NOTE 8 — SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION

 

Options

 

The Company’s 2022 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2022 Plan”) authorized the issuance of incentives relating to 900,000 shares of Common Stock. The 2022 Plan was amended by the Board on August 14, 2023, and a registration statement on Form S-8 respecting the 2022 Plan was filed with the SEC on August 23, 2023. As of December 31, 2025, incentives relating to the issuance of 870,000 shares of Common Stock have been issued under the 2022 Plan, leaving 30,000 shares available for issuance. These options were fully vested upon issuance and have a contractual term of 10 years.

 

The following table summarizes the activity for all stock options outstanding for the years ended December 31, 2025:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number of

Options

 

 

Weighted Average Exercise Price

 

 

Weighted Average Remaining Life

(Years)

 

 

Aggregate

Intrinsic Value

 

Options outstanding at beginning of year

 

 

670,000

 

 

$2.11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Granted

 

 

 

 

$-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercised

 

 

(132,500)

 

$2.05

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forfeited

 

 

 

 

$-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options outstanding at December 31, 2025

 

 

537,500

 

 

$2.12

 

 

 

6.92

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options exercisable at December 31, 2025:

 

 

537,500

 

 

$2.12

 

 

 

6.92

 

 

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2025, and 2024, all of the options were fully vested and there is no unrecognized compensation expense associated with the options. During the year ended December 31, 2025, and 2024, the Company did not grant any new options. As such, no compensation expense is recognized for the year ended December 31, 2025, and 2024. Aggregate intrinsic value of the options exercised for the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 was $354,175 and $0, respectively.

 

Warrants

 

In connection with the Private Placement (see “Note 7 — Shareholders’ Equity”) in the third quarter of 2025, the Company issued the following warrants to purchase its Common Stock in exchange for services:

 

(i) Warrants to Karatage Opportunities (“Karatage”), to purchase 3,113,469 shares of Common Stock (the “Lead Investor Warrants”) that vest over a 24-month period, starting six months from the issue date, in four equal installments (being 25% every six months) subject to Karatage providing services under a strategic advisor agreement.

 

(ii) Warrants to certain members of the management of the Company to purchase 1,245,388 shares of Common Stock (the “Management Warrants”) that will vest over a 24-month period, starting six months from the issue date, in four equal installments (being 25% every six months) subject to the relevant holders still being employed by the Company.

 

(iii) Warrants to certain advisors of the Company to purchase 207,565 shares of Common Stock (the “Advisor Warrants”) that are fully vested at issuance.

 

(iv) Warrants to purchase up to 3,113,469 shares of Common Stock (the “Placement Agent Warrants”) to A.G.P in connection with their services under Placement Agent Agreement that are fully vested at issuance.

 

(v) Warrants to purchase 207,565 shares of Common Stock (the “Director Warrant”) issued to a member of our Board that will vest over a 24-month period, starting six months from the issue date, in four equal installments (being 25% every six months) subject continued service.

 

All the above warrants have a contractual term of five years. The following table summarizes the key terms of all warrants issued as compensation:

 

 

 

Number of

Warrants

 

 

Exercise Price

 

 

Exercisable as of Date

 

           Expiration Date

 

Lead Investor Warrants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tranche 1

 

 

1,245,387

 

 

$5.42

 

 

25% exercisable as of January 27, 2026, and each 25% every six months thereafter

 

July 27, 2030

 

Tranche 2

 

 

1,245,387

 

 

$5.96

 

 

25% exercisable as of January 27, 2026, and each 25% every six months thereafter

 

July 27, 2030

 

Tranche 3

 

 

415,130

 

 

$6.50

 

 

25% exercisable as of January 27, 2026, and each 25% every six months thereafter

 

July 27, 2030

 

Tranche 4

 

 

207,565

 

 

$7.05

 

 

25% exercisable as of January 27, 2026, and each 25% every six months thereafter

 

July 27, 2030

 

Management Warrants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tranche 1

 

 

622,694

 

 

$5.42

 

 

25% exercisable as of January 27, 2026, and each 25% every six months thereafter

 

July 27, 2030

 

Tranche 2

 

 

415,129

 

 

$6.50

 

 

25% exercisable as of January 27, 2026, and each 25% every six months thereafter

 

July 27, 2030

 

Tranche 3

 

 

207,565

 

 

$7.05

 

 

25% exercisable as of January 27, 2026, and each 25% every six months thereafter

 

July 27, 2030

 

Advisor Warrants

 

 

207,565

 

 

$5.96

 

 

On or after January 31, 2026

 

July 27, 2030

 

Placement Agent Warrants

 

 

3,113,469

 

 

$5.96

 

 

February 28, 2026

 

July 27, 2030

 

Director Warrants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tranche 1

 

 

83,026

 

 

$5.42

 

 

25% exercisable as of January 27, 2026, and each 25% every six months thereafter

 

July 27, 2030

 

Tranche 2

 

 

41,513

 

 

$5.96

 

 

25% exercisable as of January 27, 2026, and each 25% every six months thereafter

 

July 27, 2030

 

Tranche 3

 

 

41,513

 

 

$6.50

 

 

25% exercisable as of January 27, 2026, and each 25% every six months thereafter

 

July 27, 2030

 

Tranche 4

 

 

41,513

 

 

$7.05

 

 

25% exercisable as of January 27, 2026, and each 25% every six months thereafter

 

July 27, 2030

 

 

 

 

7,887,456

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of the above warrants meet equity classification criteria and will be recognized based on the grant date fair value. For the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company recognized a total Stock-based Compensation expense of $4,431,781. Additionally, the Company recorded the fair value of the Placement Agent Warrants of $10,928,276 as equity issuance cost, net of the cash proceeds from the issuance of Common Stock in the Private Placement. As of December 31, 2025, there was $11,428,129 of unrecognized compensation cost related to warrants to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.45 years.

 

The following table summarizes warrant activity for the period ended December 31, 2025: 

 

 

 

Number of

 

 

 

 

Weighted

 

 

 

 

 

Shares

 

 

 

 

Average

 

 

 

 

 

Issuable

 

 

Weighted

 

 

Remaining

 

 

 

 

 

Upon

 

 

Average

 

 

Contractual

 

 

Aggregate

 

 

 

Exercise of

 

 

Exercise

 

 

Life

 

 

Intrinsic

 

 

 

Warrants

 

 

Price

 

 

(years) 

 

 

Value

 

Outstanding on December 31, 2024

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

Issued

 

 

7,887,456

 

 

$5.95

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-

 

Exercised

 

 

-

 

 

$-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expired

 

 

-

 

 

$-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding on December 31, 2025

 

 

7,887,456

 

 

$5.95

 

 

 

4.57

 

 

 

-

 

Exercisable on December 31, 2025

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The weighted average issue date fair value per share for the warrants issued in 2025 is $3.40. The Company used the Black-Scholes option pricing model for the warrants that were issued with a strike price at or lower than the Common Stock fair value and Monte-Carlo Simulation model for the warrants that were issued with strike price above the fair value of the Common Stock. The following table summarizes the assumptions used to calculate the issue date fair value of the warrants issued on July 27, 2025:

 

 

 

Inputs

 

Stock Price

 

$5.42

 

Volatility

 

 

80.00%

Dividend Yield

 

 

0.00%

Expected term (in years)

 

3.1 – 5

 

Risk-free rate

 

 

3.91%

About Stock Compensation Disclosures

Stock-based compensation disclosures detail the equity awards granted to employees and executives — including stock options, restricted stock units (RSUs), and performance shares — along with the valuation methods and assumptions used to expense them. This section reveals the true cost of talent retention and the alignment between management incentives and shareholder interests.

Key signals: total unrecognized compensation expense and its expected recognition period signal future earnings headwinds from already-granted awards. For stock options, examine Black-Scholes assumptions — expected volatility, risk-free rate, and expected term — as understating any of these reduces reported compensation expense. Compare stock compensation expense as a percentage of revenue against peers to assess dilution cost. Watch vesting schedules for acceleration clauses tied to change-of-control events. Performance-based awards with undemanding targets may indicate weak governance. Add back stock compensation to operating cash flow to calculate a more conservative free cash flow figure.