APPB Applied Biosciences Corporation (CE)

RISK FACTORS

An investment in our common stock involves a number of very significant risks. You should carefully consider the following known material risks and uncertainties in addition to other information in this prospectus in evaluating our company and its business before purchasing shares of our company’s common stock. You could lose all or part of your investment due to any of these risks.

RISKS RELATING TO OUR COMPANY

Our auditors have expressed substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

Our audited financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2018 were prepared assuming that we will continue our operations as a going concern. We were incorporated on March 15, 2016, and do not have a history of earnings. As a result, our independent accountants in their audit report have expressed substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Continued operations are dependent on our ability to complete equity or debt financings or generate profitable operations. Such financings may not be available or may not be available on reasonable terms. Our financial statements do not include any adjustments that may result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

We will likely need additional capital to sustain our operations and will likely need to seek further financing, which we may not be able to obtain on acceptable terms or at all. If we fail to raise additional capital, as needed, our ability to implement our business model and strategy could be compromised.

We have limited capital resources and operations. To date, our operations have been funded entirely from the proceeds of debt and equity financings. We expect to require substantial additional capital in the near future to expand our product lines, develop our intellectual property base, and establish our targeted levels of commercial production. We may not be able to obtain additional financing on terms acceptable to us, or at all.

Even if we obtain financing for our near-term operations, we expect that we will require additional capital thereafter. Our capital needs will depend on numerous factors including: (i) our profitability; (ii) the release of competitive products by our competition; (iii) the level of our investment in research and development; and (iv) the amount of our capital expenditures, including acquisitions. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain capital in the future to meet our needs.

If we raise additional funds through the issuance of equity or convertible debt securities, the percentage ownership held by our existing stockholders will be reduced and our stockholders may experience significant dilution. In addition, new securities may contain rights, preferences, or privileges that are senior to those of our Common Stock. If we raise additional capital by incurring debt, this will result in increased interest expense. If we raise additional funds through the issuance of securities, market fluctuations in the price of our shares of Common Stock could limit our ability to obtain equity financing.

We cannot give you any assurance that any additional financing will be available to us, or if available, will be on terms favorable to us. If we are unable to raise capital when needed, our business, financial condition, and results of operations would be materially adversely affected, and we could be forced to reduce or discontinue our operations.

We face intense competition and many of our competitors have greater resources that may enable them to compete more effectively.

The industries in which we operate in general are subject to intense and increasing competition. Some of our competitors may have greater capital resources, facilities, and diversity of product lines, which may enable them to compete more effectively in this market. Our competitors may devote their resources to developing and marketing products that will directly compete with our product lines. Due to this competition, there is no assurance that we will not encounter difficulties in obtaining revenues and market share or in the positioning of our products. There are no assurances that competition in our respective industries will not lead to reduced prices for our products. If we are unable to successfully compete with existing companies and new entrants to the market this will have a negative impact on our business and financial condition.

If our estimates related to future expenditures are erroneous or inaccurate, our business will fail and you could lose your entire investment.

Our success is dependent in part upon the accuracy of our management’s estimates of our future cost expenditures for legal and accounting services (including those we expect to incur as a publicly reporting company), for website marketing and development expenses, and for administrative expenses, which management estimates to be approximately $500,000 over the next twelve months. If such estimates are erroneous or inaccurate, or if we encounter unforeseen costs, we may not be able to carry out our business plan, which could result in the failure of our business and the loss of your entire investment.

If we are not able to develop out business as anticipated, we may not be able to generate meaningful revenues or achieve profitability and you may lose your investment.

We were incorporated on March 15, 2016, and our accumulated loss for the period from March 15, 2016 (inception) to September 30, 2018 was $3,407,857. During our fiscal year ended March 31, 2018, we earned revenue from our CBD product lines of $197,554. During the six months ended September 30, 2018, we earned revenue from our product lines of $59,400. Our business prospects are difficult to predict because of our limited operating history, and unproven business strategy. Our primary business activities will be focused on the commercialization of our brands. Although we believe that our business plan has significant profit potential, we may not attain profitable operations and our management may not succeed in realizing our business objectives. If we are not able to develop out business as anticipated, we may not be able to generate revenues or achieve profitability and you may lose your entire investment.

We are an independent brand licensing company, with no experience in the market, and failure to successfully compensate for this inexperience may adversely impact our operations and financial position.

We operate as an independent business, whose existence is predicated on the brand name Applied BioSciences, and we have no substantial tangible assets in a highly competitive industry. We have little operating history, no customer base and little revenue to date. This makes it difficult to evaluate our future performance and prospects. Our business must be considered in light of the risks, expenses, delays and difficulties frequently encountered in establishing a new business in an emerging and evolving industry characterized by intense competition, including:

We cannot be sure that we will be successful in meeting these challenges and addressing these risks and uncertainties. If we are unable to do so, our business will not be successful and the value of your investment in our company will decline.

Potential disputes related to the existing agreement pursuant to which we purchased the intellectual property rights underlying our business could result in the loss of rights that are material to our business.

The acquisition of the intellectual property of Stony Hill Ventures, by way of the Share Exchange Agreement, by and among the Company, Stony Hill Ventures Corp., and the holders of common stock of Stony Hill Ventures, is of critical importance to our business and involves complex legal, business, and scientific issues. Although we have clear title to and no restrictions to use our intellectual property, disputes may arise regarding the Share Exchange Agreement, including but not limited to, the breaches of representations or other interpretation-related issues. If disputes over intellectual property that we have acquired under the Share Exchange Agreement prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current intellectual property, we may be unable to successfully develop and commercialize our business.

We expect to suffer losses in the immediate future that may cause us to curtail or discontinue our operations.

We expect to incur operating losses in future periods. These losses will occur because we do not yet have any revenues to offset the expenses associated with the development of brand and our business operations, generally. We cannot guarantee that we will ever be successful in generating revenues in the future. We recognize that if we are unable to generate revenues, we will not be able to earn profits or continue operations. There is no history upon which to base any assumption as to the likelihood that we will prove successful, and we can provide investors with no assurance that we will generate any operating revenues or ever achieve profitable operations. If we are unsuccessful in addressing these risks, our business will almost certainly fail.

The loss of the services of Chris Bridges, our President, or our failure to timely identify and retain competent personnel could negatively impact our ability to develop our business and sell our products.

We are highly dependent on our President, Chris Bridges. The development of our brand licensing business will continue to place a significant strain on our limited personnel, management, and other resources. Our future success depends upon the continued services of our executive officers who are developing our business, and on our ability to identify and retain competent consultants and employees with the skills required to execute our business objectives. The loss of the services of Chris Bridges or our failure to timely identify and retain competent personnel would negatively impact our ability to develop our business and license our brand, which could adversely affect our financial results and impair our growth.

Prospective customers may be deterred from doing business with a company with a significant nationwide online presence because of fears of federal or state enforcement of laws prohibiting possession and sale of medical or recreational marijuana.

Our website is visible in jurisdictions where medicinal and/or recreational use of marijuana-related products is not permitted and, as a result, we may be found to be violating the laws of those jurisdictions.

Marijuana is illegal under federal law.

Marijuana is a Schedule-I controlled substance and is illegal under federal law. Even in those states in which the use of marijuana has been legalized, its use remains a violation of federal law. Since federal law criminalizing the use of marijuana preempts state laws that legalize its use, strict enforcement of federal law regarding marijuana-related products would likely result in our inability to proceed with our business plan, especially in respect of our production of SBD products. In addition, our assets, including real property, cash, equipment and other goods, could be subject to asset forfeiture because marijuana is federally illegal.

In February 2017, the Trump administration announced that there may be “greater enforcement” of federal laws regarding marijuana. Any such enforcement actions could have a negative effect on our business and results of operations.

The US Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and other government regulation may restrict our ability to sell our products.

We are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations affecting our business. Our products are subject to regulation by the FDA, including regulations with respect to labeling of products, approval of ingredients in products, claims made regarding the products, and disclosure of product ingredients. If we do not comply with these regulations, the FDA could force us to stop selling the affected products or require us to incur substantial costs in adopting measures to maintain compliance with these regulations. Our advertising claims regarding our products are subject to the jurisdiction of the FTC as well as the FDA. In both cases we are required to obtain scientific data to support any advertising or labeling health claims we make concerning our products. If we are unable to provide the required support for such claims, the FTC may stop us from making such claims or require the company to stop selling the affected products.

Our insurance coverage may be inadequate to cover all significant risk exposures.

We will be exposed to liabilities that are unique to the products we provide. While we intend to maintain insurance for certain risks, the amount of our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all claims or liabilities, and we may be forced to bear substantial costs resulting from risks and uncertainties of our business. It is also not possible to obtain insurance to protect against all operational risks and liabilities. The failure to obtain adequate insurance coverage on terms favorable to us, or at all, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. We do not have any business interruption insurance. Any business disruption or natural disaster could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources.

Because we do not have an audit or compensation committee, stockholders will have to rely on our officers and directors, none of whom are independent, to perform these functions.

Because we do not have an audit or compensation committee, stockholders will have to rely on our officers and directors, most of whom are not independent, to perform these functions. Thus, there is a potential conflict of interest in that our officers and directors have the authority to determine issues concerning management compensation, nominations, and audit issues that may affect management decisions.

Our failure to protect our intellectual property and proprietary technology may significantly impair our competitive advantage.

Our success and ability to compete depends in large part upon protecting our proprietary technology. We rely on a combination of patent, trademark and trade secret protection, nondisclosure and nonuse agreements to protect our proprietary rights. The steps we have taken may not be sufficient to prevent the misappropriation of our intellectual property, particularly in foreign countries where the laws may not protect our proprietary rights as fully as in the United States. The patent and trademark law and trade secret protection may not be adequate to deter third party infringement or misappropriation of our patents, trademarks and similar proprietary rights.

We may in the future initiate claims or litigation against third parties for infringement of our proprietary rights in order to determine the scope and validity of our proprietary rights or the proprietary rights of our competitors. These claims could result in costly litigation and the diversion of our technical and management personnel.

We may face costly intellectual property infringement claims, the result of which would decrease the amount of cash we would anticipate to operate and complete our business plan.

We anticipate that from time to time we will receive communications from third parties asserting that we are infringing certain copyright, trademark and other intellectual property rights of others or seeking indemnification against alleged infringement. If anticipated claims arise, we will evaluate their merits. Any claims of infringement brought of third parties could result in protracted and costly litigation, damages for infringement, and the necessity of obtaining a license relating to one or more of our products or current or future technologies, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Litigation, which could result in substantial cost to us and diversion of our resources, may be necessary to enforce our patents or other intellectual property rights or to defend us against claimed infringement of the rights of others. Any intellectual property litigation and the failure to obtain necessary licenses or other rights could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We incur costs associated with SEC reporting compliance, which may significantly affect our financial condition.

The Company made the decision to become an SEC “reporting company” in order to comply with applicable laws and regulations. We incur certain costs of compliance with applicable SEC reporting rules and regulations including, but not limited to attorneys’ fees, accounting and auditing fees, other professional fees, financial printing costs and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance costs in an amount estimated at approximately $75,000 per year. On balance, the Company determined that the incurrence of such costs and expenses was preferable to the Company being in a position where it had very limited access to additional capital funding. 

We may be required to incur significant costs and require significant management resources to evaluate our internal control over financial reporting as required under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and any failure to comply or any adverse result from such evaluation may have an adverse effect on our stock price.

As a smaller reporting company as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, we are required to evaluate our internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Section 404”). Section 404 requires us to include an internal control report with our Annual Report on Form 10-K. This report must include management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of the end of the fiscal year. This report must also include disclosure of any material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting that we have identified. Failure to comply, or any adverse results from such evaluation could result in a loss of investor confidence in our financial reports and have an adverse effect on the trading price of our equity securities. Achieving continued compliance with Section 404 may require us to incur significant costs and expend significant time and management resources. No assurance can be given that we will be able to fully comply with Section 404 or that we and our independent registered public accounting firm would be able to conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is effective at fiscal year-end. As a result, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have an adverse effect on the trading price of our securities, as well as subject us to civil or criminal investigations and penalties. In addition, our independent registered public accounting firm may not agree with our management’s assessment or conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is operating effectively.

We may not be able to meet the internal control reporting requirements imposed by the SEC resulting in a possible decline in the price of our common stock and our inability to obtain future financing.

As directed by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the SEC adopted rules requiring each public company to include a report of management on the company’s internal controls over financial reporting in its annual reports. Although the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act exempts companies with a public float of less than $75 million from the requirement that our independent registered public accounting firm attest to our financial controls, this exemption does not affect the requirement that we include a report of management on our internal control over financial reporting and does not affect the requirement to include the independent registered public accounting firm’s attestation if our public float exceeds $75 million.

While we expect to expend significant resources in developing the necessary documentation and testing procedures required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, there is a risk that we may not be able to comply timely with all of the requirements imposed by this rule. Regardless of whether we are required to receive a positive attestation from our independent registered public accounting firm with respect to our internal controls, if we are unable to do so, investors and others may lose confidence in the reliability of our financial statements and our stock price and ability to obtain equity or debt financing as needed could suffer.

In addition, in the event that our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to rely on our internal controls in connection with its audit of our financial statements, and in the further event that it is unable to devise alternative procedures in order to satisfy itself as to the material accuracy of our financial statements and related disclosures, it is possible that we would be unable to file our Annual Report on Form 10-K with the SEC, which could also adversely affect the market for and the market price of our common stock and our ability to secure additional financing as needed.

RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR SECURITIES

The market price of our common stock is volatile, leading to the possibility of its value being depressed at a time when you may want to sell your holdings.

Our shares of common stock are quoted over-the-counter on the OTCQB tier of the OTC Markets Group Inc. The trading price of our common stock has been and is likely to continue to be highly volatile. Since we began trading on May 10, 2016, our stock price has ranged from $0.60 to $5.50. There are many days in which there is no or insignificant trading volume in our common stock. The absence of any significant activity can result in a very volatile stock. When there is little trading activity, the purchase or sale of a relatively small number of shares could result in a disproportionate change in the stock price. In addition, numerous other factors, many of which are beyond our control, may cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate significantly. In addition to market and industry factors, the price and trading volume for our common stock may be highly volatile for specific business reasons. Factors such as variations in our revenues, earnings and cash flow, and announcements of new investments, potential cooperation arrangements or acquisitions could cause the market price for our shares to change substantially. Securities class action litigation is often instituted against companies following periods of volatility in their stock price. This type of litigation could result in substantial costs to us and divert our management’s attention and resources.

Our stock is thinly traded, sale of your holding may take a considerable amount of time.

The shares of our common stock are thinly-traded on the OTCQB, meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing our Common Stock at or near bid prices at any given time may be relatively small or non-existent. Consequently, there may be periods of several days or more when trading activity in our shares is minimal or non-existent, as compared to a seasoned issuer which has a large and steady volume of trading activity that will generally support continuous sales without an adverse effect on share price. We cannot give you any assurance that a broader or more active public trading market for our Common Stock will develop or be sustained, or that current trading levels will be sustained. Due to these conditions, we can give you no assurance that you will be able to sell your shares at or near bid prices or at all if you need money or otherwise desire to liquidate your shares.

Shares eligible for future sale may adversely affect the market.

From time to time, certain of our stockholders may be eligible to sell all or some of their shares of Common Stock by means of ordinary brokerage transactions in the open market pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act, subject to certain limitations. In general, pursuant to amended Rule 144, non-affiliate stockholders may sell freely after six months subject only to the current public information requirement. Affiliates may sell after six months subject to the Rule 144 volume, manner of sale (for equity securities), current public information and notice requirements. Any substantial sales of our Common Stock pursuant to Rule 144 may have a material adverse effect on the market price of our Common Stock.

Our common stock is subject to the “penny stock” rules of the SEC and the trading market in our securities is limited, which makes transactions in our stock cumbersome and may reduce the value of an investment in our stock.

Under U.S. federal securities legislation, our common stock will constitute “penny stock”. Penny stock is any equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. For any transaction involving a penny stock, unless exempt, the rules require that a broker or dealer approve a potential investor’s account for transactions in penny stocks, and the broker or dealer receive from the investor a written agreement to the transaction, setting forth the identity and quantity of the penny stock to be purchased. In order to approve an investor’s account for transactions in penny stocks, the broker or dealer must obtain financial information and investment experience objectives of the person, and 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 prepared by the Commission relating to the penny stock market, which, in highlight form sets forth the basis on which the broker or dealer made the suitability determination. 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 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-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.

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) sales practice requirements may also limit a stockholder’s ability to buy and sell our Common Stock, which could depress the price of our Common Stock.

In addition to the “penny stock” rules described above, FINRA has adopted rules that require a broker-dealer to have reasonable grounds for believing that the investment is suitable for that customer before recommending an investment to a customer. Prior to recommending speculative low priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status, investment objectives, and other information. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability that speculative low priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. Thus, the FINRA requirements make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our Common Stock, which may limit your ability to buy and sell our shares of Common Stock, have an adverse effect on the market for our shares of Common Stock, and thereby depress our price per share of Common Stock.

We may, in the future, issue additional common shares, which would reduce investors’ percent of ownership and may dilute our share value.

Our Articles of Incorporation authorize the issuance of 200,000,000 shares of common stock. As of November 29, 2018, the Company had 11,584,613 shares of common stock issued and outstanding. Accordingly, we may issue up to an additional 188,415,387 shares of common stock. The future issuance of common stock and/or preferred stock will result in substantial dilution in the percentage of our common stock held by our then existing shareholders. We may value any common stock issued in the future on an arbitrary basis. The issuance of common stock for future services or acquisitions or other corporate actions may have the effect of diluting the value of the shares held by our investors, and might have an adverse effect on any trading market for our common stock.

State securities laws may limit secondary trading, which may restrict the states in which and conditions under which you can sell the shares offered by this prospectus.

Secondary trading in common stock sold in this offering will not be possible in any state until the common stock is qualified for sale under the applicable securities laws of the state or there is confirmation that an exemption, such as listing in certain recognized securities manuals, is available for secondary trading in the state. If we fail to register or qualify, or to obtain or verify an exemption for the secondary trading of, the common stock in any particular state, the common stock could not be offered or sold to, or purchased by, a resident of that state. In the event that a significant number of states refuse to permit secondary trading in our common stock, the liquidity for the common stock could be significantly impacted thus causing you to realize a loss on your investment.

The Company does not intend to seek registration or qualification of its shares of common stock the subject of this offering in any State or territory of the United States. Aside from a “secondary trading” exemption, other exemptions under state law and the laws of US territories may be available to purchasers of the shares of common stock sold in this offering,

Anti-takeover effects of certain provisions of Nevada state law hinder a potential takeover of us.

Though not now, we may be or in the future we may become subject to Nevada’s control share law. A corporation is subject to Nevada’s control share law if it has more than 200 stockholders, at least 100 of whom are stockholders of record and residents of Nevada, and it does business in Nevada or through an affiliated corporation. The law focuses on the acquisition of a “controlling interest” which means the ownership of outstanding voting shares sufficient, but for the control share law, to enable the acquiring person to exercise the following proportions of the voting power of the corporation in the election of directors: (i) one-fifth or more but less than one-third, (ii) one-third or more but less than a majority, or (iii) a majority or more. The ability to exercise such voting power may be direct or indirect, as well as individual or in association with others.

The effect of the control share law is that the acquiring person, and those acting in association with it, obtains only such voting rights in the control shares as are conferred by a resolution of the stockholders of the corporation, approved at a special or annual meeting of stockholders. The control share law contemplates that voting rights will be considered only once by the other stockholders. Thus, there is no authority to strip voting rights from the control shares of an acquiring person once those rights have been approved. If the stockholders do not grant voting rights to the control shares acquired by an acquiring person, those shares do not become permanent non-voting shares. The acquiring person is free to sell its shares to others. If the buyers of those shares themselves do not acquire a controlling interest, their shares do not become governed by the control share law.

If control shares are accorded full voting rights and the acquiring person has acquired control shares with a majority or more of the voting power, any stockholder of record, other than an acquiring person, who has not voted in favor of approval of voting rights is entitled to demand fair value for such stockholder’s shares.

Nevada’s control share law may have the effect of discouraging takeovers of the corporation.

In addition to the control share law, Nevada has a business combination law which prohibits certain business combinations between Nevada corporations and “interested stockholders” for three years after the “interested stockholder” first becomes an “interested stockholder,” unless the corporation’s board of directors approves the combination in advance. For purposes of Nevada law, an “interested stockholder” is any person who is (i) the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of ten percent or more of the voting power of the outstanding voting shares of the corporation, or (ii) an affiliate or associate of the corporation and at any time within the three previous years was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of ten percent or more of the voting power of the then outstanding shares of the corporation. The definition of the term “business combination” is sufficiently broad to cover virtually any kind of transaction that would allow a potential acquiror to use the corporation’s assets to finance the acquisition or otherwise to benefit its own interests rather than the interests of the corporation and its other stockholders.

The effect of Nevada’s business combination law is to potentially discourage parties interested in taking control of us from doing so if it cannot obtain the approval of our board of directors.

Because we do not intend to pay any cash dividends on our common stock, our stockholders will not be able to receive a return on their shares unless they sell them.

We intend to retain any future earnings to finance the development and expansion of our business. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Unless we pay dividends, our stockholders will not be able to receive a return on their shares unless they sell them. Stockholders may never be able to sell shares when desired. Before you invest in our securities, you should be aware that there are various risks. You should consider carefully these risk factors, together with all of the other information included in this annual report before you decide to purchase our securities. If any of the following risks and uncertainties develop into actual events, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected.