74.8M Class A Shares Registered — Powell Max (NASDAQ: PMAX)
Powell Max registered an aggregate of 74,809,231 Class A Ordinary Shares for resale by selling shareholders, consisting of shares issuable upon conversion or exercise from a January 2026 Private Placement.
The resale registration is for selling shareholders and the company will not receive proceeds from sales. The Class A Ordinary Shares trade on Nasdaq under the symbol PMAX, with the last reported sale price of
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Insights
Resale registration creates potential share supply but no issuer proceeds.
The filing registers 74,809,231 Class A Ordinary Shares for resale by holders who received securities in the January 2026 Private Placement. The company states it will not receive any proceeds from these resales, indicating dilution/overhang is driven by holder actions rather than new issuer issuance.
Actual market impact depends on holder selling decisions and timing; subsequent prospectus supplements may disclose specific secondary offering terms.
Filing emphasizes Hong Kong/PRC regulatory uncertainty and related listing risks.
The prospectus describes that operations are conducted through Hong Kong subsidiaries and highlights potential PRC/CCP/CSRC/CAC cybersecurity and filing risks that could affect overseas listings. It notes the company does not use a VIE structure and that PCAOB inspection status of its auditor is currently favorable.
Any change in PRC or Hong Kong regulatory interpretations could materially affect the ability to offer or trade shares; continued disclosures will be relevant.
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 3, 2026
Registration Statement No.
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM F-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
POWELL MAX LIMITED
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| British Virgin Islands | 7380 | Not Applicable | ||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(IRS Employer Identification Number) |
22/F., Euro Trade Centre,
13-14 Connaught Road Central,
Hong Kong
+852 2158 2888
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
c/o Cogency Global Inc.
122 East 42nd Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10168
+212 947-7200
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Anthony W. Basch, Esq.
Alexander W. Powell Jr., Esq.
Chunyan Shuai, Esq.
Kaufman & Canoles P.C.
Two James Center, 14th Floor
1021 East Cary Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Tel: +1 (804) 771-5700
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement as determined by the registrant.
If only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ☐
If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.C. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.C. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act: Emerging growth company ☒
If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”), indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
| † | The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012. |
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment that specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to such Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The Selling Shareholders may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
| PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS | SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MARCH 3, 2026 |
74,809,231 Class A Ordinary Shares
POWELL MAX LIMITED
This prospectus relates to the resale from time to time by the selling shareholders named in this prospectus (the “Selling Shareholders”) of up to an aggregate of 74,809,231 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0008 per share (the “Class A Ordinary Shares”), issuable upon the conversion or exercise of the securities described below, issued in connection with a private placement that closed in January 2026 (the “January 2026 Private Placement”).
The Class A Ordinary Shares offered hereby consist of: (i) 68,273,088 Class A Ordinary Shares, which is 200% of the maximum number of shares issuable upon the conversion of 6,827,308 Class C Ordinary Shares, par value $0.0008 per share, issued by the Company to certain purchasers (the “Conversion Shares”); (ii) 6,024,095 Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon the exercise of common warrants issued to certain purchasers in the January 2026 Private Placement (the “Common Warrant Shares”); and (iii) 512,048 Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon the exercise of placement agent warrants issued to the placement agent (the “Placement Agent Warrant Shares”);.
The Conversion Shares, Common Warrant Shares and Placement Agent Warrant Shares are collectively referred to herein as the “Shares.” We are registering the Shares on behalf of the Selling Shareholders to be offered and sold by them from time to time. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the Shares offered by this prospectus.
We have agreed to bear all of the expenses incurred in connection with the registration of the Shares. The Selling Shareholders will pay or assume discounts, commissions, fees of underwriters, selling brokers, or dealer managers, and similar expenses, if any, incurred for the sale of the Shares of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
The Selling Shareholders, or their transferees, pledgees, donees or other successors-in-interest, may sell the Class A Ordinary Shares through public or private transactions at prevailing market prices, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at privately negotiated prices. The Selling Shareholders may sell any, all or none of the securities offered by this prospectus, and we do not know when or in what amount the Selling Shareholders may sell the Class A Ordinary Shares following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
Given the relative lack of liquidity in our stock, sales of our Class A Ordinary Shares under the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part could result in a significant decline in the market price of our securities.
The Class A Ordinary Shares are listed on the Nasdaq under the symbol “PMAX.” On March 2, 2026, the last reported sale price of our Class A Ordinary Shares on Nasdaq was $2.0 per share.
The share capital structure of POWELL MAX LIMITED ( the “Company” or “Powell Max”) consists of Class A Ordinary Shares, Class B Ordinary Shares and Class C Ordinary Shares, each with a par value of US$0.0008 per share. Holders of Class A Ordinary Shares and Class B Ordinary Shares vote together as a single class on all shareholder matters and have the same rights, except that each Class A Ordinary Share entitles its holder to one (1) vote and each Class B Ordinary Share entitles its holder to twenty (20) votes. Holders of Class C Ordinary Shares have the right to receive notice of general meetings of the Company but have no voting rights, except at separate meetings of Class C Ordinary Shareholders, where each Class C Ordinary Share entitles its holder to one (1) vote.
Investors are cautioned that you are buying shares of a BVI holding company with operations in Hong Kong by its operating subsidiaries.
Powell Max is not a Chinese or Hong Kong operating company, but it is a holding company incorporated in the BVI with no material operations of its own, and we conduct our operations in Hong Kong through JAN Financial Press Limited (“JAN Financial”) and Miracle Media Production Limited (“Miracle Media”), our operating subsidiaries in Hong Kong. References to the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” in the prospectus are to Powell Max, the BVI business company entity that will issue the Class A Ordinary Shares being offered. This is an offering of the Class A Ordinary Shares of Powell Max, the holding company in the BVI, instead of the shares of JAN Financial. Investors in this offering may never directly hold any equity interests in JAN Financial. This structure involves unique risks to the investors, and the PRC regulatory authorities could disallow this structure, which would likely result in a material change in our operations and/or a material change in the value of the securities that we are registering for sale, including that such event could cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in Hong Kong — All of our operations are in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of the PRC. Due to the long-arm provisions under the current PRC laws and regulations, the Chinese government may exercise significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of our business and may intervene in or influence our operations at any time, which could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares. Any actions by the Chinese government to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in Hong Kong or China-based issuers could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. The Chinese government may intervene or impose restrictions on our ability to move money out of Hong Kong to distribute earnings and pay dividends or to reinvest in our business outside of Hong Kong. Changes in the policies, regulations, rules, and the enforcement of laws of the Chinese government may also be quick with little advance notice and our assertions and beliefs of the risk imposed by the PRC legal and regulatory system cannot be certain” on page 25 of this prospectus.
Investing in our Class A Ordinary Shares is highly speculative and involves a high degree of risk. Before buying any shares, you should carefully read the discussion of material risks of investing in our Class A Ordinary Shares in “Risk Factors” beginning on page 14 of this prospectus.
Our operations are located in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China (“China” or the “PRC”), with its own governmental and legal system that is independent from mainland China, including having its own distinct laws and regulations. As of the date of this prospectus, we are not subject to the PRC government’s direct influence or discretion over the manner in which we conduct our business activities outside of the PRC. However, due to long-arm provisions under the current PRC laws and regulations, there remains regulatory uncertainty with respect to the implementation and interpretation of laws in China. Additionally, all of the legal and operational risks associated with operating in the PRC also apply to our operations in Hong Kong, and we face the risks and uncertainties associated with interpretation and the application of the complex and evolving PRC laws and regulations and as to whether and how the recent PRC government statements and regulatory developments, such as those relating to data and cyberspace security, and anti-monopoly concerns would be applicable to Powell Max or JAN Financial and Miracle Media, given the substantial operations of our operating subsidiaries in Hong Kong and the possibilities that Chinese government may exercise significant oversight over the conduct of business in Hong Kong. We are also subject to the risks of uncertainty about any future actions of the PRC government or authorities in Hong Kong in this regard.
Should the PRC government choose to exercise significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of our business, they may intervene in or influence our operations. Such governmental actions:
| ● | could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of our securities; |
| ● | could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to continue our operations; |
| ● | could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer our securities to investors; and |
| ● | may cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or be worthless. |
We are aware that recently, the PRC government has initiated a series of regulatory actions and new policies to regulate business operations in certain areas in China, which include (i) cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, (ii) enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas using a variable interest entity (“VIE”) structure, (iii) adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and (iv) expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. Since these statements and regulatory actions are new, it is highly uncertain how soon the legislative or administrative regulation making bodies will respond and what existing or new laws or regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations will be modified or promulgated, if any. It is also highly uncertain what the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations will have on JAN Financial and Miracle Media’s daily business operation, its ability to accept foreign investments and the listing of our Class A Ordinary Shares on U.S. or other foreign exchanges. The PRC government may intervene or influence our operations at any time and may exert more control over offerings conducted overseas and foreign investment in Hong Kong-based issuers. The PRC government may also intervene or impose restrictions on our ability to move out of Hong Kong to distribute earnings and pay dividends or to reinvest in our business outside of Hong Kong. Furthermore, PRC regulatory authorities may in the future promulgate laws, regulations or implementing rules that require us or our subsidiary to obtain regulatory approval from PRC authorities before this offering. These actions could result in a material change in our operations and could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to complete this offering or cause the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares to significantly decline or become worthless. See “Prospectus Summary — Recent Regulatory Developments in the PRC” beginning on page 9.
We are headquartered in Hong Kong and not mainland China. We do not use VIEs in our corporate structure. We, through our wholly-owned subsidiary, JAN Financial and Miracle Media, engage in the provision of financial communications services that support capital market compliance and transaction needs for corporate clients and their advisors in Hong Kong.
As of the date of this prospectus, our operations in Hong Kong and our registered public offering in the United States are not subject to the review nor prior approval of the Cyberspace Administration of China (the “CAC”) nor the China Securities Regulatory Commission (the “CSRC”), because (i) the CSRC currently has not issued any definitive rule or interpretation concerning whether offerings like ours under this prospectus are subject to this regulation; and (ii) JAN Financial and Miracle Media were established and operates in Hong Kong and are not included in the categories of industries and companies whose foreign securities offerings are subject to review by the CSRC or the CAC. Uncertainties still exist, however, due to the possibility that laws, regulations, or policies in the PRC could change rapidly in the future. In the event that (i) the PRC government expands the categories of industries and companies whose foreign securities offerings are subject to review by the CSRC or the CAC and that we are required to obtain such permissions or approvals, or (ii) we inadvertently conclude that relevant permissions or approvals are not required or that we do not receive or maintain relevant permissions or approvals required, any action taken by the PRC government could significantly limit or completely hinder our operations in Hong Kong and our ability to offer or continue to offer our Class A Ordinary Shares to investors and could cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless and even delisting if our Class A Ordinary Shares. The delisting of our Class A Ordinary Shares, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment in the future.
On December 24, 2021, the CSRC released the Draft Administrative Provisions and the Draft Filing Measures, both of which had a comment period that expired on January 23, 2022. The Draft Administrative Provisions and Draft Filing Measures regulate the administrative system, record-filing management, and other related rules in respect of the direct or indirect overseas issuance of listed and traded securities by “domestic enterprises.” The Draft Administrative Provisions specify that the CSRC has regulatory authority over the “overseas securities offering and listing by domestic enterprises” and requires “domestic enterprises” to complete filing procedures with the CSRC if they wish to list overseas. On February 17, 2023, the CSRC released the Trial Measures for Administration of Overseas Securities Offerings and Listings by Domestic Companies and five interpretive guidelines (collectively, the “CSRC Filing Rules”). According to the CSRC Filing Rules, domestic companies that seek to offer or list securities overseas, both directly and indirectly, should fulfill the filing procedures and report relevant information to the CSRC; any failure to comply with such filing procedures may result in administrative penalties, such as orders to rectify, warnings, and fines. On April 2, 2022, the CSRC published the Draft Archives Rules for public comment. These rules state that in the overseas listing activities of domestic companies, as well as securities companies and securities service institutions providing relevant securities services thereof, should establish a sound system of confidentiality and archival work, shall not disclose state secrets, or harm the state and public interests.
Under the CSRC Filing Rules, Chinese domestic companies conducting overseas securities offering and listing activities, either in direct or indirect form, shall complete filing procedures with the CSRC pursuant to the requirements of the CSRC Filing Rules within three working days following their submission of initial public offerings or listing application.
Management understands that as of the date of this prospectus JAN Financial and Miracle Media have no operations in China and is not required to complete filing procedures with the CSRC pursuant to the requirements of the CSRC Filing Rules. While JAN Financial has no current operations in China, should we have any future operations in China and should we (i) fail to receive or maintain such permissions or approvals, (ii) inadvertently conclude that such permissions or approvals are not required, or (iii) applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and require us to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future, we may face sanctions by the CSRC, the CAC or other PRC regulatory agencies. These regulatory agencies may also impose fines and penalties on our operations in China, as well as limit our ability to pay dividends outside of China, limit our operations in China, delay or restrict the repatriation of the proceeds from this offering into China or take other actions that could have a material adverse effect on our business as well as the trading price of our Class A Ordinary Shares. We may be required to restructure our operations to comply with such regulations or potentially cease operations in the PRC entirely. The CSRC, the CAC or other PRC regulatory agencies also may take actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, to halt this offering before settlement and delivery of our Class A Ordinary Shares. In addition, if the CSRC, the CAC or other regulatory PRC agencies later promulgate new rules requiring that we obtain their approvals for this offering, we may be unable to obtain a waiver of such approval requirements, if and when procedures are established to obtain such a waiver. Any action taken by the PRC government could significantly limit or completely hinder our operations in the PRC and our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and could cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
Furthermore, on July 10, 2021, the CAC issued a revised draft of the Measures for Cybersecurity Review for public comment, which required that, among others, in addition to any “operator of critical information infrastructure”, any “data processor” controlling personal information of no less than one million users which seeks to list in a foreign stock exchange should also be subject to cybersecurity review, and further elaborated the factors to be considered when assessing the national security risks of the relevant activities. On December 28, 2021, the CAC, the National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”), and several other administrations jointly issued the revised Measures for Cybersecurity Review, which became effective and replaced the existing Measures for Cybersecurity Review on February 15, 2022 (the “Revised Review Measures”). According to the Revised Review Measures, if an “online platform operator” that is in possession of personal data of more than one million users intends to list in a foreign country, it must apply for a cybersecurity review. Based on a set of Q&A’s published on the official website of the State Cipher Code Administration (the “SCCA”) in connection with the issuance of the Revised Review Measures, an official of the SCCA indicated that an online platform operator should apply for a cybersecurity review prior to the submission of its listing application with non-PRC securities regulators. Moreover, the CAC released the draft of the Regulations on Network Data Security Management in November 2021 for public consultation, which among other things, stipulates that a data processor listed overseas must conduct an annual data security review by itself or by engaging a data security service provider and submit the annual data security review report for a given year to the municipal cybersecurity department before January 31 of the following year. Given the recency of the issuance of the Revised Review Measures and their pending effectiveness, there is a general lack of guidance and substantial uncertainties exist with respect to their interpretation and implementation. It remains unclear whether a Hong Kong company that collects personal information from PRC individuals shall be subject to the Revised Review Measures. We do not currently expect the Revised Review Measures to have an impact on our business, our operations or this offering as we do not believe that JAN Financial and Miracle Media would be deemed to be an “operator of critical information infrastructure” or a “data processor” controlling personal information of no less than one million users, that would be required to file for cybersecurity review before listing in the U.S., because (i) JAN Financial and Miracle Media are organized and operating in Hong Kong and the Revised Review Measures remains unclear whether it shall be applied to Hong Kong companies; (ii) JAN Financial and Miracle Media operate without any subsidiary or VIE structure in China; (iii) as of date of this prospectus, JAN Financial and Miracle Media have neither collected nor stored personal information of any PRC individual clients, which is far less than one million users; and (iv) as of the date of this prospectus, JAN Financial and Miracle Media have not been informed by any PRC governmental authority of any requirement that it files for a cybersecurity review. However, there remains significant uncertainty in the interpretation and enforcement of relevant PRC cybersecurity laws and regulations. If JAN Financial and Miracle Media are deemed to be an “operator of critical information infrastructure” or a “data processor” controlling personal information of no less than one million users, the operation of our subsidiary and the listing of our Class A Ordinary Shares in the U.S. could be subject to CAC’s cybersecurity review.
We have been advised by our Hong Kong counsel, Robertsons, that based on their understanding of the current Hong Kong laws, as of the date of this prospectus, the Company, JAN Financial and Miracle Media are not required to obtain any permissions or approvals from Hong Kong authorities before listing in the U.S. and issuing our Class A Ordinary Shares to foreign investors. The Company and/or its subsidiary have not applied for any such permissions or approvals, nor have they been denied by any relevant authorities. As of the date of this prospectus, JAN Financial and Miracle Media have received all requisite permissions or approvals from the Hong Kong authorities to operate its businesses in Hong Kong, including but not limited to its business registration certificates. However, we have been advised by our Hong Kong counsel that uncertainties still exist, due to the possibility that laws, regulations, or policies in Hong Kong could change rapidly in the future.
Furthermore, based on laws and regulations currently in effect in the PRC as of the date of this prospectus, we are not required to obtain regulatory approval from the CSRC or go through the filing procedures under the Trial Administrative Measures before our Class A Ordinary Shares can be listed or offered in the U.S. Although we have existing and potential customers who are mainland China individuals or companies that have shareholders or directors that are mainland China individuals, since neither we, nor our subsidiaries, are “PRC domestic companies” subject to the Trial Administrative Measures, because (i) we are headquartered in Hong Kong, with our officers and all members of the board of directors based in Hong Kong or elsewhere who are not mainland China citizens; (ii) we do not, directly or indirectly, own or control any entity or subsidiary in mainland China, nor are we controlled by any mainland Chinese company or individual directly or indirectly; (iii) we only operate in Hong Kong, all of our revenues and profits are generated by our subsidiaries in Hong Kong, none of our business activities are conducted in mainland China, and we have not generated revenues or profits from mainland China in the most recent accounting year accounts for more than 50% of the corresponding figure in our audited consolidated financial statements for the same period; (iv) we do not have or intend to set up any subsidiary or enter into any contractual arrangements to establish a variable interest entity structure with any entity in mainland China; and (v) pursuant to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PRC, or the Basic Law, PRC laws and regulations shall not be applied in Hong Kong except for those listed in Annex III of the Basic Law (which is confined to laws relating to national defense, foreign affairs and other matters that are not within the scope of autonomy).
In addition, our Class A Ordinary Shares may be prohibited from trading on a national exchange or over-the-counter market under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the “HFCA Act”) if the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”) is unable to inspect our auditors for two consecutive years. Pursuant to the HFCA Act, the PCAOB issued a Determination Report on December 16, 2021 which found that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in: (i) mainland China of the PRC, and (ii) Hong Kong; and such report identified the specific registered public accounting firms which are subject to these determinations. On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB signed a Statement of Protocol with the CSRC and China’s Ministry of Finance (the “PRC MOF”) in respect of cooperation on the oversight of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong. Pursuant to the Statement of Protocol, the PCAOB conducted inspections on select registered public accounting firms subject to the Determination Report in Hong Kong between September 2022 and November 2022. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB board announced that it has completed the inspections, determined that it had complete access to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong, and voted to vacate the Determination Report. Our auditor, WWC, P.C., the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included in this prospectus, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess WWC, P.C.’s compliance with applicable professional standards. WWC, P.C. is headquartered in San Mateo, California, and can be inspected by the PCAOB. WWC, P.C. was not identified in the Determination Report as a firm subject to the PCAOB’s determination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that, in the future, the PCAOB determines that it is not able to fully conduct inspections of our auditor for three consecutive years, or the PCAOB re-evaluates its determination as a result of any obstruction with the implementation of the Statement of Protocol in the future, trading of our securities on a national securities exchange or in the over-the counter market may be prohibited under the HFCA Act and our access to the U.S. capital markets may be limited or restricted. In addition, on June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the “AHFCAA”), which, if passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law, would reduce the period of time for foreign companies to comply with the PCAOB audits to two consecutive years instead of three, thus reducing the time period for triggering the prohibition on trading. On December 29, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (the “CAA”) was signed into law by President Biden. The CAA contained, among other things, an identical provision to the AHFCAA, which reduces the number of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the HFCA Act from three years to two.
The delisting of our Class A Ordinary Shares, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Class A Ordinary Shares — Although the audit report included in this prospectus is prepared by U.S. auditors who are currently inspectable by the PCAOB, there is no guarantee that future audit reports will be prepared by auditors inspectable by the PCAOB and, as such, in the future investors may be deprived of the benefits of the PCAOB inspection program. Furthermore, trading in our securities may be prohibited under the HFCA Act if the SEC subsequently determines our audit work is performed by auditors that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely, and as a result, U.S. national securities exchanges, such as the Nasdaq, may determine to delist our securities. Furthermore, on December 29, 2022, the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act was enacted, which amended the HFCA Act by requiring the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three, and thus reduced the time before our Class A Ordinary Shares may be prohibited from trading or delisted.” on page 36 of this prospectus.
We operate in a competitive industry and a highly competitive market. We may be subject to a variety of laws and other obligations regarding competition laws in Hong Kong, and any failure to comply with applicable laws and obligations could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We face significant competition in the market due to the presence of a large amount of goods and service providers. We may be subject to the Competition Ordinance (Chapter 619 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (“Competition Ordinance”), which came into force on December 14, 2015, laying down three forms of behaviors and imposing three rules intended to prevent and discourage anti-competitive conducts: (i) the first conduct rule prohibits agreements between undertakings that have the object or effect of preventing, restricting and distorting competition in Hong Kong; (ii) the second conduct rule prohibits undertakings with a substantial degree of market power in a market from abusing that power by engaging in conduct that has the object or effect of preventing, restricting and distorting competition in Hong Kong; and (iii) the merger rule prohibits mergers that have or are likely to have the effect of substantially lessening competition in Hong Kong. Currently, the merger rule only applies where an undertaking that directly or indirectly holds a “carrier license” within the meaning of the Telecommunications Ordinance (Chapter 106 of the Laws of Hong Kong) is involved in a merger and is therefore not applicable to our business.
The Competition Commission is a statutory body in Hong Kong established to investigate any contravention against and enforce on the provisions of the Competition Ordinance, and the Competition Tribunal is a tribunal set up under the Competition Ordinance, as part of the Hong Kong judiciary, to hear and decide cases relating to competition law in Hong Kong. Under the guidelines and policies published by the Competition Commission, possible outcomes of investigation of contravention of the Competition Ordinance may include the acceptance of commitment given by the infringer, the issuing of warning notice or infringement notice, commencement of proceedings in the Competition Tribunal, applying for consent order, referral of complaint to a government agency and the conduct of a market study. The Competition Tribunal may order remedies including pecuniary penalty, disqualification order, or other orders under the Competition Ordinance. The guidelines and policies published by the Competition Commission in Hong Kong did not mention any remedies which may affect an entity’s ability to accept foreign investment or list on a U.S./foreign exchange as a result of the non-compliance of the Competition Ordinance. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in Hong Kong — Failure to comply with Hong Kong Competition Law may result in material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations” on page 35 of this prospectus.
Operating our business in Hong Kong, we are subject to the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Chapter 486 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (the “PDPO” or the “Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance”), which imposes a duty on any data user who, either alone or jointly with other persons, controls the collection, holding, processing or use of any personal data which relates directly or indirectly to a living individual and can be used to identify that individual. Under the PDPO, data users shall take all practicable steps to protect the personal data they hold from any unauthorized or accidental access, processing, erasure, loss, or use. Once collected, such personal data should not be kept longer than necessary for the fulfilment of the purpose for which it is or is to be used and shall be erased if it is no longer required, unless erasure is prohibited by law or is not in the public interest. The PDPO also confers on the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (“Privacy Commissioner”) power to conduct investigations and institute prosecutions. The data protection principles (collectively, the “DPP” or the “Data Protection Principles”), which are contained in Schedule 1 to the PDPO, outline how data users should collect, handle, and use personal data, complemented by other provisions imposing further compliance requirements. The collective objective of DPPs is to ensure that personal data is collected on a fully informed basis and in a fair manner, with due consideration towards minimizing the amount of personal data collected. Once collected, the personal data should be processed in a secure manner and should only be kept for as long as necessary for the fulfilment of the purposes of using the data. Use of the data should be limited to or related to the original collection purpose. Data subjects are given certain rights, inter alia: (a) the right to be informed by a data user whether the data user holds personal data of which the individual is the data subject; (b) if the data user holds such data, to be supplied with a copy of such data; and (c) the right to request correction of any data they consider to be inaccurate. The Privacy Commissioner may carry out criminal investigations and institute prosecution for certain offenses. Depending on the severity of the cases, the Privacy Commissioner will decide whether to prosecute or refer cases involving suspected commission to the Department of Justice of Hong Kong. Victims may also seek compensation by civil action from data users for damage caused by a contravention of the PDPO. The Privacy Commissioner may provide legal assistance to the aggrieved data subjects if the Privacy Commissioner deems fit to do so. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in Hong Kong — Compliance with Hong Kong’s Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and any such other existing or future data privacy related laws, regulations and governmental orders may entail significant expenses and could materially affect our business.” on page 34 of this prospectus.
No regulatory approval is required for Powell Max to transfer cash or other assets to its subsidiary: subject to due corporate authorization in accordance with our Memorandum and Articles of Association (as amended from time to time) and compliance with the BVI Act, there is no prohibition under the laws of the BVI and its memorandum and articles of association preventing Powell Max to provide funding to its direct subsidiary through shareholder’s loans or equity contributions. Powell Max is not prohibited under the laws of the BVI to provide funding to its Hong Kong operating subsidiaries JAN Financial and Miracle Media subject to certain compliance with the BVI Act and its memorandum and articles of association. As a holding company, Powell Max may rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by its subsidiary for its cash and financing requirements. According to the Companies Ordinance of Hong Kong, a Hong Kong company may make a distribution out of profits available for distribution. If JAN Financial and Miracle Media incur debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing such debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends to Powell Max. Additionally, as of the date of this prospectus, there are no further Hong Kong statutory restrictions on the amount of funds which may be distributed by us by dividend. However, in the future, funds may not be available to fund operations or for other use outside of Hong Kong due to interventions in, or the imposition of restrictions and limitations on, our ability or on our subsidiary’s ability by the PRC government to transfer cash or other assets. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiary to make payments to us could have a material adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business and might materially decrease the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares or cause them to be worthless. For a more detailed discussion of how the cash is transferred within our organization, see “Transfers of Cash or Other Assets to and from Our Subsidiaries” on page 8 and “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Class A Ordinary Shares — We rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our subsidiary to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have. In the future, funds may not be available to fund operations or for other use outside of Hong Kong, due to interventions in, or the imposition of restrictions and limitations on, our ability or our subsidiary by the PRC government to transfer cash or other assets. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiary to make payments to us could have a material adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business and might materially decrease the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares or cause them to be worthless” on page 43 of this prospectus.
JAN Financial and Miracle Media have not adopted or maintained any cash management policies and procedures as of the date of this prospectus.
During the years ended December 31, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and as of the date of this prospectus, Powell Max, JAN Financial and Miracle Media have not distributed any cash dividends or made any other cash distributions. We do not have any current intentions to distribute further earnings. If we determine to pay dividends on any of our Class A Ordinary Shares in the future, as a holding company, we will be dependent on receipt of funds from our Hong Kong operating subsidiaries JAN Financial and Miracle Media by way of dividend payments. See “Dividend Policy,” and “Consolidated Statements of Change in Equity in the Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” in our annual report on Form 20-F for further details.
We are an “emerging growth company” and a “foreign private issuer” as defined under the federal securities laws and, as such, will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. See “Prospectus Summary — Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Foreign Private Issuer” for additional information.
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is , 2026.
| Page | |
| Prospectus Summary | 1 |
| Corporate History and Structure | 6 |
| Risk Factors | 14 |
| Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements | 50 |
| Use of Proceeds | 51 |
| Description of Ordinary Shares | 52 |
| Material Income Tax Considerations | 53 |
| Selling Shareholders | 58 |
| Capitalization | 61 |
| Dilution | 62 |
| Plan of Distribution | 62 |
| Legal Matters | 63 |
| Experts | 63 |
| Enforceability of Civil Liabilities | 64 |
| Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference | 65 |
| Where You Can Find Additional Information | 66 |
No one has been authorized to provide you with different information, and we and the Selling Shareholders take no responsibility for any other information others may give you. We are not, and the Selling Shareholders are not, making an offer to sell our Class A Ordinary Shares in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front cover of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or the sale of any Class A Ordinary Shares.
For investors outside the United States: neither we nor the Selling Shareholders have done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction, other than the United States, where action for that purpose is required. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the Class A Ordinary Shares and the distribution of this prospectus outside the United States.
Powell Max is incorporated under the laws of the BVI as a BVI business company with limited liability. Under the rules of the SEC, we currently qualify for treatment as a “foreign private issuer.” As a foreign private issuer, we will not be required to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as domestic registrants whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act.
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CONVENTIONS THAT APPLY TO THIS PROSPECTUS
Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, all references in this prospectus to:
| ● | “Articles” or “Articles of Association” means the fourth amended and restated articles of association of the Company (as amended from time to time) adopted on January 19, 2026 which has taken effect on January 19, 2026 and as amended, supplemented and/or otherwise modified from time to time; |
| ● | “Bliss On Limited” is a company incorporated under the laws of the BVI, and wholly-owned by our Controlling Shareholder; |
| ● | “BVI” means the British Virgin Islands; |
| ● | “BVI Act” means the BVI Business Companies Act, as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time; |
| ● | “Class A Ordinary Shares” means our Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0008 per ordinary share; |
| ● | “Class B Ordinary Shares” means our Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0008 per ordinary share; |
| ● | “Class C Ordinary Shares” means our Class C ordinary shares, par value $0.0008 per ordinary share; |
| ● | “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “Powell Max” mean POWELL MAX LIMITED, a BVI business company incorporated in the BVI with limited liability on January 8, 2019; |
| ● | “Exchange Act” means the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; |
| ● | “JAN Financial” means JAN Financial Press Limited (formerly known as Aone Financial Press Limited), a company incorporated under the laws of Hong Kong with limited liability, a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Powell Max and our operating subsidiary; |
| ● | “Miracle Media Production Limited” means a Hong Kong company incorporated on September 21, 2017, a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Powell Max and our operating subsidiary; |
| ● | “HKD” or “HK$” mean Hong Kong dollar(s), the lawful currency of Hong Kong; |
| ● | “Hong Kong” means the Hong Kong special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China; |
| ● | “Independent Third Party” means a person or company who or which is independent of and is not a 5% beneficial owner of, does not control and is not controlled by or under common control with any 5% beneficial owner and is not the spouse or descendant (by birth or adoption) of any 5% owner of the Company; |
| ● | “IPO” means an initial public offering of securities; |
| ● | ‘‘Memorandum’’ or ‘‘Memorandum of Association’’ mean the fourth amended and restated memorandum of association of the Company (as amended from time to time) and as amended, supplemented and/or otherwise modified from time to time; |
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| ● | “Nasdaq” means the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC; |
| ● | “Ordinary Shares” or “Shares” mean our Class A Ordinary Shares and Class B Ordinary Shares; |
| ● | “PCAOB” means the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board; |
| ● | “PRC” or “China” mean the People’s Republic of China, and “mainland China”, unless otherwise specified herein, are to the People’s Republic of China, excluding, for the purpose of this prospectus only, Taiwan, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the Macau Administrative Region; |
| ● | “PRC government” or “PRC authorities”, or variations of such words or similar expressions, mean the central, provincial, and local governments of all levels in mainland China, including regulatory and administrative authorities, agencies and commissions, or any court, tribunal or any other judicial or arbitral body in mainland China, for the purposes of this prospectus only; |
| ● | “PRC laws” mean all applicable laws, statutes, rules, regulations, ordinances and other pronouncements having the binding effect of law in mainland China; |
| ● | “SEC” or “U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission” mean the United States Securities and Exchange Commission; |
| ● | “Securities Act” means the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended; and |
| ● | “U.S. dollars” or “US$” or “$” or “USD” or “dollars” mean United States dollar(s), the lawful currency of the United States. |
We have made rounding adjustments to some of the figures included in this prospectus. Accordingly, numerical figures shown as totals in some tables may not be an arithmetic aggregation of the figures that preceded them.
Powell Max is a holding company with operations conducted in Hong Kong through JAN Financial and Miracle Media, our operating subsidiaries. JAN Financial and Miracle Media’s reporting currency is Hong Kong dollars. This prospectus contains translations of Hong Kong dollars into U.S. dollars solely for the convenience of the reader.
The Selling Shareholders named in this prospectus may resell, from time to time, up to 74,809,231 Class A Ordinary Shares in the manner described in “Plan of Distribution”. Information about the Selling Shareholders may change over time. When the Selling Shareholders sell these Shares under this prospectus, we will, if necessary and required by law, provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. Any prospectus supplement may also add to, update, modify or replace information contained in this prospectus. If a prospectus supplement is provided and the description of the offering in the prospectus supplement varies from the information in this prospectus, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement. You should carefully read this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement, if any, along with all of the information incorporated by reference herein, before making an investment decision.
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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights information that we present more fully in the rest of this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before buying Class A Ordinary Shares in this offering. You should read the entire prospectus carefully, including the “Risk Factors” section and the financial statements and the notes to those statements. Unless the context otherwise requires, all references to “Powell Max,” “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” and similar designations refer to POWELL MAX LIMITED, a BVI business company and its wholly owned subsidiaries.
Business Overview
Our Mission
We are an established financial communications services provider. Our mission is to combine our industry knowledge and experience in the financial printing market to provide world-class services to our customers.
Overview
We are a holding company incorporated in the BVI with operations conducted by our Hong Kong subsidiaries, JAN Financial and Miracle Media.
Founded in 2019, we engage in the provision of financial communications services that support capital market compliance and transaction needs for corporate clients and their advisors in Hong Kong. Our financial communications services cover a full range of financial printing, corporate reporting, communications and language support services from inception to completion, including typesetting, proofreading, translation, design, printing, electronic reporting, newspaper placement and distribution. We provide comprehensive services to help our clients to comply with their disclosure and reporting obligations, create, manage and deliver accurate and timely financial communications and manage transaction processes.
Our clients consist of domestic and international companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (the “HK Stock Exchange”) that are subject to the filing and reporting requirements under The HK Listing Rules and the HKSFO, together with companies who are seeking to list on the HK Stock Exchange, as well as their advisors in Hong Kong.
Our clients are companies required by the HK Stock Exchange to file reports pursuant to the HK Listing Rules, through the e-Submission system (ESS) administered by the HK Stock Exchange. Our clients are also required to make timely disclosures through the ESS system. The ESS system requires filers to prepare and submit filings and making disclosures using the HK Stock Exchange’s specified file formats. Our financial communications services assist our clients in preparing such filings and disclosures that are compatible with the ESS system, and its employees have expertise and significant experience navigating this process with companies and their advisors. Specifically, our financial printing services allows our clients to tailor their disclosures with appropriate style and format to their unique corporate culture. We believe that our local teams set the standard for reliable and efficient service and convenience.
In addition, we also provide ancillary financial support services, such as the rental of conference room facilities, for our customers to fulfil their compliance needs.
Our Competitive Strengths
We believe the following competitive strengths differentiate us from our competitors:
We Have Strong Client Relationships and Customer Service
We believe we have strong brand recognition and that our clients associate our brand with quality and client-focused and reliable customer service. Our regulatory expertise, commitment, discretion and responsiveness, particularly for projects involving highly sensitive information, have enabled us to develop strong, long-standing relationships with our clients, often at senior levels in their organizations. In addition, we believe that we are a valued service provider among leading companies, having provided services to 168, 166 and 170 domestic and international companies that are listed on the HK Stock Exchange for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2023 and 2024, respectively, and to 10, 7 and 4 listing applicants who are seeking to list on the HK Stock Exchange for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2023 and 2024, respectively. Our product and service offerings for financial communications are often used over the lifetime of our clients, including in connection with their initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions and other strategic transactions, capital markets transactions, and to fulfill their compliance and disclosure obligations. We believe our ability to retain our current client base and to attract new clients is directly related to our sales force and customer service personnel, and we devote extensive resources to recruiting, developing and retaining experienced sales and service professionals.
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We Have Deep Domain Expertise
Our team has deep experience in the understanding of financial printing, the financial reporting process and the related aspects of the rapidly changing regulatory requirements and expertise in the creation and distribution of key financial communications documents. Over the years, we have been a key player in the financial printing industry in Hong Kong across initial public offerings, strategic transactions, compliance disclosures, regulatory filings and mergers and acquisitions. We believe we have extensive expertise in using and applying unique typesetting software specifically designed for financial printing. As a result, we believe we are well-positioned to manage and process disclosure output types required by the HK Stock Exchange.
We Have an Experienced Management Team
Our management team has substantial management experience and possesses long-standing industry relationships and a deep understanding of our business. It has a proven track record of strong operating performance, recognizing and capitalizing on attractive opportunities and driving operating efficiencies. The members of our senior management team have over 20 years of experience in the financial communications industry where they have acquired and developed in-depth operational knowledge and strategy relating to our business. We are supported by a large number of seasoned employees who have extensive operational experience, as well as strong customer relationships.
We believe that our success over the years is a direct result of our experienced team of professionals, including our management and employees, who have been dedicated to providing high-quality financial communications services to our customers.
Our Strategies
We intend to pursue the following strategies to further expand our business:
Focus on Growth and Expansion into New Markets
According to the World Federation of Exchanges, the market capitalization of the equity market in Hong Kong increased slightly from US$3.9tn in 2023 to US$4.5tn in 2024, representing an increase of 14.46% year-over-year (“y-o-y”), the market capitalization of the equity markets in the United States continues to rise, from US$48.97tn in 2023 to US$62.19tn in 2024, representing an increase of 26.96% y-o-y. As such, we expect that the demand for financial communications services will be trending in the United States. In 2024, there are a total of 5,421 companies listed on the equity markets in the United States, with 176 new listings through initial public offerings. The number of new listings on the equity markets in the United States represents a 42.86% y-o-y increase. We plan to tap into the growth of the U.S. equity markets by expanding our business into the United States, such as providing services to assist customers to prepare Exchange Act filings that are compatible with the SEC’s EDGAR system, and to prepare tagged files in the SEC-mandated XBRL format. We expect to materialize this strategy in the year ending December 31, 2024. We will tailor our products and services to fit into the U.S. equity markets and to conform with its regulatory requirements and electronic documentation. Given our established operation history, in-depth industry knowledge and strong client base, we believe we are well-positioned to cope with such expansion and to meet industry and client demands. Currently, we do not have any business presence in the U.S.. To this end, we plan to set up new branches and offices in the U.S. and to recruit suitable and appropriate staff to support our expansion. We will also continue to adopt an open mindset in collaborating with industry participants and our service providers and fully utilize their resources and operational expertise to realize synergies.
Pursue Selective Strategic Investments, Relationships and Acquisition Opportunities
We aim to selectively form additional strategic alliances with other industry players, including e-delivery companies, traditional financial printers, electronic filing service providers, translations and language solution companies, media and interactive communications providers, to expand our service offerings and broadening our market reach. We also plan to selectively pursue acquisitions, investments, joint ventures, and partnerships that are complementary to our business and operations. Currently, we have not identified any target to pursue such acquisitions. We aim to selectively identify suitable targets, such as e-delivery companies, traditional financial printers, electronic filing service providers, translations and language solution companies, media and interactive communications providers, to pursue acquisitions. We will also continue to work with domestic and international business partners or service providers to grow our global coverage and broaden our service offerings in international markets.
Effectively Manage Highly Variable Cost Structure
We believe that we manage our cost structure to be highly variable in nature to increase financial flexibility and deliver more stable profitability by outsourcing and management efforts. For instance, cost components such as outsourced purchases of composition services, printing, and language support services, certain direct materials such as paper, ink and packaging materials, and certain portions of transportation costs are entirely variable, while we structure our sales compensation and labor costs to allow them to be primarily variable in nature. We intend to continue focusing management’s efforts on managing these variable costs and implementing additional variable cost structures where feasible. Additionally, we plan to continue to identify technology and process improvements that would allow us to become more efficient.
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Our Challenges
We face risks and uncertainties in achieving our business objectives and executing our strategies, including those relating to:
| ● | deterioration of Hong Kong economy and its equity market; |
| ● | our ability to continue as a going concern; |
| ● | our ability to become a profitable business; and |
| ● | our ability to obtain future financing. |
See “Risk Factors” and “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking” for detailed discussions of these and other risks and uncertainties associated with our business and investing in our Class A Ordinary Shares.
Our Services and Business Model
Our financial communications services include corporate financial communications services and IPO financial printing services.
Corporate financial communications services are the combination of financial printing services, publication and distribution of financial communications materials and corporate reporting services. These services are typically offered to customers who are already companies listed on the HK Stock Exchange. Financial printing services include typesetting financial communications materials, designing the cover, layout and artwork of the documents, translation, uploading, printing, publishing and distributing. The financial communications materials typically include announcements, interim/annual reports, circulars and proxy forms for listed corporate customers. These financial communications materials may be delivered in printed or electronic forms. The electronic financial communications materials will be prepared in accordance with specifications prescribed by the HK Stock Exchange, and will be published through the ESS system administered by the HK Stock Exchange. In addition, we also provide corporate reporting services which include filing and submission of various corporate reporting forms to the HK Stock Exchange via the ESS system, those corporate reporting forms were not published or circulated with the public at large.
Our IPO financial printing services are provided to domestic and international companies who are seeking to list themselves on the HK Stock Exchange. Our IPO financial printing services include typesetting, designing the cover, layout and artwork of the IPO prospectus, translation, uploading, printing, publishing and distributing the same in accordance with the customers’ instructions.
Business Operation Flow
The usual workflow of our financial communications services includes (i) quotation and pitching, (ii) production, and (iii) delivery. Set out below is a flow chart summarizing the usual workflow of our financial communications services business.
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Quotation and pitching
As we do not enter into long-term agreements with our customers, we issue standard quotations to customers upon their request prior to the provision of our services. Upon receipt of a customer’s request for quotation, we will discuss the scope of our financial communications services with our customer based on their needs, demands and requests. We will then formulate the quotation in accordance with our pricing strategy below. A full quotation including our price and payment terms will be sent to the customer for agreement. Upon the confirmation and acceptance by the customer, we will begin our production process.
Production
The production phase typically starts with the draft financial communications materials provided by the customer. Upon receipt of the customer’s draft, we will begin the typesetting process. Our in-house staff will typeset the requested materials using third-party licensed software. In the meantime, if translation is requested, our staff will engage our external language support service providers to carry out the translation work. In addition, if any design or artwork is required, our in-house design team will perform such tasks simultaneously.
Upon completion of the typesetting, translation and design process, our in-house staff will perform quality control checks which include proofreading of the typesetting materials and checking for inconsistencies between the original materials and the translated materials. Once the quality control checks have been completed, the typeset version (together with designs, if any) of the draft financial communications materials will be sent to the customer for approval and/or further comments. If the customer does not have any further comments and signs off the materials, we will place an order with our external printing services providers to bulk-print such financial communications materials if a printed version is requested. Once the bulk-printing process has been completed, or, if no bulk-printing is requested, we will proceed to the delivery stage.
Delivery
Upon completion of the bulk-printing process, our external transportation service providers will pick up the printed materials from the printing factory operated by our printing services provider and delivery the materials to the requested destinations in accordance with the customer’s instructions. In the meantime, or if no bulk-printing is requested, our in-house staff will generate the final version of the financial communications materials in accordance with the specifications under the ESS system. Once the final version is generated, our in-house staff will submit and publish such material on behalf of the customer through the ESS system.
Customers
Our clients consist of domestic and international companies listed on the HK Stock Exchange that are subject to filing and reporting requirements under the HK Listing Rules and the HKSFO, together with companies who are seeking to list on the HK Stock Exchange, as well as their advisors in Hong Kong.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, our five largest customers accounted for approximately 5.2%, 3.4%, 3.0%, 2.7% and 2.7% of our total revenue, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2023, our five largest customers accounted for approximately 12.5%, 2.0%, 1.9%, 1.7% and 1.3% of our total revenue, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2022, our five largest customers accounted for approximately 2.7%, 2.2%, 2.0%, 2.0% and 2.0% of our total revenue, respectively.
We do not enter into long-term agreements with our customers, which is in line with industry practice. We will provide quotations to our customers prior to the provision of any financial communications services.
Suppliers
Our suppliers include (i) printing services providers, (ii) translation services providers, and (iii) other corporate communication related services providers.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, four major suppliers accounted for approximately 18.5%, 16.7%, 11.8% and 8.7% of the total purchases, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2023, four major suppliers accounted for approximately 25.4%, 13.3%, 8.2% and 7.2% of the total purchases, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2022, four major suppliers accounted for approximately 21.1%, 15.5%, 8.2%, and 3.6% of the total purchases, respectively.
For the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, we transacted with 7, 12 and 12 printing services providers, respectively, as well as over 11, 8 and 8 suppliers for translation services, respectively.
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Sales and Marketing
We have been able to maintain a stable and harmonious business relationship with our existing customers, who are mainly domestic and international companies listed on the HK Stock Exchange, as well as their advisors in Hong Kong. Our Management believes that our track record of providing efficient financial communications solutions has helped us to build a loyal customer base. Our customer care services also help us to create a close bond with our customers. We believe that customer loyalty is essential to our success, and we strive to provide high-quality services to maintain our customers’ loyalty. Through our high-quality and efficient services and commitment to our customers, we have been able to maintain a close relationship with them, who, in turn, make referrals for our financial communications services.
In addition to serving our existing customers, we also conduct outreach to potential customers who have no prior business relationship with us, as we seek to diversify and expand our customer base. Through our sales and marketing efforts, we target to diversify and expand our customer base, thereby boosting sales performance and fostering a more diversified customer network. We organize marketing events with existing customers, as well as other potential corporate customers and their professional advisors for relationship building. We believe that our established experience, combined with our commitment to customer satisfaction, positions us for long-term success in the financial communications industry.
Pricing Strategy
Our directors are responsible for determining the price for our financial communications services. We adopt a cost-plus approach for our pricing in such business. We take into account the following factors in determining the fees we charge our customers:
| (i) | Type and nature of the financial communications services; |
| (ii) | Rates charged by our competitors; |
| (iii) | Costs of services, including raw material costs, labour costs, and charges of our suppliers including language solutions suppliers, designers, etc.; |
| (iv) | Future business opportunities; |
| (v) | Reputation of the customer; and |
| (vi) | Level of acceptance of the current market rates for similar services. |
Competition
The financial communications services industry, in general, is highly competitive and barriers to entry have decreased as a result of technology innovation. Despite some consolidation in recent years, the industry remains highly fragmented in Hong Kong with many in-country alternative providers. We face keen competition from numerous financial communications services providers, financial printers and language solutions operators, all on different scales in Hong Kong.
The Company expects competition to increase from existing competitors, as well as new and emerging market entrants. In addition, as the Company expands its product and service offerings, it may face competition from new and existing competitors. The Company competes primarily on product quality and functionality, service levels, subject matter regulatory expertise, security and compliance characteristics, price and reputation. However, we believe that we compete favorably with our competitors through our competitive strengths, such as strong client relationships and customer service, our deep domain expertise and experience management team.
Seasonality
The Company is subject to market volatility in Hong Kong and world economy, as the demand for financial communications services is largely dependent on the Hong Kong capital market for IPOs, secondary offerings, mergers and acquisitions, public and private debt offerings, leveraged buyouts, spinouts and other transactions. As our clients consist of domestic and international companies listed on the HK Stock Exchange that are subject to the filing and reporting requirements under HK Listing Rules and the HKSFO, as well as their advisors in Hong Kong, we typically observe higher demands of our services in March/April or June/July as our customers are required to comply with their interim/annual reporting and disclosure obligations on those months. Such peak periods during the course of the year have operational implications, which include the need to increase staff during peak periods through a combined strategy of hiring additional full-time and temporary personnel, increasing the premium time of existing staff, and outsourcing production for a number of services. To minimize the seasonality effects, we maintain a highly variable cost structure that enables us to allocate our resources in an effective manner in response to customer’s demands.
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Corporate History and Structure
We commenced operations in February 2019 with the establishment of JAN Financial, a company incorporated under the laws of Hong Kong on February 27, 2019, which is wholly-owned by our ultimate company, Powell Max.
On January 8, 2019, our ultimate holding company, Powell Max was incorporated under the laws of the BVI as a BVI business company with limited liability, with an authorized share capital of US$50,000 divided into 50,000 ordinary shares, par value US$1.00 each, with 50,000 ordinary shares issued and allotted to our Controlling Shareholder.
On January 19, 2024, as part of the reorganization in contemplation of our IPO, we completed a share swap transaction, pursuant to which Bliss On Limited, a company incorporated under the laws of the BVI, and wholly-owned by our Controlling Shareholder, acquired all the issued shares of Powell Max from our Controlling Shareholder in consideration of Bliss On Limited issuing one additional ordinary share to our Controlling Shareholder. Following such share swap, Bliss On Limited became the sole shareholder of Powell Max, which in turn wholly-owns JAN Financial.
On February 5, 2024, as part of the reorganization in contemplation of our IPO, Powell Max sub-divided its authorized shares so that the par value of each share changed from US$1.00 to US$0.0001 each and the number of authorized shares changed to 500,000,000 ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 each, with 500,000,000 ordinary shares held by Bliss On Limited, out of which 487,500,000 ordinary shares were surrendered to Powell Max for cancellation for no consideration. The remaining 12,500,000 ordinary shares were re-designated and re-classified into 10,500,000 Class A Ordinary Shares and 2,000,000 Class B Ordinary Shares.
On February 20, 2024, Bliss On Limited sold a total of 1,500,000 Class A Ordinary Shares to three individuals, all of whom have no affiliation with us.
As of December 31, 2023, we were indebted to our Controlling Shareholder in the sum of US$2,391,425. The sum was converted into 597,856 Class A Ordinary Shares in September 2024 prior to our IPO.
In September 2024, we completed our initial public offering and listed our Ordinary Shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “PMAX.” We raised approximately US$4.4 million in net proceeds from the issuance of new shares from the initial public offering and in exercise of the over-allotment options by the representatives of the underwriters, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and expenses.
On November 21, 2024, we entered into a Standby Equity Purchase Agreement (“SEPA”) with YA II PN, Ltd., a British Virgin Islands exempt limited partnership (the “Investor”), pursuant to which the Investor has agreed to purchase up to US$40 million of the Class A Ordinary Shares (“SEPA Shares”) over the course of 36 months after the date of the SEPA upon notice from the Company from time to time. In accordance with the SEPA, the Investor has also advanced US$3,000,000 to us in three tranches (each, a “Pre-Advance”), with each Pre-Advance to be evidenced by a convertible promissory note (each a “Note”) issuable at an original issuance discount of 8%. As at the date of this prospectus, the Investor has exercised the conversion right under the Notes and we raised approximately US$5.1 million under the SEPA including the Pre-Advance. The SEPA provides that we may, in our discretion, from time to time after the effective date of the sale registration statement and during the term of the SEPA, direct the Investor to purchase the SEPA Shares from us in one or more purchases under the SEPA, for a maximum aggregate gross purchase price of up to US$40 million. A maximum aggregate offering amount of US$40 million in SEPA Shares, which, based on the closing price of our shares on Nasdaq on November 20, 2024 of US$3.13 per share, are 12,779,553 Class A Ordinary Shares, together with 63,898 Class A Ordinary Shares, being half of the commission fees, have been registered for resale.
In connection with the SEPA, we also entered into with Revere Securities LLC (“Revere”) a finder’s fee agreement September 10, 2024 (the “Finder’s Fee Agreement”), pursuant to which we agreed to pay Revere (i) a cash compensation equal to 4% of the total proceeds of the Pre-Advance, (ii) cash compensation equal to 4% of the total proceeds from the SEPA, and (iii) cash and stock compensation at the rate of US$15,000 per month and 10,000 Class A Ordinary Shares per month for 6 months when the Company raises US$3,000,000 or more from the SEPA, with one automatic renewal for another 6 months. The Finder’s Fee Agreement expired on March 9, 2025.
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On February 26, 2025, we entered into an Agreement for Sale and Purchase (the “Acquisition Agreement”) with Vision Access Enterprises Limited (“Vision Access”) and M Digital Partners Company Limited (collectively, the “Vendors”), pursuant to which the Vendors agreed to sell and the Company agreed to purchase the shares representing all of the issued and outstanding capital of Miracle Media Production Limited (the “Target”) and all of the outstanding amounts owed by the Target to Vision Access. The Target is principally engaged in the provision of printing and translation services in Hong Kong. Completion took place on February 28, 2025.
On May 23, 2025, we and YA II PN Ltd entered into a Termination Agreement pursuant to which the Standby Equity Purchase Agreement, dated as of November 21, 2024 between the Company and the Investor and the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of November 21, 2024 between the Company and the Investor were terminated. Each party has agreed to waive any claims arising under the two agreements prior to termination and to terminate the provisions thereunder, including certain provisions that by their terms would otherwise survive after termination.
On August 13, 2025, we entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain investors, pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell, in a private placement transaction, (i) up to 1,600,000 Class A ordinary shares, and (ii) up to 4,800,000 common warrants, each exercisable for one Class A Ordinary, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately US$403,200, before deducting other offering expenses in connection thereto. The Private Placement is closed on August 13, 2025.
On September 25, 2025, we reported a 1-for-8 reverse stock split effected October 6, 2025, subject to the Company’s satisfaction of Nasdaq Operations notice requirements, with trading to begin on a split-adjusted basis at the market open on that day under the current symbol “PMAX.” The new CUSIP number following the reverse stock split is G7200G118.
On January 29, 2026, we entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain accredited investors. Pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, the accredited investors agreed to subscribe for and purchase from the Company, and the Company agreed to issue and sell to the accredited investors, units (each, a “Unit”) comprised of one Class C ordinary share, $0.0008 par value per share (a “Class C Ordinary Share”) and a warrant (the “Common Warrant”) to purchase Class A Ordinary Shares, $0.0008 par value per share (“Class A Ordinary Shares”) for a purchase price of $2.49 per Unit, resulting in aggregate gross proceeds of $17,000,000 for all PIPE Investors, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein.
Our principal executive office is located at 22/F., Euro Trade Centre, 13-14 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong. Our telephone number is (+852) 2158 2888. Our registered office in the BVI is located at Commerce House, Wickhams Cay 1, P.O. Box 3140, Road Town, Tortola, BVI, VG1110.
Our agent for service of process in the United States is Cogency Global Inc., located at 122 East 42nd Street, 18th Floor New York, NY 10168.
SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC on www.sec.gov. Our website can be found at http://www.janfp.com/. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not a part of, and shall not be incorporated by reference into, this prospectus.
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The charts below illustrate our corporate structure and identifies our subsidiaries as of the date of this prospectus:
| Name | Background | Ownership | ||
| JAN Financial |
– A Hong Kong company – Incorporated on February 27, 2019 – Issued share capital of HK$1,000,000 – Engaged in the provision of financial communications services |
100% owned by Powell Max | ||
| Miracle Media Production Limited |
– A Hong Kong company – Incorporated on September 21, 2017 – Issued share capital of HK$1,000,000 – Engaged in the provision of printing, translation, production and maintenance services |
100% owned by Powell Max |
After January 2026 Private Placement, we are no longer a “controlled company” as defined under the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules, as at the date of this prospectus.
Holding Company Structure
Powell Max is a holding company incorporated in the BVI with no material operations of its own, and we conduct our operations primarily in Hong Kong through JAN Financial and Miracle Media, our operating subsidiaries as of the date of this prospectus. This is an offering of the Class A Ordinary Shares of Powell Max, the holding company in the BVI, instead of the shares of JAN Financial and Miracle Media. Investors in this offering will not directly hold any equity interests in JAN Financial and Miracle Media.
As a result of our corporate structure, the ability of Powell Max to pay dividends may depend upon dividends paid by JAN Financial and Miracle Media. If our existing operating subsidiaries JAN Financial and Miracle Media or any newly formed ones incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing their debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends to us.
Transfers of Cash or Other Assets To and From Our Subsidiaries
Our management monitors the cash position of JAN Financial ad Miracle Media regularly and prepares budgets on a monthly basis to ensure it has the necessary funds to fulfill its obligations for the foreseeable future and to ensure adequate liquidity. In the event that there is a need for cash or a potential liquidity issue, it will be reported to our chief financial officer and subject to approval by our board of directors.
The ability of Powell Max to transfer cash or other assets to its subsidiary is subject to the following: subject to due corporate authorization in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association (as amended from time to time) and compliance with the BVI Act, there is no prohibition under the laws of the BVI and its memorandum and articles of association preventing Powell Max to provide funding to JAN Financial and Miracle Media through shareholder’s loans or equity contributions.
The ability of JAN Financial and Miracle Media to transfer cash or other assets to Powell Max is subject to the following: according to the Companies Ordinance of Hong Kong, JAN Financial and Miracle Media may only make a distribution out of profits available for distribution. JAN Financial and Miracle Media have not adopted or maintained any cash management policies and procedures as of the date of this prospectus.
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Recent Regulatory Developments in the PRC
We are aware that, recently, the PRC government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in certain areas in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas using VIE structures, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. For example, on July 6, 2021, the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued a document to crack down on illegal activities in the securities market and promote the high-quality development of the capital market, which, among other things, requires the relevant governmental authorities to strengthen cross-border oversight of law enforcement and judicial cooperation, to enhance supervision over China-based companies listed overseas, and to establish and improve the system of extraterritorial application of the PRC securities laws. On July 10, 2021, the CAC issued a revised draft of the Measures for Cybersecurity Review for public comments (the “Revised Draft”), which required that, in addition to “operators of critical information infrastructure,” any “data processor” controlling personal information of no less than one million users which seeks to list in a foreign stock exchange should also be subject to cybersecurity review, and further elaborated the factors to be considered when assessing the national security risks of the relevant activities.
On December 24, 2021, the CSRC released the Administrative Provisions of the State Council Regarding the Overseas Issuance and Listing of Securities by Domestic Enterprises (Draft for Comments) (the “Draft Administrative Provisions”) and the Measures for the Overseas Issuance of Securities and Listing Record-Filings by Domestic Enterprises (Draft for Comments) (together with the Draft Administrative Provisions, the “Draft Rules Regarding Overseas Listing”). The Draft Rules Regarding Overseas Listing lays out the filing regulation arrangement for both direct and indirect overseas listing and clarifies the determination criteria for indirect overseas listing in overseas markets. Among other things, if a domestic enterprise intends to indirectly offer and list securities in an overseas market, the record-filing obligation is with a major operating entity incorporated in the PRC, and such filing obligation shall be completed within three working days after the overseas listing application is submitted. The required filing materials for an IPO and listing shall include, but not be limited to: regulatory opinions, record filing, approval, and other documents issued by competent regulatory authorities of relevant industries (if applicable), and security assessment opinions issued by relevant regulatory authorities (if applicable). On December 27, 2021, the National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”) and the Ministry of Commerce jointly issued the Special Administrative Measures for Entry of Foreign Investment (Negative List) (2021 Version) (“Negative List”), which became effective and replaced the previous version. Pursuant to the Negative List, if a PRC company, which engages in any business where foreign investment is prohibited under the Negative List, or prohibited businesses seeks an overseas offering or listing, it must obtain the approval from competent governmental authorities. Based on a set of Q&A published on the NDRC’s official website, a NDRC official indicated that after a PRC company submits its application for overseas listing to the CSRC and where matters relating to prohibited businesses under the Negative List are implicated, the CSRC will consult the regulatory authorities having jurisdiction over the relevant industries and fields.
On January 4, 2022, the CAC, the NDRC, and several other administrations jointly adopted and published the revised Cybersecurity Review Measures (“CRM”), which took effect on February 15, 2022, and replaced the Revised Draft issued on July 10, 2021. Pursuant to the revised CRM, if a network platform operator holding personal information of over one million users seeks for “foreign” listing, it must apply for the cybersecurity review. In addition, operators of critical information infrastructure purchasing network products and services are also obligated to apply for the cybersecurity review for such purchasing activities. Although the CRM provides no further explanation on the extent of “network platform operator” and “foreign” listing, we do not believe we are obligated to apply for a cybersecurity review pursuant to the revised CRM, considering that (i) we are not in possession of or otherwise holding personal information of over one million users, and it is also very unlikely that we will reach such threshold in the near future; and (ii) as of the date of this prospectus, we have not received any notice or determination from applicable PRC governmental authorities identifying it as a critical information infrastructure operator.
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On February 17, 2023, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, as approved by the State Council, released the Trial Measures for Administration of Overseas Securities Offerings and Listings by Domestic Companies and five interpretive guidelines (collectively, the “CSRC Filing Rules”), which came into effect on March 31, 2023. Under the CSRC Filing Rules, a filing-based regulatory system shall be applied to “indirect overseas offerings and listings” of PRC domestic companies, which refers to securities offerings and listings in an overseas market made under the name of an offshore entity but based on the underlying equity, assets, earnings or other similar rights of a domestic company that operates its main business domestically. The CSRC Filing Rules state that, any post-listing follow-on offering by an issuer in the same overseas market, including issuance of shares, convertible notes and other similar securities, shall be subject to filing requirement within three business days after the completion of the offering. We believe that we are not subject to the CSRC Filing Rules, because we are incorporated in the BVI and our operating subsidiaries incorporated in Hong Kong and operate in Hong Kong without any subsidiary or VIE structure in mainland China, and we do not have any business operations or maintain any office or personnel in mainland China. However, as the CSRC Filing Rules and the supporting guidelines are newly published, there exists uncertainty with respect to the implementation and interpretation of the principle of “substance over form.” If our offering and listing is later deemed as “indirect overseas offering and listing by companies in mainland China” under the CSRC Filing Rules, we may need to complete the filing procedures for our offering and listing. If we are subject to the filing requirements, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete such filings in a timely manner or even at all. Since these statements and regulatory actions are new, it is highly uncertain how soon the legislative or administrative regulation making bodies will respond or what existing or new laws or regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations will be modified or promulgated, if any. It is also highly uncertain what the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations will have on Powell Max’s daily business operations, its ability to accept foreign investments, and the listing of our Class A Ordinary Shares on a U.S. or other foreign exchange. There remains significant uncertainty in the interpretation and enforcement of relevant PRC cybersecurity laws and regulations. If the CSRC Filing Rules become applicable to JAN Financial or if the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) or the PRC Personal Information Protection Law becomes applicable to JAN Financial and Miracle Media, the business operation of JAN Financial and Miracle Media and the listing of our Class A Ordinary Shares in the United States could be subject to the CAC’s cybersecurity review or CSRC Overseas Issuance and Listing review in the future. If the applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and JAN Financial becomes subject to the CAC or CSRC review, we cannot assure you that JAN Financial and Miracle Media will be able to comply with the regulatory requirements in all respects, and our current practice of collecting and processing personal information may be ordered to be rectified or terminated by regulatory authorities. If JAN Financial and Miracle Media fail to receive or maintain such permissions or if the required approvals are denied, JAN Financial and Miracle Media may become subject to fines and other penalties that may have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, and financial condition and may hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer Class A Ordinary Shares to investors and cause the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares to significantly decline or be worthless.
Permission Required from Hong Kong and PRC Authorities
As of the date of this prospectus, (i) JAN Financial and Miracle Media have received all requisite permissions and approvals for the operation of our business in Hong Kong namely the business registration certificate issued by the Hong Kong Business Registration Office, which was first issued on February 2019 and remains valid, and no such permissions and approvals have been denied, (ii) JAN Financial and Miracle Media are not required to obtain any permission or approval from Hong Kong authorities to issue our Class A Ordinary Shares to foreign investors, and (iii) we are also not required to obtain permissions or approvals from any PRC authorities before listing in the United States and to issue our Class A Ordinary Shares to foreign investors or operate our business as currently conducted, including the CSRC, the CAC, or any other governmental agency that is required to approve our operations, because (x) the CSRC currently has not issued any definitive rule or interpretation concerning whether offerings like ours under this prospectus are subject to this regulation; and (y) JAN Financial and Miracle Media were established and operate in Hong Kong and is not included in the categories of industries and companies whose foreign securities offerings are subject to review by the CSRC or the CAC.
Furthermore, based on laws and regulations currently in effect in the PRC as of the date of this prospectus, we are not required to obtain regulatory approval from the CSRC or go through the filing procedures under the Trial Administrative Measures before our Class A Ordinary Shares can be listed or offered in the U.S. Although we have existing and potential customers who are mainland China individuals or companies that have shareholders or directors that are mainland China individuals, since neither we nor our subsidiaries are “PRC domestic companies” subject to the Trial Administrative Measures, because (i) we are headquartered in Hong Kong, with our officers and all members of the board of directors based in Hong Kong or elsewhere who are not mainland China citizens; (ii) we do not, directly or indirectly, own or control any entity or subsidiary in mainland China, nor are we controlled by any mainland Chinese company or individual directly or indirectly; (iii) we only operate in Hong Kong, all of our revenues and profits are generated by our subsidiaries in Hong Kong, none of our business activities are conducted in mainland China, and we have not generated revenues or profits from mainland China in the most recent accounting year accounts for more than 50% of the corresponding figure in our audited consolidated financial statements for the same period; (iv) we do not have or intend to set up any subsidiary or enter into any contractual arrangements to establish a variable interest entity structure with any entity in mainland China; and (v) pursuant to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PRC, or the Basic Law, PRC laws and regulations shall not be applied in Hong Kong except for those listed in Annex III of the Basic Law (which is confined to laws relating to national defense, foreign affairs and other matters that are not within the scope of autonomy).
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In addition, although JAN Financial and Miracle Media may collect and store certain data (including certain personal information) from our customers, some of whom may be companies in mainland China, in connection with our business and operations, we and JAN Financial and Miracle Media will not be deemed to be an “operator of critical information infrastructure” or any “data processor” carrying out data processing activities, and we are not subject to cybersecurity review by the CAC for this Offering or required to obtain regulatory approval from the CAC nor any other PRC authorities for our and our subsidiaries’ operations in Hong Kong, since JAN Financial and Miracle Media are incorporated and only operating in Hong Kong without any subsidiary or variable interest entity structure in mainland China.
However, if the applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and JAN Financial and Miracle Media become subject to the CAC or CSRC review, we cannot assure you that JAN Financial and Miracle Media will be able to comply with the regulatory requirements in all respects and our current practice of collecting and processing personal information may be ordered to be rectified or terminated by regulatory authorities. If we were required to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future in connection with the listing or continued listing of our securities on a stock exchange outside of the PRC, it is uncertain how long it will take for us to obtain such approval, and, even if we obtain such approval, the approval could be rescinded. Any failure to obtain or a delay in obtaining the necessary permissions from the PRC authorities to conduct offerings or list outside of the PRC may subject us to sanctions imposed by the PRC regulatory authorities, which could include fines and penalties, proceedings against us, and other forms of sanctions, and our ability to conduct our business, invest into mainland China as foreign investments or accept foreign investments, ability to offer or continue to offer Class A Ordinary Shares to investors or list on the U.S. or other overseas exchange may be restricted, and the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares may significantly decline or be worthless, our business, reputation, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the PRC and the basic policies of the PRC regarding Hong Kong are reflected in the Basic Law, which serves as Hong Kong’s constitution. The Basic Law provides Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy and executive, legislative and independent judicial powers, including that of final adjudication under the principle of “one country, two systems” and a distinct set of laws and regulations. The PRC laws and regulations do not currently have any material impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations. However, there is no assurance that there will not be any changes in the economic, political and legal environment in Hong Kong in the future. In the event that (i) the PRC government expands the categories of industries and companies whose foreign securities offerings are subject to review by the CSRC or the CAC and that we are required to obtain such permissions or approvals, (ii) we inadvertently conclude that relevant permissions or approvals are not required or that we do not receive or maintain relevant permissions or approvals required, or (iii) applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and require us to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future, we may face regulatory risks as those operated in mainland China, including the ability to offer securities to investors, list their securities on a U.S. or other foreign exchanges, conduct their business or accept foreign investment or sanctions by the CSRC, the CAC, or other PRC regulatory agencies.
Recent PCAOB Developments
On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the HFCA Act, which includes requirements for the SEC to identify issuers whose audit work is performed by auditors that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a restriction imposed by a non-U.S. authority in the auditor’s local jurisdiction. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the HFCA Act on December 2, 2020, and the HFCA Act was signed into law on December 18, 2020. Pursuant to the HFCA Act, our securities may be prohibited from trading on the Nasdaq or other U.S. stock exchanges if our auditor cannot be inspected by the PCAOB for three consecutive years, and this ultimately could result in our Class A Ordinary Shares being delisted.
On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCA Act. A company will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies it as having a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. The SEC is assessing how to implement other requirements of the HFCA Act, including the listing and trading prohibition requirements described above.
On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed a bill that, if passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law, would reduce the number of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the HFCA Act from three years to two years.
On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the HFCA Act, which took effect on January 10, 2022. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions.
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On December 16, 2021, PCAOB issued a Determination Report, which found that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China of the PRC or Hong Kong, a special administrative region and dependency of the PRC, because of a position taken by one or more authorities in the PRC or Hong Kong. The PCAOB made its determinations pursuant to PCAOB Rule 6100, which provides a framework for how PCAOB fulfills its responsibilities under the HFCA Act.
Our auditor, WWC, P.C., the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included elsewhere in this prospectus, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess our auditor’s compliance with the applicable professional standards. WWC, P.C. is headquartered in San Mateo, California, and can be inspected by the PCAOB. As of the date of this prospectus, our auditor is not subject to the determinations announced by the PCAOB on December 16, 2021 in mainland China or Hong Kong because of a position taken by one or more authorities in the PRC or Hong Kong.
On August 26, 2022, the SEC issued a statement announcing that the PCAOB signed a Statement of Protocol with the CSRC and the Ministry of Finance of the PRC, governing inspections and investigations of audit firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong. Pursuant to the Statement of Protocol, the PCAOB has independent discretion to select any issuer audits for inspection or investigation and has unfettered ability to transfer information to the SEC. According to the PCAOB, its December 2021 determinations under the HFCA Act remain in effect. The PCAOB is required to reassess these determinations by the end of 2022. Under the PCAOB’s rules, a reassessment of a determination under the HFCA Act may result in the PCAOB reaffirming, modifying or vacating the determination. However, if the PCAOB continues to be prohibited from conducting complete inspections and investigations of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong, the PCAOB is likely to determine by the end of 2022 that positions taken by authorities in the PRC obstructed its ability to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong completely, then the companies audited by those registered public accounting firms would be subject to a trading prohibition on U.S. markets pursuant to the HFCA Act.
On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB Board determined that the PCAOB was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and voted to vacate its previous determinations to the contrary. However, should PRC authorities obstruct or otherwise fail to facilitate PCAOB’s access in the future, the PCAOB Board will consider the need to issue a new determination.
On December 29, 2022, the CAA was signed into law by President Biden. The CAA contained, among other things, an identical provision to the AHFCAA, which reduces the number of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the HFCA Act from three years to two.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Foreign Private Issuer
As a company with less than US$1.235 billion in revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the “JOBS Act”), enacted in April 2012, and may take advantage of reduced reporting requirements that are otherwise applicable to public companies. These provisions include, but are not limited to:
| ● | being permitted to present only two years of audited financial statements and only two years of related Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our filings with the SEC; |
| ● | not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting; |
| ● | reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in periodic reports, proxy statements, and registration statements; and |
| ● | exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. |
We may take advantage of these provisions until December 31, 2029, being the last day of our fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the first sale of our Class A Ordinary Shares in the IPO. However, if certain events occur before the end of such five-year period, including if we become a “large accelerated filer,” our annual gross revenues exceed US$1.235 billion, or we issue more than US$1 billion of non-convertible debt in any three-year period, we will cease to be an emerging growth company before the end of such five-year period.
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In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. We have elected to take advantage of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards and acknowledge such election is irrevocable pursuant to Section 107 of the JOBS Act.
We are a foreign private issuer as defined by the SEC. As a result, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq, we may comply with home country governance requirements and certain exemptions thereunder rather than complying with Nasdaq corporate governance standards. We may choose to take advantage of the following exemptions afforded to foreign private issuers:
| ● | Exemption from filing quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or provide current reports on Form 8-K disclosing significant events within four days of their occurrence. |
| ● | Exemption from Section 16 rules regarding sales of Class A Ordinary Shares by insiders, which will provide less data in this regard than shareholders of U.S. companies that are subject to the Exchange Act. |
| ● | Exemption from the Nasdaq rules applicable to domestic issuers requiring disclosure within four business days of any determination to grant a waiver of the code of business conduct and ethics to directors and officers. Although we will require board approval of any such waiver, we may choose not to disclose the waiver in the manner set forth in the Nasdaq rules, as permitted by the foreign private issuer exemption. |
| ● | Exemption from obtaining shareholder approval in the sale, issuance or potential sale of Class A Ordinary Shares equals 20% or more of the Class A Ordinary Shares. |
Furthermore, Nasdaq Rule 5615(a)(3) provides that a foreign private issuer, such as us, may rely on our home country corporate governance practices in lieu of certain of the rules in the Nasdaq Rule 5600 Series and Rule 5250(d), provided that we nevertheless comply with Nasdaq’s Notification of Noncompliance requirement (Rule 5625), the Voting Rights requirement (Rule 5640) and that we have an audit committee that satisfies Rule 5605(c)(3), consisting of committee members that meet the independence requirements of Rule 5605(c)(2)(A)(ii). If we rely on our home country corporate governance practices in lieu of certain of the rules of Nasdaq, our shareholders may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of Nasdaq.
On November 21, 2024, we notified Nasdaq that we intend to follow its home country practice in lieu of the following Nasdaq Listing Rules:
| ● | Rule 5620, which requires the holding of an annual meeting of shareholders no later than one year after each fiscal year-end; |
| ● | Rule 5635(a) and (d), which require shareholder approval prior to an issuance of securities in connection with the acquisition of the stock or assets of another company, and with any transactions other than public offerings; |
| ● | Rule 5250(b)(3), which requires disclosure of third-party director and nominee compensation; and |
| ● | Rule 5250(d), which requires the Company to distribute annual and interim reports. |
We submitted to Nasdaq a written statement by counsel of the British Virgin Islands certifying that the above noncompliant practices are not prohibited under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, the Company’s home jurisdiction. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not received Nasdaq’s approval letter in relation to the same. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Class A Ordinary Shares — As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to adopt certain home country practices in relation to corporate governance matters that differ significantly from Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. These practices may afford less protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards.”
Corporate Information
Our principal executive office is located at 22/F., Euro Trade Centre, 13-14 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong. Our telephone number is (+852) 2158 2888. Our registered office in the BVI is located at Commerce House, Wickhams Cay 1, P.O. Box 3140, Road Town, Tortola, BVI, VG1110.
Our agent for service of process in the United States is Cogency Global Inc., located at 122 East 42nd Street, 18th Floor New York, NY 10168. Our website can be found at http://www.janfp.com/. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not a part of, and shall not be incorporated by reference into, this prospectus.
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RISK FACTORS
An investment in our Class A Ordinary Shares involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following information about these risks together with the other information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus before deciding to invest in our Class A Ordinary Shares. The occurrence of any of the following risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and future growth prospects. In these circumstances, the market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to an Investment in Our Securities and this Offering
The sale of a substantial amount of our Class A Ordinary Shares, including resale of the Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon the exercise of the warrants held by the Selling Shareholder in the public market could adversely affect the prevailing market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
We are registering for resale 74,809,231 Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants and conversion of Class C Ordinary Shares held by the Selling Shareholder. Sales of substantial amounts of shares of our Class A Ordinary Shares in the public market, or the perception that such sales might occur, could adversely affect the market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares, and the market value of our other securities. We cannot predict if and when the Selling Shareholder may sell such shares in the public markets. Furthermore, in the future, we may issue additional Class A Ordinary Shares or other equity or debt securities convertible into Class A Ordinary Shares. Any such issuance could result in substantial dilution to our existing shareholders and could cause our stock price to decline.
There has been and may continue to be significant volatility in the volume and price of our Class A Ordinary Shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
The market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares has been and may continue to be highly volatile. Factors, including changes in the Chinese economy, potential infringement of our intellectual property, competition, concerns about our financial position, operations results, litigation, government regulation, developments or disputes relating to agreements, patents or proprietary rights, may have a significant impact on the market volume and price of our stock. Unusual trading volume in our shares occurs from time to time.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
A significant part of our business is derived from the use of services in connection with financial and business transactions in equity markets. Economic trends that affect the volume of these transactions may negatively impact the demand for our services.
A significant portion of our net sales depends on the use of our services by parties involved in the Hong Kong equity market, compliance and transactions. As a result, our business is largely dependent on the Hong Kong equity market for initial public offerings, or IPOs, secondary offerings, mergers and acquisitions, public and private debt offerings, leveraged buyouts, spinoffs, bankruptcy and claims processing and other transactions. These transactions are often tied to economic conditions and dependent upon the performance of the overall economy, and the resulting volume of these types of transactions drives demand for our services. Downturns in the financial markets, global economy or in the economies of the geographies in which we do business and reduced equity valuations all create risks that could negatively impact our business. For example, in the past, economic volatility has led to a decline in the financial condition of a number of our clients and led to the postponement of their capital markets transactions. To the extent that there is continued volatility, we may face increasing volume pressure. As a result, we are not able to predict the impact any potential worsening of macroeconomic conditions could have on our results of operations. The level of activity in the financial communications services industry, including the financial transactions and related compliance needs our services are used to support, is sensitive to many factors beyond our control, including interest rates, regulatory policies, general economic conditions, our clients’ competitive environments, business trends, terrorism and political change. In addition, a weak economy could hinder our ability to collect amounts owed by clients. Failure of our clients to pay the amounts owed to us, or to pay such amounts in a timely manner, may increase our exposure to credit risks and result in bad debt write-offs. Unfavorable conditions or changes in any of these factors could negatively impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.
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The quality of our customer support and services offerings is important to our clients, and if we fail to offer high quality customer support and services, clients may not use our services and our net sales may decline.
A high level of customer support is critical for the successful marketing and sale of our solutions. If we are unable to provide a level of customer support and service to meet or exceed the expectations of our clients, we could experience a loss of clients and market share, a failure to attract new clients, including in new geographic regions and increased service and support costs and a diversion of resources. Any of these results could negatively impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.
A substantial part of our business depends on clients continuing their use of our services. Any decline in our client retention would harm our future operating results.
We do not have long term contracts with most of our clients, and therefore rely on their continued use of our services. As a result, client retention, particularly during periods of declining transactional volume, is an important part of our strategic business plan. There can be no assurance that our clients will continue to use our services to meet their ongoing needs, particularly in the face of competitors’ products and services offerings. Our client retention rates may decline due to a variety of factors, including:
| ● | our inability to demonstrate to our clients the value of our services; |
| ● | the price, performance and functionality of our services; |
| ● | the availability, price, performance and functionality of competing products and services; |
| ● | our clients’ ceasing to use or anticipating a declining need for our services in their operations; |
| ● | consolidation in our client base; |
| ● | the effects of economic downturns and global economic conditions; or |
| ● | reductions in our clients’ spending levels. |
If our retention rates are lower than anticipated or decline for any reason, our net sales may decrease and our profitability may be harmed, which could negatively impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.
We rely on our business partners, including printing and translation services providers to implement certain services to our customers.
We maintain business relationships with our business partners, including printing and translation services providers, to implement services to our customers. These service providers are engaged on an as-needed basis, depending on the demands of our customers since it is more cost-effective and offers flexibility in cost management. There is no assurance that our service providers will at all times perform at a satisfactory level. It may happen that there may be undetected errors in printing of the financial communications materials, or errors in the translation of corporate reporting materials. There may also be delays in our service providers to fulfill our demands. Similarly, in case there is any error or delay due to various reasons, including, but not limited to, mechanical failures of printing devices, transportation delays, and human negligence, the financial printed materials of our customers may not be delivered to the assigned destinations within the expected condition and time frame.
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In order to comply with the regulatory requirements, our customers generally require us to deliver to financial communications services within a tight timeframe. We cannot assure you that the service quality of our service providers, particularly printing and translation services providers, will always meet our or our customers’ standards or requirements. There may be occasions where, due to various reasons, our service providers are not able to complete the required tasks or deliver the financial communications materials on time or there may be instances where those materials are damaged during the transfer. If our service providers are unable to meet our customers’ standards and requirements and we are unable to find suitable alternatives promptly, our reputation within the industry may be adversely affected.
In addition, we are dependent in part on third parties to report certain events to us, such as mistakes in translation or typesetting of financial communications materials. This partial reliance on third parties could cause delays in reporting certain events, impacting our ability to delivery and complete the required services in a timely manner. In addition, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain access to preferred third-party service providers at attractive rates or that these providers will have adequate capacity available to meet the needs of our customers.
Our business may be adversely affected by new technologies enabling clients to produce and file documents on their own.
The Company’s business may be adversely affected as clients seek out opportunities to produce and file regulatory documentation on their own and begin to implement technologies that assist them in this process. For example, clients and their financial advisors may reach out to web-based services which allow clients to autonomously file and distribute reports and announcements required pursuant to the HK Listing Rules, HKSFO, prospectuses and other materials as a replacement for using our ESS filing services. If technologies are further developed to provide our clients with the ability to autonomously produce and file documents to meet their regulatory obligations, and we do not develop products or provide services to compete with such new technologies, our business may be adversely affected by those clients who choose alternative solutions, including self-serving or filing themselves.
Our performance and growth depend on our ability to generate client referrals and to develop referenceable client relationships that will enhance our sales and marketing efforts.
We depend on users of our services to generate client referrals for our services. We depend in part on the financial advisors, financial institutions, law firms and other third parties who use our services to recommend our services to their client base, which allows us to reach a larger client base than we can reach through our direct sales and internal marketing efforts. For instance, a portion of our net sales is derived from referrals by investment banks, financial advisors and law firms that have utilized our services in connection with prior transactions. These referrals are an important source of new clients for our services.
A decline in the number of referrals we receive could require us to devote substantially more resources to the sales and marketing of our services, which would increase our costs, potentially lead to a decline in our net sales, slow our growth and negatively impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.
The highly competitive market for our services and industry fragmentation may continue to create adverse price pressures.
The financial communications services industry is highly competitive with relatively low barriers to entry, and the industry remains highly fragmented in Hong Kong and internationally. Management expects that competition will increase from existing competitors, as well as new and emerging entrants. Additionally, as we expand our service offerings, we may face competition from new and existing competitors. As a result, competition may lead to additional pricing pressure on our services, which could negatively impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.
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A failure to adapt to technological changes to address the changing demands of clients may adversely impact our business, and if we fail to successfully develop, introduce or integrate new services or enhancements to our services platforms, systems or applications, our reputation, net sales and operating income may suffer.
Our ability to attract new clients and increase sales to existing clients will depend in large part on our ability to enhance and improve our existing services, and to enhance efficiency or introduce new functionality either by acquisition or internal development. Our operating results would suffer if our information technology infrastructures were not responsive to the needs of our clients, were not appropriately timed with market opportunities or were not brought to market effectively. In addition, it is possible that our assumptions about the features that we believe will drive purchasing decisions for our potential clients or renewal decisions for our existing clients could be incorrect. In exploring new services or services upgrades, there can be no assurance that such new services, or upgrades to our services, will be released on schedule or that, when released, they will not contain defects as a result of poor planning, execution or other factors during the product development lifecycle. If any of these situations were to arise, we could suffer adverse publicity, damage to our reputation, loss of net sales, delay in market acceptance or claims by clients brought against us. Moreover, upgrades and enhancements to our platforms may require substantial investment and there can be no assurance that our investments will help us achieve or sustain a durable competitive advantage in our services offerings. If clients do not widely adopt our services or new innovations to our services, we may not be able to justify the investments we have made. If we are unable to develop, license or acquire new solutions or enhancements to existing services on a timely and cost-effective basis, or if our new or enhanced solutions or services do not achieve market acceptance, our business, results of operations and financial condition will be materially negatively impacted.
Undetected errors or failures found in our services may result in loss of or delay in market acceptance of our services that could seriously harm our business.
Our services and deliverables, particularly when typesetting and translation services are engaged, may contain undetected errors at any point in their process. We frequently implement quality assurance procedures to ensure the deliverables conform with customers’ needs and requirements. Despite such quality assurance procedures, errors may not be found in our services until after the same have been delivered to the clients, resulting in a loss of or a delay in market acceptance, damage to our reputation, client dissatisfaction and reductions in net sales and margins, any of which could negatively impact our business.
Changes in the rules and regulations to which clients or potential clients are subject may impact demand for our services.
Most, if not all, of our clients are subject to rules and regulations requiring certain printed or electronic communications governing the form, content and delivery methods of such communications. Changes in these regulations may impact clients’ business practices and could reduce demand for our services. Changes in such regulations could eliminate the need for certain types of communications altogether or such changes may impact the quantity or format of communications.
Our failure to maintain the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our systems, software and solutions could seriously damage our reputation and affect our ability to retain clients and attract new business.
Maintaining the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our systems, software and work process is an issue of critical importance for us and for our clients and users who rely on our services to prepare financial communications services, regulatory filings and store and exchange large volumes of information, much of which is proprietary, confidential and may constitute material nonpublic information for our clients. Maintaining up-to-date and effective security measures requires extensive capital expenditures. Though we have back-up capacity for all of our critical systems and facilities, certain emergencies or contingencies could occur, such as a computer virus attack, a natural disaster, a significant power outage covering multiple cities or a terrorist attack, which could temporarily shut down our facilities and computer systems. Inadvertent disclosure of the information maintained on our systems due to human error, breach of our systems through hacking or cybercrime or a leak of confidential information due to employee misconduct, could seriously damage our reputation and could cause significant reputational harm for our clients. Techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to, or to sabotage, systems change frequently and generally are not recognized until launched against a target. Like all software solutions, our software may be vulnerable to these types of attacks. An attack of this type could disrupt the proper functioning of our information technology infrastructure, cause errors in the output of our clients’ work, allow unauthorized access to sensitive, proprietary or confidential information of ours or our clients and other undesirable or destructive outcomes. Furthermore, during our production process, third party service providers will have access to the confidential information of our customers, which exposes us to additional risks of information leak or breach of confidentiality obligations. If an actual or perceived information leak or breach of our security were to occur, our reputation could suffer, clients could stop using our services and we could face lawsuits and potential liability, any of which could cause our financial performance to be negatively impacted.
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A number of core processes, such as sales and marketing, client service, financial communications services, financial transactions, rely on our information technology, infrastructure and applications.
Defects or malfunctions in our information technology infrastructure and applications could cause our services offerings not to perform as our clients expect, which could harm our reputation and business. In addition, malicious software, sabotage and other cybersecurity breaches of the types described above could cause an outage of our infrastructure, which could lead to a substantial denial of service and ultimately downtimes, recovery costs and client claims, any of which could negatively impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.
Some of our systems and services are developed by third parties or supported by third-party hardware and software and our business and reputation could suffer if these third-party systems and services fail to perform properly or are no longer available to us.
Some of our systems and services are developed by third parties or rely on hardware purchased or leased and software licensed from third parties. These systems and services, or the hardware and software required to run our existing systems and services, may not continue to be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Any loss of the right to use any of this hardware or software could result in delays in the provisioning of our services, which could negatively affect our business until equivalent technology is either developed by us or, if available, is identified, obtained and integrated. In addition, it is possible that our hardware vendors or the licensors of third-party software could increase the prices they charge, which could have an adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition. Further, changing hardware vendors or software licensors could detract from management’s ability to focus on the ongoing operations of our business or could cause delays in the operations of our business.
Additionally, third party software underlying our services can contain undetected errors or bugs. We may be forced to delay commercial release of our services until any discovered problems are corrected and, in some cases, may need to implement enhancements or modifications to correct errors that we do not detect until after deployment of our services.
Our independent registered public accounting firm has expressed substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a going concern in its report.
The Company’s financial statements were prepared on a “going concern” basis. Certain matters, as described in the accompanying audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023, indicate there may be substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. As of December 31, 2023, we had deficit in equity of HK$15,312,968 (approximately US$1,960,461), net liabilities of HK$15,312,968 (approximately US$1,960,461) and net current liabilities of HK$19,859,607 (approximately US$2,542,550). During the year ended December 31, 2023, we had a net profit after taxation of HK$7,079,243 (approximately US$906,329), and for the year ended December 31, 2022, we incurred net losses of HK$98,603. Our independent registered public accounting firm expressed substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a going concern in our IPO registration statement. Although our independent registered public accounting firm has not expressed such doubt after our IPO and in the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024, we may have to continue to seek to fund our operations through sales of our services and equity financing arrangements. Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. We must raise additional capital in order to continue our operations and to implement our plan of operations. Our failure to raise capital as and when needed would impact our going concern status and would have a negative impact on our financial condition and our ability to pursue our business strategy and continue as a going concern. We cannot assure you that our plans to raise sufficient capital will be successful. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements contained elsewhere in this prospectus do not include any adjustments that might result from our inability to continue as a going concern.
The Company may need to raise additional capital to support its operations.
The Company may need to procure additional financing over time, the amount and timing of which will depend on a number of factors, including the pace of expansion of the Company’s opportunities and customer base, the scope of product development to be undertaken by the Company, the need to respond to customer needs for improvement of product offerings, the services offered and development efforts, the cash flow generated by its operations, the extent of losses, if any with respect to matters identified as risk factors herein and the extent of other unanticipated areas or amounts of expenditure. The Company cannot fully predict the extent to which it will require additional financing. There can be no assurance regarding the availability or terms of additional financing the Company may be able to procure over time. Any new investor may require that any future debt financing or issuance of preferred equity by the Company could be senior to the rights of shareholders, and any future issuance of equity could result in the dilution of the value of our shares.
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The Company may incur significant losses, and there can be no assurance that the Company will ever become a profitable business.
During the year ended December 31, 2024, we had net loss of HK$18,074,094 (US$2,326,826). It is anticipated that the Company may continue to sustain operating losses. Its ability to become and/or remain profitable depends in material part on success in growing and expanding the Company’s products and services. There can be no assurance that this will occur. Unanticipated problems and expenses often encountered in offering new and unique products or services may impact whether the Company is successful. Furthermore, the Company may encounter substantial delays and unexpected expenses related to development, technological changes, marketing, insurance, legal or regulatory requirements and changes to such requirements or other unforeseen difficulties. There can be no assurance that the Company will remain profitable. If the Company sustains losses over a period of time, it may be unable to continue in business.
The Company’s future revenue and operating results are unpredictable and may fluctuate significantly.
It is difficult to accurately forecast the Company’s revenues and operating results, and they could fluctuate in the future due to several factors. These factors may include acceptance of the Company’s products and services; the amount and timing of operating costs and capital expenditures; competition from other market venues or services that may reduce market share and create pricing pressure; and adverse changes in general economic, industry and regulatory conditions and requirements.
Despite our diversification efforts to generate revenues from printing financial documents for listed issuers’ annual and interim regulatory compliance, and not limiting our financing printing business to IPOs, our business remains susceptible to evolving market practices in light of regulatory developments. These emerging trends include postings of documents on Internet web pages, the removal of mandatory quarterly reporting rules, the trend towards “paperless listings” and electronic delivery of offering documents including “online roadshows”, which may adversely affect the overall demand for printed financial documents and reports.
The Company’s operating results may fluctuate from year to year due to the factors listed above and others not listed. At times, these fluctuations may be significant.
Adverse credit market conditions may limit our ability to obtain future financing.
We may, from time to time, depend on access to credit markets. Uncertainty and volatility in global financial markets may cause financial markets institutions to fail or may cause lenders to hoard capital and reduce lending. As a result, we may not obtain financing on terms and conditions that are favorable to us, or at all.
Fluctuations in the costs and availability of paper, ink, energy and other raw materials may adversely impact us. We also have significant fixed costs which are not easily reduced if revenues fall below expectations.
Increases in the costs of these inputs may increase our costs and we may not be able to pass these costs on to clients through higher prices. Moreover, rising raw materials’ costs, and any consequent impact on our pricing, could lead to a decrease in demand for our products and services. In addition, despite our ability to effectively manage a highly variable cost structure, a portion of our operating expenses, such as lease payments, salaries and related costs inevitably remain relatively fixed. We may not be able to reduce fixed spending in the near term to compensate for any adverse fluctuations in revenues. Accordingly, any shortfalls in revenue are likely to materially adversely affect our operating results.
Our insurance coverage may be inadequate to protect us from potential losses.
We have obtained insurance to cover certain potential risks and liabilities. We provide work-related injury insurance for our employees and property all risks insurance for our office facilities. However, we do not maintain professional liability insurance that includes coverage on any negligence in the preparation of financial communications services materials, translation, information leakage, breach of confidentiality obligations and cybersecurity incidents. Although we have not experienced such incidents in the past, if these incidents were to occur, there can be no assurance that insurance coverage will be available, responsive, or that available coverage will be sufficient to cover losses and claims related to such incidents we may experience.
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There are also certain types of losses, such as from war, acts of terrorism, and certain natural disasters, for which we cannot obtain insurance at a reasonable cost or at all. There can be no assurance that our insurance coverage is sufficient to prevent us from any loss or that we will be able to successfully claim our losses under our current insurance policies on a timely basis or at all. If we incur any loss that is not covered by our insurance policies, or the compensated amount is significantly less than our actual loss, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Our business is substantially dependent on our relationship with our major service suppliers. Changes or difficulties in our relationships with our service suppliers may harm our business and financial results.
Our business is substantially dependent on our relationship with our major service suppliers. Our suppliers primarily include printing services providers, translation services providers and design services providers. We consider major service suppliers in each year to be those suppliers that accounted for more than 10% of overall purchases in such year. For the year ended December 31, 2024, four major suppliers accounted for approximately 18.5%, 16.7%, 11.8%, and 8.7% of our total purchases, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2023, four major suppliers accounted for approximately 25.4%, 13.3%, 8.2%, and 7.2% of our total purchases, respectively.
We generally do not enter into any long-term agreements with our service suppliers. Accordingly, there is no assurance that JAN Financial and Miracle Media can maintain stable and long-term business relationships with any service supplier. Failure to maintain existing relationships with the service suppliers or to establish new relationships in the future could negatively affect JAN Financial and Miracle Media’s ability to obtain their services in a price advantage and timely manner. If JAN Financial and Miracle Media is unable to obtain ample supply of services from existing suppliers or alternative sources of supply, JAN Financial and Miracle Media may be unable to satisfy the orders from its customers or may only be able to provide our financial communications services at a much higher rate.
Our business is dependent on information technology and is subject to cybersecurity risks. A cyberattack may disrupt our operations and compromise the personal data of our customers.
We rely on information technology to maintain our electronic systems and database in the course of our business operations. Our suppliers’ and customers’ information, financial communications of our clients are electronically recorded in our systems. While we take measures to ensure the security of our information technology systems, our systems are susceptible to outages from fire, floods, power loss, telecommunications failures, data leakage, human error, hacking and break-ins, cyber-attacks and similar events. The occurrence of any of these events could disrupt or damage our information technology systems and hamper our internal operations, disable our ability to handle the orders of customers efficiently or at all, and adversely impact our customer service, volumes, and revenues and result in increased cost.
Furthermore, threats to information technology systems, including as a result of cyberattacks and cyber incidents, continue to grow. Cybersecurity risks could include, but are not limited to, malicious software, attempts to gain unauthorized access to our data, and the unauthorized release, corruption, or loss of our data and personal information, interruptions in communication, loss of our intellectual property or theft of our sensitive or proprietary technology, loss or damage to our data delivery systems or other electronic security, including with our property and equipment.
These cybersecurity risks could:
| ● | Disrupt our operations and damage our information technology systems; |
| ● | Subject us to various penalties and fees by third parties; |
| ● | Negatively impact our ability to compete; |
| ● | Enable the theft or misappropriation of funds; |
| ● | Cause the loss, corruption, or misappropriation of proprietary or confidential information; |
| ● | Expose us to litigation; and |
| ● | Result in injury to our reputation, downtime, loss of revenue, and increased costs to prevent, respond to, or mitigate cybersecurity events. |
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If a cybersecurity event occurs, it could harm our business and reputation and could result in a loss of customers. Likewise, data privacy breaches by employees and others who access our systems may pose a risk that sensitive customer data may be exposed to unauthorized persons or to the public, adversely impacting our customer service, employee relationships, and our reputation.
While we continue to make efforts to evaluate and improve our systems and particularly the effectiveness of our security program, procedures, and systems, it is possible that our business, financial, and other systems could be compromised, which could go unnoticed for a prolonged period of time, and there can be no assurance that the actions and controls that we implement, or which we cause third-party service providers to implement, will be sufficient to protect our systems, information, or other property. Additionally, customers or third parties upon whom we rely face similar threats, which could directly or indirectly impact our business and operations. The occurrence of a cyber incident or attack could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
There is also no assurance that we will be able to successfully keep up with technological improvements in order to meet our customers’ needs or the technology developed by competitors will not have an adverse impact on the competitiveness or attractiveness of our services. In addition, hardware or software failure relating to information technology systems could significantly disrupt customer workflows and cause economic losses for which we could be held liable and that could damage our reputation. We are also subject to hacking or other attacks on our information technology systems.
We may not be able to meet the delivery schedule of our customers and may experience loss of revenue.
Once we accept orders from our clients, we are committed to delivering our clients’ financial communications materials within the agreed schedule. If a possible delay in delivery schedule is anticipated, due to disruptions of our operation flow; additional time for quality assurance; disruptions in our suppliers’ operations such as equipment breakdowns, power failures, or epidemic disease; disruptions due to shortage of manpower; transportation delays; and/or other factors beyond our control, we would take proactive actions such as timely negotiation with our customers for adjusting schedules and making delivery by expedited methods. We may incur additional expenses or have to offer additional discounts to our customers as a result of such remedial measures. When such delays occur, we may also experience a loss of revenue and, in the worst-case scenario, our customers may cancel the order. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not experienced any delay that led to material cancellation of requests from our customers.
We had a substantial customer concentration, and such substantial customer concentration could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.
We derived a significant portion of our revenues from a major customer for the years ended December 31, 2023. For the year ended December 31, 2023, a customer accounted for approximately 12.5% of our total revenue. Although there is no single customer accounting for more than 10% of our total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024, there are inherent risks whenever a large percentage of total revenues are concentrated with a limited number of customers. It is not possible for us to predict the future level of demand for our services from our customers. If any of our customers experience declining or delayed sales due to market, economic, or competitive conditions, their demand for our financial communications services may reduce which compels us to lower our prices, which could have an adverse effect on our margins and financial position and could negatively affect our revenues and results of operations.
Given the nature of our financial printing business, we generally do not have long-term service agreements, which makes revenue forecasting difficult.
Much of our revenue in our transactional financial printing and financial communications business is derived from individual projects rather than long-term service agreements. In line with industry practice, we do not enter into long-term contracts with our clients. Therefore, we cannot assure you that a client will engage us for future services once a project is completed, or that a client will not unilaterally reduce the scope of, or terminate, existing projects. You should not predict or anticipate our future revenue based on the number of clients we have or the size of our existing projects. The absence of long-term service agreements makes it difficult to predict our future revenue. While we serve listed issuer clients to fulfill their regulatory compliance requirements, our ability to attract IPO clients is largely contingent on the Hong Kong equity market for IPOs, which is experiencing relatively low volumes of activity given the general slowdown in economic conditions globally.
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We may not be able to attract and retain our core management team and other key personnel for our operation.
Our success and growth depend on our on the knowledge, experience, and expertise of our management team, who is responsible for overseeing financial condition and performance, sales and marketing, operational process, and business strategy formulation, as well as the ability to identify, hire, train, and retain suitable, skilled, and qualified employees. See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees” in our Form 20-F. There is no assurance that we will be able to continue to retain the services of any or all of our management team and key personnel, particularly our customer service, technical and sales personnel. If any of these personnel is unable or unwilling to continue to serve in his or her present position, and we are unable to find a suitable replacement in a timely manner, at acceptable cost or at all, the loss of their services may cause disruption to our business and may have an adverse impact on our ability to manage or operate our business effectively. The results of our operations may be adversely affected as a result. Our business operation is generally manual in nature, and any deterioration of labor relations may adversely affect our operational stability and efficiency. We cannot give any assurance that favorable labor relations can be maintained. Any industrial action or strike by our labor force beyond our control may also cause temporary or prolonged disruption to our business operation.
We may be unable to successfully implement our future business plans and objectives.
Our future business plans may be hindered by factors beyond our control, such as competition within the industry we operate; our ability to cope with high exposure to financial risk, operational risk, market risk, and credit risk as our business and customer base expands; and our ability to provide, maintain, and improve the level of human and other resources in servicing our customers. As such, we cannot assure that our future business plans will materialize, that our objectives will be accomplished fully or partially, or that our business strategies will generate the intended benefits to us as initially contemplated. If we fail to implement our business development strategies successfully, our business performance could be materially and adversely affected. As all of our revenue and profit is derived from our financial printing services, to the extent that any diversification efforts into new fields that complement our financial printing business prove unsuccessful, our business performance could be materially adversely affected by volatile swings in capital market activity that directly impact the demand for our services.
We may in the future pursue acquisitions and joint ventures as part of our growth strategy. Any future acquisition or joint venture may result in exposure to potential liabilities of the acquired companies and significant transaction costs, and it may also present new risks associated with entering additional markets or offering new products or services and integrating the acquired companies or newly established joint ventures. Moreover, we may not have sufficient management, financial, and other resources to integrate companies we acquire or to successfully operate joint ventures, and we may be unable to profitably operate our expanded company structure. Additionally, any new business that we may acquire or joint ventures we may form, once integrated with our existing operations, may not produce expected or intended results.
As we lease a property for our business operations, we are exposed to risks in relation to unpredictable and increasing rental and relocation costs.
Our office facilities are presently located on a leased premises. At the end of each lease term, we may not be able to negotiate an extension of the lease and may therefore be forced to move to a different location, or the rent we pay may increase significantly. In the event that our rental expenses for our office located in Central, Hong Kong increase, our operating expenses will increase and also affect our operating cash flows and, in turn, materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and prospects.
Furthermore, the leases for the office facilities we use could be challenged by third parties or government authorities, which may cause interruptions to our business operations. We cannot assure you that our use of such leased properties will not be challenged. In the event that our use of leased properties is successfully challenged, we may be subject to fines and forced to relocate the affected operations. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to find suitable replacement sites at desirable locations on terms acceptable to accommodate our future growth on a timely basis or at all or that we will not be subject to material liability resulting from third parties’ challenges on our use of such properties.
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We are exposed to credit risks with our customers.
We are exposed to credit risks with our customers. We do not have access to all the information necessary to form a comprehensive view on creditworthiness. The complete financial and operational conditions of customers are not always available to us, and we may not be in any position to obtain such information. As a result, if any of our major customers experience any financial difficulty and fail to settle the outstanding amounts due to us in accordance with the agreed credit terms, our working capital position may be adversely affected.
Assertions by a third party that we have infringed, misappropriated, or otherwise violated their intellectual property could subject us to costly and time-consuming litigation and adversely impact our business.
In July 2019, a third party asserted an infringement of intellectual property claim against JAN Financial, leading to the change of company name of JAN Financial. See “Business — Intellectual Property.” in our Form 20-F. While we take measures to ensure that our business does not infringe the intellectual property of third parties, third parties have asserted, and may in the future assert, that we have infringed, misappropriated, or otherwise violated their patents or other intellectual property rights. There may be intellectual property rights held by others, including issued or pending trademarks or patents, that cover significant aspects of our operations, and we cannot assure you that we are not infringing, misappropriating, or violating, and have not infringed, misappropriated, or violated, any third-party intellectual property rights or that we will not be held to have done so or be accused of doing so in the future. In addition, as we face increasing competition and become increasingly visible as a publicly-traded company, or if we become more successful, the possibility of new third-party claims may increase.
Furthermore, as we are engaged in the provision of financial communications services which involve production of printed materials as well as publication of materials in both printed and electronic form. Such services are subject to intellectual property protection.
In the event of disputes over the use of any intellectual property in our services, there is a risk that claims may be made against us for intellectual property infringement. Any claim that we have violated intellectual property or other proprietary rights of third parties, with or without merit, could be time-consuming and costly to address and resolve, could divert the time and attention of management and technical personnel from our business, could place limitations on our ability to deliver our services to customers within the required timeframe. Also, we could be required to pay substantial monetary damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees if we are found to have willfully infringed a party’s intellectual property rights. We may also be required to enter into a royalty or licensing agreement that could include significant upfront and future licensing fees, which efforts may not be timely or prove successful at all and require us to indemnify customers or other third parties. Royalty or licensing agreements may be unavailable on terms acceptable to us, or at all. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business and our results of operations.
We may be subject to litigation, arbitration, or other legal proceeding risk.
We may be subject to arbitration claims and lawsuits in the ordinary course of our business. As of the date of this prospectus, the Company and JAN Financial are not a party to, and are not aware of any threat of, any legal proceeding that, in the opinion of our management, is likely to have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or operations. Actions brought against us may result in settlements, awards, injunctions, fines, penalties, and other results adverse to us. A substantial judgment, settlement, fine, or penalty could be material to our operating results or cash flows for a particular period, depending on our results for that period, or could cause us significant reputational harm, which could harm our business prospects.
In addition, even if we prevail in any litigation or enforcement proceedings against us, we could incur significant legal expenses defending against the claims, even those without merit. Moreover, because even claims without merit can damage our reputation or raise concerns among our clients, we may feel compelled to settle claims at significant cost.
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Increasing labor costs and labor shortages in our industry may affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
As of December 31, 2024, we had 53 employees. As the date of prospectus, we have 51 employees. We intend to hire additional staff in Hong Kong to facilitate our expansion plans.
The economy in Hong Kong and globally has experienced general increases in inflation and labor costs in recent years. As a result, average wages in Hong Kong and certain other regions (such as the United States) are expected to continue to increase. In addition, we are required by Hong Kong laws and regulations to pay various statutory employee benefits, including a mandatory provident fund to designated government agencies for the benefit of our employees. The relevant government agencies may examine whether an employer has made adequate payments to the statutory employee benefits, and those employers who fail to make adequate payments may be subject to fines and other penalties.
Although we have not experienced any labor shortage to date, we have observed an overall tightening and increasingly competitive labor market. We have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, increases in labor costs due to increases in salary, social benefits, and employee headcount. We and our service providers compete with other companies in our industry and other labor-intensive industries for labor, and we may not be able to offer competitive salaries and benefits compared to them.
Since we operate in a labor-intensive industry, we may face a shortage of labor in the future or experience increasing labor costs. If we fail to recruit sufficient staff or retain our existing employees at an acceptable cost, we may not be able to shift the extra costs to our customers due to their bargaining power or the competitive pricing model adopted by our competitors. Therefore, the increase in labor costs and labor shortage may adversely impact our business, expansion plans, financial condition, and results of operations.
To mitigate the inflationary pressure and the risk of increasing labor costs, we have taken measures including (i) minimizing unnecessary and non-value-added costs in our operations; and (ii) strengthening our price bargaining power by providing more competitive salaries and benefits to our employees and shifting excess costs to our customers by raising our charges. We would also continue to enhance our information technology infrastructure to lower labor involvements and, thus, reduce labor costs.
Natural disasters, acts of war, and other catastrophic events may adversely affect our operations.
Natural disasters, acts of God, wars, epidemics, material interruptions in service, or stoppages in transportation, as well as other events that are beyond our control, can have adverse effects on local economies, infrastructures, airports, port facilities, and international trade. Such events can also result in the closure of ports or airports and disruptions to raw material flows. Major earthquakes, weather events, cyberattacks, heightened security measures (actual or threatened), terrorist attacks, strikes, civil unrest, pandemic, or other catastrophic events may also cause a disruption or failure of our systems or operations thereby causing delays in providing services or performing other critical functions. In such an event, our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be adversely affected.
We have carried out mergers and acquisitions and we expect to pursue acquisitions in the future. There are risks associated with acquisitions that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In February 2025, we acquired the shares representing all of the issued and outstanding capital of Miracle Media Production Limited (the “Target”) from Vision Access Enterprises Limited (“Vision Access”) and M Digital Partners Company Limited and all of the outstanding amounts owed by the Target to Vision Access. The Target is principally engaged in the provision of printing and translation services in Hong Kong. We expect to pursue further acquisitions in the future.
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There are risks associated with acquisitions that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, which include:
| ● | some of the acquired businesses may not achieve anticipated revenues, earnings or cash flow; |
| ● | we may assume liabilities that were not disclosed to us; | |
| ● | we may be unable to integrate acquired businesses successfully and realize anticipated economic, operational and other benefits in a timely manner, which could result in substantial costs and delays or other operational, technical or financial problems; | |
| ● | acquisitions could disrupt our ongoing business, distract management, divert resources and make it difficult to maintain our current business standards, controls and procedures; | |
| ● | we may finance future acquisitions by issuing Class A Ordinary Shares or other classes of securities for some or all of the purchase price, which could dilute the ownership interests of our shareholders; | |
| ● | we may also incur additional debt related to future acquisitions; and | |
| ● | we would be competing with other firms, some of which may have greater financial and other resources, to acquire attractive companies. |
Risks Related to Doing Business in Hong Kong
All of our operations are in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of the PRC. Due to the long-arm provisions under current PRC laws and regulations, the Chinese government may exercise significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of our business and may intervene in or influence our operations at any time, which could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares. Any actions by the Chinese government to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in Hong Kong or China-based issuers could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. The Chinese government may intervene or impose restrictions on our ability to move money out of Hong Kong to distribute earnings and pay dividends or to reinvest in our business outside of Hong Kong. Changes in the policies, regulations, rules, and the enforcement of laws of the Chinese government may also be quick with little advance notice, and our assertions and beliefs of the risk imposed by the PRC legal and regulatory system cannot be certain.
Powell Max is a holding company, and we conduct all our operations in Hong Kong through our operating subsidiaries JAN Financial and Miracle Media. Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the PRC. Although some of our clients are companies from mainland China or companies that have shareholders and directors that are individuals from mainland China, JAN Financial does not have operations in mainland China and is not regulated by any regulator in mainland China. Furthermore, pursuant to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (“Basic Law”), national laws of mainland China do not apply in Hong Kong unless they are listed in Annex III of the Basic Law and applied locally by promulgation or local legislation. National laws that may be listed in Annex III are currently limited under the Basic Law to those which fall within the scope of defense and foreign affairs as well as other matters outside the limits of the autonomy of Hong Kong. National laws and regulations relating to data protection, cybersecurity and the anti-monopoly have not been listed in Annex III and so do not apply directly to Hong Kong.
However, due to certain long-arm provisions in the current PRC laws and regulations, there remains regulatory uncertainty with respect to the implementation and interpretation of laws in China as they may affect Hong Kong. The PRC government may choose to exercise additional oversight and discretion over Hong Kong, and the policies, regulations, rules, and the enforcement of laws of the PRC government to which we are subject may change rapidly and with little advance notice to us or our shareholders. As a result, the application, interpretation, and enforcement of new and existing laws and regulations in the PRC and our assertions and beliefs of the risk imposed by the PRC legal and regulatory system are by their very nature uncertain.
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In addition, these PRC laws and regulations may be interpreted and applied inconsistently by different agencies or authorities, which may result in inconsistency with our current policies and practices. New laws, regulations, and other government directives in the PRC may also be costly to comply with, and such compliance, any associated inquiries or investigations, or any other government actions may:
| ● | Delay or impede our development; |
| ● | Result in negative publicity or increase our operating costs; |
| ● | Require significant management time and attention; and |
| ● | Subject us to remedies, administrative penalties, and even criminal liabilities that may harm our business, including fines assessed for our current or historical operations, or demands or orders that we modify or even cease our business practices. |
We are aware that the PRC government recently initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in certain areas in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas using a VIE structure, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. Since these statements and regulatory actions are new, it is highly uncertain how soon the PRC legislative or administrative regulation-making bodies will respond or what existing or new laws or regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations will be modified or promulgated, if any, or what the potential impact that any such modified or new laws and regulations would have on our daily business operations and the ability to accept foreign investments and list on a U.S. or other foreign exchange.
All of the legal and operational risks associated with operating in the PRC also apply to our operations in Hong Kong. The PRC government may intervene or influence our operations at any time and may exert more control over offerings conducted overseas and foreign investment in Hong Kong-based issuers, which may result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares. Any actions by the Chinese government to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in Hong Kong or China-based issuers could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
For example, there is currently no restriction or limitation under the laws of Hong Kong on the conversion of HK dollar into foreign currencies and the transfer of currencies out of Hong Kong and the laws and regulations of the PRC on currency conversion control do not currently have any material impact on the transfer of cash between the ultimate holding company and our operating subsidiaries in Hong Kong. However, the PRC government may, in the future, impose restrictions or limitations on our ability to move money out of Hong Kong to distribute earnings and pay dividends to and from the other entities within our organization or to reinvest in our business outside of Hong Kong. Such restrictions and limitations, if imposed in the future, may delay or hinder the expansion of our business to outside of Hong Kong and may affect our ability to receive funds from our operating subsidiaries in Hong Kong. The promulgation of new laws or regulations, or the new interpretation of existing laws and regulations, in each case, that restrict or otherwise unfavorably impact our ability to conduct our business could require us to (i) change certain aspects of our business to ensure compliance; (ii) decrease demand for our services; (iii) reduce revenues; (iv) increase costs; (v) obtain more licenses, permits, approvals, or certificates; or (vi) subject us to additional liabilities. To the extent any new or more stringent measures are implemented, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected and the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares could decrease or become worthless.
The Hong Kong legal system embodies uncertainties that could limit the legal protections available to you and us.
All of our operations are conducted in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a special administration region of the PRC. On July 1, 1997, the PRC assumed sovereignty of Hong Kong under the “one country, two systems” principle which ensures that Hong Kong has its own governmental and legal system that is independent from mainland China and, as a result, has its own distinct rules and regulations. The constitutional document of Hong Kong, the Basic Law, provides that Hong Kong enjoys the freedom to function with a high degree of autonomy for its affairs, including currencies, immigration and customs operations, and its independent judiciary system and parliamentary system. The laws previously in force in Hong Kong, that is, the common law, rules of equity, ordinances, subordinate legislation and customary law are maintained. Hong Kong continues using the English common law system. The Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong is responsible for its own domestic affairs including, but not limited to, the judiciary and courts of last resort, immigration and customs, public finance, currencies and extradition.
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In contrast, the PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes unlike the common law system applicable in Hong Kong; prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value. Since 1979, the PRC government has promulgated laws and regulations governing economic matters in general, such as foreign investment, corporate organization and governance, commerce, taxation, and trade. However, China has not developed a fully integrated legal system. As a result, recently enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in China. In particular, because these laws and regulations are relatively new and due to the limited volume of published cases and their non-binding nature, interpretation and enforcement of these newer laws and regulations involve greater uncertainties than those in jurisdictions available to you. In addition, the PRC’s legal system is based in part on government policies and administrative rules and many have retroactive effects. As a result, we cannot predict the effect of future developments in China’s legal system, including the promulgation of new laws, changes to existing laws or the interpretation or enforcement thereof, or the preemption of local regulations by national laws.
Any administrative and court proceedings in China may be protracted, resulting in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems.
We are unable to assure you that Hong Kong will continue to enjoy a high autonomy and the relative political freedoms as enjoyed by it in previous years. There have been ignited criticism from many people in Hong Kong, who were of view that the PRC leadership was reneging on its pledge to abide by the “one country, two systems” policy that allows for a democratic, autonomous Hong Kong under Beijing’s rule. For instance, on June 10, 2014, Beijing released a new report asserting its authority over the territory. On July 14, 2020, the United States signed an executive order to end the special status enjoyed by Hong Kong post-1997. If the autonomy currently enjoyed by Hong Kong is compromised, it could potentially impact Hong Kong’s common law legal system and ma, in turn, bring about uncertainty in, for example, the enforcement of our contractual rights. This could, in turn, materially and adversely affect our business and operations. On March 23, 2024, the Hong Kong government has enacted the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (“SNSO”), which is a domestic security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law, to prohibit four types of offenses, including secession, subversion, terrorist activities and collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security, as well as other offences relating to the endangering of national security, which has been considered as having further significantly undermined the autonomy of Hong Kong. It is difficult for us to predict the degree of adverse impact of the legislation of the SNSO on Hong Kong or our business in Hong Kong. However, in any event, since all of our operations are based in Hong Kong, any change of the political arrangements between Hong Kong and the PRC may pose an adverse impact to the stability of the economy in Hong Kong, thereby directly and adversely affecting our results of operations and financial positions. Additionally, intellectual property rights and confidentiality protections in Hong Kong may not be as effective as in the United States or other countries. Accordingly, we cannot predict the effect of future developments in the Hong Kong legal system, including the promulgation of new laws, changes to existing laws or the interpretation or enforcement thereof, or the pre-emption of local regulations by national laws. These uncertainties could limit the legal protections available to us, including our ability to enforce our agreements with our customers.
If the PRC were to, in fact, renege on its agreement to allow Hong Kong to function autonomously, this could potentially impact Hong Kong’s common law legal system and may, in turn, bring about uncertainty in, for example, the enforcement of our contractual rights. Accordingly, we cannot predict the effect of future developments in the Hong Kong legal system, including the promulgation of new laws, changes to existing laws or the interpretation or enforcement thereof, or the preemption of local regulations by national laws. These uncertainties could limit the legal protections available to you.
Uncertainties regarding the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws, rules, and regulations, which could change at any time, could limit the legal protections available to us.
The PRC legal system is based on written statutes and prior court decisions have limited value as precedents. Since the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations, and rules, which could change at any time with little advance notice, are not always uniform, and enforcement of these laws, regulations, and rules involves uncertainties.
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We may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights from time to time. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based partly on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published in a timely manner or at all) that may have a retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such uncertainties, including uncertainty over the scope and effect of our contractual, property (including intellectual property), and procedural rights, could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.
It may be difficult for overseas regulators to conduct investigations or collect evidence within the territory of China, including Hong Kong.
Shareholder claims or regulatory investigations that are common in the United States generally are difficult to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to providing information needed for regulatory investigations or litigation initiated outside China. Although the authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities regulatory authorities of another country or region to implement cross-border supervision and administration, such cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the United States may not be efficient in the absence of mutual and practicable cooperation mechanism. Furthermore, according to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law, or Article 177, which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigations or evidence collection activities within mainland China. While detailed interpretation of or implementation rules under Article 177 have yet to be promulgated, the inability for an overseas securities regulator to directly conduct investigations or evidence collection activities within mainland China may further increase difficulties faced by you in protecting your interests.
In the event that U.S. regulators carry out an investigation on us and there is a need to conduct such investigation, or collect evidence in mainland China, U.S. regulators may not be able to carry out such investigation or evidence collection directly in mainland China under the PRC laws. U.S. regulators may, in the future, consider cross-border cooperation with a securities regulatory authority of the PRC by way of judicial assistance, diplomatic channels, or a regulatory cooperation mechanism established with the securities regulatory authority of the PRC.
Our principal business operations are conducted in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has a legal system separate from mainland China. Our Hong Kong counsel advised that the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong (“SFC”) is a signatory to the International Organization of Securities Commissions Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding (“MMOU”), which provides for mutual investigatory and other assistance and exchange of information between securities regulators around the world, including the SEC. This is also reflected in section 186 of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (“SFO”), which empowers the SFC to exercise its investigatory powers to obtain information and documents requested by non-Hong Kong regulators, and section 378 of the SFO, which allows the SFC to share confidential information and documents in its possession with such regulators. However, there is no assurance that such cooperation will materialize or, if it does, whether it will adequately address any efforts to investigate or collect evidence to the extent that may be sought by U.S. regulators.
Adverse regulatory developments in China may subject us to additional regulatory review, and additional disclosure requirements and regulatory scrutiny to be adopted by the SEC in response to risks related to recent regulatory developments in China may impose additional compliance requirements for companies like us with Hong Kong-based operations, all of which could increase our compliance costs and subject us to additional disclosure requirements.
Currently, Hong Kong has a separate legal system from mainland China, and it has its legislative framework and judiciary independent of that of the PRC government. Nonetheless, the recent regulatory developments in China, in particular with respect to restrictions on China-based companies raising capital offshore, may lead to additional regulatory review in China over our financing and capital-raising activities in the United States. In addition, we may be subject to industry-wide regulations that may be adopted by the relevant PRC authorities, which may have the effect of limiting our service offerings, restricting the scope of our operations in Hong Kong, or causing the suspension or termination of our business operations in Hong Kong entirely. We may have to adjust, modify, or completely change our business operations in response to adverse regulatory changes or policy developments, and we cannot assure you that any remedial action adopted by us can be completed in a timely, cost efficient, or liability-free manner or at all.
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On July 30, 2021, in response to the recent regulatory developments in China and actions adopted by the PRC government, the Chairman of the SEC issued a statement asking the SEC staff to seek additional disclosures from offshore issuers associated with PRC-based operating companies (including Hong Kong) before their registration statements are declared effective. On August 1, 2021, the CSRC issued a statement saying that it had taken note of the new disclosure requirements announced by the SEC regarding the listings of such companies and the recent regulatory development in China and that both countries should strengthen communications on regulating China-related issuers. Since we mainly operate in Hong Kong, we cannot guarantee that we will not be subject to tightened regulatory review, and we could be exposed to government interference from China.
There remain some uncertainties as to whether we will be required to obtain approvals from the PRC authorities to list on the U.S. exchanges and offer securities in the future, and if required, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain such approval. We may become subject to a variety of PRC laws and other obligations regarding data security in relation to offerings that are conducted overseas, and any failure to comply with applicable laws and obligations could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and may hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer Class A Ordinary Shares to investors and cause the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares to significantly decline or be worthless.
On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress enacted the PRC Data Security Law, which took effect on September 1, 2021. The law requires data collection to be conducted in a legitimate and proper manner, and it stipulates that, for the purpose of data protection, data processing activities must be conducted based on data classification and a hierarchical protection system for data security.
On July 6, 2021, the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued a document to crack down on illegal activities in the securities market and promote the high-quality development of the capital market, which, among other things, requires the relevant governmental authorities to strengthen cross-border oversight of law-enforcement and judicial cooperation, to enhance supervision over China-based companies listed overseas, and to establish and improve the system of extraterritorial application of the PRC securities laws.
On August 20, 2021, the 30th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress voted and passed the “Personal Information Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China” (“PRC Personal Information Protection Law”), which became effective on November 1, 2021. The PRC Personal Information Protection Law applies to the processing of personal information of natural persons within mainland China that is carried out outside of China where (1) such processing is for the purpose of providing products or services for natural persons within China, (2) such processing is to analyze or evaluate the behavior of natural persons within China, or (3) there are any other circumstances stipulated by related laws and administrative regulations.
On December 24, 2021, the CSRC, together with other relevant government authorities in China, issued the Draft Overseas Listing Regulations. The Draft Overseas Listing Regulations require that a PRC domestic enterprise seeking to issue and list its shares overseas (“Overseas Issuance and Listing”) shall complete the filing procedures and submit the relevant information to CSRC. The Overseas Issuance and Listing includes direct and indirect issuance and listing. Where an enterprise whose principal business activities are conducted in PRC seeks to issue and list its shares in the name of an overseas enterprise on the basis of the equity, assets, income, or other similar rights and interests of the relevant PRC domestic enterprise, such activities shall be deemed an indirect overseas issuance and listing under the Draft Overseas Listing Regulations.
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On December 28, 2021, the CAC, jointly with the relevant authorities, formally published Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021), which took effect on February 15, 2022, and replaced the former Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2020) issued on July 10, 2021. Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) stipulates that operators of critical information infrastructure purchasing network products and services, and online platform operators (together with the operators of critical information infrastructure, the “Operators”) carrying out data processing activities that affect or may affect national security, shall conduct a cybersecurity review, and any online platform operator who controls more than one million users’ personal information must go through a cybersecurity review by the cybersecurity review office if it seeks to be listed in a foreign country.
On February 17, 2023, the CSRC, as approved by the State Council, released the Trial Measures for Administration of Overseas Securities Offerings and Listings by Domestic Companies and five interpretive guidelines (collectively, the “CSRC Filing Rules”), which came into effect on March 31, 2023. Under the CSRC Filing Rules, a filing-based regulatory system shall be applied to “indirect overseas offerings and listings” of PRC domestic companies, which refers to securities offerings and listings in an overseas market made under the name of an offshore entity but based on the underlying equity, assets, earnings, or other similar rights of a domestic company that operates its main business domestically. The CSRC Filing Rules state that any post-listing follow-on offering by an issuer in the same overseas market, including issuance of shares, convertible notes, and other similar securities, shall be subject to filing requirement within three business days after the completion of the offering.
Although JAN Financial and Miracle Media may collect and store certain data (including certain personal information) from our customers, some of whom may be companies in mainland China, in connection with our business and operations, we and JAN Financial and Miracle Media will not be deemed to be an “operator of critical information infrastructure,” any “data processor” carrying out data processing activities, and we are not subject to cybersecurity review by the CAC for being listed on Nasdaq or required to obtain regulatory approval from the CAC nor any other PRC authorities for our and our subsidiaries’ operations Hong Kong, since JAN Financial and Miracle Media are incorporated and operating in Hong Kong only without any subsidiary or variable interest entity structure in mainland China, and it is unclear whether the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) shall be applied to a Hong Kong company; (i) as of date of this prospectus, JAN Financial and Miracle Media have not collected nor stored the personal information of any individuals in mainland China; (ii) we do not place any reliance on collection and processing of any personal information to maintain our business operation; (iii) data processed in our business should not have a bearing on national security nor affect or may affect national security; (iv) all of the data JAN Financial and Miracle Media have collected is stored in servers located in Hong Kong; and (v) as of the date of this prospectus, neither we nor JAN Financial or Miracle Media have been informed by any PRC governmental authority of being classified as “operator of critical information infrastructure” or “data processor” that is subject to CAC cybersecurity review or a CSRC review.
Further, based on laws and regulations currently in effect in the PRC as of the date of this prospectus, we are not subject to the CSRC Filing Rules or go through the filing procedures under the Trial Administrative Measures before our Class A Ordinary Shares can be listed or offered in the U.S., although we have existing and potential clients who are mainland China individuals or companies that have shareholders or directors that are mainland China individuals, since neither we, nor our subsidiaries, are “PRC domestic companies” which are subject to the Trial Administrative Measure, because (i) we are headquartered in Hong Kong, with our officers and all members of the board of directors based in Hong Kong or elsewhere who are not mainland China citizens; (ii) we do not, directly or indirectly, own or control any entity or subsidiary in mainland China, nor are we controlled by any Mainland Chinese company or individual directly or indirectly; (iii) we only operate in Hong Kong, all of our revenues and profits are generated by our subsidiaries in Hong Kong, none of our business activities are conducted in mainland China, and we have not generated revenues or profits from mainland China in the most recent accounting year accounts for more than 50% of the corresponding figure in our audited consolidated financial statements for the same period; (iv) we do not have or intend to set up any subsidiary or enter into any contractual arrangements to establish a variable interest entity structure with any entity in mainland China; and (v) pursuant to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PRC, or the Basic Law, PRC laws and regulations shall not be applied in Hong Kong except for those listed in Annex III of the Basic Law (which is confined to laws relating to national defense, foreign affairs and other matters that are not within the scope of autonomy).
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Given the uncertainties arising from the legal system in mainland China and Hong Kong, including uncertainties regarding the interpretation and enforcement of the PRC laws and regulations and the significant authority of the PRC government to intervene or influence the offshore holding company headquartered in Hong Kong, there remains significant uncertainty in the interpretation and enforcement of the Trial Administrative Measures, PIPL, relevant mainland China data privacy, cybersecurity laws and other regulations. It is highly uncertain how soon the legislative or administrative regulation-making bodies will respond and what existing or new laws or regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations will be modified or promulgated, if any. It is also highly uncertain what the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations will have on the daily business operations of JAN Financial and Miracle Media and the listing of our Class A Ordinary Shares on the U.S. or other foreign exchanges. As the Trial Administrative Measures are newly issued, there remains uncertainty as to how it will be interpreted or implemented. Therefore, we cannot assure you that when and whether we will be subject to such filing requirements, or will be able to get clearance from the CSRC in a timely manner, or at all, even though we believe that none of the situations that would clearly prohibit overseas listing and offering applies to us.
Although we are currently not required to obtain approvals from the PRC authorities to operate our business or list on the U.S. exchanges and offer securities; specifically, we are currently not required to obtain any permission or approval from the CSRC, the CAC or any other PRC governmental authority to operate our business or to list our securities on a U.S. securities exchange or issue securities to foreign investors. We cannot assure you that PRC regulatory agencies, including the CAC, would take the same view as we do, and there is no assurance that we can fully or timely comply with such laws. However, there remains uncertainty as to how the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) will be interpreted or implemented and the relevant PRC governmental authority may not take a view that is consistent with our PRC counsel. Also, significant uncertainty exists in relation to the interpretation and enforcement of relevant PRC cybersecurity laws and regulations. If we were deemed to be an “operator of critical information infrastructure” or a “data processor” controlling personal information of no less than one million users under the Measures, or if other regulations promulgated in relation to the Measures are deemed to apply to us, our business operations and the listing of our Class A Ordinary Shares in the U.S. could be subject to cybersecurity review by the CAC, in the future. In the event that we are subject to any mandatory cybersecurity review and other specific actions required by the CAC, we face uncertainty as to whether any clearance or other required actions can be completed in a timely fashion or at all. Given such uncertainty, we may be further required to suspend our relevant business, shut down our website, or face other penalties which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Furthermore, if the Trial Administrative Measures, Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021), the PIPL, become applicable to us or JAN Financial and Miracle Media in Hong Kong, our operation and the listing of our Class A Ordinary Shares in the United States could be subject to the CAC’s cybersecurity review or the CSRC Overseas Issuance and Listing review in the future. If the applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and JAN Financial become subject to the CAC or CSRC review, we cannot assure you that JAN Financial and Miracle Media will be able to comply with the regulatory requirements in all respects and our current practice of collecting and processing personal information may be ordered to be rectified or terminated by regulatory authorities. Compliance with these laws and regulations could significantly increase the cost to us of providing our service offerings, require significant changes to our operations or even prevent us from providing certain service offerings in jurisdictions in which we currently operate or in which we may operate in the future. If there is a significant change to the current political arrangements between mainland China and Hong Kong, or the applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change, and/or if we were required to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future in connection with the listing or continued listing of our securities on a stock exchange outside of the PRC, it is uncertain how long it will take for us to obtain such approval, and, even if we obtain such approval, the approval could be rescinded. Any failure to obtain or a delay in obtaining the necessary permissions from the PRC authorities to conduct offerings or list outside of the PRC may subject us to sanctions imposed by the CSRC, CAC, or other PRC regulatory authorities. It could include fines and penalties, proceedings against us, and other forms of sanctions, and our ability to conduct our business, invest into the mainland China as foreign investments or accept foreign investments, ability to offer or continue to offer Class A Ordinary Shares to investors or list on the U.S. or other overseas exchange may be restricted, and the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares may significantly decline or be worthless, our business, reputation, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. In addition, if the CSRC, the CAC, or other regulatory PRC agencies later promulgate new rules requiring that we obtain their approvals for the listing of our Class A Ordinary Shares, we may be unable to obtain a waiver of such approval requirements, if and when procedures are established to obtain such a waiver. Any uncertainties and/or negative publicity regarding such an approval requirement could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our securities.
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There remain some uncertainties as to whether we will be required to obtain approvals from the PRC authorities to list on the U.S. exchanges and offer securities in the future, and if required, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain such approval. We may become subject to a variety of PRC laws and other obligations regarding data security in relation to offerings that are conducted overseas, and any failure to comply with applicable laws and obligations could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and may hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer Class A Ordinary Shares to investors and cause the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares to significantly decline or be worthless.
On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress enacted the PRC Data Security Law, which took effect on September 1, 2021. The law requires data collection to be conducted in a legitimate and proper manner, and it stipulates that, for the purpose of data protection, data processing activities must be conducted based on data classification and a hierarchical protection system for data security.
On July 6, 2021, the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued a document to crack down on illegal activities in the securities market and promote the high-quality development of the capital market, which, among other things, requires the relevant governmental authorities to strengthen cross-border oversight of law-enforcement and judicial cooperation, to enhance supervision over China-based companies listed overseas, and to establish and improve the system of extraterritorial application of the PRC securities laws.
On August 20, 2021, the 30th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress voted and passed the “Personal Information Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China” (“PRC Personal Information Protection Law”), which became effective on November 1, 2021. The PRC Personal Information Protection Law applies to the processing of personal information of natural persons within mainland China that is carried out outside of China where (1) such processing is for the purpose of providing products or services for natural persons within China, (2) such processing is to analyze or evaluate the behavior of natural persons within China, or (3) there are any other circumstances stipulated by related laws and administrative regulations.
On December 24, 2021, the CSRC, together with other relevant government authorities in China, issued the Draft Overseas Listing Regulations. The Draft Overseas Listing Regulations require that a PRC domestic enterprise seeking to issue and list its shares overseas (“Overseas Issuance and Listing”) shall complete the filing procedures and submit the relevant information to CSRC. The Overseas Issuance and Listing includes direct and indirect issuance and listing. Where an enterprise whose principal business activities are conducted in PRC seeks to issue and list its shares in the name of an overseas enterprise on the basis of the equity, assets, income, or other similar rights and interests of the relevant PRC domestic enterprise, such activities shall be deemed an indirect overseas issuance and listing under the Draft Overseas Listing Regulations.
On December 28, 2021, the CAC, jointly with the relevant authorities, formally published Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021), which took effect on February 15, 2022, and replaced the former Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2020) issued on July 10, 2021. Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) stipulates that operators of critical information infrastructure purchasing network products and services, and online platform operators (together with the operators of critical information infrastructure, the “Operators”) carrying out data security, shall conduct a cybersecurity review, and any online platform operator who controls more than one million users’ personal information must go through a cybersecurity review by the cybersecurity review office if it seeks to be listed in a foreign country.
On February 17, 2023, the CSRC, as approved by the State Council, released the Trial Measures for Administration of Overseas Securities Offerings and Listings by Domestic Companies and five interpretive guidelines (collectively, the “CSRC Filing Rules”), which came into effect on March 31, 2023. Under the CSRC Filing Rules, a filing-based regulatory system shall be applied to “indirect overseas offerings and listings” of PRC domestic companies, which refers to securities offerings and listings in an overseas market made under the name of an offshore entity but based on the underlying equity, assets, earnings, or other similar rights of a domestic company that operates its main business domestically. The CSRC Filing Rules state that any post-listing follow-on offering by an issuer in the same overseas market, including issuance of shares, convertible notes, and other similar securities, shall be subject to filing requirement within three business days after the completion of the offering.
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Although JAN Financial and Miracle Media may collect and store certain data (including certain personal information) from our customers, some of whom may be companies in mainland China, in connection with our business and operations, we and JAN Financial will not be deemed to be an “operator of critical information infrastructure,” any “data processor” carrying out data processing activities, and we are not subject to cybersecurity review by the CAC for this Offering or required to obtain regulatory approval from the CAC nor any other PRC authorities for our and our subsidiaries’ operations Hong Kong, since JAN Financial and Miracle Media are incorporated and operating in Hong Kong only without any subsidiary or variable interest entity structure in mainland China, and it is unclear whether the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) shall be applied to a Hong Kong company; (i) as of date of this prospectus, JAN Financial and Miracle Media have in aggregate collected and stored the personal information of less than one thousand individuals in mainland China only and we have acquired the customers’ separate consents for collecting and storing of their personal information and data; (ii) we do not place any reliance on collection and processing of any personal information to maintain our business operation; (iii) data processed in our business should not have a bearing on national security nor affect or may affect national security; (iv) all of the data JAN Financial and Miracle Media have collected is stored in servers located in Hong Kong; and (v) as of the date of this prospectus, neither we nor JAN Financial and Miracle Media have been informed by any PRC governmental authority of being classified as “operator of critical information infrastructure” or “data processor” that is subject to CAC cybersecurity review or a CSRC review.
Further, based on laws and regulations currently in effect in the PRC as of the date of this prospectus, we are not subject to the CSRC Filing Rules or go through the filing procedures under the Trial Administrative Measures before our Class A Ordinary Shares can be listed or offered in the U.S., although we have existing and potential clients who are mainland China individuals or companies that have shareholders or directors that are mainland China individuals, since neither we, nor our subsidiaries, are “PRC domestic companies” which subject to the Trial Administrative Measure, because (i) we are headquartered in Hong Kong, with our officers and all members of the board of directors based in Hong Kong or elsewhere who are not mainland China citizens; (ii) we do not, directly or indirectly, own or control any entity or subsidiary in mainland China, nor are we controlled by any Mainland Chinese company or individual directly or indirectly; (iii) we only operate in Hong Kong, all of our revenues and profits are generated by our subsidiaries in Hong Kong, none of our business activities are conducted in mainland China, and we have not generated revenues or profits from mainland China in the most recent accounting year accounts for more than 50% of the corresponding figure in our audited consolidated financial statements for the same period; (iv) we do not have or intend to set up any subsidiary or enter into any contractual arrangements to establish a variable interest entity structure with any entity in mainland China; and (v) pursuant to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PRC, or the Basic Law, PRC laws and regulations shall not be applied in Hong Kong except for those listed in Annex III of the Basic Law (which is confined to laws relating to national defense, foreign affairs and other matters that are not within the scope of autonomy).
Given the uncertainties arising from the legal system in mainland China and Hong Kong, including uncertainties regarding the interpretation and enforcement of the PRC laws and regulations and the significant authority of the PRC government to intervene or influence the offshore holding company headquartered in Hong Kong, there remains significant uncertainty in the interpretation and enforcement of the Trial Administrative Measures, PIPL, relevant mainland China data privacy, cybersecurity laws and other regulations. It is highly uncertain how soon the legislative or administrative regulation-making bodies will respond and what existing or new laws or regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations will be modified or promulgated, if any. It is also highly uncertain what the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations will have on the daily business operations of JAN Financial and the listing of our Class A Ordinary Shares on the U.S. or other foreign exchanges. As the Trial Administrative Measures are newly issued, there remains uncertainty as to how it will be interpreted or implemented. Therefore, we cannot assure you that when and whether we will be subject to such filing requirements, or will be able to get clearance from the CSRC in a timely manner, or at all, even though we believe that none of the situations that would clearly prohibit overseas listing and offering applies to us.
Although we are currently not required to obtain approvals from the PRC authorities to operate our business or list on the U.S. exchanges and offer securities; specifically, we are currently not required to obtain any permission or approval from the CSRC, the CAC or any other PRC governmental authority to operate our business or to list our securities on a U.S. securities exchange or issue securities to foreign investors. We cannot assure you that PRC regulatory agencies, including the CAC, would take the same view as we do, and there is no assurance that we can fully or timely comply with such laws. However, there remains uncertainty as to how the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) will be interpreted or implemented and the relevant PRC governmental authority may not take a view that is consistent with our PRC counsel. Also, significant uncertainty exists in relation to the interpretation and enforcement of relevant PRC cybersecurity laws and regulations. If we were deemed to be an “operator of critical information infrastructure” or a “data processor” controlling personal information of no less than one million users under the Measures, or if other regulations promulgated in relation to the Measures are deemed to apply to us, our business operations and the listing of our Class A Ordinary Shares in the U.S. could be subject to cybersecurity review by the CAC, in the future. In the event that we are subject to any mandatory cybersecurity review and other specific actions required by the CAC, we face uncertainty as to whether any clearance or other required actions can be completed in a timely fashion or at all. Given such uncertainty, we may be further required to suspend our relevant business, shut down our website, or face other penalties which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
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Furthermore, if the Trial Administrative Measures, Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021), the PIPL, become applicable to us or JAN Financial in Hong Kong, our operation and the listing of our Class A Ordinary Shares in the United States could be subject to the CAC’s cybersecurity review or the CSRC Overseas Issuance and Listing review in the future. If the applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and JAN Financial become subject to the CAC or CSRC review, we cannot assure you that JAN Financial will be able to comply with the regulatory requirements in all respects and our current practice of collecting and processing personal information may be ordered to be rectified or terminated by regulatory authorities. Compliance with these laws and regulations could significantly increase the cost to us of providing our service offerings, require significant changes to our operations or even prevent us from providing certain service offerings in jurisdictions in which we currently operate or in which we may operate in the future. If there is a significant change to the current political arrangements between mainland China and Hong Kong, or the applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change, and/or if we were required to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future in connection with the listing or continued listing of our securities on a stock exchange outside of the PRC, it is uncertain how long it will take for us to obtain such approval, and, even if we obtain such approval, the approval could be rescinded. Any failure to obtain or a delay in obtaining the necessary permissions from the PRC authorities to conduct offerings or list outside of the PRC may subject us to sanctions imposed by the CSRC, CAC, or other PRC regulatory authorities. It could include fines and penalties, proceedings against us, and other forms of sanctions, and our ability to conduct our business, invest into the mainland China as foreign investments or accept foreign investments, ability to offer or continue to offer Class A Ordinary Shares to investors or list on the U.S. or other overseas exchange may be restricted, and the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares may significantly decline or be worthless, our business, reputation, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. The CSRC, the CAC, or other PRC regulatory agencies also may take actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, to halt this offering before settlement and delivery of our Class A Ordinary Shares. In addition, if the CSRC, the CAC, or other regulatory PRC agencies later promulgate new rules requiring that we obtain their approvals for this offering, we may be unable to obtain a waiver of such approval requirements, if and when procedures are established to obtain such a waiver. Any uncertainties and/or negative publicity regarding such an approval requirement could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our securities.
Compliance with Hong Kong’s Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and any such other existing or future data privacy related laws, regulations and governmental orders may entail significant expenses and could materially affect our business.
Although we are not subject to cybersecurity review by the CAC nor any other PRC authorities for this Offering or required to obtain regulatory approval regarding the data privacy and personal information requirements from the CAC nor any other PRC authorities for our and our subsidiaries’ operations Hong Kong, because all of our operations take place in Hong Kong, we are subject to a variety of laws and other obligations regarding data privacy and protection in Hong Kong.
In particular, the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Chapter 486 of the laws of Hong Kong) (the “PDPO” or the “Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance”) imposes a duty on any data user who, either alone or jointly with other persons, controls the collection, holding, processing or use of any personal data which relates directly or indirectly to a living individual and can be used to identify that individual. Under the PDPO, data users shall take all practicable steps to protect the personal data they hold from any unauthorized or accidental access, processing, erasure, loss, or use. Once collected, such personal data should not be kept longer than necessary for the fulfilment of the purpose for which it is or is to be used and shall be erased if it is no longer required, unless erasure is prohibited by law or is not in the public interest. The PDPO also confers on the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (“Privacy Commissioner”) power to conduct investigations and institute prosecutions. The data protection principles (collectively, the “DPP” or the “Data Protection Principles”), which are contained in Schedule 1 to the PDPO, outline how data users should collect, handle, and use personal data, complemented by other provisions imposing further compliance requirements. The collective objective of DPPs is to ensure that personal data is collected on a fully informed basis and in a fair manner, with due consideration towards minimizing the amount of personal data collected. Once collected, the personal data should be processed in a secure manner and should only be kept for as long as necessary for the fulfilment of the purposes of using the data. Use of the data should be limited to or related to the original collection purpose. Data subjects are given certain rights, inter alia: (a) the right to be informed by a data user whether the data user holds personal data of which the individual is the data subject; (b) if the data user holds such data, to be supplied with a copy of such data; and (c) the right to request correction of any data they consider to be inaccurate. The Privacy Commissioner may carry out criminal investigations and institute prosecution for certain offenses. Depending on the severity of the cases, the Privacy Commissioner will decide whether to prosecute or refer cases involving suspected commission to the Department of Justice of Hong Kong. Victims may also seek compensation by civil action from data users for damage caused by a contravention of the PDPO. The Privacy Commissioner may provide legal assistance to the aggrieved data subjects if the Privacy Commissioner deems fit to do so.
We believe that we have been in compliance with the data privacy and personal information requirements of the PDPO and we have not encountered any investigations involving a breach of the PDPO. Moreover, we do not expect to be subject to any cybersecurity review by Hong Kong and PRC government authorities for this offering. However, if we or our operating subsidiaries conducting business operations in Hong Kong have violated certain provisions of the PDPO, we could face significant civil penalties and/or criminal prosecution, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
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Failure to comply with Hong Kong Competition Law may result in material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We operate in a competitive industry and a highly competitive market. We may be subject to a variety of laws and other obligations regarding competition law in Hong Kong, and any failure to comply with applicable laws and obligations could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We face significant competition in the market due to a large amount of goods and service providers. We may be subject to the Competition Ordinance (Chapter 619 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (“Competition Ordinance”), which came into force on December 14, 2015, which laid down three forms of behavior and imposes three rules which are intended to prevent and discourage anti-competitive conduct: (i) the first conduct rule prohibits agreements between undertakings that have the object or effect of preventing, restricting and distorting competition in Hong Kong; (ii) the second conduct rule prohibits undertakings with a substantial degree of market power in a market from abusing that power by engaging in conduct that has the object or effect of preventing, restricting and distorting competition in Hong Kong; and (iii) the merger rule prohibits mergers that have or are likely to have the effect of substantially lessening competition in Hong Kong. Currently, the merger rule only applies where an undertaking that directly or indirectly hold a “carrier license” within the meaning of the Telecommunications Ordinance (Chapter 106 of the Laws of Hong Kong) is involved in a merger, and is therefore not applicable to our business.
The Competition Commission is a statutory body in Hong Kong established to investigate any contravention against and enforce on the provisions of the Competition Ordinance, and the Competition Tribunal is a tribunal set up under the Competition Ordinance, as part of Hong Kong judiciary, to hear and decide cases connected with competition law in Hong Kong. Under the guidelines and policies published by the Competition Commission, possible outcomes of investigation of contravention of the Competition Ordinance may include the acceptance of commitment given by infringer, the issuing of warning notice or infringement notice, commencement of proceedings in the Competition Tribunal, applying for consent order, referral of complaint to a government agency and the conduct of a market study. The Competition Tribunal may order remedies including pecuniary penalty, disqualification or other order under the Competition Ordinance. The guidelines and policies published by the Competition Commission in Hong Kong did not mention any remedies which may impact on the Company’s ability to accept foreign investment or list on a U.S./foreign exchange as a result of the non-compliance of the Competition Ordinance.
The Company confirms that we have not adopted any anti-competitive conduct described in the Competition Ordinance and will continue to act in compliance with the Competition Ordinance. However, there may be uncertainties on the full effect of the rules in respect of compliance, infringement, and its effect on our business in particular when tendering is involved in securing contracts. We may face difficulties and may need to incur legal costs in ensuring our compliance with the rules. If we face any complaints of infringement of the Competition Ordinance, we may incur substantial legal costs and may result in business disruption and/or negative media coverage, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and reputation.
If the PRC government chooses to extend the oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in mainland China-based issuers to Hong Kong-based issuers, such action may significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer Class A Ordinary Shares to investors and cause the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares to significantly decline or be worthless.
Recent statements, laws and regulations by the PRC government, including the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021), the PRC Personal Information Protection Law and the Trial Administrative Measures published by CSRC on February 17, 2023, which came into effect on March 31, 2023, also have indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investments in mainland China-based issuers. It remains uncertain as to the enactment, interpretation and implementation of regulatory requirements related to overseas securities offering and other capital markets activities and due to the possibility that laws, regulations, or policies in the PRC could change rapidly in the future.
It remains uncertain whether the PRC government will adopt additional requirements or extend the existing requirements to apply to JAN Financial and Miracle Media, our operating subsidiaries located in Hong Kong. It is also uncertain whether the Hong Kong government will be mandated by the PRC government, despite the constitutional constraints of the Basic Law, to control over offerings conducted overseas and/or foreign investment of entities in Hong Kong, including JAN Financial and Miracle Media. Any actions by the PRC government to exert more oversight and control over offerings (including of businesses whose primary operations are in Hong Kong) that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investments in Hong Kong-based issuers could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors. If there is a significant change to current political arrangements between mainland China and Hong Kong, or the applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change, and, in such event, if we are required to obtain such approvals in the future and we do not receive or maintain the approvals or is denied permission from China or Hong Kong authorities, we will not be able to list our Class A Ordinary Shares on a U.S. exchange, or continue to offer securities to investors, which would materially affect the interests of the investors and cause significant the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares significantly decline or be worthless.
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Although the audit report included in this prospectus is prepared by U.S. auditors who are currently inspectable by the PCAOB, there is no guarantee that future audit reports will be issued by auditors inspectable by the PCAOB, and, as such, in the future, investors may be deprived of the benefits of the PCAOB inspection program. Furthermore, trading in our securities may be prohibited under the HFCA Act if the SEC subsequently determines our audit work is performed by auditors that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely, and as a result, U.S. national securities exchanges, such as the Nasdaq, may determine to delist our securities. Furthermore, on December 29, 2022, the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act was enacted, which amended the HFCA Act by requiring the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three and, thus, reduced the time before our Class A Ordinary Shares may be prohibited from trading or delisted.
As an auditor of companies that are registered with the SEC and publicly traded in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, WWC, P.C. is required under the laws of the United States to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess their compliance with the laws of the United States and professional standards. WWC, P.C. is currently inspectable by the PCAOB, and we have no operations in mainland China. However, if there is a significant change to current political arrangements between mainland China and Hong Kong, companies operated in Hong Kong like us may face similar regulatory risks as those operated in mainland China, and we cannot assure you that our current auditor’s work will continue to be able to be inspected by the PCAOB.
As part of a continued regulatory focus in the United States on access to audit and other information currently protected by national law, in particular mainland China’s, in June 2019, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced bills in both houses of the U.S. Congress that, if passed, would require the SEC to maintain a list of issuers for which PCAOB is not able to inspect or investigate the audit work performed by a foreign public accounting firm completely. The proposed Ensuring Quality Information and Transparency for Abroad-Based Listings on our Exchanges (“EQUITABLE”) Act prescribes increased disclosure requirements for these issuers and, beginning in 2025, the delisting from U.S. national securities exchanges, such as the Nasdaq, of issuers included on the SEC’s list for three consecutive years, thus reducing the time period for triggering the prohibition on trading. It is unclear if this proposed legislation will be enacted. Furthermore, there have been recent deliberations within the U.S. government regarding potentially limiting or restricting China-based companies from accessing U.S. capital markets. On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the HFCA Act, which includes requirements for the SEC to identify issuers whose audit work is performed by auditors that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a restriction imposed by a non-U.S. authority in the auditor’s local jurisdiction. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the HFCA Act on December 2, 2020, and the HFCA Act was signed into law on December 18, 2020. Additionally, in July 2020, the U.S. President’s Working Group on Financial Markets issued recommendations for actions that can be taken by the executive branch, the SEC, the PCAOB, or other federal agencies and departments with respect to Chinese companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges and their audit firms, in an effort to protect investors in the United States. In response, on November 23, 2020, the SEC issued guidance highlighting certain risks (and their implications to U.S. investors) associated with investments in China-based issuers and summarizing enhanced disclosures the SEC recommends China-based issuers make regarding such risks. On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCA Act. We will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies us as having a “non-inspection” year (as defined in the interim final rules) under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. The SEC is assessing how to implement other requirements of the HFCA Act, including the listing and trading prohibition requirements described above. Under the HFCA Act, our securities may be prohibited from trading on the Nasdaq or other U.S. stock exchanges if our auditor is not inspected by the PCAOB for three consecutive years, and this ultimately could result in our Class A Ordinary Shares being delisted. Furthermore, on June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the AHFCAA, which, if enacted, would amend the HFCA Act and require the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three, thus reducing the time period for triggering the prohibition on trading. On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB adopted a final rule implementing the AHFCAA, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the AHFCAA, whether the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction. On November 5, 2021, the SEC approved the PCAOB’s Rule 6100, Board Determinations under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. Rule 6100 provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the AHFCAA, whether it is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction. On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the AHFCAA. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions. On December 16, 2021, the SEC announced that the PCAOB designated mainland China and Hong Kong as the jurisdictions where the PCAOB is not allowed to conduct full and complete audit inspections as mandated under the HFCA Act. On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB signed a Statement of Protocol with the CSRC and the PRC MOF in respect to cooperation on the oversight of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong. Pursuant to the Statement of Protocol, the PCAOB conducted inspections on select registered public accounting firms subject to the Determination Report in Hong Kong between September 2022 and November 2022. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB board announced that it has completed the inspections, determined that it had complete access to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong, and voted to vacate the Determination Report. As a result of the announcement, any companies audited by registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong would not face immediate threat of trading prohibitions at this time. However, if any regulatory change or step taken by PRC regulators in the future precludes the PCAOB from accessing auditing papers of registered public accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong, or the PCAOB re-evaluates its determination as a result of any obstruction with the implementation of the Statement of Protocol in the future, then the companies audited by those registered public accounting firms may be subject to a trading prohibition on U.S. markets pursuant to the HFCA Act. On December 29, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (the “CAA”) was signed into law by President Biden. The CAA contained, among other things, an identical provision to the AHFCAA, which reduces the number of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the HFCA Act from three years to two.
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Our current auditor is based in the United States and has been inspected by the PCAOB on a regular basis. However, in the event it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely our current auditor because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction, then such lack of inspection could cause trading in our securities to be prohibited under the HFCA Act and ultimately result in a determination by a securities exchange to delist our securities. Delisting of our Class A Ordinary Shares would force holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares to sell their Class A Ordinary Shares. The market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares could be adversely affected as a result of anticipated negative impacts of these executive or legislative actions, regardless of whether these executive or legislative actions are implemented and regardless of our actual operating performance. The SEC is assessing how to implement other requirements of the AHFCAA, including the listing and trading prohibition requirements described above. Future developments in respect to increasing U.S. regulatory access to audit information are uncertain, as the legislative developments are subject to the legislative process and the regulatory developments are subject to the rule-making process and other administrative procedures.
The recent joint statement by the SEC, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and an act passed by the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies. These developments could add uncertainties to our offering, business operations, share price, and reputation.
U.S. public companies with substantially all of their operations in China (including in Hong Kong) have been the subject of intense scrutiny, criticism, and negative publicity by investors, financial commentators, and regulatory agencies, such as the SEC. Much of the scrutiny, criticism, and negative publicity has centered on financial and accounting irregularities and mistakes, a lack of effective internal controls over financial accounting, inadequate corporate governance policies, or a lack of adherence thereto and, in many cases, allegations of fraud.
On December 7, 2018, the SEC and the PCAOB issued a joint statement highlighting continued challenges faced by the U.S. regulators in their oversight of financial statement audits of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China. On April 21, 2020, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and PCAOB Chairman William D. Duhnke III, along with other senior SEC staff, released a joint statement highlighting the risks associated with investing in companies based in or that have substantial operations in emerging markets, including China, reiterating past SEC and PCAOB statements on matters including the difficulty associated with inspecting accounting firms and audit work papers in China and higher risks of fraud in emerging markets and the difficulty of bringing and enforcing SEC, Department of Justice, and other U.S. regulatory actions, including in instances of fraud, in emerging markets generally.
On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the HFCA Act requiring a foreign company to certify it is not owned or controlled by a foreign government if the PCAOB is unable to audit specified reports because the company uses a foreign auditor not subject to PCAOB inspection. If the PCAOB is unable to inspect the company’s auditors for three consecutive years, the issuer’s securities are prohibited to trade on a national exchange. On December 2, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the HFCA Act.
On May 21, 2021, Nasdaq filed three proposals with the SEC to (i) apply minimum offering size requirements for companies primarily operating in a “Restrictive Market,” (ii) prohibit Restrictive Market companies from directly listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market and only permit them to list on Nasdaq Global Select or Nasdaq Global Market in connection with a direct listing, and (iii) apply additional and more stringent criteria to an applicant or listed company based on the qualifications of the company’s auditors.
As a result of this scrutiny, criticism, and negative publicity, the traded stock of many U.S.-listed Chinese companies sharply decreased in value and, in some cases, has become virtually worthless. Many of these companies are now subject to shareholder lawsuits and SEC enforcement actions and are conducting internal and external investigations into the allegations. It is not clear what effect this sector-wide scrutiny, criticism, and negative publicity will have on us, our offerings, business, and our share price. If we become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we will have to expend significant resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend our company. This situation will be costly and time-consuming and distract our management from developing our growth. If such allegations are not proven to be groundless, we and our business operations will be severely affected and you could sustain a significant decline in the value of our shares.
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The enactment of Law of the PRC on Safeguarding the Hong Kong National Security Law could impact JAN Financial.
On June 30, 2020, the Standing Committee of the PRC National People’s Congress adopted the Hong Kong National Security Law (the “Hong Kong National Security Law”). This law defines the duties and government bodies of the Hong Kong National Security Law for safeguarding national security and four categories of offenses — secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and collusion with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security — and their corresponding penalties. On July 14, 2020, former U.S. President Donald Trump signed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act (“HKAA”) into law, authorizing the U.S. administration to impose blocking sanctions against individuals and entities who are determined to have materially contributed to the erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy. On August 7, 2020, the U.S. government imposed HKAA-authorized sanctions on 11 individuals, including then-HKSAR chief executive Carrie Lam and John Lee, who later replaced Carrie Lam as chief executive on July 1, 2022. On October 14, 2020, the U.S. State Department submitted to relevant committees of Congress the report required under HKAA, identifying persons materially contributing to “the failure of the Government of China to meet its obligations under the Joint Declaration or the Basic Law.” The HKAA further authorizes secondary sanctions, including the imposition of blocking sanctions, against foreign financial institutions that knowingly conduct a significant transaction with foreign persons sanctioned under this authority. The imposition of sanctions may directly affect the foreign financial institutions as well as any third parties or customers dealing with any foreign financial institution that is targeted. It is difficult to predict the full impact of the Hong Kong National Security Law and HKAA on Hong Kong and companies located in Hong Kong.
The PRC government may intervene or influence our operations at any time or may exert more control over offerings conducted overseas and foreign investment in PRC-based issuers, which may result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares. Additionally, the governmental and regulatory interference could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
If we become subject to the recent scrutiny, criticism, and negative publicity involving U.S.-listed China-based companies, we may have to expend significant resources to investigate and/or defend the matter, which could harm our business operations, this offering, and our reputation and could result in a loss of your investment in our Class A Ordinary Shares, in particular if such matter cannot be addressed and resolved favorably.
During the last several years, U.S.-listed companies that have substantially all of their operations in China have been the subject of intense scrutiny by investors, financial commentators, and regulatory agencies. Much of the scrutiny has centered on financial and accounting irregularities and mistakes, lack of effective internal controls over financial reporting, and, in many cases, allegations of fraud. As a result of the scrutiny, the stocks of many U.S.-listed Chinese companies that have been the subject of such scrutiny have sharply decreased in value. Many of these companies are now subject to shareholder lawsuits and/or SEC enforcement actions that are conducting internal and/or external investigations into the allegations.
If we become the subject of any such scrutiny, whether any allegations are true or not, we may have to expend significant resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend the Company. Such investigations or allegations would be costly and time-consuming and likely would distract our management from our normal business and could result in our reputation being harmed. Our stock price could decline because of such allegations, even if the allegations are false.
A downturn in the Hong Kong, mainland China, or global economy, or a change in the economic and political policies of China, could materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.
Our business may be influenced to a significant degree by political, economic, and social conditions in Hong Kong and mainland China generally. The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the amount of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange, and allocation of resources. While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. The PRC government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy, but they may have a negative effect on us.
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Economic conditions in Hong Kong and mainland China are sensitive to global economic conditions. Although we mainly operate our business in Hong Kong, our customers principally comprise corporate clients of the equity markets as well as their advisors in Hong Kong. As such, the demand for the financial communications services may be dependent on the global economy. If there is any significant decline in the global economy, our profitability and business prospects will be materially affected. Rising tension between the U.S. and China may have an adverse effect on global economic conditions. On August 9, 2023, an executive order was issued by President Biden to direct the Department of Treasury to issue regulations to restrict outbound investment in key technology sectors by U.S. persons to China, with a view to bolster U.S. national security and to curtail investment in sectors that may advance China’s military, intelligence, surveillance or cyber-enabled capabilities. Major market disruptions and adverse changes in market conditions and uncertainty in the regulatory climate worldwide may adversely affect our business and industry or impair our ability to borrow or make any future financial arrangements. The credit and financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and disruptions due to the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and the uncertain resolution of this conflict could result in protracted and/or severe damage to the global economy. The conflict is expected to have further global economic consequences, including, but not limited to, the possibility of severely diminished liquidity and credit availability, declines in consumer confidence, declines in economic growth, increases in inflation rates, and uncertainty about economic and political stability. The extent and duration of the military action, sanctions, and resulting market disruptions are impossible to predict, but they could be substantial, even though we do not have any direct exposure to Russia or the adjoining geographic regions. Prolonged unrest, intensified military activities, or more extensive sanctions impacting the region could have a material adverse effect on the global economy, and such effect could, in turn, have a material adverse effect on the business outlook of our business.
Fluctuations in exchange rates could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the price of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
Our business is conducted in Hong Kong through our operating subsidiaries JAN Financial and Miracle Media; our books and records are reported in Hong Kong dollars, which is the currency of Hong Kong; and the financial statements that we file with the SEC and provide to our shareholders are presented in U.S. dollars.
Since 1983, Hong Kong dollars have been pegged to U.S. dollars at the rate of approximately HK$7.80 to US$1.00. Changes in the exchange rate between the Hong Kong dollar and U.S. dollar affect the value of our assets and the results of our operations in U.S. dollars. The value of the Hong Kong dollar against the U.S. dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in Hong Kong’s political and economic conditions and perceived changes in the economy of Hong Kong and the United States. Any significant revaluation of the Hong Kong dollar may materially and adversely affect our cash flows, revenue, and financial condition.
We cannot assure you that the current policy of the pegging of Hong Kong dollars to U.S. dollars will not be changed in the future. If the pegging system collapses and Hong Kong dollars suffer devaluation, the Hong Kong dollar cost of our expenditures denominated in foreign currency may increase. This would, in turn, adversely affect the operations and profitability of our business.
Changes in international trade policies, trade disputes, barriers to trade, or the emergence of a trade war may dampen growth in Hong Kong, where the majority of our customers reside.
Political events, international trade disputes, and other business interruptions could harm or disrupt international commerce and the global economy, and they could have a material adverse effect on us and our customers, our service providers, our raw material suppliers and our other partners. International trade disputes could result in tariffs and other protectionist measures that may materially and adversely affect our business.
Tariffs could increase the cost of the services and products, which could affect customers’ investment decisions. In addition, political uncertainty surrounding international trade disputes and the potential of their escalation to a trade war and global recession could have a negative effect on customer confidence, which could materially and adversely affect our business. We also may have access to fewer business opportunities, and our operations may be negatively impacted as a result. In addition, the current and future actions or escalations by either the United States or China that affect trade relations may cause global economic turmoil and potentially have a negative impact on our markets, our business, or our results of operations, as well as the financial condition of our clients, and we cannot provide any assurances as to whether such actions will occur or the form that they may take.
The future of Hong Kong’s position as an international financial center in Asia is uncertain.
Our operations are solely located in Hong Kong, serving corporate clients of the Hong Kong equity market, as well their advisors. Hong Kong is regarded as an international financial center in Asia, having an active equity market, which is an essential element of our business. However, there can be no assurance that Hong Kong will continue to maintain its position as an international financial center in the future. Hong Kong faces strong competition from other rival equity markets, such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore and Japan. Statistics of the World Federation of Exchanges also show that the market capitalization of the Hong Kong equity market is reducing. In the event that Hong Kong loses its position as an international financial center in Asia, the demand for financial communications services will reduce and, thus, our business may be adversely affected.
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Risks Related to Our Class A Ordinary Shares
We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act, and, as such, we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to U.S. domestic public companies.
Because we qualify as a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act, we are exempt from certain provisions of the securities rules and regulations in the United States that are applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, including:
| ● | The rules under the Exchange Act requiring the filing with the SEC of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K; |
| ● | The sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents, or authorizations in respect to a security registered under the Exchange Act; |
| ● | The sections of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their stock ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and |
| ● | The selective disclosure rules by issuers of material non-public information under Regulation FD. |
We are required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the end of each fiscal year. Press releases relating to financial results and material events will also be furnished to the SEC on Form 6-K. However, the information we are required to file with or furnish to the SEC will be less extensive and less timely compared to that required to be filed with the SEC by U.S. domestic issuers. As a result, you may not be afforded the same protections or information that would be made available to you were you investing in a U.S. domestic issuer.
As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to adopt certain home country practices in relation to corporate governance matters that differ significantly from Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. These practices may afford less protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards.
On November 21, 2024, we notified Nasdaq that we intend to follow its home country practice in lieu of the following Nasdaq Listing Rules:
| ● | Rule 5620, which requires the holding of an annual meeting of shareholders no later than one year after each fiscal year-end; |
| ● | Rule 5635(a) and (d), which require shareholder approval prior to an issuance of securities in connection with the acquisition of the stock or assets of another company, and with any transactions other than public offerings; |
| ● | Rule 5250(b)(3), which requires disclosure of third party director and nominee compensation; and |
| ● | Rule 5250(d), which requires the Company to distribute annual and interim reports. |
We submitted to Nasdaq a written statement by counsel of the British Virgin Islands certifying that the above noncompliant practices are not prohibited under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, the Company’s home jurisdiction. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not received Nasdaq’s approval letter in relation to the same.
In future, we may also rely on home country practices with respect to our other corporate governance. As a result of which, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they would otherwise enjoy under the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.
We may lose our foreign private issuer status in the future, which could result in significant additional costs and expenses.
We are a foreign private issuer, and therefore, we are not required to comply with all of the periodic disclosure and current reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. The determination of foreign private issuer status is made annually on the last business day of an issuer’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter. We would lose our foreign private issuer status if, for example, more than 50% of our Class A Ordinary Shares are directly or indirectly held by residents of the United States and we fail to meet additional requirements necessary to maintain our foreign private issuer status. If we lose our foreign private issuer status on this date, we are required to file with the SEC periodic reports and registration statements on U.S. domestic issuer forms, which are more detailed and extensive than the forms available to a foreign private issuer. We will also have to mandatorily comply with U.S. federal proxy requirements, and our officers, directors, and principal shareholders will become subject to the short-swing profit disclosure and recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition, we will lose our ability to rely upon exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements under the Nasdaq rules. As a U.S.-listed public company that is not a foreign private issuer, we will incur significant additional legal, accounting, and other expenses that we will not incur as a foreign private issuer in order to maintain a listing on a U.S. securities exchange.
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The trading price of our Class A Ordinary Shares could be subject to rapid and substantial volatility.
There have been instances of extreme stock price run-ups followed by rapid price declines and strong stock price volatility with recent initial public offerings, especially among those with relatively smaller public floats. As a relatively small-capitalization company with relatively small public float, we may experience greater stock price volatility, extreme price run-ups, lower trading volume, and less liquidity than large-capitalization companies. In particular, our Class A Ordinary Shares may be subject to rapid and substantial price volatility, low volumes of trades, and large spreads in bid and ask prices. Such volatility, including any stock run-up, may be unrelated to our actual or expected operating performance and financial condition or prospects, making it difficult for prospective investors to assess the rapidly changing value of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
The trading prices of volatility and wide fluctuations could be due to factors beyond our control. This may happen due to broad market and industry factors, such as performance and fluctuation in the market prices or underperformance or deteriorating financial results of other listed companies based in Hong Kong and China. For example, if the trading volumes of our Class A Ordinary Shares are low, persons buying or selling in relatively small quantities may easily influence prices of our Class A Ordinary Shares. This low volume of trades could also cause the price of our Class A Ordinary Shares to fluctuate greatly, with large percentage changes in price occurring in any trading day session. Holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares may also not be able to readily liquidate their investment or may be forced to sell at depressed prices due to low-volume trading. The trading performances of other Hong Kong and Chinese companies’ securities after their offerings may affect the attitudes of investors toward Hong Kong-based, U.S.-listed companies, which consequently may affect the trading performance of our Class A Ordinary Shares, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition, any negative news or perceptions about inadequate corporate governance practices or fraudulent accounting, corporate structure, or matters of other Hong Kong and Chinese companies may also negatively affect the attitudes of investors toward Hong Kong and Chinese companies in general, including us, regardless of whether we have conducted any inappropriate activities. Furthermore, securities markets may from time to time experience significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to our operating performance, which may have a material and adverse effect on the trading price of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
In addition to the above factors, the price and trading volume of our Class A Ordinary Shares may be highly volatile due to multiple factors, including the following:
| ● | Regulatory developments affecting us or our industry; |
| ● | Variations in our revenues, profit, and cash flow; |
| ● | Changes in the economic performance or market valuations of other financial services firms; |
| ● | Actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations and changes or revisions of our expected results; |
| ● | Changes in financial estimates by securities research analysts; |
| ● | Detrimental negative publicity about us, our services, our officers, our directors, our Controlling Shareholder, our business partners, or our industry; |
| ● | Announcements by us or our competitors of new service offerings, acquisitions, strategic relationships, joint ventures, capital raisings, or capital commitments; |
| ● | Additions to or departures of our senior management; |
| ● | Litigation or regulatory proceedings involving us, our officers, our directors, or our Controlling Shareholder; |
| ● | Release or expiry of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares; and |
| ● | Sales or perceived potential sales of additional Class A Ordinary Shares. |
Any of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the volume and price at which our Class A Ordinary Shares will trade. As a result of this volatility, investors may experience losses on their investment in our Class A Ordinary Shares. A decline in the market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares also could adversely affect our ability to issue additional shares of Class A Ordinary Shares and our ability to obtain additional financing in the future. No assurance can be given that an active market in our Class A Ordinary Shares will develop or be sustained. If an active market does not develop, holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares may be unable to readily sell the shares they hold or may not be able to sell their shares at all. In the past, shareholders of public companies have often brought securities class action suits against those companies following periods of instability in the market price of their securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management’s attention and other resources from our business and operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit, which could harm our results of operations. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
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The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources and divert management’s attention.
As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2022 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and other applicable securities rules and regulations. The Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we file annual and current reports with the SEC with respect to our business and operating results. Compliance with these rules and regulations increases our legal and financial compliance costs, makes some activities more difficult, time-consuming, or costly, and increases demand on our systems and resources.
As a result of disclosure of information in our annual report on Form 20-F and in filings required of a public company, our business and financial condition is more visible, which we believe may result in threatened or actual litigation, including by competitors and other third parties. If such claims are successful, our business and operating results could be harmed, and even if the claims do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, these claims, and the time and resources necessary to resolve them, could divert resources of our management and harm our business and operating results.
Our management team lacks experience in managing a U.S. public company and complying with laws applicable to such company.
Our current management team lacks experience in managing a U.S. publicly traded company, interacting with public company investors, and complying with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to U.S. public companies. Prior to the completion of our IPO, we were a private company mainly operating our businesses in Hong Kong. As a result of the IPO, our company became subject to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations under the federal securities laws and the scrutiny of securities analysts and investors, and our management currently has no experience in complying with such laws, regulations, and obligations. Our management team may not successfully or efficiently manage our transition to becoming a U.S. public company. These new obligations and constituents will require significant attention from our senior management and could divert their attention away from the day-to-day management of our business.
We will continue to incur increased costs as a result of being a public company, particularly after we cease to qualify as an “emerging growth company.”
As a U.S. public company, we have incurred significant legal, accounting, and other expenses as a public company that we did not incur as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley”), as well as rules subsequently implemented by the SEC, impose various requirements on the corporate governance practices of public companies. We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act and will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of our listing, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least US$1.235 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A Ordinary Shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds US$700 million as of the end of any second fiscal quarter before that time; and (2) the date on which we have issued more than US$1 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period. An emerging growth company may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include exemption from the auditor attestation requirement under Section 404 in the assessment of the emerging growth company’s internal control over financial reporting and permission to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies.
Compliance with these rules and regulations increases our legal and financial compliance costs and makes some corporate activities more time-consuming and costly. After we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” or until five years following the completion of our IPO, whichever is earlier, we expect to incur significant expenses and devote substantial management effort toward ensuring compliance with the requirements of Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley and the other rules and regulations of the SEC. For example, as a public company, we will be required to increase the number of independent directors and adopt policies regarding internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures. We will incur additional costs in obtaining director and officer liability insurance. In addition, we will incur additional costs associated with our public company reporting requirements. It may also be more difficult for us to find qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers. We are currently evaluating and monitoring developments with respect to these rules and regulations, and we cannot predict or estimate with any degree of certainty the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.
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We rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our subsidiary to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have. In the future, funds may not be available to fund operations or for other uses outside of Hong Kong, due to interventions in, or the imposition of restrictions and limitations on, our ability or our subsidiary by the PRC government to transfer cash or other assets. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiary to make payments to us could have a material adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business and might materially decrease the value of Class A Ordinary Shares or cause them to be worthless.
Powell Max is a holding company, and we rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our subsidiary for our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders and to service any debt we may incur. We do not expect to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. We anticipate that we will retain any earnings to support operations and to finance the growth and development of our business. If any of our subsidiaries incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us.
According to the BVI Act (as amended), a BVI company may make dividends distribution to the extent that immediately after the distribution, the value of the company’s assets exceeds its liabilities and that such company is able to pay its debts as they fall due. According to the Companies Ordinance of Hong Kong, a Hong Kong company may only make a distribution out of profits available for distribution. Under the current practice of the Inland Revenue Department of Hong Kong, no tax is payable in Hong Kong in respect to dividends paid by us. The PRC laws and regulations do not currently have any material impact on transfers of cash from Powell Max to JAN Financial or from JAN Financial to Powell Max, our shareholders, and U.S. investors. However, the PRC government may, in the future, impose restrictions or limitations on our ability to transfer money out of Hong Kong, to distribute earnings and pay dividends to and from the other entities within our organization, or to reinvest in our business outside of Hong Kong. Such restrictions and limitations, if imposed in the future, may delay or hinder the expansion of our business to outside of Hong Kong and may affect our ability to receive funds from our operating subsidiaries in Hong Kong. The promulgation of new laws or regulations, or the new interpretation of existing laws and regulations, in each case, that restrict or otherwise unfavorably impact the ability or way we conduct our business, could require us to change certain aspects of our business to ensure compliance, which could (i) decrease demand for our services; (ii) reduce revenues; (iii) increase costs; (iv) require us to obtain more licenses, permits, approvals, or certificates; or (v) subject us to additional liabilities. To the extent any new or more stringent measures are required to be implemented, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected, and such measures could materially decrease the value of our Class A Ordinary Shares, potentially rendering them worthless. Further, any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business.
Any lack of effective internal controls over financial reporting may affect our ability to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud, which may affect the market for and price of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
We are a public company in the United States subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we include a report of management on our internal control over financial reporting in our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ending December 31, 2025 onwards. Our management may conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective. Moreover, even if our management concludes that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, our independent registered public accounting firm, after conducting its own independent testing, may issue a report that is qualified if it is not satisfied with our internal controls or the level at which our controls are documented, designed, operated or reviewed, or if it interprets the relevant requirements differently from us. In addition, our reporting obligations as a public company may place a significant strain on our management, operational and financial resources and systems for the foreseeable future. We may be unable to timely complete our evaluation testing and any required remediation. Our independent registered public accounting firm has not conducted an audit of our internal control over financial reporting. In the course of management’s preparation and our independent registered public accounting firm’s auditing our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024, we have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. As defined in the standards established by the PCAOB, a “material weakness” is 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 our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
The material weakness identified relates to the lack of sufficient competent financial reporting and accounting personnel with appropriate understanding of International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) and SEC rules and regulations to address complex technical accounting issues and SEC reporting requirements. To remedy the identified material weakness, we have implemented and will continue to implement several measures to improve our internal control over financial reporting, including: (i) recruiting additional employees and external consultants with extensive knowledge of IFRS and SEC financial reporting requirements within our finance and accounting department; (ii) setting up a comprehensive accounting policy, checklists, and procedure manual in accordance with IFRS and SEC financial reporting requirements; (iii) implementing new closing and reporting procedures to ensure the accuracy and adequacy of financial data for the preparation of financial statements; (iv) conducting regular and continuous IFRS training programs and webinars for our financial reporting and accounting personnel; (v) improving financial oversight function for handling complex accounting issues under IFRS; and (vi) continuously developing and enhancing our internal audit function for the financial reporting matters. However, we cannot assure you that these measures may fully address the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting or that we may not identify additional material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in the future.
In addition, our internal control over financial reporting will not prevent or detect all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system’s objectives will be met. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that misstatements due to error or fraud will not occur or that all control issues and instances of fraud will be detected.
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If we fail to meet applicable listing requirements, Nasdaq may delist our Class A Ordinary Shares from trading, in which case the liquidity and market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares could decline.
Although our Class A Ordinary Shares are listed on Nasdaq, we cannot assure you that we will be able to meet the continued listing standards of Nasdaq in the future. If we fail to comply with the applicable listing standards and Nasdaq delists our Class A Ordinary Shares, we and our shareholders could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
| ● | A limited availability of market quotations for our Class A Ordinary Shares; |
| ● | Reduced liquidity for our Class A Ordinary Shares; |
| ● | A determination that our Class A Ordinary Shares are “penny stock,” which would require brokers trading in our Class A Ordinary Shares to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our Class A Ordinary Shares; |
| ● | A limited amount of news about us and analyst coverage of us; and |
| ● | A decreased ability for us to issue additional equity securities or obtain additional equity or debt financing in the future. |
The U.S. National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996 prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” Because we expect that our Class A Ordinary Shares will be listed on Nasdaq, such securities will be covered securities. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of our securities, this statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. Further, if we were no longer listed on Nasdaq, our securities would not be covered securities and we would be subject to regulations in each state in which we offer our securities.
Powell Max is authorized to issue multiple classes of ordinary shares, including a class with enhanced voting rights, which could adversely affect the voting power of holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares if issued in the future.
We are authorized to issue multiple classes of ordinary shares, including a class with enhanced voting rights, which could adversely affect the voting power of holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares if issued in the future.
As of the date of this prospectus, our authorized share capital consists of 500,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares, 250,000 Class B Ordinary Shares and 50,000,000 Class C Ordinary Shares. As of the date hereof, there are 1,200,179 Class A Ordinary Shares and 7,577,308 Class C Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding, and no Class B Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding.
Each Class A Ordinary Share is entitled to one vote per share. Under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, each Class B Ordinary Share, if issued, would be entitled to twenty (20) votes per share and would be convertible into one Class A Ordinary Share at the option of the holder. Class A Ordinary Shares are not convertible into Class B Ordinary Shares.
Although no Class B Ordinary Shares are currently outstanding and no shareholder presently holds a controlling voting interest in the Company, our board of directors is authorized to issue Class B Ordinary Shares in the future, subject to applicable law and the provisions of our memorandum and articles of association. If Class B Ordinary Shares are issued, the holders of such shares could obtain voting power disproportionate to their economic ownership. This could limit the ability of holders of Class A Ordinary Shares to influence corporate matters, including:
| ● | the election of directors; |
| ● | approval of mergers, consolidations or other business combinations; |
| ● | the sale of all or substantially all of our assets; |
| ● | amendments to our memorandum and articles of association; and |
| ● | other significant corporate actions. |
The issuance of Class B Ordinary Shares could also have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change of control transaction that holders of Class A Ordinary Shares may consider favorable.
In addition, certain stock index providers have adopted policies that restrict or limit the inclusion of companies with multiple-class share structures or unequal voting rights in certain indices. Even though no Class B Ordinary Shares are currently outstanding, the existence of an authorized high-vote class may affect eligibility for inclusion in certain indices. To the extent we are excluded from such indices, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and other investment vehicles that track those indices may not invest in our Class A Ordinary Shares, which could adversely affect the liquidity and market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
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Furthermore, we cannot predict whether our multi-class structure will result in a lower or more volatile market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares or in adverse publicity or other adverse consequences. For example, certain index providers have announced restrictions on including companies with multiple-class share structures in certain of their indexes. In July 2017, FTSE Russell and S&P Dow Jones announced that they would cease to allow most newly public companies utilizing dual-class capital structures to be included in their indices. Affected indices include the Russell 2000 and the S&P 500, S&P MidCap 400 and S&P SmallCap 600, which together make up the S&P Composite 1500. Beginning in 2017, MSCI, a leading stock index provider, opened public consultations on their treatment of dual-class structures and temporarily barred new dual-class listings from certain of its indices; however, in October 2018, MSCI announced its decision to include equity securities “with unequal voting structures” in its indices and to launch a new index that specifically includes voting rights in its eligibility criteria. Under the announced policies, our dual-class capital structure makes us ineligible for inclusion in certain indices, and as a result, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and other investment vehicles that attempt to passively track those indices are not expected to invest in our stock. These policies are still fairly new and it is as of yet unclear what effect, if any, they will have on the valuations of publicly traded companies excluded from the indices, but it is possible that they may depress these valuations compared to those of other similar companies that are included. Because of our multi-class structure, we will likely be excluded from certain of these indexes and we cannot assure you that other stock indexes will not take similar actions. Given the sustained flow of investment funds into passive strategies that seek to track certain indexes, exclusion from stock indexes would likely preclude investment by many of these funds and could make our Class A Ordinary Shares less attractive to other investors. As a result, the market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares could be adversely affected.
If a small number of investors purchases a significant percentage of our Class A Ordinary Shares, the effective public float may be smaller than anticipated and the price of our Class A Ordinary Shares may be more volatile than it otherwise would be.
As a company with relatively small market capitalization, we are subject to the risk that a small number of investors may hold a high percentage of Class A Ordinary Shares in the public float, even if the initial sales by the underwriters at our IPO complied with the Nasdaq listing requirements. If this were to happen, investors could find our shares to be more volatile than they might otherwise anticipate. Companies that experience such volatility in their stock price may be more likely to be the subject of securities litigation. In addition, if a large portion of our public float were to be held by a few investors, smaller investors may find it more difficult to sell their shares and we may cease to meet the Nasdaq public shareholder requirements.
Because the amount, timing, and whether or not we distribute dividends at all is entirely at the discretion of our board of directors, you must rely on price appreciation of our Class A Ordinary Shares for return on your investment.
Our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends under our Memorandum and Articles. The declaration and payment of all dividends are subject to certain restrictions under the BVI law, namely that the board of directors of our Company should be satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that immediately after the distribution, the value of the Company’s assets exceeds its liabilities and our Company is able to pay its debts as they fall due. Even if our board of directors decides to declare and pay dividends, the timing, amount, and form of future dividends, if any, will depend on, among other things, (i) our future results of operations and cash flow; (ii) our capital requirements and surplus; (iii) the amount of distributions, if any, received by us from our subsidiaries; and (iv) our financial condition, contractual restrictions, and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. Accordingly, the return on your investment in our Class A Ordinary Shares will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of our Class A Ordinary Shares. We cannot assure you that our Class A Ordinary Shares will appreciate in value after this offering or even maintain the price at which you purchased the Class A Ordinary Shares. You may not realize a return on your investment in our Class A Ordinary Shares, and you may even lose your entire investment in our Class A Ordinary Shares.
Our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.
We are subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. We have put in place disclosure controls and procedures to provide reasonable assurance that information we must disclose in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management and recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC. We believe that any disclosure controls and procedures, no matter how well-conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met.
These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty and that breakdowns can occur because of simple errors or mistakes. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of a person, by collusion of two or more people, or by an unauthorized override of the controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
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Securities analysts may not publish favorable research or reports about our business or may publish no information at all, which could cause our Class A Ordinary Share price or trading volume to decline.
If a trading market for our Class A Ordinary Shares develops, the trading market will be influenced to some extent by the research and reports that industry or financial analysts publish about us and our business. We do not control these analysts. As a new public company, we may be slow to attract research coverage, and the analysts who publish information about our Class A Ordinary Shares will have had relatively little experience with us or our industry, which could affect their ability to accurately forecast our results and could make it more likely that we fail to meet their estimates. In the event we obtain securities or industry analyst coverage, if any of the analysts who cover us provide inaccurate or unfavorable research or issue an adverse opinion regarding our share price, our share price could decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports covering us regularly, we could lose visibility in the market, which, in turn, could cause our share price or trading volume to decline and result in the loss of all or a part of your investment in us.
You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments, or bringing original actions in the BVI or Hong Kong based on U.S. or other foreign laws, and the ability of U.S. authorities to bring actions in the BVI or Hong Kong may also be limited.
We are a company incorporated under the laws of the BVI. We conduct all our operations in Hong Kong and substantially all of our assets are located in Hong Kong. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to effect service of process within the United States upon us or these individuals or to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United States in the event that you believe that your rights have been infringed under the U.S. federal securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the BVI, Hong Kong, or other relevant jurisdictions may render you unable to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers.
Conyers Dill & Pearman has informed us that although there is no statutory enforcement in the BVI of judgments obtained in the federal or state courts of the United States (and the BVI is not a party to any treaties for the reciprocal enforcement or recognition of such judgments), the courts of the BVI would recognize as a valid judgment, a final and conclusive judgment in personam obtained in the federal or state courts in the United States under which a sum of money is payable (other than a sum of money payable in respect of multiple damages, taxes or other charges of a like nature or in respect of a fine or other penalty) and would give a judgment based thereon provided that (a) such courts had proper jurisdiction over the parties subject to such judgment, (b) such courts did not contravene the rules of natural justice of the BVI, (c) such judgment was not obtained by fraud, (d) the enforcement of the judgment would not be contrary to the public policy of the BVI, (e) no new admissible evidence relevant to the action is submitted prior to the rendering of the judgment by the courts of the BVI and (f) there is due compliance with the correct procedures under the laws of the BVI. However, the BVI courts are unlikely to enforce a punitive judgment of a United States court predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws in the United States without retrial on the merits if such judgment is determined by the courts of the BVI to give rise to obligations to make payments that may be regarded as fines, penalties or punitive in nature.
Robertsons, our counsel as to the laws of Hong Kong, has advised us that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of Hong Kong would (i) recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States, or (ii) entertain original actions brought in Hong Kong against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States. A judgment of a court in the United States predicated upon U.S. federal or state securities laws may be enforced in Hong Kong at common law by bringing an action in a Hong Kong court on that judgment for the amount due thereunder and then seeking summary judgment on the strength of the foreign judgment, provided that the foreign judgment, among other things, is (1) for a debt or a definite sum of money (not being taxes or similar charges to a foreign government taxing authority or a fine or other penalty), and (2) final and conclusive on the merits of the claim, but not otherwise. Such a judgment may not, in any event, be so enforced in Hong Kong if (a) it was obtained by fraud, (b) the proceedings in which the judgment was obtained were opposed to natural justice, (c) its enforcement or recognition would be contrary to the public policy of Hong Kong, (d) the court of the United States was not jurisdictionally competent, and (e) the judgment was in conflict with a prior Hong Kong judgment. Hong Kong has no arrangement for the reciprocal enforcement of judgments with the United States. As a result, there is uncertainty as to the enforceability in Hong Kong, in original actions or in actions for enforcement, of judgments of U.S. courts of civil liabilities predicated solely upon the federal securities laws of the United States or the securities laws of any state or territory within the United States. See “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities.”
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As the rights of a shareholder under BVI law differ from those under U.S. law, you may have fewer protections than you would as a shareholder of a U.S. corporation.
Our corporate affairs are governed by our Memorandum and Articles of Association, the BVI Act (as amended), and the common law of the BVI. The rights of shareholders to take legal action against our directors, action by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors and officers under BVI law are governed by the BVI Act and the common law of the BVI. The common law of the BVI is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the BVI as well as from the English common law and the wider Commonwealth, which has persuasive, but not binding, authority on a court in the BVI. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under BVI law are largely codified in the BVI Act, but are potentially not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedents in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, BVI has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and some states (such as Delaware) have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law.
Therefore, you may have more difficulty protecting your interests in connection with actions taken by our directors and officers or our principal shareholders than you would as a shareholder of a corporation incorporated in the United States.
BVI companies may not be able to initiate shareholder derivative actions, thereby depriving shareholders of the ability to protect their interests.
Shareholders of BVI companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States. Shareholders of a BVI company could, however, bring a derivative action in the BVI courts, and there is a clear statutory right to commence such derivative claims under Section 184C of the BVI Act. The circumstances in which any such action may be brought, and the procedures and defenses that may be available in respect to any such action, may result in the rights of shareholders of a BVI company being more limited than those of shareholders of a company organized in the United States. Accordingly, shareholders may have fewer alternatives available to them if they believe that corporate wrongdoing has occurred. BVI courts are also unlikely to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts in the United States based on certain liability provisions of U.S. securities law; and to impose liabilities against us, in original actions brought in the BVI, based on certain liability provisions of U.S. securities laws that are penal in nature. There is no statutory recognition in the BVI of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of the BVI will generally recognize as a valid judgment, a final and conclusive judgment in personam obtained in the federal or state courts in the United States under which a sum of money is payable (other than a sum of money payable in respect of multiple damages, taxes or other charges of a like nature or in respect of a fine or other penalty) and would give a judgment based thereon provided that (a) such courts had proper jurisdiction over the parties subject to such judgment, (b) such courts did not contravene the rules of natural justice of the BVI, (c) such judgment was not obtained by fraud, (d) the enforcement of the judgment would not be contrary to the public policy of the BVI, (e) no new admissible evidence relevant to the action is submitted prior to the rendering of the judgment by the courts of the BVI and (f) there is due compliance with the correct procedures under the laws of the BVI. This means that even if shareholders were to sue us successfully, they may not be able to recover anything to make up for the losses suffered.
BVI laws may provide less protection for minority shareholders than those under U.S. law, and therefore minority shareholders who are dissatisfied with the conduct of our affairs may not have the same options as to recourse in comparison to the shareholders of a U.S. corporation.
Under the laws of the BVI, the rights of minority shareholders are protected by provisions of the BVI Act dealing with shareholder remedies and other remedies available under common law (in tort or contractual remedies).
The BVI Act contains various mechanism to protect minority shareholders, including: (i) Restraining or Compliance Orders: if a company or a director of a company engages in, proposes to engage in or has engaged in, conduct that contravenes the BVI Act or the company’s memorandum and articles of association, the court may, on the application of a member or a director of the company, make an order directing the company or its director to comply with, or restraining the company or director from engaging in conduct that contravenes, the BVI Act or the company’s memorandum and articles of association; (ii) Derivative Actions: the court may, on the application of a member of a company, grant leave to that member to: (a) bring proceedings in the name and on behalf of that company; or (b) intervene in proceedings to which the company is a party for the purpose of continuing, defending or discontinuing the proceedings on behalf of the company; (iii) Unfair Prejudice Remedies: a member of a company who considers that the affairs of the company have been, are being or are likely to be, conducted in a manner that is, or any acts of the company have been, or are, likely to be oppressive, unfairly discriminatory, or unfairly prejudicial to him, may apply to the court for an order and, if the court considers that it is just and equitable to do so, it may make such order as it thinks fit, including, without limitation, one or more of the following orders: (a) in the case of a shareholder, requiring the company or any other person to acquire the shareholder’s shares; (b) requiring the company or any other person to pay compensation to the member; (c) regulating the future conduct of the company’s affairs; (d) amending the memorandum or articles of association of the company; (e) appointing a receiver of the company; (f) appointing a liquidator of the company under section 159(1) of the Insolvency Act; (g) directing the rectification of the records of the company; and (h) setting aside any decision made or action taken by the company or its directors in breach of the BVI Act or the company’s memorandum and articles of association; (iv) Personal and Representative Actions: a member is able to bring an action against the company for a breach of a duty owed by the company to member in his capacity as a member. Where a member brings such an action and other members have the same (or substantially the same) action against the company, the court may appoint the first member to represent all or some of the members having the same interest and may make an order: (a) as to the control and conduct of the proceedings; (b) as to the costs of the proceedings; and (c) directing the distribution of any amount ordered to be paid by a defendant in the proceedings among the members represented.
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The BVI Act provides that any member of a company is entitled to payment of the fair value of his shares upon dissenting from any of the following: (i) a merger, if the company is a constituent company, unless the company is the surviving company and the member continues to hold the same or similar shares; (ii) a consolidation, if the company is a constituent company; (iii) any sale, transfer, lease, exchange or other disposition of more than 50% of the assets or business of the company if not made in the usual or regular course of the business carried on by the company but not including: (a) a disposition pursuant to an order of the court having jurisdiction in the matter; (b) a disposition for money on terms requiring all or substantially all net proceeds to be distributed to the members in accordance with their respective interests within one (1) year after the date of disposition; or (c) a transfer pursuant to the power of the directors to transfer assets for the protection thereof; (iv) a redemption of 10% or less of the issued shares of the company required by the holders of 90% or more of the shares of the company pursuant to the terms of the BVI Act; and (v) an arrangement, if permitted by the court.
Generally, any other claims against a company by its shareholders must be based on the general laws of contract or tort applicable in the BVI or their individual rights as shareholders as established by the company’s memorandum and articles of association.
As a result of all of the above, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by our management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in the United States. For a discussion of significant differences between the provisions of the BVI Act and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders.
There can be no assurance that we will not be a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes for any taxable year, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
A non-U.S. corporation will be a PFIC for any taxable year if either (i) at least 75% of its gross income for such year consists of certain types of “passive” income, or (ii) at least 50% of the value of its assets (based on an average of the quarterly values of the assets) during such year is attributable to assets that produce passive income or are held for the production of passive income (the “asset test”). Based on our current and expected income and assets (taking into account the expected cash proceeds and our anticipated market capitalization following this offering), we do not presently expect to be a PFIC for the current taxable year or the foreseeable future. However, no assurance can be given in this regard because the determination of whether we are or will become a PFIC is a fact-intensive inquiry made on an annual basis that depends, in part, upon the composition of our income and assets. In addition, there can be no assurance that the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) will agree with our conclusion or that the IRS would not successfully challenge our position. Fluctuations in the market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares may cause us to become a PFIC for the current or subsequent taxable years because the value of our assets for the purpose of the asset test may be determined by reference to the market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares. The composition of our income and assets may also be affected by how, and how quickly, we use our liquid assets and the cash raised in this offering. If we were to be or become a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. holder holds our Class A Ordinary Shares, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could apply to such U.S. holder. See “Material Tax Income Consideration — Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for U.S. Holders — PFIC Consequences.”
We are an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Securities Act and may take advantage of certain reduced reporting requirements.
As a company with less than US$1.235 billion in revenues for our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” pursuant to the JOBS Act. Therefore, we may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include exemption from the auditor attestation requirement under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, in the assessment of the emerging growth company’s internal control over financial reporting and permission to delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. As a result, if we elect not to comply with such reporting and other requirements, in particular the auditor attestation requirements, our investors may not have access to certain information they may deem important. The JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company does not need to comply with any new or revised financial accounting standards until such date that a private company is otherwise required to comply with such new or revised accounting standards. We do not plan to opt out of such exemptions afforded to an emerging growth company. As a result of this election, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective data.
In addition to our status as an emerging growth company, we also report under the Exchange Act as a non-U.S. company with foreign private issuer status. Even after we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, as long as we qualify as a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act we will be exempt from certain provisions of the Exchange Act that are applicable to U.S. domestic public companies, including (i) the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act; (ii) the sections of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their share ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and (iii) the rules under the Exchange Act requiring the filing with the SEC of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q containing unaudited financial and other specific information, or current reports on Form 8-K, upon the occurrence of specified significant events.
Both foreign private issuers and emerging growth companies are also exempt from certain more stringent executive compensation disclosure rules. Thus, even if we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, as long as we remain a foreign private issuer, we will continue to be exempt from the more stringent compensation disclosures required of companies that are neither an emerging growth company nor a foreign private issuer.
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We have received a deficiency letter from Nasdaq relating to our non-compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements and our Ordinary Shares could become subject to delisting from Nasdaq if we fail to regain compliance.
On March 5, 2025, we received a deficiency notice from the Listing Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq notifying us that, because the closing bid price for our Class A Ordinary Shares had been below $1.00 per Ordinary Share for 30 consecutive business days, we are not in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on Nasdaq (the “Minimum Bid Price Rule”). In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rules, we have 180 calendar days, or until September 1, 2025, to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Rule. If at any time before September 1, 2025, the closing bid price of our Class A Ordinary Shares is at least $1.00 per Ordinary Share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days, Nasdaq will provide written confirmation that the Company has achieved compliance and the matter will be closed.
On September 2, 2025, Nasdaq issued a delisting determination due to the Company’s failure to regain compliance within the allotted period and its failure to meet the $5.0 million minimum shareholder’ equity requirement. The Company requested a hearing on September 5, 2025, seeking a suspension of the delisting.
As of October 28, 2025, the Company had regained compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), as confirmed by a Nasdaq hearings decision letter dated October 3, 2025. Compliance was achieved following a 1:8 reverse stock split effective October 6, 2025, after which the closing bid price remained above $1.00 for 10 consecutive trading days through October 24, 2025.
On February 5, 2026, the Company received a notification from Nasdaq stating that, due to the resignation of Ms. Lee Chern Koay from the Company’s board of directors and audit committee effective December 31, 2025, the Company no longer meets certain Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, specifically the independent director and audit committee composition rules under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(c)(2) and related provisions, which require an audit committee composed of at least three independent directors.
Nasdaq has provided the Company with a cure period under the applicable listing rules, granting the Company until the earlier of its next annual shareholders’ meeting or December 31, 2026 (and, if the next annual meeting occurs before June 29, 2026, then no later than June 29, 2026) to regain compliance by submitting to Nasdaq documentation, including biographies of any new directors, evidencing compliance.
On January 30, 2026, the Company’s board of directors appointed four new independent directors and on February 6, 2026, the Company’s board of directors reconstituted the audit committee to consist of three independent directors, each of whom satisfies the independence requirements of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(a)(2) and the heightened independence and financial literacy requirements of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(c)(2). As a result, the Company believes it has regained compliance with the applicable Nasdaq corporate governance requirements. The Company has notified Nasdaq of the foregoing and intends to continue to monitor its compliance with all applicable listing standards.In a letter dated February 12, 2026, Nasdaq confirmed that the matter was closed.
In addition, Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A)(iii) (the “Low Priced Stock Rule”) provides that if a company’s security has a closing bid price of $0.10 or less for ten consecutive trading days during any bid price compliance period, Nasdaq must issue a delisting determination with respect to that security. If we receive a letter from Nasdaq indicating that we are not compliant with the Low Priced Stock Rule, we may timely request a hearing before a Hearings Panel to appeal the delisting determination, which would stay the delisting and suspension of our Ordinary Shares pending the decision of the Hearings Panel. No assurances may be made as to whether our effectuation of a reverse stock split would cure any future deficiencies regarding the price of our Ordinary Shares for purposes of the Low Priced Stock Rule.
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the words “may,” “might,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “objective,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” and “ongoing,” or the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology intended to identify statements about the future. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and opinions contained in this prospectus are based upon information available to us as of the date of this prospectus and, while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. Forward-looking statements include statements about:
| ● | timing of the development of future business; |
| ● | capabilities of our business operations; |
| ● | expected future economic performance; |
| ● | competition in our market; |
| ● | continued market acceptance of our services and products distributed by us; |
| ● | changes in the laws that affect our operations; |
| ● | inflation and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; |
| ● | our ability to obtain and maintain all necessary government certifications, approvals, and/or licenses to conduct our business; |
| ● | continued development of a public trading market for our securities; |
| ● | the cost of complying with current and future governmental regulations and the impact of any changes in the regulations on our operations; |
| ● | managing our growth effectively; |
| ● | projections of revenue, earnings, capital structure, and other financial items; |
| ● | fluctuations in operating results; |
| ● | dependence on our senior management and key employees; and |
| ● | other factors set forth under “Risk Factors.” |
You should refer to the section titled “Risk Factors” for a discussion of important factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. As a result of these factors, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this prospectus will prove to be accurate. Furthermore, if our forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.
You should read this prospectus and the documents that we reference in this prospectus and have filed as exhibits to the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part, completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
All of the securities offered by the Selling Shareholders pursuant to this prospectus will be sold by the Selling Shareholders for their respective accounts.
We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the Class A Ordinary Shares by the Selling Shareholders.
A portion of the securities covered by this prospectus consists of Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Common Warrants issued in connection with the January 2026 Private Placement that closed on January 30, 2026. Each Common Warrant is exercisable upon issuance with no expiration and has an exercise price of $0.001 per Class A Ordinary Share, subject to adjustment in accordance with its terms.
The Selling Shareholders will pay any discounts, commissions, fees of underwriters, selling brokers, dealer managers or similar securities industry professionals and any brokerage, accounting, tax or legal expenses incurred by them in disposing of the securities. We will bear all other costs, fees and expenses incurred in effecting the registration of the securities covered by this prospectus, including, without limitation, filing and printing fees, listing fees, and the fees and expenses of our counsel and our independent registered public accounting firm.
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DESCRIPTION OF ORDINARY SHARES
Information relating to our Class A Ordinary Shares and certain provision of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association is incorporated by reference from our Annual Report, under the caption “Item 10. Additional Information – 10.B. Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association.” in Form 20-F. Such information does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and applicable provisions of the laws of the British Virgin Islands. You should read our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which are filed as Exhibit 4.1 to this prospectus, for a complete description of the provisions that are important to you.
The issued shares of the Company shall be divided into three classes of ordinary shares, designated as: (i) Class A Ordinary Shares; (ii) Class B Ordinary Shares; and (iii) Class C Ordinary Shares. And the Company is authorized to issue up to 550,250,000 ordinary shares, each with a par value of US$0.0008, comprising (i) 500,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares, (ii) 250,000 Class B Ordinary Shares and (iii) 50,000,000 Class C Ordinary Shares. As of the date of the prospectus, there were 1,200,179 Class A Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding, no Class B Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding and 7,577,308 Class C Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding.
Class C Ordinary Shares
Voting Rights
Holders of Class C Ordinary Shares are entitled to receive notice of general meetings of shareholders but are not entitled to attend, speak or vote at such general meetings. Holders of Class C Ordinary Shares are entitled to vote only at separate meetings of the holders of Class C Ordinary Shares, at which each Class C Ordinary Share is entitled to one vote on matters submitted to a vote of that class.
Conversion Rights
Each Class C Ordinary Share is convertible, at the option of the holder, into such number of Class A Ordinary Shares as determined in accordance with the applicable conversion ratio, at any time upon delivery of a conversion notice in the form approved by our board of directors. Class A Ordinary Shares are not convertible into Class C Ordinary Shares.
Conversion will be effected either by (i) where the conversion is on a 1 to 1 basis, the re-designation and re-classification of the relevant Class C Ordinary Share as a Class A Ordinary Share, or (ii) where the conversion is other than on a 1 to 1 basis, by the repurchase of the relevant Class C Ordinary Shares and the allotment and issuance of the requisite number of Class A Ordinary Shares. Upon conversion, the Class A Ordinary Shares issued will rank pari passu in all respects with the Class A Ordinary Shares then outstanding. In either event, such conversion shall becomes effective forthwith upon the appropriate entries being made in our register of members.
Beneficial Ownership Limitation
We shall note effect the conversion of any of the Class C Ordinary Shares held by a holder and such holder shall not have the right to convert any of the Class C Ordinary Shares held by such holder and such conversion shall be null and void and treated as if never made, to the extent that after giving effect to such conversion, such holder together with and the other Attribution Parties (as defined in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% of our outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares (the “Maximum Percentage”) immediately after giving effect to such conversion, calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. To the extent that any issuance of Class A Ordinary Shares upon conversion would result in beneficial ownership in excess of the Maximum Percentage, such excess shares will be deemed null and void ab initio and will not be issued. This limitation may not be waived and applies to any successor holder, subject to certain limited exceptions.
Except as described above with respect to voting and conversion rights, the Class C Ordinary Shares rank pari passu with the Class A Ordinary Shares and Class B Ordinary Shares and have the same rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions.
For a more detailed description of our Class A and Class B ordinary shares and the rights and obligations attached thereto, see “Description of Share Capital” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F, which is incorporated herein by reference.
See “Where You Can Find More Information” elsewhere in this prospectus for information on where you can obtain copies of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which have been filed with and are publicly available from the SEC.
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MATERIAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR IS URGED TO CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR ABOUT THE TAX CONSEQUENCES TO IT OF AN INVESTMENT IN OUR ORDINARY SHARES IN LIGHT OF THE INVESTOR’S OWN CIRCUMSTANCES.
Prospective investors should consult their professional advisers on the possible tax consequences of buying, holding, or selling any Class A Ordinary Shares under the laws of their country of citizenship, residence, or domicile.
The following is a discussion on BVI and Hong Kong income tax consequences of an investment in the Class A Ordinary Shares. The discussion are the opinions of Conyers Dill & Pearman, our counsel as to the laws of the BVI, and of Robertsons, our counsel as to the laws of Hong Kong, respectively, which are subject to prospective and retroactive change. It is not intended as tax advice, does not consider any investor’s particular circumstances, and does not consider tax consequences other than those arising under the BVI and Hong Kong laws.
BVI Taxation
We are not liable to pay any form of taxation in the BVI and all dividends, interests, rents, royalties, compensations and other amounts paid by us to persons who are not persons resident in the BVI are exempt from all forms of taxation in the BVI and any capital gains realized with respect to any shares, debt obligations, or other securities of ours by persons who are not persons resident in the BVI are exempt from all forms of taxation in the BVI.
No estate, inheritance, succession or gift tax, rate, duty, levy or other charge is payable by persons who are not persons resident in the BVI with respect to any shares, debt obligation or other securities of ours.
Subject to the payment of stamp duty on the acquisition of property in the BVI by us (and in respect of certain transactions in respect of the shares, debt obligations or other securities of BVI incorporated companies owning land in the BVI), all instruments relating to transfers of property to or by us and all instruments relating to transactions in respect of the shares, debt obligations or other securities of ours and all instruments relating to other transactions relating to our business are exempt from payment of stamp duty in the BVI.
There are currently no withholding taxes or exchange control regulations in the BVI applicable to us or our shareholders.
Hong Kong Profits Taxation
No tax is imposed in Hong Kong in respect of capital gains from the sale of property, such as our Class A Ordinary Shares. Generally, gains arising from disposal of the Class A Ordinary Shares which are held more than two years are considered capital in nature. However, trading gains from the sale of property by persons carrying on a trade, profession or business in Hong Kong where such gains are derived from or arise in Hong Kong from such trade, profession or business will be chargeable to Hong Kong profit tax. Liability for Hong Kong profits tax would therefore arise in respect of trading gains from the sale of Class A Ordinary Shares realized by persons in the course of carrying on a business of trading or dealing in securities in Hong Kong where the purchase or sale contracts are effected (being negotiated, concluded and/or executed) in Hong Kong. Effective from April 1, 2018, profits tax is levied on a two-tiered profits tax rate basis, with the first HK$2 million of profits being taxed at 8.25% for corporations and 7.5% for unincorporated businesses, and profits exceeding the first HK$2 million being taxed at 16.5% for corporations and 15% for unincorporated businesses.
In addition, Hong Kong does not impose withholding tax on gains derived from the sale of stock in Hong Kong companies and does not impose withholding tax on dividends paid outside of Hong Kong by Hong Kong companies. Accordingly, investors will not be subject to Hong Kong withholding tax with respect to a disposition of their Class A Ordinary Shares or with respect to the receipt of dividends on their Class A Ordinary Shares, if any. No income tax treaty relevant to the acquiring, withholding or dealing in the Class A Ordinary Shares exists between Hong Kong and the United States.
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Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for U.S. Holders
The following discussion describes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences relating to the ownership and disposition of our Class A Ordinary Shares by U.S. Holders (as defined below). This discussion applies to U.S. Holders that purchase our Class A Ordinary Shares pursuant to this offering and hold such Class A Ordinary Shares as capital assets. This discussion is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, U.S. Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, and administrative and judicial interpretations thereof, all as in effect on the date hereof and all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. This discussion does not address all of the U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to specific U.S. Holders in light of their particular circumstances or to U.S. Holders subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax law (such as certain financial institutions; insurance companies; dealers or traders in securities or other persons that generally mark their securities to market for U.S. federal income tax purposes; tax-exempt entities or governmental organizations; retirement plans; regulated investment companies; real estate investment trusts; grantor trusts; brokers, dealers, or traders in securities, commodities, currencies, or notional principal contracts; certain former citizens or long-term residents of the United States; persons who hold our Class A Ordinary Shares as part of a “straddle,” “hedge,” “conversion transaction,” “synthetic security,” or integrated investment; persons that have a “functional currency” other than the U.S. dollar; persons that own directly, indirectly, or through attribution 10% or more of the voting power of our Class A Ordinary Shares; corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax; partnerships and other pass-through entities; and investors in such pass-through entities). This discussion does not address any U.S. state or local or non-U.S. tax consequences or any U.S. federal estate, gift, or alternative minimum tax consequences.
As used in this discussion, the term “U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of our Class A Ordinary Shares who is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; (ii) a corporation (or entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or the District of Columbia; (iii) an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or (iv) a trust (x) with respect to which a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over its administration and one or more U.S. persons has the authority to control all of its substantial decisions, or (y) that has elected under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a domestic trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
If an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds our Class A Ordinary Shares, the U.S. federal income tax consequences relating to an investment in such Class A Ordinary Shares will depend in part upon the status and activities of such entity and the particular partner. Any such entity should consult its own tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences applicable to it and its partners of the purchase, ownership, and disposition of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
Persons considering an investment in our Class A Ordinary Shares should consult their own tax advisors as to the particular tax consequences applicable to them relating to the purchase, ownership, and disposition of our Class A Ordinary Shares, including the applicability of U.S. federal, state, and local tax laws and non-U.S. tax laws.
Passive Foreign Investment Company (“PFIC”) Consequences
In general, a corporation organized outside the United States will be treated as a PFIC for any taxable year in which either (i) at least 75% of its gross income is “passive income” (“PFIC income test”), or (ii) on average at least 50% of its assets, determined on a quarterly basis, are assets that produce passive income or are held for the production of passive income (“PFIC asset test”). Passive income for this purpose generally includes, among other things, dividends, interest, royalties, rents, and gains from the sale or exchange of property that gives rise to passive income. Assets that produce or are held for the production of passive income generally include cash (even if held as working capital or raised in a public offering), marketable securities, and other assets that may produce passive income. Generally, in determining whether a non-U.S. corporation is a PFIC, a proportionate share of the income and assets of each corporation in which it owns, directly or indirectly, at least a 25% interest (by value) is taken into account.
Although PFIC status is determined on an annual basis and generally cannot be determined until the end of a taxable year, based on the nature of our current and expected income and the current and expected value and composition of our assets, we do not presently expect to be a PFIC for our current taxable year or the foreseeable future. However, there can be no assurance given in this regard because the determination of whether we are or will become a PFIC is a fact-intensive inquiry made on an annual basis that depends, in part, upon the composition of our income and assets. In addition, there can be no assurance that the IRS will agree with our conclusion or that the IRS would not successfully challenge our position.
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If we are a PFIC in any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder owns our Class A Ordinary Shares, the U.S. Holder could be liable for additional taxes and interest charges under the “PFIC excess distribution regime” upon (i) a distribution paid during a taxable year that is greater than 125% of the average annual distributions paid in the three preceding taxable years, or, if shorter, the U.S. Holder’s holding period for our Class A Ordinary Shares; and (ii) any gain recognized on a sale, exchange, or other disposition, including a pledge, of our Class A Ordinary Shares, whether or not we continue to be a PFIC. Under the PFIC excess distribution regime, the tax on such distribution or gain would be determined by allocating the distribution or gain ratably over the U.S. Holder’s holding period for our Class A Ordinary Shares. The amount allocated to the current taxable year (i.e., the year in which the distribution occurs or the gain is recognized) and any year prior to the first taxable year in which we are a PFIC will be taxed as ordinary income earned in the current taxable year. The amount allocated to other taxable years will be taxed at the highest marginal rates in effect for individuals or corporations, as applicable, to ordinary income for each such taxable year, and an interest charge, generally applicable to underpayments of tax, will be added to the tax.
If we are a PFIC for any year during which a U.S. Holder holds our Class A Ordinary Shares, we must generally continue to be treated as a PFIC by that holder for all succeeding years during which the U.S. Holder holds such Class A Ordinary Shares, unless we cease to meet the requirements for PFIC status and the U.S. Holder makes a “deemed sale” election with respect to our Class A Ordinary Shares. If the election is made, the U.S. Holder will be deemed to sell our Class A Ordinary Shares it holds at their fair market value on the last day of the last taxable year in which we qualified as a PFIC, and any gain recognized from such deemed sale would be taxed under the PFIC excess distribution regime. After the deemed sale election, the U.S. Holder’s Class A Ordinary Shares would not be treated as shares of a PFIC unless we subsequently become a PFIC.
If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder holds our Class A Ordinary Shares and one of our non-U.S. subsidiaries is also a PFIC (i.e., a lower-tier PFIC), such U.S. Holder would be treated as owning a proportionate amount (by value) of the shares of the lower-tier PFIC and would be taxed under the PFIC excess distribution regime on distributions by the lower-tier PFIC and on gain from the disposition of shares of the lower-tier PFIC even though such U.S. Holder would not receive the proceeds of those distributions or dispositions. Any of our non-U.S. subsidiaries that have elected to be disregarded as entities separate from us or as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes would not be corporations under U.S. federal income tax law and, accordingly, cannot be classified as lower-tier PFICs. However, non-U.S. subsidiaries that have not made the election may be classified as a lower-tier PFIC if we are a PFIC during your holding period and the subsidiary meets the PFIC income test or PFIC asset test. Each U.S. Holder is advised to consult its tax advisors regarding the application of the PFIC rules to any of our non-U.S. subsidiaries.
If we are a PFIC, a U.S. Holder will not be subject to tax under the PFIC excess distribution regime on distributions or gain recognized on our Class A Ordinary Shares if a valid “mark-to-market” election is made by the U.S. Holder for our Class A Ordinary Shares. An electing U.S. Holder generally would take into account, as ordinary income each year, the excess of the fair market value of our Class A Ordinary Shares held at the end of such taxable year over the adjusted tax basis of such Class A Ordinary Shares. The U.S. Holder would also take into account, as an ordinary loss each year, the excess of the adjusted tax basis of such Class A Ordinary Shares over their fair market value at the end of the taxable year, but only to the extent of the excess of amounts previously included in income over ordinary losses deducted as a result of the mark-to-market election. The U.S. Holder’s tax basis in our Class A Ordinary Shares would be adjusted to reflect any income or loss recognized as a result of the mark-to-market election. Any gain from a sale, exchange, or other disposition of our Class A Ordinary Shares in any taxable year in which we are a PFIC would be treated as ordinary income, and any loss from such sale, exchange, or other disposition would be treated first as ordinary loss (to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains previously included in income) and thereafter as capital loss. If, after having been a PFIC for a taxable year, we cease to be classified as a PFIC because we no longer meet the PFIC income test or PFIC asset test, the U.S. Holder would not be required to take into account any latent gain or loss in the manner described above, and any gain or loss recognized on the sale or exchange of the Class A Ordinary Shares would be classified as a capital gain or loss.
A mark-to-market election is available to a U.S. Holder only for “marketable stock.” Generally, stock will be considered marketable stock if it is “regularly traded” on a “qualified exchange” within the meaning of applicable U.S. Treasury regulations. A class of stock is regularly traded during any calendar year during which such class of stock is traded, other than in de minimis quantities, on at least 15 days during each calendar quarter.
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Our Class A Ordinary Shares will be marketable stock as long as they remain listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market and are regularly traded. A mark-to-market election will not apply to the Class A Ordinary Shares for any taxable year during which we are not a PFIC, but it will remain in effect with respect to any subsequent taxable year in which we become a PFIC. Such election will not apply to any of our non-U.S. subsidiaries. Accordingly, a U.S. Holder may continue to be subject to tax under the PFIC excess distribution regime with respect to any lower-tier PFICs notwithstanding the U.S. Holder’s mark-to-market election for the Class A Ordinary Shares.
The tax consequences that would apply if we were a PFIC would also be different from those described above if a U.S. Holder were able to make a valid qualified electing fund (“QEF”) election. As we do not expect to provide U.S. Holders with the information necessary for a U.S. Holder to make a QEF election, prospective investors should assume that a QEF election will not be available.
The U.S. federal income tax rules relating to PFICs are very complex. Prospective U.S. investors are strongly urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the impact of PFIC status on the purchase, ownership, and disposition of our Class A Ordinary Shares, the consequences to them of an investment in a PFIC, any elections available with respect to the Class A Ordinary Shares, and the IRS information reporting obligations with respect to the purchase, ownership, and disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares of a PFIC.
Distributions
Subject to the discussion above under “PFIC Consequences,” a U.S. Holder that receives a distribution with respect to our Class A Ordinary Shares generally will be required to include the gross amount of such distribution in gross income as a dividend when actually or constructively received to the extent of the U.S. Holder’s pro rata share of our current and/or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). To the extent a distribution received by a U.S. Holder is not a dividend because it exceeds the U.S. Holder’s pro rata share of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, it will be treated first as a tax-free return of capital and reduce (but not below zero) the adjusted tax basis of the U.S. Holder’s Class A Ordinary Shares. To the extent the distribution exceeds the adjusted tax basis of the U.S. Holder’s Class A Ordinary Shares, the remainder will be taxed as capital gain. Because we may not account for our earnings and profits in accordance with U.S. federal income tax principles, U.S. Holders should expect all distributions to be reported to them as dividends.
Distributions on our Class A Ordinary Shares that are treated as dividends generally will constitute income from sources outside the United States for foreign tax credit purposes and generally will constitute passive category income. Such dividends will not be eligible for the “dividends received” deduction generally allowed to corporate shareholders with respect to dividends received from U.S. corporations. Dividends paid by a “qualified foreign corporation” to certain non-corporate U.S. Holders may be eligible for taxation at a reduced capital gains rate rather than the marginal tax rates generally applicable to ordinary income, provided that a holding period requirement (more than 60 days of ownership, without protection from the risk of loss, during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date) and certain other requirements are met. Each U.S. Holder is advised to consult its tax advisors regarding the availability of the reduced tax rate on dividends to its particular circumstances. However, if we are a PFIC for the taxable year in which the dividend is paid or the preceding taxable year (see discussion above under “PFIC Consequences”), we will not be treated as a qualified foreign corporation, and therefore, the reduced capital gains tax rate described above will not apply.
Dividends will be included in a U.S. Holder’s income on the date of the depositary’s receipt of the dividend. The amount of any dividend income paid in BVI will be the U.S. dollar amount calculated by reference to the exchange rate in effect on the date of receipt, regardless of whether the payment is in fact converted into U.S. dollars. If the dividend is converted into U.S. dollars on the date of receipt, a U.S. Holder should not be required to recognize foreign currency gain or loss in respect to the dividend income. A U.S. Holder may have foreign currency gain or loss if the dividend is converted into U.S. dollars after the date of receipt.
A non-U.S. corporation (other than a corporation that is classified as a PFIC for the taxable year in which the dividend is paid or the preceding taxable year) generally will be considered to be a qualified foreign corporation with respect to any dividend it pays on Class A Ordinary Shares that are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States.
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Sale, Exchange or Other Disposition of Our Class A Ordinary Shares
Subject to the discussion above under “PFIC Consequences,” a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the sale, exchange, or other disposition of our Class A Ordinary Shares in an amount equal to the difference, if any, between the amount realized (i.e., the amount of cash plus the fairmarket value of any property received) on the sale, exchange, or other disposition and such U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the Class A Ordinary Shares. Such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain taxable at a reduced rate for non-corporate U.S. Holders or long-term capital loss if, on the date of sale, exchange, or other disposition, the Class A Ordinary Shares were held by the U.S. Holder for more than one year. Any capital gain of a non-corporate U.S. Holder that is not long-term capital gain is taxed at ordinary income rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations. Any gain or loss recognized from the sale or other disposition of our Class A Ordinary Shares will generally be gain or loss from sources within the United States for U.S. foreign tax credit purposes.
Medicare Tax
Certain U.S. Holders that are individuals, estates, or trusts and whose income exceeds certain thresholds generally are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their net investment income, which may include their gross dividend income and net gains from the disposition of our Class A Ordinary Shares. If you are a U.S. person that is an individual, estate, or trust, you are encouraged to consult your tax advisor regarding the applicability of this Medicare tax to your income and gains in respect to your investment in our Class A Ordinary Shares.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
U.S. Holders may be required to file certain U.S. information reporting returns with the IRS with respect to an investment in our Class A Ordinary Shares, including, among others, IRS Form 8938 (Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets). As described above under “PFIC Consequences,” each U.S. Holder who is a shareholder of a PFIC must file an annual report containing certain information. U.S. Holders paying more than US$100,000 for our Class A Ordinary Shares may be required to file IRS Form 926 (Return by a U.S. Transferor of Property to a Foreign Corporation) reporting this payment. Substantial penalties may be imposed upon a U.S. Holder that fails to comply with the required information reporting.
Dividends on and proceeds from the sale or other disposition of our Class A Ordinary Shares may be reported to the IRS unless the U.S. Holder establishes a basis for exemption. Backup withholding may apply to amounts subject to reporting if the holder (i) fails to provide an accurate U.S. taxpayer identification number or otherwise establish a basis for exemption, or (ii) is described in certain other categories of persons. However, U.S. Holders that are corporations generally are excluded from these information reporting and backup withholding tax rules.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules generally will be allowed as a refund or a credit against a U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability if the required information is furnished by the U.S. Holder on a timely basis to the IRS.
U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the backup withholding tax and information reporting rules.
January 2026 Private Placement
On January 29, 2026, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”) with certain accredited investors (each, a “PIPE Investor”). Pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, the PIPE Investors agreed to subscribe for and purchase from the Company, and the Company agreed to issue and sell to the PIPE Investors, units (each, a “Unit”) comprised of one Class C and a warrant (the “Common Warrant”) to purchase Class A Ordinary Shares for a purchase price of $2.49 per Unit, resulting in aggregate gross proceeds of $17,000,000, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein.
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Each Common Warrant is exercisable upon issuance with no expiration and has an exercise price of $0.001 per Class A Ordinary Share, subject to adjustment per the terms of the Common Warrant. The maximum number of Class A Ordinary Shares underlying each Common Warrant shall be calculated by dividing (x) the OID Amount (as such term is defined below) by (y) the applicable Adjustment Price determined on the date of exercise. For the purposes of the Securities Purchase Agreement, the term “OID Amount” shall mean, with respect to each PIPE Investor, an amount equal to (x) the quotient determined by dividing the aggregate purchase price paid by such PIPE Investor for the Units by 0.85 minus (y) the aggregate purchase price paid by such PIPE Investor for the Units. The term “Adjustment Price” shall mean, as of any determination date, the greater of (i) 80% of the lowest closing price of the Class A Ordinary Shares on the Nasdaq Stock Market on any trading day during the seven (7) trading days prior to the date that the holder of a Common Warrant delivers a Notice of Exercise to the Company and (ii) the Floor Price of $0.498 (as adjusted for forward and reverse share splits, recapitalizations, share dividends and the like after the execution of the Securities Purchase Agreement). The January 2026 Private Placement closed on January 30, 2026 (the “Closing Date”). The Company will use (a) $9,478,000 of the net proceeds to repurchase 1,449,732 Ordinary Shares from Bliss On Limited, a British Virgin Islands business company and pay transaction related expenses, (b) $1,680,000 for the payment of Placement Agent commission and expenses, (c) $1,500,000 for marketing and investor relations, and (d) $4,342,000 for working capital and strategic acquisitions.
On January 29, 2026, the Company also entered into a placement agent agreement (the “Placement Agent Agreement”) with Spartan Capital Securities, LLC (“Spartan”), pursuant to which Spartan served as the placement agent for the January 2026 Private Placement. For investment banking and advisory services, the Company paid Spartan compensation comprised of: (a) a cash fee equal to 9% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in the January 2026 Private Placement; (b) warrants (the “Placement Agent Warrants”) to purchase that number of Class A Ordinary Shares equal to 7.5% of the number of Class C Ordinary Shares issued in the January 2026 Private Placement. The Placement Agent Warrants have a term of five (5) years, contain cashless exercise provisions and piggyback registration rights, and have an exercise price of $3.11. In addition, the Company agreed to reimburse Spartan for certain out-of-pocket expenses, including reasonable legal fees and disbursements for its counsel.
In addition, the Company paid Spartan, or its designees, an aggregate of 750,000 of the Company’s Class C Ordinary Shares (the “Advisory Shares”), at the Closing Date for advisory services.
Registration Rights Agreement
Pursuant to the January 2026 Private Placement, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) with the PIPE Investors. Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company has agreed that, no later than twenty (20) days after the Closing Date, the Company will file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission a registration statement registering the resale of (a) the Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon conversion of the Class C Ordinary Shares, and (b) the Class A Ordinary Shares underlying the Common Warrants (the “PIPE Resale Registration Statement”). The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to have the PIPE Resale Registration Statement declared effective as soon as practicable after the filing thereof and maintain the effectiveness of the PIPE Resale Registration Statement.
SELLING SHAREHOLDERS
The Class A Ordinary Shares, Common Warrant Shares and Placement Agent Warrant Shares being offered by the selling shareholders are those issuable to the selling shareholders upon conversion of the Class C Ordinary Shares previously issued to the selling shareholder and upon exercise of the Warrants. For additional information regarding the issuances of those Class A Ordinary Shares and warrants, see “January 2026 Private Placement” above. We are registering the Ordinary Shares in order to permit the selling shareholders to offer the Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon the conversion of Class C Ordinary Shares for resale from time to time. Except for the ownership of the Class C Ordinary Shares and the Class A Ordinary Shares issued upon conversion of the Class C Ordinary Shares, the selling shareholders have not had any material relationship with us within the past three years.
The table below lists the selling shareholders and other information regarding the beneficial ownership of the Class A Ordinary Shares by each of the selling shareholders. The second column lists the number of Class A Ordinary Shares beneficially owned by each selling shareholder, based on its ownership of the Class A Ordinary Shares and warrants, as of March 2, 2026, assuming exercise of the warrants held by the selling shareholders on that date, without regard to any limitations on exercises. The third column lists the Class A Ordinary Shares being offered by this prospectus by the selling shareholders. The fourth column assumes the sale of all of the Class A Ordinary Shares offered by the selling shareholders pursuant to this prospectus.
In accordance with the terms of a registration rights agreement with the selling shareholders, this prospectus generally covers the resale of the maximum number of Class A Ordinary Shares issuable to the Selling Shareholders upon the conversion of the Class C Ordinary Shares, Common Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants issued to the selling shareholders in the “January 2026 Private Placement” described above.
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Under the terms of the Common Warrants, a selling shareholder may not exercise Common Warrants to the extent such conversion would cause such selling shareholder, together with its affiliates and attribution parties, to beneficially own a number of Class A Ordinary Shares which would exceed 4.99% or 9.99%, as applicable, of our then outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares following such conversion, excluding for purposes of such determination Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon the conversion of the Class C Ordinary Shares that have not been converted. The numbers of Ordinary Shares in the second and fourth columns do not reflect this limitation. The selling shareholders may sell all, some or none of their Ordinary Shares in this offering. See “Plan of Distribution.
| Shares Owned Immediately After Sale of Maximum Number of Shares in this Offering | ||||||||||||||||
| Name and Address of Selling Shareholder | Number of Shares of Class A Ordinary Shares Owned Prior to Offering | Maximum Number of Class A Ordinary Shares to be Sold Pursuant to this Prospectus | Number | Percentage of Outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares | ||||||||||||
| Target Capital 12 LLC 144 Hillside Village Rio Grande PR 00745 | — | 25,949,384 | (1) | 0 | % | |||||||||||
| Secure Net Capital LLC 654 Munoz Rivera Avenue #1130 San Juan, PR 00918 | — | 25,949,384 | (2) | 0 | % | |||||||||||
| Great Point Capital LLC 12301 Research Blvd, Bldg 4-270 Austin, TX 78759 | — | 9,287,148 | (3) | 0 | % | |||||||||||
| Ault Lending, LLC 940 South Coast Dr Suite 200 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 | — | 13,111,267 | (4) | 0 | % | |||||||||||
| Spartan Capital Securities, LLC 45 Broadway, 19th Floor New York, NY 10006 | — | 256,024 | (5) | 0 | % | |||||||||||
| RBW Capital Partners, LLC 1511 Ponce De Leon, Unit 1092 San Juan, PR 00909 | — | 256,024 | (6) | 0 | % | |||||||||||
| Total | — | 74,809,231 | 0 | % | ||||||||||||
| (1) | Represents 25,949,384 Class A Ordinary Shares consists of (i) 23,845,380 Class A Ordinary Shares, which is 200% of the maximum number of shares issuable upon conversion of 2,384,538 Class C Ordinary Shares; and (ii) 2,104,004 Class A Ordinary Shares, which is the maximum number of shares issuable upon exercise of Common Warrants assuming that the Adjustment Price (as defined in the Common Warrants equals $0.498). The Common Warrants are subject to a beneficial ownership limitation of 4.99%, which restricts the shareholder from exercising that portion of the securities that would result in the shareholder, after such exercise, beneficially owning common shares in excess of the 4.99% beneficial ownership limitation. Dmitriy Shapiro may be deemed to have sole voting and dispositive power over the shares reported herein. |
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| (2) | Represents 25,949,384 Class A Ordinary Shares consists of (i) 23,845,380 Class A Ordinary Shares, which is 200% of the maximum number of shares issuable upon conversion of 2,384,538 Class C Ordinary Shares; and (ii) 2,104,004 Class A Ordinary Shares, which is the maximum number of shares issuable upon exercise of Common Warrants assuming that the Adjustment Price (as defined in the Common Warrants equals $0.498). The Common Warrants are subject to a beneficial ownership limitation of 4.99%, which restricts the shareholder from exercising that portion of the securities that would result in the shareholder, after such exercise, beneficially owning common shares in excess of the 4.99% beneficial ownership limitation. |
| (3) | Represents 9,287,148 Class A Ordinary Shares consists of (i) 8,534,136 Class A Ordinary Shares, which is 200% of the maximum number of shares issuable upon conversion of 853,413 Class C Ordinary Shares; and (ii) 753,012 Class A Ordinary Shares, which is the maximum number of shares issuable upon exercise of Common Warrants assuming that the Adjustment Price (as defined in the Common Warrants equals $0.498). The Common Warrants are subject to a beneficial ownership limitation of 9.99%, which restricts the shareholder from exercising that portion of the securities that would result in the shareholder, after such exercise, beneficially owning common shares in excess of the 9.99% beneficial ownership limitation. |
| (4) | Represents 13,111,267 Class A Ordinary Shares, consisting of (i) 12,048,192 Class A Ordinary Shares which is 200% of the maximum number of shares issuable upon conversion of 1,204,819 Class C Ordinary Shares and (ii) 1,063,075 Class A Ordinary Shares which is the maximum number of shares issuable upon exercise of Common Warrants assuming that the Adjustment Price (as defined in the Common Warrants equals $0.498). The Common Warrants are subject to a beneficial ownership limitation of 4.99%, which restricts the shareholder from exercising that portion of the securities that would result in the shareholder, after such exercise, beneficially owning common shares in excess of the 4.99% beneficial ownership limitation. David J. Katzoff may be deemed to have sole voting and dispositive power over the shares reported herein. |
| (5) | Represents 256,024 Class A Ordinary Shares to be reserved for issuance upon exercise of Placement Agent Warrants. |
| (7) | Represents 256,024 Class A Ordinary Shares to be reserved for issuance upon exercise of Placement Agent Warrants. |
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CAPITALIZATION
| ● | on an actual basis; | |
| on an as adjusted basis, to reflect the conversion of 350,000 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock outstanding at a conversion rate of 0.2083 common shares per preferred share, reflecting a conversion price of $48.00 per common share, into 72,917 Class A Ordinary Shares pursuant to a notice of conversion dated May 16, 2025; and | ||
| ● | on an as further adjusted basis, to reflect: | |
| -- the issuance and sale of Units in the January 2026 Private Placement, at a purchase price of $2.49 per Unit, resulting in aggregate gross proceeds of $17,000,000, each Unit consisting of one Class C Ordinary Share and one Common Warrant to purchase Class A Ordinary Shares, after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses and giving effect to the receipt of the net proceeds from such sale; | ||
| -- the issuance of Common Warrants exercisable at $0.001 per Class A Ordinary Share (subject to adjustment), with the number of Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise determined in accordance with the OID Amount and Adjustment Price provisions set forth in the Securities Purchase Agreement; | ||
| on an as final adjusted basis, to reflect: | ||
| -- the use of approximately $9,400,000 of the net proceeds from the January 2026 Private Placement to repurchase 1,449,732 Class A Ordinary Shares from Bliss On Limited, and the application of the remaining net proceeds for general corporate purposes. | ||
| ● | Below is the revised disclosure updated to reflect the January 2026 Private Placement structure (Class C Ordinary Shares and Common Warrants) instead of the July 2025 private placement and Registered Direct Offering: |
| As of June 30, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||
| Actual | As Adjusted | As Further Adjusted | As Final Adjusted | |||||||||||||
| (unaudited) | (unaudited) | (unaudited) | (unaudited) | |||||||||||||
| Cash | $ | 1,133,124 | 1,133,124 | 16,453,124 | 5,475,124 | |||||||||||
| Shareholders’ equity: | ||||||||||||||||
| Share capital | $ | 1,943 | 1,943 | 1,943 | 1,943 | |||||||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 11,721,836 | 11,721,836 | 27,041,836 | 16,063,836 | ||||||||||||
| Accumulated deficit | (6,939,869 | ) | (6,939,869 | ) | (6,939,869 | ) | (6,939,869 | ) | ||||||||
| Total shareholders’ equity | $ | 4,783,910 | 4,783,910 | 20,103,910 | 9,125,910 | |||||||||||
| Total capitalization | $ | 4,783,910 | 4,783,910 | 20,103,910 | 9,125,910 | |||||||||||
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DILUTION
Because the Selling Shareholder may offer and sell the Class A Ordinary Shares covered by this prospectus at various times, at prices and at terms then prevailing or at prices related to the then current market price, or in negotiated transactions, we have not included in this prospectus information about the dilution (if any) to the public arising from these sales.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
Plan of Distribution
Each Selling Shareholder (the “Selling Shareholders”) of the securities and any of their pledgees, assignees and successors-in-interest may, from time to time, sell any or all of their securities covered hereby on the principal Trading Market or any other stock exchange, market or trading facility on which the securities are traded or in private transactions. These sales may be at fixed or negotiated prices. A Selling Shareholder may use any one or more of the following methods when selling securities:
| ● | ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers; |
| ● | block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the securities as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; |
| ● | purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account; |
| ● | an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange; |
| ● | privately negotiated transactions; |
| ● | settlement of short sales; |
| ● | in transactions through broker-dealers that agree with the Selling Shareholders to sell a specified number of such securities at a stipulated price per security; |
| ● | through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise; |
| ● | a combination of any such methods of sale; or |
| ● | ny other method permitted pursuant to applicable law. |
The Selling Shareholders may also sell securities under Rule 144 or any other exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), if available, rather than under this prospectus.
Broker-dealers engaged by the Selling Shareholders may arrange for other brokers-dealers to participate in sales. Broker-dealers may receive commissions or discounts from the Selling Shareholders (or, if any broker-dealer acts as agent for the purchaser of securities, from the purchaser) in amounts to be negotiated, but, except as set forth in a supplement to this Prospectus, in the case of an agency transaction not in excess of a customary brokerage commission in compliance with FINRA Rule 2121; and in the case of a principal transaction a markup or markdown in compliance with FINRA Rule 2121.
In connection with the sale of the securities or interests therein, the Selling Shareholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the securities in the course of hedging the positions they assume. The Selling Shareholders may also sell securities short and deliver these securities to close out their short positions, or loan or pledge the securities to broker-dealers that in turn may sell these securities. The Selling Shareholders may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or create one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of securities offered by this prospectus, which securities such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).
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The Selling Shareholders and any broker-dealers or agents that are involved in selling the securities may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. In such event, any commissions received by such broker-dealers or agents and any profit on the resale of the securities purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. Each Selling Shareholder has informed the Company that it does not have any written or oral agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the securities.
The Company is required to pay certain fees and expenses incurred by the Company incident to the registration of the securities. The Company has agreed to indemnify the Selling Shareholders against certain losses, claims, damages and liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
We agreed to keep this prospectus effective until the earlier of (i) the date on which the securities may be resold by the Selling Shareholders without registration and without regard to any volume or manner-of-sale limitations by reason of Rule 144, without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information under Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect or (ii) all of the securities have been sold pursuant to this prospectus or Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect. The resale securities will be sold only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers if required under applicable state securities laws. In addition, in certain states, the resale securities covered hereby may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available and is complied with.
Under applicable rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, any person engaged in the distribution of the resale securities may not simultaneously engage in market making activities with respect to the Ordinary Shares for the applicable restricted period, as defined in Regulation M, prior to the commencement of the distribution. In addition, the Selling Shareholders will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including Regulation M, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of the Ordinary Shares by the Selling Shareholders or any other person. We will make copies of this prospectus available to the Selling Shareholders and have informed them of the need to deliver a copy of this prospectus to each purchaser at or prior to the time of the sale (including by compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act).
LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of our Class A Ordinary Shares and certain other matters of BVI law will be passed upon for us by Conyers Dill & Pearman. We are being represented by Kaufman & Canoles, P.C. with respect to certain legal matters of U.S. federal securities. We may rely upon Robertsons with respect to matters governed by Hong Kong law.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements of our Company appearing in our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 has been audited by WWC, P.C., an independent registered public accounting firms, as set forth in the reports thereon included therein and incorporated herein by reference.
MATERIAL CHANGES
Except as otherwise described in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 and in our reports on Form 6-K incorporated by reference herein and as disclosed in this prospectus, no reportable material changes have occurred since December 31, 2024.
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ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES
We are incorporated under the laws of the BVI with limited liability. We are incorporated in the BVI because of certain benefits associated with being a BVI business company, such as political and economic stability, an effective judicial system, a favorable tax system, the absence of foreign exchange control or currency restrictions and the availability of professional and support services. However, the BVI has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States and provides less protection for investors. In addition, BVI companies may not have standing to sue before the federal courts of the United States.
Substantially all of our assets are located outside the United States. In addition, most of our directors and executive officers are nationals or residents of jurisdictions other than the United States and substantially all of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to effect service of process within the United States upon us or these persons, or to enforce judgments obtained in U.S. courts against us or them, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States, or any state in the United States. It may also be difficult for you to enforce judgments obtained in U.S. courts based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us and our executive officers and directors.
We have appointed Cogency Global Inc. as our agent to receive service of process with respect to any action brought against us in the United States in connection with this offering under the federal securities laws of the United States or of any state in the United States.
Conyers Dill & Pearman, our counsel as to the laws of the BVI, has advised us that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the BVI would (i) recognize or enforce judgments of United States courts obtained against us or our directors or officers to impose liabilities predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States; or (ii) entertain original actions brought in the BVI against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the federal securities laws of the United States or the securities law of any state in the United States.
We have been advised by Conyers Dill & Pearman that although there is no statutory enforcement in the BVI of judgments obtained in the federal or state courts of the United States (and the BVI is not a party to any treaties for the reciprocal enforcement or recognition of such judgments), the courts of the BVI would recognize as a valid judgment, a final and conclusive judgment in personam obtained in the federal or state courts in the United States under which a sum of money is payable (other than a sum of money payable in respect of multiple damages, taxes or other charges of a like nature or in respect of a fine or other penalty) and would give a judgment based thereon provided that (a) such courts had proper jurisdiction over the parties subject to such judgment, (b) such courts did not contravene the rules of natural justice of the BVI, (c) such judgment was not obtained by fraud, (d) the enforcement of the judgment would not be contrary to the public policy of the BVI, (e) no new admissible evidence relevant to the action is submitted prior to the rendering of the judgment by the courts of the BVI and (f) there is due compliance with the correct procedures under the laws of the BVI. However, the BVI courts are unlikely to enforce a punitive judgment of a United States court predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws in the United States without retrial on the merits if such judgment is determined by the courts of the BVI to give rise to obligations to make payments that may be regarded as fines, penalties or punitive in nature. And substantially all of our assets are located outside the United States.
Hong Kong
Robertsons, our counsel as to the laws of Hong Kong, has advised us that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of Hong Kong would (i) recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States, or (ii) entertain original actions brought in Hong Kong against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
A judgment of a court in the United States predicated upon U.S. federal or state securities laws may be enforced in Hong Kong at common law by bringing an action in a Hong Kong court on that judgment for the amount due thereunder and then seeking summary judgment on the strength of the foreign judgment, provided that the foreign judgment, among other things, is (1) for a debt or a definite sum of money (not being taxes or similar charges to a foreign government taxing authority or a fine or other penalty), and (2) final and conclusive on the merits of the claim, but not otherwise. Such a judgment may not, in any event, be so enforced in Hong Kong if (a) it was obtained by fraud, (b) the proceedings in which the judgment was obtained were opposed to natural justice, (c) its enforcement or recognition would be contrary to the public policy of Hong Kong, (d) the court of the United States was not jurisdictionally competent, or (e) the judgment was in conflict with a prior Hong Kong judgment.
Hong Kong has no arrangement for the reciprocal enforcement of judgments with the United States. As a result, there is uncertainty as to the enforceability in Hong Kong, in original actions or in actions for enforcement, of judgments of U.S. courts of civil liabilities predicated solely upon the federal securities laws of the United States or the securities laws of any state or territory within the United States.
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INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus the information we file with them. The information we incorporate by reference into this prospectus is an important part of this prospectus. Any statement in a document we have filed with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus and which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus will be considered to be modified or superseded to the extent a statement contained in this prospectus or any other subsequently filed document that is incorporated by reference into this prospectus modifies or supersedes that statement. The modified or superseded statement will not be considered to be a part of this prospectus, except as modified or superseded.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus the information contained in the following documents that we have filed with the SEC pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which is considered to be a part of this prospectus:
| ● | our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on April 28, 2025; | |
| ● | our Current Reports on Form 6-K, filed with the SEC on May 2, 2025, May 23, 2025, August 14, 2025, September 5, 2025, September 23, 2025, September 25, 2025, December 2, 2025, December 16, 2025, December 31, 2025, January 9, 2026, February 10, 2026, February 11, 2026, and February 13, 2026; and | |
| ● | the description of our Class A Ordinary Shares contained in the registration statement on Form 8-A, filed with the SEC on August 27, 2024. |
In addition, we may incorporate by reference into this prospectus our reports on Form 6-K filed after the date of this prospectus (and before the time that all of the securities offered by this prospectus have been sold or de-registered) if we identify in the report that it is being incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
Certain statements in and portions of this prospectus update and replace information in the above listed documents incorporated by reference. Likewise, statements in or portions of a future document incorporated by reference in this prospectus may update and replace statements in and portions of this prospectus or the above listed documents.
We also incorporate by reference all additional documents that we file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are filed (i) after the filing date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and prior to effectiveness of that registration statement or (ii) after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and prior to the termination of the offering of securities offered pursuant to this prospectus. We are not, however, incorporating, in each case, any documents or information that we are deemed to “furnish” and not file in accordance with SEC rules.
You may obtain a copy of these filings by accessing them pursuant to the directions described above in the section titled “Where You Can Find More Information.”
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement covering the resale of the Shares by the Selling Shareholders (including amendments and exhibits to the registration statement) on Form F-3 under the Securities Act. This prospectus, which forms a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules to the registration statement. Certain information is omitted, and you should refer to the registration statement and its exhibits and schedules for that information. If a document has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, we refer you to the copy of the document that has been filed. Each statement in this prospectus relating to a document filed as an exhibit is qualified in all respects by the filed exhibit.
We are subject to the information reporting requirements of the Exchange Act applicable to foreign private issuers. Accordingly, we are required to file reports and other information with the SEC, including annual reports on Form 20-F and reports on Form 6-K. Those reports may be inspected without charge at the locations described above. As a foreign private issuer, we will be exempt from the rules under the Exchange Act related to the furnishing and content of proxy statements, and our officers, directors, and principal shareholders will be exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition, we will not be required under the Exchange Act to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act.
The registration statements, reports and other information so filed can be obtained electronically by means of the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Such statements, reports and information will also be available on our website at http://www.janfp.com/. The information on those websites is not a part of this prospectus.
No dealers, salesperson or other person is authorized to give any information or to represent anything not contained in this prospectus. You must not rely on any unauthorized information or representations. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the securities offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this prospectus is current only as of its date.
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74,809,231 Class A Ordinary Shares
PROSPECTUS
, 2026
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. No dealer, salesperson or other person is authorized to give information that is not contained in this prospectus. This prospectus is not an offer to sell nor is it seeking an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. The information contained in this prospectus is correct only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of the delivery of this prospectus or the sale of these securities.
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 8. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Our Memorandum and Articles of Association empowers us to indemnify our directors and officers against certain liabilities they incur by reason of their being a director or officer of the Company.
We entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. Under these agreements, we have agreed to indemnify our directors and executive officers against certain liabilities and expenses incurred by such persons in connection with claims made by reason of their being a director or officer of the Company.
We obtained directors’ and officers’ liability insurance coverage that will cover certain liabilities of directors and officers of the company arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.
Item 9. Exhibits
A list of exhibits filed with this registration statement on Form F-3 is set forth on the Exhibit Index and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 10. Undertakings.
| (a) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes: |
| (1) | To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: |
| (i) | To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act; |
| (ii) | To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) that, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and |
| (iii) | To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement. |
| (2) | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
| (3) | To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered that remain unsold at the termination of the offering. |
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| (4) | To file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement to include any financial statements required by Item 8.A. of Form 20-F at the start of any delayed offering or throughout a continuous offering. Financial statements and information otherwise required by Section 10(a)(3) of the act need not be furnished, provided that the registrant includes in the prospectus, by means of a post-effective amendment, financial statements required pursuant to this paragraph (a)(4) and other information necessary to ensure that all other information in the prospectus is at least as current as the date of those financial statements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to registration statements on Form F-3, a post-effective amendment need not be filed to include financial statements and information required by Section 10(a)(3) of the act if such financial statements and information are contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Form F-3. |
| (5) | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser: |
| (i) | If the registrant is relying on Rule 430B: |
| (A) | Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and |
| (B) | Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; or |
| (ii) | If the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness; provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use. |
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| (6) | That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser: |
| (i) | Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; |
| (ii) | Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant; |
| (iii) | The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and |
| (iv) | Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
| (b) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser. |
| (c) | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the provisions described in Item 6 hereof, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer, or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit, or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. |
| (d) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that: |
| (1) | For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective. |
| (2) | For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
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EXHIBIT INDEX
| Exhibit Number |
Description of Exhibit | |
| 3.1** | Fourth Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association | |
| 5.1** | Opinion of Conyers Dill & Pearman regarding the validity of the Class A Ordinary Shares being registered | |
| 23.1** | Consent of WWC, P.C., an independent registered public accounting firm | |
| 23.2** | Consent of Conyers Dill & Pearman (included in Exhibit 5.1) | |
| 23.3** | Consent of Robertsons (including in Exhibit 8.2) | |
| 24.1** | Power of Attorney (included on signature page) | |
| 99.1† | Form of Securities Purchase Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of the Company’s Report on Form 6-K filed with the SEC on February 10, 2026) | |
| 99.2† | Form of Placement Agent Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 of the Company’s Report on Form 6-K filed with the SEC on February 10, 2026) | |
| 99.3† | Form of Registration Rights Agreement(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.3 of the Company’s Report on Form 6-K filed with the SEC on February 10, 2026) | |
| 99.4† | Form of Common Warrant(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4 of the Company’s Report on Form 6-K filed with the SEC on February 10, 2026) | |
| 99.5† | Form of Placement Agent Warrant(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.5 of the Company’s Report on Form 6-K filed with the SEC on February 10, 2026) | |
| 107** | Filing Fee Table |
| † | Previously filed |
| ** | Filed herewith. |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized on March 3, 2026.
| Powell Max limited | ||
| By: | /s/ Geordan Pursglove | |
| Name: | Geordan Pursglove | |
| Title: | Chairman of the Board, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer | |
Power of Attorney
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Geordan Pursglove, in his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, each with full power of substitution and re-substitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement and any and all related registration statements pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||
| /s/ Geordan Pursglove | Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer | March 3, 2026 | ||
| Name: Geordan Pursglove | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
| /s/ Anna Skowron | Chief Financial Officer | March 3, 2026 | ||
| Name: Anna Skowron | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |||
| /s/ Tsz Kin Wong | Director | March 3, 2026 | ||
| Name: Tsz Kin Wong | ||||
| /s/ Andrew Hancox | Independent Director | March 3, 2026 | ||
| Name: Andrew Hancox | ||||
| /s/ Caroline Castleforte | Independent Director | March 3, 2026 | ||
| Name: Caroline Castleforte | ||||
| /s/ Lourdes Felix | Independent Director | March 3, 2026 | ||
| Name: Lourdes Felix | ||||
| /s/ Phillip Balatsos | Independent Director | March 3, 2026 | ||
| Name: Phillip Balatsos |
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SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED U.S. REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REGISTRANT
Pursuant to the Securities Act, the undersigned, the duly authorized representative in the United States of America, has signed this registration statement or amendment thereto in New York, New York on March 3, 2026.
| Authorized U.S. Representative Cogency Global Inc. | ||
| By: | /s/ Colleen A. De Vries | |
| Name: | Colleen A. De Vries | |
| Title: | Senior Vice President on behalf of Cogency Global Inc. | |
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