Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Basis of Presentation Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Nature of Operations

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Basis of Presentation Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Nature of Operations
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2022
Basis of Presentation Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Nature of Operations  
Note 1. Basis Of Presentation, Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies And Nature Of Operations

Note 1. Basis of Presentation, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, and Nature of Operations

 

Basis of presentation

 

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Lightbridge Corporation and its subsidiaries have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, including the instructions to Form 10-Q and Regulation S-X. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, including a summary of the Company’s significant accounting policies, have been condensed or omitted from these statements pursuant to such rules and regulations and, accordingly, they do not include all the information and notes necessary for comprehensive condensed consolidated financial statements and should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021, included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

In the opinion of the management of the Company, all adjustments, which are of a normal recurring nature, necessary for a fair statement of the results for the three and six-month periods have been made. Results for the interim period presented are not necessarily indicative of the results that might be expected for the entire fiscal year. When used in these notes, the terms “Lightbridge”, “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our” mean Lightbridge Corporation and all entities included in our condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

The Company was formed on October 6, 2006, when Thorium Power, Ltd., which was incorporated in the state of Nevada on February 2, 1999, merged with Thorium Power, Inc. (TPI), which was incorporated in the state of Delaware on January 8, 1992. On September 29, 2009, the Company changed its name from Thorium Power, Ltd. to Lightbridge Corporation and began its focus on developing and commercializing metallic nuclear fuels. The Company is a nuclear fuel technology company developing its next generation nuclear fuel technology.

 

Going Concern, Liquidity and Management’s Plan

 

The Company’s available working capital at June 30, 2022 and as of the date of this filing, exceeds its currently anticipated expenditures through the second quarter of 2023. However, there are inherent uncertainties in forecasting future expenditures, especially forecasting for uncertainties such as future research and development (R&D) costs and other cash outflows, as well as how the COVID-19 outbreak, including the emergence and spread of variant strains of the virus, may affect future costs and operations. Also, the cash requirements of the Company’s future planned operations to commercialize its nuclear fuel, including any additional expenditures that may result from unexpected developments, will require it to raise significant additional capital, including receiving government support. These uncertainties include the Company’s projected fuel development timeline of up to 15-20 years to fuel commercialization, the operational costs required to keep the fuel development project on schedule and the various risks of developing and commercializing the Company’s nuclear fuel. These uncertainties, when combined, raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for the 12 months following the date of this filing. The Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the basis of continuity of operations, realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the ordinary course of business. No adjustments have been made relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company not continue as a going concern. To the extent any uncertainties reduce the Company’s liquidity for the next 12 months, the Company will consider, if available, additional debt or equity raises and delaying certain expenditures, including R&D expenses, until sufficient capital becomes available.

At June 30, 2022, the Company had $29.3 million in cash and had a working capital surplus of $29.2 million. The Company’s net cash used in operating activities for the six months ended June 30, 2022 was $3.1 million, and current projections indicate that the Company will have continued negative cash flows from operations for the foreseeable future. Net losses incurred for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 amounted to $3.6 million for each period. As of June 30, 2022, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $140.5 million, representative of recurring losses since inception. The Company will continue to incur losses because it is in the early research and development stage of developing its nuclear fuel.

 

The Company’s plans to fund future operations include: (1) raising additional capital through future equity issuances or convertible debt financings; (2) additional funding through new relationships to help fund future R&D costs; and (3) seeking other sources of capital, including grants from the federal government. The Company may issue securities, including common stock, preferred stock, and stock purchase contracts through private placement transactions or registered public offerings, pursuant to current and future registration statements. The Company’s current shelf registration statement on Form S-3 was filed with the SEC on March 25, 2021, registering the sale of up to $75 million of the Company’s securities and was declared effective on April 5, 2021. Due to the offering limitations applicable under General Instruction I.B.6. of Form S-3 and the market valuation of our future public float, the Company may be limited on the amount of funding available under this Form S-3 shelf registration statement in the future. There can be no assurance as to the future availability of equity capital or the acceptability of the terms upon which financing and capital might become available. The Company’s future liquidity needs to develop its nuclear fuel are long-term, and the ability to address those needs and to raise capital will largely be determined by the success of the development of its nuclear fuel, key nuclear development and government regulatory events, and its business decisions in the future.

 

Basis of Consolidation

 

These condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Lightbridge, a Nevada corporation, and the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, TPI, a Delaware corporation, and Lightbridge International Holding LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. These wholly-owned subsidiaries are inactive. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

 

The Company’s consolidated financial instruments consist principally of cash and cash equivalents, and accounts payable. In accordance with the provisions of ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements,” the Company determines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Assets and liabilities measured at fair value are categorized based on whether the inputs are observable in the market and the degree that the inputs are observable. The categorization of financial instruments within the valuation hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

 

The Company generally applies the income approach to determine fair value. This method uses valuation techniques to convert future amounts to a single present amount. The measurement is based on the value indicated by current market expectations with respect to the future amounts.

 

ASC 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to active markets for identical assets and liabilities (Level 1 measurement) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurement). The Company classifies fair value balances based on the observability of those inputs. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:

 

Level 1 - Observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities

 

Level 2 - Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. These include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active and inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability

Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that reflect management’s assumptions

 

For disclosure purposes, assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety in the fair value hierarchy level based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the overall fair value measurement. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment and may affect the placement within the fair value hierarchy levels.

 

Quoted market prices were applied to determine the fair value of U.S. Treasury Bill investments; therefore they were categorized as Level 1 on the fair value hierarchy. The Company buys and holds short-term U.S. Treasury Bills to maturity.

 

Certain Risks, Uncertainties and Concentrations

 

The Company will need additional funding by way of a combination of strategic alliances, government grants, further offerings of equity securities, or an offering of debt securities in order to support its future R&D activities required to further enhance and complete the development of its fuel products to a proof-of-concept stage and a commercial stage thereafter.

 

There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully continue to conduct its operations if there is a lack of financial resources available in the future to continue its fuel development activities, and a failure to do so would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s future R&D activities, financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. Also, the success of the Company’s operations will be subject to other numerous contingencies, some of which are beyond management’s control. These contingencies include general and regional economic conditions, contingent liabilities, potential competition with other nuclear fuel developers, including those entities developing accident tolerant fuels, changes in government regulations, support for nuclear power, changes in accounting and taxation standards, inability to achieve overall short-term and long-term R&D milestones toward commercialization, future impairment charges to its assets, and global or regional catastrophic events. The Company may also be subject to various additional political, economic, and other uncertainties.

 

On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a global health emergency because of a new strain of coronavirus originating in Wuhan, China (the “COVID-19 outbreak”) and the risk to the international community as the virus spread globally beyond its point of origin. In March 2020, the WHO classified the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, based on increased exposure globally. The current spread of COVID-19, including the emergence and spread of variant strains of the virus, that is impacting global economic activity and market conditions could lead to adverse changes in the Company’s ability to conduct R&D activities with the United States national labs and others. The COVID-19 outbreak impacted our business operations and results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, which resulted in a delay of our R&D work and reduction of R&D expenses and an increase in general and administrative expenses due to severance payments to former employees. However, the effects of the pandemic are fluid and changing rapidly, including with respect to vaccine and treatment developments and deployment and potential mutations of COVID-19. While the Company continues to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on its business, the Company is unable to accurately predict the ultimate impact on future results of operations, financial condition and liquidity that COVID-19 will have due to various uncertainties, including the geographic spread of the virus, the severity of the disease, the duration of the outbreak, and actions that may be taken by governmental authorities and other third parties.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

The Company may at times invest its excess cash in interest bearing accounts and U.S. Treasury Bills. It classifies all highly liquid investments with original stated maturities of three months or less from date of purchase as cash equivalents and all highly liquid investments with stated maturities of greater than three months as marketable securities. The Company holds cash balances in excess of the federally insured limits of $250,000. The Company deems this credit risk not to be significant as its cash is and was held by two prominent financial institutions in 2022 and 2021. The Company buys and holds short-term U.S. Treasury Bills to maturity. U.S. Treasury Bills held by the Company totaled $14.0 million and $9.0 million at June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. The remaining cash balances of $15.3 million and $15.7 million at June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively, are on deposit with one prominent financial institution.

 

Contributed Services - Research and Development

 

The Company was awarded a grant in 2019 and a second grant in 2021 from the United States Department of Energy (DOE) which represented contributed services to further the Company’s R&D activities. The Company concluded that its government grants were not within the scope of the revenue recognition standard ASC Topic 606 as they did not meet the definition of a contract with a customer. Additionally, the Company concluded that the grants met the definition of a contribution, as the grants were a non-reciprocal transaction. As such, the Company determined that Subtopic 958-605, Not-for-Profit-Entities-Revenue Recognition applies for these contributed services, even though the Company is a business entity, as guidance in the contributions received subsections of Subtopic 958-605 applies to all entities (not-for-profits and business entities).

 

The Company early adopted Accounting Standards Update 2020-07 in the fourth quarter of 2021, which amends Subtopic 958-605 and further clarifies the presentation and disclosure about contributions.

 

Subtopic 958-605 requires that nonfinancial assets, which includes services, such as the research and development services provided under the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) vouchers described in Note 5, should be shown on a gross method at the fair value of the services contributed, with contributed services - research and development shown as other operating income and the related costs as a charge to research and development expense, rather than depicting contributed services - research and development as a reduction of research and development expense. The fair value of contributed services was determined by the cost of professional time and materials which were charged by the subcontractor who fulfilled the services contributed under the grant award. The principal market used to arrive at fair value is the market in which the Company operates.

 

The Company recognized contributed services - research and development of $0.1 million and $0.2 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2022 and the three months and six months ended June 30, 2021.

 

Trademarks

 

Costs for filing and legal fees for trademark applications are capitalized. Trademarks are considered intangible assets with an indefinite useful life and therefore are not amortized. The Company performed an impairment test in the fourth quarter of 2021 and no impairment of the trademarks was identified. As of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the carrying value of trademarks was $0.1 million.

 

Leases

 

In accordance with ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires recognition of most lease arrangements on the balance sheet, the Company recognizes operating lease right of use assets and liabilities at commencement date based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the consolidated balance sheet in accordance with the short-term lease recognition exemption. The Company applies the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components for all leases that qualify. Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company has only one lease for office rent and the lease is for a term of 12 months without renewal options. See Note 4 for additional information.

Common Stock Warrants

 

The Company accounts for common stock warrants as either equity instruments or derivative liabilities depending on the specific terms of the warrant agreement. Common stock warrants are accounted for as a derivative in accordance with ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, if the stock warrants contain terms that could potentially require “net cash settlement” and therefore, do not meet the scope exception for treatment as a derivative. Warrant instruments that could potentially require “net cash settlement” in the absence of explicit language precluding such settlement are initially classified as derivative liabilities at their estimated fair values, regardless of the likelihood that such instruments will ever be settled in cash.

 

All outstanding warrants expired on May 16, 2022.

 

Stock-Based Compensation

 

The stock-based compensation expense incurred by Lightbridge for employees and directors in connection with its equity incentive plan is based on the employee model of ASC 718, and the fair value of any stock options granted is measured at the grant date. In accordance with ASU 2018-07, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting, options granted to our consultants are accounted for in the same manner as options issued to employees.

 

Awards with service-based vesting conditions only: Expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award.

 

Awards with performance-based vesting conditions: Expense is not recognized until it is determined that it is probable the performance-based conditions will be met. When achievement of a performance-based condition is probable, a catch-up of expense is recorded as if the award had been vesting on a straight-line basis from the award date. The award will continue to be expensed on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period until a higher performance-based condition is met, if applicable.

 

Awards with market-based vesting conditions: Expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is the lesser of the derived service period or the explicit service period if one is present. However, if the market condition is satisfied prior to the end of the requisite service period, the Company accelerates all remaining expense to be recognized.

 

Awards with both performance-based and market-based vesting conditions - If an award vesting or exercisability is conditional upon the achievement of either a market condition or performance or service conditions, the requisite service period is generally the shortest of the explicit, implicit, and derived service period.

 

The Company elected to use the Black-Scholes pricing model to determine the fair value of stock options on the measurement date of the grant for service-based vesting conditions and the Monte-Carlo valuation method for performance-based or market-based vesting conditions for stock options. The Company estimates forfeitures at the time of grant and revises the estimate, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. The forfeiture rate estimate used for all equity awards was zero, based on the experience of the Company having an insignificant historical forfeiture rate. Shares that are issued to employees upon exercise of the stock options may be issued net of a number of shares with a fair value equal to the required tax withholding requirements to be paid by the Company regarding its tax withholding obligations. As a result, the actual number of shares issued are fewer than the actual number of shares exercised under the stock option or on the dates of vesting of Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) grants.

The Company grants two types of Restricted Stock Awards (“RSAs”). The first type is an award of our shares that have full voting rights and dividend rights (with dividends paid upon vesting of the RSA) but are restricted with regard to sale or transfer before vesting. As such, they are shown as shares issued and outstanding. These restrictions lapse over the vesting period. The shares are forfeited and returned to the Company if they do not vest. The RSAs are included in common stock issued and outstanding and are considered contingently issuable in the calculation of weighted-average shares outstanding for purposes of calculating earnings per share. The consolidated statement of changes in stockholders’ equity shows the initial grant of RSAs as a reclassification from additional paid-in capital to common stock, with any compensation expense related to the RSAs included in stock-based compensation. The second type of RSAs granted by the Company have only performance conditions. These RSAs do not have voting and dividend rights until they vest as ordinary common shares and are not included in common stock issued and outstanding.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In November 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-10, Government Assistance (Topic 832) - Disclosures by Business Entities about Government Assistance. This ASU requires disclosures that are expected to increase the transparency of transactions with a government accounted for by applying a grant or contribution accounting model by analogy, including (1) the nature of the transactions and the form in which assistance has been received, (2) the accounting policy applied, and (3) the balance sheet and income statement line items that are affected by the transactions, and the amounts applicable to each financial statement line item. This ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2021, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of this standard did not materially impact the Company’s consolidated financial statements in 2022.

 

In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06, Debt-Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging- Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40), which simplifies the complexity associated with applying U.S. GAAP for certain financial instruments with characteristics of liabilities and equity. This ASU (1) simplifies the accounting for convertible debt instruments and convertible preferred stock by removing the existing guidance in ASC 470-20, Debt: Debt with Conversion and Other Options, that requires entities to account for beneficial conversion features and cash conversion features in equity, separately from the host convertible debt or preferred stock; (2) revises the scope exception from derivative accounting in ASC 815-40 for freestanding financial instruments and embedded features that are both indexed to the issuer’s own stock and classified in stockholders’ equity, by removing certain criteria required for equity classification; and (3) revises the guidance in ASC 260, Earnings Per Share, to require entities to calculate diluted earnings per share for convertible instruments by using the if-converted method. ASU 2020-06 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, but no earlier than fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Adoption is either through a modified retrospective method or a full retrospective method of transition. The adoption of this standard will not materially impact the Company’s consolidated financial statements in 2022.

 

The FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326). This standard requires a financial asset to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. The financial assets of the Company in scope of ASU 2016-13 will primarily be accounts receivable. The Company will estimate an allowance for expected credit losses on accounts receivable that result from the inability of customers to make required payments. In estimating the allowance for expected credit losses, consideration will be given to the current aging of receivables, historical experience, and a review for potential bad debts. The Company will adopt this guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2023 and does not expect the adoption to have a material impact on its results of operations, financial position, and disclosures.