ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations for 2024 and 2023 should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes to those statements that are included elsewhere in this report. Our discussion includes forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties, such as our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those set forth under Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information, Part I. Item 1. Business and Item 1A. Risk Factors. We use words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "project," "continuing," "ongoing," "expect," "believe," "intend," "may," "will," "should," "could," and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements.
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Company Overview
Inuvo is a leading advertising technology and services business that has successfully developed and commercialized large language generative artificial intelligence that can discover and target digital audiences instantly without having to track consumers around the internet. Inuvo’s innovative technology positions it as a leader within the advertising industry, offering a valuable solution to marketers seeking to navigate the evolving landscape of consumer privacy. Rather than targeting people, the artificial intelligence (AI) targets the reasons behind why people are interested in products, services and brands.
Inuvo sells its information technology solutions to agencies and brands (collectively, “Agencies & Brands”) along with large consolidators of advertising demand (“Platforms”). Inuvo’s revenue is derived from the placement of digital advertising across devices, websites, applications and browsers within social, search and programmatic advertising channels. Inuvo facilitates and gets paid to deliver millions of advertising messages monthly and counts among its client's numerous world-renowned companies across industries.
Inuvo’s primary mission is to disrupt the advertising industry with its proprietary and patented artificial intelligence, a technology capable of identifying and targeting audiences without using a consumer’s identity or data. The AI, marketed as IntentKey was designed to replace the consumer data, analytics, segmentation and lookalike modeling technologies that have traditionally served the advertising industry as it transitions to a new paradigm where targeting based on a consumer’s identity and data are no longer possible due to the legislative and technological changes occurring.
Inuvo’s AI technology solves the identity challenge by leveraging artificial intelligence, data analytics, and automation that can optimize the purchase and placement of advertising in real time without consumer data. The technology can be consumed by clients as a managed service or self-service (SaaS). Additionally, Inuvo has developed proprietary technology and assets tailored to certain clients that include digital content, websites, automated campaigns, ad fraud detection, performance reporting, and predictive media mix modeling.
There are many barriers to entry associated with the Inuvo business model, including a proficiency in large language model based artificial intelligence, large scale information processing, software development, consumer data products, analytics, IOT (internet of things) integration and the relationships required to execute within the IOT. Inuvo’s intellectual property is protected by 19 issued and eight pending patents.
Credit Agreement
On March 12, 2020, we closed on the Loan and Security Agreement dated February 28, 2020 with Hitachi. Under the terms of the Loan and Security Agreement, Hitachi has provided us with a $5,000,000 line of credit commitment. We were permitted to borrow (i) 90% of the aggregate Eligible Accounts Receivable, plus (ii) the lesser of (A) 75% of the aggregate Unbilled Accounts Receivable or (B) 50% of the amount available to borrow under (i), up to the maximum credit commitment. The interest rate under the Hitachi agreement was 2% in excess of the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate, with a minimum rate of 6.75% per annum, on outstanding amounts. The principal and all accrued but unpaid interest were due on demand. In the event of a default under the terms of the Loan and Security Agreement, the interest rate increases to 6% greater than the interest rate in effect from time to time prior to a default. The Loan and Security Agreement contained certain affirmative and negative covenants to which we were also subject.
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On March 1, 2023, we entered into Amendment No. 1 to Loan and Security Agreement and Collateral Documents (“Agreement”) with Mitsubishi HC Capital America, Inc., f/k/a/ Hitachi Capital America Corp. (“MHCA”). Under the terms of the Agreement, MHCA provided us with a $5,000,000 line of credit commitment. We were permitted to borrow up to 85% of the aggregate Eligible Accounts Receivable, up to the maximum credit commitment of $5,000,000. We paid MHCA monthly interest at the rate of 1.75% in excess of the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate. We paid MHCA an amendment fee of $10,000 on issuance of the Agreement, and thereafter an annual commitment fee of $10,000. We also paid MHCA a quarterly service fee of 0.20% on the monthly unused amount of the maximum credit line. All obligations to MHCA have been satisfied and the Agreement was terminated on July 31, 2024. At December 31, 2024 and 2023, there were no outstanding balances due under the Agreement.
On July 30, 2024, we entered into a Financing and Security Agreement and Collateral Documents (“Financing Agreement”) with SLR Digital Finance LLC (“SLR”). Under the terms of the Financing Agreement, SLR has provided us with a $10,000,000 line of credit commitment. We are permitted to borrow up to 90% of eligible accounts receivable under the Financing Agreement, up to the maximum credit commitment of $10,000,000. We will pay SLR monthly interest at the rate of 1.0% in excess of the Prime Rate but not less than 7%. The Financing Agreement has a three year term. The Financing Agreement contains certain affirmative and negative covenants to which we are also subject. We agreed to pay SLR an annual facility fee of 0.80% of the maximum credit commitment. We also agreed to pay a minimum utilization amount of the interest rate multiplied by difference between $500,000 and the average daily outstanding loan during a month. We are obligated to pay SLR a monthly service fee of 0.15% on of the average net amount of outstanding loans during each month. If we terminate the Financing Agreement prior to the second anniversary of the effective date, an amount equal to 1.0% of the maximum credit commitment will be due as an early termination payment and if we terminate after the second anniversary of the effective date but prior to the end of the term, an amount equal to 0.25% of the maximum credit commitment will be due. Repayment of the Financing Agreement will be made through collections from eligible accounts receivable. At December 31, 2024 there were no outstanding balances due under the Financing Agreement.
2024 Overview
We reported net revenue of $83.8 million in 2024, a 13.4% increase over the prior year. The highlights of 2024, include:
· 13.4% increase in net revenue to $83.8 million
· 13% increase in gross profit to $71.8 million
· 45% reduction in the net loss
· 6X improvement in the adjusted EBITDA loss for 2024
· Net cash provided by operating activities of $230,000 in 2024
· All time company quarterly record of $26.2 million of net revenue in Q4 2024
· 33 new Agencies/Brands were signed up
· Secured a $10.0 million credit line in July
Results of Operations
For the Years Ended December 31,
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Net Revenue
We reported $83.8 million in net revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024, a 13.4% increase compared to $73.9 million during the same period in 2023. During 2024, the higher revenue was primarily driven by Platform customers where we launched new product enhancements tailored to their needs. Net revenue for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 was $26.2 million, representing the highest quarterly revenue in the Company's history and a 25% increase compared to the same period in 2023. The higher revenue was due to increasing demand within both Platforms and Agencies & Brands. Our largest Platform partner, which introduced a new product in 2023, continued to generate strong performance throughout 2024. During 2024 our largest customer accounted for 75% of our revenues. In 2023, the same customer accounted for 60.4% of our revenues.
Cost of Revenue
Cost of revenue is primarily composed of payments to advertising exchanges that provide access to digital inventory where we serve advertisements. To a lesser extent, cost of revenue includes payments to website publishers and app developers that host advertisements. The increase in cost of revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the same time period in 2023 was related to higher revenue within a Platform client this year. Gross margin of 85.6% for the year ended December 31, 2024 was nearly level as compared to 85.8% in the prior year period.
Operating Expenses
For the Year Ended December 31,
Marketing costs consist mostly of media costs incurred on behalf of clients. Marketing costs for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 was 14.8% higher due primarily to higher revenue from Platform advertisers in the comparable periods. Marketing costs in 2024 include the fully amortized remaining balance of $500,000 of the referral and support services asset (see Note 8 – Commitments to our Consolidated Financial Statements).
Compensation expense was lower for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same time period in 2023 due primarily to lower incentive, commission, and stock-based compensation expense. Our total employment, both full and part-time, was 81 at December 31, 2024 compared to 93 at December 31, 2023.
General and administrative costs were lower for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same time period in 2023 due primarily to an adjustment in the reserve for expected credit losses. During 2024, we made an adjustment to the allowance for expected credit losses for a balance due from a former client in 2022. The client has since paid off their full outstanding balance and no longer has any obligation to us as of December 31, 2024.
Financing expense, net
Finance expense, net of interest income, for the year ended December 31, 2024 was approximately $266,000 expense and was primarily due to interest expense of approximately $221,000 and commitment fee expense of approximately $66,000 offset by interest income of approximately $71,000.
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Finance expense, net of interest income, for the year ended December 31, 2023 was approximately $30,000 expense and was primarily due to interest expense of approximately $77,000 and commitment fee expense of approximately $18,000 offset by interest income of approximately $63,000.
Other income, net
Other income, net, for the year ended December 31, 2024 was income of approximately $26,000 for setup charges to new Platform partners.
Other income, net, for the year ended December 31, 2023 was income of approximately $15,000 from net realized and unrealized gains and losses.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our principal sources of liquidity are the sale of our common stock and our credit facility discussed in Note 6 – Bank Debt to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
On May 7, 2024, we entered into an At The Market Offering Agreement (the “ATM Agreement”) with H.C. Wainwright & Co. LLC (“Wainwright”), to sell shares of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share, (the “Shares”), having an aggregate sales price of up to $15,000,000, from time to time, through an “at the market offering” program under which Wainwright will act as sales agent. The sales of the Shares made under the ATM Agreement will be made by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Company will pay Wainwright a commission rate of up to 3.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds from each sale of Shares. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company has not sold any shares of common stock under the ATM Agreement.
On July 31, 2024, we entered into a Financing and Security Agreement (the "Financing Agreement”) with SLR Digital Finance LLC ("SLR”), effective July 30, 2024. Pursuant to the terms of the Financing Agreement, SLR will finance up to $10 million dependent upon eligible receivables. Availability as of December 31, 2024 equaled the maximum credit commitment of $10,000,000. See Note 6 – Bank Debt to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
We have focused our resources behind a plan to market our collective multi-channel advertising capabilities differentiated by our AI technology, the IntentKey, where we have a technological advantage and higher margins. If we are successful in implementing our plan, we expect to return to and maintain positive cash flows from operations. However, there is no assurance that we will be able to achieve this objective.
As of December 31, 2024, we have approximately $2.5 million in cash and cash equivalents. Our net working capital deficit was $2.2 million. We have encountered recurring losses and cash outflows from operations, which historically we have funded through equity offerings and debt facilities. For the year ended December 31, 2024 we had a net loss of $5.8 million and net cash flow from operations of $0.2 million. Additionally, our investment in investing activities totaled approximately $1.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. This amount primarily consists of internally developed software costs, which are largely comprised of fixed labor costs, along with other capitalized expenditures. Through December 31, 2024, our accumulated deficit was $173.2 million.
Management plans to support the Company’s future operations and capital expenditures primarily through cash generated from its credit facility until such time as we reach profitability. The credit facility is due upon demand and therefore there can be no assurances that sufficient borrowings will be available to support future operations until profitability is reached. We believe our current cash position and credit facility will be sufficient to sustain operations for at least the next twelve months from the date of this filing. If our plan to grow the IntentKey product is unsuccessful, we may need to fund operations through private or public sales of securities, debt financings or partnering/licensing transactions over the long term.
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Cash Flows
The table below sets forth a summary of our cash flows for the years ended 2024 and 2023:
Net cash provided by/(used) in operating activities $ 229,554 $ (2,554,075 )
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities $ (1,857,375 ) $ 606,190
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities $ (353,388 ) $ 3,456,924
Cash Flows - Operating
Net cash provided by operating activities was $229,554 during 2024. We reported a net loss of $5,761,801, which included non-cash expenses: depreciation and amortization of $2,515,177, stock-based compensation of $1,501,444, $800,000 for the impairment and amortization of a referral and support services agreement, and amortization of right of use assets of $54,356; partially offset by an adjustment to expect losses on accounts receivable of $1,442,533. The change in operating assets and liabilities was a net provision of cash of $2,342,255 primarily due to increases in accrued expenses and other liabilities of $2,329,295 and accounts payable balance of $1,990,231 partially offset by an increase in the accounts receivable balance by $1,876,282. Our terms are such that we generally collect receivables prior to paying trade payables. However, our Media sales arrangements typically have slower payment terms than the terms of related payables.
During 2023, cash used in operating activities was $2,554,075. We reported a net loss of $10,389,653 which included the non-cash expenses of depreciation and amortization of $2,655,368, amortization of right of use assets $96,190 and stock-based compensation expenses of $1,986,296. The change in operating assets and liabilities was a net provision of cash of $1,433,655.
Cash Flows - Investing
Net cash used in investing activities was $1,857,375 for 2024 and consisted primarily of capitalized internal development costs. Net cash provided by investing activities in 2023 was $606,190 and consisted primarily of proceeds from the sale of marketable securities partially offset by capitalized internal development costs.
Cash Flows - Financing
Net cash used in financing activities was $353,388 during 2024, primarily due to the election of certain participants to have the Company withhold the issuance of shares pursuant to vesting restricted stock units in consideration of the Company’s payment of taxes on behalf of such participants.
Net cash provided by financing was $3,456,924 during 2023, primarily from the proceeds from the capital raise (see Note 1 – Organization and Business to our Consolidated Financial Statements).
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reported periods. The estimates and assumptions that management makes affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, net revenues and expenses and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. The estimates and assumptions used are based upon management’s regular evaluation of the relevant facts and circumstances as of the date of the consolidated financial statements. Actual results may differ from the estimates and assumptions used in preparing the accompanying consolidated financial statements, and such differences could be material. We believe the following accounting policies are those most critical to the judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements: Revenue Recognition, Capitalized Software costs, Intangible Assets, and Goodwill. These policies and others are described in Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, of the Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Report.
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Revenue recognition - We generate revenue by identifying audiences and presenting advertisements on behalf of our customers. Our revenue is derived from the placements of advertisements across advertising channels, browsers, applications and devices. Pricing for those advertisement placements is typically either on a cost-per-click or cost per thousand impressions basis.
Our revenue is a function of the number of advertisements placed combined with the price we obtain (using our technologies) for the placements made on behalf of our clients. We assume the risk associated of finding placements at a cost below that for which it had been sold.
We recognize revenue when control of the contracted services or product is transferred to our customer, in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those services or products. We determine revenue recognition through (i) identification of a contract with a customer, (ii) identification of the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determination of the transaction price, (iv) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (v) recognition of revenue when or as the performance obligations are satisfied.
Customer contracts are typically captured in an Insertion Order ("IO") where revenue is recognized upon delivery of services during the period covered by the IO, or in multi-year master service agreements where revenue is recognized based on the number of advertisements placed or clicked on in the period they occur. We settle advertisement placement prices with our customers net of any adjustments for quality. Judgment is required to identify a contract with a customer, identify its performance obligations, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations, and determine whether the performance obligations are satisfied.
Capitalized software costs - We capitalize the cost of internally developed software that has a useful life in excess of one year. These costs consist of the salaries and benefits of employees working on such software development to customize, enhance or develop new product. We assess whether development work creates additional functionality to the software or is a new software product, and qualifies the costs incurred for capitalization.
We annually assess whether triggering events are present to review internal-use software for impairment. The estimated useful life of our software development costs is two years and is amortized using the straight-line method. There is judgment involved in determining the validity of capitalization, estimating the useful life and evaluating whether any impairment occurred. Capitalized software development costs were $1.8 million and $1.7 million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Intangible assets, net - We allocate a portion of the purchase price of acquisitions to identifiable intangible assets and we amortize definite-lived assets over their estimated useful lives. We consider our indefinite-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Trade names are not amortized as they are believed to have an indefinite life. Trade names are reviewed annually for impairment. We also acquire intangible assets outside of acquisitions and record them at their fair value and amortize them over their estimated useful lives. Judgment is required to determine fair value and the useful life.
Goodwill - We utilize the purchase method of accounting in accordance with ASC 805, Business Combinations. This standard requires that the total cost of an acquisition be allocated to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on the fair value of the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date. Our estimates and assumptions used in assessing fair value are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. During the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, we may record adjustments to the fair value of these tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the corresponding offset to goodwill. In addition, uncertain tax positions and tax-related valuation allowances are initially recorded in connection with a business combination as of the acquisition date.
We periodically conduct a review of long-lived assets to assess potential triggering events for impairment within the Inuvo reporting unit. We perform an impairment test annually by comparing the fair value of our reporting unit with its carrying amount. We have only one reporting unit and generally determine the fair value of this reporting unit using the income approach methodology of valuation that includes the undiscounted cash flow method as well as other generally accepted valuation methodologies. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, the amount it exceeds fair value is equivalent to the amount of impairment loss. There is judgment involved in estimating the fair value, useful life and in the evaluation of any impairment.
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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.
Not applicable to a smaller reporting company.
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.
Our Consolidated Financial Statements begin on page F-1 at the end of this annual report.
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE.
None.
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We maintain “disclosure controls and procedures” as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Disclosure controls and procedures are controls and procedures designed to reasonably assure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, such as this report, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods prescribed by SEC rules and regulations, and to reasonably assure that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Our management does not expect that our disclosure controls will prevent all errors and fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. In addition, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within a company have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by management override of the control. The design of any systems of controls also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Over time, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of these inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
As required by Rule 13a-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as of December 31, 2024, the end of the period covered by this report, our management concluded their evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures. As of the evaluation date, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that we maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are effective in providing reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in our reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods prescribed by SEC rules and regulations, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
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Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Rule 13a-15(f). Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Our internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:
Because of the inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024. In making this assessment, our management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the 2013 Treadway Commission (“COSO”) in Internal Control-Integrated Framework. Based upon this assessment, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that as of December 31, 2024 our internal controls over financial reporting were effective.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting that occurred during our most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION.
Trading Plans
During the three months ended December 31, 2024, no director or officer (as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act) of the Company adopted or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement,” as each term is defined in Item 408(a) of Regulation S-K.
ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS.
N/A
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PART III
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.
The information required by this Item will be contained in our proxy statement for our 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be filed on or prior to April 30, 2025 (the “Proxy Statement”) and is incorporated herein by this reference.
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.
The information required by this item will be contained in our Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by this reference.
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.
The information required by this item will be contained in our Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by this reference.
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE.
The information required by this item will be contained in our Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by this reference.
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.
The information required by this item will be contained in our Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by this reference.
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PART IV
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.
1. Financial Statements
The consolidated financial statements and Report of Independent Registered Accounting Firm are listed in the “Index to Financial Statements and Schedules” beginning on page F-1 and included on pages F-2 through F-21.
2. Financial Statement Schedules
All schedules for which provision is made in the applicable accounting regulations of the SEC are either not required under the related instructions, are not applicable (and therefore have been omitted), or the required disclosures are contained in the consolidated financial statements herein.
3. Exhibits (including those incorporated by reference).
*** Portions of this exhibit have been omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment filed with the Commission under Rule 24b-2. The omitted material has been filed separately with the Commission. Certain portions of this exhibit have also been redacted pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K. The omitted information is (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to Inuvo if publicly disclosed. The location of the omitted confidential information is indicated in the exhibit with asterisks (***).
No. Exhibit Description Form Date Filed Number Filed or Furnished Herewith
3(i).1 Articles of Incorporation, as amended 10-KSB 3/1/04 4
3(ii).1 Amended and Restated By-Laws 10-K 3/31/10 3(ii).4
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10.26 Form of Insider Offering Subscription Agreement 8-K 3/20/20 10.1
19 Insider Trading Policy Filed
21.1 Subsidiaries of the Registrant Filed
23.1 Consent of EisnerAmper LLP, PCAOB FIRM ID 274 Filed
31.1 Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) certification of Chief Executive Officer Filed
32.1 Section 1350 certification of Chief Executive Officer Filed
32.2 Section 1350 certification of Chief Financial Officer Filed
101.INS XBRL Instance Document Filed
101.SCH XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document Filed
101.CAL XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document Filed
101.DEF XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document Filed
101.LAB XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document Filed
101.PRE XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document Filed
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
The Company has elected not to provide this optional information.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Inuvo, Inc.
February 27, 2025 By: /s/ Wallace D. Ruiz
Wallace D. Ruiz, Chief Financial Officer
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature Title Date
Richard K. Howe
Wallace D. Ruiz
/s/ Jonathon Bond Director February 27, 2025
Jonathon Bond
/s/ Gordon J. Cameron Director February 27, 2025
Gordon J. Cameron
/s/ Kenneth Lee Director February 27, 2025
Kenneth Lee
/s/ Charles D. Morgan Director February 27, 2025
Charles D. Morgan
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INUVO, INC.
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024 AND 2023
INDEX TO AUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
CONTENTS
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm F-2
Consolidated Financial Statements:
Consolidated Balance Sheets F-4
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss F-5
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity F-6
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows F-7
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements F-8
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Inuvo, Inc.:
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Inuvo, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years then ended, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgements. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
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Capitalized software development costs
As reflected in Note 2 and Note 4 to the financial statements, the Company capitalizes certain labor costs related to internally developed software. Management determines the amount of internal software costs to be capitalized based on the estimated amount of time spent by software developers and engineers during the application development stage of software development projects identified by the Company. The amount of capitalized software development costs was approximately $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024.
We identified the estimate of time and related costs eligible for capitalization as capitalized software development costs as a critical audit matter due to the subjective judgements required of management when determining the amount of time that qualifies to be capitalized for development projects. This, in turn, led to a high degree of auditor judgement, subjectivity, and effort in performing procedures for evaluating management’s significant assumptions related to these judgements.
Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with our overall opinion on the financial statements. The procedures we performed included gaining an understanding of the controls relating to capitalized software development costs, testing management’s process for developing the estimate including the amount of time and related costs eligible for capitalization in the current year, evaluating whether the time and related costs were eligible for capitalization, testing the completeness and accuracy of underlying data and inputs used in management’s estimate of eligible time and related costs, and evaluating the reasonableness of significant assumptions used by management in estimating eligible time and related costs. Evaluating management’s assumptions related to eligible software development time for capitalization involved performing inquiries with management and with a sample of individual software developers and engineers regarding the nature, timing, and extent of time worked on development activities.
/s/ EisnerAmper LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021.
EISNERAMPER LLP
Iselin, New Jersey
February 27, 2025
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Inuvo, Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
For the Years Ended December 31,
Assets
Current assets
Other assets
Referral and support services agreement advance — 500,000
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities
Long-term liabilities
Lease liability - finance lease — 18,209
Other long-term liabilities — 216
Stockholders’ equity
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value:
Authorized shares - 500,000 - none issued and outstanding — —
Common stock, $0.001 par value:
Accumulated other comprehensive income — —
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
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Inuvo, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
For the Years Ended December 31,
Operating expenses:
Other income/(expense):
Financing expense, net of interest income (266,772 ) (29,570 )
Other comprehensive income:
Unrealized loss on marketable securities — 84,868
Per common share data:
Basic and diluted
Net loss from continuing operations $ (0.04 ) $ (0.08 )
Net income from discontinued operations — —
Weighted average shares:
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
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Inuvo, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity
For the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
Common Stock Additional Paid in Accumulated Accumulated Other Comprehensive
Shares Stock Capital Deficit Income Total
Unrealized gain on debt securities — — — — 84,868 84,868
Stock issued for vested restricted stock unit 1,673,236 1,671 (1,671 ) — — —
Change in fair value of warrants related to vesting — — (7,905 ) — — (7,905 )
Stock issued for vested restricted stock unit 2,518,121 2,518 (2,518 ) — — —
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
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Inuvo, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
For the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
Operating activities:
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Amortization of right of use assets - financing 54,356 96,190
Amortization of right of use assets - operating lease 227,628 609,524
Gain on marketable securities — (14,668 )
Adjustment to expected losses on accounts receivable (1,442,533 ) 786,549
Stock warrant income — (7,905 )
Deferred income tax expense (benefit) 8,028 (17,764 )
Derecognition of contingency and grant (35,000 ) —
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expenses, other current assets and other assets 111,320 (263,569 )
Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities 229,554 (2,554,075 )
Investing activities:
Proceeds from the sale of marketable securities — 2,288,873
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities (1,857,375 ) 606,190
Financing activities:
Gross proceeds from line of credit — 592,868
Repayments on line of credit — (592,868 )
Proceeds from sale of common stock, net of expenses — 3,665,000
Proceeds from at-the-market sales — 61,136
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities (353,388 ) 3,456,924
Supplemental information:
Noncash investing and financing activities:
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
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Inuvo, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
For the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
Note 1 – Organization and Business
Company Overview
Inuvo is an advertising technology and services company that has developed and commercialized large language generative artificial intelligence (AI) capable of discovering and targeting digital audiences. Inuvo’s innovative technology positions it as a leader within the advertising industry, offering a valuable solution to marketers seeking to navigate the evolving landscape of consumer privacy. The AI targets the reasons behind why people are interested in products, services and brands.
Inuvo sells its information technology solutions to agencies and brands (collectively, “Agencies & Brands”) along with large consolidators of advertising demand (“Platforms”). Inuvo’s revenue is derived from the placement of digital advertising across devices, websites, applications and browsers within social, search and programmatic advertising channels. Inuvo facilitates and gets paid to deliver advertising messages and counts among its client's numerous world-renowned companies across industries.
The AI, marketed as IntentKey was designed to replace the consumer data, analytics, segmentation and lookalike modeling technologies that have traditionally served the advertising industry as it transitions to a new paradigm where targeting based on a consumer’s identity and data are no longer possible due to the legislative and technological changes occurring.
Inuvo’s AI technology solves the identity challenge by leveraging artificial intelligence, data analytics, and automation that can optimize the purchase and placement of advertising in real time without consumer data. The technology can be consumed by clients as a managed service or self-service (SaaS). Additionally, Inuvo has developed proprietary technology and assets tailored to certain clients that include digital content, websites, automated campaigns, ad fraud detection, performance reporting, and predictive media mix modeling.
Both Agencies & Brands and Platforms benefit from Inuvo’s ability to intelligently process vast amounts of data, detect patterns in behavior, and enhance advertising efficiency whether through direct media execution or integration into existing campaign management systems. These capabilities are typically sold with services both individually and in combination with each other based on client needs. Agencies & Brands utilize our artificial intelligence-based consumer intent recognition system to reach highly targeted mobile and desktop In-Market audiences with precision. The solution can serve multiple creative formats including display, video, audio and native across multiple device types including desktop, mobile, tablet, connected/smart TV and game consoles. The technology can be consumed by clients as a managed service or self-service (SaaS). For our Platform clients we utilize a collection of data, analytics, software, content management and website creation technologies to align merchant advertising messages with online content.
Inuvo’s intellectual property is protected by 19 issued and eight pending patents.
Liquidity
Our principal sources of liquidity are the sale of our common stock and our credit facility discussed in Note 6 – Bank Debt.
On May 30, 2023, we raised $4.0 million in gross proceeds in a registered direct offering, before expenses, through the sale of an aggregate of 16,000,000 shares of our common stock. The shares were offered pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (the “Shelf Registration Statement”) and a prospectus supplement relating to the offering was filed with the SEC on May 26, 2023.
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On May 7, 2024, we entered into an At The Market Offering Agreement (the “ATM Agreement”) with H.C. Wainwright & Co. LLC (“Wainwright”), to sell shares of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Shares”), having an aggregate sales price of up to $15,000,000, from time to time, through an “at the market offering” program under which Wainwright will act as sales agent. The sales, if any, of the Shares made under the ATM Agreement will be made by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Company will pay Wainwright a commission rate of up to 3.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds from each sale of Shares. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company has not sold any shares of common stock under the ATM Agreement. In January 2025, the Company utilized the ATM Agreement and sold 1,594,313 shares of common stock for gross proceeds of $1,163,491. See Note 16 – Subsequent Events.
On July 31, 2024, we entered into a Financing and Security Agreement (the "Financing Agreement”) with SLR Digital Finance LLC ("SLR”), effective July 30, 2024. Pursuant to the terms of the Financing Agreement, SLR will finance up to $10 million dependent upon eligible receivables. See Note 6– Bank Debt.
As of December 31, 2024, we have approximately $2.5 million in cash, and cash equivalents. Our net working capital deficit was $2.2 million. We have encountered recurring losses and cash outflows from operations, which historically we have funded through equity offerings and debt facilities. For the year ended December 31, 2024 we had a net loss of $5.8 million and net cash flow provided by operations of $0.2 million. Additionally, our investment in investing activities totaled approximately $1.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. This amount primarily consists of internally developed software costs, which are largely comprised of fixed labor costs, along with other capitalized expenditures. Through December 31, 2024, our accumulated deficit was $173.2 million.
Management plans to support the Company’s future operations and capital expenditures primarily through cash generated from its credit facility until such time as we reach profitability. Any repayments of the financing agreement will be made through collections from eligible accounts receivable. We believe that our current cash position, credit facility, and the equity raised through our ATM program in January 2025 will be sufficient liquidity to sustain operations for at least the next twelve months from the date of this filing. If our plan to grow the IntentKey product is unsuccessful, we may need to fund operations through private or public sales of securities, debt financings or partnering/licensing transactions over the long term.
Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of presentation - The consolidated financial statements include our accounts and those of our wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Reclassifications - Certain amounts in the 2023 statement of cash flows have been reclassified to conform with the 2024 presentation. The impact to the 2023 change in accrued expenses and other liabilities was a decrease of $67,870, and there was no impact to net cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Cash and cash equivalents - Cash and cash equivalents consist of highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less.
Revenue recognition - We generate revenue by identifying audiences and presenting advertisements on behalf of our customers. We provide our products, technologies and services to Agencies & Brands and Platforms. Currently, revenue from Agencies & Brands is primarily through our IntentKey products and services and revenue from Platforms is primarily through our Bonfire products and services. Our revenue is derived from the placements of advertisements across advertising channels, browsers, applications and devices. Pricing for those advertisement placements is typically either on a cost-per-click or cost per thousand impressions basis.
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Our revenue is a function of the number of advertisements placed combined with the price we obtain (using our technologies) for the placements made on behalf of our clients. We assume the risk associated of finding placements at a cost below that for which it had been sold.
We recognize revenue when control of the contracted services or product is transferred to our customer, in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those services or products. We determine revenue recognition through (i) identification of a contract with a customer, (ii) identification of the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determination of the transaction price, (iv) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (v) recognition of revenue when or as the performance obligations are satisfied.
For Agencies & Brands, the terms of an agreement are captured in an Insertion Order ("IO") where revenue is recognized upon delivery of services during the period covered by the IO. For Platforms, terms are generally captured in multi-year master service agreements and revenue is recognized based on the number of advertisements placed or clicked on in the period they occur. We settle advertisement placement prices with our customers net of any adjustments for quality.
In the year ended December 31, 2024, we generated $83,793,859 in revenue of which 82.8% was from Platforms, 17.2% from Agencies & Brands. In the year ended December 31, 2023, we generated $73,911,528 in revenue of which 79.1% was from Platforms, 20.9% from Agencies & Brands.
Accounts receivable - Accounts receivable consist of trade receivables from customers. We record accounts receivable at its net realizable value, recognizing an allowance for doubtful accounts based on our best estimate of expected credit losses on our existing accounts receivable. Balances are written off against the allowance after all means of collection have been exhausted and the possibility of recovery is considered remote. The current expected credit loss (CECL) model under Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-13 requires an estimation of expected credit losses over the life of a financial instrument, taking into consideration historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Management has reviewed comprehensive historical data, any relevant economic indicator, and estimated our estimated credit loss based off these probabilities. The following table presents accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses:
At December 31,
Cost of revenue - Cost of revenue is primarily composed of payments to advertising exchanges that provide access to digital inventory where we serve advertisements primarily for Agencies and Brands. To a lesser extent, cost of revenue includes payments to website publishers and app developers that host advertisements.
Marketing costs - Marketing costs are predominately traffic acquisition costs and include those expenses required to attract an audience to our owned and operated applications and websites. We expense these costs as incurred and present them as a separate line item in operating expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.
Property and equipment - Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization. Major renewals and improvements are capitalized while maintenance and repairs which do not improve or extend the life of the respective assets are expensed as incurred. Costs of assets sold or retired and the related accumulated depreciation are eliminated from accounts and the net gain or loss is reflected as an operating expense in the consolidated statements of operations.
Property and equipment are depreciated on a straight-line basis over three years for equipment, five to seven years for furniture and fixtures and two to three years for software. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the lesser of the estimated useful life of the asset or the remaining term of the lease. Depreciation and amortization expense was $1,745,261 and $1,670,868, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
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Capitalized Software Costs - We capitalize certain labor costs related to internally developed software and amortize these costs using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the software, generally two years. We do not sell internally developed software. Certain development costs not meeting the criteria for capitalization, in accordance with ASC 350-40 Internal-Use Software, are expensed as incurred. Capitalized software development costs were $1.8 million and $1.7 million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Goodwill - Goodwill is recorded as the difference, if any, between the aggregate consideration paid for an acquisition and the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired. We periodically conduct a review of long-lived assets to assess potential triggering events for impairment within the Inuvo reporting unit. We perform an impairment test annually as of December 31, 2024. As a result, we perform our annual goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of our reporting unit with its carrying amount.
We have only one reporting unit and generally determine the fair value of this reporting unit using the income approach methodology of valuation that includes the undiscounted cash flow method as well as other generally accepted valuation methodologies. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, the amount it exceeds fair value is equivalent to the amount of impairment loss.
We determined there was no impairment of goodwill during 2024 and 2023.
See Note 5 – Intangible Assets and Goodwill, for more information.
Intangible Assets - We allocate a portion of the purchase price of acquisitions to identifiable intangible assets and we amortize definite-lived assets over their estimated useful lives. We consider our indefinite-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Trade names are not amortized as they are believed to have an indefinite life. Trade names are reviewed annually for impairment under ASC 350. We also acquire intangible assets outside of acquisitions and record them at their fair value and amortize them over their estimated useful lives.
We recorded no impairment of intangible assets during 2024 or 2023.
See Note 5 – Intangible Assets and Goodwill, for more information.
Income taxes - We utilize the liability method of accounting for income taxes as set forth in ASC 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). Under the liability method, deferred taxes are determined based on the temporary differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities. A valuation allowance is recorded when it is more likely than not that some of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, we must project future levels of taxable income. We examine evidence related to the history of taxable losses or income, the economic conditions in which we operate, organizational characteristics, our forecasts and projections, as well as factors affecting liquidity. All our deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded as long-term assets and liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. We believe it is more likely than not that essentially none of our deferred tax assets will be realized, and we have recorded a valuation for a significant portion of the net deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2024 and 2023.
We have adopted certain provisions of ASC 740. This statement clarifies the criteria that an individual tax position must satisfy for some or all of the benefits of that position to be recognized in a company’s financial statements. ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold of more likely than not, and a measurement attribute for all tax positions taken or expected to be taken on a tax return, in order to be recognized in the financial statements. We recognize interest and penalties related to income taxes in income tax expense. We have incurred no penalties or interest for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
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Impairment of long-lived assets - In accordance with ASC 360, Property, Plant and Equipment, long-lived assets, such as property and equipment, and purchased intangibles subject to amortization, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of the asset is measured by comparison of the carrying amount to future undiscounted cash flows the asset is expected to generate. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value.
Stock-based compensation - We recognize stock compensation based on the recognition provisions ASC 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation, which establishes accounting for stock-based awards exchanged for employee and non-employee services and requires companies to expense the estimated grant date fair value of stock awards over the requisite employee service period.
The fair value of restricted stock unit awards is based on the market price of our common stock on the date of the grant. To value stock option awards, we use the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model. This model involves assumptions including the expected life of the option, stock price volatility, risk-free interest rate, dividend yield and exercise price. We recognize compensation expense in earnings over the requisite service period, applying a forfeiture rate to account for expected forfeitures of awards.
See Note 10, Stock-Based Compensation, for further details on our stock awards.
Government Grant- During the first quarter of 2013, we received a grant from the state of Arkansas to relocate our corporate headquarters to Conway, AR. We recognized the grant funds into income as a reduction of the related expense in the period in which those expenses were recognized. We deferred grant funds related to capitalized costs and classified them as current or long-term liabilities on the balance sheet according to the classification of the associated asset. The agreement concluded on March 31, 2024, and as of December 31, 2024, all obligations were satisfied, and no liability remains outstanding. As of December 31, 2023, we recorded a $35,000 liability which was satisfied in 2024.
Earnings per share - During the periods presented, we had securities that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share in the future but were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share, as their effect would have been anti-dilutive. We reported a net loss for 2024 and 2023 and therefore, shares associated with stock options, restricted stock units and convertible debt are not included because they are anti-dilutive. Basic and diluted net loss per share is the same for all periods presented.
Operating segments -In accordance with ASC 280- Segment reporting, segment information reported is built on the basis of internal management data used for performance analysis of businesses and for the allocation of resources. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise about which separate financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker, or decision-making group, in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. Our chief operating decision maker, our chief executive officer, reviews financial information presented on a consolidated basis and no expense or operating income is evaluated at a segment level. Given the consolidated level of review by our chief executive officer, we operate as one reportable segment.
Concentration of credit risk - We are exposed to concentrations of risk primarily in cash and accounts receivable, which are generally not collateralized. Our policy is to place our cash with high credit, quality financial institutions in order to limit the amount of credit exposure. Our cash deposits exceed FDIC limits. We do not require collateral from our customers, but our credit extension and collection policies include monitoring payments and aggressively pursuing delinquent accounts. We maintain allowances for potential credit losses.
Customer concentrations - In 2024, we had one individual customer with revenue concentration greater than 10% of our total revenues accounting for 75.0%, respectively. At December 31, 2024, we had two individual customers greater than 10% of our total accounts receivable balance accounting for 58.5% and 12.6%, respectively.
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In 2023, we had two individual customers with revenue concentration greater than 10% of our total revenue accounting for 60.4% and 12.8%, respectively. At December 31, 2023, we had one customer greater than 10% of our total accounts receivable balance accounting for 50.5%.
Vendor concentrations - In 2024, we had three individual vendors with cost of revenue concentration greater than 10% of our total cost of revenue accounting for 59.6%, 25.6%, and 10.3% of the total cost of revenue, respectively.
In 2023, we had two individual vendors with cost of revenue concentration greater than 10% of our total cost of revenue accounting for 67.6% and 15.3% of the total cost of revenue, respectively.
Use of estimates - The preparation of financial statements, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, net revenues and expenses and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. The estimates and assumptions used in the accompanying consolidated financial statements are based upon management’s regular evaluation of the relevant facts and circumstances as of the date of the consolidated financial statements. The most significant estimates and assumptions affecting the financial statements relate to capitalized software, allowance for credit losses, and income tax valuation allowance. Actual results may differ from the estimates and assumptions used in preparing the accompanying consolidated financial statements, and such differences could be material.
Litigation and settlement costs - From time to time, we are involved in disputes, litigation and other legal actions. In accordance with ASC 450, Contingencies, we record a charge equal to at least the minimum estimated liability for a loss contingency when both of the following conditions are met: (i) information available prior to issuance of the consolidated financial statements indicates that it is probable that an asset had been impaired or a liability had been incurred as of the date of the consolidated financial statements and (ii) the range of loss can be reasonably estimated.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, which requires retrospective disclosure of significant segment expenses and other segment items on an annual and interim basis. Additionally, it requires disclosure of the title and position of the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”). This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and for interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. See Note 12 for the impact of adoption of this accounting pronouncement.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, which requires an annual tabular effective tax rate reconciliation disclosure including information for specified categories and jurisdiction levels, as well as, disclosure of income taxes paid, net of refunds received, disaggregated by federal, state/local, and significant foreign jurisdiction. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The adoption will have an impact on disclosures and not impact the Company’s consolidated results of operations, cash flows, nor financial position.
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Note 3 – Allowance for Credit Losses
The activity in the allowance for credit losses was as follows during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Provision/(reversal of provision) for bad debts (1,442,533 ) 786,549
The allowance for credit losses at December 31, 2024 was $144,625, a decrease of $1,500,420 from December 31, 2023. During 2024, we made an adjustment to the allowance for expected credit losses for a balance due from a former client in 2022.
The client has since paid off their full outstanding balance and no longer has any obligation to us as of December 31, 2024.
Note 4– Property and Equipment
The net carrying value of property and equipment at December 31, 2024 and 2023 was as follows:
Depreciation and amortization expense was $1,745,261 and $1,670,868, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we disposed of approximately $169,000 of fully depreciated equipment that was no longer in use. There was no cash inflow or outflow associated with this transaction, and no gain or loss was recorded.
Note 5 – Intangible Assets and Goodwill
The following is a schedule of intangible assets and goodwill as of December 31, 2024:
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The following is a schedule of intangible assets and goodwill as of December 31, 2023:
Term CarryingValue Accumulated Amortization Net CarryingValue 2023Amortization
___________
Our amortization expense over the next five years and thereafter is as follows:
Note 6 - Bank Debt
On March 1, 2023, we entered into Amendment No. 1 to Loan and Security Agreement and Collateral Documents (“Agreement”) with Mitsubishi HC Capital America, Inc., f/k/a/ Hitachi Capital America Corp. (“MHCA”). Under the terms of the Agreement, MHCA provided us with a $5,000,000 line of credit commitment. We were permitted to borrow up to 85% of the aggregate Eligible Accounts Receivable, up to the maximum credit commitment of $5,000,000. We paid MHCA monthly interest at the rate of 1.75% in excess of the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate. We paid MHCA an amendment fee of $10,000 on issuance of the Agreement, and thereafter an annual commitment fee of $10,000. We also paid MHCA a quarterly service fee of 0.20% on the monthly unused amount of the maximum credit line. All obligations to MHCA have been satisfied and the Agreement was terminated on July 31, 2024. At December 31, 2024 and 2023, there were no outstanding balances due under the Agreement.
On July 30, 2024, we entered into a Financing and Security Agreement and Collateral Documents (“Financing Agreement”) with SLR Digital Finance LLC (“SLR”). Under the terms of the Financing Agreement, SLR has provided us with a $10,000,000 line of credit commitment. We are permitted to borrow up to 90% of eligible accounts receivable as defined in the Financing Agreement, up to the maximum credit commitment of $10,000,000. Availability as of December 31, 2024 equaled the maximum credit commitment of $10,000,000. We will pay SLR monthly interest at the rate of 1.0% in excess of the Prime Rate but not less than 7%. The Prime Rate was 7.5% as of December 31, 2024. The Financing Agreement has a three year term. The Financing Agreement contains certain affirmative and negative covenants to which we are also subject. We agreed to pay SLR an annual facility fee of 0.80% of the maximum credit commitment. We also agreed to pay a minimum utilization amount of the interest rate multiplied by difference between $500,000 and the average daily outstanding loan during a month. We are obligated to pay SLR a monthly service fee of 0.15% of the average net amount of outstanding loans during each month. If we terminate the Financing Agreement prior to the second anniversary of the effective date, an amount equal to 1.0% of the maximum credit commitment will be due as an early termination payment and if we terminate after the second anniversary of the effective date but prior to the end of the term, an amount equal to 0.25% of the maximum credit commitment will be due. Repayment of the financing agreement will be made through collections from eligible accounts receivable.
At December 31, 2024, the outstanding balances due under the Financing Agreement was $0.
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Note 7 – Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consist of the following at December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Arkansas grant contingency — 35,000
Accrued taxes, current portion 8,969 6,076
Note 8 - Commitments
On September 17, 2021, we signed a multi-year agreement with a business development partner to provide referral and support services to us. The agreement required an advance fee of $1.5 million. The advance was being amortized as marketing expenses over five years. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we recorded an impairment to the asset bringing the balance to $0, as no significant revenue has been realized within 2024 and therefore management determined future revenue under this arrangement is uncertain. As of December 31, 2023, $700,000 had been amortized and the balance was $800,000.
Note 9 - Income Taxes
The provision for income taxes consists of the following at December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Current tax provision $ — $ —
Deferred tax (expense)/benefit (8,030 ) 17,764
A reconciliation of the expected federal statutory rate to our actual rate as reported for each of the periods presented is as follows:
Federal statutory rate 21 % 21 %
State income tax rate, net of federal benefit 3 % 1 %
Permanent differences 6 % 4 %
Change in valuation allowance (30 %) (26 %)
— % — %
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Deferred Income Taxes
Deferred income taxes are the result of temporary differences between book and tax basis of certain assets and liabilities, timing of income and expense recognition of certain items and net operating loss carry-forwards. For the year ended December 31, 2024, we recognized a deferred tax expense of $8,030. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we recognized a deferred tax benefit of $17,764.
When required, we record a liability for unrecognized tax positions, defined as the aggregate tax effect of differences between positions taken on tax returns and the benefits recognized in the financial statements. Tax positions are measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. No tax benefits are recognized for positions that do not meet this threshold. We have no uncertain tax positions that require us to record a liability.
We assess temporary differences resulting from different treatments of items for tax and accounting purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities, which are recorded in the consolidated balance sheets. We evaluate the realizability of our deferred tax assets on a regular basis, an exercise that requires significant judgment. In the course of this evaluation, we considered our recent history of tax losses, the economic conditions in which we operate, recent organizational changes and our forecasts and projections. We believe it is more likely than not that essentially none of our deferred tax assets will be realized, and we have recorded a valuation allowance for a significant portion of the net deferred tax assets that may not be realized as of December 31, 2024 and 2023.
The following is a schedule of the deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Deferred tax assets:
Deferred tax liabilities:
Net deferred tax liabilities $ (97,266 ) $ (89,238 )
The net operating losses amounted to approximately $112.8 million and expire beginning 2026 through 2038. Included in the federal net operating loss carryforwards are $44.3 million generated from 2018 to 2024 that will not expire and are limited to offset 80% of our taxable income for years beginning after December 31, 2020.
As of December 31, 2024, the Company has a net deferred tax liability of $97,266. The net deferred tax liability is due to goodwill that is amortized for tax purposes and a trade name that has an indefinite life, of which both are not being amortized for book purposes.
The deferred tax liability relating to goodwill and trade name can only be offset by 30% of interest limited by 163(j), the remainder, can be offset by up to 80% by NOLs generated in tax years ending December 31, 2018 and beyond, subject to IRC Section 382 limitations. The remaining portion that cannot be used remains as a liability. In future years, if the deferred tax assets are determined by management to be “more likely than not” to be realized, the recognized tax benefits relating to the reversal of the valuation allowance as of December 31, 2024 will be recorded.
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Under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, the net operating loss carryforwards are subject to review and possible adjustment by the Internal Revenue Service and state tax authorities. Net operating loss carryforwards may become subject to an annual limitation in the event of certain cumulative changes in the ownership interest of significant shareholders over a three-year period in excess of 50%, as defined under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code, respectively, as well as similar state provisions. This could limit the amount of tax attributes that can be utilized annually to offset future taxable income or tax liabilities. The amount of the annual limitation is determined based on the value of the Company immediately prior to the ownership change. Subsequent ownership changes may further affect the limitation in future years. The Company has not conducted a study to assess whether a change of control has occurred or whether there have been multiple changes of control since inception due to the significant complexity and cost associated with such a study. If the Company has experienced a change of control, as defined by Section 382, at any time since inception, utilization of the net operating loss carryforwards would be subject to an annual limitation under Section 382, which is determined by first multiplying the value of the Company’s stock at the time of the ownership change by the applicable long-term tax-exempt rate, and then could be subject to additional adjustments, as required. Any limitation may result in expiration of a portion of the net operating loss carryforwards before utilization. Further, until a study is completed by the Company and any limitation is known, no amounts are being presented as an uncertain tax position.
The Company’s tax returns are subject to tax examinations by U.S. federal and state tax authorities until the respective statutes of limitation expire. The Company is subject to tax examinations by tax authorities for all taxation years commencing on or after 2006. Carryforward attributes generated in all years since inception remain subject to adjustment. Our state income tax returns are open to audit under the statute of limitations for the same periods.
Note 10 - Stock-Based Compensation
We maintain a stock-based compensation program intended to attract, retain and provide incentives for talented employees and directors and align stockholder and employee interests. During the 2024 and 2023 periods, we granted restricted stock units ("RSUs") from the 2017 Equity Compensation Plan, as amended (“2017 ECP”). RSU vesting periods are generally up to three years and/or achieving certain financial targets.
On January 1, 2022, in accordance with the plan provisions, the number of shares available for issuance under the 2017 ECP was increased by 150,000 shares. On June 16, 2022, our stockholders approved an amendment to the 2017 ECP to cease the annual increase of 150,000 shares and a one time increase of the number of shares of our common stock reserved for issuance by 15,000,000 shares. As of December 31, 2024, the total number of shares of our common stock reserved for issuance under the 2017 ECP was 24,550,000.
Compensation Expense
We recorded stock-based compensation expense for all equity incentive plans of $1,501,444 and $1,986,296 for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Total compensation cost not yet recognized at December 31, 2024 was $2,192,992 which will be recognized over the next three years.
The following table summarizes the stock grants outstanding under our 2017 ECP plan as of December 31, 2024:
The fair value of restricted stock units is determined using market value of the common stock on the date of the grant. The fair value of stock options is determined using the Black-Scholes-Merton valuation model. The use of this valuation model involves assumptions that are judgmental and highly sensitive in the determination of compensation expense and include the expected life of the option, stock price volatility, risk-free interest rate, dividend yield, exercise price, and forfeiture rate. Forfeitures are estimated at the time of valuation and reduce expense ratably over the vesting period. The forfeiture rate, which is estimated at a weighted average of 0% of unvested options outstanding, is adjusted periodically based on the extent to which actual forfeitures differ, or are expected to differ, from the previous estimate.
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The following table summarizes the weighted average assumptions for our granted options and RSUs. There were no options granted in the period ended December 31, 2024.
The following table summarizes our restricted stock unit activity for 2024:
RestrictedStock Unit WeightedAverageFair Value
Note 11 – Stockholders' Equity
Common Stock
On May 30, 2023, we raised $4.0 million in gross proceeds in a registered direct offering, before expenses, through the sale of an aggregate of 16,000,000 shares of our common stock.
Warrants
On September 17, 2021, we signed an agreement with a marketing platform and consulting company to provide referral and support services to us for a period of five years (see Note 8 – Commitments). As part of that agreement, we granted a seven year warrant exercisable into 300,000 shares of our common stock, at $0.72 per share, which vests in two tranches when certain performance metrics are achieved. The warrant was valued using the Black Scholes option pricing model at a total of $149,551 based on a seven-year term, an implied volatility of 100%, a risk-free equivalent yield of 1.17%, and a stock price of $0.71. The warrant is classified as equity and will be expensed over the vesting period of each tranche if the performance criteria are achieved. On August 31, 2022, 85,862 shares vested in accordance with the contracted performance criteria. On August 31, 2023, 21,136 shares vested. For the second tranche, we reversed approximately $7,900 for the year ended December 31, 2023 due to a change in the probability of performance criteria being achieved. In accordance with our agreement, after the second anniversary of the original issue date of the warrants, any interests in warrant shares that have not vested pursuant to the terms and conditions of the agreement were deemed forfeited and shall never become exercisable. At the period ended December 31, 2024, approximately 193,000 shares have been forfeited and approximately 107,000 shares underlying the warrant have vested.
Earnings per Share
During the 2024 and 2023, we generated a net loss from continuing operations and as a result, all of our shares are anti-dilutive.
Note 12– Segment Reporting
Inuvo, Inc. (the "Company") operates as a single reportable segment that places digital advertising throughout devices, websites, applications and browsers across social, search and programmatic advertising channels, facilitating the delivery of millions of advertising messages monthly. The Chief Operating Decision Maker ("CODM"), identified as the Chief Executive Officer, evaluates the Company's financial performance and makes resource allocation decisions based on consolidated financial information
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Measure of Segment Profit or Loss
The CODM evaluates performance and allocates resources based on contribution margin, which is calculated as revenue after deducting marketing expenses, exchange fees, and publisher payments. Exchange fees and publisher payments are classified as cost of revenue. The resulting contribution margin covers Inuvo's fixed costs and profit.
Significant Segment Expenses
The Company reports total revenue and significant expenses provided to the CODM, which include cost of revenue, marketing, and compensation expenses. These expenses are regularly reviewed to assess operating performance. The following table presents these expenses:
For the year ended December 31,
Provision/(reversal of provision) for bad debts (1,442,533 ) 786,549
Other segment expenses include facilities costs, travel and entertainment expenses and various other corporate expenses.
Geographic Information
The Company's operations are based in the United States, and substantially all revenue is derived from U.S. clients.
Note 13 – Retirement Plan Costs
We provide a 401(k) plan to help our employees prepare for retirement where we matched each employee's contributions to the plan up to the first four % of the employee's annual salary. The matching contribution for the years ended 2024 and 2023 was $383,649 and $370,782, respectively.
Note 14 – Leases
We have entered into operating and finance leases primarily for real estate and equipment rental. These leases have terms which range from three years to six years, and often include one or more options to renew or in the case of equipment rental, to purchase the equipment. These operating and finance leases are listed as separate line items on our consolidated balance sheets and represent our right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. Our obligations to make lease payments are also listed as separate line items on our consolidated balance sheets. As of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, total operating and financed right-of use assets were $913,439 and $18,209, and $805,786 and $72,560, respectively.
For the years-ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we recorded $54,356 and $96,190 in amortization expense related to finance leases.
For the years-ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we recorded $334,243 and $358,667 respectively, in rent expense related to operating leases.
In May 2023, we entered into an agreement to lease 4,128 square feet of office space in San Jose, CA commencing on September 1, 2023. The lease has a term of sixty-five months with an abatement period of five months and will cost approximately $208,000 during its first year. Thereafter, the lease payments increase by 3%.
In January 2024, we amended and renewed our lease at our corporate headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas. The lease was extended for thirty-six months commencing on February 1, 2024 and expiring on January 31, 2027 and will cost approximately $127,000 during its first year. Thereafter, the lease payments increase by 2% annually.
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Because the rate implicit in each lease is not readily determinable, we use our incremental borrowing rate to determine the present value of the lease payments.
Information related to our operating lease liabilities for are as follows:
Cash paid for operating lease liabilities $ 350,401
Weighted-average remaining lease term 2.78 years
Weighted-average discount rate 10.5 %
Minimum future lease payments ended December 31, 2024
Less imputed interest (197,007 )
Total lease liabilities $ 997,872
Information related to our financed lease liabilities are as follows:
Cash paid for finance lease liabilities $ 50,801
Weighted-average remaining lease term .76 years
Weighted-average discount rate 6.25 %
Minimum future lease payments ended December 31, 2024
Less imputed interest (282 )
Total lease liabilities $ 18,209
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Note 15 - Related Parties
During August 2023, we entered into a referral agreement with a board member of the Company. An initial fee of $15,000 was agreed upon, payable upon the execution of the agreement. Subsequently, a monthly retainer of $5,000, paid in advance, was established, starting from September 1, 2023. Either party has the right to terminate this agreement at any time and for any reason. Termination requires fourteen (14) days written notice to be provided to the other party. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, we recognized approximately $15,000 in expense. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, we recognized approximately $35,000 in expense.
During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company engaged in a transaction with First Orion Corp., a company in which one of our directors holds a significant interest. The transaction involved the sale of services amounting to approximately $95,000. These transactions were conducted in the ordinary course of business.
During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company engaged in a transaction with James & James, a company in which one of our directors holds a significant interest. The transaction involved the sale of services amounting to approximately $170,000. These transactions were conducted in the ordinary course of business.
Note 16 - Subsequent Event
In January 2025, Inuvo, Inc. utilized the ATM Agreement (see Note 1 – Organization and Business) and we sold 1,594,313 shares of common stock for gross proceeds of $1,163,491. The ATM program allows the Company to raise capital from time to time through sales of common stock at prevailing market prices, subject to volume limitations and market conditions. The proceeds from the ATM offering are intended to be used for general corporate purposes, including working capital, strategic investments, and operational expansion.