Due to our financial performance in 2021 and 2020, including net losses of $7.9 million and $6.0 million, respectively, and total cash used in operating activities of $9.8 million and $2.5 million, respectively, we determined that substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern continues to exist at December 31, 2021.

Prior to 2019, the Company experienced significant sales declines, operating losses and increases in its inventory. Beginning in 2019, significant restructuring efforts were undertaken. The Company replaced the entire senior management team, significantly reduced non-critical expenses, minimized the amount of inventory the Company was purchasing, dramatically changed the composition of our Board of Directors and the executive team, and recruited new departmental leaders across the Company. The cost savings efforts undertaken included phased actions to reduce costs to minimize cash usage. Initial actions included the elimination of certain positions, restructuring of the sales organization and incentive plan, flattening of the senior management team, additional operational streamlining, management compensation reductions, and outsourcing of certain functions including certain elements of supply chain and marketing.

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we recorded net restructuring credits of approximately $21 thousand and $60 thousand, respectively, related to the costs and offsetting sub-lease income and accretion expense for the remaining lease obligation for our former New York, New York office. The lease obligation on our former New York, New York office was settled as of June 30, 2021.

Our restructuring liabilities consisted of estimated ongoing costs related to long-term operating lease obligations, which the Company exited. The recorded value of the ongoing lease obligations was based on the remaining lease term and payment amount, discounted to present value. Changes in subsequent periods resulting from a revision to either the timing or the amount of estimated cash flows over the future period were measured using the credit adjusted, risk free rate that was used to measure the restructuring liabilities initially.

As a result of the restructuring actions and initiatives described above, we have tailored our operating expenses to be more in line with our expected sales volumes, however, we continue to incur losses and have a substantial accumulated deficit, and substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern continues to exist at December 31, 2021.

Throughout 2020 and 2021, we have continued to evaluate and assess strategic options as we seek to achieve profitability. We plan to continue to develop advanced lighting and lighting control technologies and introduce impactful new products surrounding EnFocusTM, a patented, breakthrough powerline control platform we officially launched during the second quarter of 2020. We announced the following UVCD products beginning in the fourth quarter of 2020: nUVo™ Tower portable air disinfection device for offices and homes and nUVo™ Traveler portable personal air disinfection device for in-vehicle and smaller spaces. Initial sales of nUVo™ devices began in the fourth quarter of 2021, and we anticipate the development of additional products in 2022.

We plan to achieve profitability by growing our sales through existing lighting, new lighting control systems and UVCD products, and by continuing to refine and execute on our multi-channel sales strategy that targets key verticals, such as government, healthcare, education, and commercial and industrial, complemented by our marketing outreach campaigns and expanding channel partnerships, as well as our emerging consumer market focus.

As described in Note 10, “Stockholders’ Equity,” we raised approximately $4.0 million of net proceeds upon the issuance of common stock and December 2021 Warrants in connection with the December 2021 Private Placement, approximately $4.5 million of net proceeds upon the issuance of common stock in connection with the June 2021 Equity Offering, and approximately $2.3 million of net proceeds upon the issuance of common stock and January 2020 Warrants. As described in Note 8, “Debt”, in April 2021, we obtained approximately $1.5 million of bridge financing, net and in August 2020, we entered into two new revolving credit facilities, which allow for expanded borrowing capacity, which capacity was further increased by an April 20, 2021 amendment to one of the facilities.

The restructuring and cost cutting initiatives implemented during 2020 and continuing into 2021, as well as the December 2021 Private Placement, the June 2021 Equity Offering and the January 2020 Equity Offering that significantly strengthened our balance sheet, the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan we obtained in April 2020, our enhanced debt capacity due to the debt refinancing in August 2020, the credit facility capacity increase and bridge financing in April 2021, and the funds we received, and expect to receive, related to the Employee Retention Tax Credit (“ERTC”), see Note 13, “Other Income” for details), were all designed to allow us to effectively execute these strategies. However, our efforts may not occur as quickly as we envision or be successful due to the long sales cycle in our industry, the corresponding time required to ramp up sales from new products, markets, and customers into this sales cycle, the timing of introductions of additional new products, significant competition, potential sales volatility given our customer concentration, numerous interruptions and cost increases in the supply chain globally, and the ongoing and lingering economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic that has significantly diminished the interest and activities for our customers’ lighting retrofit projects until occupancy returns to more normal levels, among other factors.

Additionally, global supply chain and logistics constraints are impacting our inventory purchasing strategy, leading to a buildup of inventory and components in an effort to manage both shortages of available components and longer lead times in obtaining components. Disruptions in global logistics networks are also impacting our lead times and ability to efficiently and cost-effectively transport products from our third-party suppliers to our facility. As a result, we will continue to review and pursue selected external funding sources to ensure adequate financial resources to execute across the timelines required to achieve these objectives including, but not limited to, the following:

Additionally, if we are unable to find a permanent Chief Executive Officer, it may be more difficult to obtain additional financing on satisfactory terms or at all. If we fail to obtain the required additional financing to sustain our business before we are able to produce levels of revenue to meet our financial needs, we will need to delay, scale back or eliminate our growth plans and further reduce our operating costs and headcount, each of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, future prospects, and financial condition. A lack of additional funding could also result in our inability to continue as a going concern and force us to sell certain assets or discontinue or curtail our operations and, as a result, investors in the Company could lose their entire investment.

Considering both quantitative and qualitative information, we continue to believe that the combination of our plans to ensure adequate external funding, timely re-organizational actions, current financial position, liquid resources, obligations due or anticipated within the next year, development and implementation of an excess inventory reduction plan, plans and initiatives in our research and development, product development and sales and marketing, and development of potential channel partnerships, if adequately executed, will provide us with an ability to finance our operations through the next twelve months and will mitigate the substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

On August 17, 2020, we received a letter from the Listing Qualifications staff (the “Staff”) of The Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) notifying us that we were no longer in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1), which requires listed companies to maintain stockholders’ equity of at least $2,500,000 if they do not meet the alternative compliance standards relating to the market value of listed securities or net income from continuing operations (the “Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Rule”). Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2020, filed on August 13, 2020, reflected that our stockholders’ equity as of June 30, 2020 was $1,714,000. Based on our timely submission of our plan to regain compliance, Nasdaq granted us an extension through February 15, 2021 to regain compliance with the Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Rule. In accordance with one part of the plan submitted to the Staff, we successfully modified our outstanding January 2020 Warrants and in December 2020, we reclassified $1.4 million from warrant liability into equity. On January 20, 2021, we received a letter from the Staff notifying us that, on a conditional basis, Nasdaq has determined that we have regained compliance with the Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Rule. At December 31, 2020, our stockholders’ equity was $4,255,000, satisfying the Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Rule. At December 31, 2021, our stockholders’ equity was $6,209,000.

On December 21, 2021, we received a letter from the Staff notifying the Company that, as a result of the resignation of a director, as previously disclosed, from the Board of Directors and the Audit and Finance Committee, we are not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605, which requires that our Audit and Finance Committee be comprised of at least three directors, all of whom are independent pursuant to the rules of Nasdaq and applicable law. The notification letter had no immediate effect on the Company’s listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. The letter further provided that, pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(c)(4), we are entitled to a cure period to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605, which cure period will expire on the earlier of the date of our next annual shareholders’ meeting and November 11, 2022, or, if the next annual shareholders’ meeting is held before May 10, 2022, then the cure period will expire on May 10, 2022. The Board of Directors has commenced a search for a new independent director, who would be expected to serve on our Audit and Finance Committee, or the Board of Directors will otherwise appoint a current independent director to fill the vacancy on the committee.