09/29/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/29/2025 15:02
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
Statements made in this Form 10-K that are not historical or current facts, which represent the Company's expectations or beliefs including, but not limited to, statements concerning the Company's operations, performance, financial condition, business strategies, and other information, involve substantial risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results of operations, most of which are beyond the Company's control, could differ materially. These statements often can be identified by the use of terms such as "may," "will," "expect," "believe," anticipate," "estimate," or "continue" or the negative thereof. We wish to caution readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Any forward-looking statements represent management's best judgment as to what may occur in the future. However, forward looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and important factors beyond our control that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from historical results of operations and events and those presently anticipated or projected.
These factors include potential conflicts of interest related to the BLG loan group, its control by two of Bion's Directors and key management, and its security position in the Company's IP (see below, Item K), adverse economic conditions, entry of new and stronger competitors, inadequate capital and limited ability to obtain financing, needed personnel and equipment, unexpected costs, failure (or delay) to gain product certifications and/or regulatory approvals in the United States (or particular states) or foreign countries, loss (permanently or for any extended period of time) of the services of members of the Company's small core management team and failure to obtain access to new markets. Additional risks and uncertainties that may affect forward looking statements about Bion's business and prospects include: i) the possibility that markets for eco-friendly/sustainable beef, organic and low-carbon fertilizer products, and clean fuels will be slow to develop (or not develop at all), ii) the possibility that competitors will develop more comprehensive and/or less expensive environmental solutions, viii) delays in market awareness of Bion and our Systems, iv) uncertainties and costs increases related to research and development efforts to update and improve Bion's technologies and applications thereof, and/or v) delays and/or costs exceeding expectations relating to Bion's development of the Initial Project, JVs and/or Projects and vi) failure of marketing strategies, each of which could have both immediate and long term material adverse effects by placing us behind our competitors and requiring expenditures of our limited resources.
Bion disclaims any obligation subsequently to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements filed with this Report.
BUSINESS OVERVIEW AND PLAN
The Company has been under substantial financial and management stress over the past eighteen (18) months. Covid-related delays during technology pilot development at Buflovak in New York, followed by post-Covid supply chain disruptions during construction of our demonstration facility at Fair Oaks, have led to extreme difficulties in raising needed funds. These delays prevented us from meeting our project development and related capital timelines, and were further compounded by the death (following extended illness) of Dominic Bassani, who most recently served as our COO from May 2022 after serving as our CEO for the prior decade, the subsequent resignation of Bill O'Neill, Dominic's replacement at the CEO position, effective May 31, 2024, followed by the retirement of Mark A. Smith, the Company's President, General Counsel and Chief Financial Officer, effective July 31, 2024.
At the end of May 2024, a new core leadership team was installed (see H and I, above) and a short-term funding strategy was implemented (see K, above) while longer term capital solutions were pursued. These efforts are ongoing. Our new leadership team believes the difficulties Bion has faced are outweighed by our recent successes that include the technology demonstration and optimization at our Fair Oaks facility and the initial responses from our fertilizer outreach. This is coupled with strong recent interest in our ammonia control solution from the biogas operators and developers that will be needed to ensure a supply of feedstock for our fertilizer products. These successes coincide with growing trends in sustainable agriculture and clean fuels technology and policy that favor Bion's business opportunities. Bion leadership believes this confluence of events positions the Company, assuming it aligns with appropriate strategic partners and obtains sufficient financing, to exploit a unique opportunity at the intersection of agriculture, renewable energy, the environment, and consumer demand.
See Part 1, Item 1 - General for detailed business overview
THERE IS NO ASSURANCE THAT THE COMPANY WILL REACH OR APPROACH THE GOALS/TARGETS SET FORTH ABOVE. REACHING SUCH GOALS/TARGETS WILL REQUIRE RESOLUTION OF THE COMPANY'S EXISTING FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES AND ACCESS TO VERY LARGE AMOUNTS OF CAPITAL (EQUITY AND DEBT) AS EACH BOLT-ON PROJECT IS PROJECTED TO COST BETWEEN $10 AND $40 MILLION, AND EACH BEEF PROJECT MODULE IS PROJECTED TO COST IN EXCESS OF $50 MILLION (DEBT/EQUITY/GRANTS) TO CONSTRUCT AND WILL REQUIRE MOBILIZATION OF SUBSTANTIAL PERSONNEL, TECHNICAL RESOURCES AND MANAGEMENT SKILLS. THE COMPANY DOES NOT POSSESS EITHER THE FINANCIAL OR PERSONNEL RESOURCES INTERNALLY AND WILL NEED TO SOURCE SUCH RESOURCES FROM OUTSIDE ITSELF.
For expanded information regarding our 'HISTORY, BACKGROUND AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES', see discussion within the Notes (particularly Notes 1, 4, 5, and 8) included in this report, in Forms 8-K and Forms 10-Q filed earlier this year and Item 1 (and other sections) in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K filed in previous years.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Revenue Recognition
The Company currently does not generate revenue and if and when the Company begins to generate revenue the Company will comply with the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 606 "Revenue from Contracts with Customers".
Stock-based compensation
The Company follows the provisions of ASC 718, which generally requires that share-based compensation transactions be accounted and recognized in the statement of income based upon their grant date fair values.
Pursuant to ASC Topic 815 "Derivatives and Hedging" ("Topic 815"), the Company reviews all financial instruments for the existence of features which may require fair value accounting and a related mark-to-market adjustment at each reporting period end. Once determined, the Company assesses these instruments as derivative liabilities. The fair value of these instruments is adjusted to reflect the fair value at each reporting period end, with any increase or decrease in the fair value being recorded in results of operations as an adjustment to fair value of derivatives. As of June 30, 2025 and 2024, there are no derivative financial instruments.
Options:
The Company has issued options to employees and consultants under its 2006 Plan to purchase common shares of the Company. Options are valued on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The expected volatility is based on the historical price volatility of the Company's common stock. The dividend yield represents the Company's anticipated cash dividend on common stock over the expected term of the stock options. The U.S. Treasury bill rate for the expected term of the stock options was utilized to determine the risk-free interest rate. The expected term of stock options represents the period of time the stock options granted are expected to be outstanding based upon management's estimates.
Warrants:
The Company has issued warrants to purchase common shares of the Company. Warrants are valued using a fair value based method, whereby the fair value of the warrant is determined at the warrant issue date using a market-based option valuation model based on factors including an evaluation of the Company's value as of the date of the issuance, consideration of the Company's limited liquid resources and business prospects, the market price of the Company's stock in its mostly inactive public market and the historical valuations and purchases of the Company's warrants. When warrants are issued in combination with debt or equity securities, the warrants are valued and accounted for based on the relative fair value of the warrants in relation to the total value assigned to the debt or equity securities and warrants combined.
Lease Accounting:
The Company accounts for leases under ASC 842, Leases ("ASC 842"). Accordingly, the Company will determine whether an arrangement contains a lease at the inception of the arrangement. If a lease is determined to exist, the term of such lease is assessed based on the date on which the underlying asset is made available for the Company's use by the lessor. The Company's assessment of the lease term reflects the non-cancelable term of the lease, inclusive of any rent-free periods and/or periods covered by early-termination options which the Company is reasonably certain of not exercising, as well as periods covered by renewal options which the Company is reasonably certain of exercising. The Company also determines lease classification as either operating or finance at lease commencement, which governs the pattern of expense recognition and the presentation reflected in the consolidated statements of operations over the lease term.
For leases with a term exceeding 12 months, a lease liability is recorded on the Company's consolidated balance sheet at lease commencement reflecting the present value of its fixed minimum payment obligations over the lease term. A corresponding right-of-use ("ROU") asset equal to the initial lease liability is also recorded, adjusted for any prepaid rent and/or initial direct costs incurred in connection with execution of the lease and reduced by any lease incentives received. For purposes of measuring the present value of its fixed payment obligations for a given lease, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate, determined based on information available at lease commencement, as rates implicit in its leasing arrangements are typically not readily determinable. The Company's incremental borrowing rate reflects the rate it would pay to borrow on a secured basis and incorporates the term and economic environment of the associated lease.
YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2025 COMPARED TO THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2024
Revenue
Total revenues were nil for both the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024.
General and Administrative
Total general and administrative expenses were $2,145,000 and $2,046,000 for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Salaries and related payroll tax expenses were $368,000 and $600,000 for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Consulting costs were $198,000 and $488,000 for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The $232,000 decrease in salary costs is due to Bill O'Neill resigning, Mark Smith retirement and Dominic Bassani passing away and the Company not replacing the position. The $290,000 decrease in consulting costs is due to Bill O'Neill resigning and the reduction of contracts related to capital raise efforts. Investor relations expenses were $136,000 and $328,000 for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, and the $192,000 decrease was due to less investor related activity during the fiscal year in order to conserve cash. Legal costs were $1,000 and $34,000 for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Stock-based compensation for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 were $844,000 and ($16,000) respectively. The $860,000 variance is due to warrants exercise dates extended in 2025.
Depreciation
Total depreciation expense was $695 and $1,582 for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Research and Development
Total research and development expenses were $22,000 and $23,000 for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Salaries and related payroll tax expenses were $6,000 and $6,000 for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Consulting costs were nil and $4,000 for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Legal expenses were $15,000 and $11,000 for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Loss from Operations
As a result of the factors described above, the loss from operations was $2,168,000 and $2,071,000 for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 respectively.
Other (Income)/Expense
Other expense was $212,000 and $9,620,000 for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The increase in 2024 was due to the impairment of fixed assets taken on the Fair Oaks project.
Interest expense related to deferred compensation, loan payable and convertible notes prior to capitalization was $311,000 and $222,000 for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Net Loss Attributable to the Noncontrolling Interest
The net loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest was nil and nil for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Net Loss Attributable to Bion's Common Stockholders
As a result of the factors described above, the net loss attributable to Bion's stockholders was $2,380,000 and $11,691,000 for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, and the net loss per basic common share was $.04 and $.22 for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
The Company's consolidated financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2025 have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the settlement of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. The Report of our Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on the Company's consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended June 30, 2025 includes a "going concern" explanatory paragraph which means that the auditors stated that conditions exist that raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern.
Operating Activities
As of June 30, 2025, the Company had cash of approximately $4,400. During the year ended June 30, 2025, net cash used in operating activities was $868,000, primarily consisting of cash operating expenses related to salaries and benefits, and other general and administrative costs such as insurance, legal, accounting, consulting and investor relations expenses as well as the purchase of property and equipment. Cash expenditures were offset in part by proceeds from financing activities, primarily in debt funding.
As previously noted, the Company is currently not generating significant revenue and accordingly has not generated cash flows from operations. The Company does not anticipate generating sufficient revenues to offset operating and capital costs for a minimum of two to five years. While there are no assurances that the Company will be successful in its efforts to develop and construct its Projects and market its Systems, it is certain that the Company will require substantial funding from external sources. As stated in multiple places in this report, over the last fiscal year the Company has had only very limited success in raising needed funds which lack of success has had material negative effects on the Company and its business. Given the unsettled state of the current credit and capital markets for companies such as Bion, there is no assurance the Company will be able to raise the funds it needs on reasonable terms.
Investing Activities
During the year ended June 30, 2025, the Company invested nil in the purchase of property and equipment or other investing activities.
Financing Activities
During the year ended June 30, 2025, the Company received net cash proceeds of $400,000 from a note payable and $426,00 in convertible loans less commissions of $5,300.
During the year ended June 30, 2024, the Company received net cash proceeds of $590,000 from the sale of units for $611,000 less commissions of $20,000.
As of June 30, 2025, the Company has debt obligations consisting of: a) deferred compensation of $1,173,000, b) convertible notes payable - affiliates of $1,742,000, c) current note payable including accrued interest of $423,000 and d) convertible bridge note payable of $1,023,000. As of June 30, 2024, the Company had debt obligations of a) deferred compensation of $890,000, b) convertible notes payable - affiliates of $1,709,000, c) current note payable including accrued interest of $419,000 and d) note payable including accrued interest of $125,600.
Plan of Operations and Outlook
As of June 30, 2025, the Company had cash of approximately $4,400.
The Company continues to explore sources of additional financing to satisfy its current operating requirements as it is not currently generating any significant revenues. During fiscal years 2024 and 2023 (as a whole), the Company faced less difficulty in raising equity funding (but was subject to substantial equity dilution from the larger amounts of equity financing during the periods) than was experienced in the prior 3 years. However, this positive trend did not continue during the 2025 fiscal year (and the first quarter of 2026 through the date of this report). The Company raised very limited equity funds during such periods to meet some of its immediate needs, and therefore, the Company needs to raise substantial additional funds in the upcoming periods. The Company has faced substantial demand for capital and operating expenditures for the fiscal year 2025 that we anticipate will continue (or increase) during the 2026 fiscal year and periods thereafter as it moves toward commercial implementation of its 3G Tech and development of JVs (including costs associated with additions of personnel to carry out the business activities of the Company) and, therefore, is likely to continue to face, significant cash flow management issues due to limited capital resources and working capital constraints which had only begun to be alleviated during 2024 and 2023. As a result, the Company has faced, and continues to face, significant cash flow management challenges due to material working capital constraints. To partially mitigate these working capital constraints, the Company's core senior management and some key employees and consultants have been deferring most of their cash compensation and/or are accepting compensation in the form of securities of the Company and members of the Company's senior management have from time-to-time made loans to the Company in the past and may do so in future periods.
The Company continues to explore sources of additional financing (including potential agreements with strategic partners - both financial, renewable energy- and ag-industry) to satisfy its current and future operating and capital expenditure requirements as it is not currently generating any significant revenues. Bion's leadership team's new approach, focusing on the bolt-on opportunity and developing a single proof-of-concept project vs multiple projects developed simultaneously, will substantially reduce the company's need to raise capital. Further, leadership believes this approach represents a more achievable goal that will reinspire confidence in our own shareholders, as well as assure potential new strategic and institutional investors, and make it easier to raise funds.
Going Concern and Management's Plans:
The Company's consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern.
The Company is not currently generating any significant revenues. Further, the Company's anticipated revenues, if any, from existing JVs and proposed projects will not be sufficient to offset operating and capital costs (for Projects) for a minimum of two to five years. Further, there are no assurances that the Company will ultimately be successful in its efforts to develop and construct its Projects and market its Systems; but it is certain that the Company will require substantial funding from external sources. Given the unsettled state of the current credit and capital markets for companies such as Bion, there is no assurance the Company will be able to raise the funds it needs on reasonable terms. The aggregate effect of these factors raises substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, the Company had a loss of $2,380,000 including $844,000 non-cash compensation expenses related to extension of warrants and options.
During the year ended June 30, 2024, a one-time, non-recurring, non-cash charge of $9,460,425 was incurred by the Company in connection with a write-down of the capitalized carrying value of the Initial Project (at Fair Oaks, Indiana) because the Initial Project was recently reclassified as largely a research & development facility and is located on land subject to a short term lease (as described below in Item 2, Management's Discussion and Analysis). This charge reduced the Company shareholders' equity to ($5,808,501) and resulted in a loss of $11,691,115 for the 2024 fiscal year.
The constraints on available resources have had, and continue to have, negative effects on the pace and scope of the Company's efforts to operate and develop its business. The Company has had to delay payment of trade obligations and has had to economize in many ways that have potentially negative consequences. If the Company is able to raise needed funds during the remainder of the current fiscal year (and subsequent periods), of which there is no assurance, management will not need to consider deeper cuts (including additional personnel cuts) and/or curtailment of ongoing activities including research and development activities. The Company will need to obtain additional capital to fund its operations and technology development, to satisfy existing creditors, and to develop Projects. The Company anticipates that it will seek to raise from $3,000,000 to $10,000,000 or more debt and/or equity through sale of its equity securities (common, preferred and/or hybrid) and/or debt (including convertible) securities, and/or through use of 'rights' and/or warrants (new and/or existing) and/or license payments and/or through other means during the next twelve months. Further, Bion will be required to raise $15 million (or more) to fund its initial project, in a combination of debt financing and equity investment. However, as discussed above, there is no assurance, especially in light of the difficulties the Company has experienced in many recent years and the extremely unsettled capital markets that presently exist for small pre-revenue companies like us, that the Company will be able to obtain the funds that it needs to stay in business, complete its technology development or to successfully develop its business and Projects. Ultimately, in the event the Company cannot secure additional financial resources, or complete a strategic transaction in the longer term, the Company may need to curtail or suspend its operational plans or current initiatives, or potentially liquidate its business interests, and investors may lose all or part of their investment.
The accompanying consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability or classification of assets or the amounts and classification of liabilities that may result should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern. The following paragraphs describe management's plans with regard to these conditions.
Management's Plan
The Company continues to explore sources of financing to satisfy its current operating requirements and future growth needs. The Company has faced substantial demand for capital and operating expenditures for the fiscal year 2025 that we anticipate will increase during the 2026 fiscal year and periods thereafter as we move toward commercial implementation of our 3G Tech and development of JVs (including costs associated with additions of personnel to carry out the business activities of the Company). As a result, the Company has faced, and continues to face, significant cash flow challenges due to material working capital constraints. To partially mitigate these working capital constraints, the Company's core senior management and some key employees and consultants have been deferring most of their cash compensation and/or are accepting compensation in the form of securities of the Company and members of the Company's senior management have from time-to-time made loans to the Company in the past and may do so in future periods.
To help alleviate short-term cash needs for continued operations, in August, three affiliates of the Company (Greg Schoener, Interim COO & Director; Turk Stovall, Director (at that time); Bob Weerts, Director) and two shareholders (one of whom is the brother of Greg Schoener) began advancing money to Bion to cover critical payables. They subsequently formed a loan group, BION BLG, LLC ("BLG"), and have continued to provide short-term funding for Bion in a secured promissory note of up to $500,000. Schoener, Weerts, and the two non-affiliate members were also large Bion shareholders, prior to the formation of BLG. As a group, Schoener, Stovall, and Weerts own 60% of BLG, which has a security interest in the Company's Intellectual Property. The BLG note will bear interest at a rate of 7.5% per annum and the maturity date is April 15, 2025. As of the filing date, BLG has advanced $407,734. The BLG note will convert into Units (shares and/or warrants) in the Company at the terms of a later capital raise, in which Bion crosses the threshold of $3 (three) million in aggregate capital raised (or other source of funding, and other terms as defined in the note). If the Company is unable to complete such funding within six (6) months, it will be in default of the BLG note, which is secured by the Company's Intellectual Property ("IP" "Collateral"). BLG will share the Collateral on a pro rata basis with investors in a Note with similar terms being offered to previous Bion investors. The BLG note and security agreements contain other terms set forth therein and are included as exhibits to this filing.
In November, the Company launched a secured promissory note offering to previous investors/shareholders (and certain others)(Shareholder Notes) with similar terms to the BLG note. Based on feedback from shareholders and registered representatives with which the Company has long standing relationships, management believed at that time that sufficient capital could be raised with this group to 1) continue to cover critical payables to maintain operations that will allow the Company to finish the engineering report and technology demonstration at Fair Oaks, 2) move forward with pre-development work on the Stovall project, 3) continue discussions with potential strategic partners, and 4) position ourselves for the larger offering/ funding that will be required. As of the filing date, Bion has raised $611,000 in the Shareholder Note offerings. Further, Bion has changed its focus from pre-development work on the Stovall project, to an initial bolt-on project at an existing facility.
To date, the Company has primarily raised funds through private placements with accredited investors, often conducted through FINRA-registered broker/dealers. However, the Company anticipates moving forward, it will need to raise capital using a combination of financial instruments and sources, that could also include strategic and/or institutional investors, including family offices and private equity, brokered equity or debt offerings with both public and private investors, and banks and other ag lending institutions, among others, although there can be no assurance it will be successful. Many of these financing options may involve dilution, potentially substantial, for current shareholders. Management intends to augment its access to capital by adding one or more staff members (or consultants) with experience in the capital markets, as well as utilizing its current contacts and relationships in the capital markets.
Bion is in discussions with several potential strategic partners in engineering, renewable energy (biogas/RNG) and clean fuels, organic fertilizer distribution, and others involved in reducing the environmental footprint of biogas, agriculture, and livestock production. Bion is now evaluating a number of these as potential development and finance partners for project opportunities. Further, with the recent OMRI Listing for its commercial fertilizer, the Company has initiated discussions with several large U.S. fertilizer manufacturers and distributors that have demonstrated interest in the product. Bion believes that these industry relationships could entail a direct investment in Bion, licensing fee, or some other 'up front' financial benefit to Bion, although there is no assurance that they will.
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
We have the following material contractual obligations (in addition to employment and consulting agreements with management and employees):
The Company entered into an agreement on September 23, 2021, to lease approximately four acres of land near Fair Oaks, Indiana, for the development site of its Initial Project. The lease ended December 31, 2024 and there is an agreement to extend month to month at the same rate.
The Company has not made consistent lease payments since October 16, 2023 and has made no payments since February 24, 2025. The Company owes $106,250 in lease payments at June 30, 2025.
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
The Company does not have any off-balance sheet arrangements (as that term is defined in Item 303 of Regulation S-K) that are reasonably likely to have a current or future material effect on our financial condition, revenue or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.