shares and preferred shares outstanding.
• Other expense. In 2019, other expense relates to an impairment loss on a financial asset that is expected to be other than temporary.
Review of Operations for the Three-Month Periods Ended March 31, 2020 and 2019
Three months ended March 31, |
2020 |
2019 |
Change |
Change |
||||||||
Revenue |
1,874,726 |
|
1,715,983 |
|
158,743 |
|
9 |
% |
||||
Cost of sales |
708,466 |
|
1,085,636 |
|
(377,170 |
) |
-35 |
% |
||||
Gross profit |
1,166,260 |
|
630,347 |
|
535,913 |
|
85 |
% |
||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
General and administrative expenses |
738,965 |
|
869,992 |
|
(131,027 |
) |
-15 |
% |
||||
Sales and marketing |
375,861 |
|
578,330 |
|
(202,469 |
) |
-35 |
% |
||||
Research and development |
850,080 |
|
2,280,974 |
|
(1,430,894 |
) |
-63 |
% |
||||
Share-based compensation |
134,867 |
|
120,820 |
|
14,047 |
|
12 |
% |
||||
Depreciation and amortization |
260,581 |
|
246,097 |
|
14,484 |
|
6 |
% |
||||
Finance costs |
308,841 |
|
111,598 |
|
197,243 |
|
177 |
% |
||||
Loss on fair value of preferred share liabilities |
— |
|
1,816,139 |
|
(1,816,139 |
) |
-100 |
% |
||||
Deferred income tax recovery |
(21,984 |
) |
(25,367 |
) |
3,383 |
|
-13 |
% |
||||
Net loss and comprehensive loss for the year |
(1,480,951 |
) |
(5,368,236 |
) |
3,887,285 |
|
-72 |
% |
The following discussion includes an explanation of the primary factors in changes in operations for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 and 2019.
Revenue
Revenue was $1,874,726 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020, an increase of $158,743 or 9% compared to $1,715,983 for the same period in 2019. For the three-months ended March 31, 2020, revenue from recurring subscriptions was $1,477,671, professional services was $198,432, and hardware and other services was $198,623 (2019 — $911,039, $203,965 and $600,979, respectively). The increase was primarily attributable to revenue from new customers, largely new LPs, and the associated professional services provided for new subscriptions.
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Cost of Sales/Gross Profit
2020 |
2019 |
Change |
Change |
||||||||
Cost of sales |
708,466 |
|
1,085,636 |
|
(377,170 |
) |
-35% |
||||
Gross profit |
1,166,260 |
|
630,347 |
|
535,913 |
|
85% |
||||
Gross profit as a percentage of revenue |
62 |
% |
37 |
% |
|
For the three-month ended March 31, 2020, direct costs were $708,466, a decrease of $377,170 or 35% compared to $1,085,636 for the same period in 2019. The decrease was primarily the result of the lower customer service and operations personnel cost required to support the increase in revenue achieved as well as the transition of Company’s infrastructure from on-client premises to cloud hosting in 2019.
Gross profit, being revenue less cost of sales, increased by $535,913 or 85% to $1,166,260 for the three months ended March 31, 2020 from $630,347 for the same period in 2019. The increase in gross profit as a percentage of revenue from 37% in 2019 to 62% in 2020 was primarily due to the transition of the Company’s infrastructure from on-client premises to cloud hosting in 2019. As the Company realizes the benefits of scale in its infrastructure cost structure, Ample anticipates that it will realize improved gross profit as a percentage of revenue.
Operating Expenses
2020 |
2019 |
Change |
Change |
|||||||||
General and administrative expenses |
738,965 |
|
869,992 |
|
(131,027 |
) |
-15 |
% |
||||
Sales and marketing |
375,861 |
|
578,330 |
|
(202,469 |
) |
-35 |
% |
||||
Research and development |
850,080 |
|
2,280,974 |
|
(1,430,894 |
) |
-63 |
% |
||||
Share-based compensation |
134,867 |
|
120,820 |
|
14,047 |
|
12 |
% |
||||
Depreciation and amortization |
260,581 |
|
246,097 |
|
14,484 |
|
6 |
% |
||||
Total operating expenses |
2,360,354 |
|
4,096,213 |
|
(1,735,859 |
) |
-42 |
% |
||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
(as a percentage of revenue) |
|
|
|
|
||||||||
General and administrative expenses |
39 |
% |
51 |
% |
|
|
||||||
Sales and marketing |
20 |
% |
34 |
% |
|
|
||||||
Research and development |
45 |
% |
133 |
% |
|
|
||||||
Share-based compensation |
7 |
% |
7 |
% |
|
|
||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
14 |
% |
14 |
% |
|
|
||||||
Total operating expenses |
126 |
% |
239 |
% |
|
|
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses decreased by $131,027 or 15% to $738,965 for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to $869,992 for the same period in 2019. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in personnel required to support the Company’s growing operations. General and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenue decreased from 51% in 2019 to 39% in 2020 as a result of the decrease.
Sales and Marketing Expenses
Sales and marketing expenses decreased by $202,469 or 35% to $375,861 for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to $578,330 for the same period in 2019. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in the number of employees to support the growing business, as well as decreased international sales efforts. Sales and marketing as a percentage of revenue decreased from 34% in 2019 to 20% in 2020 as a result of the decrease.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses decreased by $1,430,894 or 63% to $850,080 for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to $2,280,974 for the same period in 2019. The decrease was primarily attributable to the Company’s reduced focus on maintaining and improving its platform and developing related new products. Research and development expenses as a percentage of revenue dropped from 133% in 2019 to 45% due to the decrease.
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Share-based Compensation
Share-based compensation expense increased by $14,047 or 12% to $134,867 for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to $120,820 for the same period in 2019. The increase was primarily attributable to additional stock options granted later in 2019 at higher fair values. Share-based compensation as a percentage of revenue remained consistent between 2019 and 2020.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation expense increased by 14,484 or 6% to $260,581 for the three months ended March 31, 2020, compared to $246,097 for the same period in 2019. The increase was primarily attributable to the depreciation of new additions to property and equipment made subsequent to March 31, 2019. Depreciation and amortization as a percentage of revenue remained consistent between 2019 and 2020.
Non-operating Items
2020 |
2019 |
Change |
Change |
|||||||||
Finance costs |
308,841 |
|
111,599 |
|
197,242 |
|
177 |
% |
||||
Loss on fair value of preferred share liabilities |
— |
|
1,816,139 |
|
(1,816,139 |
) |
-100 |
% |
||||
Deferred income tax recovery |
(21,984 |
) |
(25,367 |
) |
3,383 |
|
-13 |
% |
Finance Costs
Finance costs were $308,841 for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to $111,599 for the same period in 2019. The increase was primarily attributable to the interest on short-term debt entered into subsequent to March 31, 2019.
Loss on Fair Value of Preferred Share Liabilities
The Company’s preferred shares and warrants convertible into preferred shares are accounted for as financial liabilities since they are convertible into a variable number of common shares dependent on antidilution provisions. As such, they are recorded at their fair value every period end, with the changes in fair value reflected in the statement of loss and comprehensive loss. The loss on fair value of preferred share liabilities of $nil for the three months ended March 31, 2020 is a result of the no change in the fair value of the preferred share liabilities since December 31, 2020. The loss on fair value of preferred share liabilities was $1,816,139 for the three months ended March 31, 2019 due to the increase in the fair value of the preferred share liabilities.
Selected Annual Information
Three months ended March 31, |
2020 |
2019 |
Change |
Change |
|||||||
Revenue |
1,874,726 |
|
1,715,983 |
|
158,743 |
9 |
% |
||||
Net loss |
(1,480,951 |
) |
(5,368,236 |
) |
3,887,285 |
-72 |
% |
March 31, |
December 31, 2019 |
Change |
Change |
|||||||
Total assets |
13,190,831 |
13,403,618 |
(212,787 |
) |
-2 |
% |
||||
Total current liabilities |
8,320,856 |
7,209,571 |
1,111,285 |
|
15 |
% |
||||
Total non-current liabilities |
17,120,130 |
17,098,118 |
22,012 |
|
0 |
% |
See “Results of Operations for the Three-Months Period Ended March 31, 2020 and 2019” in this MD&A for a more detailed discussion of the period-over-period changes in revenue and net loss.
81
Total Assets
Total assets decreased $212,787 or 2% from December 31, 2019 to March 31, 2020 primarily due to $260,581 of depreciation and amortization recorded for the period, while there were no additions to right-of-use assets, property and equipment, and intangible assets during the period. In addition, prepaid expenses decreased by $100,987 which was offset by an increase in cash of $157,960.
Total Current Liabilities
Total current liabilities increased $1,111,285 or 15% from December 31, 2019 to March 31, 2020 primarily due to a $1,033,243 increase in short-term debt to fund the Company’s growth.
Total Non-current Liabilities
Total non-current liabilities increased $22,012 or 0% from December 31, 2019 to March 31, 2020 primarily due to the issuance of 81,600 warrants exercisable for Class A-3 preferred shares resulting from the issuance of short-term debt during the period offset by the reduction of lease liability as payments for the period were made and a reduction in deferred tax liability.
Liquidity, Capital Resources and Financing
Overview
The general objectives of Ample’s capital management strategy are to preserve its capacity to continue operating, provide benefits to its stakeholders and provide an adequate return on investment to its shareholders by selling the company’s platform and services at a price that is commensurate with the level of operating risk assumed by Ample. Ample thus determines the total amount of capital required consistent with risk levels. This capital structure is adjusted on a timely basis depending on changes in the economic environment and risks of the underlying assets.
Working Capital
Our primary source of cash flow is revenue from operations of $1.9 million and capital raises for short-term debt financing totalling $1 million since December 31, 2019. Ample’s approach to managing liquidity is to ensure, to the extent possible, that the company always has sufficient liquidity to meet its liabilities as they become due.
Working capital deficiency as at March 31, 2020 was $5.4 million. On December 18, 2019, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Akerna Corp. (“Akerna”) whereby Akerna will acquire all issued and outstanding shares of the Company for up to $60.0 million (US$45.6 million). The purchase consideration consists of $7.5 million in cash (US$5.7 million) and $42.5 million (US$32.3 million) in Akerna shares on close, as well as contingent consideration of up to $10.0 million (US$7.6 million) in deferred share-based consideration upon the Company’s achievement of certain revenue targets in 2020. The transaction is expected to close in mid-2020. The Company expects the transaction to provide sufficient funding to meet its objectives stated above.
In the event that the Akerna Transaction does not close, the Company is dependent on raising further capital in the form of equity, debt, or instruments convertible into equity to fund its capital and operating expenses in excess of revenue until such time that it reaches cash break-even. While the Company has successfully raised capital in the past, there can be no assurance that the Company will be successful in raising additional funds in the future.
82
Cash Flows
The following table presents cash and cash equivalents as at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, and cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2020 and 2019:
March 31, |
December 31, |
|||
Cash |
1,144,834 |
986,874 |
Three months ended March 31, |
2020 |
2019 |
||||
Net cash provided by (used in): |
|
|
||||
Operating activities |
(634,524 |
) |
(2,809,083 |
) |
||
Investing activities |
— |
|
(97,727 |
) |
||
Financing activities |
792,484 |
|
2,550,903 |
|
||
Net increase (decrease) in cash |
157,960 |
|
(355,907 |
) |
Cash Flows Used in Operating Activities
Cash flows used in operating activities for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was $634,524 compared to $2,809,083 for the same period in 2019. The decrease in cash flows used in operating activities was primarily the result of a decrease in net loss to fund the growth of the Company in the year.
Cash Flows Used in Investing Activities
Cash flows used in investing activities was $nil for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to $97,727 of cash used for the same period in 2019. The decrease was due to no purchases of property and equipment for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
Cash Flows Provided by Financing Activities
Cash flows provided by financing activities was $792,484 for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to $2,550,903 for the same period in 2019. The decrease was driven by lower cash flows provided by financing activities for the period ended March 31, 2020 relative to common share and short-term debt issuances for the same period in 2019.
Review of Operations for the Years Ended December 31, 2019 and 2018
Years ended December 31 |
2019 |
2018 |
Change |
Change |
||||||||
Revenue |
7,420,199 |
|
6,436,876 |
|
983,323 |
|
15 |
% |
||||
Cost of sales |
4,363,863 |
|
3,291,566 |
|
1,072,297 |
|
33 |
% |
||||
Gross profit |
3,056,336 |
|
3,145,310 |
|
(88,974 |
) |
-3 |
% |
||||
General and administrative expenses |
3,520,720 |
|
2,283,351 |
|
1,237,369 |
|
54 |
% |
||||
Sales and marketing |
2,079,045 |
|
1,616,103 |
|
462,942 |
|
29 |
% |
||||
Research and development |
4,777,996 |
|
4,737,175 |
|
40,821 |
|
1 |
% |
||||
Share-based compensation |
381,617 |
|
260,790 |
|
120,827 |
|
46 |
% |
||||
Depreciation and amortization |
928,393 |
|
162,853 |
|
765,540 |
|
470 |
% |
||||
Finance costs |
2,143,031 |
|
5,409 |
|
2,137,622 |
|
39520 |
% |
||||
Loss on fair value of preferred share liabilities |
7,312,638 |
|
776,000 |
|
6,536,638 |
|
842 |
% |
||||
Other expense |
25,000 |
|
— |
|
25,000 |
|
100 |
% |
||||
Deferred income tax recovery |
(91,320 |
) |
— |
|
(91,320 |
) |
100 |
% |
||||
Net loss and comprehensive loss for the year |
(18,020,784 |
) |
(6,696,371 |
) |
(11,324,413 |
) |
169 |
% |
83
The following discussion includes an explanation of the primary factors in changes in operations for the year ended December 31, 2019.
Revenue
Revenue was $7,420,199 for the year ended December 31, 2019, an increase of $983,323 or 15% compared to $6,436,876 for the same period in 2018. For the year ended December 31, 2019, revenue from recurring subscriptions was $5,001,026, professional services was $727,792, and hardware and other services was $1,691,381 (2018 — $2,402,140, $1,337,707 and $2,697,029, respectively). The increase was primarily attributable to revenue from new customers, largely new LPs, and the associated professional services provided for new subscriptions.
Cost of Sales/Gross Profit
2019 |
2018 |
Change |
Change |
|||||||||
Cost of sales |
4,363,863 |
|
3,291,566 |
|
1,072,297 |
|
33 |
% |
||||
Gross profit |
3,056,336 |
|
3,145,310 |
|
(88,974 |
) |
-3 |
% |
||||
Gross profit as a percentage of revenue |
41 |
% |
49 |
% |
|
|
For the year ended December 31, 2019, direct costs were $4,363,863, an increase of $1,072,297 or 33% compared to $3,291,566 for the same period in 2018. The increase was primarily the result of the higher customer service and operations personnel cost required to support the increase in revenue achieved as well as the transition of Company’s infrastructure from on-client premises to cloud hosting in 2019.
Gross profit, being revenue less cost of sales, decreased from by $88,974 or 3% to $3,056,336 for the year ended December 31, 2019 from $3,145,310 for the same period in 2018. The decrease in gross profit as a percentage of revenue from 49% in 2018 to 41% in 2019 was primarily due to the transition of the Company’s infrastructure from on-client premises to cloud hosting in 2019. As the Company realizes the benefits of scale in its infrastructure cost structure, Ample anticipates that it will realize improved gross profit as a percentage of revenue.
Operating Expenses
2019 |
2018 |
Change |
Change |
||||||||
General and administrative expenses |
3,520,720 |
|
2,283,351 |
|
1,237,369 |
54 |
% |
||||
Sales and marketing |
2,079,045 |
|
1,616,103 |
|
462,942 |
29 |
% |
||||
Research and development |
4,777,996 |
|
4,737,175 |
|
40,821 |
1 |
% |
||||
Share-based compensation |
381,617 |
|
260,790 |
|
120,827 |
46 |
% |
||||
Depreciation and amortization |
928,393 |
|
162,853 |
|
765,540 |
470 |
% |
||||
Total operating expenses |
11,687,771 |
|
9,060,272 |
|
2,627,499 |
29 |
% |
||||
|
|
|
|||||||||
(as a percentage of revenue) |
|
|
|
||||||||
General and administrative expenses |
47 |
% |
35 |
% |
|
||||||
Sales and marketing |
28 |
% |
25 |
% |
|
||||||
Research and development |
64 |
% |
74 |
% |
|
||||||
Share-based compensation |
5 |
% |
4 |
% |
|
||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
13 |
% |
3 |
% |
|
||||||
Total operating expenses |
157 |
% |
141 |
% |
|
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses increased by $1,237,369 or 54% to $3,520,720 for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to $2,283,351 for the same period in 2018. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase in personnel required to support the Company’s growing operations. This was partially offset by a decrease in rent expense as a result of adopting IFRS 16 effective January 1, 2019. As a result, rent expense for leased assets are reflected in depreciation and amortization and finance costs instead.
84
Sales and Marketing Expenses
Sales and marketing expenses increased by $462,942 or 29% to $2,079,045 for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to $1,616,103 for the same period in 2018. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase in the number of employees to support the growing business, as well as increased international sales efforts. Sales and marketing as a percentage of revenue remained relatively consistent year over year.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses increased by $40,821 or 1% to $4,777,996 for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to $4,737,175 for the same period in 2018. The increase was primarily attributable to the Company’s continued focus on maintaining and improving its platform and developing related new products. Research and development expenses will continue to grow as the Company maintains its efforts to keep its product at the leading edge of technology and build new features on the current platform.
Share-based Compensation
Share-based compensation expense increased by $120,827 or 46% to $381,67 for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to $260,790 for the same period in 2018. The increase was primarily attributable to additional stock options granted in 2019 at higher fair values and a full year vesting of stock options granted in the latter half of 2018.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation expense increased over four-fold to $928,393 for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to $162,853 for the same period in 2018. The increase was primarily attributable to the amortization of intangible assets as part of the acquisition of LCA in December 2018 as well as the impact of the adoption of IFRS 16 on January 1, 2019 which requires recognition of right-of-use assets for all major leases that are depreciated over the term of the respective leases.
Non-operating Items
2019 |
2018 |
Change |
Change |
||||||||
Finance costs |
2,143,031 |
|
5,409 |
2,137,622 |
|
39520 |
% |
||||
Loss on fair value of preferred share liabilities |
7,312,638 |
|
776,000 |
6,536,638 |
|
842 |
% |
||||
Other expense |
25,000 |
|
— |
25,000 |
|
100 |
% |
||||
Deferred income tax recovery |
(91,320 |
) |
— |
(91,320 |
) |
100 |
% |
Finance Costs
Finance costs were $2,143,031 for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to $5,409 for the same period in 2018. The increase was primarily attributable to the interest on short-term debt entered into 2019 and the impact of debt modification during the year, as the increases in the fair value of the debt was reflected as finance costs.
Loss on Fair Value of Preferred Share Liabilities
The Company’s preferred shares and warrants convertible into preferred shares are accounted for as financial liabilities since they are convertible into a variable number of common shares dependent on antidilution provisions. As such, they are recorded at their fair value every period end, with the changes in fair value reflected in the statement of loss and comprehensive loss. The loss on fair value of preferred share liabilities of $7,312,638 for the year ended December 31, 2019 is a result of the increase in the estimated value of the Company as evidenced by the price of the proposed acquisition of the Company by Akerna Corp. announced on December 18, 2019. Refer to the Liquidity, Capital Resources and Financing section below for further details. The impact in the year ended December 31, 2019 was greater than that of the same period in 2018 due to the issuance of common share units and preferred share units in 2019 at higher prices than in 2018 and the estimated increase in the fair value of the Company.
85
Selected Annual Information
2019 |
2018 |
Change |
Change |
|||||||||
Revenue |
7,420,199 |
|
6,436,876 |
|
983,323 |
|
15 |
% |
||||
Net loss |
(18,020,784 |
) |
(6,696,371 |
) |
(11,324,413 |
) |
169 |
% |
||||
Total assets |
13,403,618 |
|
11,174,856 |
|
2,228,762 |
|
20 |
% |
||||
Total current liabilities |
7,209,571 |
|
5,534,623 |
|
1,674,948 |
|
30 |
% |
||||
Total non-current liabilities |
17,098,118 |
|
5,674,499 |
|
11,423,619 |
|
201 |
% |
See “Results of Operations for the Years Ended December 31, 2019 and 2018” in this MD&A for a more detailed discussion of the year-over-year changes in revenue and net loss.
Total Assets
Total assets increased $2,228,762 or 20% from December 31, 2018 to December 31, 2019 primarily due to a $2,657,120 increase for right of use assets as a result of the adoption of IFRS 16 effective January 1, 2019. This was partially offset by a $331,840 decrease in intangible assets for amortization and a $80,729 decrease in trade and other receivables based on improved collection efforts.
Total Current Liabilities
Total current liabilities increased $1,674,948 or 30% from December 31, 2018 to December 31, 2019 primarily due to a $1,144,403 increase in short-term debt to fund the Company’s growth. In addition, the adoption of IFRS 16 on January 1, 2019 resulted in an $544,226 increase for current lease liabilities as at December 31, 2019.
Total Non-current Liabilities
Total non-current liabilities increased $11,423,619 or 201% from December 31, 2018 to December 31, 2019 primarily due to a $7,312,638 loss on fair value of preferred share liabilities given the increase in the fair value of the preferred shares and warrants convertible preferred shares as a result of new common share units and preferred share units issued in the year ended December 31, 2019. The issuance of preferred share units in 2019 also increased non-current liabilities by $1,089,073. Moreover, the adoption of IFRS 16 on January 1, 2019 resulted in an $3,113,228 increase for non-current lease liabilities as at December 31, 2019.
Liquidity, Capital Resources and Financing
Overview
The general objectives of Ample’s capital management strategy are to preserve its capacity to continue operating, provide benefits to its stakeholders and provide an adequate return on investment to its shareholders by selling the company’s platform and services at a price that is commensurate with the level of operating risk assumed by Ample. Ample thus determines the total amount of capital required consistent with risk levels. This capital structure is adjusted on a timely basis depending on changes in the economic environment and risks of the underlying assets.
Working Capital
Our primary source of cash flow is revenue from operations of $7.4 million and capital raises for common shares, preferred shares and related warrants totalling $7.1 million and short-term debt financing totalling $6.3 million since 2018. Ample’s approach to managing liquidity is to ensure, to the extent possible, that Ample always has sufficient liquidity to meet its liabilities as they become due.
Working capital deficiency as at December 31, 2019 was $4.3 million.
86
Cash Flows
The following table presents cash and cash equivalents as at December 31, 2019 and 2018, and cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018:
2019 |
2018 |
|||||
Cash |
986,874 |
|
1,062,209 |
|
||
Net cash provided by (used in): |
|
|
||||
Operating activities |
(7,176,310 |
) |
(6,501,887 |
) |
||
Investing activities |
(147,418 |
) |
(4,498,540 |
) |
||
Financing activities |
7,248,393 |
|
10,905,069 |
|
||
Net increase (decrease) in cash |
(75,335 |
) |
(95,358 |
) |
Cash Flows Used in Operating Activities
Cash flows used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $7,176,310 compared to $6,501,887 for the same period in 2018. The increase in cash flows used in operating activities was primarily the result of an increase in net loss to fund the growth of the Company in the year.
Cash Flows Used in Investing Activities
Cash flows used in investing activities was $147,418 for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to $4,498,540 of cash used for the same period in 2018. The decrease was driven by the non-recurring acquisition of LCA in 2018 and a decrease in purchases of property and equipment for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the same period in 2018.
Cash Flows Provided by Financing Activities
Cash flows provided by financing activities was $7,248,393 for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to $10,905,069 for the same period in 2018. The decrease was driven by repayments of short-term debt in 2019 where was there were no debt repayments in 2018, partially offset by greater cash flows provided by financing activities for short-term debt in 2019.
Short-term Debt
The Company entered into separate short-term debt arrangements on each of September 25, 2019 and October 1, 2019 bearing interest of 12% per annum in the amounts of $2 million maturing on September 25, 2020 and $2.5 million maturing on October 1, 2020, respectively. On March 9, 2020 the Company entered into a supplemental advance of $1 million bearing interest of 14% per annum maturing on October 1, 2020.
Contractual Obligations
Ample does not have contractual obligations as at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 other than lease liabilities and short-term debt as presented in the consolidated statement of financial position. The short-term debt matures by October 1, 2020. The lease liabilities are subject to payments until February 22, 2028.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Ample has no off-balance sheet arrangements as at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019. From time to time, Ample may be contingently liable with respect to litigation and claims that arise in the normal course of operations.
Related Party Transaction
Ample has no related party transactions, other than those noted in its consolidated financial statements, which are summarized below. These related party transactions are with key management personnel with the authority to plan, direct and control activities of the Company, directly or indirectly, including the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Technology Officer and equivalent, and Directors.
87
Compensation expense for the Company’s key management personnel are as follows:
2019 |
2018 |
|||
Salaries and benefits |
689,903 |
624,347 |
||
Share-based compensation |
129,681 |
90,625 |
||
819,584 |
714,972 |
During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company paid $9,341 (2018 — $nil) of legal fees on behalf of employees.
Financial Instruments and Other Instruments
Credit Risk
Generally, the carrying amount in Ample’s consolidated statement of financial position exposed to credit risk, net of any applicable provisions for losses, represents the maximum amount exposed to credit risk.
Our credit risk is primarily attributable to Ample’s cash and cash equivalents and trade receivables. Ample does not require guarantees from its customers. Credit risk with respect to cash and cash equivalents is managed by maintaining balances only with high credit quality financial institutions.
Due to Ample’s diverse customer base, there is no particular concentration of credit risk related to its trade receivables. Moreover, balances for trade receivables are managed and analyzed on an ongoing basis to ensure allowances for doubtful accounts, which are established and maintained at an appropriate amount.
Ample estimates anticipated losses from doubtful accounts based upon the expected collectability of all accounts receivable, which estimate takes into account the number of days past due, collection history, identification of specific customer exposure and current economic trends. An impairment loss on trade receivables is calculated as the difference between the carrying amount and the present value of the estimated future cash flow. Impairment losses are charged to general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss. Receivables for which an impairment provision was recognized are written off against the corresponding provision when it is deemed uncollectible.
The maximum exposure to credit risk at the date hereof is the carrying value of each class of receivables mentioned above. Ample does not hold any collateral as security.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of Ample’s consolidated financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Ample reviews these estimates on an ongoing basis based on management’s best knowledge of current events and actions that the company may undertake in the future. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Areas requiring the most significant estimates and judgments are outlined below. Management has determined that the company operate in a single operating and reportable segment.
Revenue Recognition
Multi-element or bundled contracts require an estimate of the relative fair value of separate elements. The Company assesses the criteria for the recognition of revenue related to arrangements that have multiple components. These assessments require judgment by management to determine if there are separately identifiable components as well as how to allocate the total price among the components. Deliverables are accounted for as separately identifiable components if they can be understood without reference to the series of transactions as a whole. In concluding whether components are separately identifiable, management considers the transaction from the customer’s perspective. Among other factors, management assesses whether the service or product is sold separately by the Company in the normal course of business or whether the customer could purchase the service or product separately.
88
Valuation of share-based payments, warrants and Class A-3 Preferred Shares
The Company measures the costs for share-based payments, warrants and Class A-3 Preferred Shares using market-based option valuation techniques. Assumptions are made and estimates are used in applying the valuation techniques. These include estimating the future volatility of the share price, expected dividend yield, expected risk-free interest rate and the rate of forfeiture. Such estimates and assumptions are inherently uncertain. Changes in these assumptions affect the fair value estimates of share-based payments, warrants and Class A-3 Preferred Shares.
Change in Accounting Policies
Leases
The Company has adopted IFRS 16 with an initial adoption date of January 1, 2019. The Company utilized the modified retrospective approach to adopt the new standard and therefore comparative information has not been restated and continues to be reported under IAS 17, Leases and related interpretations.
IFRS 16 specifies how leases will be recognized, measured, presented and disclosed and it provides a single lessee model requiring lessees to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for all major leases. The Company’s accounting policy under IFRS 16 is as follows:
At contract inception, the Company assesses whether a contract is, or contains, a lease based on whether the contract conveys the right of control for the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. The Company recognizes a right-of-use asset (“ROU asset”) and a lease liability at the lease commencement date. The ROU asset primarily relates to office leases and is initially measured based on the initial amount of the lease liability adjusted for any lease payments made at or before the commencement date, plus any initial direct costs incurred and an estimate of the costs to dismantle and remove the underlying asset or to restore the underlying asset or the site on which it is located, less any lease incentives received. The assets are depreciated to the earlier of the end of useful life of the ROU asset or the lease term using the straight-line method as this most closely reflects the expected pattern of the consumption of the future economic benefits. The lease term includes periods covered by an option to extend if the Company is reasonably certain it will exercise such option. In addition, the ROU asset can be periodically reduced by impairment losses, if any, and adjusted for certain remeasurements of the lease liability. The lease liability is initially measured at the present value of the lease payments that are not paid at the commencement date, discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease or, if that rate cannot be readily determined, the Company’s incremental borrowing rate. Generally, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate as the discount rate. The weighted-average rate applied is 6.5%.
Lease liability is measured at the amortized cost using the effective interest method. It is remeasured when there is a change in future lease payments arising from a change in an index or rate, if there is a change in the Company’s estimate of the amount expected to be payable under a residual value guarantee, or if the Company changes its assessment of whether it will exercise a purchase, extension or termination option. When the lease liability is remeasured in this way, a corresponding adjustment is made to the carrying amount if the ROU asset has been reduced to zero. The Company has elected to apply the practical expedient not to recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities for short-term leases that have a lease term of 12 months or less and for leases of low value assets. The lease payments associated with those leases is recognized as an expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
89
The cumulative effect of the changes made to the January 1, 2019 consolidated statement of financial position for the adoption of IFRS 16 is as follows:
Balance at |
IFRS 16 |
Balance at |
|||||||
Assets |
|
|
|
||||||
Current assets: |
|
|
|
||||||
Trade and other receivables |
1,630,439 |
|
202,170 |
|
1,832,609 |
|
|||
|
|
|
|||||||
Non-current assets: |
|
|
|
||||||
Property and equipment, net |
1,672,986 |
|
383,294 |
|
2,056,280 |
|
|||
Right-of-use-assets, net |
— |
|
3,034,001 |
|
3,034,001 |
|
|||
|
|
|
|||||||
Liabilities |
|
|
|
||||||
Current liabilities: |
|
|
|
||||||
Lease liabilities |
— |
|
544,822 |
|
544,822 |
|
|||
|
|
|
|||||||
Non-current liabilities: |
|
|
|
||||||
Lease liabilities |
— |
|
3,419,477 |
|
3,419,477 |
|
|||
|
|
|
|||||||
Shareholders’ equity |
|
|
|
||||||
Deficit |
(7,574,359 |
) |
(344,834 |
) |
(7,919,193 |
) |
Authorized Share Capital
As at December 31, 2019, the authorized share capital of the Company consists of an unlimited number of common shares and 5,304,000 Class A Preferred Shares, issuable in series, of which 3,000,000 are designated as Class A-1 Preferred Shares, 1,500,000 are designated as Class A-2 Preferred shares and 804,000 are designated as Class A-3 Preferred Shares.
As at March 31, 2020, the authorized share capital of the Company consists of an unlimited number of common shares and 5,304,000 Class A Preferred Shares, issuable in series, of which 3,000,000 are designated as Class A-1 Preferred Shares, 1,500,000 are designated as Class A-2 Preferred shares and 885,600 are designated as Class A-3 Preferred Shares.
There have been no changes in or disagreements with accountants on accounting and financial disclosure.
Solo Sciences, Inc.
50 Milk St.
Boston Massachusetts, 02109
Telephone: (617) 669-9100
Solo was incorporated in Delaware on January 2, 2018. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Solo is a technology provider for legal cannabis businesses with a focus on providing a cannabis tracking technology which provides seed-to-sale-to-self data throughout a product’s lifecycle and empowers consumers with the ability to confirm the quality and authenticity of a product they have purchased.
Solo uses proprietary technology to place a unique encrypted arrangement of patterns (“a digital signature”) onto individual packaging labels. The Solo technology is significantly lower cost and more secure than traditional tagging technologies like radio-frequency identification. The technology includes a free consumer mobile application, granting end-users and regulatory agencies the ability to track products in the supply chain, verify their authenticity and learn more detailed information about the product such as its origins and ingredients.
The Solo technology platform also enables brands to connect directly with consumers. Through it, product creators can provide end users with push notifications, targeted news, product insights, loyalty points, etc. Brands embrace the platform as it enables them to increase their revenues and create a more tailored marketing experience. Customers benefit from product incentives while gaining trust in the products they are buying and consuming.
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Solo currently has nine full-time employees and three consultants. In 2019, Solo was selected for the CNBC Upstart 100, a list of the world’s 100 most promising startups. Competing companies came from a diverse group of global nominees representing nearly every sector like enterprise software, finance, insurance, health care, and retail. Co-founder and Head of Partnerships, Katie Flannery, was also awarded the Silver Executive of the Year Award in the 2019 Stevie Awards for Female Business Services. The Stevie Awards, presented by American Business Awards organization, serve as an indicator of the increasing numbers of women shaping the business world as entrepreneurs and leaders.
Solo has developed several key partnerships including 14th Round (a leading cannabis packaging innovator 14th Round and the number one vaporizer and packaging supplier in North America), the Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce (a trade organization representing a major cross-section of the global cannabis industry), and the Utah Department of Health and Department of Agriculture (Solo won a joint contract with Akerna and will be a key tagging and technology component in a closed-loop system used by all Utah cannabis licensees as the state’s primary tracking system at the retail, wholesale, cultivation and manufacturing levels.)
The current Solo product offering includes the following:
• solo*CODE: Proprietary coding technology which places a unique encrypted arrangement of patterns onto the label on every individual product package — rather than every batch or SKU. This low-cost process allows end-users and regulatory agencies the ability to easily scan a product with a free mobile app, verify its authenticity, pull up data about the item, and confirm that it is not a potentially dangerous counterfeit or fake product from an illicit source.
• solo*TAG: A seed-to-sale tracking technology which uses a proprietary cryptologically secure coding system to follow the life cycle of an individual cannabis plant from the time it is planted, through its growth cycle to harvesting, manufacturing, and shipping.
• solo*APP: The solo sciences mobile application which allows product buyers and regulatory agencies to scan a solo*CODE, pull up information regarding the item in front of them, provide feedback regarding their consumer experience, and also get push notifications, targeted news, product insights, loyalty points, etc.
• solo*ID: A detailed consumer assessment which collects a myriad of demographic data, personal preferences, and physiological details in order to produce a custom profile for a person. This ID allows Solo to suggest products which a consumer may enjoy or dislike. As an individual provides feedback from their product experiences the Solo machine learning platform continuously updates the users solo*ID and makes it more accurate.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Solo’s Financial Condition, Results of Operations, Properties and Other Information
Financial Results of Operations
Revenue
Solo’s revenue is primarily derived from solo*TAG, its seed-to-sale tracking technology, and solo*CODE, its proprietary coding technology, which places a unique encrypted arrangement of patterns onto the label on every individual product package — rather than every batch or SKU. Solo recognizes revenue when or as the services are provided or when the product has been delivered to the customer.
Cost of Revenue
Solo’s cost of revenue is derived from direct costs incurred primarily from the manufacture of solo*CODE. Solo records cost of revenue based on the direct cost method. This method requires allocation of direct costs including support services and materials to cost of revenue.
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Product and Development Expenses
Solo’s product and development expenses include contractor expenses, technology expenses and other overhead.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Solo’s selling, general and administrative expenses include contractor expenses, sales and marketing expenses, professional fees and other overhead.
Marketing and sales expenses are Solo’s largest cost and consist primarily of contractor costs and related expenses.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Solo’s significant accounting policies are disclosed in Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to the Solo Sciences, Inc. Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2019, included herein.
Results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the year ended December 31, 2018
The following table highlights the various sources of revenues and expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2018:
Year ended |
||||||||
2019 |
2018 |
|||||||
Revenues: |
|
|
|
|
||||
solo*TAGTM and solo*CODETM sales |
$ |
103,250 |
|
$ |
— |
|
||
Other |
|
1,520 |
|
|
299 |
|
||
Total Revenue |
|
104,770 |
|
|
299 |
|
||
Cost of revenues |
|
4,234 |
|
|
— |
|
||
Gross Profit |
|
100,536 |
|
|
299 |
|
||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
||||
Product development: |
|
59,294 |
|
|
27,000 |
|
||
Selling, general and administrative |
|
2,852,455 |
|
|
988,936 |
|
||
Total operating expenses |
|
2,911,749 |
|
|
1,015,936 |
|
||
Other income |
|
4,869 |
|
|
198 |
|
||
Net loss |
$ |
(2,806,344 |
) |
$ |
(1,015,439 |
) |
Total Revenue
Total revenue increased to approximately $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, an increase of approximately $0.1 million, or 100%. During the year ended December 31, 2019, Solo began selling licenses for the solo*TAG tracking software as well as selling solo*CODE labels.
Cost of Revenue
Solo’s cost of revenue for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $4,234, compared to no cost in the prior year. This is due to commencing sales during the year ended December 31, 2019 and is primarily comprised of costs of printing labels.
Operating Expenses
Solo’s operating expenses increased to approximately $2.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 from approximately $1.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of approximately $1.9 million. Stock-based compensation paid to nonemployees increased $1.1 million due to an increase in value and of the shares underlying the compensation, which were valued upon the completion of the nonemployees required service. Contractor services increased due to having a full year of expenses and shift in focus from technology development to marketing and operations. Depreciation and amortization increased due to placing developed technology into service during 2019.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash Flows
Solo’s cash and restricted cash balances were approximately $0.2 million and $0.1 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Cash flow information for the year ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 is as follows:
Year ended |
||||||||
2019 |
2018 |
|||||||
Cash provided by (used in): |
|
|
|
|
||||
Operating activities |
$ |
(519,867 |
) |
$ |
(587,890 |
) |
||
Investing activities |
|
(1,397,230 |
) |
|
(726,452 |
) |
||
Financing activities |
|
2,066,800 |
|
|
1,390,950 |
|
||
Net change in cash and restricted cash |
$ |
(149,703 |
) |
$ |
76,608 |
|
Net cash used in operating activities was $0.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $0.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2018. Cash used in operating activities was primarily driven by the net loss from operations due to the timing of sales commencement relative to costs incurred for marketing.
Net cash used in investing was primarily for software development and is comprised mainly of contractor costs.
Net cash provided by financing activities totaled approximately $2.1 million and $1.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, driven by proceeds from issuance of Series AA Preferred stock.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2019, Solo had cash of approximately $0.1 million, excluding restricted cash. Solo had a negative working capital balance of approximately $0.4 million as of December 31, 2019 as compared to a working capital balance of approximately $0.1 million as of December 31, 2018.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of December 31, 2019, Solo did not have any relationships with unconsolidated organizations or financial partnerships, such as structured finance or special purpose entities that would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes.
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The following summary describes the material provisions of the Agreement, dated December 18, 2019, as amended by the Amendment to Arrangement Agreement, dated February 28, 2020, Amendment No. 2 to Arrangement Agreement, dated May 26, 2020 (“Amendment No. 2”), and Amendment No. 3 to Arrangement dated June 1, 2020 (“Amendment No. 3”). The provisions of the Agreement are complicated and not easily summarized. This summary may not contain all of the information about the Agreement that is important to you. The Agreement is attached to this proxy statement as Annex A, the Amendment is attached to this proxy statement as Annex B, Amendment No. 2 is attached to this proxy statement as Annex C, and Amendment No. 3 is attached to this proxy statement as Annex D, and are incorporated by reference into this proxy statement. You are encouraged to read them carefully in their entirety for a more complete understanding of the Agreement the Amendment, Amendment No. 2, Amendment No. 3, and the Arrangement.
This summary of the terms of the Agreement is not intended to provide you with any factual information about Akerna or Ample. The representations, warranties and covenants made in the Agreement were made solely to the parties to, and solely for the purposes of, the Agreement and as of specific dates and were qualified and subject to important limitations agreed to by Akerna and Ample in connection with negotiating the terms of the Agreement. In particular, representations and warranties were negotiated with the principal purposes of allocating risk between the parties to the Agreement, rather than establishing matters as facts. The representations and warranties may also be subject to a contractual standard of materiality different from those generally applicable to stockholders and reports and documents filed with the SEC, and the assertions embodied in the representations and warranties contained in the Agreement (and summarized below) are qualified by information in disclosure schedules provided by Akerna to Ample and by Ample to Akerna in connection with the signing of the Agreement and by certain information contained in certain of Akerna’s filings with the SEC. These disclosure schedules and SEC filings contain information that modifies, qualifies and creates exceptions to the representations and warranties set forth in the Agreement. In addition, information concerning the subject matter of the representations and warranties may have changed or may change after December 18, 2019 or June 1, 2020, which subsequent information may or may not be fully reflected in public disclosures by Ample and Akerna. Accordingly, you should not rely on the representations and warranties in the Agreement and/or the Amendment, Amendment No. 2, or Amendment No. 3 (or the summaries contained herein) as characterizations of the actual state of facts about Ample or Akerna.
General
Capitalized terms used in this description of the Agreement that are not otherwise defined have the meanings ascribed to them in the Agreement.
The Arrangement will be carried out pursuant to the Agreement and the Plan of Arrangement, as amended by the Amendment, Amendment No. 2, and Amendment No. 3. The following is a summary of the principal terms of the Agreement. This summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Agreement, which attached hereto as Annex A, the Amendment, which is attached hereto as Annex B, Amendment No. 2, which is attached hereto as Annex C, and Amendment No. 3, which is attached hereto as Annex D.
Arrangement Consideration
Pursuant to, and subject to the terms and conditions of, the Agreement and the Plan of Arrangement, the consideration paid for Ample’s common and preferred shares consists of (1) CAD$7,500,000 in cash, (2) 3,294,574 Exchangeable Shares, as determined in accordance with the Agreement (and the assumption of out-of-money warrants and options to acquire capital stock of Ample on the terms specified in the Agreement) and (3) contingent value rights to be issued pursuant to a rights indenture entitling the holders thereof to receive, subject to certain adjustments as set forth in the Agreement and the related Plan of Arrangement, an aggregate of up to CAD$10,000,000 in Exchangeable Shares first, then CVR Shares, in the event that Ample achieves certain revenue targets as specified in the Agreement.
Effective Date and Conditions of Arrangement
If the Akerna and Ample stockholders’ approvals are obtained, the Final Order (as defined in the Agreement) of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice is obtained approving the Arrangement and all other conditions to the Arrangement becoming effective are satisfied or waived, the Arrangement will become effective at the “Effective
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Time” (anticipated to be 12:01 a.m. on the “Effective Date”). It is currently expected that the Effective Date will be on or about July 3, 2020 or as soon thereafter as reasonably practicable and, in any event, by August 31, 2020, or such later date as may be agreed to in writing by Akerna and Ample (the “Outside Date”).
Representations and Warranties
The Agreement contains customary representations and warranties of each of Ample, Akerna and the Purchaser. Those representations and warranties were made solely for purposes of the Agreement and may be subject to important qualifications, limitations and exceptions agreed to by the parties in connection with negotiating its terms. In particular, some of the representations and warranties are subject to a contractual standard of materiality or material adverse effect, or are used for the purpose of allocating risk between the parties to the Agreement. For the foregoing reasons, you should not rely on the representations and warranties contained in the Agreement as statements of factual information at the time they were made or otherwise.
The representations and warranties of Ample in the Agreement relate to matters that include, among other things, organization, status and qualification, corporate authorization, enforceability, non-contravention, subsidiaries, Canadian securities law matters, U.S. securities law matters, financial statements, litigation, undisclosed liabilities, no restrictions on business, real property, personal property, intellectual property, employment matters, material contracts and other contracts, no material changes, taxes, corporate records, insurance, employee plans, environmental matters, no dividends, related party transactions, brokers, anti-corruption, rights plans, equity monetization plans, place of principal offices, investment company status, shareholder agreements, competition act matters, disclosures, non-reliance, compliance with laws/no orders, regulatory approvals, authorized and issued capital, significant shareholders and bankruptcy.
The representations and warranties of Akerna and the Purchaser in the Agreement relate to matters that include, among other things, organization, status and qualification, corporate authorization, enforceability, no violations, compliance with applicable laws/no orders, regulatory approvals, capitalization, bankruptcy, registrant status and stock exchange compliance, U.S. securities law matters, WTO investor status, securities laws report compliance, financial statements, litigation, undisclosed liabilities, intellectual property, sufficient funds, public disclosure, no material changes, taxes, corporate records, anti-corruption, freely tradable shares and non-reliance.
Conditions to the Arrangement Becoming Effective
In order for the Arrangement to become effective, certain conditions must have been satisfied or waived which conditions are summarized below.
Mutual Conditions
The respective obligations of Ample, Akerna and the Purchaser to complete the Arrangement are subject to the satisfaction or mutual wavier, on or before the Effective Date or such other time specified, of the following conditions:
• the Interim Order (as defined in the Agreement) will have been granted in form and substance satisfactory to Akerna, Purchaser and Ample, acting reasonably, and such order will not have been set aside or modified in a manner unacceptable to Akerna, Purchaser and Ample, each acting reasonably, on appeal or otherwise;
• the Arrangement Resolution (as defined in the Agreement) will have been passed by the Ample shareholders by the Outside Date, in accordance with the Interim Order;
• the Akerna stockholder matters (including the Stock Issuance and Arrangement Approval) will have been passed by the Akerna stockholders by the Outside Date;
• the Final Order (as defined in the Agreement) will have been granted by the Outside Date in form and substance satisfactory to Akerna, Purchaser and Ample, acting reasonably, and such order will not have been set aside or modified in a manner unacceptable to Akerna, Purchaser and Ample, each acting reasonably, on appeal or otherwise;
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• no governmental entity shall have enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any order or law which is then in effect and has the effect of making the Arrangement illegal or otherwise preventing or prohibiting consummation of the Arrangement;
• all regulatory approvals will have been obtained on terms and conditions satisfactory to each of Akerna, Purchaser and Ample, each acting reasonably;
• the Akerna Shares to be issued upon the exchange of Exchangeable Shares shall, subject to customary conditions, have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Stock Market; and
• the Exchangeable Shares and the CVRs, in each case to be issued pursuant to the Arrangement, shall be exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act pursuant to Section 3(a)(10) thereof.
Akerna and Purchaser Conditions
The obligation of Akerna and Purchaser to complete the Arrangement is subject to the fulfillment of each of the following conditions precedent on or before the Effective Time (each of which is for the exclusive benefit of Akerna and Purchaser and may be waived by Akerna and Purchaser, in whole or in part at any time, each in its sole discretion, without prejudice to any rights which Akerna may have):
• the representations and warranties of Ample set forth in the Agreement will be: (1) for the representations and warranties qualified as to materiality, true and correct in all respects; and (2) for all other representations and warranties, true and correct in all material respects, as of the date of the Agreement and as of the Effective Date as if made on and as of such date (except to the extent such representations and warranties speak as of an earlier date, the accuracy of which will be determined as of that specified date), except where the failure of such representations and warranties to be true and correct, individually or in the aggregate, would not or would not be reasonably expected to have an Ample Material Adverse Effect or materially impede completion of the Arrangement, and Ample will have provided to Akerna and Purchaser a certificate of two senior officers or authorized signatories certifying such accuracy;
• Ample will have complied in all material respects with its covenants therein, and Ample will have provided to Akerna and Purchaser a certificate of two senior officers or authorized signatories certifying compliance with such covenants;
• there shall be no action or proceeding (whether by a governmental entity or any other person) pending or threatened in any jurisdiction to:
• cease trade, enjoin or prohibit or impose any limitations, damages or conditions on, Akerna’s ability to acquire, hold or exercise full rights of ownership over, any Ample Shares, including the right to vote the Ample Shares;
• impose terms or conditions on the completion of the Arrangement or on the ownership or operation by Akerna of the business or assets of Akerna, Ample and any Ample subsidiaries, affiliates and related entities; or
• prevent or materially delay the consummation of the Arrangement;
• between December 18, 2019 and the Effective Time, there will not have occurred any Ample Material Adverse Effect;
• John Prentice shall have duly executed and delivered copies of each of the Escrow Agreement and the Rights Indenture (each as defined in the Agreement);
• as of the Effective Time, the Ample Supporting Securityholders (as defined in the Agreement) shall not have breached their obligations or covenants under the Ample Shareholder Support Agreements in any material respect; and
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• Ample shareholders have not validly exercised and not withdrawn the rights of dissent granted in favor of registered Ample shareholders in respect of the Arrangement described in the Plan of Arrangement and the Interim Order with respect to more than 5% of the Ample Shares then outstanding.
Ample Conditions
The obligation of Ample to complete the Arrangement is subject to the fulfillment of each of the following conditions precedent on or before the Effective Time (each of which is for the exclusive benefit of Ample and may be waived by Ample, in whole or in part at any time, in its sole discretion, without prejudice to any other rights which Ample may have):
• Akerna and the Purchaser shall have delivered the Up-front Consideration and CVRs (each as defined in the Agreement);
• the representations and warranties of Akerna and Purchaser set forth in the Agreement will be: (i) for the representations and warranties qualified as to materiality, true and correct in all respects; and (ii) for all other representations and warranties, true and correct in all material respects, as of the date of the Agreement and as of the Effective Date as if made on and as of such date (except to the extent such representations and warranties speak as of an earlier date, the accuracy of which will be determined as of that specified date), except where the failure of such representations and warranties to be true and correct, individually or in the aggregate, would not or would not be reasonably expected to have a material adverse effect on the ability of Purchaser to complete the Arrangement or materially impede completion of the Arrangement, and Akerna and Purchaser will have provided to Ample a certificate of two senior officers or authorized signatories certifying such accuracy;
• Akerna and Purchaser will have complied in all material respects with its covenants therein, and Akerna and Purchaser will have provided to Ample a certificate of two senior officers or authorized signatories certifying compliance with such covenants;
• between December 18, 2019 and the Effective Time, there will not have occurred any Akerna Material Adverse Effect;
• Akerna shall have delivered copies of each of the Exchangeable Share Support Agreement, the Voting and Exchange Trust Agreement, the Escrow Agreement and the Rights Indenture (each as defined in the Agreement), in each case, duly executed by each party thereto other than John Prentice; and
• as of the Effective Time, the directors and officers of Akerna shall not have breached their obligations or covenants under the Akerna Shareholder Support Agreements in any material respect.
Non-Solicitation Covenant
Ample has covenanted and agreed that, except as expressly contemplated by the Agreement, Ample will not, directly or indirectly, through any representative:
• solicit, assist, initiate, knowingly encourage or otherwise facilitate (including by way of furnishing confidential information or entering into any form of agreement, arrangement or understanding) any inquiry, proposal or offer that constitutes or may reasonably be expected to constitute or lead to an Acquisition Proposal (as defined in the Agreement);
• enter into, enter into, engage in, continue or otherwise participate in any discussions or negotiations with any person (other than Akerna and its subsidiaries or affiliates) in respect of any inquiry, proposal or offer that constitutes or may reasonably be expected to lead to an Acquisition Proposal, it being acknowledged and agreed that, provided Ample is then in compliance with its obligations under Section 3.8 of the Agreement, Ample may: (1) advise a person who has submitted a written Acquisition Proposal of the restrictions in this Agreement; or (2) advise a person who has submitted a written Acquisition Proposal that their Acquisition Proposal does not constitute a superior proposal;
• accept, approve, endorse or recommend, or publicly propose to accept, approve, endorse or recommend, or take no position or remain neutral with respect to, any publicly announced or publicly proposed
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Acquisition Proposal (it being understood that publicly taking no position or a neutral position with respect to any Acquisition Proposal for a period of no more than three business days following the formal announcement of such Acquisition Proposal will not be considered to be in violation of Section 3.8(a)(iii) of the Agreement provided the Ample board of directors has rejected such Acquisition Proposal and affirmed the Ample Board Recommendation (as defined in the Agreement) before the end of such three business day period);
• approve, recommend or enter into (other than a confidentiality agreement permitted by and in accordance with Section 3.8 of the Agreement) or publicly propose to enter into any agreement to accept, recommend, approve or enter into any agreement in respect of an Acquisition Proposal; or
• withdraw, amend, modify or qualify, or publicly propose or state an intention to withdraw, amend, modify or qualify, the Ample Board Recommendation.
Ample agreed to, and agreed to cause its subsidiaries and representatives to immediately cease and terminate, and cause to be ceased and terminated, any solicitation, encouragement, discussion or negotiations commenced prior to the date of the Agreement with any person (other than Akerna) with respect to any inquiry, proposal or offer that constitutes, or may reasonably be expected to constitute or lead to, an Acquisition Proposal and, in connection therewith, Ample will discontinue access to and disclosure of its and its subsidiaries’ confidential information (and not allow access to or disclosure of any such confidential information, or any data room, virtual or otherwise) and shall as soon as possible request, and exercise all rights it has (or cause its subsidiaries to exercise any rights that they have) to require the return or destruction of all confidential information regarding Ample and its subsidiaries previously provided in connection therewith to any person other than Akerna to the extent such information has not already been returned or destroyed.
Ample agreed to, as soon as practicable, and in any event, within 24 hours, notify Akerna (orally at first and then in writing) if it receives or otherwise becomes aware of any proposal or offer that constitutes or may reasonably be expected to constitute or lead to an Acquisition Proposal, of such Acquisition Proposal, inquiry, proposal or offer, including the identity of the Person making such Acquisition Proposal, inquiry, proposal or offer and the material terms and conditions thereof and copies of all material or substantive documents received in respect of, from or on behalf of any such Person. Ample shall keep Akerna promptly and fully informed of the status of developments and discussions and negotiations with respect to such Acquisition Proposal, proposal or offer, including any material changes, modifications or other amendments thereto.
Insurance
Akerna and Purchaser agreed that: (1) after the Effective Time, Ample and any successor to Ample will not take any action to terminate or materially adversely affect indemnities provided or available to or in favor of past and present officers and directors of Ample and the Ample subsidiaries pursuant to the provisions of the articles, by-laws or other constating documents of Ample or any Ample subsidiary, applicable corporate legislation and any written indemnity agreements which have been entered into between Ample and past and present officers and directors of Ample and the Ample subsidiaries effective on or prior to the date hereof (the forms of which were provided in the Ample Information (as defined in the Agreement)); and (2) immediately prior to the Effective Time, Akerna will make arrangements satisfactory to the Ample board of directors, acting reasonably, to secure the obligations under such written indemnity agreements.
Prior to the Effective Date, Ample will secure “run-off” directors’ and officers’ liability insurance for the current and former directors and officers of Ample and the Ample subsidiaries, covering claims made or reported within six years after the Effective Date, which has a scope and coverage substantially similar in scope and coverage to that provided pursuant to Ample’s current directors and officers insurance policy, including coverage for any claims arising from completion of the Arrangement and related transactions, and Purchaser will not take any action, or cause Ample to take any action, to adversely affect or terminate such directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.
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Termination
The Agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the Effective Date:
• by mutual written consent of the parties;
• by either Akerna and Purchaser or Ample, if the Arrangement resolution fails to receive the Ample stockholder approval at the Ample shareholder meeting (including any adjournment or postponement thereof) in accordance with the Interim Order;
• by either Akerna and Purchaser or Ample, if the Akerna stockholder matters (including the Stock Issuance and Arrangement Approval) shall\have failed to receive the Akerna stockholder approval at the Akerna Special Meeting (including any adjournment or postponement thereof);
• by either Akerna and Purchaser or Ample, if the Effective Time shall not have occurred on or prior to the Outside Date, except that the right to terminate the Agreement under subsection 8.1(a)(iii) of the Agreement shall not be available to any party whose failure to fulfill any of its obligations has been the cause of, or resulted in, the failure of the Effective Time to occur by such date;
• by any Party, if any of the conditions precedent set forth in the Agreement for the benefit of such party have not been complied with; provided that the party seeking termination is not then in breach of the Agreement so as to cause any of the conditions set forth in Sections 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 of the Agreement, as applicable, not to be satisfied;
• by Akerna if:
• prior to the Effective Time: (1) the Ample board of directors or any committee thereof: (i) fails to recommend or withdraws, amends, modifies or qualifies, in a manner adverse to Akerna or fails to reaffirm (without qualification) the Ample Board Recommendation (as defined in the Agreement), or its recommendation of the Arrangement within five business days (and in any case prior to the Ample Meeting) after having been requested in writing by Akerna to do so (acting reasonably); or (ii) takes no position or a neutral position with respect to an Acquisition Proposal for more than five business days after the public announcement of such Acquisition Proposal; or (2) the Ample board of directors or a committee thereof shall have resolved or proposed to take any of the foregoing actions ((1) or (2) each a “Ample Change in Recommendations”); or (3) Ample shall have breached Section 3.8 of the Agreement in any material respect;
• a breach of any representation or warranty or failure to perform any covenant or agreement on the part of Ample set forth in this Agreement shall have occurred that would cause the conditions set forth in Section 5.2(a) or Section 5.2(b) of the Agreement not to be satisfied, and such conditions are incapable of being satisfied by the Outside Date, as reasonably determined by Akerna and provided that Akerna is not then in breach of the Agreement so as to cause any condition in Section 5.3(a) or Section 5.3(c) of the Agreement not to be satisfied; or
• there has occurred an Ample Material Adverse Effect which is not capable of being cured on or before the Outside Date; and
• by Ample if:
• a breach of any representation or warranty or failure to perform any covenant or agreement on the part of Akerna or Purchaser set forth in the Agreement shall have occurred that would cause the conditions set forth in Section 5.3(a) or Section 5.3(c) of the Agreement not to be satisfied, and such conditions are incapable of being satisfied by the Outside Date, as reasonably determined by Ample and provided that Ample is not then in breach of the Agreement so as to cause any condition in Section 5.2(a) or Section 5.2(b) of the Agreement not to be satisfied; or
• there has occurred an Akerna Material Adverse Effect which is not capable of being cured on or before the Outside Date.
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Amendments
The Agreement may, at any time before or after the Ample shareholder meeting, be amended by mutual written agreement of the parties without, subject to applicable laws, further notice to or authorization on the part of the Ample shareholders. Any such amendment may, without limitation: (1) change the time for performance of any of the obligations or acts of the parties; (2) waive any inaccuracies or modify any representation or warranty contained in the Agreement or in any document delivered pursuant to it; (3) waive compliance with or modify any of the covenants therein and waive or modify performance of any of the obligations of the parties; of (4) waive compliance with or modify any other conditions precedent contained therein; provided that no such amendment reduces or materially adversely affects the consideration to be received by Ample shareholders without approval by the affected Ample shareholders given in the same manner as required for the approval of the Arrangement or as may be ordered by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.