UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

 

FORM 10-K

 

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018

 

 

 

Delaware	11-2871434
(State or other jurisdiction of	(IRS Employer
incorporation or organization)	Identification No.)

 

137 Commercial Street, Plainview, New York	11803
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)	(Zip Code)

 

 

Common Stock, $.001 par value

(Title of Class)

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

 

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 past 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

 

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 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files)

Yes [ X]                No [ ]

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. [ X ]

 

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 accelerated 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 [X] Smaller reporting company [X]

Emerging growth company [ ]

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the 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 is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes [ ] No [ X ]

 

The aggregate market value of common stock held by non-affiliates was approximately $6.0 million based on the closing sales price of the common stock as quoted on the OTC PK on June 29, 2018.

 

At March 31, 2019, the number of shares outstanding of the issuer's common stock was 167,109,200.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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VASO CORPORATION

INDEX TO FORM 10-K

 

		Page
PART I		2
ITEM 1	BUSINESS	2
ITEM 1A	RISK FACTORS	8
ITEM 2	PROPERTIES	13
PART II		14
ITEM 5	MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES	14
ITEM 7	MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.	14
ITEM 8	FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA	22
ITEM 9A	CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES	22
ITEM 9B	OTHER INFORMATION	23
PART III		24
ITEM 10	DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE	24
ITEM 11	EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION	27
ITEM 12	SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND
	RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS	30
ITEM 13	CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR
	INDEPENDENCE	31
ITEM 14	PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES	33
PART IV		33
ITEM 15	EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES	33
SIGNATURES		35
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS		F-1
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM		F-2
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS		F-3
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS		F-4
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY		F-5
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS		F-6
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS		F-7

 

EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit 31 Certifications Pursuant to Securities Exchange Act Rule 13A-14(A)/15D-14(A)

Exhibit 32  Certifications of Periodic Report

 

 

 

PART I

 

ITEM 1 – BUSINESS

Except for historical information contained in this report, the matters discussed are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. When used in this report, words such as “anticipates”, “believes”, “could”, “estimates”, “expects”, “may”, “plans”, “potential” and “intends” and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of the Company’s management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company’s management. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: the effect of business and economic conditions; the effect of the dramatic changes taking place in IT and healthcare; continuation of the GEHC agreements; the impact of competitive technology and products and their pricing; medical insurance reimbursement policies; unexpected manufacturing or supplier problems; unforeseen difficulties and delays in the conduct of clinical trials and other product development programs; the actions of regulatory authorities and third-party payers in the United States and overseas; and the risk factors reported from time to time in the Company’s SEC reports. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements as a result of future events or developments.

 

Unless the context requires otherwise, all references to “we”, “our”, “us”, “Company”, “registrant”, “Vaso” or “management” refer to Vaso Corporation and its subsidiaries.

 

General Overview

 

Vaso Corporation principally operates in three distinct business segments in the healthcare equipment and information technology industries. We manage and evaluate our operations, and report our financial results, through these three business segments.

 

 

 

 

VasoTechnology

 

VasoTechnology, Inc. was formed in May 2015, at the time the Company acquired all of the assets of NetWolves, LLC and its affiliates, including the membership interests in NetWolves Network Services LLC (collectively, “NetWolves”), to address a major issue facing the healthcare IT industry. It currently consists of a managed network and security service division (NetWolves) and a healthcare IT application VAR (value added reseller) division (VasoHealthcare IT). Its current offering includes:

 

 

VasoTechnology uses a combination of proprietary technology, methodology and best-in-class third-party applications to deliver its value proposition.

 

 

VasoHealthcare

 

VasoHealthcare commenced operations in 2010, in conjunction with the Company’s execution of its exclusive sales representation agreement with GEHC, which is the healthcare business division of the General Electric Company (“GE”), to further the sale of certain medical capital equipment in domestic market segments. Sales of GEHC equipment by the Company have grown significantly since then.

 

VasoHealthcare’s current offering consists of:

 

 

VasoHealthcare has built a team of over 80 highly experienced sales professionals who utilize proprietary sales management and analytic tools to manage the complete sales process and to increase market penetration.

 

VasoMedical

 

The proprietary medical equipment business now all under VasoMedical dates back to 1995 when the Company began the external counterpulsation technology in the United States. Vasomedical Global was formed in 2011 to combine and coordinate the various international operations including design, development, manufacturing, and sales of medical devices, while domestic activities are under Vasomedical Solutions. These devices primarily consist of cardiovascular diagnostic and therapeutic systems. Its current offering consists of:

 

 

This segment uses its extensive cardiovascular device knowledge coupled with its engineering resources to cost effectively create and market its proprietary technology. It sells and services its products to domestic customers directly and sells and/or services its products in the international market mainly through independent distributors.

 

Historical Background

 

Vaso Corporation was incorporated in Delaware in July 1987. For most of its history, the Company primarily was a single-product company designing, manufacturing, marketing and servicing its proprietary Enhanced External Counterpulsation, or EECP®, therapy systems, mainly for the treatment of angina. In 2010 it began to diversify its business operations. The Company changed its name to Vaso Corporation in 2016 to more accurately reflect the diversified nature of its business mixture, and continues to use the original name VasoMedical for its proprietary medical device subsidiary.

 

In May 2010, the Company launched its Professional Sales Service business through a wholly-owned subsidiary Vaso Diagnostics, Inc. d/b/a VasoHealthcare, which was appointed the exclusive representative for the sale of select GE diagnostic imaging equipment to specific market segments in the 48 contiguous states of the United States and the District of Columbia. The original agreement (“GEHC Agreement”) was for three years ending June 30, 2013; it has been extended several times with the current extension through December 31, 2022, subject to earlier termination under certain circumstances.

 

 

In June 2014, the Company began its IT segment business by concluding the Value Added Reseller Agreement (“VAR Agreement”) with GEHC to become a national value added reseller of GEHC Digital’s software solutions such as Picture Archiving and Communication System (“PACS”), Radiology Information System (“RIS”), and related services, including implementation, training, management and support. This multiyear VAR Agreement focuses primarily on existing customer segments currently served by VasoHealthcare on behalf of GEHC. A new wholly owned subsidiary, VasoHealthcare IT Corp. (“VHC IT”), was formed to conduct the healthcare IT business.

 

In May 2015, the Company further expanded its IT business segment by acquiring all of the assets of NetWolves, LLC and its affiliates, including the membership interests in NetWolves Network Services, LLC (collectively, “NetWolves”), pursuant to an asset purchase agreement. NetWolves designs and delivers efficient and cost-effective multi-network and multi-technology solutions as a managed network provider, and provides a complete single-source solution that includes design, network redundancy, application device management, real-time network monitoring, reporting and support systems as a comprehensive solution. The Company believes there are significant operational synergies between NetWolves’ capabilities and VasoHealthcare IT’s requirements under its VAR Agreement with GEHC, and has expanded NetWolves’ existing services to the healthcare IT market.

 

The Company’s Equipment business also has been significantly expanded from the original EECP®-only operations. In September 2011, the Company acquired FGE, a British Virgin Islands company, which owns or controls two Chinese operating companies - Life Enhancement Technology Ltd. (“LET”) based in Foshan, China, and Biox Instruments Co. Ltd. (“Biox”) based in Wuxi, China, respectively - to expand its technical and manufacturing capabilities and to enhance its distribution network, technology, and product portfolio. Biox is a variable interest entity (“VIE”) controlled by FGE through certain contracts and an option to acquire all the shares of Biox. In August 2014, the Company acquired all of the outstanding shares of Genwell Instruments Co. Ltd. (“Genwell”), located in Wuxi, China. Genwell was formed in China in 2010 with the assistance of a government grant to develop the MobiCare™ wireless multi-parameter patient monitoring system and holds intellectual property rights for this system. As a result, the Company has now expanded its equipment products portfolio to include Biox™ series ambulatory patient monitoring systems, ARCS™ series software for ECG and blood pressure analysis, and the MobiCare™ patient monitoring device. In 2017, as an effort to further reduce engineering and production cost of its EECP® products, the Company moved the operations of LET from Foshan, China to Biox in Wuxi, China, and closed LET in 2018.

 

In April 2014, the Company entered into a cooperation agreement with Chongqing PSK-Health Sci-Tech Development Co., Ltd. (“PSK”) of Chongqing, China, the leading manufacturer of external counter pulsation, or ECP, therapy systems in China, to form a joint venture company, VSK Medical Limited (“VSK”), a Cayman Islands company, for the global marketing, sale and advancement of ECP therapy technology. The Company owns 49.9% of VSK, which commenced operations in January 2015. In March 2018, the Company terminated the cooperation agreement with PSK and sold its shares in VSK to PSK. The Company continues to cooperate with VSK by granting it distribution rights for EECP® systems in certain geographic territories of the world.

 

Management

 

The Company currently bases its headquarters in Plainview, Long Island, NY and maintains an office in Manhattan, NY. Reporting to the Board of Directors, corporate officers of the Company include the President and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), Chief Operating Officer (“COO”), and Vice President of Finance and Treasurer.

 

The management of the Company’s IT segment is led by the COO of the Company, who is also the President of VasoTechnology and NetWolves, which is based in Tampa, FL. Our VasoHealthcare IT VAR business is organized as a part of VasoTechnology and is also led by the COO, supported by several software solution sales and implementation specialists, based in Nashville, TN. The business unit works with our VasoHealthcare diagnostic imaging equipment sales team to generate leads and potential clients for the software solutions products and works with NetWolves sales and technical teams for comprehensive IT product and service offerings.

 

 

In the professional sales services segment, we sell GEHC diagnostic imaging products to our assigned market through a nationwide team of approximately 65 sales employees led by its executive team and nine regional managers who report to the President of VasoHealthcare. The operation is also supported by in-house administrative, analytic and other support staff, as well as applicable GEHC employees.

 

The equipment segment is under the direct supervision of the CEO of the Company. Sales and marketing efforts in the domestic market are led by a Vice President of national sales and service at Vasomedical Solutions, and the managers of our China subsidiaries are in charge of the development and production of all our proprietary products and marketing and sales in the international markets. We have marketed our EECP® systems internationally through distributors, including VSK Medical, in various countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America. We sell our Biox™ series and other products in China by a group of sales managers as well as through distributors covering various regions of China and other international geographies.

 

Competition

 

In the U.S. diagnostic imaging market where we sell GE products, our main competitors include Siemens, Philips, Canon, and Hologic. Key competitive factors in the market include price, quality, finance availability, delivery speed, service and support, innovation, distribution network, breadth of product and service offerings and brand name recognition. GEHC is a leading competitor in this market.

 

In the IT segment, our primary competitors in the healthcare IT VAR business are Agfa Healthcare, McKesson, Philips, Carestream Health and other independent software providers. Key competitive factors are brand recognition, quality, radiology workflow solutions, scalability and service and support capability. We are able to capitalize on the brand recognition of GEHC, a leader in healthcare software solutions. In the managed network services business our primary competition includes, but is not limited to, organizations who have a presence in most of the major markets for the following products and services: network services, managed services, security services and healthcare applications. Several of those competitors, many of which are our vendors, are: Verizon, AT&T, CenturyLink, IBM and Cisco Resellers, Siemens, Epic, small regional IT integrators and large company internal IT departments.

 

Though we believe that we are the industry leader of external counterpulsation technology, our competitors in the EECP® business are Renew Group Pte. Ltd, and PSK-Health Sci-Tech Development Co., Ltd., with which we have partnered to market our EECP® products in the international market.

 

In the ambulatory monitoring system business, there are numerous competitors of various size and strength. The Biox™ series is among the few from China with CE Mark certification for Europe, CFDA approval for China, US FDA clearances as well as Brazilian Agencia Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria (ANVISA) approval, which are among the most important qualifications to market and sell the products around the world.

 

Regulations on Medical Devices

 

As a medical device manufacturer and marketer, we are subject to extensive regulation by numerous government regulatory agencies, including the US FDA and similar foreign agencies. We are required to comply with applicable laws, regulations and standards governing the development, preclinical and clinical testing, manufacturing, quality testing, labeling, promotion, import, export, and distribution of our medical devices.

 

Compliance with Regulations in the United States

 

The Company has received appropriate US FDA premarket notification (510(k)) clearance for all its products marketed and sold in the United States, including all EECP® therapy systems and Biox™ ambulatory monitoring systems and analysis and report software. We continue to seek US FDA clearance or approval for new products prior to their introduction to the US market.

 

 

We are subject to other US FDA regulations that apply prior to and after a product is commercially released. We also are subject to periodic and random inspections by the US FDA for compliance with the current Good Manufacturing Practice, or cGMP, requirements and Quality System Regulation. The US FDA also enforces post-marketing controls that include the requirement to submit medical device reports to the agency when a manufacturer becomes aware of information suggesting that any adverse events are related to its marketed products. The FDA relies on medical device reports to identify product problems and utilizes these reports to determine, among other things, whether it should exercise its enforcement powers. The FDA also may require post-market surveillance studies for specified devices.

 

We are subject to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act’s, or FDCA’s, general controls, including establishment registration, device listing, and labeling requirements.

 

The sales and advertising of our products is subject to regulation by the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC. The FTC Act prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce. Violations of the FTC Act, such as failure to have substantiation for product claims, would subject us to a variety of enforcement actions, including compulsory process, cease and desist orders and injunctions, which can require, among other things, limits on advertising, corrective advertising, consumer redress and restitution, as well as substantial fines or other penalties.

 

As a medical device sales channel partner and product reseller to healthcare facilities, we are subject to various federal, state and local laws targeting fraud and abuse in the healthcare industry, including anti-kickback and false claims laws.

 

Foreign Regulation

 

In most countries to which we seek to export our medical devices, a local regulatory clearance must be obtained. The regulatory review process varies from country to country and can be complex, costly, uncertain, and time-consuming. Our medical devices, including EECP® systems and Biox™ series products, are all manufactured in accordance with ISO 13485 (Medical device – Quality management systems – Requirement for regulatory purpose), an internationally agreed standard that sets out the requirements for a quality management system specific to the medical devices industry. All our current medical devices have obtained necessary clearances or approvals prior to their release in the appropriate jurisdictions, including CE marking certification for European Union countries, China FDA (CFDA) approval for mainland China, Korean FDA (KFDA) approval for South Korea, Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA) approval for Brazil, Taiwan FDA (TFDA) for Taiwan, and the Saudi SFDA (MDMA) for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

 

We are also subject to audits by organizations authorized by foreign countries to determine compliance with laws, regulations and standards that apply to the commercialization of our products in those markets. Examples include auditing by a European Union Notified Body organization (authorized by a member state’s Competent Authority) to determine conformity with the Medical Device Directives (MDD) and by an organization authorized by the Brazilian government to determine conformity with the ANVISA requirement.

 

Patient Privacy

 

Federal and state laws protect the confidentiality of certain patient health information, including patient records, and restrict the use and disclosure of that protected information. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published patient privacy rules under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA privacy rule) and the regulation was finalized in October 2002. Currently, the HIPAA privacy rule affects us only indirectly in that patient data that we access, collect and analyze may include protected health information. Additionally, we have signed some Business Associate Agreements with Covered Entities that contractually bind us to protect private health information, consistent with the HIPAA privacy rule’s requirements. We do not expect the costs and impact of the HIPAA privacy rule to be material to our business.

 

 

Regulations in the IT Business

 

As a reseller of telecommunication services and network solutions provider, our products and services are subject to federal, state and local regulations. These regulations govern, in part, our rates and the way we conduct our business, including the requirement to offer telecommunications services pursuant to nondiscriminatory rates, terms, and conditions, the obligation to safeguard the confidentiality of customer proprietary network information, as well as the obligation to maintain specialized records and file reports with the Federal Communications Commission  and state regulatory authorities. While we believe we are in compliance with laws and regulations in jurisdictions where we do business, we continue to monitor and assess our compliance.

 

The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) exercises jurisdiction over services and regulates interstate and international communications in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S territories. As an independent U.S. government agency overseen by Congress, the commission is the United States' primary authority for communications laws, regulation and technological innovation.

 

We maintain Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity in all 50 states, which enable us to provide services within each state. We are therefore subject to regulation from the Public Utility Commissions in each state.

 

Intellectual Properties

 

In addition to other methods of protecting our proprietary technology, know-how and show-how as well as trade secrets, we pursue a policy of seeking patent protection, both in the US and abroad, for our proprietary technologies including those in EECP®, Biox™ and MobiCare™ products.

 

We own four US utility patents that expire at various times through 2023. We will from time to time file other patent applications regarding specific enhancements to the current EECP® models, future generation products, and methods of treatment in the future. Moreover, trademarks have been registered for the names “Vaso”, “EECP”, “AngioNew”, “Natural Bypass”, “Vasomedical”, “Vasomedical EECP”, “VasoGlobal”, “VasoSolutions”, “VasoHealthcare”.

 

Through our China-based subsidiaries, we own sixteen invention and utility patents in China that expire at various times through 2028, as well as fourteen software copyright certificates in China related to proprietary technologies in physiological data acquisition, analysis and reporting.  We also have eight registered trademarks in China for our products.

 

Through our Netwolves subsidiary we hold a patent for Secure and Remote Monitoring Management (“SRM”) and we hold trademarks “NetWolves”, “SRM”, and “Wolfpac”.

 

There can be no assurance that our patents will not be violated or that any issued patents will provide protection that has commercial significance. As with any patented technology, litigation could be necessary to protect our patent position. Such litigation can be costly and time-consuming, and there can be no assurance that we will be successful.

 

Employees

 

As of December 31, 2018, we employed 317 full-time persons, of which 15 are employed through our facility in Plainview, New York, 88 through VasoHealthcare, 15 through VasoHealthcare IT, 137 through our Netwolves operations, and 62 in our China operations. None of our employees are represented by a labor union. We believe that our employee relations are good.

 

The Company also uses several part-time employees and consultants from time to time for various purposes.

 

 

Manufacturing

 

The Company conducts manufacturing activities primarily through its Biox facilities in China, while maintaining certain manufacturing capability in the Plainview, NY location to satisfy certain domestic and international needs for the EECP® systems. The Biox facilities manufacture EECP® systems, ambulatory monitoring devices and other medical devices.

 

All manufacturing operations are conducted under the cGMP requirements as set forth in the FDA Quality System Regulation as well as ISO 13485 (Medical device – Quality management systems – Requirement for regulatory purpose), an internationally agreed standard that sets out the requirements for a quality management system specific to the medical devices industry. We are also certified to conform to full quality assurance system requirements of the EU Medical Device Directive (MDD 93/42/EEC Annex II) and can apply CE marking to all of our current product models. Lastly, we are certified to comply with the requirements of the Brazilian Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA). All these regulations and standards subject us to inspections to verify compliance and require us to maintain documentation and controls for the manufacturing and quality activities.

 

We believe our manufacturing capacity and warehouse facility are adequate to meet the current and immediately foreseeable future demand for the production of our medical devices. We believe our suppliers of the other medical devices we distribute or represent are capable of meeting our demand for the foreseeable future.

 

ITEM 1A - RISK FACTORS

 

You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with the information included elsewhere in this Report on Form 10K. The risks and uncertainties described below are those we have identified as material, but are not the only risks and uncertainties facing us. Our business is also subject to general risks and uncertainties that affect many other companies, such as market conditions, geopolitical events, changes in laws or accounting rules, fluctuation in interest rates, terrorism, wars or conflicts, major health concerns, natural disasters or other disruptions of expected economic or business conditions. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial also may impair our business, including our results of operations, liquidity and financial position.

 

Financial Risks

 

Ability to achieve profitability and meet obligations as they come due

 

We have reported a net loss of $3,734,000 for the year ended December 31, 2018 as compared to a net loss of $4,539,000 for the year ended December 31, 2017. These losses were primarily attributable to operating losses in our IT segment and lower volume of products delivered by our partner in our professional sales service segment since we cannot recognize revenue until the underlying products of orders we booked are actually delivered to customers. We maintain lines of credit from a lending institution which will require further extensions after their current June 28, 2019 maturity date. These events raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our ability to continue operating as a going concern is dependent upon achieving profitability, extending the maturity date of our existing lines of credit, or through additional debt or equity financing. Achieving profitability is largely dependent on our ability to reduce operating costs and to maintain or increase our current revenue. While we believe we will continue to maintain or increase our gross revenue and are in the process of reducing operating costs, and while historically we have received extensions of the maturity dates of our lines of credit, failure to achieve these objectives could cast doubt on our ability to continue as a going concern.

 

 

Risks Related to Our Business

 

We currently derive a significant amount of our revenue and segment operating income from our agreement with GEHC.

 

On May 19, 2010, we signed a sales representation agreement with GEHC. Under the GEHC Agreement, we have been appointed the exclusive representative for these products to specific market segments in the 48 contiguous states of the United States and the District of Columbia. The GEHC Agreement had an initial term of three years commencing July 1, 2010 and in 2012 was extended for two additional years to June 30, 2015. In December 2014, the agreement was extended again through December 31, 2018. In December 2017, the agreement was further extended through December 31, 2022, including the right to terminate without cause with certain conditions.

 

A significant amount of our revenue and segment operating income arise from activities under this agreement. Moreover, our growth depends partially on the territories, customer segments and product modalities assigned to us by GEHC, and thus relies on our ability to demonstrate our added value as a channel partner, and maintaining a positive relationship with GEHC. There is no assurance that the agreement will not be terminated prior to its expiration pursuant to its termination provisions, or will not extended beyond the current expiry. Should GEHC terminate the agreement, it would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

 

We face competition from other companies and technologies.

 

In all segments of our business we compete with other companies that market technologies, products and services in the global marketplace. We do not know whether these companies, or other potential competitors who may succeed in developing technologies, products or services that are more efficient or effective than those offered by us, and that would render our technology and existing products obsolete or non-competitive. Potential new competitors may also have substantially greater financial, manufacturing and marketing resources than those possessed by us. In addition, other technologies or products may be developed that have an entirely different approach or means of accomplishing the intended purpose of our products. Accordingly, the life cycles of our products are difficult to estimate. To compete successfully, we must keep pace with technological advancements, respond to evolving consumer requirements and achieve market acceptance.

 

We depend on management and other key personnel.

 

We are dependent on a limited number of key management and technical personnel. The loss of one or more of our key employees may harm our business if we are unable to identify other individuals to provide us with similar services. We do not maintain “key person” insurance on any of our employees. In addition, our success depends upon our ability to attract and retain additional highly qualified management, sales, IT, manufacturing and research and development personnel in our various operations. The competition for IT personnel is intense.

 

We may not continue to receive necessary FDA clearances or approvals, which could hinder our ability to market and sell certain products.

 

If we modify our medical devices and the modifications significantly affect safety or effectiveness, or if we make a change to the intended use, we will be required to submit a new premarket notification (510(k)) or premarket approval (PMA) application to the FDA. We would not be able to market the modified device in the U.S. until the FDA issues a clearance for the 510(k).

 

If we offer new products that require 510(k) clearance or a PMA, we will not be able to commercially distribute those products until we receive such clearance or approval. Regulatory agency approval or clearance for a product may not be received or may entail limitations on the device’s indications for use that could limit the potential market for the product. Delays in receipt of, or failure to obtain or maintain, regulatory clearances and approvals, could delay or prevent our ability to market or distribute our products. Such delays could have a material adverse effect on our equipment business.

 

 

If we are unable to comply with applicable governmental regulations, we may not be able to continue certain of our operations.

 

As a reseller of telecommunication services and network solutions provider, our products and services are subject to federal, state and local regulations. These regulations govern, in part, our rates and the way we conduct our business, including the requirement to offer telecommunications services pursuant to nondiscriminatory rates, terms, and conditions, the obligation to safeguard the confidentiality of customer proprietary network information, as well as the obligation to maintain specialized records and file reports with the Federal Communications Commission and state regulatory authorities. While we believe we are in compliance with laws and regulations in jurisdictions where we do business, we must continue to monitor and assess our compliance.

 

We also must comply with current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements as set forth in the Quality System Regulation to receive US FDA approval to market new products and to continue to market current products. Most states also have similar regulatory and enforcement authority for medical devices.

 

Our operations in China are also subject to the laws of the People’s Republic of China with which we must be in compliance in order to conduct these operations.

 

We are subject to various federal, state and local laws targeting fraud and abuse in the healthcare industry, including anti-kickback and false claims laws.

 

We cannot predict the nature of any future laws, regulations, interpretations, or applications, nor can we predict what effect additional governmental regulations or administrative orders, either domestically or internationally, when and if promulgated, would have on our business in the future. We may be slow to adapt, or we may never adapt to changes in existing requirements or adoption of new requirements or policies. We may incur significant costs to comply with laws and regulations in the future or compliance with laws or regulations may create an unsustainable burden on our business.

 

We have foreign operations and are subject to the associated risks of doing business in foreign countries.

 

The Company continues to have operations in China. Operating internationally involves additional risks relating to such things as currency exchange rates, different legal and regulatory environments, political, economic risks relating to the stability or predictability of foreign governments, differences in the manner in which different cultures do business, difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations, differences in financial reporting, operating difficulties, and other factors. The occurrence of any of these risks, if severe enough, could have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company.

 

Commercial law is still developing in China and there are limited legal precedents to follow in commercial transactions. There are many tax jurisdictions each of which may have changing tax laws. Applicable taxes include value added taxes (“VAT”), enterprise income tax (“EIT”), and social (payroll) taxes. Regulations are often unclear. Tax declarations (reports) are subject to review and taxing authorities may impose fines, penalties and interest. These facts create risks for our operations in China.

 

We depend on several suppliers for the supply of certain products.

 

As a GEHC channel partner, we could be negatively impacted by interruptions or delays to equipment installations, production and quality issues, and any customer concerns related to GEHC. With respect to our proprietary medical products we now manufacture our own products primarily through our China based facilities, and we depend on certain independent suppliers for parts, components and certain finished goods.

 

 

We may not have adequate intellectual property protection.

 

Our patents and proprietary technology may not be able to prevent competition by others. The validity and breadth of claims in technology patents involve complex legal and factual questions. Future patent applications may not be issued, the scope of any patent protection may not exclude competitors, and our patents may not provide competitive advantages to us. Our patents may be found to be invalid and other companies may claim rights in or ownership of the patents and other proprietary rights held or licensed by us. Also, our existing patents may not cover products that we develop in the future. Moreover, when our patents expire, the inventions will enter the public domain. There can be no assurance that our patents will not be violated or that any issued patents will provide protection that has commercial significance. Litigation may be necessary to protect our patent position. Such litigation may be costly and time-consuming, and there can be no assurance that we will be successful in such litigation.

 

The loss or violation of certain of our patents and trademarks could have a material adverse effect upon our business.

 

Since patent applications in the United States are maintained in secrecy until such patent applications are issued, our current product development may infringe patents that may be issued to others. If our products were found to infringe patents held by competitors, we may have to modify our products to avoid infringement, and it is possible that our modified products would not be commercially successful.

 

Risks Related to Our Industries

 

Our growth could suffer if the markets into which we sell products decline, do not grow as anticipated or experience cyclicality.

 

Our growth depends in part on the growth of the IT and healthcare markets which we serve. In our professional sales services segment, our quarterly sales and profits depend significantly on the volume and timing of delivery of the underlying equipment of the orders we booked during the quarter, and the delivery of such products is difficult to forecast since it is largely dependent on GEHC. Product demand is dependent upon the customer’s capital spending budget as well as government funding policies, and matters of public policy as well as product and economic cycles that can affect the spending decisions of these entities. These factors could adversely affect our growth, financial position, and results of operations.

 

Technological change is difficult to predict and to manage.

 

We face the challenges that are typically faced by companies in the IT and medical device fields. Our products and services may require substantial development efforts and compliance with governmental clearance or approval requirements. We may encounter unforeseen technological or scientific problems that force abandonment or substantial change in the development of a specific product or process.

 

We are subject to product liability claims and product recalls that may not be covered by insurance.

 

The nature of our manufacturing operations exposes us to risks of product liability claims and product recalls. Medical devices as complex as ours frequently experience errors or failures, especially when first introduced or when new versions are released.

 

We currently maintain product liability insurance at $8,000,000 per occurrence and $8,000,000 in the aggregate. Our product liability insurance may not be adequate. In the future, insurance coverage may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. In addition, product liability claims or product recalls could damage our reputation even if we have adequate insurance coverage.

 

We do not know the effects of healthcare reform proposals.

 

The healthcare industry is undergoing fundamental changes resulting from political, economic and regulatory influences. In the United States, the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) is designed to provide increased access to healthcare for the uninsured, control the escalation of healthcare expenditures within the economy and use healthcare reimbursement policies to balance the federal budget.

 

 

The United States Congress already has changed the ACA. We expect that there could be more changes or even a repeal of the ACA. In any event, we anticipate that there will continue to be a number of federal and state proposals to constrain expenditures for medical products and services, which may affect payments for products such as ours. We cannot predict which, if any of such proposals will be adopted and when they might be effective, or the effect these proposals may have on our business. Other countries also are considering health reform. Significant changes in healthcare systems could have a substantial impact on the manner in which we conduct our business and could require us to revise our strategies.

 

Risks Related to our Securities

 

The application of the "penny stock" rules could adversely affect the market price of our common stock and increase your transaction costs to sell those shares.

 

As long as the trading price of our common shares is below $5 per share, the open-market trading of our common shares will be subject to the "penny stock" rules. The "penny stock" rules impose additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell securities to persons other than established customers and accredited investors (generally those with assets in excess of $1,000,000 or annual income exceeding $200,000 or $300,000 together with their spouse). For transactions covered by these rules, the broker-dealer must make a special suitability determination for the purchase of securities and have received the purchaser's written consent to the transaction before the purchase. Additionally, for any transaction involving a penny stock, unless exempt, the broker-dealer must deliver, before the transaction, a disclosure schedule prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the penny stock market. The broker-dealer also must disclose the commissions payable to both the broker-dealer and the registered representative and current quotations for the securities. Finally, monthly statements must be sent disclosing recent price information on the limited market in penny stocks. These additional burdens imposed on broker-dealers restrict the ability and decrease the willingness of broker-dealers to sell our common shares, which we believe results in decreased liquidity for our common shares as well as increased transaction costs for sales and purchases of our common shares as compared to other securities.

 

Our common stock is subject to price volatility.

 

The market price of our common stock historically has been and may continue to be highly volatile. Our stock price could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors beyond our control, including, but not limited to:

 

 

Our future operating results may fall below the expectations of securities industry analysts or investors. Any such shortfall could result in a significant decline in the market price of our common stock. In addition, the stock market has experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that have affected the market price of the stock of many medical device companies and that often have been unrelated to the operating performance of such companies. These broad market fluctuations may directly influence the market price of our common stock.

 

We do not intend to pay dividends in the foreseeable future.

 

We do not intend to pay any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.

 

 

Additional Information

 

We are subject to the reporting requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are required to file reports and information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including reports on the following forms: annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports files or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Act of 1934.

 

ITEM 2 – PROPERTIES

 

The Company leases its headquarters at an 8,700 square foot facility at 137 Commercial Street, Plainview, New York 11803, under a lease with a term that expires on September 15, 2022 and with a base annual rental of approximately $69,000. The Company’s NetWolves unit leases a 16,200 square foot facility in Tampa, Florida, under a lease expiring in May 2020 with an annual rental of approximately $174,000. VHC-IT leases a 3,500 square foot facility in Nashville, Tennessee pursuant to a one-year lease expiring April 2019 with an annual rental of $49,000. The Company is evaluating possible renewal options and believes sufficient space is available at similar cost in Nashville. We believe that our current facilities are adequate for foreseeable current and future needs.

 

We also lease approximately 1,500 square feet of office space in New York City under a lease that expires on May 31, 2020. The annual base rent for this lease is approximately $58,000.

 

We lease our engineering and production facilities in China. Specifically, we lease approximately 20,400 square feet under leases expiring in September 2019, August 2020, September 2020, and December 2020 at an aggregate annual cost of approximately $75,000 in Wuxi, China. Such leases are renewable upon expiration.

 

 

 

 

PART II

 

Our common stock currently trades on the OTC Market under the symbol VASO. The number of record holders of common stock as of March 31, 2019, was approximately 900, which does not include approximately 8,500 beneficial owners of shares held in the name of brokers or other nominees. The table below sets forth the range of high and low trade prices of the common stock for the fiscal periods specified.

 

	Year ended December 31, 2018		Year ended December 31, 2017
	High	Low	High	Low
First quarter	$0.07	$0.05	$0.14	$0.09
Second quarter	$0.06	$0.04	$0.11	$0.09
Third quarter	$0.05	$0.03	$0.09	$0.07
Fourth quarter	$0.05	$0.02	$0.08	$0.05

 

The last bid price of the Company's common stock on March 29, 2019, was $0.04 per share.

 

Dividend Policy

 

We have never paid any cash dividends on our common stock and do not intend to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

 

 

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contains descriptions of our expectations regarding future trends affecting our business. These forward looking statements and other forward-looking statements made elsewhere in this document are made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Please read the section titled “Risk Factors” in “Item One – Business” to review certain conditions, among others, which we believe could cause results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements.

 

Except for historical information contained in this report, the matters discussed are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. When used in this report, words such as “anticipates”, “believes”, “could”, “estimates”, “expects”, “may”, “plans”, “potential” and “intends” and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of the Company’s management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company’s management. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: the effect of business and economic conditions; the effect of the dramatic changes taking place in IT and healthcare; continuation of the GEHC agreements; the impact of competitive technology and products and their pricing; medical insurance reimbursement policies; unexpected manufacturing or supplier problems; unforeseen difficulties and delays in the conduct of clinical trials and other product development programs; the actions of regulatory authorities and third-party payers in the United States and overseas; and the risk factors reported from time to time in the Company’s SEC reports. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements as a result of future events or developments.

 

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

 

Overview

 

Vaso Corporation (formerly Vasomedical, Inc.) (“Vaso”) was incorporated in Delaware in July 1987. We principally operate in three distinct business segments in the healthcare equipment and information technology industries. We manage and evaluate our operations, and report our financial results, through these three business segments.

 

 

 

.

VasoTechnology

 

VasoTechnology, Inc. was formed in May 2015, at the time the Company acquired all of the assets of NetWolves, LLC and its affiliates, including the membership interests in NetWolves Network Services LLC (collectively, “NetWolves”), to address a major issue facing the healthcare IT industry. It currently consists of a managed network and security service division (NetWolves) and a healthcare IT application VAR (value added reseller) division (VasoHealthcare IT). Its current offering includes:

 

 

VasoTechnology uses a combination of proprietary technology, methodology and best-in-class third-party applications to deliver its value proposition.

 

VasoHealthcare

 

VasoHealthcare commenced operations in 2010, in conjunction with the Company’s execution of its exclusive sales representation agreement with GEHC, which is the healthcare business division of the General Electric Company (“GE”), to further the sale of certain medical capital equipment in domestic market segments. Sales of GEHC equipment by the Company have grown significantly since then.

 

VasoHealthcare’s current offering consists of:

 

 

VasoHealthcare has built a team of over 80 highly experienced sales professionals who utilize highly focused sales management and analytic tools to manage the complete sales process and to increase market penetration.

 

 

VasoMedical

 

The proprietary medical equipment business now all under VasoMedical traces back to 1995 when the Company began the external counterpulsation technology in the United States. Vasomedical Global was formed in 2011 to combine and coordinate the various international operations including design, development, manufacturing, and sales of medical devices, while domestic activities are under Vasomedical Solutions. These devices primarily consist of cardiovascular diagnostic and therapeutic systems. Its current offering consists of:

 

 

This segment uses its extensive cardiovascular device knowledge coupled with its engineering resources to cost effectively create and market its proprietary technology. It sells and services its products to domestic customers directly and sells and/or services its products in the international market mainly through independent distributors.

 

Going concern assessment

 

We have incurred net losses from operations for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, and we maintain lines of credit from a lending institution and these lines of credit will require further extensions after their current June 28, 2019 maturity date. These events raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our ability to continue operating as a going concern is dependent upon achieving profitability, extending the maturity date of our existing lines of credit, or through additional debt or equity financing. Achieving profitability is largely dependent on our ability to reduce operating costs and to maintain or increase our current revenue. While we believe we will continue to maintain or increase our gross revenue and are in the process of reducing operating costs, and while historically we have received extensions of the maturity dates of our lines of credit, failure to achieve these objectives could cast doubt on our ability to continue as a going concern.

 

Strategic Plan and Objectives

Our short- and long-term plans for the growth of the Company and to increase stockholder value are:

 

 

Results of Operations – For the Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

Total revenues increased by $1,192,000, or 2%, to $73,980,000 in the year ended December 31, 2018, from $72,788,000 in the year ended December 31, 2017. We reported a net loss of $3,734,000 for the year ended December 31, 2018 as compared to a net loss of $4,539,000 for the year ended December 31, 2017, a decrease in loss of $805,000. The decrease in net loss was primarily due to higher gross profit, the gain on sale of our investment in the VSK joint venture, and the change from income tax expense to income tax benefit. Our net loss was $0.02 and $0.03 per basic and diluted common share for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

 

 

Revenues

 

Revenue in the IT segment was $44,228,000 for the year ended December 31, 2018 as compared to $42,581,000 for the prior year, an increase of $1,647,000, or 4%, of which $1,372,000 was attributable to growth in NetWolves revenues, and $275,000 to growth in VHC-IT revenues. At December 31, 2018 VHC-IT had an order backlog exceeding $13.5 million.

 

Commission revenues in the professional sales service segment decreased by $932,000, or 4%, to $25,511,000 in the year ended December 31, 2018, as compared to $26,443,000 in the year ended December 31, 2017. The decrease was primarily due to lower volume of GEHC equipment delivered in 2018, as well as by lower blended commission rates for the equipment delivered in 2018. As discussed in Note B to the financial statements, the Company defers recognition of commission revenue until the underlying equipment is delivered. As of December 31, 2018, the Company recorded on its consolidated balance sheet for this segment a decrease of $5,028,000, or 23%, in deferred commission revenue to $17,098,000, of which $7,200,000 is long-term, compared to $22,126,000 of deferred commission revenue at December 31, 2017, of which $7,115,000 was long-term. The decrease in deferred revenue is due principally to lower total orders booked during the year, partially offset by the decrease in equipment deliveries over the same period.

 

Revenue in our equipment segment increased 13% to $4,241,000 for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $3,764,000 for the year ended December 31, 2017, as a result of an increase in equipment sales of $491,000, or 18%, to $3,151,000 for the year ended December 31, 2018, as compared to $2,660,000 for the year ended December 31, 2017, and a decrease in equipment rentals and services revenue of $14,000, or 1%, to $1,090,000 in the year ended December 31, 2018 from $1,104,000 in the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase in equipment sales is due primarily to increased deliveries at our China operations, as well as an 8% increase in sales in our U.S. operations, resulting from higher software deliveries. The decrease in revenue generated from equipment rentals and services is due primarily to lower recognition of service contract revenues. As of December 31, 2018, the Company recorded on its consolidated balance sheet for this segment $988,000 of deferred revenue, of which $503,000 is long-term, compared to $941,000 of deferred revenue at December 31, 2017, of which $411,000 was long-term, an increase of $47,000 or 5%. The increase in deferred revenue is due principally to a higher mix of multi-year service contracts sold during the year.

 

Gross Profit

 

The Company recorded gross profit of $41,124,000, or 56% of revenue, for the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to $40,731,000, or 56% of revenue, for the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase of $393,000, or 1%, was due primarily to a $756,000 increase in the IT segment and a $102,000 increase in the equipment segment resulting primarily from higher revenues, partially offset by a $465,000 decrease in the professional sales service segment.

 

IT segment gross profit increased to $18,379,000, or 42% of segment revenues, for the year ended December 31, 2018 as compared to $17,623,000, or 41% of segment revenues, in the prior year, an increase of $756,000, of which $513,000 was attributable to VHC-IT resulting from both higher revenues and higher gross profit rate, and $243,000 was attributable to NetWolves, resulting from increased revenues.

 

Professional sales service segment gross profit was $20,165,000, or 79% of the segment revenues, for the year ended December 31, 2018, a decrease of $465,000, or 2%, from segment gross profit of $20,630,000, or 78% of the segment revenue, for the year ended December 31, 2017. The decrease in gross profit was due primarily to lower recognized revenue in 2018 as a result of a decrease in equipment delivery volume and by lower blended commission rates on the equipment delivered during the year. Cost of commissions decreased by $467,000, or 8%, to $5,346,000 for the year ended December 31, 2018, as compared to cost of commissions of $5,813,000 in 2017. The decrease is also due primarily to lower delivery volume. Cost of commissions reflects commission expense associated with recognized commission revenues. Commission expense associated with deferred revenue is recorded as deferred commission expense until the related commission revenue is earned.

 

Equipment segment gross profit increased to $2,580,000, or 61% of equipment segment revenues, for the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to $2,478,000, or 66% of equipment segment revenues, for the year ended December 31, 2017, due to higher sales volume, partially offset by lower average selling prices. Equipment segment gross profits are dependent on a number of factors including the mix of products sold, their respective models and average selling prices, the ongoing costs of servicing EECP® systems, as well as certain fixed period costs, including facilities, payroll and insurance.

 

 

Operating Loss

 

Operating loss was $3,724,000 for the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to operating loss of $3,832,000 for the year ended December 31, 2017, a decrease in loss of $108,000. The improvement was primarily attributable to the decrease in operating loss in the equipment segment from $1,066,000 in the year ended December 31, 2017 to $812,000 in the year ended December 31, 2018, due to higher gross profit and lower operating expenses in the segment. The 2018 professional sales service segment operating income of $1,958,000 was essentially flat as compared to 2017 operating income of $1,954,000, as reductions in gross profit were largely matched by reductions in SG&A costs. IT segment operating loss increased to $3,748,000 for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $3,375,000 for the prior year, an increase of $373,000. The increase was attributable to a $408,000 higher operating loss at NetWolves primarily due to increased spending on infrastructure and engineering efforts, and to higher sales expenses incurred in building its order backlog for future delivery, partially offset by a $35,000 lower operating loss at VHC-IT due to higher gross profit. The healthcare IT VAR business continues to grow as reflected in the significant increase in order volume and backlog, which we anticipate to continue to grow and convert to revenue, resulting in improvement in operating performance.

 

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 were $43,962,000, or 59% of revenues, and $43,618,000, or 60% of revenues, respectively, reflecting an increase of $344,000 or less than 1%. The increase in SG&A expenditures in the year ended December 31, 2018 resulted primarily from a $1,336,000 increase in the IT segment due to increased personnel and bad debt costs, partially offset by a $468,000 decrease in the professional sales service segment attributable mainly to lower sales personnel-related cost, and a $300,000 decrease in the equipment segment, and by $223,000 lower corporate expenses.

 

Research and development (R&D) expenses of $886,000, or 1% of revenues, for the year ended December 31, 2018 decreased by $59,000, or 6%, from $945,000, or 1% of revenues, for the year ended December 31, 2017. The decrease is primarily attributable to lower new product development costs in the NetWolves operation.

 

Adjusted EBITDA

 

We define Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization), which is a non-GAAP financial measure, as net (loss) income, plus net interest expense (income), tax expense, depreciation and amortization, and non-cash expenses for share-based compensation.  Adjusted EBITDA is a metric that is used by the investment community for comparative and valuation purposes. We disclose this metric in order to support and facilitate the dialogue with research analysts and investors.

 

Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) and should not be considered a substitute for operating income, which we consider to be the most directly comparable GAAP measure. Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and when assessing our operating performance, you should not consider Adjusted EBITDA in isolation, or as a substitute for net income or other consolidated income statement data prepared in accordance with GAAP. Other companies may calculate Adjusted EBITDA differently than we do, limiting its usefulness as a comparative measure.

  

 

	(in thousands)
	Year ended December 31,
	2018	2017
Net loss	$(3,734)	$(4,539)
Interest expense (income), net	727	651
Income tax (benefit) expense	(385)	134
Depreciation and amortization	2,522	2,426
Share-based compensation	313	514
Adjusted EBITDA	$(557)	$(814)

 

Adjusted EBITDA increased by $257,000, to $(557,000) in the year ended December 31, 2018 from $(814,000) in the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase was primarily attributable to the lower net loss, partially offset by the change from income tax expense to income tax benefit and by lower share-based compensation as compared to the prior year.

 

Other Income (Expense), Net

 

Other income (expense), net for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, was $(395,000) and $(573,000), respectively, a decrease in net expense of $178,000. The decrease was due primarily to the $212,000 gain on sale of our investment in the VSK joint venture and $42,000 higher other income, primarily value-added tax refunds in our China operations, partially offset by $76,000 higher interest expense on our lines of credit and financed equipment purchases.

 

Income Tax (Benefit) Expense

 

During the year ended December 31, 2018, we recorded income tax benefit of $(385,000), as compared to income tax expense of $134,000 in the year ended December 31, 2017. The Company utilized no net operating loss carryforwards for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017. The change from income tax expense in 2017 to income tax benefit in 2018 arose primarily from the impact of the change in the carryforward period for 2018 net operating losses from 20 years to indefinitely on deferred tax liabilities arising from goodwill generated by the NetWolves acquisition. The Company has net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $46 million at December 31, 2018.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

Cash and Cash Flow – For the year ended December 31, 2018

 

We have financed our operations and investment activities primarily from working capital and additional borrowings. At December 31, 2018, we had cash and cash equivalents of $2,668,000 and negative working capital of $16,179,000. $7,797,000 in negative working capital at December 31, 2018 is attributable to the net balance of deferred commission expense and deferred revenue. These are non-cash expense and revenue items and have no impact on future cash flows. At March 31, 2019 the Company’s cash and cash equivalents were approximately $2.0 million.

 

Cash used by operating activities was $1,453,000 during the year ended December 31, 2018, which consisted of net loss after non-cash adjustments of $984,000 and cash used by changes in operating assets and liabilities of $469,000. The changes in the account balances primarily reflect decreases in deferred revenue and accrued commissions of $4,981,000 and $599,000, respectively, partially offset by decreases in accounts and other receivables and deferred commission expense of $1,725,000 and $1,174,000, respectively.

 

Cash used in investing activities during the year ended December 31, 2018 was $2,586,000 for the purchase of equipment and software, partially offset by $311,000 in proceeds from the sale of our investment in the VSK joint venture.

 

 

Cash provided by financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2018 was $1,141,000, primarily attributable to $778,000 in additional borrowings on our lines of credit, a $21,000 note issued to purchase equipment, and $500,000 in notes issued to related parties, partially offset by $156,000 in note and capital lease payments.

 

Liquidity

 

We have incurred net losses from operations for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, and we maintain lines of credit from a lending institution which will require further extensions after their current June 28, 2019 maturity date. These events raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our ability to continue operating as a going concern is dependent upon achieving profitability, extending the maturity date of our existing lines of credit, or through additional debt or equity financing. Achieving profitability is largely dependent on our ability to reduce operating costs and to maintain or increase our current revenue. While we believe we will continue to maintain or increase our gross revenue and are in the process of reducing costs, and while historically we have received extensions of the maturity dates of our lines of credit, failure to achieve these objectives could cast doubt on our ability to continue as a going concern.

 

 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

We do not participate in transactions that generate relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities (SPES), which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes. As of December 31, 2018, we are not involved in any unconsolidated SPES or other off-balance sheet arrangements.

 

Effects of Inflation

 

We believe that inflation and changing prices over the past two years have not had a significant impact on our revenue or on our results of operations.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

 

Note B of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements includes a summary of our significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of our financial statements. In preparing these financial statements, we have made our best estimates and judgments of certain amounts included in the financial statements, giving due consideration to materiality. The application of these accounting policies involves the exercise of judgment and use of assumptions as to future uncertainties and, as a result, actual results could differ from these estimates. Our critical accounting policies and estimates are as follows:

 

Revenue Recognition

 

In the first quarter of 2018, we adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). ASU 2014-09, as amended, replaced most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP.

 

This new guidance requires certain judgments and estimates in implementing its five-step process to be followed in determining the amount and timing of revenue recognition and related disclosures. Refer to Note B of the notes to consolidated financial statements for further discussion regarding significant judgments involved in our application of ASC 606.

 

 

Inventories, net

 

We value inventories in the equipment segment at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with cost being determined on a first-in, first-out basis. The Company occasionally places EECP® systems and other medical device products at various field locations for demonstration, training, evaluation, and other similar purposes at no charge. The cost of these EECP® systems and other products is transferred to property and equipment and is amortized over the next two to five years. The Company records the cost of refurbished components of EECP® systems and critical components at cost plus the cost of refurbishment. The Company regularly reviews inventory quantities on hand, particularly raw materials and components, and records a provision for excess and slow moving inventory based primarily on existing and anticipated design and engineering changes to its products as well as forecasts of future product demand.

 

In our IT Segment, we purchase computer hardware and software for specific customer requirements and value such inventories at the lower of cost or estimated market, with cost being determined on the specific identification method.

 

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

 

Goodwill represents the excess of cost over the fair value of net assets of businesses acquired. The Company accounts for goodwill under the guidance of the ASC Topic 350, “Intangibles: Goodwill and Other”. Goodwill acquired in a purchase business combination and determined to have an indefinite useful life is not amortized, but instead tested for impairment, at least annually, in accordance with this guidance. The recoverability of goodwill is subject to an annual impairment test or whenever an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not result in an impairment. The impairment test is based on the estimated fair value of the underlying businesses and performed in the fourth quarter of each year. Intangible assets consist of the value of customer contracts and relationships, patent and technology costs, and software. The cost of significant customer-related intangibles is amortized in proportion to estimated total related revenue; cost of other intangible assets is generally amortized on a straight-line basis over the asset's estimated economic life, which range from five to ten years. The Company capitalizes internal use software costs incurred during the application development stage. Costs related to preliminary project activities and post implementation activities are expensed as incurred.

 

Deferred Revenues

 

For the professional sales service segment, amounts billable under the agreement with GE Healthcare in advance of customer acceptance of the equipment are recorded initially as deferred revenue, and commission revenue is subsequently recognized as customer acceptance of such equipment is reported to us by GEHC.

 

For the equipment segment, we record revenue on extended service contracts ratably over the term of the related contract period. In accordance with the provisions of ASC Topic 606, we defer revenue related to EECP® system sales for the fair value of installation and in-service training to the period when the services are rendered and for warranty obligations ratably over the service period, which is generally one year.

 

Income Taxes

 

Deferred income taxes are recognized for temporary differences between financial statement and income tax bases of assets and liabilities and loss carry forwards for which income tax benefits are expected to be realized in future years. A valuation allowance is established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. In estimating future tax consequences, we generally consider all expected future events other than an enactment of changes in the tax laws or rates. Deferred tax assets are continually evaluated for realizability. To the extent our judgment regarding the realization of the deferred tax assets changes, an adjustment to the allowance is recorded, with an offsetting increase or decrease, as appropriate, in income tax expense. Such adjustments are recorded in the period in which our estimate as to the realizability of the assets changed that it is “more likely than not” that all of the deferred tax assets will be realized. The “more likely than not” standard is subjective and is based upon our estimate of a greater than 50% probability that the deferred tax asset will be realized.

 

 

We also comply with the provisions of the ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes”, which prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. Based on its analysis, the Company has determined that it has not incurred any liability for unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. No amounts were accrued for the payment of interest and penalties at December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017. Management is currently unaware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviations from its position.

 

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

 

Note B of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements includes a description of the Company’s evaluation of recently issued accounting pronouncements.

 

ITEM 8 - FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

The consolidated financial statements listed in the accompanying Index to Consolidated Financial Statements are filed as part of this report.

 

ITEM 9A - CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Report on Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

Disclosure controls and procedures reporting as promulgated under the Exchange Act is defined as controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act are recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

 

Our CEO and our CFO have evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2018 and have concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2018.

 

Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

 

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the Company as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act. Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Internal control involves maintaining records that accurately represent our business transactions, providing reasonable assurance that receipts and expenditures of company assets are made in accordance with management authorization, and providing reasonable assurance that unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of company assets that could have a material effect on our financial statements would be detected or prevented on a timely basis.

 

Because of its innate limitations, internal control over our financial statements is not intended to provide absolute guarantee that a misstatement can be detected or prevented on the statements. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation. Also projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in condition, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

 

 

Management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 COSO framework). A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

 

Based on this evaluation and those criteria, the Company’s CEO and CFO concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2018.

 

This report does not include an attestation report of the Company’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by the Company’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm pursuant to temporary rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission that permit the Company to provide only Management’s report in this Annual Report.

 

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

 

For the quarter ended December 31, 2018 there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

ITEM 9B – OTHER INFORMATION

The Company held its annual meeting of stockholders on November 16, 2018. At the meeting, the Company’s shareholders voted to approve the following proposals:

 

 

The following table presents the voting results on these proposals:

 

Approved Proposals	Shareholder votes cast
	For	Withheld	Against	Abstain
Election of Directors
Joshua Markowitz	84,816,356	10,892,995	-	-
Edgar Rios	85,085,870	10,623,481	-	-
Appointment of public accountants	125,903,793	-	18,634,570	77,882

 

 

 

PART III

 

ITEM 10 – DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Directors of the Registrant

 

As of March 31, 2019, the members of our Board of Directors are:

 

Name of Director	Age	Principal Occupation	Director Since
Joshua Markowitz (2)	63	Chairman of the Board and Director	June, 2015
David Lieberman	74	Vice Chairman of the Board and Director	February, 2011
Jun Ma	55	President, Chief Executive Officer and Director	June, 2007
Peter C. Castle	50	Chief Operating Officer and Director	August, 2010
Behnam Movaseghi (1) (2)	65	Director	July, 2007
Edgar Rios (1)	66	Director	February, 2011

 

 

The following is a brief account of the business experience for at least the past five years of our directors:

 

Joshua Markowitz has been a director since June 2015, and was appointed Chairman of the Board of the Company in August 2016. Mr. Markowitz has been a practicing attorney in the State of New Jersey for in excess of 30 years. He is currently a senior partner in the New Jersey law firm of Markowitz O'Donnell, LLP. Mr. Markowitz was the brother-in-law of Mr. Simon Srybnik (deceased), the former Chairman and director of the Company.

 

David Lieberman has been a director of the Company and the Vice Chairman of the Board, since February 2011. Mr. Lieberman has been a practicing attorney in the State of New York for more than 40 years, specializing in corporation and securities law. He is currently a senior partner at the law firm of Beckman, Lieberman & Barandes, LLP, which performs certain legal services for the Company and its subsidiaries. Mr. Lieberman is a former Chairman of the Board of Herley Industries, Inc., which was sold in March, 2011.

 

Jun Ma, PhD, has been a director since June 2007 and was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company on October 16, 2008.   Dr. Ma has held various positions in academia and business, and prior to becoming President and CEO of the Company, had provided technology and business consulting services to several domestic and international companies in aerospace, automotive, biomedical, medical device, and other industries, including Kerns Manufacturing Corp. and Living Data Technology Corp., both of which are stockholders of our Company. Dr. Ma received his PhD degree in mechanical engineering from Columbia University, MS degree in biomedical engineering from Shanghai University, and BS degree in precision machinery and instrumentation from University of Science and Technology of China.

Peter Castle has been a director since August 2010 and was appointed the Chief Operating Officer of the Company after the NetWolves acquisition in June 2015. Prior to the acquisition, Mr. Castle was the President and Chief Executive Officer of NetWolves Network Services, LLC, where he has been employed since 1998. At NetWolves, Mr. Castle also held the position of Chief Financial Officer from 2001 until October 2009, Vice President of Finance since January 2000, Controller from August 1998 until December 1999 and Treasurer and Secretary from August 1999.

 

Behnam Movaseghi, CPA, has been a director since July 2007. Mr. Movaseghi has been treasurer of Kerns Manufacturing Corporation since 2000, and controller from 1990 to 2000. For approximately ten years prior thereto Mr. Movaseghi was a tax and financial consultant. Mr. Movaseghi is a Certified Public Accountant.

 

 

Edgar G. Rios has been a director of the Company since February 2011. Mr. Rios currently is President of Edgary Consultants, LLC. and was appointed a director in conjunction with the Company’s prior consulting agreement with Edgary Consultants, LLC. Most recently from 2008 thru the end of 2016, Mr. Rios was the Co-founder, CEO and Managing Member of SHD Oil & Gas LLC, an oil and gas exploration and development firm operating on the reservation of the Three Affiliate Tribes in North Dakota. Previously, Mr. Rios was a co-founder, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Director of AmeriChoice Corporation from its inception in 1989 through its acquisitionby UnitedHealthcare in 2002 and continued as a senior executive with United Healthcare through 2007. Prior to co-founding AmeriChoice, Mr. Rios was a senior executive with a number of businesses that provided technology services and non-technology products to government purchasers. Over the years, Mr. Rios also has been an investor, providing seed capital to various technology and nontechnology start-ups. Mr. Rios serves on the Board of Advisors of Columbia Law School. Mr. Rios also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Meharry Medical School and the Brookings Institution in Washington; and as a director of the An-Bryce Foundation and Los Padres Foundation in Virginia. Mr. Rios holds a J.D. from Columbia University Law School and an A.B. from Princeton University.

 

Committees of the Board of Directors

 

Audit Committee and Audit Committee Financial Expert

 

The Board has a standing Audit Committee. The Board has affirmatively determined that each director who serves on the Audit Committee is independent, as the term is defined by applicable Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") rules. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Audit Committee consisted of Edgar Rios, committee chair, and Behnam Movaseghi. The members of the Audit Committee have substantial experience in assessing the performance of companies, gained as members of the Company’s Board of Directors and Audit Committee, as well as by serving in various capacities in other companies or governmental agencies. As a result, they each have an understanding of financial statements. The Board believes that Behnam Movaseghi fulfills the role of the financial expert on this committee.

 

The Audit Committee regularly meets with our independent registered public accounting firm without the presence of management.

 

The Audit Committee operates under a charter approved by the Board of Directors. The Audit Committee charter is available on our website.

 

Compensation Committee

 

Our Compensation Committee annually establishes, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors and any applicable employment agreements, the compensation that will be paid to our executive officers during the coming year, as well as administers our stock-based benefit plans. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Compensation Committee consisted of Joshua Markowitz, committee chair, and Behnam Movaseghi. None of these persons have been officers or employees of the Company at the time of their position on the committee, or, except as otherwise disclosed, had any relationship requiring disclosure herein.

 

The Compensation Committee operates under a charter approved by the Board of Directors. The Compensation Committee charter is available on our website.

 

MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND COMMITTEES

 

During the year ended December 31, 2018 there were:

 

 

 

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

 

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires directors, executive officers and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of our common stock (collectively, “Reporting Persons”) to file initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of our common stock with the SEC. Reporting Persons are required by SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) reports they file. To our knowledge, based solely on our review of the copies of such reports received or written representations from certain Reporting Persons that no other reports were required, we believe that during the year ended December 31, 2018 all Reporting Persons timely complied with all applicable filing requirements.

 

Corporate Governance - Code of Ethics

 

We have adopted a Corporate Code of Business Ethics (the "Code") that applies to all employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, and directors of the Company. A copy of the Code can be found on our website, www.vasocorporation.com. The Code is broad in scope and is intended to foster honest and ethical conduct, including accurate financial reporting, compliance with laws and the like. If any substantive amendments are made to the Code or if there is any grant of waiver, including any implicit waiver, from a provision of the Code to our Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer, we will disclose the nature of such amendment or waiver in a Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

Executive Officers of the Registrant

 

As of March 31, 2019 our executive officers are:

 

Name of Officer		Age		Position held with the Company
Jun Ma, PhD		55		President, Chief Executive Officer
Peter C. Castle		50		Chief Operating Officer
Michael J. Beecher		74		Chief Financial Officer and Secretary
Jonathan P. Newton		58		Vice President of Finance and Treasurer

 

Michael J. Beecher, CPA, joined the Company as Chief Financial Officer in September 2011. Prior to joining Vasomedical, Mr. Beecher was Chief Financial Officer of Direct Insite Corp., a publicly held company, from December 2003 to September 2011.  Prior to his position at Direct Insite, Mr. Beecher was Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of FiberCore, Inc., a publicly held company in the fiber-optics industry. From 1989 to 1995 he was Vice-President Administration and Finance at the University of Bridgeport. Mr. Beecher began his career in public accounting with Haskins & Sells, an international public accounting firm. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

 

Jonathan P. Newton served as Chief Financial Officer of the Company from September 1, 2010 to September 8, 2011, and is currently Vice President of Finance and Treasurer.  From June 2006 to August 2010, Mr. Newton was Director of Budgets and Financial Analysis for Curtiss-Wright Flow Control.   Prior to his position at Curtiss-Wright Flow Control, Mr. Newton was Vasomedical’s Director of Budgets and Analysis from August 2001 to June 2006. Prior positions included Controller of North American Telecommunications Corp., Accounting Manager for Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, positions of increasing responsibility within the internal audit function of the Northrop Grumman Corporation and approximately three and one half years as an accountant for Deloitte Haskins & Sells, during which time Mr. Newton became a Certified Public Accountant.  Mr. Newton holds a B.S. in Accounting from SUNY at Albany, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Hofstra University.

 

 

ITEM 11 - EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The following table sets forth the annual and long-term compensation of our Chief Executive Officer and each of our most highly compensated officers and employees who were serving as executive officers or employees at the end of the last completed fiscal year for services rendered for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.

 

Summary Compensation Table

 

Name and Principal Position		Year	Salary ($)	Bonus ($)	Stock Awards ($) (1)	Option Awards ($)	Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($)	Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings ($)	All Other Compensation ($) (2)	Total ($)
Jun Ma, PhD		2018	375,000	-	-				32,476	407,476
Chief Executive Officer		2017	375,000	45,000	18,000				61,870	499,870
Peter C. Castle		2018	350,000	-	-				24,472	374,472
Chief Operating Officer		2017	350,000	20,000	18,000				45,341	433,341
Jane Moen		2018	254,167	13,500	25,000				7,891	300,558
President of VasoHealthcare		2017	200,000	60,000	-				8,837	268,837
Michael J. Beecher		2018	215,000	-	-				10,288	225,288
Chief Financial Officer and Secretary		2017	215,000	15,000	4,500				14,564	249,064
Jonathan P. Newton		2018	175,000	-	-				11,585	186,585
Vice President of Finance and Treasurer		2017	175,000	10,000	3,000				15,652	203,652

 

 

Outstanding Equity Awards at Last Fiscal Year End

 

The following table provides information concerning outstanding options, unvested stock and equity incentive plan awards for our named executive officers at December 31, 2018:

 

	Option Awards					Stock Awards
Name	Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options - Exercisable	Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options - Unexercisable	Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Underlying Unexercised Unearned Options	Option Exercise Price	Option Expiration Date	Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested	Market Value of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested	Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested	Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Market or Payout Value of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested
Peter C. Castle	-	-	-	-	-	250,000	7,500	-	-

 

 

 

The future vesting dates of the above stock awards are:

 

Name	Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested	Vesting Date
Peter C. Castle	250,000	6/15/19

 

Employment Agreements

 

On March 21, 2011, the Company entered into an Employment Agreement with its President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jun Ma, for a three-year term ending on March 14, 2014. The agreement was amended in 2013 and again in 2015 to provide for a continuing three-year term, unless earlier terminated by the Company, but in no event can extend beyond March 14, 2021. The Employment Agreement currently provides for annual compensation of $375,000. Dr. Ma shall be eligible to receive a bonus for each fiscal year thereafter during the employment term. The amount and the occasion for payment of such bonus, if any, shall be at the discretion of the Board of Directors. Dr. Ma shall also be eligible for an award under any long-term incentive compensation plan and grants of options and awards of shares of the Company’s stock, as determined at the Board of Directors’ discretion. The Employment Agreement further provides for reimbursement of certain expenses, and certain severance benefits in the event of termination prior to the expiration date of the Employment Agreement.

 

On June 1, 2015, the Company entered into an Employment Agreement with Mr. Peter Castle to be its Chief Operating Officer. The agreement provides for a three-year term ending on June 1, 2018 and shall extend for additional one-year periods annually commencing June 1, 2018, unless earlier terminated by the Company, but in no event can extend beyond June 1, 2021. The Employment Agreement currently provides for annual compensation of $350,000. Mr. Castle shall be eligible to receive a bonus for each fiscal year thereafter during the employment term. The amount and the occasion for payment of such bonus, if any, shall be at the discretion of the Board of Directors. Mr. Castle shall also be eligible for an award under any long-term incentive compensation plan and grants of options and awards of shares of the Company’s stock, as determined at the Board of Directors’ discretion. The Employment Agreement further provides for reimbursement of certain expenses, and certain severance benefits in the event of termination prior to the expiration date of the Employment Agreement.

 

401(k) Plan

The Company maintains a defined contribution plan to provide retirement benefits for its employees - the Vaso Corporation 401(k) Plan adopted in April 1997. As allowed under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code, the plan provides tax-deferred salary deductions for eligible employees. Employees are eligible to participate in the next quarter enrollment period after employment under the Vasomedical Plan. Participants may make voluntary contributions to the plan up to 80% of their compensation under the Vasomedical Plan. In the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 the Company made discretionary contributions of approximately $96,000 and $116,000, respectively, to match a percentage of employee contributions.

 

 

Director's Compensation

 

Non-employee directors receive a fee of $2,500 for each Board of Directors and Committee meeting attended. Committee chairs receive an annual fee of $5,000. Non-employee directors also receive an annual fee of $30,000. These fees are either paid in cash, or common stock valued at the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant, which is the meeting date.

 

	Fees Earned or Paid in Cash	Stock Awards	Option Awards	Non-equity Incentive Plan Compensation	Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings	All Other Compensation (1)	Total
Name	($)	($)	($)	($)	($)	($)	($)
David Lieberman	35,000	-	-	-	-	19,528	54,528
Jun Ma, PhD	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Randy Hill	30,000	-	-	-	-	75,000	105,000
Peter Castle	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Joshua Markowitz	45,000	-	-	-	-	564	45,564
Behnam Movaseghi	50,000	-	-	-	-	564	50,564
Edgar Rios	50,000	-	-	-	-	564	50,564

 

 

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

 

During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Compensation Committee consisted of Joshua Markowitz, committee chair, and Behnam Movaseghi. Neither of these persons were officers or employees of the Company during the time they held positions on the committee, or, except as otherwise disclosed, had any relationship requiring disclosure herein.

 

 

ITEM 12 - SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

The following table sets forth the beneficial ownership of shares of our common stock as of March 31, 2019 of (i) each person known by us to beneficially own 5% or more of the shares of outstanding common stock, based solely on filings with the SEC, (ii) each of our executive officers and directors, and (iii) all of our executive officers and directors as a group. Except as otherwise indicated, all shares are beneficially owned, and investment and voting power is held by the persons named as owners. To our knowledge, except under community property laws or as otherwise noted, the persons and entities named in the table have sole voting and sole investment power over their shares of our common stock. Unless otherwise indicated, each beneficial owner listed below maintains a mailing address of c/o Vaso Corporation, 137 Commercial Street, Plainview, New York 11803.

 

Name of Beneficial Owner	Common Stock Beneficially Owned (1)	% of Common Stock (2)
Estate of Simon Srybnik (3)	55,738,318	33.35%
Jun Ma, PhD **	5,298,146	3.17%
Peter Castle **	3,125,000	1.87%
Edgar Rios **	1,625,000	*
David Lieberman **	1,599,200	*
Michael J. Beecher **	1,240,400	*
Behnam Movaseghi **	1,189,404	*
Jonathan Newton **	775,000	*
Joshua Markowitz **	350,000	*
** Directors and executive officers as a group
(8 persons)	15,202,150	9.10%

 

*Less than 1% of the Company's common stock

 

 

Equity Compensation Plan Information

 

We maintain various stock plans under which stock options and stock grants are awarded at the discretion of our Board of Directors or its Compensation Committee. The purchase price of the shares under the plans and the shares subject to each option granted is not less than the fair market value on the date of the grant. The term of each option is generally five years and is determined at the time of the grant by our board of directors or the compensation committee. The participants in these plans are officers, directors, employees, and consultants of the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates.

 

Plan category	(a) Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights	(b) Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights	(c) Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a))
Equity Compensation
plans approved by
security holders	-	$0.00	-
Equity Compensation
plans not approved
by security holders (1)	2,137,500	$0.00	1,901,817
Total	2,137,500		1,901,817

 

 

See Note N to the Consolidated Financial Statements for description of the material features of our current stock plans not approved by stockholders.

 

ITEM 13 - CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

One of the Company’s directors, Peter Castle, was the Chief Executive Officer and President of NetWolves Network Services, LLC, which we acquired in May 2015. Another of the Company’s directors, David Lieberman, was a director of NetWolves Network Services, LLC. Mr. Castle and Mr. Lieberman owned of record approximately 10.4% and 5.7%, respectively, of the membership interests of NetWolves LLC. Mr. Lieberman may also be deemed to have owned beneficially up to an additional 13.5% of such membership interests. The Company’s board of directors negotiated the purchase price on an arm’s length basis, and both Mr. Castle and Mr. Lieberman abstained from the vote approving the Asset Purchase Agreement.

 

The Company obtained an opinion regarding the fairness of the purchase price for the NetWolves entities from a reputable, independent third-party investment banking firm. Of the $18,000,000 purchase price paid for the acquisition, $14,200,000 was from the Company’s cash on hand and the remaining $3,800,000 was raised from the sale of a Subordinated Secured Note to MedTechnology Investments, LLC (“MedTech”).

 

 

On May 29, 2015, the Company entered into a Note Purchase Agreement with MedTech pursuant to which it issued MedTech a secured subordinated promissory note (“Note”) for $3,800,000 for the purchase of NetWolves. MedTech was formed to acquire the Note, and $1,950,000 of the aggregate funds used to acquire the Note was provided by six of our directors. An additional $100,000 was provided by Joshua Markowitz prior to his joining the board of directors. In June 2015, a second Note for $750,000 was issued to MedTech for working capital purposes, $250,000 of which was provided by a director and a director’s relative. In July 2015, an additional $250,000 was borrowed under the Note Purchase Agreement.

 

The Notes bear interest at an annual rate of 9%, mature on May 29, 2019, may be prepaid without penalty, and are subordinated to any current or future Senior Debt as defined in the Subordinated Security Agreement. The Subordinated Security Agreement secures payment and performance of the Company’s obligations under the Notes and as a result, MedTech was granted a subordinated security interest in the Company’s assets. As set forth in the following table, three directors of the Company provided funds in excess of $120,000 through Medtech during 2015. No principal payments have made for the year ended December 31, 2018 and interest payments made during the year ended December 31, 2018 to these three directors are as indicated in the table below:

 

	Principal	Interest
	Outstanding	Paid
Peter C. Castle	$750,000	$68,438
David Lieberman	$700,000	$63,875
Jun Ma, PhD	$300,000	$27,375

 

David Lieberman, a practicing attorney in the State of New York, serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. He is currently a senior partner at the law firm of Beckman, Lieberman & Barandes, LLP, which performs certain legal services for the Company. Fees of approximately $340,000 were billed by the firm for the year ended December 31, 2018 at which date approximately $28,000 was outstanding.

 

Director Independence

We have adopted the NASDAQ Stock Market’s standards for determining the independence of directors. Under these standards, an independent director means a person other than an executive officer or one of our employees or any other individual having a relationship which, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. In addition, the following persons shall not be considered independent:

The Board of Directors has assessed the independence of each non-employee director under the independence standards of the NASDAQ Stock Market set forth above, and has affirmatively determined that three of our non-employee directors (Mr. Rios, Mr. Markowitz and Mr. Movaseghi) are independent.

We expect each director to attend every meeting of the Board and the committees on which he serves as well as the annual meeting. In the year ended December 31, 2018, all directors attended both the annual meeting and at least 75% of the meetings of the Board and the committees on which they served.

ITEM 14 - PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

 

Marcum, LLP is our independent registered public accounting firm and performed the audits of our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017. The following table sets forth all fees for such periods:

 

	2018	2017
Audit fees	$255,440	$261,445
Tax fees	-	-
All other fees	-	-
Total	$255,440	$261,445

 

The Audit Committee has adopted a policy that requires advance approval of all audit, audit-related, tax services, and other services performed by the Company’s independent auditor. Accordingly, the Audit Committee must approve the permitted service before the independent auditor is engaged to perform it. In accordance with such policies, the Audit Committee approved 100% of the services relative to the above fees.

 

PART IV

 

ITEM 15 – EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

 

Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedules

 

 

 

 

 

 

(21)                 Subsidiaries of the Registrant

 

Name	State of Incorporation	Percentage Owned by Company
Vaso Diagnostics, Inc.	New York	100%
VasoMedical, Inc.	Delaware	100%
Vasomedical Global Corp.	New York	100%
Vasomedical Solutions, Inc.	New York	100%
VasoHealthcare IT Corp.	Delaware	100%
VasoTechnology, Inc.	Delaware	100%
NetWolves Network Services LLC	Florida	100%
Fast Growth Enterprises Limited	British Virgin Islands	100%

 

(31)                Certification Reports pursuant to Securities Exchange Act Rule 13a - 14

(32)                Certification Reports pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

  __________________________

 

 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, we have duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized on the 15th day of April 2019.

 

	VASO CORPORATION
Date	By:	/s/ Jun Ma
		Jun Ma
		President, Chief Executive Officer,  and Director (Principal Executive Officer)

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below on April 15, 2019, by the following persons in the capacities indicated:

 

/s/ Jun Ma		President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Jun Ma		(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Michael Beecher		Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)
Michael Beecher
/s/ Peter C. Castle		Chief Operating Officer and Director
Peter C. Castle
/s/ Joshua Markowitz		Chairman of the Board
Joshua Markowitz
/s/ David Lieberman		Vice Chairman of the Board
David Lieberman
/s/ Edgar Rios		Director
Edgar Rios
/s/ Behnam Movaseghi		Director
Behnam Movaseghi

 

 

Vaso Corporation and Subsidiaries

 

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

For the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

For the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

 

	Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm	F-2
Financial Statements
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2018 and 2017	F-3
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017	F-4
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity
for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017	F-5
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017	F-6
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements	F-7 – F-38

 

 

 

 

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of

Vaso Corporation

 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Vaso Corporation and Subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2018, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2018, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Explanatory Paragraph – Going Concern

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As more fully described in Note A, the Company has incurred significant losses and needs to extend the maturity dates of its lines of credit to meet its obligations and sustain its operations. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. Management's plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note A. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

Basis for Opinion

 

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB") and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

 

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

 

/s/ Marcum LLP

 

Marcum LLP

 

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2014.

 

 

Melville, NY

April 15, 2019

 

Vaso Corporation and Subsidiaries

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

	December 31, 2018	December 31, 2017
ASSETS
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$2,668	$5,245
Accounts and other receivables, net of an allowance for doubtful
accounts and commission adjustments of $3,994 at December 31,
2018 and $4,872 at December 31, 2017	11,028	13,225
Receivables due from related parties	20	20
Inventories, net	1,983	2,355
Deferred commission expense	2,585	3,649
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	890	993
Total current assets	19,174	25,487
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net of accumulated depreciation of
$6,370 at December 31, 2018 and $4,980 at December 31, 2017	5,809	4,719
GOODWILL	17,309	17,471
INTANGIBLES, net	4,740	5,254
OTHER ASSETS, net	3,067	3,847
DEFERRED TAX ASSETS, net	375	-
	$50,474	$56,778
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	$6,284	$5,423
Accrued commissions	2,116	2,467
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	5,655	5,337
Sales tax payable	1,020	787
Deferred revenue - current portion	10,382	15,540
Notes payable and capital lease obligations - current portion	9,304	3,674
Notes payable - related parties - current portion	582	86
Due to related party	10	390
Total current liabilities	35,353	33,704
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES
Notes payable and capital lease obligations, net of current portion	400	4,834
Notes payable - related parties, net of current portion	245	259
Deferred revenue, net of current portion	7,704	7,526
Deferred tax liability	124	220
Other long-term liabilities	1,037	1,083
Total long-term liabilities	9,510	13,922
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (NOTE P)
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Preferred stock, $.01 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; nil shares
issued and outstanding at December 31, 2018 and 2017	-	-
Common stock, $.001 par value; 250,000,000 shares authorized;
177,417,287 and 175,741,970 shares issued at December 31, 2018
and 2017, respectively; 167,109,200 and 165,433,883 shares
outstanding at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively	178	176
Additional paid-in capital	63,672	63,363
Accumulated deficit	(55,924)	(52,329)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(315)	(58)
Treasury stock, at cost, 10,308,087 shares at December 31, 2018 and 2017	(2,000)	(2,000)
Total stockholders’ equity	5,611	9,152
	$50,474	$56,778

 

See Note B for Variable Interest Entity disclosures

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

 

Vaso Corporation and Subsidiaries

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

 (in thousands, except per share data)

 

	Year ended
	December 31,
	2018	2017
Revenues
Managed IT systems and services	$44,228	$42,581
Professional sales services	25,511	26,443
Equipment sales and services	4,241	3,764
Total revenues	73,980	72,788
Cost of revenues
Cost of managed IT systems and services	25,849	24,958
Cost of professional sales services	5,346	5,813
Cost of equipment sales and services	1,661	1,286
Total cost of revenues	32,856	32,057
Gross profit	41,124	40,731
Operating expenses
Selling, general and administrative	43,962	43,618
Research and development	886	945
Total operating expenses	44,848	44,563
Operating loss	(3,724)	(3,832)
Other income (expense)
Interest and financing costs	(750)	(674)
Interest and other income, net	143	101
Gain on sale of investment in VSK	212	-
Total other expense, net	(395)	(573)
Loss before income taxes	(4,119)	(4,405)
Income tax benefit (expense)	385	(134)
Net loss	(3,734)	(4,539)
Other comprehensive loss
Foreign currency translation (loss) gain	(257)	271
Comprehensive loss	$(3,991)	$(4,268)
Loss per common share
- basic and diluted	$(0.02)	$(0.03)
Weighted average common shares outstanding
- basic and diluted	165,420	162,213