Risks involved in an investment in Artificial Intelligence Economic Development Corporation
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.
Public health epidemics or outbreaks could adversely impact our business. In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. While initially the outbreak was largely concentrated in China and caused significant disruptions to its economy, it has now spread to several other countries and infections have been reported globally. The extent to which the coronavirus impacts our operations will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the duration of the outbreak, new information which may emerge concerning the severity of the coronavirus and the actions to contain the coronavirus or treat its impact, among others. In particular, the continued spread of the coronavirus globally could adversely impact our operations, and could have an adverse impact on our business and our financial results.
Risk 2.
We rely heavily on our technology and intellectual property, but we may be unable to adequately or cost-effectively protect or enforce our intellectual property rights, thereby weakening our competitive position and increasing operating costs. To protect our rights in our services and technology, we rely on a combination of copyright and trademark laws, patents, trade secrets, confidentiality agreements with employees and third parties, and protective contractual provisions. We also rely on laws pertaining to trademarks and domain names to protect the value of our corporate brands and reputation. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may copy aspects of our services or technology, obtain and use information, marks, or technology that we regard as proprietary, or otherwise violate or infringe our intellectual property rights. In addition, it is possible that others could independently develop substantially equivalent intellectual property. If we do not effectively protect our intellectual property, or if others independently develop substantially equivalent intellectual property, our competitive position could be weakened. Effectively policing the unauthorized use of our services and technology is time-consuming and costly, and the steps taken by us may not prevent misappropriation of our technology or other proprietary assets. The efforts we have taken to protect our proprietary rights may not be sufficient or effective, and unauthorized parties may copy aspects of our services, use similar marks or domain names, or obtain and use information, marks, or technology that we regard as proprietary. We may have to litigate to enforce our intellectual property rights, to protect our trade secrets, or to determine the validity and scope of others’ proprietary rights, which are sometimes not clear or may change. Litigation can be time consuming and expensive, and the outcome can be difficult to predict.
Risk 3.
Our management may not be able to control costs in an effective or timely manner. The Company’s management anticipates it can use reasonable efforts to assess, predict and control costs and expenses. However, implementing our business plan may require more employees, capital equipment, supplies or other expenditure items than management has predicted. Likewise, the cost of compensating employees and consultants or other operating costs may be higher than management’s estimates, which could lead to sustained losses.
The Company’s expenses will significantly increase as we seek to execute our current business model. Although we estimate that we will have enough runway if we are able to fully raise the proposed amount of capital, we will be ramping up cash burn to promote business development, further develop R&D, and fund other company operations after the raise.
Risk 4.
The process of developing the Cloud Future Trends Service
Using the M.I.N.D ® Machine Intelligence NeuralNetwork Database and our unique Algorithm “IA > M1 ∴ IC + AI = W”, via Machine Learning and other Data Analytics with Sequential Decisions Based on Algorithmic Probability and the Markov Decision Processes (MDP) in A.I. to predict the Economic & Business Cycle Trends, will require significant research and development which is costly and may not result in immediate success and/or revenue. There can be no guarantee that Artificial Intelligence services will eventually be fully developed according to the business plan.
Risk 5.
If AIEDC is unable to raise additional capital on acceptable terms, we may be unable to execute our business plan. In fact, AIEDC will require substantial future capital to continue research and development as well as marketing to promote business development, further develop R&D, and fund other company operations.
Risk 6.
The Company may not pay dividends for the foreseeable future. Unless otherwise specified in the offering documents and subject to state law, Netcapital investors are not entitled to receive any dividends on their 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 by AIEDC.
Risk 7.
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 equities being sold.
Risk 8.
Any forecasts we make about our operations may prove to be inaccurate. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in meeting these challenges and addressing such risks and the failure to do so could have a materially adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Our prospects must be considered in light of the risks, expenses, and difficulties frequently encountered by companies in the early stage of development. As a result of these risks, challenges, and uncertainties, the value of your investment could be significantly reduced or completely lost.
Risk 9.
We will be operating in a competitive and rapidly developing technology space, even though we have not been able to identify any direct competitors in our target market space at this time. Potential competitors may emerge as the market develops, we may also face potential competition from other large companies with abundant resources which may enable them to take over the market at an overwhelmingly pace.
Risk 10.
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 11.
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 12.
We are highly dependent on the Services of our founder. Our future business and results of operations depend in significant part upon the continued contributions of our CEO and founder. 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.