S-1/A: Netcapital Files S-1/A for Resale of 1.8M Shares, Details Losses
Registration Statement Amendment
Netcapital Inc. filed an S-1/A registration statement for the resale of up to 1.88 million shares by selling shareholders, revealing significant net losses and a going concern warning.
Summary
- Netcapital Inc. filed an S-1/A registration statement for the resale of up to 1,879,090 shares of common stock by selling shareholders.
- The shares include 118,750 shares from a June 2025 private placement and 1,760,340 shares issuable upon the exercise of various warrants.
- The company will not receive proceeds from the resale of shares by selling shareholders but could receive up to approximately $9.21 million if all warrants are exercised for cash.
- Netcapital reported substantial net losses: $28,301,325 for the year ended April 30, 2025, and $5,771,541 for the six months ended October 31, 2025.
- Revenues decreased significantly, with a 70% drop to $51,076 for the three months ended October 31, 2025, primarily due to a lack of new issuers.
- The independent auditor expressed "substantial doubt" about the company's ability to continue as a going concern due to negative working capital, operating losses, and negative cash flows.
- The company recognized total impairment expenses of approximately $19.9 million in the year ended April 30, 2025, including writing off investments in Deuce Drone LLC and ChipBrain, LLC.
- Netcapital terminated its ATS relationship with Templum in September 2025 and is exploring other secondary trading alternatives.
- Recent acquisitions include Rivetz Corp.'s blockchain-related assets (December 2025 for 950,000 shares) and Iverson Designs' digital design studio assets (January 2026 for 980,000 shares).
- Management changes include Rich Wheeless appointed CEO and Kevin Kilduff as General Counsel in December 2025, following Martin Kay's resignation as CEO.
- A confidential settlement agreement with Templum Inc. and Templum Markets LLC was reached, requiring Netcapital to pay $43,000 by September 12, 2025, to resolve a payment dispute.
Sentiment
Score: 2
Explanation: StockSavvy.ai views this as a highly concerning filing due to significant and increasing net losses, a sharp decline in revenue, a clear going concern warning from auditors, and substantial asset impairments, all of which overshadow strategic initiatives and recent capital raises.
Positives
- Netcapital's broker-dealer subsidiary, Netcapital Securities Inc., received FINRA approval in November 2024, potentially expanding revenue opportunities through Reg A and Reg D offerings.
- The company is expanding its platform to support offerings of tokenized securities, including fractionalized real-world assets (RWAs), which could increase investor interest.
- Recent acquisitions of Rivetz Corp.'s blockchain-related assets and Iverson Designs' digital design studio assets aim to enhance the platform and support AI-driven design methods.
- The company has a scalable technology platform designed for high transaction volumes and robust security.
- Netcapital believes it offers the lowest cost solution for online capital raising compared to its peer group and emphasizes superior customer support and onboarding.
Negatives
- Significant net losses were incurred: $28,301,325 for the year ended April 30, 2025, and $5,771,541 for the six months ended October 31, 2025.
- Revenues decreased substantially, with a 70% decline in the three months ended October 31, 2025, primarily due to a lack of new issuers.
- The company's independent auditor expressed "substantial doubt" about its ability to continue as a going concern.
- Total impairment expenses of approximately $19.9 million were recognized in the year ended April 30, 2025, including writing off significant investments in portfolio companies like Deuce Drone LLC and ChipBrain, LLC.
- Netcapital stopped taking equity positions in select portfolio clients, which previously generated substantial revenue ($3.44 million in FY2024 vs. $0 in FY2025).
- The ATS relationship with Templum was terminated in September 2025, as a formal ATS was never established, indicating a failure in a strategic initiative to provide liquidity.
- Cash and cash equivalents were relatively low at $792,771 as of January 15, 2026, especially given ongoing losses.
- Many outstanding warrants have exercise prices significantly higher than the current market price of $0.71 (as of January 30, 2026), making cash exercise unlikely and limiting potential capital inflow from them.
Risks
- Inability to continue as a going concern due to negative working capital, operating losses, and negative cash flows.
- Fluctuations in the fair value of portfolio company investments could cause significant volatility in financial results and may not be indicative of operating performance.
- Inability to replace revenues previously generated by taking equity in select portfolio clients could materially adversely affect financial position and results of operations.
- Regulatory and legal uncertainties, including potential litigation or regulatory proceedings, could harm the business and incur significant costs.
- Failure to comply with extensive regulations in the highly regulated securities industry (SEC, FINRA, state regulators) could lead to fines, censures, suspension, or expulsion.
- Potential liability for misstatements made by issuers on the funding portal or through broker-dealer services.
- The market and regulatory framework for tokenized securities and RWAs are nascent, highly competitive, fragmented, and subject to rapid change, creating significant uncertainty and compliance risks.
- Tokenization involves novel technological, operational, and cybersecurity risks, including potential failures in blockchain networks, smart contracts, and vulnerabilities to malicious actors.
- The Selling Shareholders may choose to sell shares at prices below the current market price, and a large number of shares sold could significantly depress the market price of common stock.
- Future dilution may occur from the issuance of shares, future equity offerings, and the exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants.
Future Outlook
The company plans to expand its platform to support tokenized securities, including fractionalized real-world assets, anticipating increased investor interest due to perceived liquidity on blockchain exchanges. It aims to generate new investor accounts, hire business development staff, increase the number of companies on its platform through marketing, and invest in innovative technologies. The company also seeks to accelerate its advisory portfolio clients and explore international expansion, particularly into Europe and Asia. Leveraging its broker-dealer license for Reg A and Reg D offerings is expected to expand its revenue base and distribution capabilities.
Management Comments
- "We believe that by having a registered broker-dealer, it may create opportunities to expand the Company's revenue base by hosting and generating additional fees from Reg A and Reg D offerings on the Netcapital platform."
- "We believe a significant opportunity exists to disrupt private capital markets via the Netcapital funding portal."
- "We believe that lack of liquidity is a key issue for investors in private companies in our targeted market."
- "We believe investors will find these offerings attractive as tokenization fractional ownership and secondary trading on blockchain exchanges, allowing investors to buy/sell shares instantly without traditional brokers."
- "We believe there is sufficient room for multiple players [in the crowdfunding industry]."
Industry Context
StockSavvy.ai notes that Netcapital operates within the evolving fintech landscape, specifically targeting the private capital markets disrupted by the JOBS Act. The industry has seen significant growth in Reg CF funding, increasing 360% from $74.8 million in 2018 to $343.6 million in 2024, with regulatory enhancements boosting offering limits. The company's strategic pivot towards tokenized securities and fractionalized real-world assets aligns with a broader industry trend of leveraging blockchain for asset digitization and liquidity, a nascent but potentially transformative market. However, the competitive landscape includes established players like StartEngine, Wefunder, and Republic Core, and the regulatory environment for digital assets remains uncertain. Netcapital's significant revenue decline and going concern warning contrast sharply with the overall growth narrative of the crowdfunding sector, suggesting internal operational challenges or a failure to effectively capitalize on market tailwinds.
Comparison to Industry Standards
- Netcapital claims to provide the lowest cost solution for online capital raising compared to its peer group (StartEngine Crowdfunding, Inc., Wefunder Inc., and Republic Core LLC).
- The average amount raised in an offering on Netcapital's funding portal in fiscal 2025 was $215,745, which is significantly lower than the 2024 median Reg A+ raise of $2 million and average raise of $7.7 million mentioned for the broader Reg A+ market. This suggests Netcapital's platform may be attracting smaller offerings or struggling to scale larger ones.
- While Reg CF funding grew 360% from $74.8 million in 2018 to $343.6 million in 2024, Netcapital's total dollars invested through its portal decreased by 28% from $14.8 million in fiscal 2024 to $10.6 million in fiscal 2025, indicating underperformance relative to the overall market trend.
- The company's substantial net losses and going concern warning are not typical for healthy, growing fintech companies in this space, especially when compared to more established or better-capitalized competitors.
Management Changes
| Role | Previous Person | New Person | Effective Date | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executive Officer | Martin Kay | Rich Wheeless | December 7, 2025 | Martin Kay resigned on December 3, 2025. |
| Director | Martin Kay | N/A | December 3, 2025 | Resignation. |
| General Counsel | N/A | Kevin Kilduff | December 7, 2025 | Appointment. |
Corporate Governance
| Change Type | Description | Effective Date | Impact Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indemnification Policy | The company's Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws include provisions requiring indemnification for directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by law. | N/A | Provides legal protection for directors and officers, potentially reducing personal liability risk. |
| Related-Party Transaction Policy | Policies and procedures for transactions with related parties require review and approval by the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer for transactions exceeding the lesser of $120,000 or 1% of average total assets. | N/A | Aims to ensure oversight and fairness in dealings with related parties, mitigating potential conflicts of interest. |
| Stock Option Approval | Stock options granted to various officers and directors in June and July 2025 are subject to shareholder approval before becoming exercisable. | N/A | Ensures shareholder oversight on significant equity compensation, potentially impacting management incentives if not approved. |
Legal Proceedings
- The company may become involved in litigation or regulatory proceedings in the ordinary course of business, which could be material.
- The securities industry is highly regulated, and the company's business involves substantial risk of liability, including class action suits.
- The company is subject to periodic regulatory audits and inspections, which could result in significant management time, diversion of resources, changes in business practices, sanctions (fines, censures, suspension, expulsion, license revocation), or negative publicity.
- The company is routinely the subject of regulatory inquiries regarding anti-money laundering, compliance, registration, record-keeping, disclosure, and other topics.
- An adverse proceeding or settlement could result in non-compliance with the SEC Uniform Net Capital Rule, potentially leading to immediate suspension of securities activities, suspension/expulsion by SEC/FINRA, or liquidation of the broker-dealer entity.
- An adverse proceeding or settlement could also result in the loss of funding portal registration.
- The company may be liable for misstatements made by issuers on its funding portal (Regulation Crowdfunding) and through its broker-dealer services (Regulation A and D offerings).
- A Confidential Settlement Agreement and Release was entered into with Templum Inc. and Templum Markets LLC to resolve a payment dispute, with Netcapital agreeing to pay $43,000 by September 12, 2025.
Related Party Transactions
- Netcapital Systems LLC (29% owned by Jason Frishman, Founder): Paid $95,000 (FY2025) and $175,000 (FY2024) for software license. Owed $285,000 in unpaid invoices as of April 20, 2025.
- Cecilia Lenk (Director, CEO of Netcapital Advisors): Member of the board of directors of KingsCrowd Inc. (company holds 3,209,685 shares, valued at $577,743 as of April 30, 2025, after a $2.7 million unrealized loss in Jan 2024). Also a board member of Deuce Drone LLC (company wrote off $2,350,000 investment and recorded a $152,000 credit loss reserve on notes receivable as of April 30, 2025).
- John Fanning Jr. (son of CFO Coreen Kraysler): Received cash compensation of $44,991 (FY2025) and $54,880 (FY2024) as a consultant. Controlling shareholder of Zelgor Inc., from which the company recognized $0 revenue (FY2025) compared to $33,000 (FY2024), and holds 1,400,000 shares valued at $1,400,000.
- John Fanning (husband of CFO Coreen Kraysler): Served as an advisor after September 20, 2023, and was paid $50,783 (FY2024).
- Coreen Kraysler (CFO): Personally guaranteed a $500,000 promissory note from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
- Steven Geary (Director): Owed $31,680 as of April 30, 2023, which was paid in 3,419 shares of common stock on April 24, 2024.
- Paul Riss (Director of Netcapital Funding Portal Inc.): Owed $58,524 as of April 30, 2023, which was paid in 6,315 shares of common stock on April 24, 2024.
- Stock options were granted to Martin Kay, Coreen Kraysler, Jason Frishman, Paul Riss, Cecilia Lenk, Avi Liss, Steven Geary, and Arnold Scott in January 2023, June 2025, and July 2025.
Stakeholder Impact
- Shareholders: Face significant dilution risk from the resale of 1.88 million shares and potential future equity offerings. The substantial net losses, going concern warning, and asset impairments could negatively impact share price and investment value. The low current stock price ($0.71) compared to many warrant exercise prices ($2.03 to $8.75) suggests limited upside from warrant exercises for the company, and potential for further price depression if selling shareholders liquidate.
- Employees: Management changes (CEO, General Counsel) have occurred. The company's financial instability and going concern warning could create uncertainty regarding job security and future compensation.
- Customers (Issuers): The decline in new issuers launching crowdfunding campaigns indicates reduced customer acquisition. The termination of the ATS relationship with Templum means a key liquidity solution is not currently available, which could deter issuers seeking secondary trading options. The company's focus on tokenized securities and Reg A/D offerings might attract new types of issuers.
- Creditors: The company's negative working capital, operating losses, and negative cash flows, along with the going concern warning, increase credit risk. The $43,000 settlement payment to Templum and repayment of promissory notes from offering proceeds address some obligations.
- Suppliers: Unpaid invoices of $285,000 owed to Netcapital Systems LLC (a related party) as of April 20, 2025, indicate potential payment delays or risks for vendors.
Next Steps
- Selling Shareholders may offer and sell up to 1,879,090 shares of common stock from time to time.
- The company intends to use any net proceeds from warrant exercises for working capital and other general corporate purposes, including investments in sales and marketing in the United States and internationally.
- The company plans to supplement issuer advertising by increasing its own online marketing spend, potentially including virtual conferences.
- The company seeks to hire additional business development staff to generate new crowdfunding clients and other issuers.
- The company plans to invest in developing innovative technologies that enhance its platform and allow for additional service offerings, particularly in tokenized securities.
- The company will conduct quarterly reviews of its equity investments in accordance with ASC 321.
- The company seeks to assist its advisory clients.
- The company believes there is a significant opportunity to expand into Europe and Asia.
- The company is exploring various alternatives to provide issuers and investors with a secondary trading feature, including engaging a broker-dealer that operates an ATS.
Key Dates
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 1984 | Company incorporated in Utah as DBS Investments, Inc. |
| December 2003 | DBS Investments, Inc. merged with Valuesetters L.L.C. and changed its name to Valuesetters, Inc. |
| August 2009 | Avi Liss began serving as President of Liss Law, LLC. |
| August 2010 | Avi Liss began serving as Director and Secretary of the Company. |
| 2014 | Rich Wheeless began serving as CFO of Rivetz Corp. |
| April 13, 2015 | Amendment to Articles of Incorporation filed. |
| 2016 | Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act) finalized. |
| July 2017 | Cecilia Lenk began serving as a director and CEO of the Company (until Jan 2023). |
| September 2017 | Coreen Kraysler began serving as Chief Financial Officer. |
| January 2018 | Rich Wheeless served as Chief Financial Officer of Taal Distributed Information Technologies Inc. (until March 2019). |
| 2018 | Kevin Kilduff became a senior partner at The Law Officer of Kevin Kilduff, P.C. |
| March 2019 | Rich Wheeless served as Interim Chief Executive Officer of Enrich Media Group (until Feb 2020). |
| August 2019 | Company entered consulting agreement with KingsCrowd LLC, receiving 300,000 membership interest units. |
| February 3, 2020 | John Fanning (CFO's husband) began employment with the Company. |
| March 2020 | Rich Wheeless began serving as Chairman & CEO of ParcelPal Logistics, Inc. |
| May 2020 | Company entered consulting contract with Zelgor Inc., receiving 1,400,000 shares. |
| June 17, 2020 | Company entered into a $500,000 promissory note with the U.S. Small Business Administration, personally guaranteed by Coreen Kraysler. |
| October 2020 | Company received 710,000 units of ChipBrain LLC in consideration for services. |
| November 2020 | Company purchased Netcapital Funding Portal Inc. and changed its name to Netcapital Inc. |
| December 2020 | KingsCrowd converted to a corporation, converting membership units into 3,815,745 shares. |
| January 31, 2021 | Company issued a $1,885,000 Paycheck Protection Note to Citizens Bank, N.A. |
| March 2021 | Regulatory enhancements by the SEC increased Reg CF funding limit to $5 million. |
| November 2021 | Company purchased MSG Development Corp. |
| June 2022 | Company sold 606,060 KingsCrowd shares for $200,000, recognizing a loss of $406,060. |
| July 14, 2022 | Supplemental consideration of 39,901 shares paid to Systems DE for Netcapital Funding Portal Inc. acquisition. |
| December 17, 2022 | Monthly payments began on the $500,000 SBA promissory note. |
| December 2022 | Arnold Scott began serving as a Director of the Company. |
| January 2, 2023 | Netcapital UT LLC entered into a software license and services agreement with Templum Markets LLC (Templum License Agreement). |
| January 3, 2023 | Stock options granted to Martin Kay, Jason Frishman, Coreen Kraysler, and Paul Riss. |
| April 25, 2023 | Stock options granted to board members Cecilia Lenk, Avi Liss, Steven Geary, and Arnold Scott. |
| July 2023 | Company began incurring net losses in every fiscal period since this date. |
| September 20, 2023 | John Fanning (CFO's husband) ceased employment with the Company, continuing as an advisor. |
| January 31, 2024 | Company recognized an unrealized loss of approximately $2.7 million on KingsCrowd common shares. |
| April 24, 2024 | Company issued 9,734 shares to Steven Geary and Paul Riss to settle $90,204 in outstanding indebtedness. |
| August 1, 2024 | Company effectuated a 1-for-70 reverse stock split. |
| November 7, 2024 | Engagement letter dated between Company and H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC. |
| November 2024 | Netcapital Securities Inc. received FINRA approval to become a FINRA-member broker-dealer. |
| January 9, 2025 | Company entered into inducement offer letter agreements for January 2025 Warrant Inducement. |
| January 13, 2025 | January 2025 Warrant Inducement transaction closed, generating approx. $487,000 gross proceeds. |
| March 5, 2025 | Company entered into inducement offer letter agreements for March 2025 Warrant Inducement. |
| March 6, 2025 | March 2025 Warrant Inducement transaction closed, generating approx. $143,200 gross proceeds. |
| April 20, 2025 | Company owed Netcapital Systems LLC $285,000 in unpaid invoices. |
| April 30, 2025 | Company determined to impair the full value of its investment in Deuce Drone LLC ($2,350,000). |
| April 30, 2025 | Company determined to impair the full value of its investment in ChipBrain, LLC ($3,266,348). |
| April 30, 2025 | Independent auditor's opinion for the year ended April 30, 2025, included a going concern explanatory paragraph. |
| April 30, 2025 | Company recognized total impairment expense of approximately $19.9 million for the year ended. |
| June 8, 2025 | Company granted 55,000 stock options to Martin Kay and Coreen Kraysler. |
| June 9, 2025 | Company granted 100,000 stock options to Martin Kay and Coreen Kraysler, 80,000 to Paul Riss, 10,000 to Jason Frishman, and 1,000 to each of Cecilia Lenk, Avi Liss, Steven Geary, and Arnold Sock (subject to shareholder approval). |
| June 10, 2025 | Company entered into subscription agreements for a private placement of 118,750 shares, generating $475,000 gross proceeds. |
| July 2, 2025 | Company entered into a securities purchase agreement for July 2025 Registered Direct Offering #1, for approx. $5 million gross proceeds. |
| July 7, 2025 | Closing of sales for July 2025 Registered Direct Offering #1. |
| July 16, 2025 | Company entered into a securities purchase agreement for July 2025 Registered Direct Offering #2, for approx. $3 million gross proceeds. |
| July 17, 2025 | Closing of sales for July 2025 Registered Direct Offering #2. |
| July 31, 2025 | Company granted 40,000 stock options to each of directors Cecilia Lenk, Avi Liss, Steven Geary, and Arnold Sock (subject to shareholder approval). |
| September 2025 | Company terminated relationships and agreements with Templum. |
| September 11, 2025 | Effective Date of Confidential Settlement Agreement and Release with Templum. |
| September 12, 2025 | Deadline for NCPL to make $43,000 settlement payment to Templum. |
| September 16, 2025 | Company issued 46,258 shares and 92,428 shares under settlement agreements for outstanding notes. |
| September 16, 2025 | Company issued 59,147 Adjustment Shares to June 2025 private placement investors due to price adjustment provision. |
| November 19, 2025 | Company announced plans to expand its platform to include support for compliant blockchain-based digital assets. |
| December 3, 2025 | Martin Kay resigned as CEO and director. |
| December 3, 2025 | Company purchased substantially all of Rivetz Corp.'s assets for 950,000 shares of common stock. |
| December 7, 2025 | Rich Wheeless appointed Chief Executive Officer and Kevin Kilduff appointed General Counsel. |
| January 15, 2026 | Company had $792,771 in cash and cash equivalents. |
| January 21, 2026 | Company issued 980,000 shares of common stock to Iverson Design LLC in consideration of assets purchased. |
| January 30, 2026 | Last reported sale price of common stock was $0.71. |
| February 2, 2026 | Date of this S-1/A filing. |
Recommendation
strong sellNetcapital Inc. faces severe financial distress, evidenced by substantial and increasing net losses, a dramatic decline in revenue, and an explicit "going concern" warning from its auditors. The company's strategy shifts, including tokenization and broker-dealer expansion, are overshadowed by its inability to generate consistent revenue and significant asset impairments. The current stock price is well below most warrant exercise prices, making cash infusion from warrant exercises unlikely. Given the high operational risks, regulatory scrutiny, and fundamental financial instability, a seasoned investor would likely recommend a strong sell to mitigate further losses.
Keywords
Fintech, Crowdfunding, Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF), Regulation A (Reg A), Tokenized Securities, Real-World Assets (RWAs), SEC Filing, S-1/A, Warrants, Private Placement, Netcapital, Broker-Dealer, Financial Technology, Capital Raising, Startup Funding
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