ITEM 1. BUSINESS
As used in this Annual Report, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” and the “Company” refer to DarkPulse, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
Corporate Overview
Organization
DarkPulse, Inc. ("DPI", “DarkPulse” or the "Company") is a technology-security company incorporated in 1989 as Klever Marketing, Inc ("Klever"). Its principal wholly-owned subsidiary, DarkPulse Technologies Inc. ("DPTI"), originally started as a technology spinout from the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada. DPI is comprised of two security platforms: Fiber and Ultra-High Sensitivity Sensors ("UHSS").
On April 27, 2018, Klever entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement” or the “Merger”) involving Klever as the surviving parent corporation and acquiring DPTI as its wholly-owned subsidiary. On July 18, 2018, the parties closed the Merger Agreement, as amended on July 7, 2018, and the name of the Company was subsequently changed to DarkPulse, Inc. With the change of control of the Company, the Merger was accounted for as a recapitalization in a manner similar to a reverse acquisition.
On July 20, 2018, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment to its Certificate of Incorporation with the State of Delaware, changing the name of the Company to “DarkPulse, Inc.” The Company filed a corporate action notification with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and the Company's ticker symbol was changed to “DPLS.”
The Company’s security and monitoring systems will be delivered in applications for critical infrastructure/ key resources such as but not limited to border security, pipelines, the oil and gas industry and mine safety. Current uses of fiber optic distributed sensor technology have been limited to quasi-static, long-term structural health monitoring due to the time required to obtain the data and its poor precision. The Company’s patented BOTDA dark-pulse sensor technology allows for the monitoring of highly dynamic environments due to its greater resolution and accuracy.
In December 2010 DPTI entered into an Assignment Agreement with the University of New Brunswick, Canada (the “University”), pursuant to which the University sold, transferred, and assigned to the Company certain patents related to the University’s BOTDA dark-pulse technology (the "Patents") in exchange for the issuance of a debenture to the University in the amount of C$1,500,000 (Canadian dollars). In April 2017, DPTI issued a replacement debenture to the University in the amount of US$1,491,923 (the “Debenture”). The Patents and the Debenture were initially recorded in the Company’s accounts at $1,491,923, based upon the exchange rate between the US dollar and the Canadian dollar on December 16, 2010, the date of the original debenture. In addition to the repayment of principal and interest, the Debenture requires DPTI to pay the University a two percent royalty on sales of any and all products or services which incorporate the Patents for a period of five years commencing on April 24, 2018, as well as to reimburse the University for its patent-related costs.
Our Business
The Company offers a full suite of engineering, installation and security management solutions to industries and governments. Coupled with our patented BOTDA dark-pulse technology (the “DarkPulse Technology”), DarkPulse provides its customers a comprehensive data stream of critical metrics for assessing the health and security of their infrastructure. Our comprehensive system provides for rapid, precise analysis and responsive activities predetermined by the end-user customer.
Historically, distributed sensor systems have been too costly, slow and limited in their capabilities to attain widespread use. In addition, Brillouin-based sensors have been plagued with temperature and strain cross-sensitivity, i.e. the inability to distinguish between temperature and strain change along the same fiber. The loss of spatial resolution with an increase in fiber length has also limited the use of distributed sensor systems. Due to these shortcomings, existing technologies are unable to succeed within today’s dynamic environments, and needs for more advanced sensor technologies have remained unsatisfied.
By contrast to existing technologies, the DarkPulse Technology is a distributed-fiber sensing system, based on dark-pulse Brillouin scattering, which reports in real-time on conditions such as temperature, stress, strain corrosion and structural health monitoring of Critical Infrastructure/Key Resources including Bridges, Buildings, Roadways pipelines and mining installations.
DarkPulse Technology’s differentiators from and advantages over existing technologies:
· Real-time Reporting: Higher data acquisition speeds allowing for structural monitoring of dynamic systems
· Cost to Customer: Significantly lower acquisition and operating costs
· Precision: A greater magnitude of precision and spatial resolution than other systems currently available
· Applications: Wider range of capabilities than other systems currently available
· Power consumption: Lower power consumption than existing systems allowing for off-grid installations
· Integration: Capable of integrating with existing systems
· Central station monitoring/cloud based GUI
We believe that these key advantages should allow the Company not only to enter existing markets, but more importantly, to open new market opportunities with new applications. The Company intends to leverage new applications to target clients that have been unable to make use of distributed fiber optic technology to date.
Revenue Generation
We intend to generate revenue from the following sources:
· Hardware equipment sales, warranties, service contracts and licensing to large enterprises and governments.
· Recurring subscription fees paid by enterprise/government users for access to our 24/7 monitoring services of their critical infrastructure;
· Recurring subscription fees paid by enterprise/government users for access to our applications by enterprises/governments;
· Recurring subscription fees paid by enterprise users for access to data stored in the cloud that may be integrated into large, third-party providers such as Oracle, Google Cloud; and Microsoft; among others;
· Recurring subscription fees paid by enterprise/government users who subscribe to bundled service offerings.
Our Market
Current uses of fiber optic distributed sensor technology have been limited to quasi-static, long-term structural health monitoring due to the time required to obtain the data and its poor precision. Our DarkPulse Technology allows for the monitoring of highly dynamic environments due to its magnitude of increased resolution and greater accuracy. The resulting high speed, real-time monitoring capabilities of our DarkPulse Technology should satisfy a broad range of existing and emerging requirements. Use of the DarkPulse Technology by our customers should result in lower production costs with increased sensing capabilities that can integrate with existing technology and be upgraded cost effectively.
Due to the characteristics of the fiber used in fiber optic sensing, the uses of our DarkPulse Technology are wide ranging. Optical fiber is hard-wearing, which allows it to be used in environments where other technologies fail (for example, at temperatures ranging from -40°C to 300°C and 1000psi). Additionally DarkPulse Technology’s sensors allow for live sensing due to the speed at which the analysis takes place.
The Company’s management team is continually identifying markets in which our DarkPulse Technology may be readily applied. Once these markets (as described below) have been addressed, our DarkPulse Technology may be adapted and applied to new markets.
Structural Monitoring
· Buildings and Skyscrapers
· Bridges, Tunnels and Dams
· Roads and Railway tracks
Temperature Sensing
· Fire Alarm and Environment control
· Low cost and maintenance
· Long life span
· Ability to withstand harsh working environment
Security & Defense
· National Border Protection
· Protection of Military and other sensitive installations
Consulting Services:
· Consulting (as stand-alone or presales)
· Post sales deployment and Support
· Managed services (monitoring, etc.)
Additional Potential Markets:
· Monitoring of composite structures in aircraft
· Dynamic stress monitoring of runways
· Dynamic ship hull stress monitoring, especially with a view to double-hull oil tankers
· Smart grid and power conservation applications based on cooling and/or heat proximity - for instance, computer rooms, cell towers for heat soak
· Monitor low temperatures as part of control systems
· Monitoring of temperatures in extreme refrigeration environments
· Avalanche early warning systems
· Sea defense monitoring
Marketing
We utilize our DarkPulse Technology as the foundation of our ongoing marketing initiatives. Most notably, the greater magnitude of increased capabilities DarkPulse Technology versus existing bright-pulsing technologies. Existing bright-pulse Brillouin-based sensors have historically been plagued with temperature and strain cross-sensitivity, i.e. the inability to distinguish between temperature and strain change along the same fiber. The loss of spatial resolution with an increase in fiber length is also a limiting factor for the use of distributed sensor systems. Because of these shortcomings, existing bright-pulse Brillouin-based technologies are unable to succeed within today’s dynamic environments, which coincides with our DarkPulse Technology’s increased capabilities over bright-pulse systems. Our marketing initiatives include daily, broad-based social media engagement; management of our website; email campaigns, and other ongoing initiatives designed to increase awareness of our products and services and drive conversion and adoption rates.
Competition
The overall optical sensing market is projected to reach USD $3.47 billion by 2023 from USD $1.13 billion in 2016, at a CAGR of 15.47% between 2017 and 2023.1 The Company is active in the optical sensing market, including Oil & Gas pipeline health monitoring, National Border Security applications, and the mining industry. We believe that fiber sensing applications which incorporate our DarkPulse Technology may provide significant competitive advantages over structural health monitoring applications offered by the long-term leaders in the field, such as Schlumberger, Hewlett-Packard, and Yokogawa, which collectively account for a significant portion of industry sales. These companies, as well as others, have numerous differences in feature sets and functionality, but all share certain basic attributes: a bright-pulse technology as the core of their systems architecture. An architecture designed using bright-pulsing technology has limited sensing capabilities and resolutions of one meter allowing for mostly long-term quasi-static deployments.
However, the Company utilizes its DarkPulse Technology allowing for multiple applications into those markets unavailable to companies using bright-pulse technology. While many of the companies using bright-pulse technology have attempted to incorporate various sensing techniques into a legacy technology, none have been able to offer the order of magnitude resolutions offered by our DarkPulse Technology. This magnitude in resolution coupled with the DarkPulse Technology’s increased data collection speeds allows our DarkPulse Technology to be installed into areas of the market that our competitors cannot. The Company’s future financial condition and operating results depend on its ability to provide a high-quality solution as well as increased distribution of the solutions in each of the markets in which it competes or intends to compete within.
The markets for the Company’s products and services are highly competitive and the Company is confronted by aggressive competition. These markets are characterized by frequent product introductions and rapid technological advances. The Company’s financial condition and operating results can be adversely affected by these and other industry-wide downward pressures on gross margins. Principal competitive factors important to the Company include price, product features, relative price and performance, product quality and reliability, marketing and distribution capability, service and support and corporate reputation.
Intellectual Property
Our policy is to protect our technology by, among other things, patents, trade secret protection and copyrights. We have taken security measures to protect our trade secrets and proprietary know-how, to the greatest extent possible. Our means of protecting our proprietary rights may not prove to be adequate and our competitors may independently develop technology or products that are similar to ours or that compete with ours. Trade secret, patent and copyright laws afford only certain protections for our technology and products. The laws of many countries do not protect our proprietary rights to as great an extent as do the laws of the United States. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may attempt to obtain and use information that we regard as proprietary. Third parties may also design around our proprietary rights, which may render our protected technology and products less valuable, if the design around is favorably received in the marketplace.
In addition, any of our products or technology covered by patents or other intellectual property rights, could cause us to be subject to various legal actions. Litigation may be necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights, to protect our trade secrets, to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others, or to defend against claims of infringement, invalidity, misappropriation, or other claims.
Through DPTI’s April 2017 Intellectual Property agreement with the University, DPTI was sold, transferred, and assigned U.S. Patent Nos. 7,245,790, 8,643,829, and 9,534,965, each of which are related to our BOTDA dark-pulse technology. In addition, Canadian Patent No. 2,502,275 was also assigned.
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1 Optical Sensing Market by Industry (Aerospace & Defense, Utilities, Oil & Gas, Medical, Construction, and Consumer Electronics), Application, Method, and Geography - Global Forecast to 202\3 (https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/optical-sensing-market-197592599.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzrfanf7P4QIVA0GGCh3jlw7rEAAYASAAEgI9bvD_BwE)
Suppliers
We currently rely on a full-time, dedicated, external team of experienced professionals for the coding and maintenance of our products. We believe we have mitigated the associated risks of managing an external team of software and engineering development professionals by incorporating internal management and oversight, as well as appropriate systems, protocols, controls, and procedures and ensuring that we have access to additional qualified professionals to provide like or complementary services.
Government Regulation
Government regulation is not of significant concern for our business nor is government regulation expected to become an impediment to the business in the near- or mid-term as management is currently unaware of any planned or anticipated government regulation that would have a material impact on our business. Our management believes it currently possesses all requisite authority to conduct our business as described in this Annual Report.
Employees
As of April 10, 2021, we had one full-time employee and no part-time employees.
ITEM 1A.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Readers should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below.
Our failure to successfully address the risks and uncertainties described below would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and/or results of operations, and the trading price of our common stock may decline and investors may lose all or part of their investment. We cannot assure you that we will successfully address these risks or other unknown risks that may affect our business.
As an enterprise engaged in the development of new technology, our business is inherently risky. Our common shares are considered speculative during the development of our new business operations. Prospective investors should consider carefully the risk factors set out below.
Business interruptions, including any interruptions resulting from COVID-19, could significantly disrupt our operations and could have a material adverse impact on us if the situation continues.
Further, all employees, including our specialized technical staff, are working from home or in a virtual environment. The Company always maintains the ability for team members to work virtual and we will continue to stay virtual, until the applicable State and or the Federal government indicate the environment is safe to return to work.
The ongoing coronavirus outbreak which began in China at the beginning of 2020 has impacted various businesses throughout the world, including travel restrictions and the extended shutdown of certain businesses in impacted geographic regions. If the coronavirus outbreak situation should worsen, we may experience disruptions to our business including, but not limited to equipment, to our workforce, or to our business relationships with other third parties.
The extent to which the coronavirus impacts our operations or those of our third-party partners will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the duration of the outbreak, new information that may emerge concerning the severity of the coronavirus and the actions to contain the coronavirus or treat its impact, among others. Any such disruptions or losses we incur could have a material adverse effect on our financial results and our ability to conduct business as expected.
If we default on the Convertible Debenture, the secured holder could take possession of our assets, including our patents and other intellectual property.
The Convertible Debenture (Secured) issued April 24, 2017, is secured by our assets, which includes our patents and other intellectual property. In the event that we default on the obligations in the Debenture, the secured holder could take possession of our assets, including our patents and other intellectual property. If this were to occur, investors would likely lose all of their investment.
We need to continue as a going concern if our business is to succeed.
Our independent registered public accounting firm reports on our audited financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, indicate that there are a number of factors that raise substantial risks about our ability to continue as a going concern. Such factors identified in the report are our accumulated deficit since inception, no sales recorded to date, our failure to attain profitable operations, the excess of liabilities over assets, and our dependence upon obtaining adequate additional financing to pay our liabilities. If we are not able to continue as a going concern, investors could lose their investments.
Because of the unique difficulties and uncertainties inherent in technology development, we face a risk of business failure.
Potential investors should be aware of the difficulties normally encountered by companies developing new technology and the high rate of failure of such enterprises. The likelihood of success must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications and delays encountered in connection with the development of new technology with limited personnel and financial means. These potential problems include, but are not limited to, unanticipated technical problems that extend the time and cost of product development, or unanticipated problems with the operation of our technology or that with which we are licensing that also extend the time and cost of product development.
If we do not obtain additional financing or sufficient revenues, our business will fail.
Our current operating funds are less than necessary to complete the full development and marketing of our DarkPulse Technology-based systems, and we will need to obtain additional financing in order to complete our business plan. We currently have minimal operations and we are not currently generating revenue or net income.
Our business plan calls for significant expenses in connection with developing our DarkPulse Technology-based systems and paying our current obligations. The Company will require additional financing to execute its business plan through raising additional capital and/or beginning to generate revenue.
Obtaining additional financing is subject to a number of factors, including investor acceptance of our DarkPulse Technology and current financial condition as well as general market conditions.
These factors affect the timing, amount, terms or conditions of additional financing unavailable to us. And if additional financing is not arranged, the Company faces the risk of going out of business. The Company’s management is currently engaged in actively pursuing multiple financing options in order to obtain the capital necessary to execute the Company’s business plan.
The most likely source of future funds presently available to us is through the additional sale of private equity capital or through a convertible debt instrument. Any sale of share capital or conversion of convertible debt will most likely result in dilution to existing shareholders.
There is no history upon which to base any assumption as to the likelihood we will prove successful, and we can provide investors with no assurance that we will generate any operating revenues or achieve profitable operations. If we are unsuccessful in addressing these risks, our business will most likely fail.
Product development is a long, expensive and uncertain process.
The development of DarkPulse Technology-based systems is a costly, complex and time-consuming process, and the investment in product development often involves a long wait until a return, if any, is achieved on such investment. We continue to make significant investments in research and development relating to our DarkPulse Technology-based systems and our other businesses. Investments in new technology and processes are inherently speculative.
Successful technical development of our products does not guarantee successful commercialization.
We may successfully complete the technical development for one or all of our product development programs, but still fail to develop a commercially successful product for a number of reasons, including among others the following:
· competing products;
· ineffective distribution and marketing;
· lack of sufficient cooperation from our partners; and
· demonstrations of the products not aligning with or meeting customer needs.
Our success in the market for the products we develop will depend largely on our ability to prove our products’ capabilities. Upon demonstration, our products and/or technology may not have the capabilities they were designed to have or that we believed they would have. Furthermore, even if we do successfully demonstrate our products’ capabilities, potential customers may be more comfortable doing business with a larger, more established, more proven company than us. Moreover, competing products may prevent us from gaining wide market acceptance of our products. Significant revenue from new product investments may not be achieved for a number of years, if at all.
If we fail to protect our intellectual property rights, we could lose our ability to compete in the marketplace.
Our intellectual property and proprietary rights are important to our ability to remain competitive and for the success of our products and our business. We rely on a combination of patent, trademark and trade secret laws as well as confidentiality agreements and procedures, non-compete agreements and other contractual provisions to protect our intellectual property, other proprietary rights and our brand. We have confidentiality agreements in place with our consultants, customers and certain business suppliers and plan to require future employees to enter into confidentiality and non-compete agreements. We have little protection when we must rely on trade secrets and nondisclosure agreements. Our intellectual property rights may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by third parties. We may not be able to prevent the unauthorized disclosure or use of our technical knowledge or other trade secrets by employees or competitors. Furthermore, our competitors may independently develop technologies and products that are substantially equivalent or superior to our technologies and/or products, which could result in decreased revenues. Moreover, the laws of foreign countries may not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the U.S. Litigation may be necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights which could result in substantial costs to us and substantial diversion of management attention. If we do not adequately protect our intellectual property, our competitors could use it to enhance their products. Our inability to adequately protect our intellectual property rights could adversely affect our business and financial condition, and the value of our brand and other intangible assets.
Other companies may claim that we infringe their intellectual property, which could materially increase our costs and harm our ability to generate future revenue and profit.
We do not believe that we infringe the proprietary rights of any third party, but claims of infringement are becoming increasingly common and third parties may assert infringement claims against us. It may be difficult or impossible to identify, prior to receipt of notice from a third party, the trade secrets, patent position or other intellectual property rights of a third party, either in the United States or in foreign jurisdictions. Any such assertion may result in litigation or may require us to obtain a license for the intellectual property rights of third parties. If we are required to obtain licenses to use any third party technology, we would have to pay royalties, which may significantly reduce any profit on our products. In addition, any such litigation could be expensive and disruptive to our ability to generate revenue or enter into new market opportunities. If any of our products were found to infringe other parties’ proprietary rights and we are unable to come to terms regarding a license with such parties, we may be forced to modify our products to make them non-infringing or to cease production of such products altogether.
The nature of our business involves significant risks and uncertainties that may not be covered by insurance or indemnity.
We develop and sell products where insurance or indemnification may not be available, including:
· designing and developing products using advanced and unproven technologies in intelligence and homeland security applications that are intended to operate in high demand, high risk situations; and
· designing and developing products to collect, distribute and analyze various types of information.
Failure of certain of our products could result in loss of life or property damage. Certain products may raise questions with respect to issues of privacy rights, civil liberties, intellectual property, trespass, conversion and similar concepts, which may raise new legal issues. Indemnification to cover potential claims or liabilities resulting from a failure of technologies developed or deployed may be available in certain circumstances but not in others. We are not able to maintain insurance to protect against all operational risks and uncertainties. Substantial claims resulting from an accident, failure of our product, or liability arising from our products in excess of any indemnity or insurance coverage (or for which indemnity or insurance is not available or was not obtained) could harm our financial condition, cash flows, and operating results. Any accident, even if fully covered or insured, could negatively affect our reputation among our customers and the public, and make it more difficult for us to compete effectively.
We are heavily reliant on Dennis O’Leary, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and the departure or loss of Dennis O’Leary could disrupt our business.
The Company depends heavily on the continued efforts of Dennis O’Leary, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and director. Mr. O’Leary is essential to the Company’s strategic vision and day-to-day operations and would be difficult to replace. We currently do not have an employment agreement with Mr. O’Leary, thus we cannot be certain that he will desire to continue with us for the necessary time it will to complete the product development and initial sales channel development. The departure or loss of Mr. O’Leary, or the inability to hire and retain a qualified replacement, could negatively impact the Company’s ability to manage its business.
If we are unable to recruit and retain key management, technical and sales personnel, our business would be negatively affected.
For our business to be successful, we need to attract and retain highly qualified technical, management and sales personnel. The failure to recruit additional key personnel when needed with specific qualifications and on acceptable terms or to retain good relationships with our partners might impede our ability to continue to develop, commercialize and sell our products. To the extent the demand for skilled personnel exceeds supply, we could experience higher labor, recruiting and training costs in order to attract and retain such employees. We face competition for qualified personnel from other companies with significantly more resources available to them and thus may not be able to attract the level of personnel needed for our business to succeed.
Material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting may, until remedied, cause errors in our financial statements or cause our filings with the SEC to not be timely.
The Company believes that material weaknesses exist in our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, including those related to (i) our internal audit functions and (ii) a lack of segregation of duties within accounting functions. If our internal control over financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures are not effective, there may be errors in our financial statements that could require a restatement or our filings may not be timely made with the SEC. We intend to implement additional corporate governance and control measures to strengthen our control environment as we are able, but we may not achieve our desired objectives. Moreover, no control environment, no matter how well designed and operated, can prevent or detect all errors or fraud. We may identify material weaknesses and control deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting in the future that may require remediation and could lead investors losing confidence in our reported financial information, which could lead to a decline in our stock price.
Risks Related to Our Organization and Our Common Stock
Certain shareholders will be able to exert significant influence over us to the detriment of minority stockholders.
Our largest shareholder beneficially owns approximately 81.29 % of our outstanding common stock as of April 10, 2021, as calculated according to voting power. This stockholder will be able to exert significant influence on our management and affairs and all matters requiring stockholder approval, including significant corporate transactions. This concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying or preventing our change in control and might affect the market price of our common stock.
You may experience dilution of your ownership interests because of the future issuance of additional shares of our common or preferred stock or other securities that are convertible into or exercisable for our common or preferred stock.
On July 1, 2019, the majority stockholders holding a majority of the issued and outstanding voting shares of the Company approved an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, to increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock from 3,000,000,000 to 20,000,000,000. We are authorized to issue an aggregate of 20,000,000,000 shares of common stock and 2,000,000 shares of “blank check” preferred stock. In the future, we may issue our authorized but previously unissued equity securities, resulting in the dilution of the ownership interests of our present stockholders. We may issue additional shares of our common stock or other securities that are convertible into or exercisable for our common stock in connection with hiring or retaining employees, future acquisitions, future sales of our securities for capital raising purposes, or for other business purposes. The future issuance of any such additional shares of our common stock may create downward pressure on the trading price of the common stock. We will need to raise additional capital in the near future to meet our working capital needs, and there can be no assurance that we will not be required to issue additional shares, warrants or other convertible securities in the future in conjunction with these capital raising efforts, including at a price (or exercise or conversion prices) below the price an investor paid for stock.
Because the SEC imposes additional sales practice requirements on brokers who deal in our shares that are penny stocks, some brokers may be unwilling to trade them. This means that investors may have difficulty reselling their shares and may cause the price of the shares to decline.
Our shares qualify as penny stocks and are covered by Section 15(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which imposes additional sales practice requirements on broker/dealers who sell our securities in this offering or in the aftermarket. In particular, prior to selling a penny stock, broker/dealers must give the prospective customer a risk disclosure document that: contains a description of the nature and level of risk in the market for penny stocks in both public offerings and secondary trading; contains a description of the broker/dealers’ duties to the customer and of the rights and remedies available to the customer with respect to violations of such duties or other requirements of Federal securities laws; contains a brief, clear, narrative description of a dealer market, including “bid” and “ask” prices for penny stocks and the significance of the spread between the bid and ask prices; contains the toll free telephone number for inquiries on disciplinary actions established pursuant to section 15(A)(i); defines significant terms used in the disclosure document or in the conduct of trading in penny stocks; and contains such other information, and is in such form (including language, type size, and format), as the SEC requires by rule or regulation. Further, for sales of our securities, the broker/dealer must make a special suitability determination and receive from you a written agreement before making a sale to you. Because of the imposition of the foregoing additional sales practices, it is possible that brokers will not want to make a market in our shares. This could prevent reselling of shares and may cause the price of the shares to decline.
We do not expect to declare or pay any dividends.
We have not declared or paid any dividends on our common stock since our inception, and we do not anticipate paying any such dividends for the foreseeable future.
Volatility of Stock Price.
Our common shares are currently publicly traded on the OTC Markets under the symbol “DPLS.” In the future, the trading price of our common shares may be subject to wide fluctuations. Trading prices of the common shares may fluctuate in response to a number of factors, many of which will be beyond our control. In addition, the stock market in general, and the market for sensor technology companies in particular, has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of such companies. Market and industry factors may adversely affect the market price of the common shares, regardless of our operating performance. Readers should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below before deciding whether to invest in shares of our common stock.
Our failure to successfully address the risks and uncertainties described below would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and/or results of operations, and the trading price of our common stock may decline and investors may lose all or part of their investment. We cannot assure you that we will successfully address these risks or other unknown risks that may affect our business.
As an enterprise engaged in the development of new technology, our business is inherently risky. Our common shares are considered speculative during the development of our new business operations. Prospective investors should consider carefully the risk factors set out herein. As reported herein in “Item 5. Market For Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters”, the market price of our common stock has fluctuated significantly.
Being a public company is expensive and administratively burdensome.
As a public reporting company, we are subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the Exchange Act and other federal securities laws, rules and regulations related thereto, including compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Complying with these laws and regulations requires the time and attention of our Board of Directors and management team, and increases our expenses. We estimate the Company will incur approximately $200,000 to $300,000 annually in connection with being a public company.
Among other things, we are required to:
· maintain and evaluate a system of internal controls over financial reporting in compliance with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the related rules and regulations of the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board;
· prepare and distribute periodic reports in compliance with our obligations under federal securities laws;
· institute a more comprehensive compliance function, including with respect to corporate governance; and
· involve, to a greater degree, our outside legal counsel and accountants in the above activities.
The costs of preparing and filing annual and quarterly reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC and furnishing audited reports to stockholders are expensive and much greater than that of a privately-held company, and compliance with these rules and regulations may require us to hire additional financial reporting, internal controls and other finance personnel, and will involve a material increase in regulatory, legal and accounting expenses and the attention of management. There can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with the applicable regulations in a timely manner, if at all. In addition, being a public company makes it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance. In the future, we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain this coverage.
If we fail to establish and maintain an effective system of internal control, we may not be able to report our financial results accurately or to prevent fraud. Any inability to report and file our financial results accurately and timely could harm our reputation and adversely impact the trading price of our common stock.
Effective internal control is necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and prevent fraud. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, we may not be able to manage our business as effectively as we would if an effective control environment existed, and our business and reputation with investors may be harmed. As a result, our small size and any current internal control deficiencies may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operation and access to capital. We have not performed an in-depth analysis to determine if historical un-discovered failures of internal controls exist, and may in the future discover areas of our internal control that need improvement.
Public company compliance may make it more difficult to attract and retain officers and directors.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and new rules subsequently implemented by the SEC have required changes in corporate governance practices of public companies. As a public company, we expect these new rules and regulations to increase our compliance costs in 2021 and beyond and to make certain activities more time consuming and costly. As a public company, we also expect that these new rules and regulations may make it more difficult and expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance in the future and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our Board of Directors or as executive officers.
You could lose all of your investment.
An investment in our securities is speculative and involves a high degree of risk. Potential investors should be aware that the value of an investment in the Company may go down as well as up. In addition, there can be no certainty that the market value of an investment in the Company will fully reflect its underlying value. You could lose your entire investment.
The ability of our Board of Directors to issue additional stock may prevent or make more difficult certain transactions, including a sale or merger of the Company.
Our Board of Directors is authorized to issue up to 2,000,000 shares of preferred stock with powers, rights and preferences designated by it. Shares of voting or convertible preferred stock could be issued, or rights to purchase such shares could be issued, to create voting impediments or to frustrate persons seeking to effect a takeover or otherwise gain control of the Company. The ability of the Board of Directors to issue such additional shares of preferred stock, with rights and preferences it deems advisable, could discourage an attempt by a party to acquire control of the Company by tender offer or other means. Such issuances could therefore deprive stockholders of benefits that could result from such an attempt, such as the realization of a premium over the market price for their shares in a tender offer or the temporary increase in market price that such an attempt could cause. Moreover, the issuance of such additional shares of preferred stock to persons friendly to the Board of Directors could make it more difficult to remove incumbent officers and directors from office even if such change were to be favorable to stockholders generally.
Our stock may be traded infrequently and in low volumes, so you may be unable to sell your shares at or near the quoted bid prices if you need to sell your shares.
Until our common stock is listed on a national securities exchange such as the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market, we expect our common stock to remain eligible for quotation on the OTC Markets, or on another over-the-counter quotation system. In those venues, however, the shares of our common stock may trade infrequently and in low volumes, meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing our common shares at or near bid prices at any given time may be relatively small or non-existent. An investor may find it difficult to obtain accurate quotations as to the market value of our common stock or to sell his or her shares at or near bid prices or at all. In addition, if we fail to meet the criteria set forth in SEC regulations, various requirements would be imposed by law on broker-dealers who sell our securities to persons other than established customers and accredited investors. Consequently, such regulations may deter broker-dealers from recommending or selling our common stock, which may further affect the liquidity of our common stock. This would also make it more difficult for us to raise capital.
There currently is no active public market for our common stock and there can be no assurance that an active public market will ever develop. Failure to develop or maintain a trading market could negatively affect the value of our common stock and make it difficult or impossible for you to sell your shares.
There is currently no active public market for shares of our common stock and one may never develop. Our common stock is quoted on the OTC Markets. The OTC Markets is a thinly traded market and lacks the liquidity of certain other public markets with which some investors may have more experience. We may not ever be able to satisfy the listing requirements for our common stock to be listed on a national securities exchange, which is often a more widely-traded and liquid market. Some, but not all, of the factors which may delay or prevent the listing of our common stock on a more widely-traded and liquid market include the following: our stockholders’ equity may be insufficient; the market value of our outstanding securities may be too low; our net income from operations may be too low; our common stock may not be sufficiently widely held; we may not be able to secure market makers for our common stock; and we may fail to meet the rules and requirements mandated by the several exchanges and markets to have our common stock listed. Should we fail to satisfy the initial listing standards of the national exchanges, or our common stock is otherwise rejected for listing, and remains listed on the OTC Markets or is suspended from the OTC Markets, the trading price of our common stock could suffer and the trading market for our common stock may be less liquid and our common stock price may be subject to increased volatility, making it difficult or impossible to sell shares of our common stock.
Our common stock is subject to the “penny stock” rules of the SEC and the trading market in the securities is limited, which makes transactions in the stock cumbersome and may reduce the value of an investment in the stock.
Rule 15g-9 under the Exchange Act establishes the definition of a “penny stock,” for the purposes relevant to us, as any equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share or with an exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. For any transaction involving a penny stock, unless exempt, the rules require: (a) that a broker or dealer approve a person’s account for transactions in penny stocks; and (b) 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: (a) obtain financial information and investment experience objectives of the person and (b) make a reasonable determination that the transactions in penny stocks are suitable for that person and the 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 prescribed by the SEC relating to the penny stock market, which, in highlight form: (a) sets forth the basis on which the broker or dealer made the suitability determination; and (b) confirms that the broker or dealer received a signed, written agreement from the investor prior to the transaction. Generally, brokers may be less willing to execute transactions in securities subject to the “penny stock” rules. This may make it more difficult for investors to dispose of our common stock and cause a decline in the market value of our common stock.
Disclosure also has to be made about the risks of investing in penny stocks in both public offerings and in secondary trading and about the commissions payable to both the broker or 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.
Our stock price may be volatile.
The market price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile and could fluctuate widely in price in response to various factors, many of which are beyond our control, including the following:
· changes in our industry;
· competitive pricing pressures;
· our ability to obtain working capital financing;
· additions or departures of key personnel;
· sales of our common stock;
· our ability to execute our business plan;
· operating results that fall below expectations;
· loss of any strategic relationship;
· regulatory developments; and
· economic and other external factors.
In addition, the securities markets have from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These market fluctuations may also materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Offers or availability for sale of a substantial number of shares of our common stock may cause the price of our common stock to decline.
If our stockholders sell substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, including upon the expiration of any statutory holding period under Rule 144, or issued upon the conversion of preferred stock or exercise of warrants, it could create a circumstance commonly referred to as an "overhang" and in anticipation of which the market price of our common stock could fall. The existence of an overhang, whether or not sales have occurred or are occurring, also could make more difficult our ability to raise additional financing through the sale of equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and price that we deem reasonable or appropriate.
ITEM 1B.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 2.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
On February 12, 2021, we entered into a Commercial Lease Agreement with the lessor for the lease of 2640 West Medtronic Way, Tempe, Arizona 85281. The term of the lease is for 12 months and the monthly rent is $2,000 per month for a total of $24,000.
ITEM 3.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
On March 27, 2019, Thomas A. Cellucci, et al. v. DarkPulse, Inc. et al. (the “Complaint”) was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by certain of the Company’s former executive officers, one also being a former director, and a non-employee shareholder (collectively, the “Plaintiffs”), against the Company, its sole officer and a director, and others, claiming that the Plaintiffs brought the action to protect their individual rights as minority shareholders, as improperly-ousted officers (other than the non-employee shareholder), and as an improperly-ousted director, seeking equitable relief, damages, recovery of unpaid salaries and other relief. The Plaintiffs filed a motion for a temporary restraining order seeking appointment of a receiver to carry out the operations of the Company, restraining the Company’s sole officer and a director from conducting business on behalf of the Company, and other emergency relief.
Following a hearing, the court denied the Plaintiffs’ motion. The Plaintiffs amended their complaint, and the Defendants moved to dismiss.
On February 28, 2020, the Court granted the Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss the First Amended Complaint. The Court granted Plaintiffs leave to amend their complaint consistent with the opinion and provided an explanation of the deficiencies that would need to be cured in the amended complaint. After numerous extensions, the Plaintiffs eventually filed a Second Amended Complaint. The Defendants moved to dismiss the motion and, on January 25, 2021, the Court dismissed the motion.
It is the Company's position that the Complaint represents a frivolous harassment lawsuit, and the Company intends to file a motion to dismiss all claims made in the Complaint and intends to otherwise defend itself vigorously in this matter. The Company is also exploring filing counterclaims against the Plaintiffs in the action.
From time to time, we may become involved in litigation relating to claims arising out of our operations in the normal course of business. We are not currently involved in any pending legal proceeding or litigation and, to the best of our knowledge, no governmental authority is contemplating any proceeding to which we are a party or to which any of our properties is subject, which would reasonably be likely to have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.
ITEM 4.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
PART II
ITEM 5.
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Our common stock is traded on the OTC Markets under the trading symbol “DPLS.” The Company has 20,000,000,000 authorized common shares.
The following table sets forth the high and low bid of the Company’s Common Stock for each quarter within the past two completed fiscal years and the current year. The information below was provided from the OTC Markets and reflects the highest and lowest closing prices during each quarter.
The number of shareholders of record of the Company's common stock as of April 10, 2021 was approximately 923.
The Company has not paid any cash dividends to date and does not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. It is the present intention of management to utilize any available funds for the development of the Company's business.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
On September 2, 2020, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with Geneva Roth Remark Holdings, Inc. (“Geneva”) issuing to Geneva a convertible promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of $47,850 with a $4,350 original issue discount and $3,500 in transactional expenses due to Geneva and its counsel. The note bears interest at 9% per annum and may be converted into common shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion price equal to 70% of the lowest trading price of the Company's common stock during the 20 prior trading days. The Company received $40,000 net cash. This note was issued without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, by reason of the exemption from registration afforded by the provisions of Section 4(a)(2) thereof, and Rule 506(b) promulgated thereunder, as a transaction by an issuer not involving any public offering. No selling commissions were paid in connection with the issuance of the note.
Equity Compensation Plan Information
As of December 31, 2020, there were no securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
None.
ITEM 6.
ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Not required for smaller reporting companies.
ITEM 7.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Background
DarkPulse, Inc. (the “Company”) is a technology-security company created to develop, market and distribute a full suite of engineering, installation and security management solutions to industries and governments and has not commenced its planned principal operations. Coupled with our patented BOTDA dark-pulse technology (the “DarkPulse Technology”), DarkPulse provides its customers a comprehensive data stream of critical metrics for assessing the health and security of their infrastructure. Our comprehensive system provides for rapid, precise analysis and responsive activities predetermined by the end- user customer. The Company’s activities since inception have consisted principally of developing various solutions which the Company is currently testing, obtaining patents and trademarks related to its technology, and raising capital. The Company’s activities are subject to significant risks and uncertainties including failing to secure additional funding needed to finalize development of the Company’s technology and to commercialize its product in a profitable manner.
Recent Events
Financings
On January 4, 2021, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with Geneva Roth Remark Holdings, Inc. (“Geneva”) issuing to Geneva a convertible promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of $42,350 with a $3,850 original issue discount and $3,500 in transactional expenses due to Geneva and its counsel. The note bears interest at 8% per annum and may be converted into common shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion price equal to 70% of the lowest trading price of the Company's common stock during the 20 prior trading days. The Company received $35,000 net cash.
On February 3, 2021, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with Geneva Roth Remark Holdings, Inc. (“Geneva”) issuing to Geneva a convertible promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of $94,200 with a $15,700 original issue discount and $3,500 in transactional expenses due to Geneva and its counsel. The note bears interest at 4.5% per annum and may be converted into common shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion price equal to 81% of the lowest 2 trading prices of the Company's common stock during the 10 prior trading days. The Company received $75,000 net cash.
On February 18, 2021, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with Geneva Roth Remark Holdings, Inc. (“Geneva”) issuing to Geneva a convertible promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of $76,200 with a $12,700 original issue discount and $3,500 in transactional expenses due to Geneva and its counsel. The note bears interest at 4.5% per annum and may be converted into common shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion price equal to 81% of the lowest 2 trading prices of the Company's common stock during the 10 prior trading days. The Company received $60,000 net cash.
Going Concern
The Company generated net losses of $275,841 and $1,825,469 during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company did not generate any revenue from product sales during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, the Company’s current liabilities exceeded its current assets by $3,241,567. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had $337 of cash.
The Company will require additional funding during the next twelve months to finance the growth of its current operations and achieve its strategic objectives. These factors, as well as the uncertain conditions that the Company faces relative to capital raising activities, create substantial doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The Company is seeking to raise additional capital principally through private placement offerings and is targeting strategic partners in an effort to finalize the development of its products and begin generating revenues. The ability of the Company to continue as a going concern is dependent upon the success of future capital offerings or alternative financing arrangements and expansion of its operations. The accompanying financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern. Management is actively pursuing additional sources of financing sufficient to generate enough cash flow to fund its operations through calendar year 2021. However, management cannot make any assurances that such financing will be secured.
Results of Operations
Revenues
To date, the Company has not generated any operating revenues.
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased by $287,497 or 52.6% to $258,739 from $546,236 for the year ended December 31, 2019. The primary reason for the overall decrease in general and administrative expense in the current year is a decrease in payroll and compensation of $168,758.
General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased by $33,824 or 18.5% to $149,259 from $183,083 for the year ended December 31, 2019. The primary reason for the overall decrease in general and administrative expense in the current year is a decrease in professional fees.
Payroll and compensation expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased to $187 from $168,945 or 99.9% for the year ended December 31, 2019. The primary reason for the overall decrease in payroll and compensation expense in the current year is a decrease in employees and a reduction in stock based compensation.
Amortization expenses for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 remained constant at $51,028.
Legal expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased $50,415 from $118,281 for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase is related to ongoing litigation as described in more detail in Note 12 of the attached financial statements.
Debt transaction expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased $17,050 or 68.5% from $24,900 to $7,850. The primary reason for the decrease is related to the decrease in convertible notes entered into during 2020.
Other Income (Expense)
Total other expenses totaled $17,102 and $1,279,233 for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The $1,262,131 decrease is primarily attributed to the decrease recognized due to changes in the fair value of derivative instruments of $422,787, loss on convertible notes of $401,497 and a decrease in interest expense of $370,619.
Net Loss
As a result, net loss for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased by $1,549,627 to $275,842 from $1,825,469 for the year ended December 31, 2019.
Comprehensive (Loss) Gain
The Company recorded a loss for foreign currency translation adjustments for the year ended December 31, 2020 of $20,941 and a loss of $52,905 for the year ended December 31, 2019. The fluctuations of the increase/decrease is primarily attributed to the change in the value of the note recognized due to exchange rate variances. Comprehensive loss was $296,785 as compared to $1,878,374 for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity is the ability of a company to generate funds to support its current and future operations, satisfy its obligations, and otherwise operate on an ongoing basis. At December 31, 2020, we had a cash balance of $337. Our working capital deficit is approximately $3,241,567 at December 31, 2020.
As of December 31, 2020, we had cash of $337, compared to $1,210 as of December 31, 2019. The Company currently does not have sufficient cash to fund its operations for the next 12 months and will require working capital to complete development, testing and marketing of its products and to pay for ongoing operating expenses. The Company anticipates adding consultants for technology development and the corresponding operations of the Company, but this will not occur prior to obtaining additional capital. Management is currently in the process of looking for additional investors. Currently, loans from banks or other lending sources for lines of credit or similar short-term borrowings are not available to the Company. The Company has been able to raise working capital to fund operations through the issuances of convertible notes or obtained through the issuance of the Company’s restricted common stock.
As of December 31, 2020, our current liabilities of $3,241,904 exceeded our current assets of $337 by $3,241,567.
Operating Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2020, net cash used by operating activities was $8,194, resulting from our net loss of $275,842 partially offset by non-cash expenses totaling $14,446 and increases in accounts payable of $195,951 and accrued liabilities of $72,892.
By comparison, during the year ended December 31, 2019, net cash used by operating activities was $171,604, resulting from our net loss of $1,825,469, partially offset by non-cash expenses totaling $259,824 and increases in accounts payable of $264,788 and a decrease in accrued liabilities of $145,234.
Investing Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2020, net cash used by investing activities was $4,969, of capitalized patents costs of $4,969. During the year ended December 31, 2019, net cash used by investing activities was $54,930.
Financing Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2020, net cash used by financing activities was $4,096, comprised of proceeds from issuance of convertible notes payable of $40,000, offset by repayments of related party notes payable of $44,096. During the year ended December 31, 2019, net cash provided by financing activities was $155,450, comprised of proceeds from issuance of convertible notes payable of $180,100, partially offset by repayments of convertible notes payable of $24,650.
Factors That May Affect Future Results - Management’s Discussion and Analysis contains information based on management’s beliefs and forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including but not limited to the following:
· The Company may not obtain the equity funding or short-term borrowings necessary to market and launch its products.
· The product development and launch may take longer to implement than planned or may not be successful.
0ITEM 7A.
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
The financial statements of the Company are included beginning on page immediately following the signature page to this report.
ITEM 9.
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.
ITEM 9A.
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The Company's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures for the Company, and have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) were not effective as of the end of the period covered by this report, based on their evaluation of these controls and procedures required by paragraph (b) of Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f), due to certain material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting as discussed below.
Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
The Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal controls over financial reporting for the Company. Due to limited resources, Management conducted an evaluation of internal controls based on criteria established in 2013 Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). The results of this evaluation determined that our internal control over financial reporting was ineffective as of December 31, 2020, due to material weaknesses. A material weakness in internal control over financial reporting is defined as a 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. A significant deficiency is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting that is less severe than a material weakness, yet important enough to merit attention by those responsible for oversight of our financial reporting.
Management’s assessment identified the following material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting:
· The small size of our Company limits our ability to achieve the desired level of separation of duties to achieve effective internal controls over financial reporting. We do not have a separate CEO and CFO, to review and oversee the financial policies and procedures of the Company, which does achieve a degree of separation. However, until such time as the Company is able to hire a Controller, we do not believe we meet the full requirement for separation.
· We do not have a functional audit committee.
· We have not achieved the desired level of documentation of our internal controls and procedures. When the Company obtains sufficient funding, this documentation will be strengthened through utilizing a third party consulting firm to assist management with its internal control documentation and further help to limit the possibility of any lapse in controls occurring.
· We have not achieved the desired level of corporate governance to ensure that our accounting for all of our contractual and other agreements is in accordance with all of the relevant terms and conditions. Because of our limited capital resources, we sometimes formalize our agreements with certain contractors after the work is performed when additional resources become available to pay for the services.
As a result of the material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting described above, the Company’s management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2020, the Company's internal control over financial reporting was not effective based on the criteria in Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the COSO.
The Company’s lack of current financial resources makes it impossible for the Company to hire the appropriate personnel needed to overcome these weaknesses and ensure that appropriate controls and separation of responsibilities of a larger organization exist. We also will continue to follow the standards for the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) for internal control over financial reporting to include procedures that:
· Pertain to the maintenance of records in reasonable detail accurately that fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the Company's assets;
· Provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and the Board of Directors; and
· Provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Despite the material weaknesses in financial reporting noted above, we believe that our financial statements included in this report fairly present our financial position, results of operations and cash flows as of and for the years presented in all material respects.
Changes in Internal Controls
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fiscal quarter covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
The Company has taken limited steps to meet its Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Section 404 compliance requirements and implement procedures to assure financial reports are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and therefore fairly represent the results and condition of the Company. We are not materially compliant with the Section 404 requirements due to economic constraints.
ITEM 9B.
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None.
PART III
ITEM 10.
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Executive Officers and Directors
The following table sets forth the name, age, and position of each executive officer and director of the Company:
Dennis M. O’Leary, Chairman, CEO, President, CFO. Mr. O’Leary is the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer and Chairman of the Board. Mr. O’Leary founded DarkPulse Technologies Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, in 2010. Mr. O’Leary is a serial entrepreneur with significant international experience having founded Sulu Electric Power and Light Corp (Philippines), a firm with expertise in utility scale power generation and solar energy. He is the co-founder and Chairman of DarkPulse Technologies Inc., a firm developing specialized devices that monitor activities along national borders and provide structural health and safety monitoring of oil and gas pipelines. He holds extensive start-up experience including multiple exit strategies. Mr. O’Leary is an Ambassador for the Province of New Brunswick, Canada, and a Research Member of the NATO Science and Technology Organization. He served as a member of the Board at Arizona State University’s School of Engineering, Global Resolve as Chair of the Impact Committee. His previous employment includes the NYPD where he worked as a member of the Manhattan North Tactical Narcotics Team, which prosecuted establishments involved in the illegal distribution of narcotics. He was a member of a joint taskforce working with the DEA and USINS in the execution of warrants related to narcotics trafficking. While at the NYPD, he was assigned to the Department of Justice as a member of the FBI’s investigative team with internal designation C14. He is a licensed private pilot with turbine experience. Mr. O’Leary is not, and has not been during the past 5 years, the director of any other public companies.
Dr. Anthony Brown, Director. Dr. Brown is a physicist and scientist with extensive experience in the development of Brillouin scattering-based distributed fiber optic sensing. In 2010, Dr. Brown co-founded DarkPulse Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Dr. Brown has more than 25 years of research and lecturing experience gained at the University of New Brunswick (“UNB”), focusing primarily on the development of Brillouin scattering-based distributed fiber optic sensor technology. From 2001 to 2012, Dr. Brown served as an assistant professor and research associate at UNB. During Dr. Brown’s tenure at UNB, he was instrumental in developing numerous patents in the field of fiber optic sensing. From 2012 to 2015, Dr. Brown served as an Adjunct Professor at UNB. From 2013 through the present, Dr. Brown has served as a data scientist for Xplornet Communications, Inc. From 2018 through the present, Dr. Brown has served as a consultant for the Company. Dr. Brown received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from UNB in 1995, and a PhD in Physics from UNB in 2001. We believe that Dr. Brown should serve as a member of our Board of Directors due to his extensive experience in the development of Brillouin scattering-based distributed fiber optic sensing.
Carl Eckel, Director. Mr. Eckel is a U.S. military veteran with over 35 years of defense communications system development and support experience. Mr. Eckel’s career began in the field of telecommunications operations and continued to evolve with the rapid advancements in telecommunications technologies. While serving in the United States Air Force from 1977 to 1985, Mr. Eckel was responsible for managing leased communications accounting, planning, user requirement changes, and system upgrades and replacements for critical Air Force Satellite Control Network (“AFSCN”) Programs at Onizuka AFS, until his honorable discharge in 1985. As a private civilian, from 1985 to 1992, Mr. Eckel served as a Database Systems Administrator and Site Integrator for Ford Aerospace / Loral where he was responsible for into customer communications requirements analysis and development of training for operations and maintenance of the classified and unclassified systems supporting all Space Shuttle and satellite activities. In 1993 recognizing the government’s need for quality affordable training for operations and maintenance of complex software and hardware communications systems, Mr. Eckel started a successful training development and delivery business that provided training to Washington D.C. area clients such as the Pentagon 7th CG, the White House Communications Agency. and PACAF based in Hawaii. Mr. Eckel worked for Allied Signal/Honeywell in 1995-96 as a Group Field Engineer maintaining critical Control Center and Remote Tracking Communications Equipment around the world, and then rejoining communications systems support with Lockheed from 1997 to 1998. From 1999 to 2000, Mr. Eckel resumed support on the government side of the AFSCN serving initially in Network Security and Systems Integration. From 2000 to 2001, Mr. Eckel served as a Deputy Maintenance Manager for ITT where he was responsible for maintenance of AFSCN mission control communications systems. From 2001 to 2013, Mr. Eckel served as a Site Manager, Program Manager, and Program Director for IITC / Nortel / PEC / Avaya Government Solutions where he held a team leadership role transitioning back into program management. With this transition Mr. Eckel was a part of establishing and delivering contract performance that netted 99-100% contract satisfaction award fees. Mr. Eckel advanced to program director level managing contract team activities, including subcontractors, at multiple locations supporting programs for the Air Force, Army, and NOAA/NWS. In early 2014, Mr. Eckel transitioned into the Oil and Gas Industry as a safety professional in support of pipeline integrity work, station work, and mainline projects for clients including Enbridge, Hess, Tesoro, MarkWest, TransCanada, Kinder Morgan, and Shell. From 2014 through the present, Mr. Eckel has served as a Safety Manager for Minnesota Limited, LLC where he is responsible for safety compliance, including field safety inspections, incident and accident investigation, and reporting. Mr. Eckel received a diploma in Communications Systems from the USAF Technical School in Shepherd AFB, TX. Mr. Eckel holds numerous certifications, including OSHA 500 - Authorized OSHA 10 and 30 hour trainer, OSHA 510 HAZWOPER, CPR/AED/First aid, DOT - CSA & HAZMAT Driver Training. We believe that Mr. Eckel should serve as a member of our Board of Directors due to his extensive management experience within the government and the private sectors in such areas and industries where the Company’s technology systems may be advantageously utilized.
Legal Proceedings
During the past ten years there have been no events under any bankruptcy act, no criminal proceedings and no judgments, injunctions, orders or decrees material to the evaluation of the ability and integrity of any of our directors or executive officers, and none of these persons has been involved in any judicial or administrative proceedings resulting from involvement in mail or wire fraud or fraud in connection with any business entity, any judicial or administrative proceedings based on violations of federal or state securities, commodities, banking or insurance laws or regulations, or any disciplinary sanctions or orders imposed by a stock, commodities or derivatives exchange or other self-regulatory organization.
Family Relationships
There are no family relationships between any of our directors and executive officers.
Compliance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires the Company’s directors, executive officers, and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of the Company’s equity securities, to file with the Commission reports regarding initial ownership and changes in ownership. Directors, executive officers, and greater than 10% stockholders are required by the Commission to furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file.
The Company is not aware of any common stock transactions during the year ended December 31, 2020 for which either Forms 4 or Forms 5 were required to be filed.
Code of Ethics
We have not adopted a formal, written code of ethics due to a small number of members of management, lack of previous business operations, and lack of resources. We plan to adopt a Code of Ethics during the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021.
Audit Committee
As of December 31, 2020, the Company did not have a functioning Audit Committee. The Company’s management is currently reviewing the Company’s SEC filings and relying on outside experts to assist with this process.
ITEM 11.
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Summary Compensation
The following table shows the executive compensation paid to our named executive officers and directors for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
___________________________
(1) The Company accrued $0 and $18,000 for compensation for Mr. O’Leary during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, of which $0 has been paid, respectively.
Equity Awards
As of December 31, 2020, there were no outstanding equity awards.
ITEM 12.
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
Principal Shareholders
The table below sets forth information as to our Directors and Executive Officers and each person owning of record or was known by the Company to own beneficially shares of stock greater than 5% of the 4,088,850,391 (4,088,762,156 common plus 88,235 preferred) votes as of December 31, 2020. The table includes preferred stock that is convertible into common stock and information as to the ownership of the Company's Stock by each of its directors and executive officers and by the directors and executive officers as a group. There were no stock options outstanding as of December 31, 2020. Except as otherwise indicated, all shares are owned directly, and the persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to shares shown as beneficially owned by them.
ITEM 13.
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
Accrued Compensation
Dennis M. O’Leary, the Company’s CEO, accrued $0 and $18,000 for compensation for the CEO during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, of which $0 and $0 were paid, respectively.
Director Independence
A Director is considered independent if the Board affirmatively determines that the director (or an immediate family member) does not have any direct or indirect material relationship with us or our affiliates or any member of our senior management or his or her affiliates. The term “affiliate” means any corporation or other entity that controls, is controlled by, or under common control with us, evidenced by the power to elect a majority of the Board of Directors or comparable governing body of such entity. The term “immediate family member” means spouse, parents, children, siblings, mothers- and fathers-in-law, sons- and daughters-in law, brothers- and sisters-in-laws and anyone (other than domestic employees) sharing the director’s home.
In accordance with these guidelines, the Board has determined that current Board members Eckel and Brown are independent directors.
ITEM 14.
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
Audit Fees. Consists of fees billed for professional services rendered for the audits of our financial statements, reviews of our interim financial statements included in quarterly reports, services performed in connection with filings with the Securities & Exchange Commission, and related other services that were provided by Boyle CPA (“Boyle”) in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements.
The following is a summary of the fees incurred by the Company to Boyle for professional services rendered for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Tax Fees. Consists of fees billed for professional services for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning. These services include assistance regarding federal, state and local tax compliance and consultation in connection with various transactions. There were no tax fees incurred by the Company for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
Board of Directors Pre-Approval of Audit and Permissible Non-Audit Services of Independent Auditors
The Board of Directors may pre-approve all audit and non-audit services provided by the independent auditors. These services may include audit services, audit-related services, tax services and other services as allowed by law or regulation. Pre-approval is generally provided for up to one year and any pre-approval is detailed as to the particular service or category of services and is generally subject to a specifically approved amount. The independent auditors and management are required to periodically evaluate the extent of services provided by the independent auditors in accordance with this pre-approval and the fees incurred to date. The Board of Directors may also pre-approve particular services on a case-by-case basis.
The Board of Directors pre-approved 100% of the Company’s 2020 and 2019 audit fees, audit-related fees and all other fees.
ITEM 15.
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Exhibits
The following exhibits are included as part of this report:
Exhibit
Number
Title of Document
2.1 Form of Agreement and Plan of Merger by and between Klever Marketing, Inc., DarkPulse Technologies Inc. and DPTH Acquisition Corporation dated April 27, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to Form 8-K filed May 1, 2018)
2.2 Form of Amendment No. 1 to Agreement and Plan of Merger by and between Klever Marketing, Inc., DarkPulse Technologies Inc. and DPTH Acquisition Corporation dated June 29, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to Form 8-K/A filed July 13, 2018)
2.3 Form of Amendment No. 2 to Agreement and Plan of Merger by and between Klever Marketing, Inc., DarkPulse Technologies Inc. and DPTH Acquisition Corporation dated August 17, 2018, effective as of July 18, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to Form 8-K filed August 21, 2018)
3.01 Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Klever Marketing, Inc. a Delaware corporation (incorporated by reference to Annual Report on Form 10-KSB filed June 20, 1997)
3.02 Amended Bylaws (incorporated by reference to Annual Report on Form 10-KSB filed March 29, 2001)
3.03 Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Form 8-K filed July 24, 2018)
3.04 Certificate of Designation of Series D Preferred Stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to Form 8-K filed July 24, 2018)
3.05 Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation filed February 5, 2019
3.06 Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation filed February 20, 2020
4.01 Convertible Promissory Note dated July 14, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to Form 10-Q filed August 15, 2018)
4.02 Convertible Promissory Note dated July 14, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to Form 10-Q filed August 15, 2018)
4.03 Convertible Promissory Note dated July 14, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.3 to Form 10-Q filed August 15, 2018)
4.04 Convertible Promissory Note dated July 14, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4 to Form 10-Q filed August 15, 2018)
4.05 Convertible Promissory Note dated July 17, 2018, effective July 18, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.5 to Form 10-Q filed August 15, 2018)
4.06 Convertible Promissory Note dated July 24, 2018, and effective July 27, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.6 to Form 10-Q filed August 15, 2018)
4.07 Convertible Promissory Note dated August 20, 2018, effective August 24, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed August 27, 2018)
4.08 Convertible Promissory Note issued to EMA dated September 25, 2018, effective September 28, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed October 5, 2018)
4.09 Convertible Promissory Note issued to Auctus dated September 25, 2018, effective September 27, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to Form 8-K filed October 5, 2018)
4.10 Convertible Promissory Note issued to FirstFire dated September 24, 2018, and effective October 9, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed October 15, 2018)
4.11 8% Convertible Redeemable Note issued to GS Capital Partners, LLC dated January 10, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Form 8-K filed January 15, 2019)
4.12 Form of Convertible Promissory Note issued to Crown Bridge Partners, LLC dated February 5, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Form 8-K filed February 14, 2019)
4.13 Convertible Promissory Note issued to Geneva Roth Remark Holdings, Inc. dated September 2, 2020
10.01 Securities Purchase Agreement by and between DarkPulse, Inc. and GS Capital Partners, LLC dated January 10, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed January 15, 2019)
10.02 Form of Securities Purchase Agreement between DarkPulse, Inc. and Crown Bridge Partners, LLC dated February 5, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed February 14, 2019)
10.03 Securities Purchase Agreement with Geneva Roth Remark Holdings, Inc. dated September 2, 2020
10.04 Consulting Agreement effective December 23, 2020 with Faisal Farooqui
10.05 Assignment Agreement with the University of New Brunswick, Canada
10.06 Convertible Debenture (Secured) Issued April 24, 2017
16.1 Letter from Haynie & Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 16.1 to Form 8-K filed March 11, 2019)
21.1 List of Subsidiaries
31.1 Certification of President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chairman of the Board of Directors Pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and Rule 15d-14(a) under the Exchange Act.
32.1 Certification of President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chairman of the Board of Directors Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101.INS XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH XBRL Schema Document
101.CAL XBRL Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF XBRL Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB XBRL Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE XBRL Presentation Linkbase Document
ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
None.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
DARKPULSE, INC.
Dated: April 15, 2021 By: /s/ Dennis M. O’Leary
Dennis M. O’Leary
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President
Chief Financial Officer
Principal Executive Officer
Principal Financial Officer
Principal Accounting Officer
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities indicated on this 15th day of April 2021.
Signature
Title
/s/ Dennis M. O’Leary
Dennis M. O’Leary
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President Chief Financial Officer, Principal Executive Officer, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer
/s/ Dr. Anthony Brown
Director
Dr. Anthony Brown
/s/ Carl Eckel
Director
Carl Eckel
DARKPULSE, INC.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019
and for the Years Ended December 31, 2020 and
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Balance Sheets
Consolidated Statements of Operations
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Deficit
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Notes to the Financial Statements
Boyle CPA, LLC
Certified Public Accountants & Consultants
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of
DarkPulse, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of DarkPulse, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ deficit, and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2020, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2020, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Substantial Doubt About the Company’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern
As discussed in Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company’s net losses, lack of revenues, and working capital deficiency raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern for one year from the issuance of these financial statements. Management’s plans are also described in Note 3. The financial statements do not include adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis of Opinion
These 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 audits. 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 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 standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). 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 fraud or error. 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 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 Matters
The critical audit matters communicated below 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. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
Accounting for Embedded Derivative Liabilities Related to Convertible Debentures
As described in Note 4 to the financial statements, the Company had convertible debentures that required accounting considerations and significant estimates.
The Company determined that variable conversion features issued in connection with certain convertible debentures required derivative liability classification. These variable conversion features were initially measured at fair value and subsequently have been remeasured to fair value at each reporting period. The Company determined the fair value of the embedded derivatives using the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model. The value of the embedded derivative liabilities related to the convertible debentures was $1,220,877 at December 31, 2020.
We identified the accounting considerations and related valuations, including the related fair value determinations of the embedded derivative liabilities of such as a critical audit matter. The principal considerations for our determination were: (1) the accounting consideration in determining the nature of the various features (2) the evaluation of the potential derivatives and potential bifurcation in the instruments, and (3) considerations related to the determination of the fair value of the various debt and equity instruments and the conversion features that include valuation models and assumptions utilized by management. Auditing these elements is especially challenging and requires auditor judgement due to the nature and extent of audit effort required to address these matters, including the extent of specialized skill or knowledge needed.
Our audit procedures related to management’s conclusion on the evaluation and related valuation of embedded derivatives, included the following, among others: (1) evaluating the relevant terms and conditions of the various financings, (2) assessing the appropriateness of conclusions reached by the Company with respect to the accounting for the convertible debt, and the assessment and accounting for potential derivatives and (3) independently recomputing the valuations determined by Management.
/s/ Boyle CPA, LLC
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2019
Bayville, NJ
April 15, 2021
361 Hopedale Drive SE P (732) 822-4427
Bayville, NJ 08721 F (732) 510-0665
DARKPULSE, INC.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
DARKPULSE, INC.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
DARKPULSE, INC.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
DARKPULSE, INC.
Consolidated Statement of Stockholders' Deficit
For the Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
DARKPULSE, INC.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
DARKPULSE, INC.
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
For the Years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
NOTE 1 - BASIS OF FINANCIAL STATEMENT PRESENTATION
Organization and Description of Business
DarkPulse, Inc. ("DPI" or "Company") is a technology-security company incorporated in 1989 as Klever Marketing, Inc. ("Klever"). Its’ wholly-owned subsidiary, DarkPulse Technologies Inc. ("DPTI"), originally started as a technology spinout from the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada. The Company’s security and monitoring systems will initially be delivered in applications for border security, pipelines, the oil and gas industry and mine safety. Current uses of fiber optic distributed sensor technology have been limited to quasi-static, long-term structural health monitoring due to the time required to obtain the data and its poor precision. The Company’s patented BOTDA dark-pulse sensor technology allows for the monitoring of highly dynamic environments due to its greater resolution and accuracy.
On April 27, 2018, Klever entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement” or the “Merger”) involving Klever as the surviving parent corporation and acquiring a privately held New Brunswick corporation known as DarkPulse Technologies Inc. as its wholly owned subsidiary. On July 18, 2018, the parties closed the Merger Agreement, as amended on July 7, 2018, and the name of the Company was subsequently changed to DarkPulse, Inc. With the change of control of the Company, the Merger is being be accounted for as a recapitalization in a manner similar to a reverse acquisition.
On July 20, 2018, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment to its Certificate of Incorporation with the State of Delaware, changing the name of the Company to DarkPulse, Inc. The Company filed a corporate action notification with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and the Company's ticker symbol was changed to DPLS.
NOTE 2 - SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
A summary of the significant accounting policies consistently applied in the preparation of the accompanying financial statements are as follows:
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation
The Company’s consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“US GAAP”). The consolidated financial statements of the Company include the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All material intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Our consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 include the accounts of DarkPulse Inc. and its subsidiaries:
DarkPulse Technologies Inc. (“DPTI”), a New Brunswick, Canada corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary, incorporated December 16, 2010.
DPTI owns 100% of DarkPulse Technology Holdings Inc., a New York corporation, incorporated July 6, 2017.
DPTI indirectly owns 37.572% of DarkPulse Technologies International Inc., ("DPTINY") a New York corporation, incorporated on September 7, 2017. On or about September 18, 2017, DPTI entered into a shareholder agreement with three investors, whereby DPTI would own 50.2% of DPTINY and the investors would own 49.8%. On or about October 3, 2017, another investor entered into an agreement with DPTINY to fund it $37,500 for a 0.5% equity interest in DPTINY. On December 26, 2017, DPTI’s CEO incorporated another corporation named DarkPulse Technologies International Inc., ("DPTIDel") in the State of Delaware. On or about April 16, 2018, seven investors and DPTI entered into a new agreement whereby it was agreed that the investors would own 62.428% of DPTIDel, and the September 18, 2017 agreement with respect to DPTINY was considered null and void. Accordingly, the funding of $37,500 to DPTINY in October 2017 has been converted to an equity interest in DPTIDel as of April 2018. As of April 16, 2018, DPTI owns approximately 37.572% of the shares of common stock of DPTIDel and 100% of the issued shares of Series A Preferred Stock of DPTIDel, pursuant to which the Company controls both DPTIDel and DPTINY.
The Company does not own any interest in DarkPulse East LLC, ("DPE") an entity organized on December 8, 2017 in Russia, by two of the shareholders of DPTIDel, to act as a sales organization to promote the Company's products within Russia. Each of the two shareholders own 50% interest in DPE. During November and December 2017 DPTINY funded DarkPulse East LLC a total of $20,650 to establish and launch the Company's business in Russia. The Company is considered to be the primary beneficiary of DPE based on implicit obligations to fund it, and accordingly, the operations of DPE are consolidated into these financial statements. As of December 31, 2018, DPE had no assets or liabilities. The Company is not liable for obligations of DPE, and creditors of DPE do not have recourse to the general credit of the Company.
On February 8, 2018, DPTI formed DarkPulse BVTK, LLC, a Virginia Limited Liability Company (“JV Entity”). The Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary DPTI, holds a 60% equity interest in the JV Entity, and Bravatek Solutions, Inc ("Bravatek") has a 40% interest. The primary business purpose of the JV Entity was to develop, market, and sell products and services based on the Company's patented BOTDA dark-pulse technology. Both the CEO of the Company and the CEO of Bravatek were to manage the day to day operations of the JV Entity. The operations of JV Entity are not consolidated into these financial statements.
On March 26, 2019, DPTI informed the JV Entity and Bravatek that, effective immediately, DPTI was revoking from the JV Entity the revocable Licensed Technology exclusively owned by DPTI and the Company.
Use of Estimates
In preparing the consolidated financial statements, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the statements of financial condition, and revenues and expenses for the years then ended. Actual results may differ significantly from those estimates. Significant estimates made by management include, but are not limited to, the assumptions used to calculate stock-based compensation, derivative liabilities, preferred deemed dividend and common stock issued for services.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when acquired to be cash equivalents. The Company places its cash with high credit quality financial institutions. The Company’s account at this institution is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) up to $250,000. To reduce its risk associated with the failure of such financial institution, the Company evaluates at least annually the rating of the financial institution in which it holds deposits.
Foreign Currency Translation
The Company’s reporting currency is US Dollars. The accounts of one of the Company’s subsidiaries is maintained using the appropriate local currency, Canadian Dollar (“CAD”) as the functional currency. All assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. Dollars at balance sheet date, shareholders' equity is translated at historical rates and revenue and expense accounts are translated at the average exchange rate for the year or the reporting period. The translation adjustments are reported as a separate component of stockholders’ equity, captioned as accumulated other comprehensive (loss) gain. Transaction gains and losses arising from exchange rate fluctuations on transactions denominated in a currency other than the functional currency are included in the statements of operations.
The relevant translation rates are as follows: for the year ended December 31, 2020 closing rate at 1.2754 US$: CAD, average rate at 1.3388 US$:CAD and for the year ended December 31, 2019 closing rate at 1.2988 US$: CAD, average rate at 1.3234 US$.
Intangible assets
Intangible assets consist of capitalized software development costs and patents and trademarks.
The Company reviews intangibles held and used for possible impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. In evaluating the fair value and future benefits of its intangible assets, management performs an analysis of the anticipated undiscounted future net cash flow of the individual assets over the remaining amortization period. The Company recognizes an impairment loss if the carrying value of the asset exceeds the expected future cash flows.
Intangible Assets - Intrusion Detection Intellectual Property
The Company relies on patent laws and restrictions on disclosure to protect its intellectual property rights. As of December 31, 2020, the Company held three U.S. and foreign patents on its intrusion detection technology, which expire in calendar years 2025 through 2034 (depending on the payment of maintenance fees).
The DPTI issued patents cover a System and Method for Brillouin Analysis, a System and Method for Resolution Enhancement of a Distributed Sensor, and a Flexible Fiber Optic Deformation System Sensor and Method. Maintenance of intellectual property rights and the protection thereof is important to our business. Any patents that may be issued may not sufficiently protect the Company's intellectual property and third parties may challenge any issued patents. Other parties may independently develop similar or competing technology or design around any patents that may be issued to the Company. The Company cannot be certain that the steps it has taken will prevent the misappropriation of its intellectual property, particularly in foreign countries where the laws may not protect proprietary rights as fully as in the United States. Further, the Company may be required to enforce its intellectual property or other proprietary rights through litigation, which, regardless of success, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management's attention. Additionally, there may be existing patents of which the Company is unaware that could be pertinent to its business, and it is not possible to know whether there are patent applications pending that the Company's products might infringe upon, since these applications are often not publicly available until a patent is issued or published.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company had patent amortization costs on its intrusion detection technology totaling $51,028. Patents costs are being amortized over the remaining life of each patent, which is from 7 to 16 years.
The DPTI issued patents cover a System and Method for Brillouin Analysis, a System and Method for Resolution Enhancement of a Distributed Sensor, and a Flexible Fiber Optic Deformation System Sensor and Method. Maintenance of intellectual property rights and the protection thereof is important to our business. Any patents that may be issued may not sufficiently protect the Company's intellectual property and third parties may challenge any issued patents. Other parties may independently develop similar or competing technology or design around any patents that may be issued to the Company. The Company cannot be certain that the steps it has taken will prevent the misappropriation of its intellectual property, particularly in foreign countries where the laws may not protect proprietary rights as fully as in the United States. Further, the Company may be required to enforce its intellectual property or other proprietary rights through litigation, which, regardless of success, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management's attention. Additionally, there may be existing patents of which the Company is unaware that could be pertinent to its business, and it is not possible to know whether there are patent applications pending that the Company's products might infringe upon, since these applications are often not publicly available until a patent is issued or published.
The following is a summary of activity related to the DPTI patents for the year ended December 31, 2020:
The following is a summary of the DPTI patents as of December 31, 2020:
Future expected amortization of intangible assets is as follows:
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are capitalized and depreciated over their estimated economic useful lives. Upon sale or other disposition of property and equipment, the cost and related accumulated depreciation or amortization are removed from the accounts and any gain or loss is included in the determination of income or loss. The Company had no assets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019.
Revenue Recognition
The Company currently has no revenues from its operations. We anticipate that revenues from product sales, net of estimated returns and allowances, will be recognized when evidence of an arrangement is in place, related prices are fixed and determinable, contractual obligations have been satisfied, title and risk of loss have been transferred to the customer and collection of the resulting receivable is reasonably assured.
Concentration of Credit Risk
The Company has no significant concentrations of credit risk.
Related Parties
The Company accounts for related party transactions in accordance with ASC 850 (“Related Party Disclosures”). A party is considered to be related to the Company if the party directly or indirectly or through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the Company. Related parties also include principal owners of the Company, its management, members of the immediate families of principal owners of the Company and its management and other parties with which the Company may deal if one party controls or can significantly influence the management or operating policies of the other to an extent that one of the transacting parties might be prevented from fully pursuing its own separate interests. A party which can significantly influence the management or operating policies of the transacting parties or if it has an ownership interest in one of the transacting parties and can significantly influence the other to an extent that one or more of the transacting parties might be prevented from fully pursuing its own separate interests is also a related party.
Derivative Financial Instruments
The Company evaluates the embedded conversion feature within its convertible debt instruments under ASC 815-15 and ASC 815-40 to determine if the conversion feature meets the definition of a liability and, if so, whether to bifurcate the conversion feature and account for it as a separate derivative liability. For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the statements of operations. For stock-based derivative financial instruments, the Company uses a lattice model, in accordance with ASC 815-15 “Derivative and Hedging” to value the derivative instruments at inception and on subsequent valuation dates. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period. Derivative instrument liabilities are classified in the balance sheet as current or non-current based on whether net-cash settlement of the derivative instrument could be required within 12 months after the balance sheet date.
Beneficial Conversion Features
The Company evaluates the conversion feature for whether it was beneficial as described in ASC 470-30. The intrinsic value of a beneficial conversion feature inherent to a convertible note payable, which is not bifurcated and accounted for separately from the convertible note payable and may not be settled in cash upon conversion, is treated as a discount to the convertible note payable. This discount is amortized over the period from the date of issuance to the date the note is due using the effective interest method. If the note payable is retired prior to the end of its contractual term, the unamortized discount is expensed in the period of retirement to interest expense. In general, the beneficial conversion feature is measured by comparing the effective conversion price, after considering the relative fair value of detachable instruments included in the financing transaction, if any, to the fair value of the shares of common stock at the commitment date to be received upon conversion.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The Company measures its financial assets and liabilities in accordance with the requirements of FASB ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures”. As defined in FASB ASC 820, the 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 (exit price). The Company utilized the market data of similar entities in its industry or assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk and the risks inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. These inputs can be readily observable, market corroborated, or generally unobservable. The Company classifies fair value balances based on the observability of those inputs. FASB ASC 820 established a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (level 1 measurement) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (level 3 measurement) as follows:
Level 1 - Quoted prices are available in active markets for identical assets or liabilities as of the reporting date. Active markets are those in which transactions for the asset or liability occur in sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis. Level 1 primarily consists of financial instruments such as exchange-traded derivatives, marketable securities and listed equities.
Level 2 - Pricing inputs are other than quoted prices in active markets included in level 1, which are either directly or indirectly observable as of the reported date and includes those financial instruments that are valued using models or other valuation methodologies. These models are primarily industry-standard models that consider various assumptions, including quoted forward prices for commodities, time value, volatility factors, and current market and contractual prices for the underlying instruments, as well as other relevant economic measures. Substantially all of these assumptions are observable in the marketplace throughout the full term of the instrument, can be derived from observable data or are supported by observable levels at which transactions are executed in the marketplace. Instruments in this category generally include non-exchange-traded derivatives such as commodity swaps, interest rate swaps, options and collars.
Level 3 - Pricing inputs include significant inputs that are generally less observable from objective sources. These inputs may be used with internally developed methodologies that result in management’s best estimate of fair value.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes pursuant to the provision of ASC 740-10, “Accounting for Income Taxes” (“ASC 740-10”) which requires, among other things, an asset and liability approach to calculating deferred income taxes. The asset and liability approach requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities. A valuation allowance is provided to offset any net deferred tax assets for which management believes it is more likely than not that the net deferred asset will not be realized.
The Company follows the provision of ASC 740-10 related to Accounting for Uncertain Income Tax Positions. When tax returns are filed, there may be uncertainty about the merits of positions taken or the amount of the position that would be ultimately sustained. In accordance with the guidance of ASC 740-10, the benefit of a tax position is recognized in the financial statements in the period during which, based on all available evidence, management believes it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination, including the resolution of appeals or litigation processes, if any. Tax positions taken are not offset or aggregated with other positions.
Tax positions that meet the more likely than not recognition threshold are measured at the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50 percent likely of being realized upon settlement with the applicable taxing authority. The portion of the benefit associated with tax positions taken that exceed the amount measured as described above should be reflected as a liability for uncertain tax benefits in the accompanying balance sheet along with any associated interest and penalties that would be payable to the taxing authorities upon examination.
The Company believes its tax positions are all more likely than not to be upheld upon examination. As such, the Company has not recorded a liability for uncertain tax benefits.
The Company has adopted ASC 740-10-25, “Definition of Settlement”, which provides guidance on how an entity should determine whether a tax position is effectively settled for the purpose of recognizing previously unrecognized tax benefits and provides that a tax position can be effectively settled upon the completion and examination by a taxing authority without being legally extinguished. For tax positions considered effectively settled, an entity would recognize the full amount of tax benefit, even if the tax position is not considered more likely than not to be sustained based solely on the basis of its technical merits and the statute of limitations remains open. The federal and state income tax returns of the Company are subject to examination by the IRS and state taxing authorities, generally for three years after they are filed.
The Company's U.S. subsidiaries were incorporated in 2017, and tax returns have not yet been filed. The Company does not anticipate a tax liability for the years 2020 and 2019. The Company has filed tax returns in Canada for the year ending December 31, 2018, and they are still subject to audit.
Income (Loss) Per Common Share
The Company accounts for earnings per share pursuant to ASC 260, Earnings per Share, which requires disclosure on the financial statements of "basic" and "diluted" earnings (loss) per share. Basic earnings (loss) per share are computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the year. Diluted earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus common stock equivalents (if dilutive) related to stock options and warrants for each year. In periods where the Company has a net loss, all dilutive securities are excluded.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
On February 25, 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The new guidance establishes the principles to report transparent and economically neutral information about the assets and liabilities that arise from leases. The updated standard was effective for us in the first quarter of 2019. Adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements as the Company does not have any leases.
In August 2018, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2018-15 (“ASU 2018-15”), Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. The standard is intended to clarify the accounting for implementation costs of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract. For the Company, the amendments in ASU 2018-15 are effective for annual periods beginning January 1, 2021. The Company is evaluating the impact this new guidance may have on its Consolidated Financial Statements.
In December 2019, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2019-12 (“ASU 2019-12”), Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The standard is intended to simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740, as well as improve consistent application of and simplify GAAP for other areas of Topic 740 by clarifying and amending existing guidance. For the Company, the amendments in ASU 2019-12 are effective for annual periods beginning January 1, 2022. The Company is evaluating the impact this new accounting guidance may have on its Consolidated Financial Statements.
Although there are several other new accounting pronouncements issued or proposed by the FASB, which the Company has adopted or will adopt, as applicable, the Company does not believe any of these accounting pronouncements has had or will have a material impact on its financial position or results of operations.
NOTE 3 - GOING CONCERN
As shown in the accompanying financial statements, the Company generated net losses of $275,841 and $1,825,469 during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company did not generate any revenue from product sales during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. As of December 31, 2020, the Company’s current liabilities exceeded its current assets by $3,241,568. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had $337 of cash.
The Company will require additional funding during the next twelve months to finance the growth of its current operations and achieve its strategic objectives. These factors, as well as the uncertain conditions that the Company faces relative to capital raising activities, create substantial doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The Company is seeking to raise additional capital principally through private placement offerings and is targeting strategic partners in an effort to finalize the development of its products and begin generating revenues. The ability of the Company to continue as a going concern is dependent upon the success of future capital offerings or alternative financing arrangements and expansion of its operations. The accompanying financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern. Management is actively pursuing additional sources of financing sufficient to generate enough cash flow to fund its operations through calendar year 2021. However, management cannot make any assurances that such financing will be secured.
NOTE 4 - CONVERTIBLE DEBT SECURITIES
The Company uses the Black-Scholes Model to calculate the derivative value of its convertible debt. The valuation result generated by this pricing model is necessarily driven by the value of the underlying common stock incorporated into the model. The values of the common stock used were based on the price at the date of issue of the debt security as of December 31, 2020. Management determined the expected volatility between 475.55-624.25%, a risk free rate of interest between 0.10-0.13%, and contractual lives of the debt varying from zero months to eight months. Management made the determination to use an expected life rather than contractual life for the calculations for the matured debt as of December 31, 2020. The expected life is equal to the contractual life extended by one year which vary from two to seven months. The table below details the Company's outstanding convertible notes, with totals for the face amount, amortization of discount, initial loss, change in the fair market value, and the derivative liability.
On January 10, 2019, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with GS Capital Partners, LLC, (“GS Capital”) issuing a convertible redeemable note in the principal amount of $65,000. The note may be converted into common shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion price equal to the lower of $0.25, or 70% of the lowest trading price of the Company's common stock during the 20 prior trading days. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, GS Capital converted $0 and $11,136 in principal of its' convertible note into 0 and 79,605,027 shares of common stock.
On February 12, 2019, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with Crown Bridge Partners, LLC, (“Crown”) issuing a convertible promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of up to $35,000. The note may be converted into common shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion price equal 70% of the lowest trading price of the Company's common stock during the 20 prior trading days. For the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, Crown converted $6,855 and $9,532 in principal of its' convertible note into 169,000,000 and 259,259,259 shares of common stock.
On April 23, 2019, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with GS Capital Partners, LLC, ("GS Capital") issuing to GS Capital a convertible promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of $40,000 with a $2,000 original issue discount and $2,000 in transactional expenses due to GS Capital and its counsel. The note bears interest at 8% per annum and may be converted into common shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion price equal to 70% of the average of the three lowest trading prices of the Company's common stock during the 20 prior trading days. As of the date the consolidated financial statements were available for issuance, DPI received $36,000 net cash. For the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, GS Capital has no converted principal into common stock.
On May 3, 2019, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with Geneva Roth Remark Holdings, Inc. (“Geneva”) issuing to Geneva a convertible promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of $64,000 with a $6,000 original issue discount and $2,800 in transactional expenses due to Geneva and its counsel. The note bears interest at 9% per annum and may be converted into common shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion price equal to 70% of the lowest trading price of the Company's common stock during the 20 prior trading days. The Company received $55,200 net cash. The Company was notified on October 15, 2019 that the note was in default and subject to a 200% penalty. The additional $64,000 was recorded as interest expense as of December 31, 2019. For the year ended December 31, 2020, Geneva has converted the full amount of $128,000 principal and $11,606 interest into 1,745,231,572 shares of common stock.
On October 7, 2020, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with Geneva Roth Remark Holdings, Inc. (“Geneva”) issuing to Geneva a convertible promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of $47,850 with a $4,350 original issue discount and $3,500 in transactional expenses due to Geneva and its counsel. The note bears interest at 9% per annum and may be converted into common shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion price equal to 70% of the lowest trading price of the Company's common stock during the 20 prior trading days. The Company received $40,000 net cash. For the year ended December 31, 2020, Geneva has not converted principal into common stock.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019 respectively, there was $966,683 and $1,040,663 of convertible debt outstanding, net of debt discount of $35,525, and $93,138, As of December 31, 2020 and 2019 respectively, there was derivative liability of $1,220,880 and $323,481 related to convertible debt securities.
NOTE 5 - DEBENTURE
DPTI issued a convertible Debenture to the University (see Note 1) in exchange for the Patents assigned to the Company, in the amount of Canadian $1,500,000, or US $1,491,923 on December 16, 2010, the date of the Debenture. On April 24, 2017 DPTI issued a replacement secured term Debenture in the same C$1,500,000 amount as the original Debenture. The interest rate is the Bank of Canada Prime overnight rate plus 1% per annum. The Debenture had an initial required payment of Canadian $42,000 (US$33,385) due on April 24, 2018 for reimbursement to the University of its research and development costs, and this has been paid. Interest-only maintenance payments are due annually starting after April 24, 2018. Payment of the principal begins on the earlier of (a) three years following two consecutive quarters of positive earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, (b) six years from April 24, 2017, or (c) in the event DPTI fails to raise defined capital amounts or secure defined contract amounts by April 24 in the years 2018, 2019, and 2020. The Company has raised funds in excess of the amount required for 2020, 2019 and 2018. The principal repayment amounts will be due quarterly over a six year period in the amount of Canadian Dollars $62,500. Based on the exchange rate between the Canadian Dollar and the U.S. Dollar on December 31, 2018, the quarterly principal repayment amounts will be US$48,447. The Debenture is secured by the Patents assigned by the University to DPTI by an Assignment Agreement on December 16, 2010. DPTI has pledged the Patents, and granted a lien on them pursuant to an Escrow Agreement dated April 24, 2017, between DPTI and the University.
The Debenture was initially recorded at the $1,491,923 equivalent US Dollar amount of Canadian $1,500,000 as of December 16, 2010, the date of the original Debenture. The liability is being adjusted quarterly based on the current exchange value of the Canadian dollar to the US dollar at the end of each quarter. The adjustment is recorded as unrealized gain or loss in the change of the value of the two currencies during the quarter. The amounts recorded as an unrealized gain (loss) for the years ended December 31, 2020, and 2019, were $20,941 and $52,905 respectively. These amounts are included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss in the Equity section of the consolidated balance sheet, and as Unrealized Loss on Foreign Exchange on the consolidated statement of comprehensive loss. The Debenture also includes a provision requiring DPTI to pay the University a two percent (2%) royalty on sales of any and all products or services which incorporate the Patents for a period of five (5) years from April 24, 2018.
For the years ended December 31, 2020, and 2019, the Company recorded interest expense of $49,414 and $52,538, respectively.
As of December 31, 2020, the debenture liability totaled $1,176,092, all of which was long term.
Future minimum required payments over the next 5 years and thereafter are as follows:
NOTE 6 - ACCRUED LIABILITIES
Accrued liabilities consist of the following as of December 31:
NOTE 7 - INCOME TAXES
The provision (benefit) for income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 differs from the amount which would be expected as a result of applying the statutory tax rates to the losses before income taxes due primarily to the valuation allowance to fully reserve net deferred tax assets.
The following table summarizes the significant differences between statutory rates for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019:
The Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 are as follows:
The Company has approximately $1,284,000 non-capital income tax losses as of December 31, 2019, which will begin to expire in the year 2038.
The Company calculates its income tax expense by estimating the annual effective tax rate and applying that rate to the year-to-date ordinary income (loss) at the end of the period. The Company records a tax valuation allowance when it is more likely than not that it will not be able to recover the value of its deferred tax assets. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company calculated its estimated annualized effective tax rate at 0% and 0%, respectively, for both the United States and Canada. The Company had no income tax expense on its losses for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
The Company recognizes the financial statement benefit of a tax position only after determining that the relevant tax authority would more likely than not sustain the position following an audit. For tax positions meeting the more-likely-than-not threshold, the amount recognized in the financial statements is the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the relevant tax authority. The Company recognizes interest accrued on uncertain tax positions as well as interest received from favorable tax settlements within interest expense. The Company recognizes penalties accrued on unrecognized tax benefits within selling, general and administrative expenses. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company had no uncertain tax positions.
The Company does not anticipate any significant changes to the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits in the next twelve months. The Company files income tax returns in New Brunswick, Canada, and the U.S. federal, New York, and Delaware jurisdictions. Tax years 2011 to current remain open to examination by Canadian authorities; the tax year 2018 remains open to examination by U.S. authorities.
NOTE 8 - PREFERRED STOCK
In accordance with the Company’s bylaws, the Company has authorized a total of 2,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, for all classes. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019 respectively, there were 88,235 and 88,235 total preferred shares issued and outstanding for all classes.
NOTE 9 - COMMON STOCK
On February 5, 2019, the majority stockholders holding a majority of the issued and outstanding voting shares of the Company amended the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock from 250,000,000 to 3,000,000,000.
On July 1, 2019, the majority stockholders holding a majority of the issued and outstanding voting shares of the Company amended the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock from 3,000,000,000 to 20,000,000,000.
On February 18, 2020, the majority stockholders holding a majority of the issued and outstanding voting shares of the Company amended the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation to amend the par value of the Company’s common stock from $0.01 to $0.0001.
In accordance with the Company’s bylaws, the Company has authorized a total of 20,000,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, there were 4,088,762,156 and 1,392,042,112 common shares issued and outstanding.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company issued 2,696,720,044 shares of common stock as settlement of notes payable and accrued interest in the total amount of $143,930 and $22,339 respectively.
During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company issued 1,302,361,545 shares of common stock as settlement of notes payable and accrued interest in the total amount of $184,737 and $54,534 respectively.
At December 31, 2020, the Company had 1,589,257,888 in common shares reserved for issuance for convertible debt securities.
NOTE 10 - STOCK OPTIONS
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company had no outstanding stock options.
NOTE 11 - COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Potential Royalty Payments
The Company, in consideration of the terms of the debenture to the University of New Brunswick, shall pay to the University a two percent royalty on sales of any and all products or services, which incorporate the Company's patents for a period of five years from April 24, 2018.
Potential Commission Payments
The Company, in consideration of the Strategic Alliance Agreement with Bravatek, for the purpose of promoting the Company’s products, will pay Bravatek sales commissions for clients introduced to the Company by Bravatek. This agreement expired on September 5, 2019.
Legal Matters
On October 2, 2018, the Company received a demand for payment from Bravatek Solutions, Inc. for payment in the amount of $35,750 for software services. The Company is not a party to any significant pending legal proceedings, and no other such proceedings are known to be contemplated. No director, officer or affiliate of the Company, and no owner of record or beneficial owner of more than 5.0% of the securities of the Company, or any associate of any such director, officer or security holder is a party adverse to the Company or has a material interest adverse to the Company in reference to pending litigation.
On March 27, 2019, Thomas A. Cellucci, et al. v. DarkPulse, Inc. et al. (the “Complaint”) was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by certain of the Company’s former executive officers, one also being a former director, and a non-employee shareholder (collectively, the “Plaintiffs”), against the Company, its sole officer and director, and others, claiming that the Plaintiffs brought the action to protect their individual rights as minority shareholders, as improperly-ousted officers (other than the non-employee shareholder), and as an improperly-ousted director, seeking equitable relief, damages, recovery of unpaid salaries and other relief. It is the Company's position that the Complaint represents a frivolous harassment lawsuit, and the Company intends to file a motion to dismiss all claims made in the Complaint and intends to otherwise defend itself vigorously in this matter. The Company is also exploring filing counterclaims against the Plaintiffs in the action.
From time to time, we may become involved in litigation relating to claims arising out of our operations in the normal course of business. We are not currently involved in any pending legal proceeding or litigation and, to the best of our knowledge, no governmental authority is contemplating any proceeding to which we are a party or to which any of our properties is subject, which would reasonably be likely to have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.
COVID-19
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced that infections of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) had become pandemic, and on March 13, the U.S. President announced a National Emergency relating to the disease. There is a possibility of continued widespread infection in the United States and abroad, with the potential for catastrophic impact. National, state and local authorities have required or recommended social distancing and imposed or are considering quarantine and isolation measures on large portions of the population, including mandatory business closures. These measures, while intended to protect human life, are expected to have serious adverse impacts on domestic and foreign economies of uncertain severity and duration. Some economists are predicting the United States will soon enter a recession. The sweeping nature of the coronavirus pandemic makes it extremely difficult to predict how the Company’s business and operations will be affected in the longer run, but we expect that it may materially affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The extent to which the coronavirus impacts our results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of the coronavirus and the actions to contain the coronavirus or treat its impact, among others. Moreover, the coronavirus outbreak has begun to have indeterminable adverse effects on general commercial activity and the world economy, and our business and results of operations could be adversely affected to the extent that this coronavirus or any other epidemic harms the global economy generally and/or the markets in which we operate specifically. Any of the foregoing factors, or other cascading effects of the coronavirus pandemic that are not currently foreseeable, could materially increase our costs, negatively impact our revenues and damage the Company’s results of operations and its liquidity position, possibly to a significant degree. The duration of any such impacts cannot be predicted.
NOTE 12- RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
The Company follows subtopic 850-10 of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification for the identification of related parties and disclosure of related party transactions. Pursuant to Section 850-10-20 the related parties include a) affiliates of the Company; b) Entities for which investments in their equity securities would be required, absent the election of the fair value option under the Fair Value Option Subsection of Section 825-10-15, to be accounted for by the equity method by the investing entity; c) trusts for the benefit of employees, such as pension and profit-sharing trusts that are managed by or under the trusteeship of management; d) principal owners of the Company; e) management of the Company; f) other parties with which the Company may deal if one party controls or can significantly influence the management or operating policies of the other to an extent that one of the transacting parties might be prevented from fully pursuing its own separate interests; and g) Other parties that can significantly influence the management or operating policies of the transacting parties or that have an ownership interest in one of the transacting parties and can significantly influence the other to an extent that one or more of the transacting parties might be prevented from fully pursuing its own separate interests. The financial statements shall include disclosures of material related party transactions, other than compensation arrangements, expense allowances, and other similar items in the ordinary course of business. However, disclosure of transactions that are eliminated in the preparation of consolidated or combined financial statements is not required in those statements. The disclosures shall include: a) the nature of the relationship(s) involved; b) a description of the transactions, including transactions to which no amounts or nominal amounts were ascribed, for each of the periods for which income statements are presented, and such other information deemed necessary to an understanding of the effects of the transactions on the financial statements; c) the dollar amounts of transactions for each of the periods for which income statements are presented and the effects of any change in the method of establishing the terms from that used in the preceding period; and d) amounts due from or to related parties as of the date of each balance sheet presented and, if not otherwise apparent, the terms and manner of settlement.
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer advanced personal funds in the amount of $68,254 and $30,134 for Company expenses.
NOTE 13 - SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
On January 4, 2021, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with Geneva Roth Remark Holdings, Inc. (“Geneva”) issuing to Geneva a convertible promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of $42,350 with a $3,850 original issue discount and $3,500 in transactional expenses due to Geneva and its counsel. The note bears interest at 8% per annum and may be converted into common shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion price equal to 70% of the lowest trading price of the Company's common stock during the 20 prior trading days. The Company received $35,000 net cash.
On January 14, 2021, the Company issued an aggregate of 100,000,000 shares of common stock upon the conversion of convertible debt, as issued on September 24, 2018, in the amount of $28,000.
On January 25, 2021, the Company issued an aggregate of 150,000,000 shares of common stock upon the conversion of convertible debt, as issued on September 24, 2018, in the amount of $42,000.
On February 1, 2021, the Company issued an aggregate of 30,999,995 shares of common stock upon the conversion of convertible debt, as issued on February 12, 2019, in the amount of $8,116.
On February 11, 2021, the Company issued an aggregate of 100,000,000 shares of common stock upon the conversion of convertible debt, as issued on September 24, 2018, in the amount of $56,000.
On February 3, 2021, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with Geneva Roth Remark Holdings, Inc. (“Geneva”) issuing to Geneva a convertible promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of $94,200 with a $15,700 original issue discount and $3,500 in transactional expenses due to Geneva and its counsel. The note bears interest at 4.5% per annum and may be converted into common shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion price equal to 81% of the lowest 2 trading prices of the Company's common stock during the 10 prior trading days. The Company received $75,000 net cash.
On February 18, 2021, the Company issued an aggregate of 220,000,000 shares of common stock upon the conversion of convertible debt, as issued on September 24, 2018, in the amount of $75,436 for principal and $39,638 for interest.
On February 18, 2021, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with Geneva Roth Remark Holdings, Inc. (“Geneva”) issuing to Geneva a convertible promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of $76,200 with a $12,700 original issue discount and $3,500 in transactional expenses due to Geneva and its counsel. The note bears interest at 4.5% per annum and may be converted into common shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion price equal to 81% of the lowest 2 trading prices of the Company's common stock during the 10 prior trading days. The Company received $60,000 net cash.