Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies  
Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make certain 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 revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Reclassifications

Reclassifications

Certain items in prior period financial statements have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation. Such reclassifications were to move sales and marketing expenses out of general and administrative expenses and to a separate line, and did not impact the Company’s reported net loss or financial position.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable

Trade accounts receivable are stated net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. Management estimates the allowance for doubtful accounts based on review and analysis of specific customer balances that may not be collectible, customer payment history and any other customer-specific information that may impact the evaluation of the specific customer’s credit.

Trade accounts receivable at December 31, 2021 relate primarily to a $1.2 million subcontract with Diversified Technologies, Inc. (“DTI”), signed in June 2020, to supply B-TRAN™ devices as part of a two-year contract awarded to DTI by the United States Naval Sea Systems Command for the development and demonstration of a B-TRAN™ enabled high efficiency direct current solid-state circuit breaker (“SSCB”). In September 2021, the Company entered into and began work under a $50,000 subcontract with DTI under a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research grant from the Department of Energy to develop a B-TRAN™-driven low loss alternating current SSCB. At December 31, 2021, unbilled grant receivables with DTI, which are included in accounts receivable, net, were $233,262 and the allowance for doubtful accounts was $0.

Property and Equipment

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Major additions and improvements are capitalized while maintenance and repairs that do not improve or extend the useful life of the respective asset are

expensed. Depreciation and amortization of property and equipment is computed using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the life of the asset or the related leases. Estimated useful lives of the principal classes of assets are as follows:

Leasehold improvements

    

Shorter of lease term or useful life

Machinery and equipment

5 years

Furniture, fixtures and IT equipment

3 – 5 years

Intangible Assets

Intangible Assets

The Company’s intangible assets are composed of patents, which are recorded at cost, and other intangible assets, which are recorded at cost plus the estimated present value of all future payments associated with the other intangible assets. The Company capitalizes third-party legal costs and filing fees, if any, associated with obtaining patents or other intangible assets. Once the patent asset has been placed in service, the Company amortizes these costs over the shorter of the asset’s legal life, generally 20 years from the initial filing date, or its estimated economic life using the straight-line method. For the other intangible assets, the Company amortizes the asset over the 17-year term of the underlying agreements.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The long-lived assets, consisting of property and equipment and intangible assets, held and used by the Company are reviewed for impairment no less frequently than annually or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. In the event that facts and circumstances indicate that the cost of any long-lived assets may be impaired, an evaluation of recoverability is performed. Management has determined that there was an impairment in the value of long-lived assets in the amount of $528 and $20,660 during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Fair Value

Fair Value

Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Assets and liabilities measured at fair value are categorized based on whether or not the inputs are observable in the market and the degree that the inputs are observable. The categorization of financial assets and liabilities within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The three levels of inputs used to establish fair value are the following:

Level 1 — Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
Level 2 — Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities; and
Level 3 — Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities

The Company’s financial instruments primarily consist of cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable and long-term liabilities. As of the balance sheet dates, the estimated fair values of the financial instruments were not materially different from their carrying values as presented on the balance sheets. This is primarily attributed to the short-term nature of these instruments.

In 2015, the Company recorded a long-term liability for the estimated present value of future payments under licensing agreements. In 2017, 2019 and 2021, the Company recorded adjustments to increase the long-term liability due to increases in the future payments due under these licensing agreements. The Company determined the discount rate to estimate the present value of the future payments based on the applicable treasury rates. The Company's long-term liability is classified within Level 3. See Note 4 and Note 8 for more details regarding the licensing agreements. The Company did not identify any other assets and liabilities that are required to be presented in the balance sheets at fair value.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue and related cost of revenue in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” and, as applicable, with the guidance issued by the FASB in June 2018 for the recipients of grants.

Currently, the Company recognizes grant revenue and cost of grant revenue only. Government contracts, including grants, are agreements that generally provide the Company with cost reimbursement for certain types of development activities over a contractually defined period. Grant revenue is recognized in the period during which the Company incurs the related costs, provided that the Company has incurred the cost in accordance with the specifications and work plans determined between the Company and the government entity.

For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company recognized $576,399 and $428,129, respectively, of grant revenue and cost of grant revenue. The grant revenue and cost of grant revenue relate to the two subcontracts with DTI. The Company accounts for these subcontracts as exchange transactions under applicable guidance.

Research and Development

Research and Development

Research and development costs are presented as a line item under operating expenses and are expensed as incurred. Research and development costs include costs to further develop the Company’s B-TRAN™ technology and include, but are not limited to, the cost of engineering personnel, wafer fabrication, contract labor, device packaging, testing and other engineering services, stock-based compensation for engineering personnel, consulting and materials and supplies.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes using an asset and liability approach which allows for the recognition and measurement of deferred tax assets based upon the likelihood of realization of tax benefits in future years. Under the asset and liability approach, deferred taxes are provided for the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. A valuation allowance is provided for deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not these items will either expire before the Company is able to realize their benefits, or that future deductibility is uncertain. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company has established a full reserve against all deferred tax assets.

Tax benefits from an uncertain tax position are recognized only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution.

Net Loss Per Share

Net Loss Per Share

The Company applies FASB ASC 260, “Earnings per Share.” Basic earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing earnings (loss) available to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings (loss) per share is computed similar to basic earnings (loss) per share except that the denominator is increased to include additional common shares available upon exercise of equity awards and warrants using the treasury stock method. In periods with a net loss, no common share equivalents are included because their effect would be anti-dilutive.

In accordance with ASC 260, shares issuable for little or no cash consideration are considered outstanding common shares and included in the computation of basic earnings per share. As such, the Company includes pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of common stock and warrants shares held in abeyance in its computation of earnings per share. The pre-funded warrants were issued in November 2019 with an exercise price of $0.001 and the warrant shares held in abeyance were a result of the Early Warrant Exercise Transaction (as defined below) in August 2020. See Note 11.

At December 31, 2021 and 2020, potentially dilutive shares outstanding amounted to 1,379,306 and 1,541,518 shares, respectively, and exclude pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of common stock and excess warrant shares held in abeyance.

Stock Based Compensation

Stock Based Compensation

The Company applies FASB ASC 718, “Stock Compensation,” when recording stock-based compensation. Grants to non-employees are also accounted for under ASC 718. The fair value of each stock option award is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option valuation model.

The Company issues common stock upon exercise of equity awards and warrants.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents. The Company maintains its cash with a major financial institution located in the United States. Balances are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation up to $250,000. The Company maintains balances in excess of federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced losses in such accounts and believes it is not exposed to significant credit risk regarding its cash and cash equivalents.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if adopted, would have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.