Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of presentation

Basis of presentation

 

The Company’s consolidated financial statements are prepared on the accrual method of accounting.

 

The accounting and reporting policies of the Company conform with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). In the opinion of management, the accompanying consolidated financial statements of the Company contain all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, considered necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated balance sheets and the consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity (deficit) and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2015 and the period ended December 31, 2014.

Principles of consolidation

Principles of consolidation

 

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries, all of which are wholly owned. Significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of estimates

Use of estimates

 

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements requires management of the Company to make a number of estimates and assumptions relating to the reported amount of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of expenses during the period. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include the carrying amount and valuation of long-lived assets, the valuation of conversion features of convertible debt, valuation allowances for deferred tax assets, the determination of stock option expense, and the determination of the fair value of stock warrants issued. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents

 

The Company considers all highly liquid instruments with original or remaining maturities of ninety days or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. The Company maintains its cash balances in large financial institutions. Periodically, such balances may be in excess of federally insured limits.

Property and equipment

Property and equipment

 

Property and equipment are stated at cost net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation on property and equipment is calculated on the straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of the life of the asset or the remaining term of the lease.

Intangible and other long-lived assets

Intangible and other long-lived assets

 

The intangible assets consists of a patent application contributed to the Company by five founding stockholders, patent applications for technology developed by the Company and trademark applications. The useful life of the intangible assets has been determined to be ten years and the assets are being amortized. The Company periodically evaluates its intangible and other long-lived assets for indications that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. In reviewing for impairment, the Company compares the carrying value of such assets to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected from the use of the assets and their eventual disposition. When the estimated undiscounted future cash flows are less than their carrying amount, an impairment loss is recognized equal to the difference between the assets’ fair value and their carrying value. In addition to the recoverability assessment, the Company routinely reviews the remaining estimated lives of its long-lived assets. Any reduction in the useful life assumption will result in increased depreciation and amortization expense in the period when such determination is made, as well as in subsequent periods. The Company evaluates the need to record impairment during each reporting period. No impairment has been recorded. The Company determined that the estimated life of the intellectual property properly reflected the current remaining economic life of the asset.

Research and development

Research and development

 

Research and development expenditures are expensed as incurred.

Income taxes

Income taxes

 

The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with the liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under the liability method, deferred assets and liabilities are recognized based upon anticipated future tax consequences attributable to differences between financial statement carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. The provision for income taxes is comprised of the current tax liability and the changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities. The Company establishes a valuation allowance to the extent that it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets will not be recoverable against future taxable income.

 

The Company recognizes the effect of uncertain income tax positions only if those positions are more likely than not of being sustained. Recognized income tax positions are measured at the largest amount that is greater than 50% likely of being realized. Changes in recognition or measurement are reflected in the period in which the change in judgment occurs.

Convertible instruments

Convertible instruments

 

The Company accounts for hybrid contracts that feature conversion options in accordance with "Derivative and Hedging Activities," ("ASC 815") and " Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity" ("ASC 480"), which require companies to bifurcate conversion options from their host instruments and account for them as free standing derivative financial instruments according to certain criteria. The criteria includes circumstances in which (i) the economic characteristics and risks of the embedded derivative instrument are not clearly and closely related to the economic characteristics and risks of the host contract, (ii) the hybrid instrument that embodies both the embedded derivative's instrument and the host contract is not re-measured at fair value under otherwise applicable generally accepted accounting principles with changes in fair value reported in earnings as they occur and (iii) a separate instrument with the same terms as the embedded derivative instrument would be considered a derivative instrument. The Company accounts for convertible instruments which have been determined to be free standing derivative financial instruments (when the Company has determined that the embedded conversion options should be bifurcated from their host instruments) in accordance with ASC 815. Under ASC 815, a portion of the proceeds received upon the issuance of the hybrid contract are allocated to the fair value of the derivative. The derivative is subsequently marked to market each reporting date based on current fair value, with the changes in fair value reported in results of operations. The convertible instruments were converted into common stock August 5, 2015. The Company has no hybrid contracts as of December 31, 2015.

Fair value measurements

Fair value measurements

 

The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, prepaid expenses and other current assets, equipment deposits, accounts payable, accrued expenses and deferred rent approximate fair value due to the short-term nature of these instruments. The carrying value of short and long term debt also approximates fair value since these instruments bear market rates of interest. None of these instruments are held for trading purposes.

 

Fair value is defined as an exit price, representing the amount that would be received upon the sale of an asset or payment to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. Fair value is a market-based measurement that is determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. A three-tier far value hierarchy is used to prioritize the inputs in measuring fair value as follows:

 

Level 1. Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

 

Level 2. Quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable, either directly or indirectly.

 

Level 3. Significant unobservable inputs that cannot be corroborated by market data.

 

The asset or liability's fair value measurement within the fair value hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The following table provides a summary of the liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2014, consisting of certain Financing Warrants and the conversion feature of the Company’s Convertible Notes, both of which are more fully described in Note 8:

 

    Total     Level 1     Level 2     Level 3  
Derivative liabilities:                                
Conversion feature   $ 1,108,955     $ -     $ -     $ 1,108,955  
Financing Warrants     275,827       -       -       275,827  
Total   $ 1,384,782     $ -     $ -     $ 1,384,782  

 

There are no assets or liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2015.

 

The following table sets forth a summary of the changes in the fair value of the Company's Level 3 financial liabilities that were measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

 

Balance at inception (June 20, 2014)   $ -  
Aggregate fair value of Financing Warrants upon issuance     212,155  
Change in fair value of conversion feature and Financing Warrants     1,172,627  
Balance at December 31, 2014   $ 1,384,782  
Change in fair value of conversion feature and Financing Warrants     5,776,254  
Extinguishment of beneficial notes and accrued interest at time of IPO     (6,279,677 )
Reclassification of financing warrants upon completion of IPO     (881,359 )
         
Balance at December 31, 2015   $ -  

 

As of December 31, 2014, the conversion feature of the Convertible Notes was measured at fair value using a Monte Carlo simulation and classified within Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy. The warrant liability for the Financing Warrants was measured at fair value using a Black-Scholes-Merton valuation model and is classified within Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy.

 

As of December 31, 2014, Level 3 liabilities were valued using unobservable inputs to the valuation methodology that are significant to the measurement of the fair value of the derivative liabilities. For fair value measurements categorized within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy, the Company's chief financial officer determined its valuation policies and procedures. The development and determination of the unobservable inputs for Level 3 fair value measurements and fair value calculations were the responsibility of the Company's chief financial officer with support from the Company's consultants and which are approved by the chief financial officer.

 

As of December 31, 2014, Level 3 financial liabilities consisted of the derivative liabilities for which there was no current market for these securities such that the determination of fair value required significant judgment or estimation. Prior to conversion, changes in fair value measurements categorized with Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy were analyzed each period based on changes in estimates or assumptions and recorded as appropriate.

 

The Company used a Monte Carlo model to value certain Level 3 financial liabilities at inception and on subsequent valuation dates. The simulation incorporated transaction details such as the Company's stock price, contractual terms, maturity, risk free rates and volatility. The Company also used a Black-Scholes-Merton economic model to measure the Financing Warrants and certain Consulting Warrants (which are more fully described in Note 12) at issuance. Prior to conversion into equity, the Financing Warrants were re-valued using a Black-Scholes-Merton economic model for each reporting date.

 

A significant decrease in the volatility or a significant decrease in the Company's stock price, in isolation, would result in a significantly lower fair value measurement. Changes in the value of the derivative liabilities are recorded within other expense (income) in the Company's consolidated statements of operations.

 

In accordance with the provisions of ASC 815, the Company presented the conversion feature and Financing Warrant liability at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets, with the corresponding changes in fair value recorded in the Company's consolidated statements of operations.

 

The Company classifies as equity any contracts that (i) require physical settlement or net-share settlement or (ii) provides a choice of net-cash settlement or a settlement in the Company's own shares (physical settlement or net-share settlement) providing that such contracts are indexed to the Company's own stock as defined in ASC 815-40 “(Contracts in Entity's Own Equity)”. The Company classifies as assets or liabilities any contracts that (i) require net-cash settlement (including a requirement to net cash settle the contract if an event occurs and if that event is outside the Company's control) or (ii) gives the counterparty a net-cash settlement or settlement in shares (physical settlement or net-share settlement). The Company assesses classification of common stock purchase warrants and other free standing derivatives at each reporting date to determine whether a change in classification between assets and liabilities or equity is required.

Net loss per common share

Net loss per common share

 

The Company reports net loss per share in accordance with the standard codification of ASC “Earnings per Share” (“ASC 260”). Under ASC 260, basic earnings per share, which excludes dilution, is computed by dividing net loss available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution of securities that could be exercised or converted into common shares, and is computed by dividing earnings available to common stockholders by the weighted average of common shares outstanding plus the dilutive potential common shares. Diluted earnings per share for all periods presented exclude the impact of convertible notes and warrants to purchase common stock, as the effect would be anti-dilutive. During a loss period, the assumed exercise of in-the-money stock warrants and other potentially diluted instruments has an anti-dilutive effect and, therefore, these instruments are excluded from the computation of dilutive earnings per share. 

 

Potentially dilutive securities in the table below have been excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share because the effect of their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive.

 

    Year Ended     Period Ended  
    December 31, 2015     December 31, 2014  
Consulting warrants to purchase common stock     443,447       145,455  
Options to purchase common stock     752,324       -  
Financing, IPO, and O-A warrants to purchase  common stock     550,259       41,865  
Total potential dilutive securities     1,746,030       187,320  
Recent accounting pronouncements

Recent accounting pronouncements

 

In November2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-17. “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classifications of Deferred Taxes.” This ASU eliminates the existing requirements for a Company to separate deferred tax assets and liabilities into current and non-current amounts in a classified statement of financial position. The new guidance requires that all deferred tax assets and liabilities now be classified as non-current in a classified statement of financial position. This ACU is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 31, 2016, and interim periods therein. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.