Risks involved in an investment in Above & Beyond Studios, Inc.
Be sure to understand the risks of this type of investment. No regulatory body (not the SEC, not any state regulator) has passed upon the merits of or given its approval to the securities, the terms of the offering, or the accuracy or completeness of any offering materials or information posted herein. That’s typical for Regulation CF offerings like this one.
Risk 1.
Pandemic Risks:
We face risks related to health epidemics and other outbreaks, which could significantly disrupt the Company’s operations and could have a material adverse impact on us. The outbreak of pandemics and epidemics could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, and results of operations. If a pandemic occurs in areas in which we have material operations or sales, the Company’s business activities originating from affected areas, including sales, materials, and supply chain related activities, could be adversely affected. Disruptive activities could include the temporary closure of facilities used in the Company’s supply chain processes, restrictions on the export or shipment of products necessary to run the Company’s business, business closures in impacted areas, and restrictions on the Company’s employees’ or consultants’ ability to travel and to meet with customers, vendors or other business relationships. The extent to which a pandemic or other health outbreak impacts the Company’s results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of a virus and the actions to contain it or treat its impact, among others. Pandemics can also result in social, economic, and labor instability which may adversely impact the Company’s business.
If the Company’s employees or employees of any of the Company’s vendors, suppliers or customers become ill or are quarantined and in either or both events are therefore unable to work, the Company’s operations could be subject to disruption. The extent to which a pandemic affects the Company’s results will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.
Risk 2.
Any valuation at this stage is difficult to assess:
Unlike listed companies that are valued publicly through market-driven stock prices, the valuation of private companies, especially startups, is difficult to assess and you may risk overpaying for your investment. In addition, there may be additional classes of equity with rights that are superior to the class of equity being sold.
Risk 3.
We are highly dependent on the services of our founders:
Our future business and results of operations depend in significant part upon the continued contributions of our CEO and founders. If we lose those services or if he fails to perform in his current position, or if we are not able to attract and retain skilled employees in addition to our CEO and the current team, this could adversely affect the development of our business plan and harm our business. In addition, the loss of any other member of the board of directors or executive officers could harm the Company's business, financial condition, cash flow and results of operations.
Risk 4.
Start-up investing is risky:
Investing in early-stage companies is very risky, highly speculative, and should not be made by anyone who cannot afford to lose their entire investment. Unlike an investment in a mature business where there is a track record of revenue and income, the success of a startup or early-stage venture often relies on the development of a new product or service that may or may not find a market. Before investing, you should carefully consider the specific risks and disclosures related to both this offering type and the company.
Risk 5.
Your shares are not easily transferable:
You should not plan on being able to readily transfer and/or resell your security. Currently there is no market or liquidity for these shares and the company does not have any plans to list these shares on an exchange or other secondary market. At some point the company may choose to do so, but until then you should plan to hold your investment for a significant period of time before a “liquidation event” occurs. A “liquidation event” is when the company either lists their shares on an exchange, is acquired, or goes bankrupt.
Risk 6.
Dividends:
Unless otherwise specified in the offering documents and subject to state law, you are not entitled to receive any dividends on your interest in the Company. Accordingly, any potential investor who anticipates the need for current dividends or income from an investment should not purchase any of the securities offered on the Site.
Risk 7.
You may only receive limited disclosure:
While the Company must disclose certain information, since the Company is at an early-stage they may only be able to provide limited information about its business plan and operations because it does not have fully developed operations or a long history. The Company may also only be obligated to file information periodically regarding its business, including financial statements. A publicly listed company, in contrast, is required to file annual and quarterly reports and promptly disclose certain events — through continuing disclosure that you can use to evaluate the status of your investment.
Risk 8.
Future Growth:
Our future growth depends to a large extent on our ability to effectively anticipate and adapt to customer requirements and offer services that meet customer demands. If we are unable to attract customers and/or retain customers, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be materially adversely affected.
Risk 9.
The Company has the right to extend the Offering deadline.
The Company may extend the Offering deadline beyond what is currently stated herein. This means that your investment may continue to be held in escrow while the Company attempts to raise the maximum offering amount even after the Offering deadline stated herein is reached. Your investment will not be accruing interest during this time and will simply be held until such time that Offering is closed, at which time it will be released to the Company to be used as set forth herein. Upon or shortly after release of such funds to the Company, the Securities will be issued and distributed to you.
Risk 10.
Lack of professional guidance:
Many successful companies partially attribute their early success to the guidance of professional early-stage investors (e.g., angel investors and venture capital firms). These investors often negotiate for seats on the Company’s board of directors and play an important role through their resources, contacts and experience in assisting early-stage companies in executing on their business plans. An early-stage company may not have the benefit of such professional investors.
Risk 11.
Third parties might infringe upon our technology:
We cannot assure you that the steps we have taken to protect our property rights will prevent misappropriation of our technology. To protect our rights to our intellectual property, we plan to rely on a combination of trade secrets, confidentiality agreements and other contractual arrangements with our employees, affiliates, strategic partners and others. We may be unable to detect inappropriate use of our technology.
Risk 12.
Limited Operating History Risk:
We have a limited operating history upon which investors may base an evaluation of our potential future performance. In particular, we have not proven that we can develop and maintain relationships with key vendors and strategic partners to extract value from our intellectual property, raise sufficient capital in the public and/or private markets, or respond effectively to competitive pressures. As a result, there can be no assurance that we will be able to develop or maintain consistent revenue sources, or that our operations will be profitable and/or generate positive cash flow.
Risk 13.
Competition Risk:
Intense competition in the markets in which we compete could prevent us from generating or sustaining revenue growth and generating or maintaining profitability.
Risk 14.
No governmental agency has reviewed the Company’s offering and no state or federal agency has passed upon either the adequacy of the disclosure contained herein or the fairness of the terms of this offering. The exemptions relied upon for this offering are significantly dependent upon the accuracy of the representations of the investors to be made to the Company in connection with this offering. In the event that any such representations prove to be untrue, the registration exemptions relied upon by the Company in selling the securities might not be available and substantial liability to the Company would result under applicable securities laws for rescission or damages.
Risk 15.
The Company may never receive a future equity financing or undergo a liquidity event such as a sale of the Company or an initial public offering, and you may not be able to sell any shares that you purchase in this offering.
The Company may never receive a future equity financing, or undergo a liquidity event such as a sale of the Company or an initial public offering (IPO). If a liquidity event does not occur, such as a sale of the Company or an IPO, the purchasers could be left holding Company securities in perpetuity. The Company’s securities have numerous transfer restrictions and will likely be highly illiquid, with potentially no secondary market on which to sell them. The securities have only a minority of voting rights and do not provide the ability to direct the Company or its actions.
Risk 16.
Our ability to succeed depends on how successful we will be in our fundraising efforts.
We rely on investment funds in order to use resources to build the necessary tech and business infrastructure to be successful in the long-term. In the event of competitors being better capitalized than we are, that would give them a significant advantage in marketing and operations.
Risk 17.
We are dependent on general economic conditions:
Potential customers may be less willing to invest in innovation and forward-looking improvements if they are facing an economic downturn. This may temporarily reduce our market size. Furthermore, a global crisis might make it harder to diversify.