Aware, Inc. (AWRE) 2024年年度報告「NASDAQ」.pdf

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1、 UNITED STATESSECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSIONWashington,D.C.20549 FORM 10-KAnnual Report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934For the fiscal year ended December 31,2024OR Transition Report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 For th

2、e transition period from_ to_ Commission file number 000-21129 AWARE,INC.(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)Massachusetts04-2911026(State or Other Jurisdiction ofcIncorporation or Organization)(I.R.S.Employer Identification No.)76 Blanchard Road,Burlington,Massachusetts01803(Addre

3、ss of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code)(781)687-0300(Registrants Telephone Number,Including Area Code)Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b)of the Act:Title of Each Class Trading Symbol Name of Each Exchange on Which RegisteredCommon Stock,$0.01 par value per share AWRE The Nasdaq Glob

4、al Market Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g)of the Act:None Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer,as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.Yes No Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Sec

5、tion 15(d)of the Exchange Act.Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant(1)has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d)of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months(or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports

6、),and(2)has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T(232.405 of this chapter)during the preceding 12 mont

7、hs(or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer,an accelerated filer,a non-accelerated filer,a smaller reporting company,or an emerging growth company.See the definitions of large a

8、ccelerated filer”,“accelerated filer,“smaller reporting company”and“emerging growth company”in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.:Large Accelerated Filer Accelerated filer Non-accelerated filer Smaller reporting company Emerging growth company If an emerging growth company,indicate by check mark if the

9、 registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a)of the Exchange Act.Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its managements assessme

10、nt of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b)of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act(15 U.S.C.7262(b)by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b)of the Act,indicate by check

11、mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation

12、 received by any of the registrants executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to 240.10D-1(b).Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company(as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).Yes No As of June 28,2024,the aggregate market value of the registrants c

13、ommon stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant,based on the closing sale price as reported on the Nasdaq Global Market,was approximately$22,599,369.DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Portions of the registrants definitive Proxy Statement to be delivered to shareholders in connection with the

14、registrants Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on June 11,2025 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.AWARE,INC.FORM 10-KFOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,2024 TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I Item 1.Business3Item 1A.Risk Factors8Item 1B.Unresolved Staff Comments1

15、5Item 2.Properties16Item 3.Legal Proceedings16Item 4.Mine Safety Disclosures16 PART II Item 5.Market for Registrants Common Equity,Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 17Item 6.Reserved17Item 7.Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of

16、 Operations18Item 8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data26Item 9.Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure52Item 9A.Controls and Procedures53Item 9B.Other Information53Item 9C.Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections53 PART

17、 III Item 10.Directors,Executive Officers and Corporate Governance54Item 11.Executive Compensation54Item 12.Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters54Item 13.Certain Relationships and Related Transactions,and Director Independence54Item 14.Princi

18、pal Accountant Fees and Services54 PART IV Item 15.Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedule55 Signatures58 3ITEM 1.BUSINESSCompany OverviewAware,Inc.(“Aware”,“we”,“us”,“our”,or the“Company”)is a leading,biometric identification company that validates and secures identities using proven and trusted

19、biometrics.Awares software offerings address the growing challenges that government and commercial enterprises face in knowing,authenticating and securing individuals through frictionless and highly secure user experiences.Awares algorithms are based on diverse data sets from around the world and ca

20、n be tailored to the unique security requirements of each customer.Our portfolio enables government agencies and commercial entities to enroll,identify,authenticate and enable using biometrics,which comprise physiological characteristics,such as fingerprints,faces,irises and voices.Enroll:Register b

21、iometric identities into an organizations secure databaseIdentify:Utilize an organizations secure database to accurately identify individuals using biometric dataAuthenticate:Provide frictionless,multi-factor,password-less access to secured accounts and databases with biometric verificationEnable:Ma

22、nage the lifecycle of secure identities through optimized biometric interchangesOur comprehensive portfolio of biometric solutions is based on innovative,robust products designed explicitly for ease of integration,including customer-managed and integration ready biometric frameworks,platforms,softwa

23、re development kits(“SDKs”)and services.Principal government applications of biometrics systems include border control,visa applicant screening,law enforcement,national defense,intelligence,secure credentialing,access control,and background checks.Principal commercial applications include mobile enr

24、ollment,user authentication,identity proofing,and secure transaction enablement.Our products span multiple biometric modalities,including fingerprint,face,iris and voice,and provide interoperable,standards-compliant,field-proven biometric functionality.Our products are used to capture,verify,format,

25、compress and decompress biometric images as well as aggregate,analyze,process,match and transport those images and templates within biometric systems.For large deployments,we may provide project management and software engineering services.We sell our biometrics software products and services global

26、ly through a multifaceted distribution strategy using systems integrators,original equipment manufacturers(“OEMs”),value added resellers(“VARs”),partners,and directly to select end user customers.Aware was incorporated in Massachusetts in 1986.We are headquartered at 76 Blanchard Road in Burlington,

27、Massachusetts,and our telephone number at this address is(781)687-0300.Our website address is .The information on our website is not part of this Form 10-K,unless expressly noted.Our stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol AWRE.Principal Products&ServicesWe sell a broad range of

28、 biometrics software products and solutions that perform functions to address our customers desired use cases where they are addressing improved security,data protection,compliance and improved ROI and efficiencies including:1.Enrollment of their workforce for benefits and background checks2.Enrollm

29、ent of their customers for a better experience or improved customer service and security3.Law enforcement processing and forensic analysis4.Trusted remote enrollment where travel or direct contact is not viable5.Trusted transactions and authentication that enable physical and logical access controlO

30、ur biometrics software solutions are built upon robust componentized products that are customer configurable to give them control so they can uniquely address their specific customers expectations.These solutions and services facilitate customers with an opportunity for a faster go-to-market process

31、 to help reduce their development times and exposure to software support and maintenance risks.Our solutions and services are described below.4Integrated Framework and Platform Solutions and ServicesKnomi Mobile FrameworkThe Knomi mobile biometric authentication framework is built on our hardened bi

32、ometric SDK components,which are optimized to operate on mobile devices,and a server that together enable strong,multi-factor,password-free authentication from a mobile device using biometrics.Knomi offers multiplebiometric modality options,including facial recognition,and voice authentication as me

33、ans to enroll,onboard or authenticate.Knomi software components can be used in different combinations and configurations to enable either a server-centric architecture,a web-based or a device-centric implementation.Knomi has primarily been sold as a fixed term license that is priced on a subscriptio

34、n-based model and is also available as a perpetual license.Going forward we plan to transition the Knomi offering to within the AwareID offering.AwareABIS AwareABIS is an automated biometric identification system(“ABIS”)used for large-scale biometric identification and deduplication using fingerprin

35、t,face,and iris recognition.AwareABIS is a highly scalable platform that performs one-to-many(1:N)search or one-to-one(1:1)match against large stores of biometrics and other identity data.Utilizing distributed computing,AwareABIS also enables complex filtering,and linking operations critical to data

36、 preparation and quality assurance functions,such as identity resolution and data deduplication of massive biometric databases(tens of millions of records).The platform is built upon several mature,high-performance,field-proven applications and algorithms from Aware.AwareABIS has primarily been sold

37、 as a fixed term license that is priced based on the size of the biometric system or on a subscription-based model.AFIX Suite of Products Awares AFIX suite of products is used for small-scale law enforcement focused biometric identification.AFIX Tracker supports fingerprint,palmprint and latent prin

38、t identification,designed to serve between 15,000 and 2 million identities.AFIX Tracker has several function-specific variants:Entry Only(LE),Latent Workstation(LW),Remote Workstation(RW),Facial Recognition(FR),and View&Print(VP).In addition to AFIX Tracker we also sell and offer AFIX Face,AFIX Veri

39、fier,AFIX Identifier,AFIX Comparator,AFIX Engine,and ANTE(AFIX NIST Transaction Engine).AFIX Tracker is ideal for crime scene investigation applications in low to moderate sized community populations.The product provides minutiae-based search capability and can be configured as either a standalone s

40、ystem,or for use with centralized,server-based data stores.AFIX Tracker has primarily been sold as a perpetual license and is also available as a fixed term license that is priced on a subscription-based model or the size of the biometric system.BioSP-Biometric Services PlatformBioSP is a biometric

41、integration platform-as-a-service(iPaaS)used to enable biometric data processing and management functionality in a web services architecture.It provides workflow,data management and formatting,and other important utilities for large-scale fingerprint recognition,face recognition,and iris recognition

42、 systems.BioSP is well suited for applications that require the collection of biometrics throughout a distributed network,and subsequentaggregation,analysis,processing,distribution,matching,and sharing of data with other system components.BioSP is modular,programmable,scalable,and secure,capable of

43、managing all aspects of transaction workflow,including messaging,submissions,responses,and logging.BioSP has primarily been sold as a perpetual license and is also available as a fixed term license that is priced on users,transactions,or enterprise wide.WebEnrollWebEnroll is a browser-based biometri

44、c enrollment and data management solution available as an enhanced version of BioSP that utilizes BioComponents for capture of biographic data,fingerprints and facial images in a browser.Each BioComponent performs advanced biometric image autocapture as well as capture device hardware abstraction.On

45、ce images are captured,they are submitted to BioSP,where configurable workflows and modular software applications are used for processing,routing,and storage of each transaction.WebEnroll has primarily been sold as a perpetual license and is also available as a fixed term license that is priced on u

46、sers,transactions,or enterprise wide.5AwareIDAwareID is a Software-as-a-Service(SaaS)offering that provides advanced identity verification and continuous authentication capabilities.Its modular design ensures flexibility and extensibility across various industries.AwareID continues to leverage Knomi

47、 to provide biometric face and voice matching(1:1 and 1:N),liveness-verification(presentation attack detection),and document validation.The platform uses proprietary Adaptive Authentication technology in cloud-based bundles which can be pre-configured and/or configured by the customer to provide com

48、prehensive authentication functionality with situational awareness for onboarding,access control/management,and authentication of transactions.These services can be used discretely to enhance investments already in place or combined to provide higher functionality.The AwareID solution is built on op

49、en architecture and interfaces to maximize interoperability and connection to other biometric and/or digital identity applications and platforms.AwareID is typically provided as a SaaS offering withusage-based or transaction-based pricing,however it is also available on-premises when leveraging Knom

50、i SDKs.Software productsWe sell a broad range of software components,or“building blocks”,such as SDKs,APIs,and applications that customers use to streamline or develop their systems into more effective solutions.These building blocks enable important functions including:1.Matching of biometric sampl

51、es against biometric databases.2.Enrollment,analysis,and processing of biometric images and identity data on workstations.3.Image compressionBioComponents bundles our offerings as applications with a user interface.We also license our software unbundled as building blocks and have primarily sold the

52、se offerings as a perpetual license.Historically,we sold our software products under perpetual or fixed-term licenses.With the introduction of AwareID,we have incorporated SaaS offerings into our product line-up.While we did not recognize material revenues from our SaaS offerings during 2024 and 202

53、3,we continue to invest in and we expect SaaS to become a significant product offering moving forward.Building Blocks:SDKs,APIs,Applications,and SubsystemsBiometric Search&Matching SDKsOur SDKs consist of:i)multiple software libraries;ii)sample applications that show customers how to use the librari

54、es;and iii)documentation.Customers use our SDKs to design and develop biometrics applications.Nexa is our line of biometric search and match SDKs,includingNexa|Fingerprint,Nexa|Face,Nexa|Iris and Nexa|Voice.These products provide high-performance biometric algorithms for fingerprint,facial,iris and

55、voice identification or authentication.The algorithms in these products convert images into biometric templates,which can then be compared to templates stored in databases to find matches.In addition to the Nexa line,we also offer AwareXM,an interoperable fingerprint matching SDK that provides MINEX

56、-certified,INCITS 378-compliant fingerprint minutiae extraction,template generation,and fingerprint authentication.Biometric Enrollment SDKs and APIsOur suite of enrollment SDKs and APIs performs functions that are critical to biometric enrollment,including(i)image capture and hardware abstraction,(

57、ii)image quality assurance,(iii)image compression,(iv)mobile enrollment,matching and liveness verification,and(v)fingerprint card processing.Imaging productsIn addition to our biometrics software products,we also sell products used in applications involving medical and advanced imaging.Our principal

58、 imaging product is Aware JPEG 2000,which is based on the JPEG2000 standard.The JPEG2000 standard is an image compression standard and coding system that was created by the Joint 6Photographic Experts Group committee in 2000.Our JPEG2000 product is used to compress,store,and display images.Those ima

59、ges are typically medical images.Software maintenance We also provide and sell software maintenance to many of our customers who purchase our software products and solutions.Software maintenance has historically been made available by contracts that typically have a one-year term during which custom

60、ers have the right to receive technical support and software updates for a fixed fee,if and when they become available.Software maintenance is also available as part of a subscription-based solution offering under which customers receive standard software maintenance plus access to upgrades and prod

61、uct enhancements.ServicesWe provide a variety of program management and software engineering services,including:i)project planning and management;ii)system and architecture design;iii)software design,development,customization,configuration,and testing;and iv)software integration and installation.Ser

62、vices are sold in conjunction with our products and solutions and are provided for a fixed fee.Service engagement deliverables may include:i)complete customer software solutions;ii)one or more subsystems comprised of software products that are integrated within a larger system;iii)custom-configured

63、versions of existing software products;or iv)custom-designed software products.In some cases,the software resulting from service engagements may form the basis for new or improved Aware software solutions and/or products.Our customers for services include:i)government agencies;ii)large multinational

64、 systems integrators;iii)smaller systems integrators with a particular market,technology or geographic focus;and iv)commercial partners or providers of products,solutions,and services for themselves or to their end customers.We provide services directly to end-users or indirectly to end-users throug

65、h systems integrators or commercial entities or partners.When we provide services to systems integrators,they are often engaged with the end-user as a prime contractor and are responsible for delivery of a complete solution,in which case we typically serve as a subcontractor assigned a subset of the

66、 total scope of work.The scope of our services projects varies.A small project might involve configuration and testing of a single software product,taking a small team one month or less.A large project might involve delivery of a more complex solution comprised of multiple products and subsystems,re

67、quiring a larger team to conduct program and project management,system design,software customization and integration,and taking up to one year or more.Some projects are followed by subsequent follow-on projects that serve to change or extend the features and functionality of the initial system.Distr

68、ibution MethodsWe sell our solutions and services predominantly through three principal channels of distribution:i)Partner sales This category includes resellers that market and sell Aware-branded solutions to end users.Additionally,this category includes system integrators,consulting partners,indep

69、endent software vendors(ISVs),distributors,and managed service providers(MSPs)that market,sell,deploy,and support our solutions.It also includes referral partners who identify opportunities but do not resell or directly deliver solutions.ii)Direct channel We sell directly to federal,state,and local

70、government agencies,as well as large enterprise customers in both the public and commercial sectors.iii)OEM partnerships System integrators,ISVs,MSPs,and hardware vendors that integrate our biometric components and SDKs into their platforms or applications,which are then sold independently.Major Cus

71、tomersAll of our revenue in 2024 and 2023 was derived from unaffiliated customers.No customer represented 10%or more of total revenue in 2024,and one customer represented 18%of total revenue in 2023.As of December 31,2024,two customers combined represented 34%of our net accounts receivable and unbil

72、led receivables,and as of December 31,2023,one customer represented 16%,of our net accounts receivable and unbilled receivables.7Competitive Business ConditionsA significant number of established companies have developed or are developing and marketing software and hardware for biometrics products a

73、nd applications that currently compete with or will compete directly with our offerings.We believe that additional competitors will enter the biometricsmarket and become significant long-term competitors,and that,as a result,competition will increase.Companies competing with us may introduce solutio

74、ns that are competitively priced,have increased performance or functionality or incorporate technological advances we have not yet developed or implemented.Our current principal competitors include:Diversified technology providers that offer integrated biometrics solutions to governments,law enforce

75、ment agencies and other commercial organizations.This group of competitors includes companies such as Idemia,Thales,and NEC.Component providers that offer biometrics software and hardware components for fingerprint,facial,iris and voice biometric identification.This group of competitors includes com

76、panies such as FaceTec,iProov,and Innovatrics.We expect competition to intensify in the near term in the biometrics market.Many current and potential competitors have substantially greater financial,marketing,and research resources than we have.Moreover,low-cost foreign competitors have demonstrated

77、 a willingness to sell their products at significantly reduced prices.To compete effectively in this environment,we must continually develop and market new and enhanced solutions and technologies at competitive prices,and must have the resources available to invest in significant research and develo

78、pment activities.Our failure to compete successfully could cause our revenues and market share to decline.Intellectual PropertyWe rely on a combination of nondisclosure agreements and other contractual provisions,as well as patent,trademark,trade secret and copyright law to protect our proprietary r

79、ights.We have an active program to protect our proprietary technology through the filing of patents.As of December 31,2024,we had 68 U.S.patents,4 foreign patents and 7 pending patent applications.Our patents and patent applications pertain primarily to biometrics and imaging compression.We have let

80、 certain patents expire that are not aligned with our business and are not relevant to our current or future activities.Our patents have expiration dates ranging from 2026 to 2042.Although we have patented certain aspects of our technology,we rely primarily on trade secrets to protect our intellectu

81、al property.We attempt to protect our trade secrets and other proprietary information through agreements with our customers,suppliers,employees and consultants,and through security measures.Each of our employees is required to sign a non-disclosure agreement.Although we intend to protect our rights

82、vigorously,we cannot guarantee that these measures will be successful.In addition,effective intellectual property protection may be unavailable or limited in certain foreign countries.Third parties may assert exclusive patent,copyright and other intellectual property rights to technologies that are

83、important to us.We may receive claims from third parties suggesting that we may be obligated to license such intellectual property rights.If we were found to have infringed any third partys patents,we could be subject to substantial damages or an injunction preventing us from conducting our business

84、.EmployeesAs of December 31,2024,we employed 64 people,all based in the U.S.,including 33 in engineering and research,20 in sales and marketing,and 11 in finance and administration.Of these employees,47 were based in Massachusetts and 17 were based outside of Massachusetts.None of our employees are

85、represented by a labor union.We consider our employee relations to be good.We believe that our future success will depend in large part on the service of our technical,sales,marketing and senior management personnel and upon our ability to retain highly qualified technical,sales and marketing and ma

86、nagerial personnel.We cannot guarantee that we will be able to retain our key managers and employees or that we will be able to attract and retain additional highly qualified personnel in the future.8Available InformationOur Annual Report on Form 10-K,Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q,Current Reports o

87、n Form 8-K,proxy statements,and amendments to reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a)and 15(d)of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,as amended,are made available free of charge on or through our website at as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are filed with,or furnished to,the Secu

88、rities and Exchange Commission(“the SEC”).The SEC also maintains a website,www.sec.gov,that contains reports and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.Copies of our(i)Corporate Governance Principles,(ii)charters for the Audit Committee,Compensation Committee,and N

89、ominating Committee,and(iii)Code of Ethics are available in the Investor Relations section of our website at .ITEM 1A.RISK FACTORSOur operating results may fluctuate significantly from period-to-period and are difficult to predict.Individual orders can represent a meaningful percentage of our revenu

90、es and operating results in any single period and the timing of the receipt of those orders is difficult to predict.The failure to close an order or the deferral or cancellation of an order can result in revenue and net income shortfalls for that quarter.We base our current and future expense levels

91、 on our internal operating plans and sales forecasts,and our operating costs are to a large extentfixed.As a result,we may not be able to sufficiently reduce our costs in any quarter to adequately compensate for an unexpected near-term shortfall in revenues,and even a small shortfall could dispropor

92、tionately and adversely affect our financial results for that quarter.Our financial results may be negatively affected by a number of factors as well,including the following:any lack or reduction of government funding and the political,budgetary and purchasing constraints of government customers who

93、 purchase products and services directly or indirectly from us;the terms of customer contracts that affect the timing of revenue recognition;the size and timing of our receipt of customer orders;significant fluctuations in demand for our products and services;any loss of a key customer or one of its

94、 key customers;new competitors entering our markets,or the introduction of enhanced solutions from new or existing competitors;competitive pressures on selling prices;any cancellations,or delays of orders or contract amendments by government customers;higher than expected costs,asset write-offs,and

95、other one-time financial charges;andgeneral economic trends and other factors.write-offs of investments in private companies;As a result of these factors,we believe that period-to-period comparisons of our revenue levels and operating results are not necessarily meaningful.You should not rely on our

96、 quarterly or annual revenue and operating results to predict our future performance.We derive a significant portion of our revenue directly or indirectly from government customers,and our business may be adversely affected by changes in the contracting or fiscal policies of those governmental entit

97、ies.We derive a significant portion of our revenue directly or indirectly from federal,international,state and local governments.We believe that the success and growth of our business will continue to depend on government customers purchasing our products and services either directly from us or indi

98、rectly through our channel partners.9Changes in government contracting policies or government budgetary constraints may adversely affect our financial performance.Among the factors that could adversely affect our business are:the impact of actions,such as those recently announced by the U.S.Departme

99、nt of Government Efficiency,intended to reduce the size of the federal government and federal spending,other changes in fiscal policies or decreases in available government funding,changes in government funding priorities;changes in government programs or applicable requirements;the adoption of new

100、laws or regulations or changes to existing laws or regulations relating to the provision of biometrics services or the use of biometric data;changes in political or social attitudes with respect to security and defense issues;changes in audit policies and procedures of government entities;potential

101、delays or changes in the government appropriations process;and delays in the payment of our invoices by government payment offices.These and other factors could cause government customers or our channel partners to reduce purchases of products and services from us,which would have a material adverse

102、 effect on our business,financial condition and operating results.We derive a significant portion of our revenue from third party channel partners.Our future results depend upon the continued successful distribution of our products through a channel of systems integrators and OEM partners.Systems in

103、tegrators,including VARs,use our software products as a component of the biometrics systems they deliver to their customers.OEMs embed our software products in their technology devices or software products.These channel partners typically sell their products and services to government customers.Our

104、failure to effectively manage our relationships with these third parties could impair the success of our sales,marketing and support activities.Moreover,the activities of these third parties are not within our direct control.The occurrence of any of the following events could have a material adverse

105、 effect on our business,financial condition and operating results:a reduction in sales efforts by our partners;the failure of our partners to win awards in which our products are used;a reduction in technical capabilities or financial viability of our partners;a misalignment of interest between us a

106、nd any of our partners;the termination of our relationship with a major systems integrator or OEM;orany adverse effect on a partners business related to competition,pricing or other factors.A significant commercial market for biometrics technology may not develop,and,even if it does,there can be no

107、assurance our biometrics technology will be successful.A component of our strategy to grow our revenue includes expansion into commercial markets.To date,biometrics technology has received only limited acceptance and slow adoption in these markets.Although the recent appearance of biometric readers

108、on popular consumer products,such as smartphones,has increased interest in biometrics as a means of authenticating and/or identifying individuals,commercial markets for biometrics technology are still developing and evolving.Biometrics-based solutions compete with more traditional security methods i

109、ncluding keys,cards,personal identification numbers,passwords and security personnel.Acceptance of biometrics as an alternative to such traditional methods depends upon a number of factors including:i)the performance and reliability of biometric 10solutions;ii)costs involved in adopting and integrat

110、ing biometric solutions;iii)public concerns regarding privacy;and iv)potential privacy legislation.For these reasons,we are uncertain whether there will be significant demand for biometrics technology from commercial markets.Moreover,even if there is significant demand,there can be no assurance that

111、 our biometrics products will achieve market acceptance.If the biometrics market does not experience significant growth or if our products do not achieve broad acceptance both domestically and internationally,we may not be able to grow our business.Our revenues are derived primarily from sales of bi

112、ometrics products and services.Our expectations regarding the future growth rate or the size of the biometrics market may not be accurate.The expansion of the biometrics market and the market for our biometrics products and services depends on anumber of factors,such as:the cost,performance and reli

113、ability of our products and services and the products and services offered by our competitors;the continued growth in demand for biometrics solutions within the government and law enforcement markets,as well as the development and growth of demand for biometric solutions in markets outside of govern

114、ment and law enforcement;customers perceptions regarding the benefits of biometrics solutions;public perceptions regarding the intrusiveness of these solutions and the manner in which organizations use the biometric information collected;public perceptions regarding the confidentiality of private in

115、formation;proposed or enacted legislation related to privacy of biometric information;customers satisfaction with biometrics solutions;and marketing efforts and publicity regarding biometrics solutions.Even if biometrics solutions gain wide market acceptance,our solutions may not adequately address

116、market requirements and may not continue to gain market acceptance.If biometrics solutions generally or our solutions specifically do not gain wide market acceptance,we may not be able to achieve our anticipated level of growth and our revenues,and our results of operations would be adversely affect

117、ed.We face intense competition from other biometrics solutions providers.A significant number of established companies have developed or are developing and marketing software and hardware for biometrics products and applications that currently compete with or will compete directly with our offerings

118、.We believe that additional competitors will enter the biometricsmarket and become significant long-term competitors,and that,as a result,competition will increase.Companies competing with us may introduce solutions that are competitively priced,have increased performance or functionality or incorpo

119、rate technological advances we have not yet developed or implemented.Our current principal competitors include:Diversified technology providers that offer integrated biometrics solutions to governments,law enforcement agencies and other organizations.This group of competitors includes companies such

120、 as Idemia,Thales,and NEC.Component providers that offer biometrics software and hardware components for fingerprint,facial,iris and voice biometric identification.This group of competitors includes companies such as FaceTec,iProov,and Innovatrics.We expect competition to intensify in the near term

121、in the biometrics market.Many current and potential competitors have substantially greater financial,marketing,and research resources than we have.Moreover,low-cost foreign competitors from developing economies and other countries have demonstrated a willingness to sell their products at significant

122、ly reduced prices.To compete effectively in this environment,we must continually develop and market new and enhanced solutions and technologies at competitive prices and must have the resources available to invest in significant research and development activities.Our failure to compete successfully

123、 could cause our revenues and market share to decline.11The biometrics industry is characterized by rapid technological change and evolving industry standards,which could render our existing products obsolete.Our future success will depend upon our ability to develop and introduce a variety of new c

124、apabilities and enhancements to our existing products in order to address the changing and sophisticated needs of the marketplace.Frequently,technical development programs in the biometrics industry require assessments to be made of the future direction of technology,which is inherently difficult to

125、 predict.Delays in introducing new products and enhancements,the failure to choose correctly among technical alternatives or the failure to offer innovative products or enhancements at competitive prices may cause customers to forego purchases of our products and purchase our competitors products.We

126、 may not have adequate resources available to us or may not adequately keep pace with appropriate requirements in order to effectively compete in the marketplace.Our software products may have errors,defects or bugs,which could result in delayed or lost revenue,expensive correction,liability to our

127、customers,and claims against us.Despite testing,complex software products such as ours may contain errors,defects,or bugs,which may only be discovered after they have been installed and used by our customers.Defects in the products that we develop and sell to our customers could require expensive co

128、rrections and result in delayed or lost revenue,adverse customer reaction and negative publicity about us or our products and services.Customers who are not satisfied with any of our products may also bring claims against us for damages,which,even if unsuccessful,would likely be time-consuming to de

129、fend,and could result in costly litigation and payment of damages.Such claims could harm our reputation,financial results and competitive position.Our business may be adversely affected by our use of open-source software.The software industry is making increasing use of open-source software in the d

130、evelopment of products.We also license and integrate certain open-source software components from third parties into our software.Open-source software license agreements may require that the software code in these components or the software into which they are integrated be freely accessible under o

131、pen-source terms.Many features we may wish to add to our products in the future may be available as open-source software and our development team may wish to make use of this software to reduce development costs and speed up the development process.While we carefully monitor the use of all open-sour

132、ce software and try to ensure that no open-source software is used in such a way as to require us to disclose the source code to the related product,such use could inadvertently occur.If we were required to make our software freely available,our business could be seriously harmed.We rely on third-pa

133、rty software to develop and provide our solutions and significant defects in third-party software could harm our business.We rely on software licensed from third parties to develop and offer some of our solutions.In addition,we may need to obtain future licenses from third parties to use software or

134、 other intellectual property associated with our solutions.We cannot assure you that these licenses will be available to us on acceptable terms,without significant price increases or at all.Any loss of the right to use any such software or other intellectual property required for the development and

135、 maintenance of our solutions could result in delays in the provision of our solutions until equivalent technology is either developed by us or,if available from others,is identified,obtained,and integrated,which could harm our business.Any errors or defects in third-party software could result in e

136、rrors or a failure of our solutions,which could harm our business.We rely on third-party relationships.We have a number of relationships with third parties that are significant to our sales,marketing,support,and product development efforts,including hosting facilities for our cloud-based services.We

137、 rely on software and hardware vendors,large system integrators,and technology consulting firms to supply marketing and sales opportunities for our direct sales force and to strengthen our offerings using industry-standard tools and utilities.We also have relationships with third parties that distri

138、bute our products.There can be no assurance that these companies,many of which have far greater financial and marketing resources than us,will not develop or market offerings that compete with ours in the future or will not otherwise end or limit their relationships with us.Further,the use of third-

139、party hosting facilities requires us to rely on the functionality and availability of the third parties services,as well as their data security,which despite our due diligence,may be or become inadequate.12Part of our future business is dependent on market demand for,and acceptance of,the cloud-base

140、d model for the use of software.We expect to derive a growing percentage of our revenue from the sale of cloud-based services.As a result,widespread acceptance and use of the cloud-based business model is critical to our future growth and success.While cloud-based solutions are widely adopted across

141、 many software sub-sectors,certain industries,such as security and government,have been slower to transition due to concerns over data control,privacy,and regulatory compliance.Under the perpetual or fixed-term license model for software procurement,users typically run applications on their own infr

142、astructure,maintaining direct control over their IT environment.Government agencies and security-conscious enterprises may be particularly resistant to shifting mission-critical applications and sensitive data to cloud-based environments due to stringent security requirements,compliance mandates,and

143、 perceived risks associated with third-party hosting.If the adoption of cloud-based solutions in these sectors grows more slowly than anticipated or fails to gain traction,demand for our services could be negatively affected,which may,in turn,impact our future growth.Our operational systems,networks

144、 and products are subject to continually evolving cybersecurity or other technological risks,which could result in the disclosure of our or our customers confidential information,damage to our reputation,additional costs,regulatory penalties and financial losses.Our products,services and systems may

145、 be used in critical company,customer or third-party operations,or involve the storage,processing and transmission of sensitive data,including valuable intellectual property,other proprietary or confidential data,regulated data,and personal information of employees,customers and others.Successful br

146、eaches,employee malfeasance,or human or technological error could result in,for example,unauthorized access to,disclosure,modification,misuse,loss,or destruction of company,customer,or other third party data or systems;theft of sensitive,regulated,or confidential data including personal information

147、and intellectual property;the loss of access to critical data or systems through ransomware,destructive attacks or other means;and business delays,service or system disruptions or denials of service.If we or third parties with which we do business were to fall victim to successful cyber-attacks or e

148、xperience other cybersecurity incidents,including the loss of individually identifiable customer or other sensitive data,we may incur substantial costs and suffer other negative consequences,which may include remediation costs,such as liability for stolen assets or information,repairs of system dama

149、ge,and incentives to customers or business partners in an effort to maintain relationships after an attack as well as litigation and legal risks,including regulatory actions by state and federal regulators.Our intellectual property is subject to limited protection.Because we are a technology provide

150、r,our ability to protect our intellectual property and to operate without infringing the intellectual property rights of others is critical to our success.We regard our technology as proprietary.We rely on a combination of U.S.and worldwide patent,trade secret,copyright,and trademark law as well as

151、confidentiality agreements to protect our proprietary technology.We cannot assure you that we will be able to enforce the patents we own against third parties.Some foreign countries do not currently provide effective legal protection for intellectual property and our ability to prevent the unauthori

152、zed use of our products in those countries is therefore limited.Despite our efforts,these measures can only provide limited protection.Unauthorized third parties may try to copy or reverse engineer portions of our products or otherwise obtain and use our intellectual property.If we fail to protect o

153、ur intellectual property rights adequately,our competitors may gain access to our technology,and our business would thus be harmed.In the future,we may be involved in legal action to enforce our intellectual property rights relating to our patents,copyrights or trade secrets.Any such litigation coul

154、d be costly and time-consuming for us,even if we were to prevail.Moreover,even if we are successful in protecting our proprietary information,our competitors may independently develop technologies substantially equivalent or superior to our technology.Accordingly,despite our efforts,we may be unable

155、 to prevent third parties from infringing upon or misappropriating our intellectual property or otherwise gaining access to our technology.The misappropriation of our technology or the development of competitive technology could seriously harm our business.We may be sued by third parties for alleged

156、 infringement of their proprietary rights.We may be subject to claims that our technology and products infringe the intellectual property rights of others.A large and increasing number of participants in the technology industry,including companies known as non-practicing entities,have applied for or

157、 obtained patents.Some of these patent holders have demonstrated a readiness to commence 13litigation based on allegations of patent infringement.Third parties have asserted against us in the past and may assert against us in the future patent,copyright and other intellectual property rights to tech

158、nologies that are important to our business.Intellectual property rights can be uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions.Moreover,intellectual property claims,with or without merit,can be time-consuming and expensive to litigate or settle,and could divert management attention away f

159、rom the execution of our business plan.If we were found to have infringed the proprietary rights of others,we could be subject to substantial damages or an injunction preventing us from conducting our business.If we are unable to attract and retain key personnel,our business could be harmed.If any o

160、f our key employees were to leave,we could face substantial difficulty in hiring qualified successors and could experience a loss in productivity while any successor obtains the necessary training and experience.Our employment relationships are at-will and we have had key employees leave in the past

161、.We cannot assure you that one or more key employees will not leave in the future.We intend to continue to hire additional highly qualified personnel,including software engineers and sales personnel,but may not be able to attract,assimilate or retain qualified personnel in the future.Any failure to

162、attract,integrate,motivate and retain these employees could harm our business.Our business may be affected by government laws and regulations.Extensive regulation under federal,state,and foreign law has adversely affected us and could further adversely affect us in ways that are difficult for us to

163、predict.More specifically,we are subject to regulatory environment changes regarding privacy and data protection that could have a material impact on our results of operations.These regulatory changes may potentially involve new regulatory issues/requirements such as the EU General Data Protection R

164、egulation(“GDPR”),the California Privacy Rights Act(“CPRA”)and other comprehensive state privacy laws,the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act,Texas Statute on the Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier,State of Washington H.B.1493,Brazils General Data Protection Law(“LGPD”)and any other state,federal or

165、foreign regulations governing the collection,use and storage of biometric data.The potential costs of compliance with or imposed by new/existing regulations and policies that are applicable to us,or fines and penalties to which we may become subject if we fail to comply with those regulations and po

166、lices,may affect the use of our products and services and could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.In addition,our business may also be adversely affected by:i)the imposition of tariffs,duties and other import restrictions on goods and services we purchase from non-domestic

167、suppliers;ii)the imposition of tariffs,duties or other restrictions on the goods and services we provide outside of the United States;iii)the imposition of economic sanctions on existing or potential customers or suppliers,or iv)by the imposition of export restrictions on products we sell internatio

168、nally.Changes in current or future laws or regulations,in the United States or elsewhere,could seriously harm our business.Adverse economic conditions could harm our business.Unfavorable changes in economic conditions,including recessions,inflation,turmoil in financial markets,changes caused by glob

169、al crisis such as a pandemic,the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and resulting economic sanctions,conflicts in the Middle East,or other changes in economic conditions,could harm our business,results of operations,and financial conditions as a result of:reduced demand for our products;inc

170、reased risk of order cancellations or delays;increased pressure on the prices for our products;greater difficulty in collecting accounts receivable;risks to our liquidity,including the possibility that we might not have access to our cash when needed;andrising interest rates,recessionary cycles,and

171、inflationary pressures,that could make our products more expensive or could increase our costs.14health epidemics,impacting the markets and communities in which we,our partners and clients operate.We are unable to predict whether or when any such adverse economic conditions could occur in the U.S.or

172、 other countries;and if they do occur,we cannot predict the timing,duration,or severity.We may not realize the anticipated benefits of our acquisitions or investments.We may make acquisitions of or investments in companies that offer complementary products,services,and technologies,such as our acqui

173、sition of FortressID in December of 2021 and our investment in Omlis Limited.The ultimate success of our acquisitions depends,in part,on our ability to realize the anticipated synergies,cost savings and growth opportunities from integrating acquired businesses or assets into our existing businesses.

174、However,the acquisition and successful integration of independent businesses or assets is a complex,costly and time-consuming process,and the benefits we realize may not exceed the costs of the acquisition.The risk and difficulties associated with acquiring and integrating companies and other assets

175、 include,among others,difficulties assimilating the operations and personnel of acquired companies,challenges in realizing the value of the acquired assets relative to the price paid,distraction of management from our ongoing businesses and potential product disruptions associated with the sale of t

176、he acquired companys products.These factors could have a material adverse effect on our business,financial condition,operating results and cash flows.Additionally,our acquisitions have provided,in the case of Fortress ID,and may in the future provide for future contingent acquisition payments,based

177、on the achievement of performance targets or milestones.These arrangements can impact or restrict integration of acquired businesses and can result in disputes,including litigation.In addition,there is uncertainty regarding the realizability of investments in private companies,such as our investment

178、 in Omlis Limited that was written down to$0 in 2023.Additionally,regardless of the form of consideration we pay,acquisitions and investments could negatively impact our operations and earnings per share.We may have additional tax liabilities.We are subject to income taxes in the United States and,i

179、n certain cases,in foreign jurisdictions.Significant judgments are required in determining our provisions for income taxes.In the course of preparing our tax provisions and returns,we must make calculations where the ultimate tax determination may be uncertain.Our tax returns are subject to examinat

180、ion by the Internal Revenue Service(“IRS”)and state tax authorities.There can be no assurance as to the outcome of these examinations.If the ultimate determination of taxes owedincluding income taxes,value-added tax(“VAT”),goods and services tax(“GST”),or other foreign tax obligationsexceeds amounts

181、 previously accrued,our operating results,cash flows,and financial condition could be adversely affected.The market price of our common stock has been and may continue to be subject to wide fluctuations,and this may make it difficult for shareholders to resell the common stock when they want or at p

182、rices they find attractive.The market price of our common stock,like that of other technology companies,is volatile and is subject to wide fluctuations in response to a variety of factors,including:variations in operating results;announcements of technological innovations or new products by us or ou

183、r competitors,changes in customer relationships,such as the loss of a key customer;recruitment or departure of key personnel;trading volume of our common stock;price and volume fluctuation in the overall stock market;corporate actions we may initiate,such as acquisitions,stock sales or repurchases,d

184、ividend declarations,or corporate reorganizations.Our stock price may also be affected by broader market trends unrelated to our performance.As a result,purchasers of our common stock may be unable at any given time to sell their shares at or above the price they paid for them.Moreover,companies tha

185、t have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock often are subject to securities class action litigation.If we were the subject of such litigation,it could result in substantial costs and divert managements attention and resources.15If we are unable to maintain effective internal con

186、trols over financial reporting,investors could lose confidence in the reliability of our financial statements,which could result in a decline in the price of our common stock.As a public company,we are required to enhance and test our financial,internal and management control systems to meet obligat

187、ions imposed by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.Consistent with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations of the SEC,managements assessment of our internal controls over financial reporting is required in connection with our filing of our Annual Report on Form 10-K.If we are unable to iden

188、tify,implement and conclude that we have effective internal controls over financial reporting,investors could lose confidence in the reliability of our financial statements,which could result in a decrease in the value of our common stock.Our assessment of our internal controls over financial report

189、ing may also uncover weaknesses or other issues with these controls that could also result in adverse investor reaction.We must make judgments in the process of preparing our financial statements.We prepare our financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and cert

190、ain critical accounting policies that are relevant to our business.The application of these principles and policies requires us to make significant judgments and estimates.The most significant estimates included in the financial statements pertain to revenue recognition,allowance for credit losses,v

191、aluation of acquired assets and assumed liabilities in business combinations,valuation of contingent acquisition payments,valuation of investment in note receivable,goodwill and long-lived asset impairment and valuation allowance for deferred income tax assets.Actual results could differ from those

192、estimates.In the event that our judgments and estimates differ from actual results,we may have to change them,which could materially affect our financial position and results of operations.Moreover,accounting standards have been subject to rapid change and evolving interpretations by accounting stan

193、dards setting organizations over the past few years.The implementation of new accounting standards requires us to interpret and apply them appropriately.If our current interpretations or applications are later found to be incorrect,we may have to restate our financial statements and the price of our

194、 stock could decline.Our officers,directors and holders of 5%of outstanding shares together beneficially own a significant portion of our common stock and,as a result,can exercise control over stockholder and corporate actions.Our officers and directors and the holders of at least 5%of our outstandi

195、ng shares currently beneficially own approximately 48%of our outstanding common stock,and 60%on a fully diluted basis assuming the exercise of both vested and unvested options.As such,they have a significant influence over most matters requiring approval by stockholders,including the election of dir

196、ectors and approval of significant corporate transactions.This concentration of ownership may also have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control,which in turn could have a material adverse effect on the market priceof our common stock or prevent stockholders from realizing a premium

197、over the market price for their shares.ITEM 1B.UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTSNot applicable.ITEM 1C.CYBERSECUTIY Cybersecurity Risk Management and Strategy To help protect the Company from a major cybersecurity incident that could have a material impact on operations or the Companys financial results,the

198、 Company has implemented policies,programs and controls,including technology investments that focus on cybersecurity incident prevention,identification and mitigation.The steps the Company takes to reduce its vulnerability to cyberattacks and to mitigate impacts from cybersecurity incidents include,

199、but are not limited to:establishing information security policies and standards,implementing information protection processes and technologies,monitoring its information technology systems for cybersecurity threats,assessing cybersecurity risk profiles of key third-parties,implementing cybersecurity

200、 training and collaborating with public and private organizations on cyber threat information and best practices.The Company has implemented a Cybersecurity Policy(the“Policy”)that provides a framework for responding to cybersecurity incidents.The Policy includes requirements for incident disclosure

201、 and reporting,protocols for incident 16evaluation,including the use of third-party service providers and partners,and processes for notification and internal escalation of information to the Companys senior management,incident response team,and Board of Directors(the Board)and appropriate Board com

202、mittees.The Policy also addresses requirements for the Companys external reporting obligations.The Plan is reviewed and updated,as necessary but no less frequently than once a year,under the leadership of the Companys Chief Security Officer(“CSO”).Although the Company did not experience a material c

203、ybersecurity incident during the year ended December 31,2024,the scope and impact of any future incident cannot be predicted.See“Item 1A.Risk Factors”for more information on the Companys cybersecurity-related risks.Governance The Board of Directors,primarily through its Audit Committee,oversees the

204、Companys cybersecurity program.Management regularly reports to the Audit Committee on the current state of the Companys cybersecurity program,including the current threat landscape,cybersecurity risks,and any significant incidents.The Audit Committee may provide updates to the Board on the substance

205、 of these reports and any recommendations for improvements that the Audit Committee deems appropriate.At the management level,the Company has established written policies and procedures to ensure that significant cybersecurity incidents are immediately investigated,addressed through the coordination

206、 of various internal departments,and publicly reported,to the extent required by applicable law.ITEM 2.PROPERTIES We lease approximately 20,730 rentable square feet in Burlington,Massachusetts,which we use as our headquarters.We believe that this facility is adequate for our current needs and for th

207、e foreseeable future.See Note 9 to our audited financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information regarding our leases.ITEM 3.LEGAL PROCEEDINGSFrom time to time,we are involved in litigation incidental to the conduct of our business.We are not party to an

208、y lawsuit or proceeding that,in our opinion,is likely to materially impact us or our business.ITEM 4.MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES Not applicable.17PART IIITEM 5.MARKET FOR REGISTRANTS COMMON EQUITY,RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIESOur common stock is the only class of

209、stock we have outstanding,and it trades on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol AWRE.As of March 1,2025,we had 60 shareholders of record.This number does not include shareholders who hold our shares in a“nominee”or“street”name.We paid no dividends in 2024 or 2023.We anticipate that we will cont

210、inue to reinvest any earnings to finance our future operations although we may also pay special cash dividends if our Board of Directors deems it appropriate.Share repurchase activity during the three months ended December 31,2024 was as follows:Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities Period(a)Total N

211、umber of Shares Purchased (b)Average Price Paid per Share (c)Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs(1)(d)Maximum Number(or Approximate Dollar Value)of Shares That May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs October 1 through 31,2024$8,182,358 November 1

212、 through 30,2024 80,093$1.50 80,093$8,062,219 December 1 through 31,2024 56,958$1.53 56,958$7,975,073 Total 137,051$1.51 137,051 (1)All reported purchases were made pursuant to a repurchase plan announced by the Company on March 22,2022(the“2022 Repurchase Plan”).Pursuant to the 2022 Repurchase Plan

213、,the Company was authorized to repurchase up to$10,000,000 of its common stock from time to time through December 31,2023.On November 30,2023,we announced that our Board of Directors had approved the extension of the 2022 Repurchase Plan through December 31,2025.ITEM 6.RESERVED 18ITEM 7.MANAGEMENTS

214、DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONSRESULTS OF OPERATIONSThe following table sets forth,for the years indicated,certain line items from our consolidated statements of operations stated as a percentage of total revenue:Year ended December 31,Revenue:2024 2023 Softw

215、are licenses 44%52%Software maintenance 50 42 Services and other 6 6 Total revenue 100 100 Costs and expenses:Cost of services and other 7 7 Research and development 45 50 Selling and marketing 44 43 General and administrative 37 36 Loss on write-off of note receivable -15 Fair value adjustment to c

216、ontingent acquisition payment -(4)Total costs and expenses 133 147 Operating loss (33)(47)Interest and other income 7 7 Loss before provision for income taxes (26)(40)Provision for income taxes 1 -Net loss (25%)(40%)Summary of Operations We are primarily engaged in the development and sale of biomet

217、rics products,solutions and services.Our software products are used in government and commercial systems and applications and fulfill a broad range of functions critical to secure biometric enrollment,authentication,identification and transactions.Principal government applications of biometrics syst

218、ems include border control,visa applicant screening,law enforcement,national defense,intelligence,secure credentialing,access control,and background checks.Principal commercial applications include:i)user enrollment and authentication used for login to mobile devices,computers,networks,and software

219、programs;ii)user authentication for financial transactions and purchases(online and in-person);iii)physical access control to buildings;and iv)identity proofing of prospective employees and customers.We sell our biometrics software products and services globally through a multifaceted distribution s

220、trategy using systems integrators,OEMs,VARs,partners,and directly to end-user customers.We also derive a portion of our revenue from the sale of imaging software licenses to OEMs and systems integrators that incorporate our software into medical imaging products and medical systems.Summary of Financ

221、ial ResultsWe used revenue and operating loss to summarize financial results over the past two years as we believe these measurements are the most meaningful way to understand our operating performance.2024 compared to 2023Revenue and operating loss in 2024 were$17.4 million and$5.5 million,respecti

222、vely,which compared to revenue and operating loss in 2023 of$18.2 million and$8.5 million,respectively.Lower revenue in 2024 as compared to 2023 was primarily due to decreases in revenue from our perpetual software licenses of$1.2 million and software subscriptions of$0.7 million,which were partiall

223、y offset by an increase in revenue from software maintenance of$0.9 million.Lower operating loss in 2024 as compared 2023 was primarily due a negative adjustment of$2.7 million to a note receivable in 2023 that did not recur in 2024 and a year-over-year 19decrease in research and development expense

224、 of$1.4 million,which were partially offset by decreased revenue of$0.9 million and the impact of a 2023 fair value adjustment to contingent consideration of$0.8 million that did not recur in 2024.Software License RevenueSoftware license revenue consists of revenue from the sale of biometrics and im

225、aging software products.Sales of software products depend on our ability to win proposals to supply software for biometrics systems projects either directly to end user customers or indirectly through channel partners.Software license revenue decreased 18%from$9.5 million in 2023 to$7.8 million in 2

226、024.As a percentage of total revenue,software license revenue decreased from 52%in 2023 to 45%in 2024.The$1.7 million decrease in software license revenue was primarily due to a decrease in perpetual licenses sales,which can fluctuate from period to period.With the introduction of AwareID,we have in

227、corporated SaaS offering into our product line-up.For the year ended December 31,2024 we generated$0.1 million of revenue from SaaS contracts compared to a de minimis amount for the year ended December 31,2023.We expect SaaS revenue to continue to grow as a component of software license revenue goin

228、g forward.Software Maintenance RevenueSoftware maintenance revenue consists of revenue from the sale of software maintenance contracts.Software maintenance contracts entitle customers to receive software support and software updates,if and when they become available,during the term of the contract.S

229、oftware maintenance revenue increased 12%from$7.7 million in 2023 to$8.6 million in 2024.As a percentage of total revenue,software maintenance revenue increased from 42%in 2023 to 49%in 2024.The dollar increase in software maintenance revenue was primarily due to software maintenance related to perp

230、etual license sales during the second half of 2023 as well as for the year ended December 31,2024.A majority of our customers purchase software maintenance contracts when they initially purchase software licenses.Since our software is used in active biometrics systems,many of our customers continue

231、to renew their maintenance contracts in subsequent years while systems remain operational.Services and Other RevenueServices revenue consists of fees we charge to perform software development,integration,installation,and customization services.Similar to software license revenue,services revenue dep

232、ends on our ability to win biometrics systems projects either directly with end user customers or in conjunction with channel partners.Other revenue consists of hardware fees that are included with some of our software licenses.Services and other revenue fluctuate when we commence new projects and/o

233、r when we complete projects that were started in previous periods.Services and other revenue was$1.0 million for the years ended December 2024 and 2023.As a percentage of total revenue,services and other revenue was 6%in each of 2024 and 2023.Cost of Services and Other Revenue Cost of services and o

234、ther revenue consists primarily of engineering costs to perform customer services projects.Such costs primarily include:i)engineering salaries,stock-based compensation,fringe benefits,and facilities;ii)engineering consultants and contractors;iii)software license fees;and iv)hardware costs.Cost of se

235、rvices and other revenue decreased 11%from$1.3 million in 2023 to$1.1 million in 2024.When compared to services and other revenue,cost of services and other revenue as a percentage decreased from 122%in 2023 to 110%in 2024,which resulted in reduced gross margin loss from 22%in 2023 to 10%gross margi

236、n loss in 2024.The change in cost of services gross margin loss was primarily due to the profitability mix of customer projects.Gross margins on services and other revenue are a function of:i)the nature of the projects;ii)the level of engineering difficulty and labor hours required to complete proje

237、ct tasks;and iii)how much we were able to charge.Gross margins in these years reflect the profitability mix of customer projects.We expect that gross margins on services and other revenue will continue to fluctuate in future periods based on the nature,complexity,and pricing of future projects.20Res

238、earch and Development ExpenseResearch and development expense consists of costs for:i)engineering personnel,including salaries,stock-based compensation,fringe benefits,and facilities;ii)engineering consultants and contractors,and iii)other engineering expenses such as supplies,equipment depreciation

239、,dues and memberships and travel.Engineering costs incurred to develop our technology and products are classified as research and development expense.As described in the cost of services section,engineering costs incurred to provide engineering services for customer projects are classified as cost o

240、f services and are not included in research and development expense.The classification of total engineering costs to research and development expense and cost of services for the years ended December 31,2024 and 2023 was(in thousands):Years ended December 31,2024 2023 Research and development expens

241、e$7,757$9,124 Cost of services and other 1,132 1,273 Total engineering costs$8,889$10,397 Total engineering costs decreased 15%from$10.4 million in 2023 to$8.9 million in 2024.As a percentage of total revenue,total engineering costs decreased from 57%in 2023 to 51%in 2024.Our engineering headcount d

242、ecreased from 42 in 2023 to 33 in 2024.The decrease in engineering costs is primarily a result of reducing our engineering headcount by approximately 10%in 2023 and 20%in 2024.The reduction was driven by strategic initiatives to optimize resources,improve operational efficiency,and align our enginee

243、ring capabilities with current business priorities.We believe our current engineering organization is adequately staffed to support our product roadmap,customer commitments,and innovation efforts.As we described in the Part IBusiness of this Form 10-K,we intend to introduce new products that will al

244、low us to offer more complete biometrics solutions.We believe this strategy will allow us to sell more software into biometrics systems projects in order to grow our revenue.Our preference is to develop such products internally,however to the extent we are unable to do that,we may purchase or licens

245、e technologies from third parties.We anticipate that we will continue to focus our future research and development activities on enhancing existing products and developing new products.We expect research and development expenses to decrease in absolute dollars and as a percentage of revenues in the

246、next year and then to increase in absolute dollars in proceeding years.Selling and Marketing ExpenseSelling and marketing expense primarily consists of costs for:i)sales and marketing personnel,including salaries,sales commissions,stock-based compensation,fringe benefits,travel,and facilities;and ii

247、)advertising and promotion expenses.Selling and marketing expense decreased 3%from$8.0 million in 2023 to$7.7 million in 2024.As a percentage of total revenue,selling and marketing expense was 44%in both 2024 and 2023.The dollar decrease in selling and marketing expense was primarily due to decrease

248、d bonus and commission expense of$0.2 million as a result of decreased revenue.We expect to be strategic in expanding our sales and marketing force to pursue future opportunities.General and Administrative ExpenseGeneral and administrative expense consists primarily of costs for:i)officers,directors

249、 and administrative personnel,including salaries,bonuses,director compensation,stock-based compensation,fringe benefits,and facilities;ii)professional fees,including legal and audit fees;iii)public company expenses;and iv)other administrative expenses,such as insurance costs and bad debt provisions.

250、General and administrative expense decreased 3%from$6.5 million in 2023 to$6.4 million in 2024.As a percentage of total revenue,general and administrative expense increased from 36%in 2023 to 37%in 2024.While we expect general and administrative expenses to increase in absolute terms as we continue

251、to invest in our business,the trajectory of these costs as a percentage of total revenue will depend on revenue growth.Future trends will be influenced by our ability to scale operations efficiently and drive revenue expansion.21 Fair value adjustment to note receivable In March 2022,we entered into

252、 a subscription agreement with Omlis Limited,a limited company incorporated and registered in England and Wales and the parent of MIRACL(“Omlis”).We purchased$2.5 million of Omlis Note Receivable(“Note”)that accrues interest at 5%annually with a maturity date of March 11,2026.We recorded the fair va

253、lue of the Note as$0 as of both December 31,2024 and 2023 as a result of our evaluation of the impact of Omliss liquidity issues on the collectability of the Note.In addition,in January 2024,Omlis and MIRACL petitioned to enter the United Kingdom administration process,which remains ongoing,adding t

254、o our unlikely recoverability of the Notes carrying value.Fair value adjustment to contingent acquisition payment In December 2021,we acquired 100%of the outstanding shares and acquired all of the assets and liabilities of FortressID for a purchase price of$3.4 million,which consisted of$2.5 million

255、 of cash consideration and contingent acquisition payments which was fair valued at$0.9 million at the acquisition date.The maximum contingent acquisition payments at the time of the acquisition were$4.0 million,which consisted of a cash payment of up to$2.0 million for the achievement of set revenu

256、e targets in 2022 and an additional$2.0 million cash payment for the achievement of set revenue targets in 2023.No revenue targets were achieved and the earnout period was closed as of December 31,2023.We recorded a fair value adjustment of$0.8 million to contingent acquisition payment for the year

257、ended December 31,2023.Interest IncomeInterest income decreased from$1.3 million in 2023 to$1.2 million in 2024.The dollar decrease in interest income was primarily due to lower interest rates within our money market accounts.Income TaxesWe are subject to income taxes in the United States,and we use

258、 estimates in determining our provisions for income taxes.We account for income taxes using the asset and liability method for accounting and reporting income taxes.Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized based on temporary differences between the financial reporting and income tax bases

259、of assets and liabilities using statutory rates.Total income tax expense for the years ended December 31,2024 and 2023 was$65 thousand and$59 thousand,respectively.The income tax expense for both years relates to limitations on the usage of net operating loss carryforwards generated in years beginni

260、ng after December 31,2017.LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCESIn recent years,we have financed the company with our cash and cash equivalent balances.Cash flows from operating,investing and financing activities are described below.Cash flows from operating activitiesA discussion of cash flow from operati

261、ng activities for each of the last two years is as follows:Year ended December 31,2024.Cash used in operating activities was$3.2 million in 2024,which was primarily the result of a$4.4 million net loss and$0.6 million of working capital adjustments,which was partially offset by$0.6 million of deprec

262、iation and amortization expense and$1.1 million of non-cash stock-based compensation.Year ended December 31,2023.Cash provided by operating activities was$1.8 million in 2023.Cash provided by operations was primarily the result of a$2.4 million decrease in unbilled and accounts receivables,a$1.8 mil

263、lion increase in deferred revenue,add back of$1.5 million of non-cash stock-based compensation,$2.7 million write-off of Note,and$1.4 million related to a tax refund received as a result of our federal income tax carryback claim,which was partially offset by our$7.3 million net loss and a$0.8 millio

264、n change in the fair value of contingent acquisition payments.22Cash flows from investing activitiesA discussion of cash flow from investing activities for each of the last two years is as follows:Year ended December 31,2024.Investing activity provided$6.3 million of cash,primarily as the result of

265、net sales of marketable securities.Year ended December 31,2023.Investing activity used of$3.1 million of cash,primarily as the result of net purchases of marketable securities.Cash flows from financing activitiesA discussion of cash flow from financing activities for each of the last two years is as

266、 follows:Year ended December 31,2024.Financing activity cash used of$0.2 million was primarily the result of$0.2 million used to buy back stock under our stock repurchase program,which was partially offset by$0.1 million of proceeds from the issuance of common stock from stock grants.Year ended Dece

267、mber 31,2023.Financing activity cash used of$0.4 million was primarily the result of$0.5 million used to buy back stock under our stock repurchase program,which was partially offset by$0.1 million of proceeds from the issuance of common stock from stock grants.At December 31,2024,we had cash,cash eq

268、uivalents,and marketable securities of$27.8 million.While we cannot assure you that we will not require additional financing,or that if needed such financing will be available to us,we believe that our cash,cash equivalents,and marketable securities will be sufficient to fund our operations for at l

269、east the next twelve months from the filing date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and to meet our known long-term cash requirements including operating expenses,contractual obligations,and planned strategic investments.Whether these resources are adequate to meet our liquidity needs beyond that pe

270、riod will depend on our future growth,operating results,and the investments needed to support our operations.If we require additional capital resources,we may utilize available funds or seek additional external financing.As of December 31,2024,our material cash requirements from known contractual an

271、d other obligations consisted of payments under the operating lease for our corporate headquarters,which we estimate will be approximately$0.7 million in each of 2025,2026,and 2027,approximately$0.8 million in 2028 and 2029,and$2.7 million thereafter.See Note 9 to our consolidated financial statemen

272、ts included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information on our operating lease.We enter into agreements in the ordinary course of business that require us:i)to perform under the terms of the contracts,ii)to protect the confidentiality of our customers intellectual property,and

273、iii)to indemnify customers,including indemnification against third party claims alleging infringement of intellectual property rights.We also have agreements with each of our directors and executive officers to indemnify such directors or executive officers,to the extent legally permissible,against

274、all liabilities reasonably incurred in connection with any action in which such individual may be involved by reason of such individual being or having been a director or officer of the Company.Given the nature of the above obligations and agreements,we are unable to make a reasonable estimate of th

275、e maximum potential amount that we could be required to pay.Historically,we have not made any significant payments on the above guarantees and indemnifications and no amount has been accrued in the audited financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K with respect to the

276、se guarantees and indemnifications.To date,inflation has not had a material impact on our financial results.There can be no assurance,however,that inflation will not adversely affect our financial results in the future.OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS We do not currently have any arrangements with unc

277、onsolidated entities,such as entities often referred to as structured finance,special purpose entities,or variable interest entities which are often established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes.Accordingly,we are not exp

278、osed to any financing,liquidity,market or credit risk.23CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATESOur significant accounting policies are discussed in Note 2,Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,to our financial statements,included elsewhere in this Annual Report.We have identified the followi

279、ng as our significant accounting policies and estimates,which are defined as those that are reflective of significant judgments and uncertainties,are the most pervasive and important to the presentation of our financial condition and results of operations and could potentially result in materially d

280、ifferent results under different assumptions,judgments or conditions.Revenue recognition.In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification(“ASC”),Topic 606,Revenue from Contracts with Customers(“ASC 606”),revenue is recognized when a customer obtains control of promised goods and services.The amo

281、unt of revenue recognized reflects the consideration to which we expect to be entitled to receive in exchange for these goods and services.In addition,ASC 606 requires disclosures of the nature,amount,timing,and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers.The core pri

282、nciple of the standard is that we should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.To achieve that core principle,we apply the following fi

283、ve step model:1.Identify the contract with the customer;2.Identify the performance obligations in the contract;3.Determine the transaction price;4.Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract;and5.Recognize revenue when(or as)each performance obligation is satisfied.

284、We categorize revenue as software licenses,software maintenance,or services and other revenue.Revenue from software licenses is recognized at a point in time upon delivery,provided all other revenue recognition criteria are met.We recognize software maintenance revenue over time on a straight-line b

285、asis over the contract period.Services revenue is recognized over time as the services are delivered using an input method(i.e.,labor hours incurred as a percentage of total labor hours budgeted),provided all other revenue recognition criteria are met.In addition to selling software licenses,softwar

286、e maintenance and software services on a standalone basis,a significant portion of our contracts include multiple performance obligations,which require an allocation of the transaction price to each distinct performance obligation based on a relative standalone selling price(“SSP”)basis.The SSP is t

287、he price at which we would sell a promised good or service separately to a customer.The best estimate of SSP is the observable price of a good or service when we sell that good or service separately.A contractually stated price or a list price for a good or service may be the SSP of that good or ser

288、vice.We use a range of amounts to estimate SSP when we sell each of the goods and services separately and need to determine whether there is a discount that needs to be allocated based on the relative SSP of the various goods and services.In instances where SSP is not directly observable,such as whe

289、n we do not sell the product or service separately,we typically determine the SSP using an adjusted market assessment approach using information that may include market conditions and other observable inputs.We typically have more than one SSP for individual goods and services due to the stratificat

290、ion of those goods and services by customers and circumstances.In these instances,we may use information such as the nature of the customer and distribution channel in determining the SSP.When software licenses and significant customization engineering services are sold together,they are accounted f

291、or as a combined performance obligation,as the software licenses are generally highly dependent on,and interrelated with,the associated customization services and therefore are not distinct performance obligations.Revenue for the combined performance obligation is recognized over time as the service

292、s are delivered using an input method(i.e.,labor hours incurred as a percentage of total labor hours budgeted).When subscription-based software is sold,the software license and software maintenance are generally considered distinct performance obligations.The transaction price is allocated to the so

293、ftware license and the software maintenance based on relative SSP.We sell our software subscription license for a fixed fee or a subscription-based royalty fee,sometimes subject to a minimum guarantee.When the amount is in the form of a fixed fee,including the guaranteed minimum usage-based royalty,

294、revenue allocated to the software license is recognized at a point in time upon delivery,provided all other revenue recognition criteria are met.Any royalties not subject to the guaranteed 24minimum or earned in excess of the minimum amount are recognized as revenue when the subsequent usage occurs.

295、Revenue allocated to the software maintenance is recognized over the contract term.Also,with the delivery of our current products in a hosted environment with AwareID,we recognize revenue from our SaaS arrangements ratably over the subscription period.Our arrangements can include variable fees,such

296、as the option to purchase additional usage of a previously delivered software license.We may also provide pricing concessions to clients,a business practice that also gives rise to variable fees in contracts.For variable fees arising from the clients purchase of additional usage of a previously deli

297、vered software license,we apply the sales and usage-based royalties guidance related to a license of intellectual property and recognizes the revenue in the period the underlying sale or usage occurs.We include variable fees in the determination of total transaction price if it is not probable that

298、a future significant reversal of revenue will occur.We use the expected value or most likely value amount,whichever is more appropriate for specific circumstances,to estimate variable consideration,and the estimates are based on the level of historical price concessions offered to clients.The amount

299、 of consideration is not adjusted for a significant financing component if the time between payment and the transfer of the related good or service is expected to be one year or less under the practical expedient in ASC 606-10-32-18.Our revenue arrangements are typically accounted for under such exp

300、edient,as payment is typically due within 30 to 60 days.As of December 31,2024 and 2023,none of our contracts contained a significant financing component.Goodwill and intangible assets impairment.Our goodwill and intangible assets result from our previous business acquisitions.Goodwill and intangibl

301、e assets with indefinite useful lives are not amortized but are tested for impairment at least annually or as circumstances indicate their value may no longer be recoverable.We do not carry any intangible assets with indefinite useful lives other than goodwill.We perform our annual goodwill impairme

302、nt test in the fourth quarter.To assess if goodwill is impaired,we first review qualitative factors to determine whether further impairment testing is necessary.If based on the qualitative assessment,we consider it more-likely-than-not that our reporting units fair value is less than its carrying am

303、ount,we perform a quantitative impairment test.An excess of carrying value over fair value would indicate that goodwill may be impaired.We periodically reevaluate our business and have determined that we have one operating segment and one reporting unit.If our assumptions change in the future,we may

304、 be required to record impairment charges to reduce our goodwill carrying value.If indicators of impairment are present,we compare the estimated undiscounted cash flows that the asset is expected to generate to the carrying value.The key assumptions of the cash flow model involve significant subject

305、ivity.If such assets are impaired,an impairment is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its fair value.As of December 31,2024 and 2023,we had$3.1 million of goodwill.As of December 31,2024 and 2023,we had$2.0 million and$2.4 million of intangible assets,respective

306、ly.Impairment in the valuation of long-lived assets could materially impact our operating results and financial position.To date,there have been no impairments of goodwill or intangible assets.Stock-Based Compensation.We grant stock and stock options to our employees and directors.We measure stock-b

307、ased compensation cost at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and recognize it as expense over the applicable vesting period of the award on a straight-line basis.For stock awards,we determine the fair value of the award by using the fair market value of our stock on the date of gran

308、t;provided the number of shares in the grant is fixed on the grant date.For stock options,we use the Black-Scholes valuation model to estimate fair value.This model considers both observable inputs and assumptions.Observable inputs include the exercise price of the award and the risk-free interest r

309、ate over the expected term.Assumptions used in the valuation include the expected term of the option,the expected volatility of our stock over the expected term,and our expected annual dividend yield.Income taxes.As part of the process of preparing our consolidated financial statements we are requir

310、ed to estimate our actual current tax expense.We must also estimate temporary and permanent differences that result from differing treatment of certain items for tax and accounting purposes.Thesedifferences result in deferred tax assets and 25liabilities,which are included in our consolidated balanc

311、e sheet.We must then assess the likelihood that our deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income and to the extent we believe recovery is not likely,we must establish a valuation allowance.The Coronavirus Aid,Relief and Economic Security Act(“CARES Act”)was signed into law on Mar

312、ch 27,2020.The Act contained specific relief and stimulus measures including allowing net operating losses originating in 2018 through 2020 to be carried back five years to offset taxable income in the carryback period.Management judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes,our

313、 deferred tax assets,and any valuation allowance recorded against our net deferred tax assets.Our deferred tax assets primarily relate to:i)research and development tax credit carryforwards;ii)net operating loss carryforwards;and iii)temporary differences that result from differing treatment of cert

314、ain items for tax and accounting purposes.As of December 31,2024,we had a total of$13.7 million of deferred tax assets and$0.5 million of deferred tax liabilities for which we have recorded a$13.2 million valuation allowance.As of December 31,2023,we had a total of$13.0 million of deferred tax asset

315、s and$0.5 million of deferred tax liabilities for which we have recorded a$12.5 million valuation allowance.We will continue to assess the level of valuation allowance required in future periods.Should evidence regarding the realizability of tax assets change at a future point in time,the valuation

316、allowance will be adjusted accordingly.Allowance for credit losses.We make judgments as to our ability to collect outstanding and unbilled receivables to reflect any estimated credit losses.The allowance is evaluated each quarter on a customer by customer basis and considers historical write-off exp

317、erience with each customer,the number of days that any delinquent invoices are past due,and an evaluation of the potential risk of loss associated with any delinquent accounts.If the judgments we make to determine the allowance for credit losses do not reflect the future ability to collect outstandi

318、ng receivables,additional provisions for credit losses may be required.RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTSRecent Accounting Pronouncements.In November 2023,the Financial Accounting Standards Board(“FASB”)issued Accounting Standard Update(“ASU”)No.2023-07,Segment Reporting(Topic 280):Improvements to Rep

319、ortable 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 the Company

320、s fiscal December 31,2024 year-end and interim periods beginning in fiscal 2025,with early adoption permitted.The Company adopted this standard as of January 1,2024 and the adoption did not have a material impact on the Companys consolidated financial statements.In December 2023,the FASB issued ASU

321、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,disaggrega

322、ted by federal,state/local,and significant foreign jurisdiction.This ASU will be effective for the Companys fiscal December 31,2025 year-end,with early adoption permitted.We are assessing the impact of the standard on our consolidated financial statements.26ITEM 8.FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENT

323、ARY DATA Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Aware,Inc.Opinion on the Financial StatementsWe have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Aware,Inc.and its subsidiaries(the Company)as of December 31,2024 and 2023,t

324、he related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss,stockholders equity,and cash flows for each of the years then ended,and the related notes to the consolidated financial statements(collectively,the financial statements).In our opinion,the financial statements present fairly,in

325、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 OpinionThese financi

326、al statements are the responsibility of the Companys management.Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Companys 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

327、be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with 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 pe

328、rform 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

329、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 Companys internal control over financial reporting.Accordingly,we express no such opinion.Our audits included performing procedures to ass

330、ess 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 include

331、d 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 MattersThe critical audit matter communicated below

332、 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)related to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and(2)involved especially challenging,subjective,or

333、complex judgments.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.Revenue Recognition As described in Note 2 to the financial statements,the C