JCSE JE Cleantech Holdings Limited

RISK FACTORS

Investing in our shares is highly speculative and involves a significant degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risks, as well as other information contained in this prospectus, before making an investment in our Company. The risks discussed below could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, ability to pay dividends and the trading price of our shares. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to pay dividends, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

We only have a limited number of customer groups and our business is significantly dependent on our major customer groups’ needs and our relationships with them. We may be unsuccessful in attracting new customers.

Our aggregate sales generated from our top five customer groups amounted to approximately 88.4%, 80.6% and 68.1% of our revenue for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively. In particular, sales to our largest customer group, which is principally engaged in the manufacture of HDD, amounted to approximately $13.2 million, S$4.8 million and S$4.1 million, representing approximately 61.5%, 32.7% and 22.0% of our revenue, for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively. Accordingly, our sales would be significantly affected by changes in our relationship with or in the needs of our major customer groups, particularly our largest customer group, as well as other factors that may affect their purchases from us, many of which are beyond our control. Any adverse changes in the economic conditions in the markets in which our customer groups operate and in their business expansion plans may negatively affect their purchasing practices and result in a reduction in demand for our products and services. Furthermore, we have a limited number of customer groups for both our sale of cleaning systems and other equipment business and our centralized dishwashing and general cleaning services business. We sold cleaning systems and other equipment to 14, 11 and 14 customer groups during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively. Our centralized dishwashing services and general cleaning services business provided centralized dishwashing services to 38, 54 and 60 customer groups during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively, and provided general cleaning services to 7, 7, and 3 customer groups, respectively, during those periods. If our major customer groups do not place their new orders with us, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In addition to maintaining and growing our business with existing customers, the success of our business also depends on our ability to attract new customers. If we are unable to attract new customers, our business growth will be hampered and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

We are dependent upon our largest customer group for a substantial amount of our revenue.

We derived a significant portion of our revenue from our largest customer group during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022. Our sales to that customer group amounted to approximately S$13.2 million, S$4.8 million and S$4.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively, which accounted for approximately 61.5% 32.7% and 22.0% of our total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively. This dependence on our largest customer group has not changed materially and we expect that this customer group will continue to account for a significant portion of our total revenue for a considerable period of time if we cannot expand our customer base and our geographical coverage. There is no assurance that we will be able to maintain the same or achieve even higher sales amounts to that customer group. Our sales to such customer group will be affected by the results of operations of the companies within that group, which may in turn be affected by many factors such as global and/or regional political, economic or social conditions, foreign trade or monetary policies, legal or regulatory requirements or taxation or tariff regime, demand for their products and implementation of sales and marketing strategies for their products. If the companies within our largest customer group are unable to launch their marketing plans for their products successfully, or if there is any material and adverse change in political, economic or social conditions, foreign trade or monetary policies, legal or regulatory requirements or taxation or tariff regime or if the demand for their products weakens materially, and if we are unable to develop new customers and secure purchase orders of comparable size or under substantially the same terms, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be materially and adversely affected. Further, if we fail to achieve more diversified income or reduce our reliance on such customer group, or if we fail to secure a similar level of business from other customers on comparable commercial terms, such that the reduction in revenue from our largest customer group could be partly or wholly offset, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

In addition, there is generally no long-term commitment from customers of our cleaning systems and other equipment business to purchase an agreed amount from us. Therefore, any material change in a customer’s product development plan may also directly affect its demand for our products. If we fail to quote a competitive price to our customer, if the quality of our products does not meet our customer’s specifications or if there is any disruption to our business relationship with our customer, we may be unable to secure further business from such customer. Any significant decrease in sales to any of our customers for any reason, including any disruption to our business relationship with them, may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We are subject to risks relating to the operation of our production and processing facilities.

We are dependent on our JCS Facility and Hygieia Facility for our operations. Our production and processing facilities are subject to the risk of operational breakdowns caused by accidents occurring during the production process, including, but not limited to, faulty machines, suspension of utilities, human error or subpar output or efficiency. Any interruption in, or prolonged suspension of any part of production at, or any damage to or destruction of, any of our production and processing facilities arising from unexpected or catastrophic events or otherwise may prevent us from carrying out our businesses of the sale of cleaning systems and other equipment and provision of centralized dishwashing services to our customers, which in turn may result in a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. In addition, any interruption or suspension of the production process or failure to supply our products and/or services to our customers in a timely manner may result in breach of contract and loss of sales, as well as expose us to liability and the requirement to pay compensation under the relevant contracts with our customers, lawsuits and damage to our reputation, which may have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

The operation of our production and processing facilities is also subject to risks and issues in respect of our production processes such as mechanical and system failures, equipment upgrades and delays in the delivery of machinery and equipment, any of which could cause interruption or suspension of the production process and reduced output.

Additionally, there may be accidents or injuries to our workers caused by the use of machinery or equipment at our production and processing facilities, which could interrupt our operations and result in legal and regulatory liabilities. While none of our workers were involved in any work-related accidents or suffered any work-related injuries during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, or during the period from January 1, 2023 through the present date, there is no assurance that there will not be any such accidents or injuries in the future, which could cause operational breakdowns. Any such operational breakdowns, interruptions or suspensions may affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

The non-recurring nature of our cleaning systems and other equipment business means that there is no guarantee that we will be able to secure new orders, leading to fluctuations in revenue.

We do not enter into any long term agreements with our customers for sale of cleaning systems and other equipment, and sell cleaning systems and other equipment on an order-by-order basis. Therefore, our customers are under no obligation to continue to award contracts to or place orders with us and there is no assurance that we will be able to secure new orders in the future. In this regard, the number of contracts and orders and the amount of revenue that we are able to derive therefrom are affected by a series of factors including but not limited to changes in our customers’ businesses and changes in market and economic conditions.

Accordingly, there is uncertainty as to whether we will be able to secure new contracts and orders in the future and in the event that our Group fails to secure new contracts or orders of contract values, size and/or margins comparable to previous orders, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

We do not enter into long-term agreements for the provision of centralized dishwashing and general cleaning services and there is no assurance that such agreements will be renewed in the future.

The term of our agreements for our provision of centralized dishwashing services and general cleaning services is usually for a period of one to two years. Our customers are not obliged to renew the agreement or engage us again for the provision of such services upon the expiration of the agreement. We do not have any long-term agreements with our customers.

There is no assurance that our existing customers will renew their agreements or that we will be able to secure new contracts from our existing and new customers with similar or better terms. In the event we are unable to secure new contracts from existing or new customers, there may be a significant decrease in revenue and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

We depend on our key management team and our experienced and skilled personnel and our business may be severely disrupted if we are unable to retain them or to attract suitable replacements.

Our performance depends on the continued service and performance of our directors and senior management because they play an important role in guiding the implementation of our business strategies and future plans. We also depend on our key employees, Mr. Wui Chin Hou and Mr. Zhao Liang. The relationships that our experienced management team has developed with our customers over the years is important to the future development of our business. If any of our directors, any members of our senior management or either of our key employees were to terminate their services or employment, there is no assurance that we would be able to find suitable replacements in a timely manner. The loss of services of either of these key personnel and/or the inability to identify, hire, train and retain other qualified engineering, technical and operations personnel in the future may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

As Ms. Hong Bee Yin, our Chairman, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, contributes significantly to various key aspects of our business, including business development and operations, the continued success and growth of our Group is dependent on our ability to retain her services. We do not carry key person life insurance on the life of Ms. Hong or any of our directors or executive officers. The loss of Ms. Hong’s services as our Chairman, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer may materially and adversely affect our business, future plans and prospects.

We also rely on experienced and skilled personnel for our operations and our ability to design and manufacture quality products and provide good customer care service depends to a large extent on whether we are able to secure adequately skilled personnel for our operations. In particular, we rely on our team of qualified engineers for the design and manufacture of our cleaning systems. If we are unable to employ suitable personnel, or if our personnel do not fulfil their roles or if we experience a high turnover of experienced and skilled personnel without suitable, timely or sufficient replacements, the quality of our products and/or services may decline, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We may be affected by the prospects of the industries in which our customers are engaged.

Our cleaning systems and other equipment sales business is largely dependent on orders and contracts from our major customers, which are primarily in the hard disk drive, semiconductor and industrial electronics equipment/product manufacturing industries in Singapore and Malaysia. Our provision of centralized dishwashing services and ancillary services is dependent on contracts from our customers in the food and beverage industry in Singapore. We are therefore dependent on the outlook for these industries, and are indirectly exposed to the uncertainties and business fluctuations of these industries. Accordingly, our business may be adversely affected if there is any slowdown in the growth and development of such industries that compels industry participants to reduce their capital expenditures and budgets. These industries are also subject to the impact of the industry cycle, general market and economic conditions and government policies and expenditures, which are factors beyond our control. A decline in the number of new contracts and orders due to these factors may cause us to operate in a more competitive environment, and we also may be required to be more competitive in our pricing which, in turn, may adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

The war in Ukraine could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

The outbreak of war in February 2022 in Ukraine has already affected global economic markets, including a dramatic increase in the price of oil and gas, and the uncertain resolution of this conflict could result in protracted and/or severe damage to the global economy. Russia’s recent military interventions in Ukraine have led to, and may lead to, additional sanctions being levied by the United States, European Union and other countries against Russia. Russia’s military incursion and the resulting sanctions could adversely affect global energy and financial markets and thus could affect our customers’ businesses and our business, even though we do not have any direct exposure to Russia or the adjoining geographic regions. In addition, Russia and Ukraine are major exporters of critical minerals needed for semiconductors, which could have a significant negative impact on many of our customers. The extent and duration of the military action, sanctions and resulting market disruptions are impossible to predict, but could be substantial. Any such disruptions caused by Russian military action or resulting sanctions may magnify the impact of other risks described in this section. We cannot predict the progress or outcome of the situation in Ukraine, as the conflict and governmental reactions are rapidly developing and beyond their control. 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 our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We may be unable to meet the specifications of our customers or keep up with fast-changing technological developments.

The needs of our customers may change as a result of new developments in technology. Our future success depends on our ability to launch better cleaning systems that meet evolving market demands of our customers, and in particular, new cleaning systems that are compatible with new products sold by our customers. The preferences and purchasing patterns of our customers can change rapidly due to technological developments in their respective industries. There is no assurance that we will be able to respond to changes in the specifications of our customers in a timely manner. Our success depends on our ability to adapt our products to the requirements and specifications of our customers. There is also no assurance that we will be able to sufficiently and promptly respond to changes in customer preferences to make corresponding adjustments to our products or services, and failing to do so may have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We are vulnerable to fluctuations in the cost or supply of our raw materials.

Expenses for raw materials, such as stainless steel, aluminum, and electronic components, constitute most of our cost of revenues, representing approximately 57.8%, 43.5% and 57.8% of our total cost of revenues for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively. Expenses for raw materials as a percentage of our total cost of revenue have not materially changed through the present date. A shortage of raw materials or material increases in the cost of raw materials may materially and adversely affect our operations and profitability, and there is no assurance that we will be able to identify suitable alternatives at comparable prices and quality in order to meet our contract requirements.

As our contract price is fixed at the time that our customer confirms an order, it is difficult for us to manage the pricing of our cleaning systems and other equipment to pass on any increase in costs to our customers. In the event of a shortage of raw materials, there may be a resultant material increase in the purchase prices of such key materials. In such event, if we are unable to pass on such price increases to our customers, our cost of production will increase whereupon our gross margin and profitability may be adversely affected.

We are subject to risks relating to computer hardware or software systems and potential computer system failure and disruptions.

Part of our work is carried out by computers and software systems used for design and engineering works such as the ANSYS Discovery, SolidWorks and AutoCAD software systems. During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022 and during the period from January 1, 2023 to the present date, we engaged third party information technology service providers to provide support services for our various hardware and software systems. The computer systems of our Group are currently located at our office in Singapore, with access restricted to authorized personnel. A physical breakdown of and/or damage to our computer hardware and software systems and/or data storage facilities may lead to a loss of data. In addition, our software systems may be vulnerable to interruptions due to events beyond our control, including, but not limited to, telecommunications or electricity failure, computer viruses, hackers and other security issues, and any such interruption or failure could disrupt our business and operations. There is no assurance that we have sufficient ability to protect our computer hardware and software systems and data storage facilities from all possible damage, including telecommunications or electricity failure or other unexpected events.

We are subject to environmental, health and safety regulations and penalties, and may be adversely affected by new and changing laws and regulations.

We are subject to laws, regulations and policies relating to the protection of the environment and to workplace health and safety. We are required to adopt measures to control the discharge of polluting matters, toxic substances or hazardous substances and noise at our production and processing facilities in accordance with such applicable laws and regulations and to implement such measures that ensure the safety and health of our employees. Changes to current laws, regulations or policies or the imposition of new laws, regulations and policies in the cleaning systems or the dishwashing industry could impose new restrictions or prohibitions on our current practices. We may incur significant costs and expenses and need to budget additional resources to comply with any such requirements, which may have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We may be unable to successfully implement our business strategies and future plans.

As part of our business strategies and future plans, we intend to expand our product portfolio, expand our research and development and engineering team, strengthen our production capability for cleaning systems and other equipment and improve the production efficiency of our centralized dishwashing services business. While we have planned such expansion based on our outlook regarding our business prospects, there is no assurance that such expansion plans will be commercially successful or that the actual outcome of those expansion plans will match our expectations. The success and viability of our expansion plans are dependent upon our ability to successfully implement our research and development projects, hire and retain skilled employees to carry out our business strategies and future plans and implement strategic business development and marketing plans effectively and upon an increase in demand for our products and services by existing and new customers in the future.

Further, the implementation of our business strategies and future plans may require substantial capital expenditure and additional financial resources and commitments. There is no assurance that these business strategies and future plans will achieve the expected results or outcome such as an increase in revenue that will be commensurate with our investment costs or the ability to generate any costs savings, increased operational efficiency and/or productivity improvements to our operations. There is also no assurance that we will be able to obtain financing on terms that are favorable, if at all. If the results or outcome of our future plans do not meet our expectations, if we fail to achieve a sufficient level of revenue or if we fail to manage our costs efficiently, we may not be able to recover our investment costs and our business, financial condition, results of operation and prospects may be adversely affected.

Increased labor costs could affect our financial performance.

We intend to recruit additional staff to expand our research and development and engineering team and to build up our business development team. Both the cleaning equipment industry and the dishwashing industry face labor shortages and rising labor costs in Singapore. This may result in a need to employ more foreign workers for companies involved in the manufacturing sector in Singapore. If we are unable to recruit and retain sufficient and qualified staff, including foreign workers, for us to execute our business, or if we have to increase our costs to attract and maintain such staff, our results of operations and financial performance may be materially and adversely affected and our future growth may be inhibited. Further, we may be unable to recruit additional staff necessary to implement our business strategies. We incurred employee benefit expenses of approximately S$3.1 million, S$3.2 million and S$4.5 million, representing approximately 14.4%, 21.6% and 24.2% of our total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively. Although our labor costs will increase upon recruitment of additional staff, there is no assurance that our revenue or gross profit will increase accordingly. As such, in the event we are unable to obtain more orders for both our sale of cleaning systems and other equipment business and our centralized dishwashing and ancillary services business after implementation of such planned investment, our business, financial position and profitability may be adversely affected.

Non-renewal of permits and business licenses would have a material adverse effect on our operations.

In order to carry on our business operations, we are required to obtain certain permits, licenses and certificates from various governmental authorities and organizations. As of the date of this prospectus, we have obtained all material permits and licenses for our business operations. However, certain of these permits and licenses are subject to periodic renewal and reassessment by the relevant government authorities and organizations, and the standards of compliance required in relation thereto may be subject to change. Non-renewal of our permits, licenses and certificates would have a material adverse effect on our operations. We would be unable to carry on our business without such permits, licenses and certificates being granted or renewed. In addition, if there are any subsequent modifications of, additions or new restrictions to compliance standards for our permits, licenses or certificates, it may be costly for us to comply with such subsequent modifications of, additions or new restrictions to, these compliance standards. In such event, we may incur additional costs to comply with such new or modified standards which may adversely affect our profitability.

We depend on the quality of the work of our sub-contractors.

We engage third party sub-contractors, mainly for specific works during the production and manufacturing of our cleaning systems and other equipment and for the provision of labor for our centralized dishwashing operations and on-site cleaning services from time to time. We generally select our sub-contractors based on their pricing, quality of services, capacity and market reputation. However, there is no assurance that the sub-contractors will meet the requirements of our Group and our customers. We may be unable to monitor the performance of our sub-contractors as directly and efficiently as with our own staff. As we remain contractually responsible for the delivery of products and/or services in accordance with the requirements and contract terms of our customers, any delay, non-performance or poor performance by our sub-contractors may cause us to breach our contracts with our customers and expose us to the risk of damages. If such events were to occur, there may be a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, as well as reputational damage to our Group.

We are exposed to the credit risks of our customers.

We extend credit terms to our customers. Our average accounts receivable turnover days were approximately 138.5 days and 86.7 days for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022, respectively. Our customers may be unable to meet their contractual payment obligations to us, either in a timely manner or at all. The reasons for payment delays, cancellations or default by our customers may include insolvency or bankruptcy, or insufficient financing or working capital due to late payments by their respective customers. While we did not experience any material order cancellations by our customers during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, or during the period from January 1, 2023 to the present date, there is no assurance that our customers will not cancel their orders and/or refuse to make payment in the future in a timely manner or at all. We may not be able to enforce our contractual rights to receive payment through legal proceedings. In the event that we are unable to collect payments from our customers, we are still obliged to pay our suppliers in a timely manner and thus our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

If we are unable to maintain and protect our intellectual property, or if third parties assert that we infringe on their intellectual property rights, our business could suffer.

Our business depends, in part, on our ability to identify and protect proprietary information and other intellectual property such as our client lists and information and business methods. We rely on trade secrets, confidentiality policies, non-disclosure and other contractual arrangements and copyright and trademark laws to protect our intellectual property rights. However, we may not adequately protect these rights, and their disclosure to, or use by, third parties may harm our competitive position. Our inability to detect unauthorized use of, or to take appropriate or timely steps to enforce, our intellectual property rights may harm our business. Also, third parties may claim that our business operations infringe on their intellectual property rights. These claims may harm our reputation, be a financial burden to defend, distract the attention of our management and prevent us from offering some services. Intellectual property is increasingly stored or carried on mobile devices, such as laptop computers, which increases the risk of inadvertent disclosure if the mobile devices are lost or stolen and the information has not been adequately safeguarded or encrypted. This also makes it easier for someone with access to our systems, or someone who gains unauthorized access, to steal information and use it to our disadvantage. Advances in technology, which permit increasingly large amounts of information to be stored on mobile devices or on third-party “cloud” servers, may increase these risks.

If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may be unable to accurately or timely report our results of operations or prevent fraud, and investor confidence and the market price of our Ordinary Shares may be materially and adversely affected.

Although our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, our independent registered public accounting firm has not conducted an audit of our internal control over financial reporting. After conducting its own independent testing, it 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. Our reporting obligations as a public company may also place a burden on our management, operational and financial resources and systems for the foreseeable future such that we may be unable to timely complete our evaluation testing and any required remediation.

Effective internal control over financial reporting is necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and, together with adequate disclosure controls and procedures, is designed to prevent fraud. There can be no assurance that our internal controls will continue to be effectively implemented.

Our failure to implement and maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting could result in errors in our financial statements that could result in a restatement of our financial statements, cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which may result in volatility in and a decline in the market price of the Ordinary Shares.

Upon the completion of our Initial Public Offering in April 2022, we became a public company in the United States subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, requires that we include a report of management on our internal control over financial reporting in our annual report on Form 20-F. In addition, if we cease to be an “emerging growth company” as such term is defined in the JOBS Act, our independent registered public accounting firm must attest to and report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting on an annual basis.

During the course of documenting and testing our internal control procedures, in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404, we may identify material weaknesses and deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting. The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or PCAOB, has defined a material weakness as “a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the annual or interim statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.”

In addition, if we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting, as these standards are modified, supplemented or amended from time to time, we may not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404. Generally speaking, if we fail to maintain an effective internal control environment, we could suffer material misstatements in our financial statements and fail to meet our reporting obligations, which would likely cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information. This could in turn limit our access to capital markets, harm our results of operations and lead to a decline in the trading price of our Ordinary Shares. Additionally, ineffective internal control over financial reporting could expose us to increased risk of fraud, misuse of corporate assets and legal actions under the United States securities laws and subject us to potential delisting from Nasdaq, to regulatory investigations and to civil or criminal sanctions.

We may be unable to detect, deter and prevent all instances of fraud or other misconduct committed by our employees or other third parties.

We are exposed to the risk of fraud or other misconduct by our employees and other third parties. Misconduct by such parties may include theft, unauthorized business transactions, bribery or breaches of applicable laws and regulations, which may be difficult to detect or prevent. We are not aware of any instances of fraud, theft and other misconduct involving employees and other third parties that had any material and adverse impact on our business and results of operations during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022, or during the period from January 1, 2023 to the present date. However, there is no assurance that there will not be any such instances in the future. We may be unable to prevent, detect or deter all instances of misconduct. Any misconduct committed against our interests, which may include past acts that have gone undetected or future acts, could subject us to financial losses and harm our reputation and may have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We may be harmed by negative publicity.

We operate in highly competitive industries and there are other companies in the market that offer similar products and services. We derive most of our customers through word of mouth and we rely on the positive feedback of our customers. Thus, customer satisfaction with our cleaning systems and other equipment, and with our centralized dishwashing and ancillary services, is critical to the success of our business as this will also result in potential referrals from our existing customers. If we fail to meet our customers’ expectations, there may be negative feedback regarding our products and/or services, which may have an adverse impact on our business and reputation. In the event we are unable to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction or any customer dissatisfaction is inadequately addressed, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may also be adversely affected.

Our reputation may also be adversely affected by negative publicity in reports, publications such as major newspapers and forums, or any other negative publicity or rumors. There is no assurance that our Group will not experience negative publicity in the future or that such negative publicity will not have a material and adverse effect on our reputation or prospects. This may result in our inability to attract new customers or retain existing customers and may in turn adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Our insurance coverage may be inadequate.

We maintain insurance coverage for our major assets and operations, including insurance covering plant and machinery, fire, theft and accident. However, we do not have or are unable to obtain insurance in respect of losses arising from certain operating risks, such as acts of terrorism. Our insurance policies may be insufficient to cover all of our losses in all events. The occurrence of certain incidents, including fraud, confiscation by investigating authorities or misconduct committed by our employees or third parties, severe weather conditions, war, flooding and power outages may not be covered adequately, if at all, by our insurance policies. If our losses exceed the insurance coverage or are not covered by our insurance policies, we may be liable to bear such losses. Our insurance premiums may also increase substantially due to claims made. In such circumstances, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

We are exposed to risks in respect of acts of war, terrorist attacks, epidemics, political unrest, adverse weather conditions and other uncontrollable events.

Unforeseeable circumstances and other factors such as power outages, labor disputes, adverse weather conditions or other catastrophes, epidemics or outbreaks of communicable diseases such as COVID-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, Ebola or other contagious diseases, may disrupt our operations and cause loss and damage to our production and processing facilities, and acts of war, terrorist attacks or other acts of violence may further materially and adversely affect the global financial markets and consumer confidence. Our business may also be affected by macroeconomic factors in the countries in which we operate, such as general economic conditions, market sentiment, social and political unrest and regulatory, fiscal and other governmental policies, all of which are beyond our control. Any such events may cause damage or disruption to our business, markets, customers and suppliers, any of which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Our business and operations may be materially and adversely affected if there is a major resurgence of COVID-19 or another significant natural disaster or pandemic in the future.

COVID-19 was initially reported in China in December 2019, and in March 2020, the World Health Organization characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic. Although on May 5, 2023, the WHO declared the end to the COVID-19 pandemic as a global health emergency, it stressed that COVID-19 is here to stay, that it remains a global threat and that the risk remains of new variants emerging that may cause new surges in cases and deaths. COVID-19 has had a widespread and detrimental effect on the global economy as a result of the ongoing number of cases and affected countries and actions taken by public health and governmental authorities, businesses, other organizations and individuals to address the pandemic, including travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter in place, stay at home or total lock-down orders and business limitations and shutdowns.

The outbreak of COVID-19 had a material adverse impact on the global, regional and local economies of Singapore and other countries in which our clients are or were based, which decreased the demand for our services. A significant recurrence of COVID-19 or the occurrence of another epidemic or natural disaster in Singapore or in any of the countries in which we have significant operations may result in a similar decrease in the demand for our services in the future, may cause delay in the tender and/or quotation processes of prospective contracts and/or may cause termination of our existing orders and contracts by our customers. In addition, such a recurrence or event could result in further disruption of the global supply chain, a delay or shortage of raw materials, supplies and/or services by our suppliers and sub-contractors, the re-imposition of lockdown measures or quarantines or a significant number of our workers being unable to report to work due to illness, any of which may materially and adversely affect our business and operations. Our revenue and profitability also may be materially affected if any such occurrence materially affects the overall economic and market conditions in Singapore, as an economic slowdown and/or negative business sentiment could potentially have an adverse impact on our business and operations.

In addition, we cannot predict if or when any new outbreaks of COVID-19 or another pandemic or natural disaster may occur or how long it may take for any such outbreaks to be contained or for the effects of any such disaster to be rectified, and we cannot predict the impact that any such event may have on our operations. If Singapore or any of the other countries in which we have significant operations experiences a major resurgence of COVID-19 or if another pandemic or a significant natural disaster were to occur in the future, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

We are exposed to risks arising from fluctuations of foreign currency exchange rates.

Our business is exposed to certain foreign currency exchange risks as our reporting currency is Singapore dollars and our overseas sales and procurement were denominated in United States dollars during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022. To the extent that our Group’s sales and purchases and operating costs are not denominated in the same currency and to the extent that there are timing differences between invoicing and payment from our customers and to our suppliers, we may be exposed to foreign currency exchange gains or losses arising from transactions in currencies other than our reporting currency.

We may be affected by adverse changes in the political, economic, regulatory or social conditions in the countries in which we and our customers and suppliers operate or into which we intend to expand.

We and our customers and suppliers are governed by the laws, regulations and government policies in each of the countries in which we and our customers and suppliers operate or into which we intend to expand our business and operations, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Belgium and South Korea. Our business and future growth are dependent on the political, economic, regulatory and social conditions in these countries, which are beyond our control. Any economic downturn, changes in policies, currency and interest rate fluctuations, capital controls or capital restrictions, labor laws, changes in environmental protection laws and regulations, duties and taxation and limitations on imports and exports in these countries may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We may face the risk of inventory obsolescence.

As of December 31, 2021 and 2022, we had inventories of S$2.6 million and S$11.9 million, respectively. The higher inventory for the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily the result of purchasing more raw materials in anticipation of slower delivery times due to supply chain issues and increased orders for 2023. Our inventory turnover days for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022 were 75 days and 122 days, respectively. The higher number of days for the year ended December 31, 2022 was mainly due to increased raw materials inventory purchased closer to year end in anticipation of slower delivery lead times and increased orders for 2023. Our business relies on customer demand for our products. Any reduction in customer demand for our products may have an adverse impact on our product sales, which may in turn lead to inventory obsolescence, decline in inventory value or inventory write-off. In that case, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

Our business is subject to various cybersecurity and other operational risks.

We face various cybersecurity and other operational risks relating to our businesses on a daily basis. We rely heavily on financial, accounting, communication, and other data processing systems as well as the experienced staff who operate them to securely process, transmit and store sensitive and confidential customer information, and communicate with our staff, customers, partners, and suppliers. We also depend on various third-party software and cloud-based storage platforms as well as other information technology systems in our business operations. These systems may fail to operate properly or become disabled as a result of tampering or a breach of our network security systems or otherwise, including for reasons beyond our control.

Our customers typically provide us with sensitive and confidential information as part of our business arrangements. We are susceptible to attempts to obtain unauthorized access to such sensitive and confidential customer information. We also may be subject to cyber-attacks involving leaks and destruction of sensitive and confidential customer information and our proprietary information, which could result from an employee’s or agent’s failure to follow data security procedures or from actions by third parties, including actions by government authorities. Although cyber-attacks have not had a material impact on our operations to date, breaches of our or third-party network security systems on which we rely could involve attacks that are intended to obtain unauthorized access to and disclose sensitive and confidential customer information and our proprietary information, destroy data or disable, degrade or sabotage our systems, often through the introduction of computer viruses and other means, and could originate from a wide variety of sources, including state actors or other unknown third parties. The increase in using mobile technologies can heighten these and other operational risks.

We cannot assure you that we or the third parties on which we rely will be able to anticipate, detect or implement effective preventative measures against frequently changing cyber-attacks. We may incur significant costs in maintaining and enhancing appropriate protections to keep pace with increasingly sophisticated methods of attack. In addition to the implementation of data security measures, we require our employees to maintain the confidentiality of the proprietary information that we hold. If an employee’s failure to follow proper data security procedures results in the improper release of confidential information, or our systems are otherwise compromised, malfunctioning or disabled, we could suffer a disruption of our business, financial losses, liability to customers, regulatory sanctions and damage to our reputation.

Risks Related to Our Securities and This Offering

Because our public offering price per share is substantially higher than our net tangible book value per share, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution.

If you purchase shares in this offering, you will pay substantially more than our net tangible book value per share. As a result, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution of US$[●] per share, representing the difference between our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of US$[●] as of December 31, 2022, after giving effect to the net proceeds to us from this offering at a public offering price of US$[●] per share. See “Dilution” for a more complete description of how the value of your investment in our shares will be diluted upon the completion of this offering.

We may not be able to maintain compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements.

On November 3, 2022, we received a written notification from the Listing Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (the “Nasdaq Notification”) stating that our Ordinary Shares had failed to maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 over the last 30 consecutive business days as required by Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) (the “Minimum Bid Requirement”). Receipt of the Nasdaq Notification does not result in the immediate delisting of our Ordinary Shares and has no immediate effect on the listing or the trading of our Ordinary Shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market under our symbol “JCSE.”

Pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), we had a compliance period of 180 calendar days from the date of the Nasdaq Notification, or until May 2, 2023, to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Requirement. If at any time before May 2, 2023 the closing bid of our Ordinary Shares had been at least $1.00 for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days, we would have been deemed to have regained compliance with the Minimum Bid Requirement following which the matter would have been closed. We did not regain compliance by May 2, 2023; however, we were granted additional time to qualify, until October 28, 2023, based on the fact that we met the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards for the Nasdaq Capital Market with the exception of the bid price requirement. If the closing bid of our Ordinary Shares is not at least $1.00 for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days before October 28, 2023, we will be delisted from the Nasdaq Capital Market. In that event, we may appeal the determination to a Nasdaq hearings panel or consider transferring the listing and trading of our Ordinary Shares to an over-the-counter market in the United States.

Additionally, pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A)(iii) (the “$0.10 Rule”), our Ordinary Shares may be subject to immediate delisting from Nasdaq if our Ordinary Shares have a closing bid price of $0.10 or less for any ten consecutive trading days. In the event that we are in violation of the $0.10 Rule, Nasdaq will issue a Staff Delisting Determination with the potential opportunity for us to appeal that determination. There can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain compliance with the $0.10 Rule, particularly if the price of our Ordinary Shares declines as a result of this offering.

If we are unable to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Requirement or maintain compliance with the $0.10 Rule and our Ordinary Shares are delisted from Nasdaq, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:

As long as our Ordinary Shares are listed on Nasdaq, U.S. federal law prevents or preempts the states from regulating their sale, although the law 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 their sale. If we were no longer listed on Nasdaq, we would be subject to regulations in each state in which we offer our shares.

There may not be an active trading market for our Ordinary Shares and the trading price for our Ordinary Shares may be negatively affected by the lack of active trading.

We cannot assure you that there will be an active public market for our Ordinary Shares after this offering. Without an active public market for our Ordinary Shares, the market price and liquidity of our Ordinary Shares may be materially and adversely affected. The public offering price for our Ordinary Shares in this offering was determined by negotiation between us and the Placement Agent based upon several factors, and we can provide no assurance that the trading price of our Ordinary Shares will rise above the public offering price. As a result, investors in our Ordinary Shares may experience a significant decrease in the value of their Ordinary Shares.

The trading price of our Ordinary Shares has been volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors.

Since our Ordinary Shares commenced trading on April 22, 2022, the trading price of our Ordinary Shares has been volatile and has fluctuated widely due to factors beyond our control. This may continue in the future because of broad market and industry factors, like the performance and fluctuation of the market prices of other companies with business operations located mainly in Singapore that have listed their securities in the United States. In addition to market and industry factors, the price and trading volume for our shares may be highly volatile for factors specific to our own operations, including the following:

Any of these factors may result in significant and sudden changes in the volume and price at which our shares will trade.

In addition, our Ordinary Shares have been subject to extreme volatility that is seemingly unrelated to the underlying performance of our business. Although the specific cause of such volatility is unclear, the relatively small size of our public float may amplify the impact the actions taken by a few shareholders have on the price of our Ordinary Shares, which may cause our share price to deviate, potentially significantly, from a price that better reflects the underlying performance of our business. Since our Ordinary Shares have experienced a decline, and may continue to experience either run-ups or declines that are seemingly unrelated to our actual or expected operating performance and financial condition or prospects, prospective investors may have difficulty assessing the rapidly changing value of our Ordinary Shares. In addition, investors of our Ordinary Shares may experience losses, which may be material, if the price of our Ordinary Shares declines or if such investors purchase our Ordinary Shares prior to any price decline.

Holders of our Ordinary Shares also may not be able to readily liquidate their investment or may be forced to sell at depressed prices due to low volume trading. Broad market fluctuations and general economic and political conditions may also adversely affect the market price of our Ordinary Shares. As a result of this volatility, investors may experience losses on their investment in our Ordinary Shares. Furthermore, extreme volatility may confuse the public investors of the value of our stock, distort the market perception of our stock price and our financial performance and public image and negatively affect the long-term liquidity of our Ordinary Shares, regardless of our actual or expected operating performance. If we continue to encounter such volatility, including any rapid stock price increases and declines seemingly unrelated to our actual or expected operating performance and financial condition or prospects, it will likely make it difficult and confusing for prospective investors to assess the rapidly changing value of our Ordinary Shares and to understand the value thereof.

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 and results of operations.

The market price and trading volume of our Ordinary Shares may fluctuate widely in the future, and there is no guarantee that an active and liquid public market for you to resell our Ordinary Shares in the future will continue.

Our trading volume has been and may continue to be volatile. With respect to such instances of trading volatility, we are not aware of any material changes in our financial condition or results of operations that would explain such price or trading volume volatility, which we believe reflect market and trading dynamics unrelated to our operating business or prospects and outside of our control. We are thus unable to predict when such instances of trading volatility will occur or how long such dynamics may last. Therefore, we cannot assure you that you will be able to sell any of our Ordinary Shares you may have purchased at a price greater than or equal to their original purchase price, or that you will be able to sell our Ordinary Shares at all.

The United States federal income taxation of the Pre-Funded Warrants is uncertain.

We and holders of our Pre-Funded Warrants may have to take positions that are not yet settled under current U.S. federal income tax law with respect to the Pre-Funded Warrants. In particular, the precise application of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”) Section 883 exemption and the PFIC rules to the Pre-Funded Warrants is unclear. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) may disagree with the positions taken by the Company, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences for us and our shareholders, including holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants. Prospective investors are urged to consult their personal income tax advisers in this regard.

The Class A Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants are speculative in nature.

The Class A Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants offered hereby do not confer any rights of share ownership on their holders, such as voting rights or the right to receive dividends, but rather merely represent the right to acquire Ordinary Shares at a fixed price. Specifically, commencing on the date of issuance, holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants may acquire the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants at an exercise price of $0.01 per share and holders of the Class A Warrants may acquire the Ordinary Shares issuable upon the exercise of such warrants at an assumed exercise price of $[●] per Ordinary Share. Moreover, following this offering, the market value of the Class A Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants is uncertain and there can be no assurance that the market value of the Class A Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants will equal or exceed their public offering price.

There is no public market for the Class A Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants being offered in this offering and we do not expect one to develop.

There is presently no established public trading market for the Class A Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants being offered in this offering and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the Class A Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system, including Nasdaq. Without an active market, the liquidity of the Class A Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants will be limited.

Purchasers of our Class A Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants will not have any rights of shareholders until such Class A Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised.

The Class A Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants being offered do not confer any rights of Ordinary Share ownership on their holders, such as voting rights or the right to receive dividends, but rather merely represent the right to acquire Ordinary Shares at a fixed price.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they adversely change their recommendations regarding our Ordinary Shares, the market price for our Ordinary Shares and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our shares will be influenced by research or reports that industry or securities analysts publish about our business. If one or more analysts downgrade our shares, the market price for our shares would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease to cover us or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the market price or trading volume for our shares to decline.

The sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of our Ordinary Shares could adversely affect their market price.

Sales of substantial amounts of our Ordinary Shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of our shares and could materially impair our ability to raise capital through equity offerings in the future. We currently have 15,020,000 Ordinary Shares outstanding, of which 4,490,000 shares are freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act. The remaining shares may also be sold in the public market in the future in accordance with Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act. In addition, 720,000 of the freely tradeable shares may be sold in the public market only in accordance with the prospectus contained in the registration statement pursuant to which those shares were registered under the Securities Act. We cannot predict what effect, if any, market sales of securities held by our controlling shareholder or any other shareholder or the availability of these securities for future sale will have on the market price of our shares.

This is a best efforts offering, no minimum amount of securities is required to be sold, and we may not raise the amount of capital we believe is required for our business plans, including our near-term business plans.

The Placement Agent is offering the securities in this offering on a best efforts basis. The Placement Agent is not required to purchase any securities, but will use its best efforts to sell the securities offered. As a “best efforts” offering, we are unable to predict how much of this offering will be sold, and there can be no assurance that the offering contemplated hereby will ultimately be consummated or will result in any proceeds being made available to us. The success of this offering will impact our ability to use the proceeds to execute our business plan. We may have insufficient capital to implement our business plan, potentially resulting in greater operating losses unless we are able to raise the required capital from alternative sources. There is no assurance that alternative capital, if needed, would be available on terms acceptable to us, or at all.

Short selling may drive down the market price of our Ordinary Shares.

Short selling is the practice of selling shares that the seller does not own but rather has borrowed from a third party with the intention of buying identical shares back at a later date to return to the lender. The short seller hopes to profit from a decline in the value of the shares between the sale of the borrowed shares and the purchase of the replacement shares, as the short seller expects to pay less in that purchase than it received in the sale. As it is in the short seller’s interest for the price of the shares to decline, many short sellers publish, or arrange for the publication of, negative opinions and allegations regarding the relevant issuer and its business prospects in order to create negative market momentum and generate profits for themselves after selling the shares short. These short attacks have, in the past, led to selling of shares in the market. If we were to become the subject of any unfavorable publicity, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we could have to expend a significant amount of resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend ourselves. While we would strongly defend against any such short seller attacks, we may be constrained in the manner in which we can proceed against the relevant short seller by principles of freedom of speech, applicable state law or issues of commercial confidentiality.

Because we do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future, you must rely on price appreciation of our Ordinary Shares for a return on your investment.

We currently intend to retain all of our available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, we do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Therefore, you should not rely on an investment in our shares as a source for any future dividend income. Our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends, subject to certain requirements of Singapore law. 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, our future results of operations and cash flow, our capital requirements and surplus, the amount of distributions, if any, received by us from our subsidiaries, our financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors as determined by our board of directors. Accordingly, the return on your investment in our Ordinary Shares will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of our Ordinary Shares. There is no guarantee that our Ordinary Shares will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which you purchase our shares. You may not realize a return on your investment in our shares and you may even lose your entire investment.

If we are classified as a passive foreign investment company, United States taxpayers who own our securities may have adverse United States federal income tax consequences.

We are a non-U.S. corporation and, as such, we will be classified as a passive foreign investment company, which is known as a PFIC, for any taxable year if, for such year, either

Passive income generally includes dividends, interest, rents, royalties (other than rents or royalties derived from the active conduct of a trade or business) and gains from the disposition of passive assets.

If we are determined to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. taxpayer who holds our securities, the U.S. taxpayer may be subject to increased U.S. federal income tax liability and may be subject to additional reporting requirements.

It is possible that, for our current taxable year or for any subsequent year, more than 50% of our assets may be assets which produce passive income. We will make this determination following the end of any particular tax year. We treat our affiliated entities as being owned by us for United States federal income tax purposes, not only because we exercise effective control over the operation of such entities but also because we are entitled to substantially all of their economic benefits, and, as a result, we consolidate their operating results in our consolidated financial statements. For purposes of the PFIC analysis, in general, a non-U.S. corporation is deemed to own its pro rata share of the gross income and assets of any entity in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the equity by value.

For a more detailed discussion of the application of the PFIC rules to us and the consequences to U.S. taxpayers if we were determined to be a PFIC, see “Material Tax Considerations - Passive Foreign Investment Company Considerations.”

Our controlling shareholder has substantial influence over the Company. Its interests may not be aligned with the interests of our other shareholders, and it could prevent or cause a change of control or other transactions.

Ms. Hong Bee Yin, our Chairman, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, beneficially owns an aggregate of approximately 64% of our issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares. Accordingly, our controlling shareholder could control the outcome of any corporate transaction or other matter submitted to the shareholders for approval, including mergers, consolidations, the election of directors and other significant corporate actions, including the power to prevent or cause a change in control. The interests of our largest shareholder may differ from the interests of our other shareholders. Without the consent of our controlling shareholder, we may be prevented from entering into transactions that could be beneficial to us or our other shareholders. The concentration in the ownership of our shares may cause a material decline in the value of our shares. For more information regarding our principal shareholders and their affiliated entities, see “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management.”

As a “controlled company,” we are exempt from certain Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, which may result in our independent directors not having as much influence as they would if we were not a controlled company.

We are a “controlled company” as defined under the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules, because one of our shareholders holds more than 50% of our voting power. As a result, for so long as we remain a controlled company as defined under that rule, we are exempt from, and our shareholders generally are not provided with the benefits of, some of the Nasdaq Stock Market corporate governance requirements, including that:

Although we intend to have a majority of independent directors, that may change in the future.

As a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, 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.

As a foreign private issuer whose Ordinary Shares are traded on Nasdaq, we rely on a provision in the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards that allows us to follow Cayman Islands law with regard to certain aspects of corporate governance. This allows us to follow certain corporate governance practices that differ in significant respects from the corporate governance requirements applicable to U.S. companies listed on Nasdaq.

For example, we are exempt from Nasdaq regulations that require a listed U.S. company to:

As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to follow home country practice in lieu of the above requirements. Our audit committee is required to comply with the provisions of Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act, which is applicable to U.S. companies listed on Nasdaq. Therefore, we intend to maintain a fully independent audit committee in accordance with Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act. However, because we are a foreign private issuer, our audit committee is not subject to additional Nasdaq corporate governance requirements applicable to listed U.S. companies, including the requirements to have a minimum of three members and to affirmatively determine that all members are “independent,” using more stringent criteria than those applicable to us as a foreign private issuer.

You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through U.S. courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law.

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands with limited liability. Our corporate affairs are governed by our Amended Memorandum and Amended Articles, the Companies Act and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against our directors and us, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from English common law, which are generally of persuasive authority, but are not binding, on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws than the United States, and provide significantly less protection to investors. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have the standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States. There is no statutory recognition in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of the Cayman Islands will generally recognize and enforce a non-penal judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits.

Shareholders of Cayman Islands exempted companies like us have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records (other than the Amended Memorandum and Amended Articles) or to obtain copies of lists of shareholders of these companies. Our directors are not required under our Amended Memorandum or our Amended Articles to make our corporate records available for inspection by our shareholders. This may make it more difficult for you to obtain the information needed to establish any facts necessary for a shareholder resolution or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest.

Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, differ significantly from requirements for companies incorporated in other jurisdictions such as U.S. states. Currently, we plan to rely on home country practice with respect to any corporate governance matter. Accordingly, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would under rules and regulations applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.

As a result of all of the above, 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 shareholder than they would as shareholders of a company incorporated in a U.S. state.

Certain judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable.

We are a Cayman Islands exempted company and substantially all of our assets are located outside of the United States. In addition, all of our current directors and officers are nationals and residents of countries other than the United States and substantially all of the assets of these persons are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for a shareholder to effect service of process within the United States upon these persons or to enforce against us or them judgments obtained in United States courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands may render you unable to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers. As a result of all of the above, our shareholders may have more difficulties in protecting their interests through actions against us or our officers, directors or major shareholders than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a jurisdiction in the United States.

We are an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Securities Act and may take advantage of certain reduced reporting requirements.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various requirements applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, most significantly, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for so long as we are an emerging growth company. As a result, if we elect not to comply with such 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. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of the extended transition period, although we have early adopted certain new and revised accounting standards based on transition guidance permitted under such standards. As a result of this election, our future financial statements may not be comparable to other public companies that comply with the public company effective dates for these new or revised accounting standards.

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the Exchange Act, and as such we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to United States domestic public companies.

Because we are 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:

We are required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months after the end of each fiscal year. In addition, we intend to publish our financial results on a semi-annual basis through press releases distributed pursuant to the rules and regulations of Nasdaq. 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 if you were investing in a U.S. domestic issuer.

We may lose our foreign private issuer status in the future, which could result in significant additional costs and expenses to us.

As discussed above, 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, and, accordingly, the next determination will be made with respect to us on June 30, 2023. In the future, we would lose our foreign private issuer status if (i) more than 50% of our outstanding voting securities are owned by U.S. residents; and (ii) a majority of our directors or executive officers are U.S. citizens or residents, or we fail to meet additional requirements necessary to avoid the loss of foreign private issuer status. If we lose our foreign private issuer status, we will be 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 comply with U.S. federal proxy requirements, and our officers, directors and 10% 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 listing rules of Nasdaq. As a U.S. listed public company that is not a foreign private issuer, we would incur significant additional legal, accounting and other expenses that we do not incur as a foreign private issuer.

Management will have broad discretion as to the use of the proceeds from this offering, and we may not use the proceeds effectively.

Our management will have broad discretion as to the use of the net proceeds from this offering and could use them for purposes other than those contemplated at the time of commencement of this offering. Accordingly, you will be relying on the judgment of our management with regard to the use of these net proceeds, and you will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the proceeds are being used appropriately. It is possible that, pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds in a way that does not yield a favorable, or any, return for us. The failure of our management to use such funds effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows.

Purchasers who purchase our securities in this offering pursuant to a securities purchase agreement may have rights not available to purchasers that purchase without the benefit of a securities purchase agreement.

At the investor’s option, we will enter into a securities purchase agreement directly with institutional investors who purchase our Securities in this offering. In addition to the rights and remedies available to all purchasers in this offering under federal and state securities laws, the purchasers that enter into a securities purchase agreement will also be able to bring claims for breach of contract against us. The ability to pursue a claim for breach of contract provides those investors with the means to enforce the covenants uniquely available to them under the securities purchase agreement. Investors who do not enter into a securities purchase agreement must rely solely on this prospectus in connection with the purchase of our Securities in this offering.

Increasing scrutiny and changing expectations from investors, lenders and other market participants with respect to our environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) policies may impose additional costs on us or expose us to additional risks.

Companies across all industries are facing increasing scrutiny relating to their ESG policies. Investor advocacy groups, certain institutional investors, investment funds, lenders and other market participants are increasingly focused on ESG practices and in recent years have placed increasing importance on the implications and social cost of their investments. The increased focus and activism related to ESG and similar matters may hinder access to capital, as investors and lenders may decide to reallocate capital or to not commit capital as a result of their assessment of a company’s ESG practices. Companies which do not adapt to or comply with investor, lender or other industry shareholder expectations and standards, which are evolving, or which are perceived to have not responded appropriately to the growing concern for ESG issues, regardless of whether there is a legal requirement to do so, may suffer from reputational damage and the business, financial condition, and/or stock price of such a company could be materially and adversely affected.

We may face increasing pressures from investors, lenders and other market participants, who are increasingly focused on climate change, to prioritize sustainable energy practices, reduce our carbon footprint and promote sustainability. As a result, we may be required to implement more stringent ESG procedures or standards so that our existing and future investors and lenders remain invested in us and make further investments in us. If we do not meet these standards, our business and/or our ability to access capital could be harmed.

Additionally, certain investors and lenders may exclude companies, such as us, from their investing portfolios altogether due to environmental, social and governance factors. These limitations in both the debt and equity capital markets may affect our ability to grow as our plans for growth may include accessing the equity and debt capital markets. If those markets are unavailable, or if we are unable to access alternative means of financing on acceptable terms, or at all, we may be unable to implement our business strategy, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations and impair our ability to service our then indebtedness. Further, it is likely that we will incur additional costs and require additional resources to monitor, report and comply with wide ranging ESG requirements. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.