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NON-CONSOLIDATED JOINT VENTURE AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
NON-CONSOLIDATED JOINT VENTURE AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

NOTE 5 — NON-CONSOLIDATED JOINT VENTURE AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Formalization of Joint Venture

 

On May 31, 2023, the Company formalized an agreement related to the formation of a joint venture (the “Joint Venture”) established to engage in the clinical development, marketing, sale and distribution of Nexalin’s second generation transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (“tACS”) devices (“Gen-2 devices”) in China and other countries in the region. The Joint Venture is registered in Hong Kong.

 

As of the date of this Report, (i) we have no employees or office in China and none of our operations are conducted in China; and (ii) the Joint Venture does not maintain any variable interest entity structure or operate any data center in China.

 

Under the Joint Venture Agreement, Wider is obligated to fund all operations for the initial 12-month period of the Joint Venture, after which Nexalin and Wider plan to jointly fund the Joint Venture’s operating expenses in accordance with their pro rata ownership.

 

The Joint Venture is controlled by a Board of Directors in which Wider is to have sole representation but neither the Company nor Wider has exclusive decision-making ability over day-to-day or significant operational decisions. Wider and Nexalin own 52% and 48% of the Joint Venture, respectively. In accordance with ASC 323 and ASC 810, the Company recognized $4,851 and $0 for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

 

The investment in the Joint Venture is accounted for using the equity method of accounting. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023 the Company had an Equity Method Investment of $864 and $100,651, respectively, recorded on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company invested $96,000 in the joint venture in September 2023 and Wider invested $104,000. In accordance with ASC 323, the Company uses the equity method of accounting for its investment in the Joint Venture, an unconsolidated entity over which it does not have a controlling interest. The equity method of accounting requires the investment to be initially recorded at cost and subsequently adjusted for the Company’s share of equity in the unconsolidated entity’s earnings or losses. The Company evaluates the carrying amount of this investment in the Joint Venture for impairment in accordance with ASC 323. If the Company determines that a loss in the value of the investment is other than temporary, the Company writes down the investment to its estimated fair value. Any such losses are recorded to equity in income of unconsolidated entities in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The Company has made an election to classify distributions received from the Joint Venture using the nature of the distribution approach. Distributions received are classified as cash inflows from operating activities based on the nature of the activities of the unconsolidated entity.

 

Under the preceding terms of the collaborative arrangement between the Company and Wider, Wider served as an authorized distributor of the Company’s Gen-2 devices in Asia. As part of the consideration for Wider’s performance of its obligations to the Company prior to the recent formalization of the Joint Venture, the Company and certain designated Wider shareholders entered into stock issuance agreements for the issuance of 450,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, and simultaneously with the execution of this service agreement, Wider invested $200,000 to the Company. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company issued 150,000 shares to affiliates of Wider in satisfaction of the obligation. Under the terms of the collaborative agreement, designated shareholders of Wider are entitled to an additional 300,000 shares upon Wider’s achievement of certain milestones. The fair value of the 150,000 shares issued during the year ended December 31, 2020 (less the invested $200,000 in cash) resulted in a charge to stock-based compensation of $550,000 and was recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses on the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, the Company issued an additional 150,000 shares to affiliates of Wider in satisfaction of obligations pursuant to the collaborative agreement and also recognized its obligation to issue an additional 150,000 shares. The grant date fair value of the 300,000 shares issued and to be issued resulted in a charge to research and development of $1,500,000 and was recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses on the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, the Company issued 331,818 shares of common stock to Wider and affiliates of Wider, in satisfaction of obligations pursuant to their collaborative agreement and their continuing research and development efforts. A charge to research and development was recorded in 2023 at the time the Company recognized its obligation to issue the shares pursuant to the collaborative agreement. A charge to research and development was recorded in 2024 for the continuing research and development efforts.

 

U.S. Asian Consulting Group, LLC

 

On May 9, 2018, the Company entered into a five-year consulting agreement with U.S. Asian Consulting Group, LLC (“U.S. Asian”). The consulting agreement was extended for an additional period of eight years upon the closing of our initial public offering. The agreement was amended effective as of July 1, 2024 to expand the services. The two members of U.S. Asian are shareholders in the Company, including Marilyn Elson who is Nexalin’s Controller.

 

Pursuant to the consulting agreement, U.S. Asian provides consulting services to the Company with regard to, among other things, corporate development, financing arrangements and international operations. The Company was paying U.S. Asian $10,000 per month for services rendered pursuant to the consulting agreement. The amended agreement calls for a monthly fee of $16,667, a onetime stock grant and a semi-annual share award equal to $100,000 with the issuance and delivery of shares to take place following the termination of the consulting agreement. The Company recorded consulting expenses related to the consulting agreement of $160,002 and stock compensation expense of $196,000 for the year ended December 31, 2024 and $120,000 of consulting expenses and stock compensation expense of $0 for the year ended December 31, 2023, respectively.

 

In 2024 Leonard Osser was issued 200,000 shares of Company stock as compensation for his 2024 services on the Advisory Board. The Company recorded $196,000 and $0 of stock compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 respectively.

 

Officers

 

On July 1, 2023, the Company entered into a new employment agreement with Mark White to serve as Chief Executive Officer, a new services agreement with David Owens, M.D. to serve as Chief Medical Officer and a new employment agreement with Michael Nketiah to serve as Senior Vice President, Quality, Regulatory and Clinical Affairs. Each of the foregoing agreements are governed by three-year terms and provide compensation in the form of performance-and service-based stock option awards based on the closing price of the Company’s publicly traded common stock on the applicable date of grant. On July 29, 2024, Michael Nketiah submitted his resignation effective August 16, 2024.

 

Effective September 16, 2024, the Company entered into an agreement with Ms. Carolyn Shelton to serve as Senior Vice President, Quality, Regulatory and Clinical Affairs.

 

Under the terms of his employment agreement, Mr. White is entitled to (i) a sign-on/retention bonus consisting of a one-time lump-sum payment of $50,000 and a grant of nonqualified stock options to purchase 1,387,024 shares of the Company’s common stock with an exercise price of $.894 per share subject to certain time and performance-based vesting conditions.

 

Under the terms of his service agreement, Dr. Owens is entitled to (i) a sign-on/retention bonus consisting of a grant of nonqualified stock options to purchase 654,362 shares of the Company’s common stock with an exercise price of $.894 per share subject to certain time and performance-based vesting conditions. The 2023 performance-based milestones regarding Dr. Owen’s incentive compensation have been met for 2023, and he was awarded 271,454 nonqualified stock options with a vesting date of July 1, 2024. The 2024 performance-based milestones regarding Dr. Owen’s incentive compensation have been met for 2024, and he was awarded 271,454 nonqualified stock options with a vesting date of July 1, 2025. Dr. Owens was awarded an additional 125,000 vested options exercisable at $2.95.

 

Under the terms of his employment agreement Mr. Nketiah was entitled to nonqualified stock option grants to purchase 100,671 shares of the Company’s common stock with an exercise price of $.894 subject to certain time and performance-based vesting conditions.

 

Under the terms of her agreement Ms. Shelton is entitled to nonqualified stock option grants to purchase 90,620 shares of the Company’s common stock with an exercise price of $.6621, subject to certain time and performance-based vesting conditions.

 

In addition to the retention payments, stock awards and nonqualified option grants described above, Messrs. White and Nketiah are receiving cash compensation and each of Messrs. White and Nketiah are eligible for performance-based cash bonuses. The 2023 performance-based milestones regarding Mr. White’s incentive compensation have been met for 2023, and he was awarded a cash bonus of $120,000 and 313,199 nonqualified stock options with a vesting date of July 1, 2024. The 2024 performance-based milestones regarding Mr. White’s incentive compensation have been met for 2024, and he was awarded a cash bonus of $220,000 and 313,199 nonqualified stock options with a vesting date of July 1, 2025. The 2023 performance-based milestones regarding Mr. Nketiah’s incentive compensation were met for 2023, and he was awarded a cash bonus of $50,000 and 33,557 nonqualified stock options with a vesting date of July 1, 2024.

 

The reported amounts are calculated in accordance with the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standard Codification Topic 718, “Compensation — Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). ASC 718 focuses primarily on accounting for transactions in which an entity obtains employee services in share-based payment transactions, such as the options issued under our 2023 Plan.

 

Leases

 

Our principal executive office is located at 1776 Yorktown, Suite 550, Houston, Texas 77056. Under ASC 842 “Leases”, we have two separate sub-leases (through IIcom Strategic Inc. controlled and owned by our Chief Executive Officer) totaling approximately 4,000 square feet of office space under operating leases. Management and supporting staff are hosted at this location. Our lease costs for each of the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 were $54,000. The initial sub-leases expired in January of 2024. The Company has entered into a new one year sublease for 4,000 square feet of office space under a short term lease. Pursuant to the sublease, the Company pays and will pay the third party landlord (not the sub landlord) all direct and indirect rent costs under the primary lease directly for the leased premises. No additional payments are made to the Chief Executive Officer or the entity controlled by him.