NOTE 5 - CONVERTIBLE DEBT

11% Convertible Notes

On December 2, 2011, the Company and HEP Investments entered into the following documents, effective as of December 1, 2011, as amended through May 16, 2018: (i) a Loan Agreement under which the HEP Investments agreed to advance up to $20,000,000 to the Company, subject to certain conditions, (ii) an 11% Convertible Secured Promissory Note in the principal amount of $20,000,000 (“Convertible Note”) (of which a total of $18,470,640 was funded, with a total of $14,380,298 converted into 1,796,287 shares of common stock, leaving a balance advanced of $4,090,342 as of December 31, 2020), (iii) a Security Agreement, under which the Company granted HEP Investments a security interest in all of its assets, (iv) warrants issued to HEP Investments to purchase 20,833 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $9.60 per share (including a cashless exercise provision) which expired September 30, 2016, (v) a Registration Rights Agreement with respect to all the shares of common stock issuable to HEP Investments in connection with the Loan Agreement, in each case subject to completion of funding of the full $20,000,000 called for by the Loan Agreement, and (vi) an Intellectual Property security agreement under which the Company and its subsidiaries granted HEP Investments a security interest in all their respective intellectual properties, including patents, in order to secure their respective obligations to HEP Investments under the Convertible Note and related documents. The Convertible Note was originally convertible into the Company’s common stock at $8.00 per share. In addition, the Company’s subsidiaries guaranteed the Company’s obligations under the Convertible Note. On March 31, 2021, HEP Investments entered into a “Debt Extension and Conversion Agreement” with the Company providing that the Convertible Notes, including principal and accrued interest, would automatically convert into shares of common stock upon consummation of an underwritten public offering of the Company’s common stock.

On June 2, 2021, in accordance with the Debt Extension and Conversion Agreement, all of the outstanding debt and accrued interest for the Convertible Notes was automatically converted into common stock of the Company. The principal amount of $4,090,342 and the accrued interest to June 2, 2021, of $2,161,845 totaled $6,252,187; this total amount was converted into 781,524 shares of common stock (calculated at $8.00 per share). As of March 31, 2022, the Company has no further remaining financial obligations to the HEP Investments under the terms of the Loan Agreement, the Convertible Note or the Registration Rights Agreement. Additionally, as of the conversion of the total outstanding principal and accrued interest balance, HEP Investments no longer retains a security interest in the Company’s intellectual property or other assets.

Paulson Investment Company, LLC - Related Debt

On August 24, 2016, the Company entered into a Placement Agent Agreement with Paulson Investment Company, LLC (“Paulson”). The Placement Agent Agreement provided that Paulson could provide up to $2 million in financings to “accredited investors”. Between August 24, 2016 and December 31, 2016, the Company received gross proceeds of $1,250,000 in connection with loans received from seven accredited investors (the “New Lenders”). Each loan included (i) a Loan Agreement, (ii) a Convertible Secured Promissory Note (“New Lenders Notes”) in the principal amount of the loan, (iii) a Security Agreement under which the Company granted the New Lenders a security interest in all of its assets and (iv) an Intercreditor Agreement with HEP Investments whereby HEP Investments and the New Lenders agree to participate in all collateral on a pari passu basis. The New Lender Notes had a two-year term and matured September 2018 ($600,000) and October 2018 ($650,000). Paulson received a 10% cash finance fee for monies invested in the Company in the form of convertible debt, along with 5-year warrants, exercisable at $8.00 per share, all the warrants have expired as of December 31, 2021. The New Lenders Notes were convertible into the Company’s common stock at $8.00 per share.

On September 24, 2018, one New Lender converted $300,000 of the debt and $64,280 of accrued interest into 45,535 shares of the Company’s common stock (at $8.00 per share).

On January 15, 2020, two New Lenders converted $100,000 of the debt and $36,225 of accrued interest into 17,028 shares of the Company’s common stock (at $8.00 per share).

In May 2021, each of the remaining New Lenders entered into a Debt Extension and Conversion Agreement with the Company. These agreements provided that the New Lender Notes, including principal and accrued interest, would automatically convert into shares of common stock upon consummation of an underwritten public offering of the Company’s common stock.

On June 2, 2021, in accordance with the Debt Extension and Conversion Agreement between the remaining New Lenders and the Company, all of the remaining outstanding debt and accrued interest for the New Lenders Notes were automatically converted to common stock. The principal amount of $850,000 and the accrued interest to June 2, 2021, of $436,369 totaled $1,286,369; this total amount was converted into 160,798 shares of common stock at $8.00 per share. As of March 31, 2022, the Company has no further remaining financial obligations to the New Lenders under the terms of the New Lenders Notes. All security interests of the New Lenders in the Company’s assets have been terminated.

Other Debt

The Company’s 1% convertible debentures allow for rolling 30-day extensions until notice is given by the lender to the Company to the contrary. As of March 31, 2022, that agreement is still in place.

Convertible debt consists of the following:

Paycheck Protection Program Loan

On May 7, 2020, the Company received $121,700 in loan funding from the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”) established pursuant to the recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020 (the “CARES Act”) and administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”). The unsecured loan (the “PPP Loan”) is evidenced by a promissory note of the Company, dated April 29, 2020 (the “Note”) in the principal amount of $121,700 with Comerica Bank (the “Bank”), the lender.

Under the terms of the Note and the PPP Loan, interest accrues on the outstanding principal at the rate of 1.0% per annum. The term of the Note was two years, though it could have been payable sooner in connection with an event of default under the Note.

The CARES Act and the PPP provide a mechanism for forgiveness of up to the full amount borrowed. Under the PPP, the Company was eligible to apply for forgiveness for all or a part of the PPP Loan. The amount of loan proceeds eligible for forgiveness, as amended, was based on a formula that takes into account a number of factors, including: (i) the amount of loan proceeds that are used by the Company during the covered period after the loan origination date for certain specified purposes including payroll costs, interest on certain mortgage obligations, rent payments on certain leases, and certain qualified utility payments, provided that at least 60% of the loan amount is used for eligible payroll costs; (ii) the Company maintaining or rehiring employees, and maintaining salaries at certain levels; and (iii) other factors established by the SBA. Subject to the other requirements and limitations on loan forgiveness, only that portion of the loan proceeds spent on payroll and other eligible costs during the covered period will qualify for forgiveness.

In August 2021, the Company applied to the SBA for forgiveness of the outstanding loan principal and accrued interest under the CARES Act. On September 9, 2021, the Company received a Notification of Paycheck Protection Program Forgiveness Payment letter from the SBA confirming that the full amount of the principal, $121,700, and accrued interest, $1,653, were forgiven by the SBA. The Company recognized the forgiveness of debt principal of $121,700 and the 2020 accrued interest of $820 as an Other Income of $122,520, the remaining interest due for the PPP Loan in 2021 through the forgiveness date of $833 was booked to offset the 2021 interest expense. The Company’s PPP loan and application for forgiveness of loan amounts remain subject to review and audit by SBA for compliance with program requirements.

Short Term Loan

On February 21, 2022, the Company entered into a short-term, unsecured loan agreement to finance a portion of the Company’s directors’ and officers’ insurance premiums. The note in the amount of $628,600 carries a 4.15% annual percentage rate and will be paid down in nine equal payments of $71,058 beginning in March 2022. The principal balance of March 31, 2022 was $558,756.