CRTD Creatd Inc

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Overview

Creatd, Inc. provides economic opportunities for creators through access to its curated social platform called Vocal, enabling creators to share their stories, build an audience, and be rewarded.  In addition to revenues generated directly from the platform from subscribers and microtransactions, the existence of Vocal, and the first-party data it produces, has resulted in the creation of numerous derivative business opportunities for the Company. Secondary opportunities with the potential to eventually exceed the core Vocal revenues include well-known brands activating through the Vocal platform under Creatd’s “Vocal for Brands” business unit. In addition to this branded content production, the establishment of a portfolio of consumer brands owned and operated in-house, will similarly leverage the core data and intelligence derived from the Company’s core Vocal platform.   

Creator-Centric Strategy

Creatd exists to support the boundless capacity of creators. Our mission is to empower creators by providing best-in-class tools, supportive audience communities, and avenues for monetization. Our creator-first approach is the cornerstone of our culture and purpose and is what drives every decision we make. We are committed to channeling our resources toward fueling the dreams and ambitions of creators and helping them to unleash their full potential.

That’s why we built our flagship proprietary technology platform, Vocal—a home base for creators offering an unparalleled suite of digital tools and resources, curated communities, and monetization opportunities.

Vocal

Our flagship technology, Vocal, provides the Company with a core platform that is highly scalable on its own but also provides the foundation upon which other revenue sources rely. The first direct core business of Vocal has proven to be a scalable revenue source—Creator Subscriptions. The core will be augmented in the near term with the introduction of the ability for writers and creators to monetize their followings further by directly charging for premium content such as newsletters. Vocal will charge a recurring commission on these new premium content subscriptions. As discussed above, the core Vocal platform underlies numerous derivative revenue sources for the Company.

Since its launch in 2016, Vocal has quickly become the go-to platform for content creators of all kinds, with over 1.5 million registered creators and counting. Whether you’re a blogger, social media influencer, podcaster, founder, musician, photographer, or anything in between, Vocal has everything you need to unleash your creativity and monetize your content.

Creators can opt to use Vocal for free, or upgrade to the premium membership tier, Vocal+. Upon joining Vocal, either as a freemium or premium member, creators can immediately begin to utilize Vocal’s storytelling tools to create and publish their stories, as well as benefit from Vocal’s monetization features. 

At Creatd, we believe in rewarding creators for their hard work and dedication. That’s why we offer a range of monetization features on Vocal, whereby creators earn in numerous ways including i) the number of ‘reads’ their story receives; ii) via Vocal Challenges, or writing contests with cash prizes; iii) receiving Bonuses; iv) by participating in Vocal for Brands marketing campaigns; v) through ‘Subscribe,’ which enables creators to receive payment directly from their audience via monthly subscriptions and one-off microtransactions; vi) via Vocal’s Ambassador Program, which enables creators to be compensated for referring new premium members. But what sets Vocal apart from other platforms is our commitment to innovation and scalability. Built on Keystone, the same open-source framework used by industry leaders in the SaaS space, Vocal’s technology is designed for speed, sustainability, and scalability. And with our capital-light infrastructure and focus on research and development, we are able to continuously improve and enhance the platform, without incurring the operational costs that have weighed down legacy media platforms.

Creatd firmly believes that the future belongs to creators. And with Vocal, we’re proud to be leading the charge in providing them with the tools, resources, and opportunities they need to succeed.

Branded Content

In developing our creator ecosystem, we came to understand that like individual creators, all brands have a unique story to tell. That’s why we’ve developed Vocal for Brands, our in-house content studio that specializes in creating best-in-class organic marketing campaigns. Our approach combines the production of branded content influencer and performance marketing initiatives that work together to increase sales, revenue, visibility, and brand affinity for our clients.

We work with leading brands to pair them with our network of creators, tapping into their communities to help share their stories in a way that is engaging, direct-response driven, and non-interruptive. Similarly, through Sponsored Challenges, we prompt the creation of thousands of high-quality stories that are centered around the brand’s mission, further disseminated through creators’ respective social channels and promotional outlets.

Our campaigns are amplified with the help of Vocal’s first-party data insights, allowing us to create highly targeted, segmented audiences for brands with optimal results.

Consumer Products Group

At Creatd, we are proud of our internally owned and operated e-commerce businesses and associated technology and infrastructure. Our Consumer Products Group has grown to become a significant revenue contributor and we continue to invest in our portfolio to support direct-to-consumer brands with a wide range of services including design and development, marketing and distribution, and go-to-market strategies. We additionally remain on the lookout for up-and-coming brands that can potentially be acquired and easily consolidated into our shared supply chain, resources, and infrastructure to further broaden our portfolio.

The Company’s Consumer Products portfolio currently includes:

Camp, a direct-to-consumer (DTC) food brand which creates healthy upgrades to classic comfort food favorites. Each of Camp’s products is created with servings of vegetables and contains Vitamins A, C, D, E, B1, and B6. Since its launch in 2020, Camp continues to add new products to its line of healthy, veggie-based, family-friendly foods, with flavors including Classic Cheddar Mac ‘N’ Cheese, White Cheddar Mac ‘N’ Cheese, Vegan Cheezy Mac, and Twist Veggie Pasta.

Dune Glow Remedy (“Dune”), which the Company purchased and brought to market in 2021, is a beverage brand focused on promoting wellness and beauty from within. Each beverage in Dune’s product line is meticulously crafted with functional ingredients that nourish skin from the inside out and enhance one’s natural glow. During 2022, Dune has continued to advance its retail and wholesale distribution strategy, securing numerous partnerships including with lifestyle retailer Urban Outfitters, Equinox, and the Los Angeles-based Erewhon Market.

Basis is a hydrating electrolyte drink mix that was acquired in the first quarter of 2022. This brand has a history of strong sales volume both on the brand’s website as well as through third-party distribution channels such as Amazon.

Brave is a plant-based food company that provides convenient and healthy breakfast food products. Our Company acquired 100% of the membership interests of Brave Foods, LLC in September 2022. What started as a search for a better morning routine evolved into a business serving thousands of go-getters of every type. We are thrilled to have these amazing brands as part of our portfolio and we are excited to continue expanding our Consumer Products portfolio.

IP Development and Production

At Creatd, we’re always looking for ways to bring our creators’ stories to new audiences across different media. Our IP Development and Production efforts involve partnering with our top creators to develop their content for television, film, podcasts, and print. With our cutting-edge Vocal platform, we have access to a wealth of intellectual property that’s constantly being curated by a blend of human moderation and advanced machine learning models. Our Vocal technology allows us to analyze community, creator, and audience insights to surface the best candidates for transmedia adaptations. We’re committed to leveraging our vast library of compelling stories to create engaging and impactful content across multiple platforms. As of early 2023, Creatd announced a series of newly released and production projects. They include podcasts, books, and Web 3.0 opportunities.  

Application of First-Party Data

First-party data is information that a creator platform collects directly from its users, such as their demographics, interests, and behaviors. By utilizing this data, Vocal’s creator platform can gain insights into its users’ preferences and tailor marketing campaigns accordingly.

For example, a large segment of Vocal users is interested in health and fitness, as evidenced through the Longevity community. This information can additionally be used not only to create more personalized experiences for Vocal audiences, but additionally to help fitness-oriented brands create targeted campaigns for workout equipment, supplements, or fitness apparel. With our ability to understand users’ niche interests and behaviors, the platform can create campaigns that resonate with its audience and drive better engagement and conversions.

The use of first-party data also helps the creator platform maintain a closer relationship with its users, as it enables a more personalized experience of content consumption and engagement for Vocal users. This can lead to higher retention rates, increased user loyalty, and improved user satisfaction. Finally, our business intelligence team pairs first-party Vocal data with third-party data from distribution platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Snapchat providing a more granular profile of creators, brands, and audiences. By generating this valuable first-party data, the Company can continually enrich and refine its targeting capabilities for branded content marketing and creator acquisition, specifically, to reduce creator acquisition costs (CAC) and subscriber acquisition costs (SAC).

Competitive Advantage 

The idea for Vocal came as a response to what Creatd’s founders recognized as systemic flaws inherent to the digital media industry and its operational infrastructures, and the competitive advantage that a closed and safe platform ecosystem would provide. First-party data is widely understood as a tool for companies to collect and analyze data about their users directly from the source, providing valuable insights into their behaviors, preferences, and interests. Importantly, by leveraging this data within a closed and safe platform ecosystem, companies can create more personalized experiences for their users, deliver more relevant content and advertising, and increase user engagement and retention.

A secondary, and crucial, advantage of a closed ecosystem is that it allows companies to control the user experience and ensure a high level of safety and security. By controlling the data that is shared and the interactions that take place within the ecosystem, companies can minimize the risk of fraud, abuse, and other harmful behaviors that can undermine user trust and loyalty. This can be particularly important in industries where user safety and privacy are paramount, such as social networking, e-commerce, and financial services.

Finally, the existence of Vocal and its ecosystem enables the Company to optimize our operations and increase efficiencies, effectively creating a more defensible business model by reducing the risk of competition and disintermediation. By controlling the data and interactions within the ecosystem, we create barriers to entry for competitors and reduce the risk of users migrating to other platforms. This can be particularly important in an industry such as Creatd’s, in which network effects and economies of scale are critical to success, such as social networking, e-commerce, and digital advertising.

Leveraging these advantages has enabled the Company to differentiate itself in the market, attract and retain users, and drive sustainable growth and profitability.

Acquisition Strategy

Creatd’s strategic business line expansion has led to the acquisition of several complementary businesses. These acquisitions have allowed Creatd to expand its reach and diversify its revenue streams, enabling the company to leverage its internal resources and expertise to drive continued growth. In addition, the acquisitions have provided opportunities for cost synergies and operational efficiencies, further enhancing the company’s profitability and positioning it for long-term success.

Revenue Model

Creatd’s revenues are primarily generated through:

Platform: Creatd’s flagship technology product, Vocal, generates revenues through subscription fees from premium Vocal creators, a membership program known as Vocal+. The Vocal+ subscription offering provides creators with increased monetization and access to premium tools and features. At approximately $10 per month, Vocal+ offers creators a strong value proposition for freemium users to upgrade, while providing a scalable source of monthly recurring gross revenue for Creatd. Additional platform-based revenues are generated from Tipping and other transactions that occur on the platform. For each such transaction, which are designed to enable Vocal audiences to engage and support their favorite creators,  Vocal takes platform processing fees ranging from approximately 3% to 7%.

E-commerce: The majority of the Company’s e-commerce revenues comes from sales associated with Creatd’s portfolio of internally owned and operated e-commerce businesses, Camp, Dune, Basis, and Brave. Additionally, the Company’s e-commerce strategy involves revitalizing archival imagery and media content in dormant legacy portfolios. Creatd maintains an exclusive license to leverage the stories housed on Vocal, reimagining them for films, episodic shows, games, graphic novels, collectibles, books, and more.

Agency: The Company derives revenues from marketing partnerships through its internal branded content studio, Vocal for Brands, which specializes in pairing leading brands with select Vocal creators to produce content marketing campaigns, including sponsored Challenges, that leverage the power of Vocal. Branded stories and Challenges are distributed to a targeted audience based on Vocal’s first-party data, and are optimized for conversions to maximize revenue growth.

Corporate History and Information

We were originally incorporated under the laws of the State of Nevada on December 30, 1999 under the name LILM, Inc. The Company changed its name on December 3, 2013 to Great Plains Holdings, Inc.

On February 5, 2016 (the “Merger Closing Date”), we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with GPH Merger Sub, Inc., a Nevada corporation and our wholly-owned subsidiary (“Merger Sub”), and Jerrick Ventures, Inc., a privately-held Nevada corporation headquartered in New Jersey (“Jerrick”), pursuant to which the Merger Sub was merged with and into Jerrick, with Jerrick surviving as our wholly-owned subsidiary (the “Merger”). Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, we acquired, through a reverse triangular merger, all of the outstanding capital stock of Jerrick in exchange for issuing Jerrick’s shareholders (the “Jerrick Shareholders”), pro-rata, a total of 475,000 shares of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”). Additionally, we assumed 33,415 shares of Jerrick’s Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Jerrick Series A Preferred”) and 8,064 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Jerrick Series B Preferred”).

Upon closing of the Merger on February 5, 2016, the Company changed its business plan to our current plan.

In connection with the Merger, on the Merger Closing Date, we entered into a Spin-Off Agreement with Kent Campbell (the “Spin-Off Agreement”), pursuant to which Mr. Campbell purchased (i) all of our interest in Ashland Holdings, LLC, a Florida limited liability company, and (ii) all of our interest in Lil Marc, Inc., a Utah corporation, in exchange for the cancellation of 13,030 shares of our common stock held by Mr. Campbell. In addition, Mr. Campbell assumed all of our debts, obligations and liabilities, including any existing prior to the Merger, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Spin-Off Agreement.

Effective February 28, 2016, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Statutory Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which we became the parent company of Jerrick Ventures, LLC, our wholly-owned operating subsidiary (the “Statutory Merger”).

On February 28, 2016, we changed our name to Jerrick Media Holdings, Inc. to better reflect our new business strategy.

On July 25, 2019, we filed a certificate of amendment to our articles of incorporation, as amended (the “Amendment”), with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada to effectuate a one-for-twenty (1:20) reverse stock split (the “Reverse Stock Split”) of our common stock without any change to its par value. The Amendment became effective on July 30, 2019. The number of shares of authorized common stock was proportionately reduced as a result of the Reverse Stock Split. The number of shares of authorized preferred stock was not affected by the Reverse Stock Split. No fractional shares were issued in connection with the Reverse Stock Split as all fractional shares were “rounded up” to the next whole share.

On September 11, 2019, the Company acquired 100% of the membership interests of Seller’s Choice, LLC, a New Jersey limited liability company (“Seller’s Choice”). Seller’s Choice is digital e-commerce agency based in New Jersey. On March 3, 2022, the Company settled the Seller’s Choice Note for a cash payment of $799,000.

On July 13, 2020, upon approval from our board of directors and stockholders, we filed Second Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada for the purpose of increasing our authorized shares of Common Stock to 100,000,000.

On August 13, 2020, we filed a certificate of amendment to our second amended and restated articles of incorporation (the “Amendment”), with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada to effectuate a one-for-three (1:3) reverse stock split (the “August 2020 Reverse Stock Split”) of our common stock without any change to its par value. The Amendment became effective on August 17, 2020. No fractional shares were issued in connection with the August 2020 Reverse Stock Split as all fractional shares were rounded down to the next whole share. All share and per share amounts of our common stock listed in this Form 10-K have been adjusted to give effect to the August 2020 Reverse Stock Split.

On September 9, 2020, the Company filed a certificate of amendment with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada to change our name to “Creatd, Inc.”, which became effective on September 10, 2020.

On June 4, 2021, the Company acquired 89% of the membership interests of Plant Camp, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Plant Camp”), which the Company subsequently rebranded as Camp. Camp is a direct-to-consumer (DTC) food brand which creates healthy upgrades to classic comfort food favorites. The results of Plant Camp’s operations have been included since the date of acquisition in the Statements of Operations.

On July 20, 2021, the Company acquired 44% of the membership interests of WHE Agency, Inc. WHE Agency, Inc, is a talent management and public relations agency based in New York (“WHE”). WHE has been consolidated due to the Company’s ownership of 55% voting control, and the results of operations have been included since the date of acquisition in the Statements of Operations.

Between October 21, 2020, and August 16, 2021, the Company acquired 21% of the membership interests of Dune, Inc. Dune, Inc. is a direct-to-consumer brand focused on promoting wellness through its range of health-oriented beverages.

On October 3, 2021, the Company acquired an additional 29% of the membership interests of Dune, Inc., bringing our total membership interests to 50%. Dune, Inc., has been consolidated due to the Company’s ownership of 50% voting control, and the results of operations have been included since the date of acquisition in the Statements of Operations. 

On March 7, 2022, the Company acquired 100% of the membership interests of Denver Bodega, LLC, d/b/a Basis, a Colorado limited liability company (“Basis”). Basis is a direct-to-consumer functional beverage brand that makes high-electrolyte mixes meant to aid hydration. Denver Bodega, LLC has been consolidated due to the Company’s ownership of 100% voting control, and the results of operations have been included since the date of acquisition in the Statement of Operations.

On August 1, 2022, the Company acquired 51% of the membership interests of Orbit Media LLC, a New York limited liability company. Orbit is a app-based stock trading platform designed to empower a new generation of investors. Orbit has been consolidated due to the Company’s ownership of 51% voting control, and the results of operations have been included since the date of acquisition in the Statement of Operations.

On September 13, 2022, the Company acquired 100% of the membership interests of Brave Foods, LLC, a Maine limited liability company. Brave is a plant-based food company that provides convenient and healthy breakfast food products. Brave Foods, LLC has been consolidated due to the Company’s ownership of 100% voting control, and the results of operations have been included since the date of acquisition in the Statement of Operations.

Recent Developments

May 2022 Securities Purchase Agreement

On May 31, 2022 the Company entered into and closed securities purchase agreements with eight accredited investors, whereby the Investors purchased from the Company for an aggregate of $3,600,036 in subscription amount (i) debentures in the principal amount of $4,000,000; (ii) 2,000,000 Series C Common Stock Purchase Warrants to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share; and (iii) 2,000,000 Series D Common Stock Purchase Warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock. The Company and the Investors also entered into registration rights agreements pursuant to the securities purchase agreements. The Debentures had an original issue discount of 10%, a term of six months with a maturity date of November 30, 2022, may be extended by six months at the Company’s option subject to certain conditions, and are convertible into shares of Common Stock at a conversion price of $2.00 per share, subject to adjustment upon certain events including a one-time adjustment to the price of the Common Stock offered in the Rights Offering (as defined therein), with such adjusted conversion price not to be lower than $1.00. The Warrants are exercisable for a term of five years from the initial exercise date of November 30, 2022, until November 30, 2027. The Series C Warrants are exercisable at an exercise price of $3.00, subject to adjustment upon certain events including a one-time adjustment to the price of the Common Stock offered in the Rights Offering, with such adjusted exercise price not to be lower than $0.96. The Series D Warrants are exercisable at an exercise price of $6.00 subject to adjustment upon certain events including a one-time adjustment to the price of the Common Stock offered in the Rights Offering, with such adjusted exercise price not to be lower than $0.96. The Warrants provide for cashless exercise to the extent that there is no registration statement available for the underlying shares of Common Stock. The securities purchase agreements contain customary representations, warranties, covenants, indemnification and other terms for transactions of a similar nature. Additionally, in connection with the securities purchase agreements, the subsidiaries of the Company delivered a guarantee in favor of the Investors whereby each such subsidiary guaranteed the full payment and performance of all obligations of the Company pursuant to the securities purchase agreements. The Debentures, Warrants, Common Stock underlying the Debentures and the Common Stock underlying the Warrants were not registered under the Securities Act, but qualified for exemption under Section 4(a)(2) and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder.

July 2022 Securities Purchase Agreement

On July 25, 2022, the Company, entered into and closed securities purchase agreements with five accredited investors, whereby the Investors purchased from the Company for an aggregate of $1,935,019 in subscription amount (i) debentures in the principal amount of $2,150,000; (ii) 1,075,000 Series E Common Stock Purchase Warrants to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share; and (iii) 1,075,000 Series F Common Stock Purchase Warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock. The Company and the investors also entered into registration rights agreements pursuant to the securities purchase agreements. The debentures have an original issue discount of 10%, have a maturity date of November 30, 2022, may be extended by six months at the Company’s option subject to certain conditions, and are convertible into shares of Common Stock at a conversion price of $2.00 per share, subject to adjustment upon certain events including a one-time adjustment to the price of the Common Stock offered in the rights offering, with such adjusted conversion price not to be lower than $1.25. The Warrants are immediately exercisable for a term of five years until July 25, 2027. The Series E Warrants are exercisable at an exercise price of $3.00, subject to adjustment upon certain events including a one-time adjustment to the price of the Common Stock offered in the rights offering, with such adjusted exercise price not to be lower than $1.01. The Series F Warrants are exercisable at an exercise price of $6.00 subject to adjustment upon certain events including a one-time adjustment to the price of the Common Stock offered in the rights offering, with such adjusted exercise price not to be lower than $1.01. The warrants provide for cashless exercise to the extent that there is no registration statement available for the underlying shares of Common Stock. Additionally, in connection with the security purchase agreements, the subsidiaries of the Company delivered a guarantee in favor of the investors whereby each such subsidiary guaranteed the full payment and performance of all obligations of the Company pursuant to the securities purchase agreements. The debentures, warrants, Common Stock underlying the debentures and the Common Stock underlying the warrants were not registered under the Securities Act, but qualified for exemption under Section 4(a)(2) and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder.

Trigger of Price Reset

On July 29, 2022, the Company announced that it was not moving forward with its previously announced Rights Offering. In doing so, it triggered a price reset in the July 2022 Financing and the May 2022 Securities Purchase Agreement. As a result of this price reset, the May 2022 Securities Purchase Agreement debentures now have a conversion price of $1.00, and both the Series C and Series D warrants have exercise prices of $0.96. As a result of the price reset, the July 2022 Financing debentures now have a conversion price of $1.25, and both the Series E and Series F warrants have exercise prices of $1.01.

Registered direct offering

On September 15, 2022, the Company entered into and closed a securities purchase agreement with five accredited investors resulting in the raise of $800,000 in gross proceeds to the Company. Pursuant to the terms of the securities purchase agreement, the Company agreed to sell in a registered direct offering an aggregate of 4,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share. In a concurrent private placement, the Company issued to such investors warrants to purchase up to 4,000,000 shares of Common Stock, representing 100% of the shares of common stock purchased in the offering. The warrants and the shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the warrants are not being registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Gross proceeds from the offering totaled $800,000, before deducting offering expenses. The warrants are immediately exercisable for a term of five years until September 15, 2027. The warrants are exercisable at an exercise price of $0.20, subject to adjustment upon certain events. The warrants provide for cashless exercise to the extent that there is no registration statement available for the underlying shares of Common Stock.

Restructuring Agreement

On September 15, 2022, in connection with the offering, the Company entered into an agreement with the holders of certain of the Company’s previously issued securities (the “Restructuring Agreement”).

The Restructuring Agreement, among other things, modified certain provisions of the following securities of the Company:

Pursuant to the Restructuring Agreement, the Company and the Holders agreed to, among other things, to (i) reduce the conversion price of the Debentures down to $0.20, subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock; (ii) reduce the exercise price of the Restructured Warrants down to $0.20, subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock; (iii) extend the maturity dates for the Debentures to March 31, 2023; (iv) permit the Company’s contemplated rights offering to proceed, provided that the per share offering price in the rights offering is not less than $0.20; and (v) require that the Company’s cash burn rate not exceed $600,000 per month; provided, however, that with the prior written consent of a majority in interest of the Holders, such permitted monthly burn rate can be increased by $150,000, provided such additional amount is used for marketing purposes.

Additionally, in connection with the Restructuring Agreement, (i) the Company entered into a Registration Rights Agreement (“Registration Rights Agreement”), providing for the filing of a registration statement covering the Restructured Warrants and shares underlying the Warrants by not later than 10 trading days after the date of the Registration Rights Agreement or the earliest practical date on which the Company is permitted by Commission guidance to file such registration statement; (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries entered into a Security Agreement (the “Security Agreement”), whereby the Company granted a first priority security interest in all of their respective assets to the Holders and (iii) the subsidiaries of the Company delivered a guarantee (the “Guarantee”) in favor of the Holders whereby each such subsidiary guaranteed the full payment and performance of all obligations of the Company pursuant to the Debentures.

Each of our directors and officers entered into lock-up agreements (the “Lock-up Agreements”) in favor of the Holders, whereby they agreed not to offer, sell, agree to sell, directly or indirectly, or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock without the prior written consent of the Holders for a period of 180 days after the date of the Restructuring Agreement. The Lock-up Agreements provide limited exceptions and their restrictions may be waived at any time by the Holders.

October 2022 Common Stock Purchase Agreement, Securities Purchase Agreement and Promissory Note

On October 20, 2022, the Company entered into a common stock purchase agreement (the “Investment Agreement”) with an otherwise unaffiliated third party (the “Investor”). Pursuant to the terms of the Investment Agreement, for a period of thirty-six (36) months commencing on the trading day immediately following the date of effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Investor purchase up to $15,000,000 of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share, pursuant to drawdown notices, covering the registrable securities. The purchase price of the shares under the Investment Agreement is equal to 82% of the lowest volume weighted average price (VWAP) during the last ten trading days after the Company delivers to the Investor a put notice or drawdown notice in writing requiring Investor to purchase shares of the Company, subject to the terms of the Investment Agreement. On October 20, 2022, the Company also entered into a securities purchase agreement with the Investor, pursuant to which the Company issued to the Investor on that date a Promissory Note (the “Note”) in the principal amount of $300,000 in exchange for a purchase price of $255,000, which the Investor funded on October 20,2022. The proceeds of the Note to be used by the Company for general working capital purposes. The Note bears interest at the rate of 10% per annum.  Starting on the fifth month anniversary of the funding of the Note, and for the next six months thereafter, the Company will make seven equal monthly payments of $47,142.85 to the Investor. On October 20, 2022, in connection with the entry by the Company and the Investor into the economic agreements, (i.e., the Investment Agreement, the Purchase Agreement, and the Note and the funding thereof), the Company issued 800,000 shares of its common stock to the Investor.

October 2022 Securities Purchase Agreement; Side Letter

On October 24, 2022, the Company entered into and closed a securities purchase agreement with one accredited investor, whereby the Investor purchased from the Company for an aggregate of $1,500,000 in subscription amount, an unsecured debenture in the principal amount of $1,666,650. The Company and the Investor also entered into a registration rights agreement pursuant to the securities purchase agreement. The debenture has an original issue discount of 10%, a term of six months with a maturity date of April 24, 2023, may be extended by six months at the Company’s option subject to certain conditions, and are convertible into shares of Common Stock at a conversion price of $0.20 per share, subject to adjustment upon certain events. The Company also entered into a side letter agreement with the holders of debentures of the Company, the Series C Warrants and Series D Warrants issued as of May 31, 2022 (the “May Investors”) and the holders of debentures of the Company, the Series E Warrants and Series F Warrants issued as of July 25, 2022 (the “July Investors”). Pursuant to the letter agreement each of the May Investors and the July Investors have entered into a lock-up agreement whereby they may not sell any such debentures, warrants, the shares into which such debentures may be converted, or certain shares underlying such warrants until the date that is 30 days after the date on which the registration statement registering for resale the shares of the Company’s common stock underlying the debenture is declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Additionally, the letter agreement, provides that the May Investors and July Investors have agreed to a further lock up of such shares for a further 30 days upon the receipt of a certain amount of the proceeds from future potential issuances of debentures, common stock or similar securities by the Company. Additionally, pursuant to the letter agreement, the May Investors and the July Investors agreed to exchange and return for cancellation the Series C Warrants, Series D Warrants, Series E Warrants and Series F Warrants, receiving replacement warrants from the Company (the “Replacement Warrants”), in consideration for (i) the Company’s payment of $750,000 of the proceeds from the sale of the debenture to the May Investors and July Investors on a pro rata basis and (ii) the Company’s agreement to pay, on a pro rata basis to the May Investors and July Investors, the greater of (x) $750,000 and (y) 50% of the gross proceeds raised in a subsequent financing. The Replacement Warrants reflect a reduction in the number of Series C and Series D Warrants from 1,550,000 in each class to 1,536,607 in each class and a reduction in the number of Series E and Series F Warrants from 1,075,000 in each class to 807,143 in each class, and the initial exercise date for the Replacement Warrants are unchanged from the date as set forth in the respective exchanged Series C, Series D, Series E or Series F Warrant. The debenture, and the Common Stock underlying the warrants were not registered under the Securities Act, but qualified for exemption under Section 4(a)(2) and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder.

November 2022 Warrant Amendment and Issuance

On November 18, 2022, the Company entered into a letter agreement with the respective holders of an aggregate of 471,953 warrants issued as placement agent fees in connection with the Company’s entry into securities purchase agreements with 33 accredited investors, whereby, at the closing, the investors agreed to purchase from the Company an aggregate of (i) 7,778 shares of the Company’s Series E Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Series E Preferred Stock”); and (ii) 2,831,721 warrants to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock, pursuant to which the exercise price of such warrants was amended and such warrants were immediately exercised. Additionally, pursuant to the letter agreement, the Company issued to such warrant holders 471,953 new warrants, exercisable immediately, for a term of 60 months, at a price of $0.77 per share, subject to customary adjustment provisions. As a result of the triggering of such adjustment provisions, the number of warrants increased to 1,817,019 and the exercise price decreased to $0.20.

December 2022 Securities Purchase Agreement

On December 12, 2022, the Company entered into and closed a securities purchase agreement with one accredited investor, whereby the Investor purchased from the Company for an aggregate of $750,000 in subscription amount, an unsecured debenture in the principal amount of $750,000. The Company and the investor also entered into a registration rights agreement pursuant to the securities purchase agreement. The debenture has a term of six months with a maturity date of June 12, 2023, which may be extended by six months at the Company’s option subject to certain conditions and monthly redemption options at the election of the holder and are convertible into shares of Common Stock at a conversion price of $0.20 per share, subject to adjustment upon certain events.

December 2022 Warrant Amendment and Issuance

On December 22, 2022, the Company entered into a letter agreement with the respective holders of an aggregate of 4,775,000 warrants. Pursuant to the letter agreement, in exchange for the immediate exercise of the 4,775,000 warrants at an exercise price of $0.20, the Company issued to such warrant holders 4,775,000 new warrants, exercisable immediately, for a term of 60 months, at a price of $0.77 per share, subject to customary adjustment provisions.

Dorado Goose Transaction

On January 18, 2023, the Company, entered into and closed two securities purchase agreements with Dorado Goose LLC or the investor, whereby the investor purchased from the Company for an aggregate of $1,500,000 in subscription amount, (i) an unsecured debenture in the principal amount of $847,500 and (ii) 1,562,500 shares of common stock. The Company and the investor also entered into a registration rights agreement pursuant to the securities purchase agreements. The subsidiaries of the Company delivered a guarantee in favor of the investor whereby each such subsidiary guaranteed the full payment and performance of all obligations of the Company pursuant to the debenture. The debenture has an original issue discount of 13%, has a maturity date of June 13, 2023, may be extended by six months at the Company’s option subject to certain conditions, and are convertible into shares of common stock at a conversion price of $0.20 per share, subject to adjustment upon certain events. The debenture and the common stock were not registered under the Securities Act but qualified for exemption under Section 4(a)(2) and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder.

Nasdaq Notice of Delisting

On January 4, 2021, the Company received a letter from the staff of The Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Exchange”) notifying the Company that the Exchange had determined to delist the Company’s common stock and warrants from the Exchange based on the Company’s non-compliance with the Exchange’s (i) $5 million stockholders’ equity requirement for initial listing pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5505(b), (ii) the $2.5 million stockholders’ equity requirement or any of the alternatives for continued listing pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b), and (iii) the Company’s failure to provide material information to the Exchange pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(a)(1). On February 11, 2021, the Company met with the Exchange’s Hearings Panel (the “Panel”) with respect to such determination, in accordance with the Exchange’s rules and, pursuant to such request by the Company to appeal, the delisting of the Company’s securities and the Form 25 Notification of Delisting filing was stayed pending the Panel’s decision. On March 9, 2021, the Exchange notified the Company that the Panel had determined to continue the listing of the Company on the Exchange. Notwithstanding the Panel’s determination to continue the listing of the Company’s securities on the Exchange, the Panel issued a public reprimand letter to the Company, pursuant to Listing Rule 5815(c)(1)(D), based on its finding “that the Company failed to meet the initial listing criteria with respect to stockholders’ equity and failed to provide Nasdaq with material information with respect to that deficiency.” Specifically, the Panel found that the Company failed to comply with Listing Rule 5250(a)(1), requiring it to notify Nasdaq of certain significant developments that led to the Company’s prior representations about its ability to satisfy the initial listing requirements being inaccurate. In reaching its determination to continue the listing of the Company on Nasdaq, the Panel acknowledged that the Company had since demonstrated compliance with the initial listing requirement for stockholders’ equity and all other applicable initial listing requirements. The Panel also determined that the violations were inadvertent and that the Company had relied on advice of counsel at the time in its interactions with the Nasdaq staff (“Staff”). The Panel also acknowledged the Company’s efforts to implement structural changes within the Company to avoid similar misstatements in the future and that would allow for proper accounting and disclosure on an ongoing basis. A Panel Monitor was implemented under Listing Rule 5815(d)(4)(A) for a period of one year from the date of the Letter. In the event that the Company became deficient with respect to any continued listing requirement, the Company would not be afforded the opportunity to submit a compliance plan for Staff’s consideration and Staff would issue a Delist Determination Letter and promptly schedule a new hearing under Listing Rule 5810(c)(2), at which the Company may present a compliance plan for the Panel’s consideration. In the event of a new hearing, any suspension or delisting action would be stayed pending the completion of the hearings process and the expiration of any additional extension period granted by the Panel following the hearing.

On March 1, 2022, the Company received a letter from the staff of the Exchange notifying the Company that the Exchange had determined to delist the Company’s common stock from the Exchange based on the Company’s Market Value of Listed Securities for the 30-consecutive day period between January 15, 2022 and February 25, 2022 falling short of the requirements under Listing Rule 5550(b)(2) (the “Rule”). Although a 180-day period is typically allowed for an issuer to regain compliance, the Company was not eligible to use such compliance period, as the Exchange had instituted a Panel Monitor through March 9, 2022.

On April 22, 2022, the Company received a letter from the Exchange notifying the Company that the Nasdaq Hearing Panel had determined to continue the listing of the Company on the Exchange, subject to the following conditions: (i) on or before May 16, 2022, the Company would file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2022 demonstrating compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 550(b)(1) requiring shareholders’ equity of $2.5 million and (ii) on or before August 29, 2022, the Company would file a Form 8-K documenting the successful completion of any fund-raising activity that had taken place since April 14, 2022 and the Company’s long-term compliance with the continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market. The Panel advised that August 29, 2022 represented the full extent of the Panel’s discretion to grant continued listing during the time the Company was non-compliant and should the Company fail to demonstrate compliance by such date, the Panel would issue a final delist determination and the Company would be suspended from trading on the Exchange.

On September 2, 2022, the Company received a letter from the Exchange notifying the Company that the Nasdaq Hearings Panel had determined to delist the Company’s common stock from the Exchange, based on the Company’s failure to comply with the listing requirements of Nasdaq Rule 5550(b)(1) as a result of the Company’s shareholder equity deficit for the period ended June 30, 2022, as demonstrated in Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 15, 2022, following the Company having not complied with the market value of listed securities requirement in Nasdaq Rule 5550(b)(2) on March 1, 2022, while the Company was under a Panel Monitor, as had been previously disclosed, suspension of trading in the Company’s shares on the Exchange would be effective at the opening of business on September 7, 2022. Following passage of the proscribed 15-day time period for appeal as stated in the letter, on October 26, 2022, Nasdaq completed the delisting by filing a Form 25 Notification of Delisting with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company’s receipt of the Letter does not affect the Company’s business, operations or reporting requirements with the Commission.

Quotation on OTCQB

Effective on September 7, 2022, our common stock is quoted on the OTCQB Marketplace operated by OTC Markets Group Inc. (“OTCQB”) under the symbol “CRTD.” Effective April 4, 2023, our symbol changed to “VOCL.”

Board of Directors and Management

On June 1, 2022, the Board of Directors approved the Creatd, Inc. 2022 Omnibus Securities and Incentive Plan. On November 10, 2022, the Board of Directors approved an amendment to the Creatd, Inc. 2022 Omnibus Securities and Incentive Plan. The plan provides for the granting of distribution equivalent rights, incentive share options, non-qualified share options, performance unit awards, restricted share awards, restricted share unit awards, share appreciation rights, tandem share appreciation rights, unrestricted share awards or any combination of the foregoing, as may be best suited to the circumstances of the particular employee, director or consultant as provided in the plan. the aggregate number of common shares (including common shares underlying options designated as incentive share options or non-qualified share options) that may be issued under the plan shall not exceed the sum of (i) 30,000,000 common shares plus (ii) an annual increase on the first day of each calendar year beginning January 1, 2023 and ending on and including January 1, 2031 equal to the lesser of (a) five percent (5%) of the common shares outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year, and (b) such smaller number of common shares as determined by the Board.

On January 18, 2023, the Company held its Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The results of the matters voted on by the Company’s stockholders included the election of Directors to serve on the Company’s board; Amendment to our Articles of Incorporation to Increase Authorized Stock; and the approval of Creatd 2022 Omnibus Securities and Incentive Plan.

On February 8, 2023 (the “Effective Date”), the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Creatd, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”) approved, based on the recommendation of the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board, certain equity and cash compensation for certain key members of the Company’s management team and non-employee directors as discussed below.

The Company has made certain equity awards to the key members of the Company’s management team (the “Equity Awards”), comprised of 10,692,308 shares of the Company’s common stock (“Common Stock”) to Jeremy Frommer, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, 5,894,788 shares of Common Stock to Justin Maury, Chief Operating Officer of the Company, and 1,663,223 shares of Common Stock to Chelsea Pullano, Chief Financial Officer of the Company. As a condition to receiving the Equity Awards, each such officer agreed to lock-up terms such that only 10% of the shares comprising such individual’s Equity Award can be sold until 90 days after the date of the issuance of the Equity Awards (the “Lock Up Period”) and that during the Lock Up Period, and for nine months thereafter, each such individual can only sell the number of shares equal to the lesser of 5% of the trailing 30 day average volume or 25,000 shares in any single trading day. Additionally, beginning one year after the issuance of the Equity Awards, each individual receiving Equity Awards can only sell the number of shares equal to the lesser of 5% of the trailing 30-day average volume or 40,000 shares in any single trading day (the “Volume Restrictions”).

The Company will also pay cash bonuses to the key members of the Company’s management team (the “Executive Bonuses”) in the amounts of $125,000 to Jeremy Frommer, $62,500 to Justin Maury and $31,250 to Chelsea Pullano, to be paid out on a discretionary basis as determined by the Committee. In addition, each of Jeremy Frommer and Justin Maury will receive monthly housing stipends in the amount of $6,300 (the “Housing Stipends”).

Additionally, the Company will make certain cash payments and equity awards to the non-employee members of the Board (the “Director Compensation”), comprised of annual cash compensation of $140,000, payable in monthly installments, an annual grant of $140,000 in Common Stock, issued quarterly and priced at the average of the last five trading days of the previous quarter. In the fiscal year 2023, each independent director shall be eligible for a cash bonus of $20,000, which shall be paid on a discretionary basis. As a share bonus, 1,700,000 shares of Common Stock shall be issuable to Peter Majar and 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock shall be issuable to Erica Wagner, with such shares subject to the same lock-up and volume restrictions as the Equity Awards.

The Company will offer the chair of the audit committee of the Board (the “Audit Committee Chair”) an additional annual cash compensation of $20,000, payable in monthly installments, and an annual grant of $20,000 in Common Stock, issued quarterly and priced at the average of the last five trading days of the previous quarter. 

All equity awards made to the independent directors of the Company are made pursuant to the Creatd, Inc. 2022 Omnibus Securities and Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).

The February 2023 Securities Purchase Agreement

On February 1, 2023, the Company entered into and closed a securities purchase agreement with one accredited investor, whereby the Investor purchased from the Company for an aggregate of $1,250,000 in subscription amount, an unsecured debenture in the principal amount of $1,250,000. The Company and the investor also entered into a registration rights agreement pursuant to the securities purchase agreement. The debenture has a term of six months with a maturity date of August 1, 2023, which may be extended by six months at the Company’s option subject to certain conditions and monthly redemption options at the election of the holder and are convertible into shares of Common Stock at a conversion price of $0.20 per share, subject to adjustment upon certain events.

Listing on Upstream

On February 14, 2023, the Company completed the listing on Upstream of the Company’s shares of common stock, comprising the same class of common shares currently registered with the Commission that are currently issued and outstanding. Upstream is the trading app for digital securities and NFTs powered by Horizon Fintex and MERJ Exchange Limited (“MERJ”). The shares listed on Upstream are represented on MERJ Exchange as a “digital security” in the form of uncertificated securities that have the same shareholder rights as all other shares of such issuer. It is a representation of common stock in an uncertificated form. The Company has not issued any new securities pursuant to the listing on Upstream. All common shares have been registered with the Commission and comprise the entire number of shares of the Company issued and outstanding and all of the Company’s shares of common stock have the same CUSIP/ISIN number.

MERJ operates Upstream as a fully regulated and licensed integrated securities exchange, clearing system and depository for digital and non-digital securities. MERJ is an affiliate of the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), recognized by HM Revenue and Customs UK, a full member of the Association of National Numbering Agencies (ANNA) and a Qualifying Foreign Exchange for OTC Markets in the US. MERJ is also a member of the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative. MERJ is regulated in the Seychelles by the Financial Services Authority Seychelles, https://fsaseychelles.sc/. MERJ is not registered or regulated in any manner in the United States.

Upstream is accessible via the major app stores. After downloading the application, users will have access to review all the securities that trade on Upstream including trading activity, regulatory disclosures and other corporate information. Further there is a direct link of information on our Company at https://investors.creatd.com/resources/faqs/default.aspx. This includes a listing particulars document, which is a required disclosure as part of the requirements of MERJ Exchange Limited as defined by Securities Act 2007 of the Seychelles (as amended) and any other measure prescribed thereunder by the Minister or the Securities Authority. Investors are encouraged to review the listing particulars that may be found at the following link: https://upstream.exchange/creatd.

Pursuant to Upstream’s policy, terms and conditions, investors based in the United States or Canada are prohibited from buying shares on the Upstream secondary market. However, U.S.- and Canada-based investors may sell securities they previously purchased or acquired from an issuer, stockbroker or stock exchange that has dual-listed on Upstream. U.S.- or Canada-based investors are those investors who citizens of the United States or Canada, including those living abroad, or permanent residents of the United States or Canada. To the extent shares had been deposited at a time prior to Upstream’s policy prohibiting such deposits, such shares cannot be sold at this time, and such shareholder would need to have such shares returned to the Company’s transfer agent to complete a sale.

The Press Release stated, “Global investors can now trade by downloading Upstream from their preferred app store at https://upstream.exchange/, creating an account by tapping sign up...”. This was not to suggest that investors based in the United States or Canada can buy shares on the Upstream secondary market, but to suggest that investors who are not U.S.- and Canada-based can trade on Upstream.

Investors who have deposited shares with Upstream may subsequently elect, at any time, to transfer such shares to from Upstream to the Company’s transfer agent for trade via their U.S. broker.

The Company is providing our investors with detailed information on the process on how to deposit and trade shares on Upstream directly on our website at the following link: https://investors.creatd.com/resources/faqs/default.aspx.

Shares transferred into Upstream will be effected via the Company’s Transfer Agent, Pacific Stock Transfer Company (“Pacific”). For shares already recorded with Pacific, investors can transfer such shares to Upstream by taking the following steps: Open Upstream, then choose Investor: Manage Securities, Deposit Securities and, next, Enter the Company’s Ticker Symbol and Number of Shares their requesting to deposit. Investors would then confirm the shares are unrestricted or “free trading” and tap Submit. The value of each share deposit request on the Upstream app may not exceed $100,000, with such value determined by the closing price of the security on the previous trading day multiplied by the number of shares being deposited. Once the investor makes the share deposit request using the Upstream app, and the transfer agent has the investor’s shares in ‘book entry’, the deposit is typically processed within 48 hours during business days. Once the transfer has been completed investors will receive a push notification in the Upstream app and see the share deposit in their Upstream Portfolio.

If the investor’s shares are currently in the investor’s brokerage account, then the investor will be required to transfer its shares to Pacific to have shares recorded as “direct registration” in “book entry” with Pacific. To make such transfer request, an investor would need to contact their brokerage firm and request to transfer their shares back to “book entry” with the transfer agent.

All shares transferred to Upstream shall be held in MERJ Dep., which is a company licensed as a Securities Facility pursuant to the Seychelles Securities Act, 2007. The Company has appointed MERJ Dep. to act as the Depository Nominee in respect of any securities traded which are quoted on Upstream and granted MERJ Dep. as the Depository Nominee, pursuant to the Securities Facility Rules Directive on Depository Interests.

Shares may be withdrawn from Upstream back to the transfer agent. The Upstream app has a function under Investor Services, Manage Securities, Withdraw Securities. The shareholder then enters the ticker symbol and the number of shares to being withdrawn and taps ‘Notarize’ to cryptographically sign this transaction. The shares are removed from the user’s Upstream portfolio and an email is sent to the transfer agent with a share withdrawal request whereafter the transfer agent will liaise directly with the shareholder to ensure the share balance is entered in ‘book entry’ into the user’s name & address. Third party share withdrawals from Upstream are not permitted, the share withdrawal request name and address (as retrieved from the Upstream know your customer (KYC) information by Upstream compliance) is required to be the same name and address that will be entered in the transfer agents ‘book entry’ for such shareholder.

The NFTs traded on Upstream are issued by the Company and convey no ownership interest in the Company, nor do they provide any dividends, royalties, or other equity interests or rights that would indicate an expectation of profit. The NFTs are issued only on Upstream and can only be traded on Upstream.

The Commission evaluates whether a particular digital asset, including an NFT, is a security based on what is commonly referred to as the Howey Test. The Howey Test looks at four factors: (i) an investment of money (ii) in a common enterprise (iii) with the expectation of profit (iv) to be derived from the efforts of others. We believe the commemorative NFTs issued by Creatd do not meet the definition for securities under the Howey Test. Such NFTs, issued to investors who deposited shares of Creatd with Upstream, are commemorative in nature, memorializing the listing on Upstream, as a novelty item, being akin to a tombstone, plaque, sticker, poster or t-shirt commemorating the listing, similar to what NASDAQ and the NYSE may provide to its issuers. The NFT issued by Creatd conveys no ownership interest in Creatd, nor does it provide any dividends, royalties, or other equity interests or rights that would indicate an expectation of profit. The NFTs are issued only on Upstream and can only be traded on Upstream. No consideration was paid for the NFTs, and such investors are still able to transfer such shares back to Pacific Stock Transfer following receipt of the NFTs.

To trade on Upstream, users create a trading account using the Upstream smartphone app, with a random-generated username (in the form of an address that’s a 42-character hexadecimal address derived from the last 20 bytes of a random public key) and a password (in the form of a random cryptographic private key).The public and private key (the cryptographic keypair) is generated locally on the smartphone and only the public key is ever known to Upstream, MERJ Dep., or peer to peer trading counterparties on Upstream. Only the individual users hold their private keys. This privacy ensures that only the Upstream user can cryptographically sign a securities transaction (bid/offer/buy/sell/cancel) for it to be executed on Upstream, that is, all transactions such as share sales are self-directed, peer to peer, and instantly settled using the Upstream distributed ledger platform.

In order to buy, sell, deposit or withdraw shares on Upstream, an Upstream user that has created their account as outlined in the previous paragraph, is required to submit KYC information for the Upstream compliance team to review. KYC information is then linked to the user’s public key, and if the user passes KYC review, then this user’s cryptographic keypair’s transactions will be accepted as legitimate self-directed securities transaction requests to Upstream for execution on the platform.

Shareholders should be aware that there are risks and uncertainties with the Company’s dual listing on Upstream. In particular, the restriction on trading for US- and Canada-based investors may affect the liquidity of our common stock and lead to volatility in the price and trading volume of our common stock.

In addition, though the NFTs traded on Upstream are commemorative in nature, the regulatory regime governing blockchain technologies, cryptocurrencies and tokens is uncertain, and new regulations or policies may materially affect our NFT marketplace and our business generally.

Although we believe that these NFTs are not securities, there is risk that the issuance of NFTs may be considered a public offering in violation of the federal securities laws, and perhaps certain state securities laws. For issuances that are deemed to be public offerings under federal securities laws or in violation of certain state securities laws, purchasers of such products might be granted the right to rescind the sale of these products and demand that we return the purchase price of these products. We did not receive a purchase price for these NFTs; however, there is risk that the Company may be subject to other penalties or that other remedies may apply.

Additional information regarding Upstream can be found at Revolutionary exchange & trading app for digital securities (upstream.exchange).

Appointment of New Directors

On February 17, 2022, the Board appointed Joanna Bloor, Brad Justus, and Lorraine Hendrickson to serve as members of the Board.

On September 2, 2022, the Board appointed Jeremy Frommer, Executive Chairman, as Chief Executive Officer.

On September 2, 2022, the Board appointed Justin Maury, President and Chief Operating Officer, as Director to the Board

On November 2, 2022, the Board appointed Peter Majar as Director to the Board.

On November 16, 2022, the Board appointed Erica Wagner as Director to the Board.

Departure of Directors

On February 17, 2022, the Board received notice that effective immediately, Mark Standish resigned as Chair of the Board, Chair of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Compensation Committee and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; Leonard Schiller resigned as member of the Board, Chair of the Compensation Committee and as a member of the Audit Committee and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; and LaBrena Martin resigned as a member of the Board, Chair of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee and as a member of the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee. Such resignations are not the result of any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices.

On September 2, 2022, the Company entered into an executive separation agreement with Laurie Weisberg the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors setting forth the terms and conditions related to the executive’s resignation as Chief Executive Officer, Director and any other positions held with the Company or any subsidiary. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company agreed to pay the severance in the aggregate amount of $475,000, payable as follows: (i) 1/24 of the severance amount paid to executive on each of September 15, 2022, October 1, 2022 and November 1, 2022, respectively; (ii) 1/8 of the severance amount paid on each of December 1, 2022, January 1, 2023 and February 1, 2023, respectively; (iii) 1/4 of the severance amount to be paid on April 1, 2023; and (iv) the balance of the severance amount to be paid on May 1, 2023. Under the agreement, all unvested and/or outstanding stock options held by the executive as of the effective date that are not subject to metric-based vesting shall automatically and fully vest as of the effective date. The executive shall continue to hold all unvested and/or outstanding stock options held by the executive as of the effective date that are subject to metric-based vesting and such metric based vesting options shall vest in accordance with their respective original terms. In connection with the separation agreement with Ms. Weisberg, the Company entered into a Confession of Judgment, to which $475,000 in amounts owed through May 1, 2023 is subject, accounting for payments made to Ms. Weisberg from time to time in partial satisfaction of such amounts owing.

On September 21, 2022, the Board received notice from Brad Justus of his resignation as a member of the Board, and from all committees of the Board on which he served, with such resignation to become effective on September 30, 2022. Such resignation was not the result of any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices.

On November 1, 2022, the Board received notice from Lorraine Hendrickson of her resignation as a Director and from all committees of the Board on which she served, effective as of such date. Ms. Hendrickson’s resignation as a member of the Board was not the result of any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices.

On November 17, 2022, the Board received notice from Joanna Bloor of her resignation as a Director and from all committees of the Board on which she served, effective as of such date. Ms. Bloor’s resignation as a member of the Board was not the result of any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices.

Acquisition Transactions

Denver Bodega, LLC Acquisition

On March 7, 2022, the Company acquired 100% of the membership interests of Denver Bodega, LLC, d/b/a Basis, a Colorado limited liability company (“Basis”). Basis is a direct-to-consumer functional beverage brand that makes high-electrolyte mixes meant to aid hydration. Denver Bodega, LLC has been consolidated due to the Company’s ownership of 100% voting control, and the results of operations have been included since the date of acquisition in the statement of operations.

Orbit Media LLC Acquisition

On August 1, 2022, the Company acquired 51% of the membership interests of Orbit Media LLC, a New York limited liability company. Orbit is a app-based stock trading platform designed to empower a new generation of investors. Orbit has been consolidated due to the Company’s ownership of 51% voting control, and the results of operations have been included since the date of acquisition in the statement of operations. Pursuant to the agreement, Creatd acquired fifty one percent (51%) of the issued and outstanding membership interests of Orbit Media LLC for consideration of forty-four thousand dollars ($44,000) in cash and 57,576 shares of the Company’s Common Stock.

Brave Foods, LLC Acquisition

On September 13, 2022, the Company acquired 100% of the membership interests of Brave Foods, LLC, a Maine limited liability company. Brave is a plant-based food company that provides convenient and healthy breakfast food products. Brave Foods, LLC has been consolidated due to the Company’s ownership of 100% voting control, and the results of operations have been included since the date of acquisition in the statement of operations.

Employees

As of April 17, 2023, we had 14 full-time employees and 8 part-time employees. None of our employees are subject to a collective bargaining agreement, and we believe our relationship with our employees to be good.

We believe that our future success will depend in part on our continued ability to attract, hire and retain qualified personnel. Our human capital resources objectives include identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing and integrating our existing and new employees, advisors and consultants. The principal purposes of our equity and cash incentive plans are to attract, retain and reward personnel through the granting of stock-based and cash-based compensation awards, in order to increase stockholder value and the success of our company by motivating such individuals to perform to the best of their abilities and achieve our objectives.

Corporate Information

The Company’s address is 419 Lafayette Street, 6th Floor New York, New York 10003. The Company’s telephone number is (929) 504-3090. Our website is https://creatd.com. The information on, or that can be accessed through, this website is not part of this Form 10-K, and you should not rely on any such information in making the decision whether to purchase the Common Stock.