Description of Business and Principles of Consolidation	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Description of Business and Principles of Consolidation	Note 1 – Description of Business and Principles of Consolidation These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Heritage Global Inc. together with its subsidiaries, including Heritage Global Partners, Inc. (“HGP”), National Loan Exchange Inc. (“NLEX”), Heritage Global LLC (“HG LLC”), Heritage Global Capital LLC (“HGC”), and Heritage ALT LLC (“ALT”). These entities, collectively, are referred to as “HGI,” the “Company,” “we” or “our” in these consolidated financial statements. These consolidated financial statements were prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”), as outlined in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and include the assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses of all subsidiaries over which HGI exercises control. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation. The Company began its asset liquidation operations in 2009 with the establishment of HG LLC. The business was subsequently expanded by the acquisitions of HGP, NLEX, and ALT in 2012, 2014, and 2021 respectively, and the creation of HGC in 2019. As a result, HGI is positioned to provide an array of value-added capital and financial asset solutions: auction and appraisal services, traditional asset disposition sales, and specialty financing solutions. The Company’s reportable segments consist of both its Financial Assets Division and Industrial Assets Division. COVID-19 The novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic had a negative impact on the Company's performance during 2021 due to evolving travel and work restrictions, stimulus payments and credit policies impacting debt sales by financial institutions, and a delay in the typical process for the sale of certain industrial assets by manufacturing companies. Going forward, and subject to the caveat below, the Company does not believe the COVID-19 pandemic will have material negative impacts on its financial performance, as the Company expects that the supply of surplus industrial assets will return to pre-pandemic levels and believes that the continuing disruptions to the global supply chain, particularly those involving industrial assets, will further increase demand for U.S.-based surplus assets. Further, as stimulus payments conclude, the Company expects that the COVID-19 pandemic will have the following positive impacts: • increased activity for NLEX and HGC due to expanding volumes of nonperforming and charged-off consumer loans; • increased funding opportunities for HGC as lenders begin to increase loan volume while loosening underwriting standards, which will subsequently increase loans available to debt buyers of charged-off accounts; and • incremental valuation opportunities for the Company's valuation business as a result of greater focus on collateral on bank balance sheets. Further surges in COVID-19 infection rates could result in the continuation of stimulus payments and the implementation of additional credit policies impacting debt sales that may result in delayed revenues depending on the scope and magnitude of such policies. Public Offering On October 6, 2020, the Company completed a public offering (the “2020 Public Offering”) of 5,462,500 shares of its common stock, at a public offering price of $1.75 per share, which included a full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase 712,500 additional shares of common stock from the Company. The Company received approximately $8.7 million of net proceeds, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions, but before offering expenses. During 2021, the Company deployed proceeds to fund the ALT acquisition, as well as various principal transactions in both its Financial Assets and Industrial Assets Divisions.

These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Heritage Global Inc. together with its subsidiaries, including Heritage Global Partners, Inc. (“HGP”), National Loan Exchange Inc. (“NLEX”), Heritage Global LLC (“HG LLC”), Heritage Global Capital LLC (“HGC”), and Heritage ALT LLC (“ALT”). These entities, collectively, are referred to as “HGI,” the “Company,” “we” or “our” in these consolidated financial statements. These consolidated financial statements were prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”), as outlined in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and include the assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses of all subsidiaries over which HGI exercises control. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation.

The Company began its asset liquidation operations in 2009 with the establishment of HG LLC. The business was subsequently expanded by the acquisitions of HGP, NLEX, and ALT in 2012, 2014, and 2021 respectively, and the creation of HGC in 2019. As a result, HGI is positioned to provide an array of value-added capital and financial asset solutions: auction and appraisal services, traditional asset disposition sales, and specialty financing solutions. The Company’s reportable segments consist of both its Financial Assets Division and Industrial Assets Division.

The novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic had a negative impact on the Company's performance during 2021 due to evolving travel and work restrictions, stimulus payments and credit policies impacting debt sales by financial institutions, and a delay in the typical process for the sale of certain industrial assets by manufacturing companies.

Going forward, and subject to the caveat below, the Company does not believe the COVID-19 pandemic will have material negative impacts on its financial performance, as the Company expects that the supply of surplus industrial assets will return to pre-pandemic levels and believes that the continuing disruptions to the global supply chain, particularly those involving industrial assets, will further increase demand for U.S.-based surplus assets. Further, as stimulus payments conclude, the Company expects that the COVID-19 pandemic will have the following positive impacts:

•

increased activity for NLEX and HGC due to expanding volumes of nonperforming and charged-off consumer loans;

•

increased funding opportunities for HGC as lenders begin to increase loan volume while loosening underwriting standards, which will subsequently increase loans available to debt buyers of charged-off accounts; and

•

incremental valuation opportunities for the Company's valuation business as a result of greater focus on collateral on bank balance sheets.

Further surges in COVID-19 infection rates could result in the continuation of stimulus payments and the implementation of additional credit policies impacting debt sales that may result in delayed revenues depending on the scope and magnitude of such policies.

On October 6, 2020, the Company completed a public offering (the “2020 Public Offering”) of 5,462,500 shares of its common stock, at a public offering price of $1.75 per share, which included a full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase 712,500 additional shares of common stock from the Company. The Company received approximately $8.7 million of net proceeds, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions, but before offering expenses. During 2021, the Company deployed proceeds to fund the ALT acquisition, as well as various principal transactions in both its Financial Assets and Industrial Assets Divisions.