United states
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
☒ | Annual report pursuant to section 13 Or 15(d) of the securities exchange act of 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023
☐ | transition report pursuant to section 13 Or 15(d) of the securities exchange act of 1934 |
For the transition period from ___________ to __________________
Commission file number 000-54875
Sustainable Projects group inc. |
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) |
Nevada | 81-5445107 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
Tankedraget 7, Aalborg | DK-9000 | |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 305-814-2915
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
None | N/A | N/A |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common stock - $0.0001 par value |
(Title of Class) |
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
☐ Yes ☒ No
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
☐ Yes ☒ No
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
☒ Yes ☐ No
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
☒ Yes ☐ No
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Larger accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ |
Non-accelerated filer | ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ☒ |
Emerging growth company | ☐ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to § 240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).
☐ Yes ☒ No
As of June 30, 2023, the last day of the registrant’s second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock, $0.0001 par value, held by non-affiliates, computed by reference to the price at which the common stock was last sold prior to June 30, 2023 was approximately $213,264. For purposes of the above statement only, all directors, executive officers and 10% shareholders are assumed to be affiliates.
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common equity, as of the latest practicable date.
Class | Outstanding at April 3, 2024 | |
Common stock - $0.0001 par value |
Documents incorporated by reference
None
Forward Looking Statements
Cautionary Language Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Industry Data
This report contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. Our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including those set forth in this report. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ from projections include, but are not limited to:
● | changes in economic and business conditions; | |
● | estimates of and volatility in lithium prices or demand for lithium; | |
● | our limited operating history in the lithium industry; | |
● | availability of raw materials; | |
● | increases in the cost of raw materials and energy; | |
● | the pace of adoption and cost of developing electric transportation and storage technologies dependent upon lithium batteries; | |
● | changes in our market in general; | |
● | the occurrence of regulatory actions, proceedings, claims or litigation; | |
● | changes in laws and government regulations impacting our operations; | |
● | the effects of climate change, including any regulatory changes to which we might be subject; | |
● | hazards associated with chemicals manufacturing; | |
● | changes in accounting standards; | |
● | our ability to access capital and the financial markets; | |
● | volatility and uncertainties in the debt and equity markets; | |
● | the development of an active trading market for our common stock; | |
● | the occurrence of cyber-security breaches, terrorist attacks, industrial accidents or natural disasters; | |
● | technology or intellectual property infringement, including through cyber-security breaches, and other innovation risks; | |
● | recruiting, training and developing employees; | |
● | our failure to successfully execute our growth strategy, including any delays in our future growth; | |
● | our ability to begin construction of our manufacturing facilities as planned; | |
● | our ability to enter into supply and other vendor agreements necessary to sustain our operations; | |
● | decisions we may make in the future; and | |
● | other specific risks that may be referred to in this report. |
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 2 |
All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this report regarding our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenue or losses, projected costs, prospects and plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. When used in this report, the words “will,” “may,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “plan,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or other information contained herein. Stockholders and potential investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that our plans, intentions, and expectations reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements in this report are reasonable, we cannot assure stockholders and potential investors that these plans, intentions, or expectations will be achieved. We disclose important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from our expectations under Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and in Part II, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in any Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed subsequently hereto. These cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf.
Information regarding market and industry statistics contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K is included based on information available to us that we believe is accurate. It is generally based on publications that are not produced for purposes of securities offerings or economic analysis. Forecasts and other forward-looking information obtained from these sources are subject to the same qualifications and the additional uncertainties accompanying any estimates of future market size, revenue and market acceptance of products and services. We have no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results or changes in assumptions or other factors that could affect those statements, except as required by federal securities laws. See Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” for a more detailed discussion of uncertainties and risks that may have an impact on our future results.
part I
Item 1. Business.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. (“SPGX,” “we,” “us,” our” or the “Company”) is a pure-play lithium company focused on supplying high performance lithium compounds to the fast-growing electric vehicle (“EV”) and broader battery markets. We have developed a proprietary technology to extract lithium from oilfield wastewater, which we believe will enable us to manufacture lithium compounds quickly, at an attractive cost, and with a minimal environmental footprint, which we expect to provide us with a competitive advantage over other lithium manufacturers. We believe this competitive advantage will enable us to capitalize on the acceleration of vehicle electrification and renewable energy adoption.
We plan to start construction of our first two lithium carbonate manufacturing facilities in North Dakota and Ohio in the first half 2024, which we anticipate will be capable of manufacturing up to a total of 2,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (“LCE”), and we plan to begin manufacturing battery-grade lithium compounds at such facilities in the second half of 2025. No assurance can be given that we will be able to establish such facilities or begin manufacturing within this timeframe or at all.
On February 14, 2023, SPGX entered into a Securities Exchange Agreement (the “Agreement”) with Lithium Harvest ApS, a Denmark private limited liability company (“Lithium Harvest”), and all of the shareholders of Lithium Harvest (the “Shareholders”). Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the Company acquired all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of Lithium Harvest in exchange for issuing to the Shareholders 206,667,233 shares of SPGX’s common stock (the “Exchange Transaction”). The Exchange Transaction closed on February 14, 2023.
Prior to the Exchange Transaction, SPGX was a business development company engaged in project development and holdings through value-based investments and collaborative partnerships, including a joint venture relationship with Hero Wellness Systems Inc. (“Hero Wellness”) and a purchase agreement with the inventors of the Soy-yer Dough product line. During September 2022, SPGX decided to exit the joint venture with Hero Wellness, and following the Exchange Transaction, SPGX has not made final plans on the Soy-yer Dough project. We impaired our intangible assets associated with this project as of December 31, 2021, as disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A filed December 12, 2023.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 3 |
Overview
Our Technology and Products
Direct Lithium Extraction Technology. Our Direct Lithium Extraction (“DLE”) technology enables us to extract and manufacture lithium compounds from oilfield wastewater in a few hours. Competing technologies typically extract and manufacture lithium compounds from brine or hard rock through processes that take up to two to three years. Our DLE technology also allows us to adjust production according to customer needs, which we believe puts us in a favorable position to meet growing demand.
Lithium Carbonate and Lithium Hydroxide. We plan to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide for use in high performance lithium-ion batteries for EVs and broader battery markets. We plan to produce both standardized and customer specific compounds.
Our Growth Strategy
To fully capitalize on the growing demand for lithium compounds, our growth strategy will involve continued investment in manufacturing facilities, research and development, and our people. Essential features of our growth strategy include:
● | Build and expand manufacturing capacities. We plan to start construction of our first two lithium carbonate manufacturing facilities in North Dakota and Ohio in the first half of 2024, which we anticipate will be capable of manufacturing up to a total of 2,000 metric tons of LCE, and we plan to begin manufacturing battery-grade lithium compounds at such facilities in the second half of 2025. We plan to continue to invest in manufacturing capacity and aim to have a total manufacturing capacity of approximately 6,000 metric tons of LCE by the end of 2026. | |
● | Enter new geographic areas and expand North American operations. We believe that U.S. and international governments will increasingly support the local and sustainable production of critical minerals, including lithium compounds, for the green energy transition. Our first lithium carbonate manufacturing facilities are planned to be established in North Dakota and Ohio, and we intend to continue to expand our operations in North America in the near term, and eventually expand to Europe. | |
● | Continued investment in research and development and the expansion of our product portfolio. We believe that the continued evolution of battery technologies will require new forms of lithium to be produced. To ensure that we are well-positioned to develop new products to keep pace with the evolving battery technology industry, we plan to continue to focus and invest in research and development. Further, we plan to utilize our proprietary technology to expand our product portfolio to also include nickel, magnesium and vanadium. | |
● | Focus on sustainability. We believe that lithium will continue to be an important component of the green energy transition. Likewise, we believe that there will be a continued and increased focus on responsible lithium production and the Environmental, Social and Governance issues and concerns related to the production of lithium. Operating in a socially conscious, ethical, safe and sustainable manner is reflected in our core values. Further, we believe that our DLE technology has the lowest environmental footprint of any lithium extraction technology in the industry. We believe that our sustainable extraction technology and our local manufacturing will differentiate us from our competitors and help us build important strategic relationships with customers and other stakeholders. | |
● | Invest in our people. Our business depends on highly specialized research scientists, engineers, a technical sales force and experienced management. We are committed to investing in our people through training and development. We aim to attract and retain talent by cultivating an inclusive and positive working environment that creates and supports diversity and provides equal opportunity and fairness in our management systems. |
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 4 |
Competitive Strengths
We believe the following strengths underpin our ability to grow our business and profitability:
● | Direct Lithium Extraction. Our DLE technology enables us to extract and manufacture lithium compounds from oilfield wastewater in a few hours. Competing technologies typically extract and manufacture lithium compounds from brine and hard rock through a process that takes up to two to three years. Our DLE technology also allows us to adjust production according to customer needs, which we believe puts us in a favorable position to meet growing demand. | |
● | Stable and readily available lithium feedstock. We use our DLE technology to produce high performance lithium compounds from oilfield wastewater (also referred to as “produced water”). The global oil and gas industry produces more than 250 million barrels of produced water per day, which will provide a stable supply of lithium feedstock. Further, our DLE technology does not require us to acquire land and obtain drilling permits, which we believe will allow us to establish new lithium operations and ramp production quicker than our competitors. |
● | Low capital expenditure. Because our DLE technology does not require us to acquire land and obtain drilling permits, we believe that we can establish lithium operations at a lower cost than our competitors. | |
● | Low operating expenses. We believe that our operating expenses will be competitive with any other technology used in the industry. Our manufacturing facilities will use a high degree of automation, which we expect to lower our operating expenses. Our lithium compounds are produced from a waste product and will be extracted, refined and packaged in the same facility, which we believe will lower our costs for transportation. | |
● | Local manufacturing. We plan to produce our products as close to our customers as possible. We believe that governments will be increasingly focused on the local supply of critical minerals, and recent regulatory developments in our geographical focus areas strongly incentivize battery and vehicle manufacturers to source locally produced lithium products. | |
● | Sustainable production. We plan to produce our lithium compounds from oilfield wastewater, and we intend to clean and reuse about 90% of all water used in our production. We believe that we will have the lowest environmental footprint in the industry, and we believe that customers and end-users will be increasingly focused on sustainable manufacturing of battery materials. We believe that our low environmental footprint will position us favorably against competitors using more traditional lithium extraction technologies. |
Our Market
The market for battery grade lithium compounds is global, and we plan to sell our products worldwide. Based on estimates by Benchmark Minerals, lithium demand is forecasted to rise from 350,000 tons in 2020 to more than 3 million tons in 2030 and over 7 million tons in 2040, with a positive long-term price trend estimate of $15,000 per ton for battery-grade Lithium Carbonate and Lithium Hydroxide from 2025 to 2040. We believe that the continued electrification of transportation and transition to renewable energy sources will support continued significant growth in demand for lithium compounds over the next decade.
Raw Materials
Lithium
We plan to produce our lithium products from oilfield wastewater. The annual global production of produced water is more than 250 million barrels per day. The U.S. production of produced water is more than 50 million barrels per day. Not all produced water is suitable for lithium production, but we estimate that the current U.S. production of produced water is sufficient to produce more than 500,000 metric tons of LCE annually.
We plan to enter into long-term supply agreements with a leading midstream oil and gas company for the supply of lithium rich produced water for processing at our first two planned manufacturing facilities in North Dakota and Ohio. Further, we plan to enter into long-term lease agreements for the land on which these two facilities are planned to be constructed.
Water
All fresh water used in our production will be reused water from the production of oil and natural gas. We do not require any additional fresh water supplies.
Energy
Our production relies on a steady source of energy. We expect to use solar energy to the extent possible, but we will require an external supply of energy for our equipment.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 5 |
Other raw materials
We use a range of raw materials and chemical intermediates in our production processes. We generally expect to satisfy our requirements through spot purchases but likely will rely on medium-to-long-term agreements for the supply of certain raw materials.
Generally, we are not expecting supply chain constraints, but temporary shortages of certain raw materials may occur and cause temporary price increases. During periods of high demand, our raw materials are subject to significant price fluctuations that may have an adverse impact on our results of operations. In addition, there could be inflationary pressure on the costs of raw materials.
Competition
Our products will compete with other lithium compounds available in the market. Many of our competitors are large companies with long-term experience in the industry. The market for battery grade lithium compounds faces barriers to entry, including access to a stable and sufficient supply of lithium feedstock, the ability to produce a sufficient quality and quantity of lithium, technical know-how, and sufficient lead time to develop new lithium mining projects. We believe that our DLE technology enables us to produce high quality products quickly, at an attractive cost, and with a minimal environmental footprint, which we believe will differentiate us from our competitors. We intend to continue to invest in research and development to further improve our products, develop new products, and build market share.
Intellectual Property
Our success depends in part upon our ability to protect and use our DLE technology and the intellectual property rights related to our DLE technology. On December 15, 2022, we received an “Intention to Grant” notification from the Danish Patent and Trademark Office. The Danish patent was granted during the first quarter of 2023 and will expire in 2032. Further, we have a pending application for a U.S./International patent.
Customers
We intend to sell our products to customers in the EV and broader battery markets, and plan to initially sell lithium locally to customers in the regions close to our manufacturing facilities.
Sales and Marketing
We intend to initially sell our products directly to customers in the U.S. and anticipate that we will subsequently sell our products to customers throughout North America, Asia and Europe.
Manufacturing
We intend to manufacture the lithium compounds we extract at our own facilities. We intend to construct our first two lithium carbonate manufacturing facilities in the first half of 2024, which we anticipate will be capable of manufacturing up to 500 and 1,000 metric tons of LCE.
Research and Development
We conduct research and development to optimize our DLE technology and our lithium products and to develop new product candidates and technologies.
Seasonality
Our operations are generally not impacted by seasonality. However, production is expected to be marginally lower during the summer due to the U.S. vacation season.
Government Controls and Regulations
We are subject to and will incur capital and operating costs to comply with U.S. federal, state and local environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing employee health and safety, the composition of our products, the discharge of pollutants into the air and water, and the management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 6 |
In June 2016, modifications to the Toxic Substances Control Act in the United States were signed into law, requiring chemicals to be assessed against a risk-based safety standard and for the elimination of unreasonable risks identified during risk evaluation. Other initiatives in Asia and potentially in other regions will require toxicological testing and risk assessments of a wide variety of chemicals, including chemicals used or produced by us. These assessments may result in heightened concerns about the chemicals involved and additional requirements being placed on the production, handling, labeling or use of the subject chemicals. Such concerns and additional requirements could also increase the cost incurred by our customers to use our chemical products and otherwise limit the use of these products, which could lead to a decrease in demand for these products.
To the extent we manufacture or import products into the European Union (“EU”) or downstream users of our products are located in the EU, we may be subject to the European Community Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (“REACH”). REACH imposes obligations on EU manufacturers and importers of chemicals and other products into the EU to compile and file comprehensive reports, including testing data, on each chemical substance, and perform chemical safety assessments. Currently, certain lithium products are undergoing a risk assessment review under REACH, which may eventually result in restrictions in the handling or use of lithium carbonate and other lithium products that we produce, which may increase our production costs. In addition, REACH regulations impose significant additional responsibilities and costs on chemical producers, importers, downstream users of chemical substances and preparations, and the entire supply chain. REACH, if applicable to the sale or manufacture of our products, may lead to increases in the costs of raw materials we may purchase and the products we may sell in the EU, which could increase the costs of our products and result in a decrease in their overall demand.
We use and generate hazardous substances and wastes in our operations and may become subject to claims and substantial liability for personal injury, property damage, wrongful death, loss of production, pollution and other environmental damages relating to the release of such substances into the environment. Depending on the frequency and severity of such incidents, it is possible that the Company’s revenues, operating costs, insurability and relationships with customers, employees and regulators could be impaired.
Human Capital Management
We had 14 full-time employees as of March 1, 2024. None of our employees are represented by a labor organization or are a party to a collective bargaining arrangement. We have not experienced any work stoppages, and we consider our relations with our employees to be good.
Available Information
We file Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, proxy and information statements and other reports required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC are available to the public free of charge on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 7 |
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Risks Related to Our Business
Demand and market prices for lithium will greatly affect the value of our investment in our lithium projects and our ability to develop them successfully.
The prices of commodities vary on a daily basis. Price volatility could have dramatic effects on the results of operations and our ability to execute our business plan. The year 2023 saw a significant decrease in lithium prices from recent highs of around $80,000 per ton to levels of around $13,500 per ton as of the date of this report. There are no guarantees that the price of lithium materials will rebound from current price levels. The price of lithium materials may also be reduced by the discovery of new lithium deposits and production methods, which could not only increase the overall supply of lithium (causing downward pressure on its price), but could draw new firms into the lithium industry that could compete with us. Even if commercial quantities of lithium are produced by us, there is no guarantee that a profitable market will exist for the sale of the lithium. The development of our projects will be significantly affected by changes in the market price of lithium-based end products, such as lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide. Factors beyond our control may affect the marketability of any lithium produced. The prices of various metals have experienced significant movement over short periods of time and are affected by numerous factors beyond our control, including international economic and political trends, expectations of inflation, currency exchange fluctuations, interest rates and global or regional consumption patterns, speculative activities and increased production due to improved mining and production methods. The supply of and demand for lithium is affected by various factors, including, among others, political events, economic conditions and production costs in major producing regions. Furthermore, the price of lithium products is significantly affected by their purity and performance, and by the specifications of end-user battery manufacturers. If the products produced from our projects do not meet battery-grade quality and/or do not meet customer specifications, pricing will be reduced from that expected for battery-grade product. In turn, the availability of customers may also decrease. We may not be able to effectively mitigate against pricing risks for our products. Depressed pricing for our products will affect the level of revenues expected to be generated by us, which in turn could affect our value, share price and the potential value of our properties. There can be no assurance that the price of lithium will be such that it can be produced at a profit.
Competition within our industry may adversely affect our businesses and results of operations.
We face strong competition from companies in connection with the production of lithium. Many of these companies have greater financial resources, operational experience and technical capabilities than us, and as a result, our competitors may be able to produce and sell lithium at a lower cost than us. Consequently, our prospects, revenues, operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
The development of non-lithium battery technologies could adversely affect us.
The development and adoption of new battery technologies that rely on inputs other than lithium compounds could significantly impact our prospects and future revenues. While current and next generation high energy density batteries for use in EVs rely on lithium compounds as a critical input, alternative materials and technologies are being researched with the goal of making batteries lighter, more efficient, faster charging and less expensive, and some of these technologies could be less reliant on lithium compounds. We cannot predict which new technologies may ultimately prove to be commercially viable and on what time horizon, but commercialized battery technologies that use no, or significantly less, lithium could materially and adversely impact our prospects and future revenues.
There is risk to the growth of lithium markets.
Our lithium business is significantly dependent on the continued growth in demand for lithium batteries for EVs and energy storage. To the extent that such development, adoption and growth do not occur in the volume and/or manner that we contemplate, including for reasons described under the heading “The development of non-lithium battery technologies could adversely affect us” above, the long-term growth in the markets for lithium products may be adversely affected, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.
Our business is subject to hazards common to chemical and natural resource extraction businesses, any of which could injure our employees or other persons, damage our facilities or other properties, interrupt our production and adversely affect our reputation and results of operations.
Our business is subject to hazards common to chemical manufacturing, storage, handling and transportation, as well as natural resource extraction, including explosions, fires, severe weather, natural disasters, mechanical failure, unscheduled downtime, transportation interruptions, remediation, chemical spills, discharges or releases of toxic or hazardous substances or gases and other risks. These hazards can cause personal injury and loss of life to our employees and other persons, severe damage to, or destruction of, property and equipment and environmental contamination. In addition, the occurrence of disruptions, shutdowns or other material operating problems at our facilities due to any of these hazards may diminish our ability to meet our output goals. Accordingly, these hazards and their consequences could adversely affect our reputation and have a material adverse effect on our operations as a whole, including our results of operations and cash flows, both during and after the period of operational difficulties.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 8 |
Our business is subject to a number of operational risks.
We are subject to a number of operational risks and may not be adequately insured for certain risks, including, among others, environmental contamination, liabilities arising from historic operations, accidents or spills, industrial and transportation accidents, which may involve hazardous materials, labor disputes, catastrophic accidents, fires, blockades or other acts of social activism, changes in the regulatory environment, the impact of non-compliance with laws and regulations, natural phenomena such as inclement weather conditions, floods, earthquakes, ground movements, cave-ins, and encountering unusual or unexpected geological conditions and technological failure of exploration methods.
There is no assurance that the foregoing risks and hazards will not result in damage to, or destruction of, our property, personal injury or death, environmental damage, increased costs, monetary losses and potential legal liability and adverse governmental action. These factors could all have an adverse impact on our future cash flows, earnings, results of operations and financial condition.
The resource extraction business is cyclical in nature.
The resource extraction business and the marketability of the products it produces are affected by worldwide economic cycles. At the present time, the significant demand for lithium and other commodities in many countries is driving increased prices, but it is difficult to assess how long such demand may continue. Fluctuations in supply and demand of resources in various regions throughout the world are common.
As our business is in the development stage and as we do not carry on commercial-scale production activities, our ability to fund ongoing development is affected by the availability of financing which is, in turn, affected by the strength of the economy and other general economic factors.
Electronic vehicle regulations and economic incentives may impact our business.
Demand for lithium-based end products, such as lithium-ion batteries for use in EVs, may be impacted by changes to government regulation and economic incentives. Government and economic incentives that support the development and adoption of EVs in the U.S. and abroad, including certain tax exemptions, tax credits and rebates, may be reduced, eliminated or exhausted from time to time. For example, previously available incentives favoring EVs in areas including Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, and California have expired or were cancelled or made temporarily unavailable, and in some cases were not replaced or reinstituted. Any similar developments could have a negative impact on overall prospects for growth of the lithium market and pricing, which in turn could have a negative effect on us and our projects.
Our business depends on adequate infrastructure.
Resource extraction activities depend on adequate infrastructure. Reliable roads, bridges, and power sources are important determinants which affect capital and operating costs. Unusual or infrequent weather phenomena, sabotage, or community, government or other interference in the maintenance or provision of such infrastructure could adversely affect our operations, financial condition and results of operations.
Fluctuating construction costs can impact our business.
As a result of the substantial expenditures involved in resource extraction development projects, developments are prone to material cost overruns versus budget. The capital expenditures and time required to develop new projects are considerable and changes in cost or construction schedules can significantly increase both the time and capital required to build the project.
Construction costs and timelines can be impacted by a wide variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control. These include, but are not limited to, weather conditions, ground conditions, availability of material required for construction, availability and performance of contractors and suppliers, inflation, delivery and installation of equipment, design changes, accuracy of estimates and availability of accommodations for the workforce.
Project development schedules are also dependent on obtaining the governmental approvals necessary for the operation of a project. The timeline to obtain these government approvals is often beyond our control.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 9 |
Our business could be adversely affected by environmental, health and safety laws and regulations.
The nature of our business exposes us to risks of liability under environmental laws and regulations due to the production, storage, use, transportation and sale of materials that can cause contamination or personal injury if released into the environment. In the jurisdictions in which we operate, or plan to operate, we are or will be subject to numerous U.S. and non-U.S. national, federal, state and local environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing the discharge of pollutants into the air and water, the management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes and the cleanup of contaminated properties. Liabilities associated with the investigation and cleanup of hazardous substances, as well as personal injury, property damages or natural resource damages arising from the release of, or exposure to, such hazardous substances may be imposed in many situations without regard to violations of laws or regulations or other fault, and may also be imposed jointly and severally (so that a responsible party may be held liable for more than its share of the losses involved, or even the entire loss). Such liabilities may also be imposed on many different entities, including, for example, current and prior property owners or operators, as well as entities that arranged for the disposal of the hazardous substances. Such liabilities may be material and can be difficult to identify or quantify.
Further, some of the raw materials we handle are subject to government regulation. These regulations affect the manufacturing processes, handling, uses and applications of our products. In addition, our production facilities require numerous operating permits. Due to the nature of these requirements and changes in our operations, our operations may exceed limits under permits or we may not have the proper permits to conduct our operations. Ongoing compliance with such laws, regulations and permits is an important consideration for us, and we expect to incur substantial capital and operating costs in our compliance efforts. Compliance with environmental laws generally increases the costs of manufacturing, registration/approval requirements, transportation and storage of raw materials and finished products, and storage and disposal of wastes, and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. We may incur substantial costs, including fines, damages, criminal or civil sanctions and remediation costs, or experience interruptions in our operations, for violations arising under these laws or permit requirements. Furthermore, environmental laws are subject to change and have become increasingly stringent in recent years. We expect this trend to continue and to require materially increased capital expenditures and operating and compliance costs.
We are subject to extensive foreign government regulation that can negatively impact our business.
We are subject to government regulation in non-U.S. jurisdictions in which we conduct our business, including Denmark, among others. These jurisdictions may have different tax codes, environmental regulations, labor codes and legal frameworks, which add complexity to our compliance with these regulations. The requirements for compliance with these laws and regulations may be unclear or indeterminate and may involve significant costs, including additional capital expenditures or increased operating expenses, or require changes in business practice, in each case that could result in reduced profitability for our business. Our having to comply with these foreign laws or regulations may provide a competitive advantage to competitors who are not subject to comparable restrictions or prevent us from taking advantage of growth opportunities. Determination of noncompliance can result in penalties or sanctions that could also adversely impact our operating results and financial condition.
Our inability to protect our intellectual property rights, or being accused of infringing on intellectual property rights of third parties, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We rely on the ability to protect our intellectual property rights and depend on patent, trademark and trade secret legislation to protect our proprietary know-how. There can be no assurance that we have adequately protected or will be able to adequately protect our valuable intellectual property rights, or will at all times have access to all intellectual property rights that are required to conduct our business or pursue our strategies, or that we will be able to adequately protect ourselves against any intellectual property infringement claims. There is also a risk that our competitors could independently develop similar technology, processes or know-how; that our trade secrets could be revealed to third parties; that any current or future patents, pending or granted, will not be broad enough to protect our intellectual property rights; or that foreign intellectual property laws will adequately protect such rights. The inability to protect our intellectual property could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We could face patent infringement claims from our competitors or others alleging that our processes or products infringe on their proprietary technologies. If we are found to be infringing on the proprietary technology of others, we may be liable for damages and we may be required to change our processes, redesign our products partially or completely, pay to use the technology of others, stop using certain technologies or stop producing the infringing product entirely. Even if we ultimately prevail in an infringement suit, the existence of the suit could prompt customers to switch to products that are not the subject of infringement suits. We may not prevail in intellectual property litigation and such litigation may result in significant legal costs or otherwise impede our ability to produce and distribute key products.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 10 |
In addition to patents, we also rely upon unpatented proprietary manufacturing expertise, continuing technological innovation and other trade secrets to develop and maintain our competitive position. While we generally enter into confidentiality agreements with our employees and third parties to protect our intellectual property, we cannot assure you that our confidentiality agreements will not be breached, that they will provide meaningful protection for our trade secrets and proprietary manufacturing expertise or that adequate remedies will be available in the event of an unauthorized use or disclosure of our trade secrets or manufacturing expertise. In addition, our trade secrets and know-how may be improperly obtained by other means, such as a breach of our information technologies security systems or direct theft.
If we are unable to retain key personnel or attract new skilled personnel, it could have an adverse effect on our business.
Our success depends on our ability to attract and retain key personnel, including our management team. In light of the specialized and technical nature of our business, our performance is dependent on the continued service of, and on our ability to attract and retain, qualified management, scientific, technical, marketing and support personnel. Competition for such personnel is intense, and we may be unable to continue to attract or retain such personnel. In addition, because of our reliance on our senior management team, the unanticipated departure of any key member of our management team could have an adverse effect on our business. Our future success depends, in part, on our ability to identify and develop or recruit talent to succeed our senior management and other key positions throughout the organization. If we fail to identify and develop or recruit successors, we are at risk of being harmed by the departures of these key employees. Effective succession planning is also important to our long-term success. Failure to ensure effective transfer of knowledge and smooth transitions involving key employees could hinder our strategic planning and execution.
Risks Related to Our Financial Condition
We will need to raise additional capital to fund ongoing operations, and such capital raising may be costly or difficult to obtain and could dilute our stockholders’ ownership interests.
In order for us to fund ongoing operations, we will need to raise additional capital, which additional capital may not be available on reasonable terms or at all. Moreover, we will need to raise additional funds to accomplish the following:
● | construction of our first two lithium carbonate manufacturing facilities; | |
● | pursuing growth opportunities, including sale of lithium carbonate; | |
● | making capital improvements to improve our infrastructure; | |
● | hiring and retaining qualified management and key employees; | |
● | responding to competitive pressures; | |
● | complying with regulatory requirements such as licensing and registration; and | |
● | maintaining compliance with applicable laws, regulations and auditing and filing requirements. |
Any additional capital raised through the sale of equity or equity-backed securities may dilute our stockholders’ ownership percentages and also could result in a decrease in the market value of our equity securities.
The terms of any securities issued by us in future capital transactions may be more favorable to new investors, and may include preferences, superior voting rights and the issuance of warrants or other derivative securities, which may have a further dilutive effect on the holders of any of our securities then outstanding.
In addition, we may incur substantial costs in pursuing future capital financing, including investment banking fees, legal fees, accounting fees, securities law compliance fees, printing and distribution expenses and other costs. We may also be required to recognize non-cash expenses in connection with certain securities we issue, such as convertible notes and warrants, which may adversely impact our financial condition.
Management has concluded that there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, and the report of our independent registered public accounting firm contains an explanatory paragraph as to our ability to continue as a going concern, which could prevent us from obtaining new financing on reasonable terms or at all.
Because we have limited operations and have sustained operating losses resulting in a deficit, substantial doubt exists regarding our ability to remain as a going concern. Accordingly, the report of Centurion ZD CPA & Co., our new independent registered public accounting firm, with respect to our financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, includes an explanatory paragraph as to our potential inability to continue as a going concern. The doubts regarding our potential ability to continue as a going concern may adversely affect our ability to obtain new financing on reasonable terms or at all.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 11 |
We are exposed to fluctuations in currency exchange rates, which may adversely affect our operating results.
We conduct our business and incur costs in the local currency of most of the countries in which we operate. Changes in exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. Dollar will affect the recorded levels of our assets, liabilities, net sales, cost of goods sold and operating margins and could result in exchange losses. The primary currencies to which we have exposure are the Danish Krone and Euro. Exchange rates between these currencies and the U.S. Dollar in recent years have fluctuated significantly and may do so in the future. In addition to currency translation risks, we incur currency transaction risks whenever one of our operating subsidiaries enters into either a purchase or a sales transaction using a different currency from its functional currency. Our operating results may be affected by any volatility in currency exchange rates and our ability to manage effectively our currency transaction and translation risks.
Changes in, or the interpretation of, tax legislation or rates throughout the world could materially impact our results.
Our effective tax rate and related tax balance sheet attributes could be impacted by changes in tax legislation throughout the world.
Our future effective tax rates could be affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, expirations of tax holidays or rulings, changes in the assessment regarding the realization of the valuation of deferred tax assets, or changes in tax laws and regulations or their interpretation. Recent developments, including the European Commission’s investigations on illegal state aid, as well as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development project on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting, may result in changes to long-standing tax principles, which could adversely affect our effective tax rates or result in higher cash tax liabilities.
We are and will be subject to the regular examination of our income tax returns by various tax authorities. Examinations in material jurisdictions or changes in laws, rules, regulations or interpretations by local taxing authorities could result in impacts to tax years open under statute or to foreign operating structures currently in place. We regularly assess the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from these examinations or changes in laws, rules, regulations or interpretations to determine the adequacy of our provision for taxes. It is possible the outcomes from these examinations will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and operating results.
Our required capital expenditures can be complex, may experience delays or other difficulties, and the costs may exceed our estimates.
Our capital expenditures generally consist of and will consist of expenditures to maintain and improve existing equipment, facilities and properties, and substantial investments in new or expanded equipment, facilities and properties. Execution of these capital expenditures can be complex, and commencement of production will require start-up, commission and certification of product quality by our customers, which may impact the expected output and timing of sales of product from such facilities. Construction of large chemical operations is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including, among others, the ability to complete a project on a timely basis and in accordance with the estimated budget for such project and our ability to estimate future demand for our products. In addition, our returns on these capital expenditures may not meet our expectations.
Future capital expenditures may be significantly higher, depending on the investment requirements of any of our business lines, and may also vary substantially if we are required to undertake actions to compete with new technologies in our industry. We may not have the capital necessary to undertake these capital investments. If we are unable to do so, we may not be able to effectively compete in some of our markets.
Our business and financial results may be adversely affected by various legal and regulatory proceedings.
We may be involved in legal and regulatory proceedings, which may be material in the future. The outcome of proceedings, lawsuits and claims may differ from our expectations, leading us to change estimates of liabilities and related insurance receivables.
Legal and regulatory proceedings, whether with or without merit, and associated internal investigations, may be time-consuming and expensive to prosecute, defend or conduct, may divert management’s attention and other resources, inhibit our ability to sell our products, result in adverse judgments for damages, injunctive relief, penalties and fines, and otherwise negatively affect our business.
Due to material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting related to impairment of intangible assets associated with YER Brands Inc. and treatment of the reverse acquisition of Lithium Harvest on February 14, 2023 within the reporting of subsequent events, we had to restate our previously issued consolidated financial statements for several prior periods, which has resulted in unanticipated costs and may adversely affect investor confidence, our stock price, our ability to raise capital in the future and our reputation, and may result in stockholder litigation and regulatory actions.
We have incurred unanticipated costs for accounting and legal fees in connection with the restatements, and the restatements may have the effect of eroding investor confidence in our Company and our financial reporting and accounting practices and processes and may raise reputational issues for our business. The restatements may negatively impact the trading price of our securities and make it more difficult for us to raise capital on acceptable terms, or at all. In addition, the restatements and related material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting may also result in stockholder litigation against us, or adverse regulatory consequences, including investigations, penalties or suspensions by the SEC. Any such regulatory consequences, litigation, claim or dispute, whether successful or not, could subject us to additional costs, divert the attention of our management, or impair our reputation. Each of these consequences could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 12 |
Risks Related to Our Securities
The price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly, and this may make it difficult for you to resell the shares of common stock when you want or at prices you find attractive.
The price of our common stock as traded on the OTC Pink marketplace changes frequently. We expect that the market price of our common stock will continue to fluctuate. Our stock price may fluctuate as a result of a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include, among others:
● | actual or anticipated announcements of technological innovations; | |
● | actual or anticipated changes in laws and governmental regulations; | |
● | disputes relating to patents or proprietary rights; | |
● | changes in business practices; | |
● | developments relating to our efforts to obtain additional financing to fund or expand our operations; | |
● | announcements by us regarding potential acquisitions and strategic alliances; | |
● | changes in industry trends or conditions; | |
● | our issuance of additional debt or equity securities; and | |
● | sales of a significant number of our shares of common stock or other securities in the market. |
In addition, in recent years, the stock market in general has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. This volatility has had a significant effect on the market price of securities issued by many small-cap companies for reasons often unrelated to their operating performance. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect our stock price, regardless of our operating results.
We are subject to the penny stock rules adopted by the SEC that require brokers to provide extensive disclosure to their customers prior to executing trades in penny stocks. These disclosure requirements may cause a reduction in the trading activity of our common stock, which would likely make it difficult for our stockholders to sell their shares.
Rule 3a51-1 of the Exchange Act establishes the definition of a “penny stock,” for purposes relevant to us, as any equity security that has a minimum bid price of less than $5.00 per share or with an exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to a limited number of exceptions which are not available to us. This classification would severely and adversely affect any market liquidity for our common stock.
For any transaction involving a penny stock, unless exempt, the penny stock rules require that a broker or dealer approve a person’s account for transactions in penny stocks and the broker or dealer receive from the investor a written agreement to the transaction setting forth the identity and quantity of the penny stock to be purchased. In order to approve a person’s account for transactions in penny stocks, the broker or dealer must obtain financial information and investment experience and objectives of the person and make a reasonable determination that the transactions in penny stocks are suitable for that person and that such person has sufficient knowledge and experience in financial matters to be capable of evaluating the risks of transactions in penny stocks.
The broker or dealer must also deliver, prior to any transaction in a penny stock, a disclosure schedule prepared by the SEC relating to the penny stock market, which, in highlight form, sets forth:
● | the basis on which the broker or dealer made the suitability determination, and | |
● | the fact that the broker or dealer received a signed, written agreement from the investor prior to the transaction. |
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 13 |
Disclosure also has to be made about the risks of investing in penny stocks in both public offerings and in secondary trading and commissions payable to both the broker-dealer and the registered representative, current quotations for the securities and the rights and remedies available to an investor in cases of fraud in penny stock transactions. Finally, monthly statements have to be sent disclosing recent price information for the penny stock held in the account and information on the limited market in penny stocks.
Because of these regulations, broker-dealers may not wish to engage in the above-referenced necessary paperwork and disclosures and/or may encounter difficulties in their attempt to sell shares of our common stock, which may affect the ability of stockholders to sell their shares in any secondary market and have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity in any secondary market. These additional sales practice and disclosure requirements could impede the sale of our common stock. In addition, the liquidity for our common stock may decrease, with a corresponding decrease in the price of our common stock. Our common stock, in all probability, will be subject to such penny stock rules for the foreseeable future and our stockholders will, in all likelihood, find it difficult to sell their common stock.
If we are unable to develop and maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, it could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We are required to provide a quarterly management certification and an annual management assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. As of December 31, 2023, we disclosed the following material weaknesses that have not yet been remediated: (1) we currently lack a functioning audit committee and lack a majority of outside directors on the Company’s board of directors, resulting in ineffective oversight in the establishment and monitoring of required internal controls and procedures; (2) we currently have inadequate segregation of duties consistent with control objectives; (3) we have insufficient written policies and procedures for accounting and financial reporting with respect to the requirements and application of generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“US GAAP”) and SEC disclosure requirements; (4) we have ineffective controls over period end financial disclosure and reporting processes; (5) we have ineffective controls over timely impairments of intangible assets; and (6) we lack internal control over financial reporting in the controls over the accounting treatment of subsequent events.
In addition, due to the material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting, we have also determined that our disclosure controls and procedures are ineffective.
We cannot assure that the measures we have taken to date, and may take in the future, will be sufficient to remediate the control deficiencies that led to our material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting or that they will prevent or avoid potential future material weaknesses to be identified in the future. The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting is subject to various inherent limitations, including cost limitations, judgments used in decision making, assumptions about the likelihood of future events, the possibility of human error and the risk of fraud. Any failure to design, implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and effective disclosure controls and procedures, or any difficulties encountered in their implementation or improvement, may result in additional material misstatements of our financial statements or cause us to fail to meet our periodic reporting obligations, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and subject us to adverse regulatory consequences, including sanctions by the SEC or violations of applicable market or exchange listing rules.
There could also be a negative reaction in the financial markets due to a loss of investor confidence in our Company and the reliability of our financial statements, particularly in light of the restatement of the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Confidence in the reliability of our financial statements could also suffer if we are unable to remediate our existing material weaknesses or report additional material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. This could materially adversely affect us and lead to a decline in the price of our common stock.
Future sales of our common stock in the public market or the issuance of our common stock or securities convertible into common stock could depress the price of our common stock.
Our Articles of Incorporation authorize our Board to issue shares of our common stock in excess of our current outstanding common stock. Any additional issuances of any of our authorized but unissued shares will not require the approval of stockholders and may have the effect of further diluting the equity interest of stockholders.
We may issue our common stock in the future for a number of reasons, including to attract and retain key personnel, to lenders, investment banks or investors in order to achieve more favorable terms from these parties and align their interests with our stockholders, to management and/or employees to reward performance, to finance our operations and growth strategy, to adjust our ratio of debt to equity, to satisfy outstanding obligations or for other reasons. If we issue securities, our existing stockholders may experience dilution. Future sales of our common stock, the perception that such sales could occur or the availability for future sale of shares of our common stock or securities convertible into or exercisable for our common stock could adversely affect the market prices of our common stock prevailing from time to time. The sale of shares issued upon the exercise of any derivative securities could also further dilute the holdings of our then existing stockholders.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 14 |
Our common stock is not currently traded at high volumes, and you may be unable to sell at or near ask prices if you need to sell or liquidate a substantial number of shares at one time.
Our common stock is currently traded, but with very low, if any, volume, based on quotations on the OTC Pink marketplace, meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing our common stock at or near bid prices at any given time may be relatively small or non-existent. This situation is attributable to a number of factors, including the fact that we are a small company which is still relatively unknown to investors and others in the investment community that generate or influence sales volume, and that even if we came to the attention of such persons, they tend to be risk-averse and would be reluctant to follow an unproven company such as ours or purchase or recommend the purchase of our shares until such time as we became more seasoned and viable. In addition, many institutional investors, which account for significant trading activity, are restricted from investing in stocks that trade below specified prices, have less than specified market capitalizations or have less than specified trading volume. As a consequence, there may be periods of several days or more when trading activity in our shares is minimal or non-existent, as compared to a seasoned issuer which has a large and steady volume of trading activity that will generally support continuous sales without an adverse effect on share price. We cannot give you any assurance that a broader or more active public trading market for our common stock will develop or be sustained, or that trading levels will be sustained.
Shares eligible for future sale may adversely affect the market.
From time to time, certain of our stockholders may be eligible to sell all or some of their shares of our common stock by means of ordinary brokerage transactions in the open market pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act, subject to certain limitations. Rule 144 permits, under certain circumstances, the sale of securities, without any limitation, by our stockholders that are non-affiliates that have satisfied a six-month holding period. Any substantial sale of our common stock pursuant to Rule 144 or pursuant to any resale prospectus may have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.
Our directors, executive officers and controlling persons as a group have significant voting power and may take actions that may not be in the best interest of stockholders.
Our directors, executive officers and controlling persons as a group beneficially own approximately 89.9% of our common stock. They will have the ability to exert substantial influence over all matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors and any proposed merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. In addition, they could dictate the management of our business and affairs. This concentration of ownership could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control, or impeding a merger or consolidation, takeover or other business combination that could be favorable to you. This significant concentration of share ownership may also adversely affect the trading price for our common stock because investors may perceive disadvantages in owning stock in a company with controlling affiliated stockholders.
We do not plan to pay dividends to holders of our common stock.
We do not anticipate paying cash dividends to the holders of our common stock at any time. Accordingly, investors in our securities must rely upon subsequent sales after price appreciation as the sole method to realize a gain on investment. There are no assurances that the price of our common stock will ever appreciate in value. Investors seeking cash dividends should not buy our securities.
General Risk Factors
Adverse conditions in the global economy, and volatility and disruption of financial markets, can negatively impact our business and results of operations.
Global financial conditions have been subject to continued volatility. Government debt, the risk of sovereign defaults, bank failures, political instability and wider economic concerns in many countries have been causing significant uncertainties in the markets. Disruptions in the credit and capital markets can have a negative impact on the availability and terms of credit and capital. Uncertainties in these markets could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, ability to raise capital and cost of capital. High levels of volatility and market turmoil could also adversely impact commodity prices, exchange rates and interest rates and have a detrimental effect on our business.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 15 |
Global economic and geopolitical events, such as the war in Ukraine and sanctions imposed on Russia, the war in Gaza and higher energy costs coupled with supply concerns, have been disruptive to the world economy, with increased volatility in commodity markets, international trade and financial markets and oil and gasoline prices, all of which have a trickle-down effect on supply chains, equipment and construction. There is substantial uncertainty about the extent to which each of these events will continue to impact economic and financial affairs, as the numerous issues arising from each event are in flux and there is the potential for escalation of conflict within Europe, the Middle East and globally. There is a risk of substantial market and financial turmoil arising from further conflict, which could have a material adverse effect on the economics of our projects and our ability to operate our business and advance project development. There is also a risk of recession in the United States and elsewhere, which may cause decreases in asset values and may result in impairment losses, which could adversely impact our operations.
Our business and operations could suffer in the event of cybersecurity breaches, information technology system failures, or network disruptions.
Attempts to gain unauthorized access to our information technology systems become more sophisticated over time. These attempts, which might be related to industrial or other espionage, include covertly introducing malware to our computers and networks and impersonating authorized users, among others. In some cases, we might be unaware of an incident or its magnitude and effects. The theft, unauthorized use or publication of our intellectual property and/or confidential business information could harm our competitive position, reduce the value of our investment in research and development and other strategic initiatives or otherwise adversely affect our business. To the extent that any cybersecurity breach results in inappropriate disclosure of our customers’ or licensees’ confidential information, we may incur liability as a result. The devotion of additional resources to the security of our information technology systems in the future could significantly increase the cost of doing business or otherwise adversely impact our financial results.
In addition, risks associated with information technology systems failures or network disruptions, including risks associated with upgrading our systems or in successfully integrating information technology and other systems in connection with the integration of any businesses we acquire, could disrupt our operations by impeding our processing of transactions, financial reporting and our ability to protect our customer or company information, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Natural disasters or other unanticipated catastrophes could impact our results of operations.
The occurrence of natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods or earthquakes, pandemics, or other unanticipated catastrophes at any of the locations in which we or our key partners, suppliers and customers do business, could cause interruptions in our operations. A global or regional pandemic or similar outbreak in a region of ours, our customers or our suppliers could disrupt business. If similar or other weather events, natural disasters or other catastrophic events occur in the future, they could negatively affect the results of operations at our sites in the affected regions as well as have adverse impacts on the global economy.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 16 |
Our insurance may not fully cover all potential exposures.
Our insurance may not cover all risks associated with the hazards of our business and is subject to limitations, including deductibles and coverage limits. We may incur losses beyond the limits, or outside the coverage, of our insurance policies, including liabilities for environmental remediation. In addition, from time to time, various types of insurance for companies in the specialty chemical industry have not been available on commercially acceptable terms or, in some cases, have not been available at all. We are potentially at additional risk if one or more of our insurance carriers fail. Additionally, severe disruptions in the domestic and global financial markets could adversely impact the ratings and survival of some insurers. Future downgrades in the ratings of enough insurers could adversely impact both the availability of appropriate insurance coverage and its cost. In the future, we may not be able to obtain coverage at current levels, if at all, and our premiums may increase significantly on coverage that we maintain.
We may be exposed to certain regulatory and financial risks related to climate change.
Growing concerns about climate change may result in the imposition of additional regulations or restrictions to which we may become subject. Climate changes include changes in rainfall and in storm patterns and intensities, water shortages, significantly changing sea levels and increasing atmospheric and water temperatures, among others. A number of governments or governmental bodies have introduced or are contemplating regulatory changes in response to climate change, including regulating greenhouse gas emissions and the SEC’s recently announced rule to require public companies to make additional climate change related disclosures. Potentially, additional U.S. federal regulation will be forthcoming with respect to greenhouse gas emissions (including carbon dioxide) and/or legislation that could impact our operations. In addition, we may in the future have operations in the EU, which has agreed to implement measures to achieve objectives under the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The outcome of new legislation or regulation in the U.S. and other jurisdictions in which we operate may result in new or additional requirements, additional charges to fund energy efficiency activities, and fees or restrictions on certain activities. While certain climate change initiatives may result in new business opportunities for us by increasing the demand for EVs and lithium-ion batteries, compliance with these initiatives may also result in additional costs to us, including, among other things, increased production costs, additional taxes, reduced emission allowances or additional restrictions on production or operations. Adopted future climate change regulations could also negatively impact our ability to compete with companies situated in areas not subject to such limitations. Even without such regulation, increased public awareness and adverse publicity about potential impacts on climate change emanating from us or our industry could harm us. We may not be able to recover the cost of compliance with new or more stringent laws and regulations, which could adversely affect our business and negatively impact our growth. Furthermore, the potential impact of climate change and related regulation on our customers is highly uncertain and there can be no assurance that it will not have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We may become party to litigation or other proceedings.
In the ordinary course of our business, we may become party to new litigation or other proceedings in local or international jurisdictions in respect of any aspect of our business, whether under criminal law, contract or otherwise. The causes of potential litigation cannot be known and may arise from, among other things, business activities, employment matters, including compensation issues, environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, tax matters, failure to comply with disclosure obligations or labor disruptions at our project sites. Regulatory and government agencies may initiate investigations relating to the enforcement of applicable laws or regulations, and we may incur expenses in defending them and be subject to fines or penalties in case of any violation and could face damage to our reputation. We may attempt to resolve disputes involving foreign contractors/suppliers through arbitration in another country, and such arbitration proceedings may be costly and protracted, which may have an adverse effect on our financial condition. Litigation may be costly and time-consuming and can divert the attention of management and key personnel from our operations and, if adjudged adversely to us, may have a material and adverse effect on our cash flows, results of operations and financial condition.
We may have certain conflicts of interest.
Our directors and officers may become directors or officers of other mineral resource companies or reporting issuers or may acquire or have significant shareholdings in other mineral resource companies. To the extent that such other companies may participate in ventures in which we may participate or wish to participate, our directors and officers may have a conflict of interest with respect to such opportunities or in negotiating and concluding terms respecting the extent of such participation.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 17 |
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
None.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity.
Our Company prioritizes the security of our digital and physical operations. We have engaged with reliable software providers, implementing robust security measures, including two-factor authentication and the use of authenticators, among other tools, to enhance the security of our information systems and data integrity. These measures are part of our ongoing efforts to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access and ensure the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of our critical information assets. We acknowledge the necessity of a formal cybersecurity risk management process to comprehensively address the evolving landscape of cyber threats. To this end, we are in the early stages of developing a structured cybersecurity framework that will guide our risk assessment, threat identification, and mitigation strategies. This framework will be designed to align with best practices in cybersecurity risk management and will be adapted as necessary to meet our specific operational needs and risk profile.
Management plays a crucial role in our cybersecurity posture. Our management team is actively engaged in identifying potential risk factors and threat vectors that could impact our operations. This involves continuous monitoring of our cybersecurity landscape and making informed decisions to address identified risks promptly. The company’s board of directors has oversight of the Company’s cybersecurity efforts and receives regular reports on the subject. We are aware of the potential risks associated with cybersecurity, including the risk of financial loss due to ransomware or phishing attacks, disruption in operations, and the theft of intellectual property. As our production plants are completed and become operational, we recognize the importance of enhancing our cybersecurity measures to protect against these and other threats. We are committed to developing and implementing a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that includes not only technical defenses but also organizational policies and employee training to safeguard against a wide range of cyber threats.
In the absence of a formal cybersecurity committee, we plan to establish governance structures that will ensure oversight and strategic direction for our cybersecurity efforts. This will include regular reviews of our cybersecurity posture and adjustments to our strategy as the cyber threat landscape evolves. While no cybersecurity incidents have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition, we remain vigilant and proactive in enhancing our cybersecurity defenses. Our approach is one of continuous improvement, and we are committed to implementing best practices in cybersecurity risk management to protect our stakeholders and ensure the resilience of our operations against cyber threats. We describe how cybersecurity threats are likely to materially affect our Company, including our business strategy, results of operations, and financial condition, in the section titled “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Item 2. Properties.
Our corporate headquarters are located at Tankedraget 7, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark. We have a long-term lease contract, see Note 3 for details on this property.
Our U.S. headquarters, which we lease on an annual basis, are located at 2316 Pine Ridge Rd #383, Naples, Florida, 34109.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
From time to time, we may become involved in legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of its business. We are not presently a party to any legal proceedings that, if determined adversely to us, would individually or taken together have a material adverse effect on our company, nor is any such litigation threatened as of the date of this filing.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosure.
Not applicable.
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Market Information
Trading Information
Our shares of common stock are currently traded on the OTC Pink marketplace under the symbol “SPGX.” The range of high and low bid information for shares of our common stock for each full quarterly period within the two most recent fiscal years is set forth below. These bid prices represent prices quoted by broker-dealers on the OTC Pink marketplace. The quotations reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commissions, and may not represent actual transactions.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 18 |
On April 3, 2024, the closing price of our common stock, as reported by the OTC Pink marketplace, was $0.0457 per share.
High | Low | |||||||
2023: | ||||||||
Fourth quarter ended December 31, 2023 | $ | 0.103 | $ | 0.0335 | ||||
Third quarter ended September 30, 2023 | 0.315 | 0.025 | ||||||
Second quarter ended June 30, 2023 | 0.30 | 0.071 | ||||||
First quarter ended March 31, 2023 | 0.50 | 0.025 | ||||||
2022: | ||||||||
Fourth quarter ended December 31, 2022 | $ | 0.032 | $ | 0.025 | ||||
Third quarter ended September 30, 2022 | 0.10 | 0.017 | ||||||
Second quarter ended June 30, 2022 | 0.13 | 0.017 | ||||||
First quarter ended March 31, 2022 | 0.12 | 0.062 |
Record and Beneficial Holders
As of April 3, 2024, there were approximately 118 holders of record of our common stock.
Dividends
We have not paid any dividends on our common stock and we do not intend to pay any dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.
Item 6. [Reserved.]
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
The following is a discussion of our financial condition and results of operations and is intended to assist in the understanding and assessment of significant changes and trends related to our results of operations and financial position. This discussion should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 and the accompanying notes appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Overview
We are a pure-play lithium company focused on supplying high performance lithium compounds to the fast-growing EV and broader battery markets. We have developed a proprietary technology to extract lithium from oilfield wastewater, which we believe will enable us to manufacture lithium compounds quickly, at an attractive cost, and with a minimal environmental footprint, which we expect to provide us with a competitive advantage over other lithium manufacturers. We believe this competitive advantage will enable us to capitalize on the acceleration of vehicle electrification and renewable energy adoption.
On February 14, 2023, we entered into the Agreement with Lithium Harvest and all of the Shareholders. Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, we acquired all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of Lithium Harvest in exchange for issuing to the Shareholders 206,667,233 shares of our common stock. The Exchange Transaction closed on February 14, 2023.
Prior to the Exchange Transaction, we were a business development company engaged in project development and holdings through value-based investments and collaborative partnerships, including a joint venture relationship with Hero Wellness and a purchase agreement with the inventors of the Soy-yer Dough product line. During September 2022, we decided to exit the joint venture with Hero Wellness, and following the Exchange Transaction, SPGX has not made final plans on the Soy-yer Dough project. We impaired our intangible assets associated with this project as of December 31, 2021 as disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A filed December 12, 2023.
We plan to start construction of our first two lithium carbonate manufacturing facilities in North Dakota and Ohio in the first half of 2024, which we anticipate will be capable of manufacturing up to a total of 2,000 metric tons of LCE, and we plan to begin manufacturing battery-grade lithium compounds at such facilities in the second half of 2025. We plan to continue to invest in manufacturing capacity and aim to have a total manufacturing capacity of approximately 6,000 metric tons of LCE by the end of 2026.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 19 |
In order to meet our targets, management will focus on the achievement of several critical missions over the next year:
Site Selection. Our proprietary technology operates on a vastly smaller footprint compared to traditional lithium production. While conventional production facilities require up to 65 acres for solar evaporation brine extraction and 115 acres for hard rock mining per 1,000 metric tons of LCE production, our production facilities require only 1.4 acres and can be located in remote areas or co-located with existing oil mining operation sites. We plan to enter into long-term lease agreements for the land on which our first two facilities in North Dakota and Ohio are planned to be constructed.
Lithium feedstock. We are dependent on a continued supply of produced water. Currently, the disposal of produced water is a costly undertaking for oil well operators and carries a large environmental footprint. We believe our proprietary technology offers significant cost savings for oil well operators as water is cleaned and used for re-injection or other purposes.
The current U.S. production of produced water is more than 50 million barrels per day. Not all produced water is suitable for lithium production, but we estimate that the current U.S. production of produced water is sufficient to produce more than 500,000 metric tons of LCE annually. We plan to enter into long-term supply agreements with a leading midstream oil and gas company for the supply of lithium rich produced water for processing at our first two planned manufacturing facilities in North Dakota and Ohio.
Sourcing of Components. We source the major components for our proprietary lithium extraction process from blue-chip international suppliers. Management currently anticipates timely access to all major components. However, supply chain difficulties as seen during late 2021 and early 2022 could delay production start dates. We have identified our major vendors and are currently in contract discussions.
Hiring of Key Personnel. While our production process is largely automated, we will require significant additions to our personnel to achieve production start targets. Key areas of expansion are anticipated to include management, research and development, sales, project management and administration. We currently have 14 full-time employees and are in the process of hiring additional key personnel.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 20 |
Results of Operation
For the | For the | |||||||
Year Ended | Year Ended | |||||||
December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
2023 | 2022 | |||||||
Operating and administrative expenses | ||||||||
Advertising and promotion | $ | 33,391 | $ | - | ||||
Amortized right of use assets | 178,022 | - | ||||||
Consulting fees | 104,988 | - | ||||||
Depreciation | 33,659 | - | ||||||
General and administrative expenses | 57,393 | 2,192 | ||||||
Interest on lease | 134,324 | - | ||||||
Management fees | 775,165 | 108,190 | ||||||
Office maintenance and utilities | 128,651 | - | ||||||
Professional fees | 329,116 | 102,777 | ||||||
Rent | 58,823 | - | ||||||
Stock based compensation (Note 13) | 492,708 | - | ||||||
Travel expenses | 108,087 | 9,785 | ||||||
Vehicle expense | 46,500 | - | ||||||
Wages and salaries | 516,926 | - | ||||||
Total operating and administrative expenses | 2,997,753 | 222,944 | ||||||
Operating loss before other items | (2,997,753 | ) | (222,944 | ) | ||||
Miscellaneous income | 251,089 | - | ||||||
Interest expense | (1,288 | ) | - | |||||
Net Loss | (2,747,952 | ) | (222,944 | ) | ||||
Translation loss | (44,375 | ) | (4,585 | ) | ||||
Net loss and comprehensive loss, attributed to shareholders | $ | (2,792,327 | ) | $ | (227,529 | ) | ||
Basic and diluted loss per share | $ | (0.011 | ) | $ | (4.551 | ) | ||
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding | 254,941,752 | 50,000 |
During the year ended December 31, 2023, we had revenues of $0 compared to $0 during the year 2022. This is attributable to the fact that the Company is still in the process of developing its first lithium extraction plant.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 21 |
Operating Expenses. The Company’s operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $2,997,753 as compared to $222,944 for the prior fiscal year. The increase in operating expenses can be primarily attributed to the expansion of business activities following the reverse acquisition of Lithium Harvest. The most significant cost drivers are related to management fees, which increased from 108,190 in the year ended December 31, 2022 to $775,165 during the year ended December 31, 2023 as the Company expanded its management team.
Additionally, the increase in operating expenses was affected by a significant increase in wages and salaries, which increased to $516,926 for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to $0 in the year ended December 31, 2022.
The third major driver of operating expenses was the cost of stock based compensation, which amounted to $492,708 for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to $0 during the year ended December 31, 2022. The stock based compensation was in the form of restricted stock units (“RSUs”), and settlement is subject to stockholder approval.
Additionally, the increase in operating expenses can be attributed to the expansion of our headquarters located in Denmark. Rights of use amortization related to the long term rent agreement on our office space for the year ended December 31, 2023 amounted to $178,022 as compared to $0 for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Miscellaneous Income. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company had miscellaneous income of $251,089, compared to $0 during the year ended December 31, 2022. This increase in miscellaneous income was attributable to income from sub-leases of office space at our Denmark office.
Net Loss. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company had a net loss of $2,747,952, compared to $222,944 during the year ended December 31, 2022. The loss was generally attributable to increased expenses in ramping up our business activities following the reverse acquisition of Lithium Harvest. As disclosed above, the largest cost increases experienced during the year ended December 31, 2023 were management fees, wages and salaries, and stock based compensation.
Translation Loss. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company had a translation loss of $44,375 as compared to $4,585 during the year ended December 31, 2022. This translation loss stems from variability in the exchange rate between U.S. Dollars and Danish Krone.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 22 |
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2023, we had cash of $847,724 compared to a cash balance of $0 at December 31, 2022. The increase in cash balance was primarily due to private placements of common stock, as well as miscellaneous income from sub-leases at our Denmark office. During the 12-month period following the date of this report, management anticipates that the Company will not generate sufficient revenues to continue the development of current projects and projects in the pipeline. Accordingly, the Company will be required to obtain additional financing in order to continue its plan of operations. Management may attempt to secure debt financing for future growth, but due to the absence of meaningful assets and limited operating history, debt financing may not be available to the Company. Management anticipates that additional funding will be in the form of equity financing from the sale of the Company’s common stock, as well as debt if available. If we are successful in completing an equity financing, existing shareholders will experience dilution of their interest in the Company. However, the Company does not have any financing arranged and cannot provide investors with any assurance that it will be able to raise sufficient funding from the sale of its common stock to fund its plan of operations. In the absence of such financing, the Company will not be able to develop its products or facilities and its business plan will fail. Even if the Company is successful in obtaining equity financing and developing its business, additional development of its lithium extraction facilities will be required. If the Company does not continue to obtain additional financing, it will be forced to abandon its business and plan of operations.
As of December 31, 2023, we had total assets of $3,069,604, and a working capital deficit of $205,103, compared with total assets of $42,269 and a working capital deficit of $221,332 at December 31, 2022. The decrease in the working capital deficit was primarily due to a significant increase in cash to $847,724 and prepaid expenses and deposits of $398,067 for the year ended December 31, 2023. This compares to cash of $0 and prepaid expenses and deposits of $10,089 for the year ended December 31, 2022. Additionally, amounts due to related parties was $502,397 for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to $146,402 for the year ended December 31, 2022. We also saw an increase in accounts payable, which increased to $449,952 for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to $117,199 for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2023, net cash used in operating activities was $1,331,262 compared to $2,373 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in cash used in operating activities was primarily due to the expansion of our operating activities. The largest components of this increase in cash used in operating activities were from stock based compensation and amounts due to related parties for accrued salaries.
Additionally, we saw an increase in accounts payable related to expenses incurred in the expansion of our business, particularly in rental expenses and consulting fees. Furthermore, we saw an increase in amortization of right of use assets relating to our long-term lease for our Danish offices.
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2023, net cash used in investing activities was $178,596 compared to $0 for the year ended December 31, 2022. This increase in net cash used can largely be attributed to investments in office furniture and equipment. Additional factors were investments in filtration equipment and intangible assets related to our patent application.
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2023, net cash provided by financing activities was $2,386,574 as compared with financing activities of $0 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The net cash generated in financing activities was due to private placements of common stock.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 23 |
Significant Accounting Estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Management makes its best estimate of the ultimate outcome for these items based on historical trends and other information available when the financial statements are prepared. Changes in estimates are recognized in accordance with the accounting rules for the estimate, which is typically in the period when new information becomes available to management. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
A critical accounting estimate is defined as a financial statement item where significant judgment is required in the selection of accounting policies and the determination of estimates. The accounting estimates that require more significant judgment are included below:
1. | Revenue recognition: We use judgment in determining the timing of revenue recognition and the amount of revenue to be recognized. This judgment is based on the timing of delivery, customer acceptance and other factors. Our revenue recognition policies are subject to periodic review and changes, and any changes could have a material impact on our financial statements. | |
2. | Allowance for doubtful accounts: We estimate the allowance for doubtful accounts based on historical data, current economic conditions and other factors. The actual amount of uncollectible accounts may differ from our estimates, and any significant changes could impact our financial statements. | |
3. | Inventory valuation: We estimate the value of inventory based on historical cost, estimated future demand and other factors. We regularly review our inventory and may write down the value if it is deemed to be obsolete or overvalued. Any significant changes to our inventory valuation could impact our financial statements. | |
4. | Depreciation and amortization: We estimate the useful lives of our property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, and the residual values used in our depreciation and amortization calculations. Our estimates are subject to change based on economic conditions, technological advancements and other factors, and any changes could have a material impact on our financial statements. | |
5. | Impairment of long-lived assets: We periodically review our long-lived assets for impairment and estimate the fair value of those assets. Our estimates are based on a variety of factors, including market conditions and future plans for the assets. If the estimated fair value of the assets is lower than the carrying value, we recognize an impairment charge. Any changes to our estimates could result in impairment charges and have a material impact on our financial statements. | |
6. | Exchange rates and translational risks: We are exposed to exchange rate fluctuations and translational risks, particularly with respect to the Danish Krone. We estimate the impact of these fluctuations on our financial statements and make adjustments as necessary. The fluctuations in exchange rates could have a significant impact on the value of our assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies, and on our results of operations when translating these amounts into our functional currency. Any material changes in exchange rates could have a significant impact on our financial statements. |
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 24 |
Going Concern
We have limited operations and have sustained operating losses resulting in a deficit. In view of these matters, realization values may be substantially different from carrying values as shown. We have accumulated a deficit of $3,600,189 since inception and have yet to achieve profitable operations and further losses are anticipated in the development of our business. Our ability to continue as a going concern is in substantial doubt and is dependent upon obtaining additional financing and/or achieving a sustainable profitable level of operations. Our consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. We had $847,724 in cash as of December 31, 2023. Cash used by operations was $1,331,262 for the year ended December 31, 2023. We will need to raise additional cash in order to fund ongoing operations over the next 12 months. We expect to finance our operations through public or private equity, debt or other available financing transactions. However, there is no assurance that such additional funds will be available for us on acceptable terms, if at all.
Consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, its wholly owned subsidiaries YER Brands Inc. and, prior to September 30, 2022, our joint venture, Hero Wellness Systems Inc. (formerly Vitalizer Americas Inc.) (“Hero Wellness”). The Company controls 55% of Hero Wellness. At September 30, 2022, Hero Wellness’ assets were impaired and the Company impaired its investment and eliminated Hero Wellness’ accounts from the consolidated financial statements. Previously, pursuant to ASC Topic 810, the joint venture company was considered as a variable interest entity that required the Company to consolidate its account. All intercompany balances and transactions were eliminated in this consolidation. The operating results of the joint venture were included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements and the non-controlling interest that was not attributable to the Company was reported separately.
Equity Investments
We invest in equity securities of public and non-public companies for business and strategic purposes. Investments in public companies are carried at fair value based on quoted market prices. Investments in equity securities without readily determinable fair values are carried at cost, minus impairment, if any. We review our equity securities without readily determinable fair values on a regular basis to determine if the investment is impaired. For purposes of this assessment, we consider the investee’s cash position, earnings and revenue outlook, liquidity and management ownership, among other factors in our review. If management’s assessment indicates that an impairment exists, we estimate the fair value of the equity investment and recognize in current earnings an impairment loss that is equal to the difference between the fair value of the equity investment and its carrying amount.
Revenue Recognition
In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance on the recognition of Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The core principle of the guidance is that a company should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration which the company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve this core principle, the guidance provides a five-step analysis of transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized. The guidance addresses several areas, including transfer of control, contracts with multiple performance obligations, and costs to obtain and fulfill contracts. The guidance also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract.
Recently issued accounting pronouncements
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses.” The provision sets forth a “current expected credit loss” model which requires us to measure all expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable supportable forecasts. This replaces the prior incurred loss model and is applicable to the measurement of credit losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost and applies to some off-balance sheet credit exposures. SPGX adopted this standard as of December 31, 2022, with no impact.
We adopt new pronouncements relating to US GAAP applicable to us as they are issued, which may be in advance of their effective date. Management does not believe that any pronouncement not yet effective but recently issued would, if adopted, have a material effect on the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and are not required to provide the information under this item.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 25 |
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS GROUP INC.
For the YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2023 AND 2022
index to THE CONSOLIDATED financial statements
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-1 |
Report of Independent Public Accountant
中正達會計師事務所 Centurion ZD CPA & Co. Certified Public Accountants (Practising) |
Unit 1304, 13/F, Two Harbourfront, 22 Tak Fung Street, Hunghom, Hong Kong. 香港 紅磡 德豐街22號 海濱廣場二期 13樓1304室 Tel 電話: (852) 2126 2388 Fax 傳真: (852) 2122 9078 | |
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of Sustainable Projects Group, Inc.:
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Sustainable Projects Group Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ equity (deficit), and cash flows, for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Material Uncertainty Relating to Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements, the Company had a significant working capital deficiency and needs to raise additional funds to meet its obligations and sustain its operations. These conditions raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 2. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Our opinion is not modified with respect to this matter.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
Critical audit matters are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. We determined that there are no critical audit matters.
/s/ Centurion ZD CPA & Co.
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2023.
Hong Kong, China
April 4, 2024
PCAOB ID: 2769
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-2 |
SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS GROUP INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||
ASSETS | ||||||||
Current Assets: | ||||||||
Cash | $ | 847,724 | $ | - | ||||
Other receivables – Note 4 | - | 32,180 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses and deposits | 398,067 | 10,089 | ||||||
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS | 1,245,791 | 42,269 | ||||||
Right Of Use Assets – Note 9 | 1,688,003 | - | ||||||
Equipment – Note 5 | 102,907 | - | ||||||
Intangible assets – Note 7 | 32,903 | - | ||||||
TOTAL ASSETS | $ | 3,069,604 | $ | 42,269 | ||||
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT | ||||||||
LIABILITIES | ||||||||
CURRENT LIABILITIES: | ||||||||
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities – Note 8 | $ | 449,952 | $ | 117,199 | ||||
Amounts due to related parties – Note 12 | 502,397 | 146,402 | ||||||
Payroll liabilities | 149,148 | - | ||||||
Other payables – Note 4 | 19,334 | - | ||||||
Notes and interest payable – Note 10 | 69,605 | - | ||||||
Deposits received | 76,545 | - | ||||||
Lease liability, current portion – Note 9 | 183,913 | - | ||||||
TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES | 1,450,894 | 263,601 | ||||||
NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES | ||||||||
Lease liability obligation – long term – Note 9 | 1,559,818 | - | ||||||
TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES | 1,559,818 | - | ||||||
TOTAL LIABILITIES | 3,010,712 | 263,601 | ||||||
STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT | ||||||||
Common Stock – Note 11 Par Value: $50,000) | Authorized shares Common Stock Issued: (Dec 31, 2022 – Capital Shares29,604 | 7,940 | ||||||
Additional Paid in Capital | 3,438,273 | - | ||||||
Accumulated Deficit | (3,359,757 | ) | (224,419 | ) | ||||
Other Accumulated Comprehensive Loss | (49,228 | ) | (4,853 | ) | ||||
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT | 58,892 | (221,332 | ) | |||||
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT | $ | 3,069,604 | $ | 42,269 |
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-3 |
SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS GROUP INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
For the | For the | |||||||
Year Ended | Year Ended | |||||||
December 31 | December 31 | |||||||
2023 | 2022 | |||||||
Operating and administrative expenses | ||||||||
Advertising and promotion | $ | 33,391 | $ | - | ||||
Amortized right of use assets | 178,022 | - | ||||||
Consulting fees | 104,988 | - | ||||||
Depreciation | 33,659 | - | ||||||
General and administrative expenses | 57,393 | 2,192 | ||||||
Interest on lease | 134,324 | - | ||||||
Management fees | 775,165 | 108,190 | ||||||
Office maintenance and utilities | 128,651 | - | ||||||
Professional fees | 329,116 | 102,777 | ||||||
Rent | 58,823 | - | ||||||
Stock based compensation (Note 13) | 492,708 | - | ||||||
Travel expenses | 108,087 | 9,785 | ||||||
Vehicle expense | 46,500 | - | ||||||
Wages and salaries | 516,926 | - | ||||||
Total operating and administrative expenses | 2,997,753 | 222,944 | ||||||
Operating loss before other items | (2,997,753 | ) | (222,944 | ) | ||||
Miscellaneous income | 251,089 | - | ||||||
Interest expense | (1,288 | ) | - | |||||
Net Loss | (2,747,952 | ) | (222,944 | ) | ||||
Translation loss | (44,375 | ) | (4,585 | ) | ||||
Net loss and comprehensive loss, attributed to shareholders | $ | (2,792,327 | ) | $ | (227,529 | ) | ||
Basic and diluted loss per share | $ | ) | $ | ) | ||||
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding |
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-4 |
SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS GROUP INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
For the Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
Common | Par Value at $0.0001 | Share | Additional Paid-in | Shares | Accumulated | Accumulated Other Comprehensive | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For December 31, 2023 | Shares | Amount | Capital | Capital | Subscribed | Deficit | Loss | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance, December 31, 2022 | 50,000 | $ | - | $ | 7,940 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | (224,419 | ) | $ | (4,853 | ) | $ | (221,332 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Common stock issued in reverse merger* | 287,140,813 | 28,719 | (7,940 | ) | - | - | (387,386 | ) | - | (366,607 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss and comprehensive loss | - | - | - | - | - | (392,032 | ) | (4,898 | ) | (396,930 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Balance, March 31, 2023 | 287,190,813 | $ | 28,719 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | - | $ | (1,003,837 | ) | $ | (9,751 | ) | $ | (984,869 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Shares subscribed at $ | per share- | - | - | - | 877,100 | - | - | 877,100 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares subscribed at $ | per share- | - | - | - | 375,000 | - | - | 375,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock based payments | - | - | - | 164,236 | - | (164,236 | ) | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss and comprehensive loss | - | - | - | - | - | (606,457 | ) | (6,959 | ) | (613,416 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Balance, June 30, 2023 | 287,190,813 | $ | 28,719 | $ | - | $ | 164,236 | $ | 1,252,100 | $ | (1,774,530 | ) | $ | (16,710 | ) | $ | (346,185 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Shares subscribed at $ | per share- | - | - | - | 994,350 | - | - | 994,350 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares issued at $ | per share1,500,000 | 150 | - | 374,850 | (375,000 | ) | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares issued at $ | per share4,006,000 | 401 | - | 1,401,699 | (1,402,100 | ) | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock based payments | - | - | - | 164,236 | - | (164,236 | ) | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss and comprehensive loss | - | - | - | - | - | (679,498 | ) | 23,867 | (655,631 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance, September 30, 2023 | 292,696,813 | $ | 29,270 | $ | - | $ | 2,105,021 | $ | 469,350 | $ | (2,618,264 | ) | $ | 7,157 | $ | (7,466 | ) | |||||||||||||||
Shares subscribed at $ | per share- | - | - | - | 700,000 | - | - | 700,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares issued at $ | per share3,341,000 | 334 | - | 1,169,016 | (1,169,350 | ) | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock based payments | - | - | - | 164,236 | - | (164,236 | ) | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss and comprehensive loss | - | - | - | - | - | (577,257 | ) | (56,385 | ) | (633,642 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Balance, December 31, 2023 | 296,037,813 | $ | 29,604 | $ | - | $ | 3,438,273 | $ | - | $ | (3,359,757 | ) | $ | (49,228 | ) | $ | 58,892 |
* | Including shares of common stock issued pursuant to a convertible loan settlement, as disclosed in Note 11. |
Other | ||||||||||||||||||||
Common | Share | Accumulated | Accumulated | |||||||||||||||||
For December 31, 2022 | Shares | Capital | Deficit | Comprehensive | Total | |||||||||||||||
Balance, December 31, 2021 | 50,000 | - | $ | 7,940 | - | - | $ | (1,475 | ) | $ | (268 | ) | $ | 6,197 | ||||||
Net loss for the period | - | - | - | - | - | (175 | ) | (133 | ) | (308 | ) | |||||||||
Balance, March 31, 2022 | 50,000 | - | $ | 7,940 | - | - | $ | (1,650 | ) | $ | (401 | ) | $ | 5,889 | ||||||
Net loss for the period | - | - | - | - | - | (5,056 | ) | (140 | ) | (5,196 | ) | |||||||||
Balance, June 30, 2022 | 50,000 | - | $ | 7,940 | - | - | $ | (6,706 | ) | $ | (541 | ) | $ | 693 | ||||||
Net loss for the period | - | - | - | - | - | (3,243 | ) | 61 | (3,182 | ) | ||||||||||
Balance September 30 2022 | 50,000 | $ | 7,940 | - | - | $ | (9,949 | ) | $ | (480 | ) | $ | (2,489 | ) | ||||||
Balance | 50,000 | - | $ | 7,940 | - | - | $ | (9,949 | ) | $ | (480 | ) | $ | (2,489 | ) | |||||
Net loss for the period | - | - | - | - | - | (214,470 | ) | (4,373 | ) | (218,843 | ) | |||||||||
Balance, December 31, 2022 | 50,000 | - | $ | 7,940 | - | - | $ | (224,419 | ) | $ | (4,853 | ) | $ | (221,332 | ) | |||||
Balance | 50,000 | - | $ | 7,940 | - | - | $ | (224,419 | ) | $ | (4,853 | ) | $ | (221,332 | ) |
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-5 |
SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS GROUP INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
For the Year ended December 31, 2023 | For the Year ended December 31, 2022 | |||||||
Cash Flows from operating activities: | ||||||||
Net loss | $ | (2,747,952 | ) | $ | (222,944 | ) | ||
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
Depreciation | 33,659 | - | ||||||
Amortized right of use assets | 178,022 | - | ||||||
Stock based compensation | 492,708 | - | ||||||
Interest on lease payments | 134,324 | - | ||||||
Changes in current assets and liabilities | ||||||||
Prepaid expenses and deposits | (387,978 | ) | (10,089 | ) | ||||
Other receivables | 32,180 | (32,180 | ) | |||||
Accounts payable and accrued expenses | 332,753 | 116,438 | ||||||
Payroll liabilities | 149,148 | - | ||||||
Other payables | 19,334 | |||||||
Deposits received | 76,545 | - | ||||||
Amount due to related parties | 355,995 | 146,402 | ||||||
Net cash used in operating activities | (1,331,262 | ) | (2,373 | ) | ||||
Cash Flows from investing activities: | ||||||||
Office furniture and equipment | (121,409 | ) | - | |||||
Filtration equipment | (21,220 | ) | - | |||||
Intangible assets | (35,967 | ) | - | |||||
Net cash used in investing activities | (178,596 | ) | - | |||||
Cash Flows from financing activities: | ||||||||
Common stock issued in reverse acquisition | (366,607 | ) | - | |||||
Lease payment | (262,874 | ) | - | |||||
Common stock issued in private placements | 2,946,450 | |||||||
Proceeds from note payable and interest payable | 69,605 | - | ||||||
Net cash provided by financing activities | 2,386,574 | - | ||||||
Effect of foreign exchange on cash | (28,992 | ) | (4,585 | ) | ||||
Net increase (decrease) in cash | 847,724 | (6,958 | ) | |||||
Cash at beginning of period | - | 6,958 | ||||||
Cash at end of period | $ | 847,724 | $ | - | ||||
Supplemental Disclosures | ||||||||
Cash paid for: | ||||||||
Interest | $ | 124.00- | $ | - |
During the year ended December 31, 2023, operating leases with a discounted value of $1,743,731 were recorded as Right Of Use Assets and Lease liabilities.
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-6 |
SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS GROUP INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2023
1. Organization and Nature of Operations
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated in the State of Nevada, USA on September 4, 2009 as Blue Spa Incorporated. On December 19, 2016, the Company amended its name from “Blue Spa Incorporated” to “Sustainable Petroleum Group Inc.” On September 6, 2017, the Company obtained a majority vote from its shareholders to amend the Company’s name from “Sustainable Petroleum Group Inc.” to “Sustainable Projects Group Inc.” to better reflect its business at the time. The name change was effective on October 20, 2017. Prior to the Exchange Transaction (as defined below), the Company was a multinational business development company that pursued investments and partnerships with companies across sustainable sectors. The Company also was involved in consulting services and collaborative partnerships.
The Company is a pure-play lithium company focused on supplying high performance lithium compounds to the fast-growing electric vehicle and broader battery markets. It has developed a proprietary technology to extract lithium from oilfield wastewater, which it believes will enable it to manufacture lithium compounds quickly, at an attractive cost, and with a minimal environmental footprint, which it expects to provide a competitive advantage over other lithium manufacturers.
On February 14, 2023, the Company entered into a Securities Exchange Agreement (the “Agreement”) with Lithium Harvest ApS (“Lithium Harvest”), and all the shareholders of Lithium Harvest (the “Shareholders”). Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company acquired all outstanding shares of capital stock of Lithium Harvest in exchange for issuing to the Shareholders shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Exchange Transaction”). In addition, the lender of a convertible note payable exercised its conversion feature and received shares of common stock in exchange for its debt and interest. The Exchange Transaction represents a change of control and was accounted for as a reverse acquisition with Lithium Harvest being the accounting acquirer and the Company being the accounting acquiree. As a result of the transaction, the number of shares of common stock outstanding was increased to .
The Company’s year-end is December 31.
2. Going Concern
These consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States or “GAAP,” which contemplate continuation of the Company as a going concern. However, the Company has limited revenue and has sustained operating losses resulting in a deficit. In view of these matters, realization of a major portion of the assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets is dependent upon the continued operations of the Company, which in turn is dependent upon the Company’s ability to meet its financing requirements, and the successful implementation of the Company’s planned strategy of supplying high performance lithium compounds to the electric vehicle and broader battery markets.
The Company has accumulated a deficit of $3,359,757 since inception and has yet to achieve profitable operations and further losses are anticipated in the development of its business. The Company’s ability to continue as a going concern is in substantial doubt and is dependent upon obtaining additional financing and/or achieving a sustainable profitable level of operations. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
The Company had $847,724 in cash as of December 31, 2023. The Company will need to raise additional cash in order to fund ongoing operations over the next 12 months. The Company may seek additional equity as necessary, and it expects to raise funds through private or public equity, as well as debt, if available, in order to support its existing operations and develop its first lithium extraction facility. There is no assurance that such additional funds will be available for the Company on acceptable terms, if at all.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-7 |
3. Summary of accounting policies
Summary of Accounting Policies
Use of estimates and assumptions
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Management makes its best estimate of the ultimate outcome for these items based on historical trends and other information available when the financial statements are prepared. Changes in estimates are recognized in accordance with the accounting rules for the estimate, which is typically in the period when new information becomes available to management. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Reverse Acquisition
The Exchange Transaction between the Company and Lithium Harvest was accounted for as a “reverse acquisition” since, immediately following completion of the Exchange Transaction, the Shareholders effectuated control of the post-combination Company. For accounting purposes, Lithium Harvest was deemed to be the accounting acquirer in the transaction and, consequently, the transaction is treated as a recapitalization of Lithium Harvest (i.e., a capital transaction involving the issuance of shares by the Company for the shares of Lithium Harvest). Accordingly, the consolidated assets, liabilities and results of operations of Lithium Harvest became the historical financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, and the Company’s assets, liabilities and results of operations were consolidated with those of Lithium Harvest beginning on the acquisition date. No step-up in basis or intangible assets or goodwill were recorded in this Exchange Transaction. As a result of the Exchange Transaction, Lithium Harvest became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.
Consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Sustainable Projects Group Inc., Lithium Harvest ApS and YER Brands Inc. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated in the consolidation process.
Operating Leases – Right of Use Assets
In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-02, Leases (“Topic 842”). The new standard establishes a right-of-use model that requires a lessee to record a right-of-use asset (“ROU asset”) and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. For leases with an initial term of 12 months or less, a lessee is permitted to make an accounting policy election by class of underlying asset not to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities. If a lessee makes this election, it should recognize lease expense for such leases generally on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition. Similarly, lessors will be required to classify leases as sales-type, finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of income recognition. Classification for both lessees and lessors will be based on an assessment of whether risks and rewards as well as substantive control have been transferred through a lease contract.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-8 |
The Company adopted the new standard as of April 1, 2023. The Company has elected not to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities for leases with an initial term of 12 months or less. There are no other material asset leases, whether operating or finance, except as indicated below.
Lithium Harvest has one office lease. The lease conveys no ownership at the end of the lease term and contains no purchase option nor any guarantee of residual value. The lease does not contain renewal periods at the end of the term. The lease is amortized straight line over the entire term of the office lease agreement. The Company uses an annual interest rate of 10%, or a rate of 2.50% per quarter. This operating lease is classified as an ROU asset under the new standard (Topic 842). The office lease commenced April 1, 2023.
Lithium Harvest has one software lease. The lease conveys no ownership at the end of the lease term and contains no purchase option nor any guarantee of residual value. The lease has one renewal period of one year at the end of the term. The lease is amortized straight line over the entire term of the software lease. The Company uses an annual interest rate of 10%, or a rate of 2.50% per quarter. This operating lease was classified as an ROU asset under the new standard (Topic 842). The software lease commenced May 1, 2023.
Lithium Harvest has one equipment lease. The lease conveys no ownership at the end of the lease term and contains no purchase option nor any guarantee of residual value. The lease does not contain renewal periods at the end of the term. The lease is amortized straight line over the entire term of the equipment lease. The Company uses an annual interest rate of 10%, or a rate of 2.50% per quarter. This operating lease is classified as an ROU asset under the new standard (Topic 842). The equipment lease commenced June 1, 2023.
Lithium Harvest has one service equipment lease. The lease conveys no ownership at the end of the lease term and contains no purchase option nor any guarantee of residual value. The lease does not contain renewal periods at the end of the term. The lease is amortized straight line over the entire term of the service equipment lease. The Company uses an annual interest rate of 10%, or a rate of 2.50% per quarter. This operating lease was classified as an ROU asset under the new standard (Topic 842). The service equipment lease commenced May 10, 2023.
Stock Based Compensation
The Company follows the guideline under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 718, “Compensation—Stock Compensation”. The standard provides that for all stock-based compensation plans, including employee stock options, restricted stock, employee stock purchase plans and stock appreciation rights, all share-based payments to both employees and directors are recognized in the statements of operations and consolidated loss based on their fair values. For non-employee stock-based compensation, the Company applies ASC 505-50, “Equity—Equity-Based Payments to Non-Employees.” This standard provides that all stock-based compensation related to non-employees be measured at the fair value of the consideration received or the fair value of the equity instruments issued, whichever can be most reliably measured or determinable.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-9 |
Segment Reporting
The Company reports segment information based on the “management” approach. The management approach designates the internal reporting used by management for making decisions and assessing performance of its various businesses on a corporation-wide basis. As of December 31, 2023, the Company has three reportable segments: YER Brands, Sustainable Projects Group and Lithium Harvest. The segments are determined based on several factors including the nature of products and services, nature of production processes and delivery channels and consultancy services. Each operating segment’s performance is evaluated based on its segment income. Segment income is defined as gross sales and miscellaneous income. For the year ended December 31, 2023 and the year ended December 31, 2022, segment income and total assets were reported as follows:
Schedule of Segment Reporting
For the Year Ended | For the Year Ended | |||||||
December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||
Sales and miscellaneous income | ||||||||
Sustainable Projects Group | $ | - | $ | - | ||||
YER Brands | - | - | ||||||
Lithium Harvest | 251,089 | - | ||||||
Total Sales | $ | 251,089 | $ | - | ||||
Total Assets at End of Period | ||||||||
Sustainable Projects Group | $ | 6,090 | $ | - | ||||
YER Brands | - | - | ||||||
Lithium Harvest | 3,063,514 | 42,269 | ||||||
Total Assets | $ | 3,069,604 | $ | 42,269 |
Revenue Recognition
The Company adopted ASC 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“ASC 606”). The Company recognizes revenue when the Company transfers promised services to the customer. The performance obligation is the monthly services rendered. The Company has one main revenue source at the moment from Lithium Harvest, which is sub-leasing office space with and/or without furniture. Accordingly, the Company recognizes revenue when services are provided. This revenue is billed in advance, arrears and/or is prepaid. The performance obligation is the monthly services rendered. Where there is a sub-leasing contract for office space with and/or without furniture, the Company bills monthly for its services as rendered. Where there is no contract, the revenue is recognized when received.
The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC 606 using the following five steps to identify revenues:
● | identify the contract with a customer; |
● | identify the performance obligations in the contract; |
● | determine the transaction price; |
● | allocate the transaction price to performance obligations in the contract; and |
● | recognize revenue as the performance obligation is satisfied. |
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-10 |
Sub-leasing office
The Company recognizes revenue when the Company transfers promised services to the customer. The performance obligation is the monthly services rendered. The Company has one main revenue source at the moment from Lithium Harvest, which is sub-leasing office space with and/or without furniture. Accordingly, the Company recognizes revenue when services are provided. This revenue is billed in advance, arrears and/or is prepaid. The performance obligation is the monthly services rendered. Where there is a sub-leasing contract for office space with and/or without furniture, the Company bills monthly for its services as rendered.
A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer and is the unit of account in the new revenue standard. The contract transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation and recognized as revenue when or as the performance obligation is satisfied.
Advances from client’s deposits are contract liabilities with customers that represent the Company’s obligation to either transfer goods or services in the future, or refund the amount received. Where possible, the Company obtains retainers to lessen risk of non-payment by customers. Advances from client’s deposits are recognized as revenue as the Company meets specified performance obligations as detailed in the contract.
The income earned from sub-leasing office space is recognized as “miscellaneous income”.
Accounts Receivable and Concentration of Risk
Accounts receivable, net is stated at the amount the Company expects to collect, or the net realizable value. The Company provides a provision for allowances that includes returns, allowances and doubtful accounts equal to the estimated uncollectible amounts. The Company estimates its provision for allowances based on historical collection experience and a review of the current status of trade accounts receivable. It is reasonably possible that the Company’s estimate of the provision for allowances will change.
Intangible assets
Intangible assets are non-monetary identifiable assets, controlled by the Company that will produce future economic benefits, based on reasonable and supportable assumptions about conditions that will exist over the life of the asset. An intangible asset that does not meet these attributes will be recognized as an expense when it is incurred. Intangible assets that do, are capitalized and initially measured at cost. Those with a determinable life will be amortized on a systematic basis over their future economic life. Those with an indefinite useful life shall not be amortized until its useful life is determined to be longer indefinite. An intangible asset subject to amortization shall be periodically reviewed for impairment. A recoverability test will be performed and, if applicable, unscheduled amortization is considered.
License agreements have been capitalized, recorded at cost and amortized over the life of the contracts. Website costs have been capitalized and will be subject to amortization once the website is operational. They will be amortized over the life of the license to which it supports.
Equipment
Equipment represents purchases made for assets, whose useful life was determined to be greater than one year. The assets are initially recorded at cost and depreciated over their estimated useful lives on a 3 year straight line basis.
The Company reports basic loss per share in accordance with ASC Topic 260, Earnings Per Share (“ASC 260”). Basic loss per share is based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding and diluted loss per share is based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding and dilutive common stock equivalents. Basic loss per share is computed by dividing net loss (numerator) applicable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding (denominator) for the period. Loss per share presented in the financial statements is basic loss per share as defined by ASU 260. There is no diluted net loss per share on the potential exercise of the equity-based financial instruments; thus, a state of anti-dilution has occurred.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-11 |
Website development costs
The Company recognized the costs associated with developing a website in accordance with ASC 350-50, “Website Development Cost” that codified the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (“AICPA”) Statement of Position (“SOP”) NO. 98-1, “Accounting for the Costs of Computer Software Developed or Obtained for Internal Use”. Relating to website development costs, the Company follows the guidance pursuant to the Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) NO. 00-2, “Accounting for Website Development Costs”. The website development costs are divided into three stages, planning, development and production. The development stage can further be classified as application and infrastructure development, graphics development and content development. In short, website development cost for internal use should be capitalized except content input and data conversion costs in content development stage.
Costs associated with the website consist primarily of website development costs paid to third parties. These capitalized costs will be amortized based on their estimated useful life over three years upon the website becoming operational. Internal costs related to the development of website content will be charged to operations as incurred. Website development costs related to the customers are charged to cost of sales.
Concentration of credit risk
The Company places its cash and cash equivalents with a high credit quality financial institution. The Company maintains United States Dollars. The Company minimizes its credit risks associated with cash by periodically evaluating the credit quality of its primary financial institution.
Financial instruments
The Company’s financial instruments consist principally of cash, accounts payable, accrued liabilities and notes payable. The carrying amounts of such financial instruments in the accompanying financial statements approximate their fair values due to their relatively short-term nature or the underlying terms are consistent with market terms. It is management’s opinion that the Company is not exposed to any significant currency or credit risks arising from these financial instruments.
Fair value measurements
The Company follows the guidelines in ASC Topic 820 “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures”. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities, which are required to be recorded at fair value, the Company considers the principal or most advantageous market in which the Company would transact and the market-based risk measurements or assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, such as inherent risk, transfer restrictions and credit risk.
The Company applies the following fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value into three levels and bases the categorization within the hierarchy upon the lowest level of input that is available and significant to the fair value measurement. All financial instruments approximate their fair value.
Level 1 — Observable inputs that reflect unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities traded in active markets. | |
Level 2 — Observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in inactive markets, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities | |
Level 3 — Inputs are generally unobservable and typically reflect management’s estimates of assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. The fair values are therefore determined using model-based techniques, including option pricing models and discounted cash flow models. |
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-12 |
Advertising and Promotion Costs
The Company follows ASC 720, “Advertising Costs” and expenses costs as incurred.
Credit Losses
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses”. The ASU sets forth a “current expected credit loss” (CECL) model which requires the Company to measure all expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable supportable forecasts. This replaces the existing incurred loss model and is applicable to the measurement of credit losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost and applies to some off-balance sheet credit exposures. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted this ASU with no impact on its financial statements.
Income Taxes
The Company uses the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes in accordance with ASC 740, “Income Taxes”. Under this method, income tax expense is recognized as the amount of: (i) taxes payable or refundable for the current year and (ii) future tax consequences attributable to differences between financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the results of operations in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance is provided to reduce the deferred tax assets reported if based on the weight of available evidence it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.
Recently issued accounting pronouncements
The Company adopts new pronouncements relating to GAAP applicable to the Company as they are issued, which may be in advance of their effective date. Management does not believe that any pronouncements not included above will have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
4. Other Receivables/Payables
Other receivables/payables pertain to VAT (value added taxes) receivables/payables of Lithium Harvest. The standard VAT rate in Denmark is 25%.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-13 |
5. Equipment
Schedule of Equipment
Cost | Accumulated Depreciation | Net | ||||||||||
Computer | $ | 21,088 | $ | 8,461 | $ | 12,627 | ||||||
Equipment | 5,000 | 5,000 | - | |||||||||
Office Furniture & Equipment | 95,320 | 26,260 | 69,060 | |||||||||
Machinery under construction | 21,220 | - | 21,220 | |||||||||
$ | 142,628 | $ | 39,721 | $ | 102,907 |
6. Reverse Acquisition
On February 14, 2023, the Company entered into the Agreement with Lithium Harvest and all the Shareholders. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company acquired all outstanding shares of capital stock of Lithium Harvest in exchange for issuing to the Shareholders 10,333,362 using the fair market value of the Company’s common stock price on the date of the Exchange Transaction, February 14, 2023. shares of the Company’s common stock. The lender of a convertible note payable exercised its conversion feature and received shares of common stock in exchange for its debt and interest. The Exchange Transaction represents a change of control and was accounted for as a reverse acquisition with Lithium Harvest being the accounting acquirer and the Company being the accounting acquiree. As a result of the Exchange Transaction, the number of shares of common stock outstanding increased to . The purchase price of Lithium Harvest was valued at $
7. Intangible Assets
Summary of Intangible Assets
Cost | Accumulated Depreciation | Net | ||||||||||
Patent - Denmark | $ | 35,967 | $ | 3,064 | $ | 32,903 |
8. Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 are summarized as follows:
Schedule of Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities
Accounts Payable: | December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | ||||||
Accounting fee | $ | 25,597 | $ | - | ||||
Audit fee | 750 | - | ||||||
Consulting fee | 73,266 | - | ||||||
Rental expenses | 63,992 | - | ||||||
Professional fees | 176,767 | 117,199 | ||||||
Others | 42,330 | - | ||||||
Accounts payable Total | $ | 382,702 | $ | 117,199 |
Accrued liabilities: | December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | ||||||
Audit fee | $ | 67,250 | $ | - |
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-14 |
9. Right of Use Assets and Lease Liability
The Company has entered into lease agreements with various third parties. The terms of the Company’s operating leases range from 12 to 94 months. These operating leases are included in “Right of Use Assets” on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets and represent the Company’s right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. The Company’s obligation to make lease payments are included in “Lease liability” on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. Additionally, the Company has entered into various short-term operating leases with an initial term of 12 months or less. These leases are not recorded on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. All operating lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
Schedule of Operating Lease Right and Lease Liability
December 31, 2023 | ||||
Right-of-use asset | ||||
Right-of-use asset, net | $ | 1,688,003 | ||
Lease liability | ||||
Current lease liability | $ | 183,913 | ||
Non-current lease liability | 1,559,818 | |||
Total lease liability | $ | 1,743,731 | ||
Remaining lease term and discount rate | ||||
Weighted average remaining lease term | 84 months | |||
Discount rate used | 10 | % |
Commitments
The following table summarizes the future minimum lease payments due under the Company’s operating leases as of December 31, 2023:
Schedule of Future Minimum Lease Payments
2024 | $ | 351,532 | ||
Thereafter | 2,099,565 | |||
Less: imputed interest | (707,366 | ) | ||
Total | $ | 1,743,731 |
10. Notes Payable, Convertible Notes Payable and Obligation to Issue Shares
On March 1, 2019, the Company entered into an unsecured loan agreement for $50,000 with an interest rate of 3.5% per annum. The loan was originally due on or before April 15, 2022. On March 28, 2022, the term of the loan agreement was extended to April 15, 2024. At December 31, 2023, there was $8,462 in accrued interest under the loan.
On July 12, 2019, the Company entered into an unsecured convertible loan agreement with a relative of the Company’s CEO in the amount of $20,000 with an interest rate of 3.0% per annum. The loan was due on or before July 12, 2022. The lender had the option to convert the whole loan and the accrued interest into shares of common stock of the Company at the price of $ per share. On May 10, 2021, the Company agreed to a debt settlement arrangement whereby it would issue shares of common stock in settlement of the principal amount outstanding under the loan of $20,000 as well as accrued interest and fees valued at $1,098. The transaction value was calculated to be $ per share. The shares were issued during the year ended December 31, 2022.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-15 |
On July 23, 2021, the Company borrowed $100,000 pursuant to a two-year unsecured convertible promissory note, bearing interest at 10% per annum. The loan could be renewed at the option of the lender and was secured by a security agreement with collateral consisting of the Company’s present and future assets. The outstanding principal and unpaid accrued interest would automatically convert into shares of the Company’s common stock on or before the maturity date upon the closing of a “Qualified Transaction” in an amount equal to 25% of the fully diluted capitalization of the Company on a post-money basis. In the event that a Qualified Transaction was not consummated on or prior to the maturity date, the lender had the right to convert the principal and unpaid accrued interest of the note into shares of the Company’s common stock in an amount equal to 25% of the fully diluted capitalization of the Company. A Qualified Transaction is defined as the reverse acquisition of the Company with a target company. On June 22, 2022, the Company received an additional loan advance of $25,000. On February 14, 2023, the lender exercised the convertible feature of the debt, and the outstanding principal and accrued interest under the loan was converted into shares of common stock valued at a total amount of $3,589,885.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, Lithium Harvest entered into two notes payable with a company controlled by the CEO of the Company, with one note in the principal amount of $17,173 (DKK 118,000) and the other in the principal amount of $2,183 (DKK 15,000), and each with a 3% interest rate per annum that was due on or before May 1, 2023. These loans have been repaid. (See Note 12)
On March 29, 2023, the Company entered into a $10,000 note payable with a 15% interest rate per annum with a related party. The loan repayment due date has been extended to December 31, 2024. At December 31, 2023, the accrued interest was $1,142.
On April 28, 2023, a company controlled by a director and the Chief Technology Officer of the Company loaned the Company $14,506 (DKK 99,000). The loan had a 3% interest rate that was due on or before June 30, 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the loan was repaid.
11. Common Stock
The following stock transactions occurred with respect to the Company’s common stock during the year ended December 31, 2023:
a) | On February 14, 2023, 10,333,362 were issued to the shareholders of Lithium Harvest pursuant to the Agreement with Lithium Harvest with respect to the Exchange Transaction. shares of common stock valued at $ | |
b) | On February 14, 2023, 3,589,885 were issued to a lender pursuant to a convertible loan settlement in connection with the Exchange Transaction. shares of common stock valued at $ | |
c) | On August 18, 2023, 375,000 were issued to an investor pursuant to a private placement subscription at $ per share. shares of common stock valued at $ | |
d) | On August 18, 2023, an aggregate of 1,402,100 were issued to investors pursuant to private placement subscriptions at $ per share. shares of common stock valued at $ | |
e) | On December 22, 2023, an aggregate of 1,169,350 were issued to investors pursuant to private placement subscriptions at $ per share. shares of common stock valued at $ |
As of December 31, 2023, the Company had shares of common stock issued and outstanding.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-16 |
12. Related-Party Transactions
Related party transactions as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 are summarized as follows:
Schedule of Related Party Transaction
December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||
Accounts payable | $ | 205,558 | $ | 146,402 | ||||
Accrued liabilities | 296,839 | - | ||||||
Total | $ | 502,397 | $ | 146,402 |
Stefan Muehlbauer resigned as a director of the Company on February 14, 2023 and is currently the Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) of the Company. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company incurred management fees to the CFO totaling an aggregate of $120,625. At December 31, 2023, $140,875 was owing to the CFO for management fees, consisting of current and past due amounts, and $2,020 for reimbursement of out of pocket expenses. The Company entered into an Employment Agreement with the CFO on February 14, 2023. His annual salary is $125,000, payable on a monthly basis with other benefits. The employment agreement is for a period of one year and at such time the CFO will be eligible to receive a one-time, lump sum bonus of $25,000, subject to other conditions and terms.
On February 14, 2023, Tiffany Muehlbauer resigned as Chief Technology Officer of the Company. At December 31, 2023, $12,766 was owing to Ms. Muehlbauer for past due salaries and $25,500 for management fees.
At December 31, 2023, the Company owed a company controlled by Stefan Muehlbauer and Tiffany Muehlbauer the amount of $20,647 for office expenses.
On February 14, 2023, Sune Mathiesen became a director and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of the Company. During the year ended December 31, 2023, Lithium Harvest incurred management fees payable to the CEO totaling an aggregate of $285,020 (DKK 1,925,000). At December 31, 2023, $151,764 (DKK 1,025,000) was owing to the CEO for salaries, and $2,771 (DKK 18,714) for reimbursement of out of pocket expenses. Lithium Harvest entered into an Employment Agreement with Mr. Mathiesen on February 14, 2023. His annual salary is approximately $300,000 (DKK 2,200,000), payable on a monthly basis with other benefits. The employment agreement is non-terminable until December 31, 2025. Subject to other conditions and terms, the CEO may be eligible to receive an annual bonus of up to 150% of his current annual salary.
At December 31, 2023, a company controlled by the director and CEO was owed $40,425 (DKK 273,027) for out of pocket expenses, current and past due. During the year ended December 31, 2023, Lithium Harvest entered into two notes payable with a company controlled by the CEO of the Company, with one note in the principal amount of $17,173 (DKK 118,000) and the other in the principal amount of $2,183 (DKK 15,000), and each with a 3% interest rate per annum that was due on or before May 1, 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the loans were repaid.
On February 14, 2023, Paw Juul became the Chief Technology Officer (“CTO”) of the Company. During the year ended December 31, 2023, Lithium Harvest incurred management fees from the CTO totaling an aggregate of $285,020 (DKK 1,925,000). At December 31, 2023, $143,895 (DKK 971,850) was owing to the CTO for salaries. Lithium Harvest entered into an Employment Agreement with Mr. Juul on February 14, 2023. His annual salary is approximately $300,000 (DKK 2,200,000), payable on a monthly basis with other benefits. The employment agreement is non-terminable until December 31, 2025. Subject to other conditions and terms, the CTO may be eligible to receive an annual bonus up to 150% of the current annual salary.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-17 |
On April 28, 2023, a Company controlled by a director and CTO of the Company, Paw Juul, loaned the Company $14,506 (DKK 99,000). The loan had a 3% interest rate that was due on or before June 30, 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the loan was repaid.
On May 10, 2023, the Company granted restricted stock unit (“RSU”) awards to certain key employees and directors under the Company’s 2023 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Incentive Plan”). The settlement of these RSU awards is subject to stockholder approval. The Company is authorized to grant options and other stock-based awards to executive officers, directors, employees and consultants enabling them to acquire up to shares of common stock of the Company. The exercise price of each option equals the market price of the Company’s shares of common stock as calculated on the date of the grant. The maximum term and/or vesting period shall not be more than from the grant date. The vesting period for all options is at the discretion of the board of directors of the Company and shall not be more than ten years from the grant date. The options are non-transferable.
Restricted stock and RSU awards are subject to vesting spread over time at the discretion of the committee administering the Incentive Plan. Upon the vesting of RSUs and the Company’s determination that any necessary conditions precedent to the release of vested shares have been satisfied, such vested shares will then be made available to the participants. Except as otherwise provided in the Incentive Plan or award agreement, the participants with a restricted stock award shall have all the rights of a stockholder, including the right to vote the shares of restricted stock. The RSU awards granted on May 10, 2023 provide that the recipients do not have rights of a stockholder prior to vesting. The fair value of the Company’s common stock on the grant date was $ per share. At December 31, 2023, the stock based compensation expense was $ . The table below sets forth the vesting schedule with respect to the RSUs granted on May 10, 2023.
Name | Title | Total RSUs | May 10, 2024 | May 10, 2025 | May 10, 2026 | |||||||||||||
Vesting Schedule (Number of Shares) | ||||||||||||||||||
Name | Title | Total RSUs | May 10, 2024 | May 10, 2025 | May 10, 2026 | |||||||||||||
Sune Mathiesen | CEO, Director | 6,111,111 | 2,037,037 | 2,037,037 | 2,037,037 | |||||||||||||
Paw Juul | CTO, Director | 5,625,000 | 1,875,000 | 1,875,000 | 1,875,000 | |||||||||||||
Stefan Muehlbauer | CFO | 1,736,111 | 578,704 | 578,704 | 578,703 | |||||||||||||
Kristian Jensen | Director | 1,458,333 | 486,111 | 486,111 | 486,111 | |||||||||||||
Restricted stock award shares | 4,976,852 | 4,976,852 | 4,976,851 |
14. Commitments and Contingencies
At December 31, 2023, there was no commitment and contingency to report other than what has been disclosed in this report.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-18 |
15. Income Taxes
The Company and its subsidiaries file separate income tax returns.
Income tax recovery differs from that which would be expected from applying the effective tax rates to the net loss for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 for the Company as follows:
Schedule of Effective Tax Rates
For the Year Ended Dec 31, 2023 | For the Year Ended Dec 31, 2022 | |||||||
Net loss for the year | $ | (2,747,952 | ) | $ | (222,944 | ) | ||
Statutory and effective tax rate | 21 | % | 22 | % | ||||
Income tax recovery at the effective rate | (577,100 | ) | (49,048 | ) | ||||
Change in statutory, foreign tax, foreign exchange rates and other | (6,600 | ) | - | |||||
Permanent differences | 103,400 | - | ||||||
Tax benefit deferred | 480,300 | 49,048 | ||||||
Income tax recovery | $ | - | $ | - |
The Company has accumulated net operating losses for income tax purposes of $2,049,049 of which $1,340,280 will expire beginning in 2029 and the balance of $708,769 is indefinite. The components of the net deferred tax asset at December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the statutory tax rate and the effective tax rate, and the amount of the valuation, are scheduled below:
Schedule of Components of the Net Deferred Tax Asset
Dec 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | |||||||
Tax losses carried forward | $ | 4,089,500 | $ | 224,419 | ||||
Intangible Assets and Goodwill temporary differences | 211,900 | - | ||||||
Leases | 49,500 | - | ||||||
Net timing differences | 4,350,900 | 224,419 | ||||||
Statutory and effective tax rate | 21 | % | 22 | % | ||||
Deferred tax assets | 913,700 | 49,372 | ||||||
Valuation allowance | (913,700 | ) | (49,372 | ) | ||||
Net deferred asset | $ | - | $ | - |
The change in the valuation allowance for the period ended December 31, 2023 was $480,300. The 2022 income tax figures include only those of Lithium Harvest and accordingly, are not comparable to the 2023 income tax numbers.
The Company files income tax returns in the United States of America and in the States of Florida and Indiana for Sustainable Projects Group Inc. and YER Brands Inc., respectively, and is subject to a U.S. federal corporate income tax rate of 21%. The Company generated a taxable loss for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. Lithium Harvest is subject to a Denmark corporate income tax rate of 22%. The Company is current with all its tax filings.
16. Legal Matters
The Company has no known legal issues pending.
17. Subsequent Events
None.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page F-19 |
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
Not applicable.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
In connection with the preparation of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, an evaluation was carried out by the Company’s management, with the participation of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of December 31, 2023. Disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC rules and forms and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.
Based on that evaluation, the Company’s management concluded, as of the end of the period covered by this report, that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as a result of the material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting described below.
Management’s Report on Internal Controls over Financial Reporting
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act). The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed under the supervision of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of SPGX’s financial statements for external purposes in accordance with US GAAP.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Management conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control –Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). As a result of this assessment, management identified material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting.
A material weakness is a control deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 26 |
The matters involving internal controls and procedures that management considered to be material weaknesses under the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board were:
(1) We currently lack a functioning audit committee and lack a majority of outside directors on the Company’s board of directors, resulting in ineffective oversight in the establishment and monitoring of required internal controls and procedures;
(2) We currently have inadequate segregation of duties consistent with control objectives;
(3) We have insufficient written policies and procedures for accounting and financial reporting with respect to the requirements and application of US GAAP and SEC disclosure requirements; and
(4) We have ineffective controls over period end financial disclosure and reporting processes.
Due to its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
The above mentioned material weaknesses (1), (2), (3) and (4) contributed to additional material weaknesses:
(5) We have ineffective controls over timely impairments of intangible assets; and
(6) We lack internal control over financial reporting in the controls over the accounting treatment of subsequent events.
Material weaknesses (1), (2), (3) and (4), which were originally identified by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer in connection with fiscal year 2021 financial results, were not remediated and therefore remained ineffective at December 31, 2023. Material weaknesses (5) and (6) were identified by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer in connection with the re-audit of its financial statements as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, were not remediated and therefore remained ineffective at December 31, 2023.
As a result of the material weakness in internal control over financial reporting described above, management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2023, SPGX’s internal control over financial reporting was not effective based on the criteria in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by COSO.
The Company is committed to improving its financial organization. As part of this commitment and when funds are available, the Company intends to create a position to segregate duties consistent with control objectives and increase its personnel resources and technical accounting expertise within the accounting function by:
(i) | appointing one or more outside directors to its board of directors who will also be appointed to the audit committee of the Company resulting in a fully functioning audit committee who will undertake the oversight in the establishment and monitoring of required internal controls over financial reporting; | |
(ii) | preparing and implementing sufficient written policies and checklists that will set forth procedures for accounting and financial reporting with respect to the requirements and application of US GAAP and SEC disclosure requirements; | |
(iii) | preparing and implementing sufficient written policies and checklists that will set forth procedures for the treatment of impairment for intangible assets with respect to the requirements and application of US GAAP; and | |
(iv) | preparing and implementing sufficient written policies and checklists that will set forth procedures for the treatment of subsequent events with respect to the requirements and application of US GAAP and SEC disclosure requirements. |
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 27 |
Management believes that the appointment of one or more outside directors, who will also be appointed to a fully functioning audit committee, will remedy the lack of a functioning audit committee and a lack of a majority of outside directors on the Company’s Board. In addition, management believes that preparing and implementing sufficient written policies and checklists will remedy the following material weaknesses:
(i) | insufficient written policies and procedures for accounting and financial reporting with respect to the requirements and application of US GAAP and SEC disclosure requirements; | |
(ii) | ineffective controls over period end financial disclosure and reporting processes; | |
(iii) | ineffective controls over required impairments of intellectual assets; and | |
(iv) | lack of internal control over financial reporting in the controls over the accounting treatment of subsequent events. |
Further, management believes that the hiring of additional personnel who have technical expertise and knowledge will result in proper segregation of duties and provide more checks and balances within the Company’s finance department. The Company expects additional personnel will also provide the cross training needed to support the Company if personnel turnover issues occur within the finance department.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company and its management worked to implement the following changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting:
● | the Company initiated planning for the creation of an audit committee; and | |
● | the Company appointed Stefan Muehlbauer as Secretary to assist the board in its control function. |
Management will continue to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting on an ongoing basis and is committed to taking further action and implementing additional enhancements or improvements, as necessary and as funds allow. The material weaknesses will not be considered remediated until management completes the design and implementation of the measures described above, until the controls operate for a sufficient period of time, and until management has concluded, through testing, that the controls are effective.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes (other than as described above) in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) during the quarter ended December 31, 2023, that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. Other Information
During the three months ended December 31, 2023, none of our directors or officers (as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) of the Exchange Act) adopted, modified or terminated any contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of our securities that was intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c) of the Exchange Act or any non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement (as defined in the SEC’s rules).
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
None.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 28 |
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers, and Corporate Governance.
The names, ages and positions of our directors and executive officers as of March 1, 2023, are as follows:
Name | Age | Position | ||
Sune Mathiesen | 49 | Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director | ||
Stefan Muehlbauer | 45 | Chief Financial Officer and Director | ||
Paw Juul | 45 | Chief Technology Officer and Director* |
* Mr. Juul’s appointment as a director is effective 10 days following the mailing of an information statement that satisfies the requirements of Rule 14F-1 under the Exchange Act to the Company’s stockholders.
Sune Mathiesen. Mr. Mathiesen has served as the Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company since February 14, 2023. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Mathiesen served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Lithium Harvest since August 2020. Prior to co-founding Lithium Harvest, Mr. Mathiesen served as Chief Executive Officer and a Director of LiqTech International Inc. (Nasdaq: LIQT) from July 2014 to May 2022. Mr. Mathiesen has also served as a CEO and Director of Masu A/S, a Danish company, since February 2013. He is the owner and Chief Executive Officer of Sune Mathiesen Holding ApS, which he founded in August 2020, and Masu Consult ApS, which he founded in January 2018. He previously served as CEO and Director of Provital A/S from June 2012 to August 2015. Before that he served as Country Manager of Broen Lab Group from July 2010 to May 2011 and as Country Manager of GPA Flowsystem from August 1997 to June 2010. Mr. Mathiesen has been working hands-on with technical products within the valves and fittings industry for the past 20 years. He has a degree in commercial science from Via College in Randers, Denmark. The Board has concluded that Mr. Mathiesen should serve as a director because his significant experience in management and business development enables him to make valuable contributions to the Board.
Stefan Muehlbauer. Mr. Muehlbauer has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Company since May 2018, the Chief Financial Officer of the Company from January 2018 to May 2018 and since July 2018, the Chief Communications Officer and a director of the Company since February 2017, and the Treasurer and Corporate Secretary of the Company since January 2018. Mr. Muehlbauer also has served as Chief Executive Officer of Arma Communications Inc., a business development and marketing agency, since 2013. Previously, Mr. Muehlbauer held positions with several leading investment banks in Europe, including as the Chief Operating Officer at Silvia Quandt & Cie AG, where he was responsible for building up the institution’s research and corporate finance activities. Mr. Muehlbauer received his degree in Finance from the University of Miami. The Board has concluded that Mr. Muehlbauer should serve as a director because of his significant business experience, investment banking background and knowledge of financial markets.
Paw Juul. Mr. Juul has served as the Chief Technology Officer of the Company since February 14, 2023. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Juul served as the Chief Technology Officer of Lithium Harvest since August 2020. Prior to co-founding Lithium Harvest, Mr. Juul served as the Chief Executive Officer of LiqTech Water A/S, a subsidiary of LiqTech International Inc. from September 2014 until March 2022. Mr. Juul co-founded Pivotal A/S in 2009 and served as its Chief Technology Officer until August 2014. Mr. Juul has also been the Chief Executive Officer of QLT Water ApS since May 2022 and FENO Holding ApS since January 2018. Mr. Juul has extensive experience in new business development, specifically in the water treatment industry. Mr. Juul holds a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Aalborg University in Aalborg, Denmark. The Board has concluded that Mr. Juul should serve as a director because his significant experience in management, business development and the water treatment industry enables him to make valuable contributions to the Board.
Nomination Procedure for Directors
The Company does not have a standing nominating committee; recommendations for candidates to stand for election as directors are made by the board of directors. The Company has not adopted a policy that permits shareholders to recommend candidates for election as directors or a process for shareholders to send communications to the board of directors.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 29 |
Audit Committee Financial Expert
The Company has no audit committee financial expert. Given the Company’s limited financial resources, the Company’s Board of Directors has determined that the cost of identifying and appointing a director who would qualify as an audit committee financial expert outweighs the benefits of having an audit committee financial expert.
Identification of Audit Committee
The Company does not have a separately designated standing audit committee. Rather, the Company’s entire board of directors performs the required functions of an audit committee. See “Director Independence” under Part III, Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence below for more information on independence.
The Company’s board of directors is responsible for: (1) selection and oversight of the Company’s independent accountant; (2) establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints regarding accounting, internal controls and auditing matters; (3) establishing procedures for the confidential, anonymous submission by the Company’s employees of concerns regarding accounting and auditing matters; (4) engaging outside advisors; and, (5) funding the outside auditor and any outside advisors engaged by the audit committee.
As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Company did not have a written audit committee charter or similar document.
Code of Ethics
The Company has adopted a financial code of ethics that applies to all its executive officers and employees, including its CEO and CFO. See Exhibit 14 – Code of Ethics for more information. The Company undertakes to provide any person with a copy of its financial code of ethics free of charge. Please contact the Company at 305-814-2915 to request a copy of the Company’s financial code of ethics. Management believes the Company’s financial code of ethics is reasonably designed to deter wrongdoing and promote honest and ethical conduct; provide full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in public reports; comply with applicable laws; ensure prompt internal reporting of code violations; and provide accountability for adherence to the code.
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
Summary Compensation Table
The following table presents summary information regarding the total compensation for services rendered in all capacities that was awarded to, earned by, or paid to our named executive officers for fiscal 2023 and 2022.
Name and principal position (a) | Year (b) | Salary ($) (c) | Bonus ($) (d) | Stock Awards ($) (e) | Option Awards ($) (f) | Non- Equity Incentive Plan ($) (g) | Non- qualified Deferred Compensation Earnings ($) (h) | All other compensation ($) (i) | Total ($) (j) | |||||||||||||||||
Sune Mathiesen, CEO | *2023 | 285,020 | Nil | 300,000 | nil | nil | nil | nil | 600,000 | |||||||||||||||||
*2022 | nil | Nil | nil | nil | nil | nil | nil | nil | ||||||||||||||||||
Paw Juul, CTO | 2023 | 285,020 | Nil | 300,000 | nil | nil | nil | nil | 600,000 | |||||||||||||||||
2022 | nil | nil | nil | nil | nil | nil | nil | nil | ||||||||||||||||||
Stefan Muehlbauer, CEO | 2023 | 120,625 | nil | 125,000 | nil | nil | nil | nil | 250,000 | |||||||||||||||||
2022 | nil | nil | nil | nil | nil | nil | nil | 40,500 |
*In 2022, the Company incurred management fees from a company controlled by Sune Mathiesen of $108,190. In 2023, the Company incurred additional management fees from a company controlled by Sune Mathiesen of $83,000.
Amounts in the “Stock Awards” column reflect the aggregate grant date fair value of RSUs computed in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board ASC Topic 718. Disclosure of the relevant assumptions related to the valuation of awards is provided in Note 13.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 30 |
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
Stock Awards | ||||||||||||
Number of shares or units of stock that have not vested | Market value of shares or units of stock that have not vested | Equity incentive plan awards: number of unearned shares, units or other rights that have not vested | Equity incentive plan awards: market or payout value of unearned shares, units or other rights that have not vested | |||||||||
Name | (#) | (#) | (#) | ($) | ||||||||
(a) | (g) | (h) | (i) | (j) | ||||||||
Sune Mathiesen | 6,111,111 | $ | 1,772,222 | nil | nil | |||||||
Stefan Muehlbauer | 1,736,111 | $ | 503,472 | nil | nil | |||||||
Paw Juul | 5,625,000 | $ | 1,631,250 | nil | nil |
On May 10, 2023, the Company granted restricted stock unit (“RSU”) awards to certain key employees and directors under the Company’s 2023 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Incentive Plan”). The settlement of these RSU awards is subject to stockholder approval. The Company is authorized to grant options and other stock-based awards to executive officers, directors, employees and consultants enabling them to acquire up to 45,000,000 shares of common stock of the Company. The exercise price of each option equals the market price of the Company’s shares of common stock as calculated on the date of the grant. The maximum term and/or vesting period shall not be more than ten years from the grant date. The vesting period for all options is at the discretion of the board of directors of the Company and shall not be more than ten years from the grant date. The options are non-transferable.
Restricted stock and RSU awards are subject to vesting spread over time at the discretion of the committee administering the Incentive Plan. Upon the vesting of RSUs and the Company’s determination that any necessary conditions precedent to the release of vested shares have been satisfied, such vested shares will then be made available to the participants. Except as otherwise provided in the Incentive Plan or award agreement, the participants with a restricted stock award shall have all the rights of a stockholder, including the right to vote the shares of restricted stock. The RSU awards granted on May 10, 2023 provide that the recipients do not have rights of a stockholder prior to vesting. The fair value of the Company’s common stock on the grant date was $0.072 per share. At December 31, 2023, the stock based compensation expense was $492,708. The table below sets forth the vesting schedule with respect to the RSUs granted on May 10, 2023.
Vesting Schedule (Number of Shares) | ||||||||||||||||||
Name | Title | Total RSUs | May 10, 2024 | May 10, 2025 | May 10, 2026 | |||||||||||||
Sune Mathiesen | CEO, Director | 6,111,111 | 2,037,037 | 2,037,037 | 2,037,037 | |||||||||||||
Paw Juul | CTO, Director | 5,625,000 | 1,875,000 | 1,875,000 | 1,875,000 | |||||||||||||
Stefan Muehlbauer | CFO | 1,736,111 | 578,704 | 578,704 | 578,703 | |||||||||||||
Kristian Jensen | Director | 1,458,333 | 486,111 | 486,111 | 486,111 | |||||||||||||
4,976,852 | 4,976,852 | 4,976,851 |
Director Compensation
Fees earned or paid in cash | Stock awards | Total | ||||||||
Name | ($) | ($) | ($) | |||||||
(a) | (b) | (c) | (h) | |||||||
Kristian Jensen | nil | $ | 105,000 | $ | 105,000 |
For the year ending December 31, 2023, the Company had one independent director, Kristian Jensen. As part of the equity awards program described above, Mr. Jensen received 1,458,333 RSUs, which had a grant date fair value of $105,000.
Employment Agreements
In connection with the Exchange Transaction, the Company entered into employment agreements with each of Sune Mathiesen, Stefan Muehlbauer and Paw Juul to serve as the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Technology Officer, respectively, of the Company.
Transition Employment Agreement with Sune Mathiesen
On February 14, 2023, we entered into an executive service agreement with Mr. Mathiesen, effective as of January 14, 2023, providing for his employment as our Chief Executive Officer (the “CEO Agreement”).
Pursuant to the CEO Agreement, Mr. Mathiesen is entitled to an initial annual base salary of $300,000 and annual pension contributions that amount to 10% of Mr. Mathiesen’s annual base salary. The CEO Agreement also indicates that Mr. Mathiesen shall be eligible to receive (i) an annual cash bonus of up to 150% of his base salary pursuant to a separate bonus agreement and (ii) a stock-based bonus of up to 100% of his annual base salary pursuant to a separate stock grant agreement. Under the CEO Agreement, Mr. Mathiesen is also entitled to a company car, and we will pay for all expenses related to such company car. During the year ended December 31, 2023, Mr, Mathiesen did not receive a company car.
The CEO Agreement is non-terminable until December 31, 2025, after which date, upon providing 12 months advance notice, the CEO Agreement may be terminated by either Mr. Mathiesen or us.
The CEO Agreement contains a perpetual confidentiality requirement.
U.S. Employment Agreement with Sune Mathiesen
Upon Mr. Mathiesen’s relocation to the U.S., we intend to enter into a new executive employment agreement with him to replace the CEO Agreement and provide for Mr. Mathiesen’s continued employment as our Chief Executive Officer (the “U.S. CEO Agreement”) through December 31, 2025 (the “U.S. CEO Agreement Expiration Date”), except upon the earlier termination of the U.S. CEO Agreement as discussed below. Following the U.S. CEO Agreement Expiration Date, the U.S. CEO Agreement may be terminated by Mr. Mathiesen or us for any reason.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 31 |
Pursuant to the U.S. CEO Agreement, Mr. Mathiesen is entitled to an annual base salary of approximately $300,000 and is eligible to participate in our retirement plan, subject to the eligibility terms and conditions of such plan. The U.S. CEO Agreement also indicates that Mr. Mathiesen shall be eligible to receive (i) an annual cash bonus of up to 150% of his base salary pursuant to a separate bonus agreement and (ii) a stock-based bonus of up to 100% of his base salary pursuant to a separate stock grant agreement. Under the U.S. CEO Agreement, Mr. Mathiesen also is: (i) entitled to a company car, and we pay for all expenses related to such company car; (ii) the reimbursement of reasonable moving costs to the Houston area; and (iii) for so long as Mr. Mathiesen remains employed by us, for up to the initial two consecutive years following the date Mr. Mathiesen relocates to the Houston area, reimbursement for reasonable housing costs in the Houston area, up to a total amount of $5,000 per month.
Pursuant to the U.S. CEO Agreement, if Mr. Mathiesen’s employment is involuntarily terminated by us without Cause (as defined below) or by reason of his death or Disability (as defined below), then, subject to his timely execution and non-revocation of a release of claims, in addition to compensation that has been earned but not yet paid, he will be entitled to a severance amount equal to his then current base monthly salary from the date of his termination until the U.S. CEO Agreement Expiration Date, or, if such termination occurs after the U.S. CEO Agreement Expiration Date, his then current base monthly salary for a period of 12 months following his date of termination.
For purposes of the U.S. CEO Agreement, “Cause” means: (i) any act by Mr. Mathiesen that is materially detrimental to our best interests or that constitutes common law fraud, a felony or any other criminal act involving moral turpitude; (ii) gross misconduct, material neglect or any act of disloyalty or dishonesty by Mr. Mathiesen related to or connected with Mr. Mathiesen’s employment by us or otherwise likely to cause material harm to us or our reputation; (iii) a material violation by Mr. Mathiesen of our written policies, codes of conduct or direction of our board of directors; (iv) wrongful appropriation by Mr. Mathiesen of our funds or property or other material breach of Mr. Mathiesen’s fiduciary duties to us; or (v) the material breach of the U.S. CEO Agreement by Mr. Mathiesen, or any other written agreement between us and Mr. Mathiesen.
For purposes of the U.S. CEO Agreement, “Disability” means the inability of Mr. Mathiesen to perform on a full-time basis the duties and responsibilities of Mr. Mathiesen’s employment with us by reason of Mr. Mathiesen’s illness or other physical or mental impairment or condition, if such inability continues for an uninterrupted period of 120 days or more during any 180 day period. A period of inability is “uninterrupted” unless and until Mr. Mathiesen returns to full time work for a continuous period of at least 30 days.
The U.S. CEO Agreement requires Mr. Mathiesen to enter into a confidentiality and restrictive covenant agreement, which contains a 12 month post-termination non-solicitation requirement and a perpetual confidentiality requirement, among other terms and conditions.
Employment Agreement with Stefan Muehlbauer
On February 14, 2023, we entered into an executive employment agreement with Stefan Muehlbauer providing for his employment as our Chief Financial Officer (the “CFO Agreement”), or such other role as determined by us from time to time, through February 14, 2024 (the “CFO Agreement Term”), except upon the earlier termination of the CFO Agreement as discussed below. Since the expiration of the CFO Agreement, Mr. Muehlbauer and the Company have started negotiating a new employment agreement while continuing to perform under the terms of the CFO Agreement.
Pursuant to the CFO Agreement, Mr. Muehlbauer was entitled to an annual base salary of $125,000 and was eligible to participate in our benefit plan, subject to the eligibility terms and conditions of such plans or programs. The CFO Agreement also indicates that Mr. Muehlbauer was eligible to receive a one-time cash bonus of $25,000 at the end of the CFO Agreement Term. The cash bonus has not been awarded as of April 4, 2024.
The CFO Agreement may be terminated by either Mr. Muehlbauer or us, if either party provides 30 days’ advance notice. Further, we may terminate the CFO Agreement immediately without notice if Mr. Muehlbauer is in breach of the CFO Agreement or for other serious cause.
The CFO Agreement required Mr. Muehlbauer to enter into a confidentiality and restrictive covenant agreement, which contained a 12 month post-termination non-solicitation requirement, a 24 month post-termination non-disparagement requirement, a 12 month post-termination, non-competition requirement, and a perpetual confidentiality requirement, among other terms and conditions.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 32 |
For purposes of the U.S. CFO Agreement, “Disability” means the inability of Mr. Muehlbauer to perform on a full-time basis the duties and responsibilities of Mr. Muehlbauer’s employment with us by reason of Mr. Muehlbauer’s illness or other physical or mental impairment or condition, if such inability continues for an uninterrupted period of 120 days or more during any 180 day period. A period of inability is “uninterrupted” unless and until Mr. Muehlbauer returns to full time work for a continuous period of at least 30 days.
The U.S. CFO Agreement requires Mr. Muehlbauer to enter into a confidentiality and restrictive covenant agreement, which contains a 12 month post-termination non-solicitation requirement and a perpetual confidentiality requirement, among other terms and conditions.
Transition Employment Agreement with Paw Juul
On February 14, 2023, we entered into an executive service agreement with Mr. Juul, effective as of January 14, 2023, providing for his employment as our Chief Technology Officer (the “CTO Agreement”).
Pursuant to the CTO Agreement, Mr. Juul is entitled to an initial annual base salary of approximately $300,000 and annual pension contributions that amount to 10% of Mr. Juul’s annual base salary. The CTO Agreement also indicates that Mr. Juul shall be eligible to receive (i) an annual cash bonus of up to 150% of his base salary pursuant to a separate bonus agreement and (ii) a stock-based bonus of up to 100% of his annual base salary pursuant to a separate stock grant agreement. Under the CTO Agreement, Mr. Juul is also entitled to a company car, and we will pay for all expenses related to such company car.
The CTO Agreement is non-terminable until December 31, 2025, after which date, upon providing 12 months advance notice, the CTO Agreement may be terminated by either Mr. Juul or us.
The CTO Agreement contains a perpetual confidentiality requirement.
U.S. Employment Agreement with Paw Juul
Upon Mr. Juul’s relocation to the U.S., we intend to enter into a new executive employment agreement with him to replace the CTO Agreement and provide for Mr. Juul’s continued employment as our Chief Technology Officer (the “U.S. CTO Agreement”) through December 31, 2025 (the “U.S. CTO Agreement Expiration Date”), except upon the earlier termination of the U.S. CTO Agreement as discussed below. Following the U.S. CTO Agreement Expiration Date, the U.S. CTO Agreement may be terminated by Mr. Juul or us for any reason.
Pursuant to the U.S. CTO Agreement, Mr. Juul will be entitled to an annual base salary of $300,000 and will be eligible to participate in our retirement plan, subject to the eligibility terms and conditions of such plan. The U.S. CTO Agreement also indicates that Mr. Juul shall be eligible to receive (i) an annual cash bonus of up to 150% of his base salary pursuant to a separate bonus agreement and (ii) a stock-based bonus of up to 100% of his base salary pursuant to a separate stock grant agreement. Under the U.S. CTO Agreement, Mr. Juul also will be: (i) entitled to a company car, and we will pay for all expenses related to such company car; (ii) the reimbursement of reasonable moving costs to the Houston area; and (iii) for so as Mr. Juul remains employed by us, for up to the initial two consecutive years following the date Mr. Juul relocates to the Houston area, reimbursement for reasonable housing costs in the Houston area, up to a total amount of $5,000 per month.
Pursuant to the U.S. CTO Agreement, if Mr. Juul’s employment is involuntarily terminated by us without Cause (as defined below) or by reason of his death or Disability (as defined below), then, subject to his timely execution and non-revocation of a release of claims, in addition to compensation that has been earned but not yet paid, he will be entitled to a severance amount equal to his then current base monthly salary from the date of his termination until the U.S. CTO Agreement Expiration Date, or, if such termination occurs after the U.S. CTO Agreement Expiration Date, his then current base monthly salary for a period of 12 months following his date of termination.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 33 |
For purposes of the U.S. CTO Agreement, “Cause” means: (i) any act by Mr. Juul that is materially detrimental to our best interests or that constitutes common law fraud, a felony or any other criminal act involving moral turpitude; (ii) gross misconduct, material neglect or any act of disloyalty or dishonesty by Mr. Juul related to or connected with Mr. Juul’s employment by us or otherwise likely to cause material harm to us or our reputation; (iii) a material violation by Mr. Juul of our written policies, codes of conduct or direction of our board of directors; (iv) wrongful appropriation by Mr. Juul of our funds or property or other material breach of Mr. Juul’s fiduciary duties to us; or (v) the material breach of the U.S. CTO Agreement by Mr. Juul, or any other written agreement between us and Mr. Juul.
For purposes of the U.S. CTO Agreement, “Disability” means the inability of Mr. Juul to perform on a full-time basis the duties and responsibilities of Mr. Juul’s employment with us by reason of Mr. Juul’s illness or other physical or mental impairment or condition, if such inability continues for an uninterrupted period of 120 days or more during any 180 day period. A period of inability is “uninterrupted” unless and until Mr. Juul returns to full time work for a continuous period of at least 30 days.
The U.S. CTO Agreement requires Mr. Juul to enter into a confidentiality and restrictive covenant agreement, which contains a 12 month post-termination, non-solicitation requirement and a perpetual confidentiality requirement, among other terms and conditions.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Holders and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
Equity Compensation Plan Information
The following table sets forth information regarding outstanding grants and shares available for grant under our 2023 Equity Incentive Plan. All information is as of December 31, 2023.
Plan category | Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights | Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights | Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a)) | |||||||||
(a) | (b) | (c) | ||||||||||
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders | nil | $ | nil | nil | ||||||||
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders | 14,930,555 | (1) | nil | (2) | 30,069,445 | (3) | ||||||
Total | 14,930,555 | $ | nil | 30,069,445 |
(1) Represents shares that may be issued pursuant to outstanding RSUs granted under the Incentive Plan. The settlement of these RSU awards is subject to stockholder approval.
(2) The RSUs, once vested, convert into shares of our common stock on a one-for-one basis for no additional consideration.
(3) Represents shares available for future issuance under the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan.
On August 22, 2023, the Company’s board of directors approved the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan, pursuant to which. the Company is authorized to grant options and other stock-based awards to executive officers, directors, employees and consultants enabling them to acquire up to 45,000,000 shares of common stock of the Company. Any shares subject to an award under the Incentive Plan that expires, is cancelled or forfeited, is settled for cash or otherwise does not result in the issuance of all of the shares subject to such award shall, to the extent of such cancellation, forfeiture, expiration, cash settlement or non-issuance, again become available for awards under the Incentive Plan. In addition, if (i) payment of the exercise price of any award or satisfaction of any tax withholding obligations arising from any award is made through the tendering of shares or by the withholding of shares by the Company, or (ii) any shares are repurchased by the Company with proceeds received from the exercise of a stock option issued under the Incentive Plan, then the shares so tendered, withheld or repurchased shall become available for awards under the Incentive Plan.
The exercise price of each option equals the market price of the Company’s shares of common stock as calculated on the date of the grant. The maximum term and/or vesting period shall not be more than ten years from the grant date. The vesting period for all options is at the discretion of the board of directors of the Company and shall not be more than ten years from the grant date. The options are non-transferable.
Restricted stock and RSU awards are subject to vesting spread over time at the discretion of the committee administering the Incentive Plan. Upon the vesting of RSUs and the Company’s determination that any necessary conditions precedent to the release of vested shares have been satisfied, such vested shares will then be made available to the participants. Except as otherwise provided in the Incentive Plan or award agreement, the participants with a restricted stock award shall have all the rights of a stockholder, including the right to vote the shares of restricted stock. The RSU awards granted on May 10, 2023 provide that the recipients do not have rights of a stockholder prior to vesting, and the settlement of these RSU awards is subject to stockholder approval.
Beneficial Ownership of Securities
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock on April 4, 2024 by (a) each person who is known by us to beneficially own 5% or more of our common stock, (b) each of our directors and executive officers, and (c) all of our directors and executive officers as a group. Beneficial ownership is determined according to the rules of the SEC, which generally provide that a person has beneficial ownership of a security if he, she or it possesses sole or shared voting or investment power over that security, which includes the power to dispose of or to direct the disposition of the security or the right to acquire such powers within 60 days. In computing the number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned by a person or entity and the percentage ownership, the Company deemed outstanding shares of its common stock subject to options held by that person or entity that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of April 4, 2024. The Company did not deem these shares outstanding, however, for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person or entity. Unless otherwise noted, the address of each beneficial owner is c/o Sustainable Projects Group Inc., 2316 Pine Ridge Rd #383, Naples, Florida.
The beneficial ownership of the Company’s common stock is based on 296,190,813 shares of the Company’s common stock issued and outstanding as of April 4, 2024.
Name | Number of Shares Beneficially Owned | Percentage of Shares Beneficially Owned(2) | ||||||
Greater than 5% Stockholders | ||||||||
Kestrel Flight Fund LLC(1) | 71,797,703 | 24.3 | % | |||||
AØNP14 ApS (2) | 21,700,059 | 7.3 | % | |||||
Directors and Executive Officers | ||||||||
Sune Mathiesen(3) | 92,483,587 | 31.2 | % | |||||
Stefan Muehlbauer | 1,000,000 | 0.3 | % | |||||
Paw Juul(4) | 92,483,587 | 31.2 | % | |||||
All directors and executive officers as a group (3 persons) | 185,967,174 | 62.2 | % |
* | Less than one percent of outstanding shares. | |
(1) | Albert Hanser is the Managing Partner of Kestrel Flight Fund LLC. The address of Kestrel Flight Fund LLC is 149 Meadowbrook Road, Weston, Massachusetts 02493. | |
(2) | Aldo Petersen is the managing director of AØNP14 ApS. The address of AØNP14 ApS is Amaliegade 6, DK-1256 København K. | |
(3) | Consists of 92,483,587 shares owned directly by Sune Mathiesen Holding ApS. Mr. Mathiesen is the managing director of Sune Mathiesen Holding ApS. | |
(4) | Consists of 92,483,587 shares owned by FENO Holding ApS. Mr. Juul is the managing director of FENO Holding ApS. |
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 34 |
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
Transactions with Related Persons
We describe below transactions or series of similar transactions, since January 1, 2022, or currently proposed, to which we were a party or will be a party, in which, the amounts involved exceeded $120,000 or 1% of the Company’s total assets, whichever is less; and
● | any of our directors, executive officers or beneficial holders of more than 5% of any class of our capital stock, or any immediate family member of, or person sharing the household with, any of these individuals or entities, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest. |
Transactions with Directors & Officers
Stefan Muehlbauer resigned as a director of the Company on February 14, 2023 and is currently the Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) of the Company. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company incurred management fees to the CFO totaling an aggregate of $120,625. At December 31, 2023, $140,875 was owing to the CFO for management fees, consisting of current and past due amounts, and $2,020 for reimbursement of out of pocket expenses.
On February 14, 2023, Tiffany Muehlbauer resigned as Chief Technology Officer of the Company. At December 31, 2023, $12,766 was owing to Ms. Muehlbauer for past due salaries and $25,500 for management fees.
At December 31, 2023, the Company owed a company controlled by Stefan Muehlbauer and Tiffany Muehlbauer the amount of $20,647 for office expenses.
On February 14, 2023, Sune Mathiesen became a director and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of the Company. During the year ended December 31, 2023, Lithium Harvest incurred management fees payable to the CEO totaling an aggregate of $285,020 (DKK 1,925,000). At December 31, 2023, $151,764 (DKK 1,025,000) was owing to the CEO for salaries, and $2,771 (DKK 18,714) for reimbursement of out of pocket expenses.
In 2022, the Company incurred management fees from a company controlled by Sune Mathiesen of $108,190. In 2023, the Company incurred additional management fees from a company controlled by Sune Mathiesen of $83,000.
At December 31, 2023, a company controlled by the director and CEO was owed $40,425 (DKK 273,027) for out of pocket expenses, current and past due. During the year ended December 31, 2023, Lithium Harvest entered into two notes payable with a company controlled by the CEO of the Company, with one note in the principal amount of $17,173 (DKK 118,000) and the other in the principal amount of $2,183 (DKK 15,000), and each with a 3% interest rate per annum that was due on or before May 1, 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the loans were repaid.
On February 14, 2023, Paw Juul became the Chief Technology Officer (“CTO”) of the Company. During the year ended December 31, 2023, Lithium Harvest incurred management fees from the CTO totaling an aggregate of $285,020 (DKK 1,925,000). At December 31, 2023, $143,895 (DKK 971,850) was owing to the CTO for salaries.
Securities Exchange Agreement
On February 14, 2023, SPGX entered into the Agreement with Lithium Harvest and the Shareholders. Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the Company acquired all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of Lithium Harvest in exchange for issuing to the Shareholders 206,667,233 shares of SPGX’s common stock. The Exchange Transaction closed on February 14, 2023.
Following the issuance to the Shareholders of the shares of the Company’s common stock, the Shareholders hold approximately 72% of the outstanding voting power and capital stock of the Company and the holders of SPGX’s common stock prior to the Exchange Transaction hold approximately 3%. The Shareholders include Sune Mathiesen Holding ApS, of which Mr. Mathiesen is the managing director; FENO Holding ApS, of which Mr. Juul is the managing director; and AØNP14 ApS, of which Mr. Petersen is the managing director, which entities hold 31.2%, 31.2% and 7.3%, respectively, of the outstanding voting power and capital stock of the Company. Kestrel Flight Fund LLC, which held a convertible loan issued by the Company prior to the Exchange Transaction, holds approximately 24.3% of the outstanding voting power and capital stock of the Company.
The Company’s Related Party Transactions
As described above, Albert Hanser is the Managing Partner of Kestrel Flight Fund LLC and directly or indirectly holds 24.3% of the issued and outstanding shares in the Company. Kestrel Flight Fund LLC loaned the Company $100,000 pursuant to a Loan Agreement dated July 21, 2021, by and between the Company and Kestrel Flight Fund LLC, which was subsequently amended on June 22, 2022, to increase the loan amount by $25,000 to a total of $125,000 (the “Loan”). The Loan accrued interest at the rate of 10% per annum and converted into the Company’s common stock upon the effectiveness of the Exchange Transaction.
Director independence
The Company’s board of directors currently consists of Stefan Muehlbauer and Sune Mathiesen. Pursuant to Item 407(a)(1)(ii) of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, the Company’s board of directors has adopted the definition of “independent director” as set forth in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. In summary, an “independent director” means a person other than an executive officer or employee of the Company or any other individual having a relationship which, in the opinion of the Company’s board of directors, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgement in carrying out the responsibilities of a director.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 35 |
As of the date of the Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Company did not maintain a separately designated audit, compensation or nominating committee.
The Company has also adopted the heightened definitions of independence applicable to members of audit and compensation committees under the Nasdaq Listing Rules. The Company’s board of directors has determined that none of the company’s directors as of the date of this report are “independent” for purposes of 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules and the rules applicable to audit and compensation committee members.
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services
Audit Fees
The aggregate fees billed for each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for the Company’s audit of annual financial statements and for review of financial statements included in the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or services that are normally provided by the accountant in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for those fiscal years was:
2023 - $60,000
2022 - $24,600
Audit-Related Fees
The aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for assurance and related services by the principal accountants that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Company’s financial statements and are not reported in the preceding paragraph:
2023 - $nil
2022 - $nil
Tax Fees
The aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning was:
2023 - $nil
2022 - $nil
All Other Fees
The aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for the products and services provided by the principal accountant, other than the services reported in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) was:
2023 - $nil
2022 - $nil
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.
1. Financial Statements
Financial statements of Sustainable Projects Group Inc. have been included in Item 8 above.
2. Financial Statement Schedules
All schedules for which provision is made in Regulation S-X are either not required to be included herein under the related instructions or are inapplicable or the related information is included in the footnotes to the applicable financial statement and, therefore, have been omitted from this Item 15.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 36 |
3. Exhibits
The exhibits listed in the following exhibit index are filed as part of this report.
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 37 |
Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized person.
Sustainable projects Group Inc. | ||
By: | /s/ Sune Mathiesen | |
Name: | Sune Mathiesen | |
Title: | President & CEO | |
Dated: | April 4, 2024 |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated have signed this report below.
Signature | Title | Date | ||
/s/ Sune Mathiesen | Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) | April 4, 2024 | ||
Sune Mathiesen | ||||
/s/ Stefan Muehlbauer | Chief Financial Officer (principal financial and principal accounting officer) | April 4, 2024 | ||
Stefan Muehlbauer |
Sustainable Projects Group Inc. | Form 10-K | Page 38 |