Confidentially submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 6, 2021.

This draft registration statement has not been publicly filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and all information herein remains strictly confidential.

Registration No. 333-   ​

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM F-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933​

GENIUS GROUP LIMITED
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Not Applicable

(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)​

8 Amoy Street, #01-01
Singapore 049950
Tel: +65 8940 1200
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant’s principal executive offices)

Puglisi & Associates
850 Library Avenue, Suite 204
Newark, DE 19711
Tel: (302) 738-6680
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies of all communications, including communications
sent to agent for service, should be sent to:

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this registration statement becomes effective.

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ☐

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, 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 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

† The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

​

1)

In accordance with Rule 416(a), the Registrant is also registering an indeterminate number of additional ordinary shares that shall be issuable to prevent dilution resulting from share splits, share dividends or similar transactions.

​

2)

Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

​

3)

Includes [•] additional ordinary shares which may be issued upon exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.

​

4)

No registration fee required pursuant to Rule 457(g).

​

5)

We have agreed to issue to the representative of the underwriters warrants to purchase ordinary shares representing up to 5% of the ordinary shares issued in the offering. The representative’s warrants are exercisable at a per share exercise price equal to 125% of the public offering price per ordinary share offered hereby. As estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(g) under the Securities Act, the proposed maximum aggregate offering price of the representative’s warrants is $[•], which is equal to 125% of $[•] (5% of $[•]).

​

The Registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and we are not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

[•] Ordinary Shares

Genius Group Limited

This is a firm commitment initial public offering of ordinary shares of Genius Group Limited. Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our ordinary shares. We anticipate that the initial public offering price of our shares will be between $[•] and $[•].

We intend to apply to list our ordinary shares on the [•] under the symbol “[•].”

We are both an “emerging growth company” and a “foreign private issuer” as defined under the U.S. federal securities laws and, as such, may elect to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements for this and future filings. See “Prospectus Summary — Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company” and “Prospectus Summary — Implications of Being a Foreign Private Issuer.”

Investing in our ordinary shares involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 21. Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

​

(1)

Underwriting discounts and commissions do not include a non-accountable expense allowance equal to 1.0% of the initial public offering price payable to the underwriters. The underwriters will receive compensation in addition to the discounts and commissions. We refer you to “Underwriting” beginning on page 142 for additional information regarding underwriters’ compensation.

​

We have granted a 45-day option to the representative of the underwriters to purchase up to an additional [•] ordinary shares, solely to cover over-allotments, if any.

The underwriters expect to deliver the ordinary shares to purchasers on or about                 , 2021.

ThinkEquity
a division of Fordham Financial Management, Inc.

The date of this prospectus is           , 2021.

 

 

 

Table Of Contents

 

i

 

About This Prospectus

Except where indicated or where the context otherwise requires, the terms “Genius Group,” “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” “our Company” and “our business” refer to Genius Group Limited together with its consolidated subsidiaries. For explanations of certain other terms used in this prospectus, please read “Prospectus Summary — Overview — A Brief Glossary” beginning on page 4.

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer to sell securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus.

For investors outside of the United States of America (the “United States” or the “U.S.”): Neither we nor the underwriters have done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction, other than the United States, where action for that purpose is required. Persons outside of the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of our ordinary shares and the distribution of this prospectus outside of the United States.

The Pre-IPO Group’s reporting currency is the United States (“U.S.”) dollar. The functional currencies of Genius Group Ltd and its subsidiaries are their local currencies (Singapore dollar and British pound) and the functional currency of Entrepreneur Resorts and its subsidiaries are their local currencies (Singapore dollar, South African Rand, and Indonesian Rupiah). The Pre-IPO Group engages in foreign currency denominated transactions with customers and suppliers, as well as between subsidiaries with different functional currencies. Gains and losses resulting from transactions denominated in non-functional currencies are recognized in earnings.

Unless otherwise noted, (i) all industry and market data in this prospectus is presented in U.S. dollars, (ii) all financial and other data related to Genius Group in this prospectus is presented in U.S. dollars, (iii) all references to “$” or “USD” in this prospectus (other than in our financial statements) refer to U.S. dollars, (iv) all references to “S$” or “SGD” in this prospectus refer to Singapore dollars, and (v) all information in this prospectus assumes no exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option.

Our fiscal year end is December 31. References to a particular “fiscal year” are to our fiscal year ended December 31 of that calendar year. Our audited combined consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.

We obtained the industry, market and competitive position data in this prospectus from our own internal estimates, surveys, and research as well as from publicly available information, industry and general publications and research, surveys and studies conducted by third parties. None of the independent industry publications used in this prospectus were prepared on our behalf. Industry publications, research, surveys, studies and forecasts generally state that the information they contain has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but that the accuracy and completeness of such information is not guaranteed. Forecasts and other forward-looking information obtained from these sources are subject to the same qualifications and uncertainties as the other forward-looking statements in this prospectus, and to risks due to a variety of factors, including those described under “Risk Factors.” These and other factors could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in these forecasts and other forward-looking information.

We have proprietary rights to trademarks used in this prospectus that are important to our business, many of which are registered under applicable intellectual property laws. Solely for convenience, the trademarks, service marks and trade names referred to in this prospectus are without the ®, ™ and other similar

 

1​

 

symbols, but the absence of such references is not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the applicable licensors to these trademarks, service marks and trade names.

This prospectus contains additional trademarks, service marks and trade names of others. All trademarks, service marks and trade names appearing in this prospectus are, to our knowledge, the property of their respective owners. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trademarks, service marks or trade names to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other person.

This prospectus is not a “prospectus” as defined in the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”), and accordingly, statutory liability under the SFA in relation to the content of prospectuses will not apply. This prospectus has not been and will not be lodged with or registered as a prospectus by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of our ordinary shares may not be circulated or distributed, nor may our ordinary shares be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor (as defined in Section 4A(1)(c) of the SFA) pursuant to Section 274 of the SFA, (ii) to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA) pursuant to Section 275(1) of the SFA, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA and (where applicable) Regulation 3 of the Securities and Futures (Classes of Investors) Regulations 2018 or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA, in each case subject to compliance with the conditions set forth in the SFA.

Where our ordinary shares are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:

(a)   a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or

(b)   a trustee of a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor,

securities or securities-based derivatives contracts (each as defined in Section 2(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the ordinary shares pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA, except:

➢

to an institutional investor or to a relevant person as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or (in the case of such corporation) where the transfer arises from an offer referred to in Section 275(1A) of the SFA or (in the case of such trust) where the transfer arises from an offer referred to in Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA;

​

➢

where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer;

​

➢

where the transfer is by operation of law;

​

➢

as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA; or

​

➢

as specified in Regulation 37A of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Securities and Securities-based Derivatives Contracts) Regulations 2018 of Singapore.

​

Any reference to the SFA is a reference to the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore and a reference to any term as defined in the SFA or any provision in the SFA is a reference to that term as modified or amended from time to time including by such of its subsidiary legislation as may be applicable at the relevant time.

 

2

 

Notification under Section 309B(1) of the SFA: The Company has determined, and hereby notifies all persons (including relevant persons (as defined in Section 309A(1) of the SFA)) that the ordinary shares are prescribed capital markets products (as defined in the Securities and Futures (Capital Markets Products) Regulations 2018) and Excluded Investment Products (as defined in the MAS Notice SFA 04-N12: Notice on the Sale of Investment Products and MAS Notice FAA-N16: Notice on Recommendations on Investment Products).

By accepting this prospectus, the recipient hereof and thereof represents and warrants that such recipient is entitled to receive it in accordance with the restrictions set forth above and agrees to be bound by the limitations contained herein. Any failure to comply with these limitations may constitute a violation of law.

 

3​

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

​

11

​

12

​

13

14

15

​

16

​	​	​	For the period ended, (USD 000’s) December 31, 2019				​
Summary Income Data:	​	​	​	​	​	​	​
Sales	​	​	​	​	28,657	​	​
Cost of goods sold	​	​	​	​	(11,648)	​	​
Gross profit (Loss)	​	​	​	​	17,009	​	​
Other Operating Income	​	​	​	​	1,329	​	​
Operating Expenses	​	​	​	​	(19,400)	​	​
Operating profit (Loss)	​	​	​	​	(1,062)	​	​
Other income	​	​	​	​	784	​	​
Other Expense	​	​	​	​	(1,013)	​	​
Net Income (Loss) Before Tax	​	​	​	​	(1,291)	​	​
Tax Expense	​	​	​	​	6	​	​
Net Income (Loss) After Tax	​	​	​	​	(1,285)	​	​
Other Comprehensive Income	​	​	​	​	(308)	​	​
Total Income (Loss)	​	​	​	​	(1,593)	​	​
Net income per share, basic and diluted	​	​	​	​	(0.42)	​	​
Weighted-average number of shares outstanding, basic and diluted	​	​	​	​	3,806,198	​	​
​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​

17

​	​	​	For the Period Ended (USD 000’s) December 31, 2019				​
Summary Balance Sheet Data:	​	​	​	​	​	​	​
Total current assets	​	​	​	​	25,675	​	​
Total non-current assets	​	​	​	​	71,283	​	​
Total Assets	​	​	​	​	96,958	​	​
Total current liabilities	​	​	​	​	12,337	​	​
Total non-current liabilities	​	​	​	​	10,007	​	​
Total Liabilities	​	​	​	​	22,344	​	​
Total Shareholders’ Equity	​	​	​	​	74,614	​	​
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	​	​	​	​	96,958	​	​
​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​

18

​

​

​

Year Ended December 31, (USD 000’s )

​

​

​

​

2019

​

​

2018

​

Summary Income Data:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Sales

​

​

​

​

9,949

​

​

​

​

​

9,123

​

​

Cost of goods sold

​

​

​

​

(5,121)

​

​

​

​

​

(3,938)

​

​

Gross profit (Loss)

​

​

​

​

4,828

​

​

​

​

​

5,185

​

​

Other Operating Income

​

​

​

​

1,187

​

​

​

​

​

561

​

​

Operating Expenses

​

​

​

​

(7,151)

​

​

​

​

​

(6,319)

​

​

Operating profit (Loss)

​

​

​

​

(1,136)

​

​

​

​

​

(573)

​

​

Other income

​

​

​

​

784

​

​

​

​

​

121

​

​

Other Expense

​

​

​

​

(864)

​

​

​

​

​

—

​

​

Net Income (Loss) Before Tax

​

​

​

​

(1,216)

​

​

​

​

​

(452)

​

​

Tax Expense

​

​

​

​

(95)

​

​

​

​

​

316

​

​

Net Income (Loss) After Tax

​

​

​

​

(1,311)

​

​

​

​

​

(136)

​

​

Other Comprehensive Income

​

​

​

​

(308)

​

​

​

​

​

138

​

​

Total Income (Loss)

​

​

​

​

(1,619)

​

​

​

​

​

2

​

​

Net income per share, basic and diluted

​

​

​

​

(0.65)

​

​

​

​

​

0.00

​

​

Weighted-average number of shares outstanding, basic and diluted

​

​

​

​

2,487,478

​

​

​

​

​

2,487,478

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Year Ended December 31, (USD 000’s )

​

​

​

​

2019

​

​

2018

​

Summary Balance Sheet Data:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Total current assets

​

​

​

​

5,806

​

​

​

​

​

3,935

​

​

Total non-current assets

​

​

​

​

25,776

​

​

​

​

​

13,412

​

​

Total Assets

​

​

​

​

31,582

​

​

​

​

​

17,347

​

​

Total current liabilities

​

​

​

​

6,202

​

​

​

​

​

4,172

​

​

Total non-current liabilities

​

​

​

​

6,608

​

​

​

​

​

1,934

​

​

Total Liabilities

​

​

​

​

12,810

​

​

​

​

​

6,106

​

​

Total Shareholders’ Equity

​

​

​

​

18,772

​

​

​

​

​

11,241

​

​

Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

​

​

​

​

31,582

​

​

​

​

​

17,347

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

19

​

​

​

Year Ended December 31, (USD 000’s)

​

​

​

​

Proforma

​

​

Audited Financials

​

​

​

​

2019

​

​

2019

​

​

2018

​

Net Income (Loss)

​

​

​

​

(1,285)

​

​

​

​

​

(1,131)

​

​

​

​

​

(136)

​

​

Tax Expense

​

​

​

​

(7)

​

​

​

​

​

95

​

​

​

​

​

(316)

​

​

Interest Expense, net

​

​

​

​

1,013

​

​

​

​

​

864

​

​

​

​

​

(121)

​

​

Depreciation and Amortization

​

​

​

​

2,070

​

​

​

​

​

1,359

​

​

​

​

​

637

​

​

Stock Based Compensation

​

​

​

​

172

​

​

​

​

​

172

​

​

​

​

​

133

​

​

Adjusted EBITDA

​

​

​

​

1,963

​

​

​

​

​

1,179

​

​

​

​

​

197

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

As of And For the Year Ended December 31,

​

​

​

​

2019

​

​

2018

​

Number of followers

​

​

​

​

9,683,752

​

​

​

​

​

8,620,859

​

​

Number of students

​

​

​

​

1,553,132

​

​

​

​

​

1,242,712

​

​

Number of countries of operation

​

​

​

​

188

​

​

​

​

​

187

​

​

Average acquisition cost per student

​

​

​

$

0.35

​

​

​

​

$

0.27

​

​

Average annual revenue per student

​

​

​

$

18.45

​

​

​

​

$

7.34

​

​

Average LTV (Life time value) per student

​

​

​

$

55.35

​

​

​

​

$

22.02

​

​

EBIDTA margin

​

​

​

​

11.85%

​

​

​

​

​

2.16%

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

20

 

RISK FACTORS

Investing in our ordinary shares is highly speculative and involves a significant degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risks, as well as other information contained in this prospectus, before making an investment in our Company. The risks discussed below could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, ability to pay dividends and the trading price of our ordinary shares. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to pay dividends, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

We are a growing company with a limited operating history. If we fail to achieve further marketplace acceptance for our products and services, our business, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.

We began enrolling students on our Edtech platform in 2015. As a result, we have only a limited operating history upon which you can evaluate our business and prospects. There can be no assurance that we will remain profitable as a group, or that our products and services will achieve further marketplace acceptance. Our marketing efforts may not generate a sufficient number of student enrollments to sustain our business plan; our capital and operating costs may exceed planned levels; and we may be unable to develop and enhance our service offerings to meet the demands of our students and community to the extent that such demands and preferences change. If we are not successful in managing our business and operations, our financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.

We are a global business subject to complex economic, legal, political, tax, foreign currency and other risks associated with international operations, which risks may be difficult to adequately address.

In each of 2018 and 2019, over 90% of our revenues were generated from operations outside of the United States. We have students in 200 countries, each of which is subject to complex business, economic, legal, political, tax and foreign currency risks. As we continue to expand our international operations, we may have difficulty managing and administering a globally dispersed business and we may need to expend additional funds to, among other things, staff key management positions, obtain additional information technology infrastructure and successfully implement relevant course and program offerings for a significant number of international markets, which may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Additional challenges associated with the conduct of our business overseas that may materially adversely affect our operating results include:

➢

the large scale and diversity of our operations institutions present numerous challenges, including difficulty in staffing and managing foreign operations as a result of distance, language, legal, labor relations and other differences;

​

➢

each of our programs and services are subject to unique business risks and challenges including competitive pressures and diverse pricing environments at the local level;

​

➢

difficulty maintaining quality standards consistent with our brands and with local accreditation requirements;

​

➢

fluctuations in exchange rates, possible currency devaluations and currency controls, inflation and hyperinflation;

​

➢

difficulty selecting and monitoring partners in different jurisdictions;

​

➢

compliance with a wide variety of domestic and foreign laws and regulations;

​

➢

expropriation of assets by governments;

​

➢

political elections and changes in government policies;

​

 

21

 

➢

changes in tax laws, assessments or enforcement by taxing authorities in different jurisdictions;

​

➢

difficulty protecting our intellectual property rights overseas due to, among other reasons, the uncertainty of laws and enforcement in certain countries relating to the protection of intellectual property rights;

​

➢

lower levels of availability or use of the Internet, through which our online programs are delivered;

​

➢

limitations on the repatriation and investment of funds, foreign currency exchange restrictions and inability to transfer cash back to the United States without taxation;

​

➢

potential economic and political instability the countries in which we operate, including student unrest; or

​

➢

business interruptions from acts of terrorism, civil disorder, labor stoppages, public health risks, crime and natural disasters, particularly in areas in which we have significant operations.

​

Our success in growing our business profitably will depend, in part, on the ability to anticipate and effectively manage these and other risks related to operating in various countries. Any failure by us to effectively manage the challenges associated with the maintenance or expansion of our international operations could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our growth strategy anticipates that we will create new products, services, and distribution channels and expand existing distribution channels. If we are unable to effectively manage these initiatives, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows would be adversely affected.

As we create new products, services, and distribution channels and expand our existing distribution channels, we expect to face challenges distinct from those we currently encounter, including:

➢

The challenge of tailoring new products and services to new technologies as they develop, including artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality;

​

➢

Additional local competition as we localize our products and services to different countries, cultures and languages, each with new, local distribution channels;

​

➢

Changing student habits as new distribution channels for learning content are developed globally; and

​

➢

Unpredictable market behavior as the education market develops new distribution channels for learning outside the traditional school system, including via online courses and virtual learning.

​

Our failure to manage these new distribution channels, or any new distribution channels we pursue, may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our growth may have a negative effect on the successful expansion of our business, on our people management, and on the increase in complexity of our software and platforms.

We are currently experiencing a period of significant expansion and are facing a number of expansion related issues, such as the acquisition and retention of experienced and talented personnel, cash flow management, corporate culture and internal controls, among others. These issues and the significant amount of time spent on addressing them may result in the diversion of our management’s attention from other business issues and opportunities. In addition, we believe that our corporate culture and values are critical to our success, and we have invested a significant amount of time and resources building them. If we fail to preserve our corporate culture and values, our ability to recruit, retain and develop personnel and to effectively implement our strategic plans may be harmed.

We must constantly update our software and platforms, enhance and improve our billing and transaction and other business systems, and add and train new software designers and engineers, as well as other personnel to help us with the increased use of our platforms and the new solutions and features we regularly introduce. This process is time intensive and expensive and may lead to higher costs in the future. Furthermore, we

 

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may need to enter into relationships with various strategic partners, such as online service providers and other third parties necessary to our business. The increased complexity of managing multiple commercial relationships could lead to execution problems that can affect current and future revenue, and operating margins.

We cannot assure you that our current and planned platforms, systems, products, procedures and controls, personnel and third-party relationships will be adequate to support our future operations. In addition, our current expansion has placed a significant strain on management and on our operational and financial resources, and this strain is expected to continue. Our failure to manage growth effectively could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.

If our growth rate decelerates significantly, our prospects and financial results would be adversely affected, preventing us from achieving profitability.

We believe that our growth depends on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, our ability to:

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Continue to introduce our products and services to new markets;

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Provide high-quality support to students and partnerships using our products and services;

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Expand our business and increase our market share;

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Compete with the products, services, offers, prices and incentives offered by our competitors;

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Develop new products, services, offerings and technologies;

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Identify and acquire or invest in businesses, products, offerings or technologies that we believe may be able to complement or expand our platform; and

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Increase the positive perception of our brands.

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We may not be successful in achieving the above objectives. Any slowdown in the demand from students, teachers, Mentors, and partnerships for our products and services caused by changes in customer preferences, failure to maintain our brands, inability to expand our portfolio of products or services, changes in the global economy, taxes, competition or other factors may lead to a decrease in revenue or growth and our financial results and future prospects could be negatively affected. We expect that we will continue to incur significant expenses as a result of our efforts to continue growing, and if we cannot increase our revenue at a faster rate than the increase in our expenses, we will not be able to achieve profitability.

We are pursuing the IPO Acquisitions and may pursue other strategic acquisitions or investments. The failure of an acquisition or investment (including but not limited to the IPO Acquisitions) to be completed or to produce the anticipated results, or the inability to fully integrate an acquired company, could harm our business.

We may from time to time, as opportunities arise or economic conditions permit, acquire or invest in complementary companies or businesses as part of our strategy to expand our operations, including through acquisitions or investments that may be material in size and/or of strategic relevance. The success of an acquisition or investment will depend on our ability to make accurate assumptions regarding the valuation, operations, growth potential, integration and other factors related to that business. We cannot assure you that our acquisitions or investments will produce the results that we expect at the time we enter into or complete a given transaction.

Any acquisition or investment involves a series of risks and challenges that could adversely affect our business, including due to a failure of such acquisition to contribute to our commercial strategy or improve our image. We may be unable to generate the expected returns and synergies on our investments. In addition, the amortization of acquired intangible assets could decrease our net profit and potential dividends. We may face challenges in integrating acquired companies, which may result in the diversion of our capital and our management’s attention from other business issues and opportunities. We may be unable to create and implement uniform and effective controls, procedures and policies, and we may incur increased costs for integrating systems, people, distribution methods or operating procedures.

 

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We may also be unable to integrate technologies of acquired businesses or retain key customers, executives and staff of the businesses acquired. In particular, we may face challenges in integrating staff working across different geographies and that may be accustomed to different corporate cultures, which would result in strained relations among existing and new personnel. We could also face challenges in negotiating favorable collective bargaining agreements with unions due to differences in the negotiating procedures used in different regions. Finally, we may pursue acquisitions where we acquire a majority stake in such acquisition, but with significant minority investors, or we may become minority investors in certain operations, wherein our ability to effectively control and manage the business may be limited. If we are unable to manage growth through acquisitions, our business and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.

In addition, in connection with any future acquisition, we may face liabilities for contingencies related to, among others, (1) legal and/or administrative proceedings of the acquired company, including civil, regulatory, labor, tax, social security, environmental and intellectual property proceedings, and (2) financial, reputational and technical problems including those related to accounting practices, disclosures in financial statements and internal controls, as well as other regulatory issues. These contingencies may not have been identified prior to the acquisition and may not be sufficiently indemnifiable under the terms of the relevant acquisition agreement, which could have an adverse effect on our business and financial condition. Even if contingencies are indemnifiable under the relevant acquisition agreement, the agreed levels of indemnity may not be sufficient to cover actual contingencies as they materialize.

The foregoing discussion of risks associated with acquisitions in general likewise applies to the pending IPO Acquisitions (see “Business — Our History and Corporate Structure” for more information). One or more of the IPO Acquisitions may not be completed as anticipated, or if completed, may not be beneficial to us for the reasons described above. Each of the IPO Acquisitions is expected to close concurrently with the closing of this offering subject to various customary closing conditions. Satisfaction of many of these closing conditions is out of our control. If these conditions are not satisfied or waived in a given case, the relevant IPO Acquisition transaction may not be closed as scheduled, or at all, or without material adjustments. If one or more of the IPO Acquisitions does not close, we will use the portion of the proceeds from this offering that would otherwise be used to cover related acquisition costs (see “Use of Proceeds”) for general company purposes, over which management will have broad discretion. If any of the IPO Transactions is not consummated, or is consummated but fails to yield the anticipated results, it could have a negative impact on our future financial performance and results of operations. Accordingly, if you decide to invest in this offering, you should be willing to do so whether or not we complete the IPO Acquisitions.

We may be unable to recruit, train and/or retain qualified teachers, Mentors, and other skilled professionals.

Effective teachers and Mentors are critical to maintaining the quality of our learning system and curriculum and assisting students with their lessons. The educational content and materials we provide are a combination of content developed in-house, by our teachers, and our Mentors. Teachers and Mentors must have strong interpersonal communications skills to be able to effectively instruct students, especially in virtual settings. They must also possess the technical skills to use our technology-based learning systems and be willing to publish their content on our platform. There is a limited pool of qualified individuals with these specialized attributes. We must also provide continuous training to teachers and Mentors so that they can stay abreast of changes in student demands, academic standards and other key trends necessary to teach online effectively. We may not be able to recruit, train and retain enough qualified teachers and Mentors to keep pace with our growth while maintaining consistent teaching quality and robust platform content. Shortages of qualified teachers or Mentors, or decreases in the quality of our instruction or the amount and quality of educational content we can produce and offer as a result, whether actual or perceived, would have an adverse effect on our business.

Our success also depends in large part on our senior management and key personnel as well as in general upon highly trained finance, technical, recruiting and marketing professionals in order to operate our business, increase revenues from our existing products and services and to launch new product offerings. If any of these employees leave us and we fail to effectively manage a transition to new personnel, or if there is a shortage in the number of people with the requisite skills or we fail to attract and retain qualified and

 

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experienced professionals on acceptable terms, our business, financial conditions and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Our business may be materially adversely affected if we are not able to maintain or improve the content of our existing courses or to develop new courses on a timely basis and in a cost-effective manner.

We continually seek to maintain and improve the content of our existing courses and develop new courses in order to meet changing market needs. Revisions to our existing courses and the development of new courses may not be accepted by existing or prospective students in all instances. If we cannot respond effectively to market changes, our business may be materially adversely affected. Even if we are able to develop acceptable new courses, we may not be able to introduce these new courses as quickly as students require or as quickly as our competitors are able to introduce competing courses. If we do not respond adequately to changes in market requirements, our ability to attract and retain students could be impaired and our financial results could suffer.

Establishing new courses or modifying existing courses also may require us to make investments in specialized personnel and capital expenditures, increase marketing efforts and reallocate resources away from other uses. We may have limited experience with the subject matter of new courses and may need to modify our systems and strategy. If we are unable to increase the number of students, offer new courses in a cost-effective manner or otherwise manage effectively the operations of newly established courses, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Failure to attract and retain students to enroll in our courses and programs, and to maintain tuition levels, may have a material adverse impact on our business and prospects.

The success of our business depends primarily on the number of student enrollments in the courses and programs we offer on our platform microschools, and events, and the amount of our course and program fees. As a result, our ability to attract students to enroll in our courses and programs is critical to the continued success and growth of our business. This, in turn, will depend on several factors, including, among others, our ability to develop new educational programs and enhance existing educational programs to respond to the changes in market trends, student demands and government policies, to maintain our consistent and high teaching quality, to market our programs successfully to a broader prospective student base, to develop additional high-quality educational content, sites and availability of our platform and to respond effectively to competitive market pressures.

If our students or their parents perceive that our education quality deteriorated due to unsatisfying learning experiences, which may be subject to a number of subjective judgments that we have limited influence over, our overall market reputation may diminish, which in turn may affect our word-of-mouth referrals and ultimately our student enrollment. In addition, the expansion of our offering of courses and services may not succeed due to competition, our failure to effectively market our new courses and services (whether due to defects in our marketing tools and/or failure to adjust our strategy in order to meet the needs of current and potential customers), maintain the quality of our courses and services, or other factors. We may be unable to develop and offer additional educational content on commercially reasonable terms and in a timely manner, or at all, to keep pace with changes in market trends and student demands. If we are unable to control the rate of student attrition, which can be affected by various factors outside our control such as students’ personal circumstances and local socioeconomic factors, our overall enrollment levels are likely to decline or if we are unable to charge tuition rates that are both competitive and cover our rising expenses, our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

If student performance falls or parent and student satisfaction declines, a significant number of students may not remain enrolled in our programs, and our business, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.

The success of our business depends on a family’s decision to have their child continue his or her education through our programs. This decision is based on many factors, including student achievement and parent and student satisfaction. We expect that, as our enrollments increase and the portion of students that have not

 

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used our learning system for multiple years increases, the average performance of all students using our learning system may decrease, even if the individual performance of other students improves over time. Additionally, parent and student satisfaction may decline as not all parents and students are able to devote the substantial time and energy necessary to complete our curriculum. A student’s satisfaction may also suffer if his or her relationship with the virtual school teacher does not meet expectations. If a student’s performance or satisfaction declines, students may decide not to remain enrolled in one or more of our programs, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.

Our curriculum and approach to instruction may not achieve widespread acceptance, which would limit our growth and profitability.

Our curriculum and approach to instruction are based on students learning how to “create a job” rather than “get a job.” The goal of this approach is to make students entrepreneurs. This approach, however, is not accepted by all students, academics and educators, who may favor more traditional and formalistic methods, along with more traditional course offerings and curriculums. Accordingly, some students, academics and educators are opposed to the principles and methodologies associated with our approach to learning, and have the ability to negatively influence the market for our products and services.

The continued development of our brand identity is important to our business. If we are not able to maintain and enhance our brand, our business and operating results may suffer.

Expanding brand awareness is critical to attracting and retaining students, teachers, and Mentors, and for serving additional jurisdictions. We believe that the quality of our curriculum and management services has contributed significantly to the success of our brand. As we continue to increase enrollments and extend our geographic reach, maintaining quality and consistency across all of our services and products may become more difficult to achieve, and any significant and well-publicized failure to maintain this quality and consistency will have a detrimental effect on our brand. We cannot provide assurances that our new sales and marketing efforts will be successful in further promoting our brand in a competitive and cost-effective manner. If we are unable to further enhance our brand recognition and increase awareness of our products and services, or if we incur excessive sales and marketing expenses, our business and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Each of our companies has worked hard to establish the value of its individual brand. Brand value may be severely damaged, even by isolated incidents, particularly if the incidents receive considerable negative publicity. There has been a marked increase in use of social media platforms, including weblogs (blogs), social media websites, and other forms of Internet-based communications that allow individuals access to a broad audience of interested persons. We believe students and prospective teachers and Mentors value readily available information about our companies and programs and often act on such information without further investigation or authentication, and without regard to its accuracy. Social media platforms and devices immediately publish the content their subscribers and participants post, often without filters or checks on the accuracy of the content posted. Information concerning our Company and our programs may be posted on such platforms and devices at any time. Information posted may be materially adverse to our interests, it may be inaccurate, and it may harm our performance and prospects.

If our partnerships are unable to maintain educational quality, we may be adversely affected.

Our partnerships with institutions, such as universities, and other educational providers and their students are regularly assessed and classified under the terms of applicable educational laws and regulations. If the partnerships or students receive lower scores from year to year on any of their assessments, or if there is any drop in the acceptance rates of students into prestigious universities, we may be negatively affected by perceptions of a decline in the educational quality of our content and Edtech platform, which could adversely affect our reputation and, as a result, our operating results and financial condition.

There is significant competition in the market segments that we serve, and we expect such competition to increase; we may not be able to compete effectively.

Education markets around the world are competitive and dynamic. We face varying degrees of competition from several discrete education providers because our learning system integrates many of the elements of

 

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the education development and delivery process, including curriculum development, teacher training and support, lesson planning, testing and assessment, and school performance and compliance management. We compete most directly with companies that provide online curriculum and support services. Additionally, we expect increased competition from for-profit post-secondary and supplementary education providers that have begun to offer virtual high school curriculum and services. In certain jurisdictions and states where we currently serve virtual public schools, we expect intense competition from existing providers and new entrants. Our competitors may adopt similar curriculum delivery, school support and marketing approaches, with different pricing and service packages that may have greater appeal in the market. Both public and private not-for-profit institutions with whom we currently or may in the future compete may have instructional and support resources superior to those in the for-profit sector, and public institutions can offer substantially lower tuition prices or other advantages that we cannot match. If we are unable to successfully compete for new business, acquire more companies, or maintain current levels of academic achievement and community interest, our revenue growth and operating margins may decline. Price competition from our current and future competitors could also result in reduced revenues, reduced margins or the failure of our product and service offerings to achieve or maintain more widespread market acceptance.

We may also face direct competition from publishers of traditional educational materials that are substantially larger than we are and have significantly greater financial, technical and marketing resources. As a result, they may be able to devote more resources to develop products and services that are superior to our platform and technologies. We may not have the resources necessary to acquire or compete with technologies being developed by our competitors, which may render our online delivery format less competitive or obsolete.

Our future success will depend in large part on our ability to maintain a competitive position with our curriculum and our technology, as well as our ability to increase capital expenditures to sustain the competitive position of our product. We cannot assure you that we will have the financial resources, technical expertise, marketing, distribution or support capabilities to compete effectively.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly negatively impacted segments of our business.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the global economy and has negatively impacted large populations including people and businesses that may be directly or indirectly involved with the operation of our Company, products, and services. The full scope and economic impact of COVID-19 is still unknown and there are many risks from COVID-19 that could generally and negatively impact economies and healthcare providers in the countries where we do business, the education industry as a whole. At this time, we have identified the following COVID-19 related risks that we believe have a greater likelihood of negatively impacting our Company specifically, including, but not limited to:

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Local government-imposed restrictions may negatively impact our resorts, cafes and locations to operate;

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International travel restrictions may affect our ability to attract international students to our retreats and events, and to attract our faculty members to our certification programs;

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Government-imposed restrictions also negatively impact our acquisition companies from keeping their schools, colleges or university open, and to operate physical summer camps;

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Health concerns may affect the willingness of our students and faculty to attend physical events; and

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The economic impact of the pandemic may affect the ability of our students and teachers to purchase and pay for our courses, products and services.

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Our business may be materially adversely affected by a general economic slowdown or recession.

Many countries around the world have recently experienced reduced economic activity, increased unemployment, and substantial uncertainty about their financial services markets and, in some cases, economic recession. These events may reduce the demand for our programs among students, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. These

 

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adverse economic developments also may result in a reduction in the number of jobs available to our graduates and lower salaries being offered in connection with available employment which, in turn, may result in declines in our placement and retention rates. Any general economic slowdown or recession that disproportionately impacts the countries in which our companies and programs operate could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our Edtech platform is technologically complex, and potential defects in our platforms or in updates to our platforms can be difficult or even impossible to fix.

Our Edtech platform is a technically complex product, and, when first introduced to new communities or when upgraded through new versions, may contain software or hardware defects that are difficult to detect and correct. The existence of defects and delays in correcting them can have adverse effects, such as, cancellation of subscriptions, delays in the receipt of payment, poor functioning of our platforms and their content, failure to acquire new students, teachers, or Mentors, or misuse of our platforms by third parties.

We test new versions and upgrades to our Edtech platform, but we cannot assure that all defects related to platform updates can be identified before, or even after a new version of our platforms are made available. The correction of defects can be time-consuming, expensive and difficult. Errors and security breaches of our products could expose us to product liability claims and damage our reputation, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

System disruptions, capacity constraints and vulnerability from security risks to our online computer networks could impact our ability to generate revenues and damage our reputation, limiting our ability to attract and retain students.

The performance and reliability of our technology infrastructure is critical to our reputation and ability to attract and retain students, teachers, Mentors, and our community. Any sustained system error or failure, or a sudden and significant increase in bandwidth usage, could limit access to our learning system, and therefore, damage our ability to generate revenues. Our computer networks may also be vulnerable to unauthorized access, computer hackers, computer viruses and other malware, and other security problems.

Moreover, we host our products and serve our students, teachers, and Mentors from a third-party data center facility, the security, facilities management and communications infrastructure of which we do not control. While we are developing a risk mitigation plan, such a plan may not be able to prevent a significant interruption in the operation of this facility or the loss of school and operational data due to a natural disaster, fire, power interruption, act of terrorism or other unanticipated catastrophic event, or arising from other financial, technical or operational difficulties encountered by our third-party vendor. Any such significant interruption, including one caused by our failure to successfully expand or upgrade our systems or manage our transition to utilizing the expansions or upgrades, could reduce our ability to manage our network and technological infrastructure and provide uninterrupted service, or be the occasion of loss or theft of important customer data, any of which could result in liability, business interruption, lost sales, enrollment terminations and reputational harm to us.

Our current success and future growth depend on the continued acceptance of the Internet and the corresponding growth in users seeking educational services on the Internet.

Our business relies in part on the Internet for its success. A number of factors could inhibit the continued acceptance of the Internet, or the commercial viability of the Internet’s material role in our business model, and adversely affect our profitability, including:

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Inadequate Internet infrastructure;

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Security and privacy concerns;

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The unavailability of cost-effective Internet service and other technological factors; and

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Changes in U.S. or foreign government regulation of Internet use, which may relate to issues such as online privacy, copyrights, trademarks and service marks, sales taxes, fair business practices, and

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requirements that online education institutions qualify to do business as foreign corporations or be licensed in one or more jurisdictions where they have no physical location or other presence.

If Internet use decreases, if the number of Internet users seeking educational services on the Internet does not increase, or if we become subject to material additional costs as a result of regulatory changes affecting online education businesses, our business may not grow as planned.

We are susceptible to the illegal or improper use of our content, Edtech and platform (whether from students, teachers, Mentors, management personnel and other employees, or third parties), or other forms of misconduct, which could expose us to liability and damage our business and brand.

Our content, Edtech and platform are susceptible to unauthorized use, software license violations, copyright violations and unauthorized copying and distribution, theft, employee fraud and other similar infractions and violations. Because we do not have full control over how even authorized users will use our online platforms to communicate, such platforms may be misused for improper, malicious, objectionable or illegal purposes. Such occurrences (whether originating from students, teachers, Mentors, management personnel and other employees, or third parties) can harm our business and consequently negatively affect our operating results. We could be required to expend significant additional resources to deter, police against and combat improper use of our content, Edtech and platform, and still may be unsuccessful in preventing such occurrences or identifying those responsible for any such misuse. Any failure to adequately protect against any such illegal or improper use of our content, Edtech and platform could expose us to liability or reputational harm and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our brand image, reputation, business and results of operations may also be adversely affected by other forms of illegal or improper activities of our management personnel and other employees, such as intentionally failing to comply with government regulations, engaging in deceptive business and marketing practices, improper use of personal or sensitive information, or violations of anticorruption or similar laws. The precautions we take to prevent and detect such activities may not be effective in preventing or mitigating them. Even where such activities are unrelated to our business or the services provided by our management personnel or other employees to us, they may harm our brands and reputation.

We may be unable to manage and adapt to changes in technology.

We will need to respond to technological advances and emerging industry standards in a cost-effective and timely manner in order to remain competitive. The need to respond to technological changes may require us to make substantial, unanticipated expenditures. There can be no assurance that we will be able to respond successfully to technological change.

We must monitor and protect our Internet domain names to preserve their value.

We own a wide range of domain names including our Edtech platform, www.geniusu.com (information contained on, or available through, such website does not constitute part of, and is not deemed incorporated by reference into, this prospectus). Third parties may acquire substantially similar domain names that decrease the value of our domain names and trademarks and other proprietary rights which may hurt our business. The regulation of domain names in the United States and foreign countries is subject to change. Governing bodies could appoint additional domain name registrars or modify the requirements for holding domain names. Governing bodies could also establish additional “top-level” domains, which are the portion of the Web address that appears to the right of the “dot,” such as “com,” “gov,” or “org.” As a result, we may not maintain exclusive rights to all potentially relevant domain names in the United States or in other countries in which we conduct business.

We may be sued for infringing the intellectual property rights of others and such actions would be costly to defend, could require us to pay damages and could limit our ability or increase our costs to use certain technologies in the future.

Companies in the Internet, technology, education, curriculum and media industries own large numbers of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets and frequently enter into litigation based on allegations of

 

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infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. As we grow, the likelihood that we may be subject to such claims also increases. Regardless of the merits, intellectual property claims are often time-consuming and expensive to litigate or settle. In addition, to the extent claims against us are successful, we may have to pay substantial monetary damages or discontinue any of our products, services or practices that are found to be in violation of another party’s rights. We also may have to seek a license and make royalty payments to continue offering our products and services or following such practices, which may significantly increase our operating expenses.

We cannot assure you that we will not be subject to liability claims for any inaccurate or inappropriate content in our training programs, which could cause us to incur legal costs and damage our reputation.

We develop the content for our training programs ourselves or through partnerships with third parties. We cannot assure you that there will be no inaccurate or inappropriate materials included in our training programs or the materials we obtain from our third-party partners. In addition, our mock examination questions designed internally based on our understanding of the relevant examination requirements may be investigated by the regulatory authorities. Therefore, we may face civil, administrative or criminal liability if an individual or corporate, governmental or other entity believes that the content of any of our training programs violets any laws, regulations or governmental policies or infringes upon its legal rights. Even if such claim were not successful, defending it may cause us to incur substantial costs including the time and attention of our management. Moreover, any accusation of an accurate so inappropriate conduct could lift to significant negative publicity, which could harm our reputation and future business prospects.

We may be subject to legal liability resulting from the actions of third parties, including independent contractors and teachers, which could cause us to incur substantial costs and damage our reputation.

We may be subject, directly or indirectly, to legal claims associated with the actions of our independent contractors, teachers, and Mentors. In the event of accidents or injuries or other harm to students, we could face claims alleging that we were negligent, provided inadequate supervision or were otherwise liable for their injuries. Additionally, we could face claims alleging that our independent curriculum contractors or teachers infringed the intellectual property rights of third parties. A liability claim against us or any of our independent contractors, teachers, or Mentors could adversely affect our reputation, enrollment and revenues. Even if unsuccessful, such a claim could create unfavorable publicity, cause us to incur substantial expenses and divert the time and attention of management.

We may not have sufficient insurance to protect ourselves against substantial losses.

We have insurance policies to provide coverage against certain potential risks, such as property damage and personal injury, as well as director and officer insurance for our management team. However, we cannot guarantee that our insurance coverage will always be available or will be sufficient to cover possible claims for these risks. In addition, there are certain types of risk that might not be covered by our policies, such as war, acts of nature, force majeure or interruption of certain activities. Moreover, we might be obliged to pay fines and other penalties in the event of delays in product delivery, and such penalties are not covered by our insurance policies. Additionally, we may not be able to renew our current insurance policies under the same terms or at all. Risks not covered by our insurance policies or the inability to renew policies on favorable terms or at all could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

Risks Related to Investing in a Foreign Private Issuer or a Singapore Company

As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to follow certain home country corporate governance practices in lieu of certain requirements under the [•] listing standards. This may afford less protection to holders of our ordinary shares than U.S. regulations.

As a foreign private issuer whose ordinary shares are listed on the [•], we are permitted to follow certain home country corporate governance practices in lieu of certain requirements under the [•] listing standards. A foreign private issuer must disclose in its annual reports filed with the SEC each requirement under the [•] listing standards with which it does not comply, followed by a description of its applicable home country

 

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practice. Our home country practices in Singapore may afford less protection to holders of our ordinary shares. We may rely on exemptions available under the [•] listing standards to a foreign private issuer and follow our home country practices in the future, and as a result, you may not be provided with the benefits of certain corporate governance requirements of the [•] listing standards.

We will be a foreign private issuer and, as a result, we will not be subject to U.S. proxy rules and will be subject to Exchange Act reporting obligations that, to some extent, are more lenient and less detailed than those of a U.S. issuer.

Upon consummation of this offering, we will report under the Exchange Act, as a foreign private issuer. Because we qualify as a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act, we will be exempt from certain provisions of the Exchange Act that are applicable to U.S. public companies, including: the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act; the sections of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their share ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and the rules under the Exchange Act requiring the filing with the SEC of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q containing unaudited financial and other specified information, or current reports on Form 8-K, upon the occurrence of specified significant events. In addition, we will not be required to provide as detailed disclosure as a U.S. registrant, particularly in the area of executive compensation. It is possible that some investors may not be as interested in investing in our ordinary shares as the securities of a U.S. registrant that is required to provide more frequent and detailed disclosure in certain areas, which could adversely affect our share price.

We may lose our foreign private issuer status, which would then require us to comply with the Exchange Act’s domestic reporting regime and cause us to incur additional legal, accounting and other expenses.

In order to maintain our current status as a foreign private issuer, either (1) a majority of our ordinary shares must be either directly or indirectly owned of record by non-residents of the United States or (2) (a) a majority of our executive officers or directors must not be U.S. citizens or residents, (b) more than 50 percent of our assets cannot be located in the United States and (c) our business must be administered principally outside the United States. If we lost this status, we would be required to comply with the Exchange Act reporting and other requirements applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, which are more detailed and extensive than the requirements for foreign private issuers. We may also be required to make changes in our corporate governance practices in accordance with various SEC rules and the [•] listing standards. The regulatory and compliance costs to us under U.S. securities laws if we are required to comply with the reporting requirements applicable to a U.S. domestic issuer may be higher than the cost we would incur as a foreign private issuer. As a result, we expect that a loss of foreign private issuer status would increase our legal and financial compliance costs. We also expect that if we were required to comply with the rules and regulations applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, it would make it more difficult and expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance. These rules and regulations could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified Board members.

We are a Singapore incorporated company and it may be difficult to enforce a judgment of U.S. courts for civil liabilities under U.S. federal securities laws against us, our directors or officers in Singapore.

We are incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Singapore, and certain of our directors are residents outside the United States. Moreover, a significant portion of our consolidated assets are located outside the United States. Although we are incorporated outside the United States, we have agreed to accept service of process in the United States through our agent designated for that purpose. Nevertheless, because a majority of the consolidated assets owned by us are located outside the United States, any judgment obtained in the United States against us may not be enforceable within the United States.

There is no treaty between the United States and Singapore providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters and a final judgment for the payment of money rendered by any federal or state court in the United States based on civil liability, whether or not predicated solely upon the federal securities laws, would, therefore, not be automatically enforceable in Singapore.

 

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There is uncertainty as to whether judgments of courts in the United States based upon the civil liability of the federal securities laws of the United States would be recognized or enforceable in Singapore. In addition, holders of book-entry interests in our shares will be required to be registered shareholders as reflected in our shareholder register in order to have standing to bring a shareholder action and, if successful, to enforce a foreign judgment against us, our directors or our executive officers in the Singapore courts. The administrative process of becoming a registered holder could result in delays prejudicial to any legal proceedings or enforcement action. Consequently, it may be difficult for investors to enforce against us, our directors or our officers in Singapore judgments obtained in the United States which are predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States.

We are incorporated in Singapore and our shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests than they would as shareholders of a corporation incorporated in the United States.

Our corporate affairs are governed by our constitution and by the laws governing corporations incorporated in Singapore. The rights of our shareholders and the responsibilities of our Board members under Singapore law are different from those applicable to a corporation incorporated in the United States. Principal shareholders of Singapore companies do not owe fiduciary duties to minority shareholders, as compared, for example, to controlling shareholders in corporations incorporated in Delaware. Our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in connection with actions taken by our management, our Board members or our principal shareholders than they would as shareholders of a corporation incorporated in the United States.

In addition, only persons who are registered as shareholders in our shareholder register are recognized under Singapore law as shareholders of our Company. Only registered shareholders have legal standing to institute shareholder actions against us or otherwise seek to enforce their rights as shareholders. Investors in our shares who are not specifically registered as shareholders in our shareholder register (for example, where such shareholders hold shares indirectly through the Depository Trust Company) are required to become registered as shareholders in our shareholder register in order to institute or enforce any legal proceedings or claims against us, our directors or our executive officers relating to shareholder rights. Holders of book-entry interests in our shares may become registered shareholders by exchanging their book-entry interests in our shares for certificated shares and being registered in our shareholder register. Such process could result in administrative delays which may be prejudicial to any legal proceeding or enforcement action.

We are subject to the laws of Singapore, which differ in certain material respects from the laws of the United States.

As a company incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Singapore, we are required to comply with the laws of Singapore, certain of which are capable of extra-territorial application, as well as our constitution. In particular, we are required to comply with certain provisions of the Securities and Futures Act of Singapore (Cap 289) (the “SFA”), which prohibit certain forms of market conduct and require certain information disclosures, and impose criminal and civil penalties on corporations, directors and officers in respect of any breach of such provisions. We are also required to comply with the Singapore Code on Take-Overs and Mergers (the “Singapore Takeover Code”), which specifies, among other things, certain circumstances in which a general offer is to be made upon a change in effective control, and further specifies the manner and price at which voluntary and mandatory general offers are to be made.

The laws of Singapore and of the United States differ in certain significant respects. The rights of our shareholders and the obligations of our directors and officers under Singapore law (including under the Companies Act of Singapore (Cap 50) (the “Singapore Companies Act”) are different from those applicable to a company incorporated in the State of Delaware in material respects, and our shareholders may have more difficulty and less clarity in protecting their interests in connection with actions taken by our management, our Board members or our controlling shareholders than would otherwise apply to a company incorporated in the State of Delaware.

The application of Singapore law, in particular, the Singapore Companies Act may, in certain circumstances, impose more restrictions on us and our shareholders, directors and officers than would otherwise be

 

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applicable to a company incorporated in the State of Delaware. For example, the Singapore Companies Act requires directors to act with a reasonable degree of diligence and, in certain circumstances, imposes criminal liability for specified contraventions of particular statutory requirements or prohibitions. In addition, pursuant to the provisions of the Singapore Companies Act, shareholders holding 10% or more of the total number of paid-up shares carrying the right of voting in general meetings may require the convening of an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders by our directors. If our directors fail to comply with such request within 21 days of the receipt thereof, the original requisitioning shareholders, or any of them holding more than 50% of the voting rights represented by the original requisitioning shareholders, may proceed to convene such meeting, and we will be liable for the reasonable expenses incurred by such requisitioning shareholders. We are also required by the Singapore Companies Act to deduct such corresponding amounts from fees or other remuneration payable by us to such non-complying directors.

We are subject to the Singapore Takeover Code, which requires a person acquiring 30% or more of our voting shares to conduct a takeover offer for all of our voting shares. This could have the effect of discouraging, delaying or preventing a merger or acquisition and limit the market price of our ordinary shares.

We are subject to the Singapore Takeover Code. The Singapore Takeover Code contains provisions that may delay, deter or prevent a future takeover or change in control of our Company and limit the market price of our ordinary shares for so long as we remain a public company with more than 50 shareholders and net tangible assets of S$5 million (Singapore dollars) or more. For example, under the Singapore Takeover Code, any person acquiring, whether by a series of transactions over a period of time or not, either on such person’s own or together with parties acting in concert with such person, 30% or more of our voting shares, or if such person holds, either on such person’s own or together with parties acting in concert with such person, between 30% and 50% (both inclusive) of our voting shares, and if such person (or parties acting in concert with such person) acquires additional voting shares representing more than 1% of our voting shares in any six-month period, must, except with the consent of Securities Industry Council in Singapore, extend a takeover offer for our remaining voting shares in accordance with the Singapore Takeover Code. Therefore, any investor seeking to acquire a significant stake in our Company may be deterred from doing so if, as a result, such investor would be required to conduct a takeover offer for all of our voting shares.

These same provisions could discourage potential investors from acquiring a stake or making a significant investment in our Company and may substantially impede the ability of our shareholders to benefit from a change of effective control and, as a result, may adversely affect the market price of our ordinary shares and the ability to realize any benefits from a potential change of control.

For a limited period of time, our directors have general authority to allot and issue new ordinary shares on terms and conditions and for such purposes as may be determined by our Board in its sole discretion.

Under Singapore law, we may only allot and issue new shares with the prior approval of our shareholders in a general meeting. For example, at a general meeting our shareholders can provide our directors with a general authority, subject to the provisions of the Singapore Companies Act and our constitution, to allot and issue any number of new ordinary shares and/or make or grant offers, agreements, options or other instruments (including the grant of awards or options pursuant to our equity-based incentive plans and agreements in effect from time to time) that might or would require ordinary shares to be allotted and issued (collectively, the “Instruments”); and unless revoked or varied by the Company in a general meeting, such authority will continue in force until the earlier of (i) the conclusion of our next annual general meeting of shareholders, or (ii) the expiration of the period within which our next annual general meeting of shareholders is required by law to be held. Subject to the general requirements of the Singapore Companies Act and our constitution, the general authority given to our directors by our shareholders to allot and issue ordinary shares and/or make or grant the Instruments may be exercised by our directors on such terms and conditions, for such purposes and for consideration as they may in their sole discretion deem fit, and with such rights or restrictions as they may think fit to impose and as are set forth in our constitution. Any additional issuances of new ordinary shares and/or any grant of the Instruments by our directors may dilute our shareholders’ interests in our ordinary shares and/or adversely impact the market price of our ordinary shares.

 

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We may be or become a passive foreign investment company, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. Holders.

The rules governing passive foreign investment companies (“PFICs”) can have adverse effects for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The tests for determining PFIC status for a taxable year depend upon the relative values of certain categories of assets and the relative amounts of certain kinds of income. The determination of whether we are a PFIC, which must be made annually after the close of each taxable year, depends on the particular facts and circumstances (such as the valuation of our assets, including goodwill and other intangible assets) and may also be affected by the application of the PFIC rules, which are subject to differing interpretations. The fair market value of our assets is expected to relate, in part, to (a) the market price of our ordinary shares and (b) the composition of our income and assets, which will be affected by how, and how quickly, we spend any cash that is raised in any financing transaction. Moreover, our ability to earn specific types of income that we currently treat as non-passive for purposes of the PFIC rules is uncertain with respect to future years. Because the value of our assets for purposes of determining PFIC status will depend in part on the market price of our ordinary shares, which may fluctuate significantly. We do not expect to be a PFIC for our current taxable year or in the foreseeable future. However, there can be no assurance that we will not be considered a PFIC for any taxable year.

If we are a PFIC, a U.S. Holder (defined below) would be subject to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences, such as ineligibility for any preferred tax rates on capital gains or on actual or deemed dividends, interest charges on certain taxes treated as deferred, and additional reporting requirements under U.S. federal income tax laws and regulations. A U.S. Holder may in certain circumstances mitigate adverse tax consequences of the PFIC rules by filing an election to treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund (“QEF”) or, if shares of the PFIC are “marketable stock” for purposes of the PFIC rules, by making a mark-to-market election with respect to the shares of the PFIC. We do not intend to comply with the reporting requirements necessary to permit U.S. Holders to elect to treat us as a QEF. If a U.S. Holder makes a mark-to-market election with respect to its ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder is in its U.S. federal taxable income an amount reflecting any year end increase in the value of its ordinary shares. For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of ordinary shares that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes: (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; (ii) a corporation (or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; (iii) an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or (iv) a trust (a) if a court within the U.S. can exercise primary supervision over its administration, and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all of the substantial decisions of that trust, or (b) that was in existence on August 20, 1996, and validly elected under applicable Treasury Regulations to continue to be treated as a domestic trust.

Investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding all aspects of the application of the PFIC rules to the ordinary shares.

Singapore taxes may differ from the tax laws of other jurisdictions.

Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors concerning the overall tax consequences of purchasing, owning and disposing of our shares. Singapore tax law may differ from the tax laws of other jurisdictions, including the United States.

Tax authorities could challenge the allocation of income and deductions among our subsidiaries, which could increase our overall tax liability.

We are organized in Singapore, and we currently have subsidiaries in the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Africa, and Indonesia. As we grow our business, we expect to conduct increased operations through our subsidiaries in various jurisdictions. If two or more affiliated companies are located in different jurisdictions, the tax laws or regulations of each country generally will require transactions between those affiliated companies to be conducted on terms consistent with those between unrelated companies dealing at arm’s length, and appropriate documentation generally must be maintained to support

 

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the transfer prices. We maintain our transfer pricing policies to be compliant with applicable transfer pricing laws, but our transfer pricing procedures are not binding on applicable tax authorities.

If tax authorities were to successfully challenge our transfer pricing, there could be an increase in our overall tax liability, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, the tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate are subject to differing interpretations. Tax authorities may challenge our tax positions, and if successful, such challenges could increase our overall tax liability. In addition, the tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate are subject to change. We cannot predict the timing or content of such potential changes, and such changes could increase our overall tax liability, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Risks Related to this Offering and Ownership of Ordinary Shares

In the future, our ability to raise additional capital to expand our operations and invest in our business may be limited, and our failure to raise additional capital, if required, could impair our business.

While we currently anticipate that our available funds will be sufficient to meet our cash needs for at least the next 24 months, we may need or elect to seek, additional financing at any time. Our ability to obtain financing will depend on, among other things, our development efforts, business plans, operating performance and condition of the capital markets at the time we seek financing. If we need or elect to raise additional funds, we may not be able to obtain additional debt or equity financing on favorable terms, if at all. If we raise additional equity financing, our shareholders may experience significant dilution of their ownership interests and the per-share value of our ordinary shares could decline. If we engage in additional debt financing, we may be required to accept terms that further restrict our ability to incur additional indebtedness and force us to maintain specified liquidity or other ratios and limit the operating flexibility of our business. If we need additional capital and cannot raise it on acceptable terms, we may not be able to, among other things:

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Fund our operating capital requirements as we grow;

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Continue to grow by acquiring companies;

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Retain the leadership team and staff required;

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Repay our liabilities as they come due; and

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Make the necessary investments in our Edtech platform.

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Our share price may be volatile, and the market price of our ordinary shares after this offering may drop below the price you pay.

Market prices for securities of newly-public companies have historically been particularly volatile in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control. As a result of this volatility, you may not be able to sell your ordinary shares at or above the initial public offering price in this offering. Some of the factors that may cause the market price for our ordinary shares to fluctuate include:

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Actual or anticipated fluctuations in our key operating metrics, financial condition and operating results;

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Loss of current long-term contracts;

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Actual or anticipated changes in our growth rate;

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Competitors developing more advanced technology attracting our customers;

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Our announcement of actual results for a fiscal period that are lower than projected or expected or our announcement of revenue or earnings guidance that is lower than expected;

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Changes in estimates of our financial results or recommendations by securities analysts;

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Changes in market valuations of similar companies;

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Changes in our capital structure, such as future issuances of securities or the incurrence of debt;

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Announcements by us or our competitors of significant products or services, contracts, acquisitions or strategic alliances;

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Regulatory developments in Singapore, the United States or other countries;

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Actual or threatened litigation involving us or our industry;

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Additions or departures of key personnel;

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General trends in the education industry as a whole;

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Share price and volume fluctuations attributable to inconsistent trading volume levels of our shares;

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Further issuances of ordinary shares by us;

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Sales or ordinary shares by our shareholders;

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Repurchases of ordinary shares; and

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Changes in general economic, industry and market conditions.

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In addition, the stock market in general, and the market for education companies in particular, has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. These fluctuations may be even more pronounced in the trading market for our shares shortly following this offering. If the market price of our ordinary shares after this offering does not exceed the offering price, you may not realize any return on your investment in us and may lose some or all of your investment. Securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the overall market and in the market price of a company’s securities. This litigation, if instituted against us, could result in very substantial costs, divert our management’s attention and resources, and harm our business, operating results and financial condition. In addition, recent fluctuations in the financial and capital markets have resulted in volatility in securities prices.

We have broad discretion over the use of proceeds we receive in this offering and may not apply the proceeds in ways that increase the value of your investment.

Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering and, as a result, you will have to rely upon the judgment of our management with respect to the use of these proceeds. Our management may spend a portion or all of the net proceeds in ways that not all shareholders approve of or that may not yield a favorable return. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business.

A significant portion of our total outstanding shares may be sold into the public market in the near future, which could cause the market price of our ordinary shares to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well.

The price of our ordinary shares could decline if there are substantial sales of our ordinary shares, particularly sales by our directors, executive officers and significant shareholders, or if there is a large number of shares of our ordinary shares available for sale. All of the ordinary shares sold in this offering will be available for sale in the public market. Substantially all of our remaining outstanding ordinary shares are currently restricted from resale as a result of market standoff and “lock-up” agreements, as more fully described in “Shares Eligible for Future Sale.”

ThinkEquity may, at its discretion, permit our shareholders to sell shares prior to the expiration of the restrictive provisions contained in those lock-up agreements.

The market price of our ordinary shares could decline as a result of the sale of a substantial number of ordinary shares in the public market or the perception in the market that the holders of a large number of shares intend to sell their shares.

 

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Purchasers of ordinary shares in this offering will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of their investment.

The initial public offering price of our ordinary shares will be substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our outstanding ordinary shares immediately after this offering. Therefore, if you purchase our ordinary shares in this offering, you will incur immediate dilution of $[•] in the net tangible book value per share from the price you paid based on an assumed initial public offering price of $[•], the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. In addition, following the completion of this offering, purchasers of ordinary shares in this offering will have contributed [•]% of the total consideration paid by our shareholders to acquire our ordinary shares, but will only own [•]% of our outstanding ordinary shares.

There has been no prior public market for our ordinary shares, and an active trading market may not develop.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our ordinary shares. An active trading market may not develop following completion of this offering or, if developed, may not be sustained. The lack of an active market may impair your ability to sell your shares at the time you wish to sell them or at a price that you consider reasonable. The lack of an active market may also reduce the fair market value of your shares. An inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling shares of share capital and may impair our ability to acquire other companies by using our ordinary shares as consideration.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about us, our business, or our market, or if they change their recommendations regarding our ordinary shares adversely, our share price and/or trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our ordinary shares will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, our market or our competitors. Securities and industry analysts do not currently, and may never, publish research on us. If no securities or industry analysts commence coverage of our Company, our share price and trading volume would likely be negatively impacted. If any of the analysts who may cover us adversely change their recommendation regarding our shares, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, our share price would likely decline. If any of the analysts who may cover us were to cease coverage or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our share price or trading volume to decline.

We may not pay dividends on our ordinary shares in the future and, consequently, your ability to achieve a return on your investment will depend on appreciation in the price of our ordinary shares.

We do not currently expect to pay cash dividends on our ordinary shares. Any future dividend payments are within the absolute discretion of our Board and will depend on, among other things, our results of operations, working capital requirements, capital expenditure requirements, financial condition, level of indebtedness, contractual restrictions with respect to payment of dividends, business opportunities, anticipated cash needs, provisions of applicable law and other factors that our Board may deem relevant. Consequently, your ability to achieve a return on your investment will depend on appreciation in the price of our ordinary shares.

We currently report our financial results under IFRS, which differs in certain significant respects from U.S. GAAP.

Currently we report our financial statements under IFRS. There have been and there may in the future be certain significant differences between IFRS and U.S. GAAP, including differences related to revenue recognition, share-based compensation expense, income tax and earnings per share. As a result, our financial information and reported earnings for historical or future periods could be significantly different if they were prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In addition, we do not intend to provide a reconciliation between IFRS and U.S. GAAP unless it is required under applicable law. As a result, you may not be able to

 

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meaningfully compare our financial statements under IFRS with those companies that prepare financial statements under U.S. GAAP.

We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.

We are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our shareholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any December 31 before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading prices of our securities may be more volatile.

Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accountant standards used.

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the end of the prior December 31, or (2) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior December 31. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.

We will incur significantly increased costs and devote substantial management time as a result of operating as a public company.

As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting, and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. For example, we will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and will be required to comply with the applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Act, as well as rules and regulations subsequently implemented by the SEC and [] including

 

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the establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls and changes in corporate governance practices. We expect that compliance with these requirements will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time consuming and costly. The Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we file annual and current reports with respect to our business and results of operations. We expect to incur significant expenses and devote substantial management effort toward ensuring compliance with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which will increase when we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” as defined by the JOBS Act. We may need to hire additional accounting and financial staff with appropriate public company experience and technical accounting knowledge. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur as a result of becoming a public company or the timing of such costs. As a result, management’s attention may be diverted from other business concerns, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as regulatory and governing bodies provide new guidance. These factors could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We will continue to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management’s time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us, and our business could be adversely affected.

As a result of disclosure of information as a public company, our business and financial condition have become more visible, which may result in threatened or actual litigation, including by competitors and other third parties. If the claims are successful, our business operations and financial results could be adversely affected, and even if the claims do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, these claims, and the time and resources necessary to resolve them, could divert the resources of our management and adversely affect our business operations and financial results. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified colleagues, executive officers and Board members.

We also expect that operating as a public company will make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance on the terms that we would like. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified people to serve on our Board, our Board committees or as executive officers.

If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting in the future, we may not be able to accurately report our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows, which may adversely affect investor confidence.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures. We will be required, under SOX 404, to perform system and process evaluations and testing of internal controls over financial reporting to allow management to report annually on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. This assessment requires disclosure of any material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting identified by management. SOX 404 also generally will require an attestation from our independent registered public accounting firm on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. However, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company (“EGC”), we intend to take advantage of the exemption permitting it not to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement. At the time when we are no longer an EGC, our independent registered public accounting firm may issue a report that is adverse in the event it is not satisfied with the level at which we control are documented, designed or operating. Remediation efforts may not enable us to avoid a material weakness in the future.

 

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Compliance with SOX 404 requires the incurrence of substantial accounting expense and consumes significant management efforts. We may not be able to complete evaluation, testing and any required remediation in a timely fashion. During the evaluation and testing process, if we identify one or more material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting, we will be unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective. We cannot assure you that there will not be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting in the future. Any failure to maintain internal control over financial reporting could severely inhibit its ability to accurately report financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. If we are unable to conclude that internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm determines we have a material weakness or significant deficiency in internal control over financial reporting, it could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our ordinary shares could decline, and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the [•], the SEC or other regulatory authorities. Failure to remedy any material weakness in internal control over financial reporting, or to implement or maintain other effective control systems required of public companies, could also restrict future access to the capital markets.

If we are not able to comply with the applicable continued listing requirements or standards of the [•], the [•] could delist our ordinary shares.

In conjunction with this offering, we have applied to list our ordinary shares on the [•] simultaneously with the closing of this offering. In order to obtain and maintain that listing, we must satisfy minimum financial and other continued listing requirements and standards, including those regarding director independence and independent committee requirements, minimum shareholders’ equity, minimum share price, and certain corporate governance requirements. There can be no assurances that we will be able to comply with the applicable listing standards. If the [•] were to delist our ordinary shares, it would be more difficult for our shareholders to dispose of our ordinary shares and more difficult to obtain accurate price quotations on our ordinary shares. Our ability to issue additional securities for financing or other purposes, or otherwise to arrange for any financing we may need in the future, may also be materially and adversely affected if our ordinary shares are not listed on a national securities exchange.

If our listing application for our ordinary shares is not approved by the [•], we will not be able to consummate this offering and will terminate this offering.

An approval of our listing application by the [•] is subject to our fulfillment of certain minimum financial and liquidity requirements. If we fail to meet the [•] minimum requirements for listing, or between listing and closing, we will not be able to consummate the offering and will terminate this offering. We will need to receive a minimum offering amount of $[•] per share in order to satisfy the listing conditions to trade our ordinary shares on the [•].

 

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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current expectations and views of future events. The forward-looking statements are contained principally in the sections entitled “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Business” and “Regulation.” Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including those listed under “Risk Factors,” may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

You can identify some of these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking statements include statements relating to:

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Our future business development, financial condition and results of operations;

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Our ability to continue to make acquisitions and to successfully integrate and operate acquired businesses;

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Our expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of our marketplace’s products and services;

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Our ability to implement our business strategy and expand our portfolio of products and services;

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Our ability to adapt to technological changes in the educational sector;

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The development and expansion of our global education network and the effect of new technology applications in the educational services industry;

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Our ability to continue attracting and retaining new students, teachers, Mentors, and partners;

​

➢

Our ability to maintain the academic quality of our programs;

​

➢

The availability of qualified personnel and the ability to retain such personnel;

​

➢

Government interventions in education industry programs, that affect the economic or tax regime, the collection of tuition fees or the regulatory framework applicable to educational institutions;

​

➢

Our expectations regarding our businesses base of investors;

​

➢

Changes in consumer demands and preferences and technological advances, and our ability to innovate to respond to such changes;

​

➢

Our compliance with, and changes to, governmental laws, regulations and tax matters that apply to us and our industry;

​

➢

Health crises, including due to pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic and government measures taken in response thereto;

​

➢

Our goals and strategies;

​

➢

Our plans to invest in our business;

​

➢

Our relationships with our partners;

​

➢

Competition in our industry;

​

➢

We are incorporated in Singapore, and our shareholders may have more difficulty protecting their interests than they would as shareholders of a corporation incorporated in the United States; and

​

➢

Other risk factors discussed under “Risk Factors.”

​

 

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These forward-looking statements are subject to various and significant risks and uncertainties, including those which are beyond our control. Although we believe that our expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, our expectations may later be found to be incorrect. The forward-looking statements made in this prospectus relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this prospectus. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should thoroughly read this prospectus and the documents that we refer to herein with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from and worse than what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements. We disclaim any obligation to update our forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

This prospectus contains certain data and information that we obtained from various government and private publications, including industry data and information from the World Economic Forum Schools of the Future Report and industry statistics from education market intelligence firm, HolonIQ. Statistical data in these publications also include projections based on a number of assumptions.

In addition, the new and rapidly changing nature of the credit and marketplace lending industry results in significant uncertainties for any projections or estimates relating to the growth prospects or future condition of our industry. Furthermore, if any one or more of the assumptions underlying the market data are later found to be incorrect, actual results may differ from the projections based on these assumptions. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

Assuming a public offering price of $[    ] per share (the midpoint of the price range on the cover page of this prospectus), we estimate that the net proceeds to us from the sale of our ordinary shares in this offering will be approximately $[    ] (or $[    ] if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price will increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $[    ] (or $[    ] if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), assuming the number of ordinary shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Similarly, each increase (decrease) of 100,000 ordinary shares offered by us would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $[    ], assuming the assumed public offering price remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. The as adjusted information discussed above is illustrative only and will be adjusted based on the actual public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.

We plan to use approximately $[    ] million of the net proceeds from this offering for strategic acquisitions to cover the cash portion of the acquisition costs and the remainder of the net proceeds to ensure sufficient working capital for the acquisitions, development costs of our Edtech platform, working capital, and for general corporate purposes.

The foregoing represents our current intentions based upon our present plans and business conditions to use and allocate the net proceeds of this offering. Our management, however, will have significant flexibility and discretion to apply the net proceeds of this offering. If an unforeseen event occurs or business conditions change, we may use the proceeds of this offering differently than as described in this prospectus. See “Risk Factors.”

Pending use of proceeds from this offering, we intend to invest the proceeds in short-term, interest-bearing, investment-grade instruments, or hold as cash.

 

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DIVIDEND POLICY

We currently anticipate that we will retain any future earnings for the operation and expansion of our business. Accordingly, we do not currently anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends on our ordinary shares for the foreseeable future. Any future determination relating to our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our Board and will depend on then existing conditions. We may, by ordinary resolution, declare dividends at a general meeting of shareholders, but we are restricted from paying dividends in excess of the amount recommended by our Board. Pursuant to Singapore law, no dividend may be paid except out of our profits.

 

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CAPITALIZATION

The following tables sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and our total capitalization as of December 31, 2019 as follows:

➢

On an actual basis for the companies within the Group at December 31, 2019;

​

➢

On a pro forma basis including the companies that the Group is acquiring upon consummation of this initial public offering, as if they were a part of the Group at December 31, 2019; and

​

➢

On a pro forma as adjusted basis including the companies that the Group is acquiring upon consummation of this initial public offering, as if they were a part of the Group at December 31, 2019, adjusted to reflect the sale of [•] ordinary shares in this offering, at an assumed initial public offering price of $[•] per ordinary share, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

​

The adjustments reflected below are subject to change and are based upon available information and certain assumptions that we believe are reasonable. Total shareholders’ equity and total capitalization following the completion of this offering are subject to adjustment based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. You should read this capitalization table in conjunction with “Use of Proceeds,” “Summary Combined Consolidated Financial Data,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated combined financial statements and the related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.

If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, then (i) ordinary shares, pro forma as adjusted, would be [•] shares, (ii) total shareholders’ equity would be [    ] and (iii) total capitalization would be $[    ].

Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price of $[    ] per share (the midpoint of the price range on the cover page of this prospectus) will increase (decrease) the amount of total assets by approximately $[    ] million and total capitalization on a pro forma as adjusted basis by approximately $[    ] million, assuming the number of ordinary shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and

 

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estimated offering expenses payable by us. We may also increase or decrease the number of ordinary shares we are offering. Each increase (decrease) of 100,000 ordinary shares offered by us would increase (decrease) the amount of total assets by approximately $[    ] and total capitalization on a pro forma as adjusted basis by approximately $[    ] million, assuming the assumed public offering price of $[    ] per share (the midpoint of the price range on the cover page of this prospectus) remains the same, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. The pro forma as adjusted information discussed above is illustrative only and will be adjusted based on the actual public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.

The number of ordinary shares outstanding as of December 31, 2019, as shown above, is based on 1,623,833 ordinary shares issued to shareholders in Genius Group Ltd as of that date, and excludes:

➢

888,962 shares subsequently issued to Entrepreneur Resorts shareholders;

​

➢

179,840 shares subsequently issued as a fresh investment raise;

​

➢

348,541 shares, in the aggregate, to be issued in respect of the closing of the IPO Acquisitions; and

​

➢

765,022 shares underlying share options at a weighted average exercise price of $35.72, reserved.

​

 

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DILUTION

If you invest in our ordinary shares, your interest will be immediately diluted $[    ] per ordinary share, representing the difference between our net tangible book value per share $1.54 as of December 31, 2019, and after giving effect to this offering and an assumed initial public offering price of $[    ] per share. Dilution results from the fact that the initial public offering price per ordinary share is substantially in excess of the book value per ordinary share attributable to the existing shareholders for our presently outstanding ordinary shares.

Our net tangible book value as of December 31, 2019 was $1.54 or $[    ] per ordinary share as of that date. Net tangible book value represents the amount of our total consolidated tangible assets, less the amount of our total consolidated liabilities. Dilution is determined by subtracting net tangible book value per ordinary share, after giving effect to the proceeds we will receive from this offering, from the assumed initial public offering price of $[    ] per ordinary share, the midpoint of the range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

Without taking into account any other changes in net tangible book value after December 31, 2019, other than to give effect to the sale of the ordinary shares offered in this offering at the assumed initial public offering price of $[    ] per ordinary share, which is based on the estimated initial public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and after deduction of the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of [    ] would have been approximately $[    ], or $[    ] per ordinary share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $[    ] per ordinary share to the existing shareholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $[    ] per ordinary share to investors purchasing our ordinary shares in this offering. The following table illustrates such dilution:

Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price of $[    ] per share (the midpoint of the price range on the cover page of this prospectus) will increase (decrease) our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share and the dilution to new investors by $[    ] per share, assuming the number of ordinary shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We may also increase or decrease the number of ordinary shares we are offering. Each increase (decrease) of 100,000 ordinary shares offered by us would increase (decrease) the as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by approximately $[    ] per share (or $[    ] per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), and increase (decrease) the dilution per share to new investors by approximately and total $[    ] per share (or $[    ] per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). The as adjusted information discussed above is illustrative only and will be adjusted based on the actual public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.

The following table summarizes, on a pro forma as adjusted basis as of [•] the differences between existing shareholders and the new investors with respect to the number of ordinary shares purchased from us in this

 

47

 

offering, the total consideration paid and the average price per ordinary share paid before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses.

The pro forma as adjusted information discussed above is illustrative only. Our net tangible book value following the completion of this offering is subject to adjustment based on the actual initial public offering price of our ordinary shares and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.

The number of ordinary shares outstanding as of December 31, 2019, as shown above, is based on 1,623,833 ordinary shares issued to shareholders in Genius Group Ltd as of that date, and excludes:

➢

888,962 shares subsequently issued to Entrepreneur Resorts shareholders;

​

➢

179,840 shares subsequently issued as a fresh investment raise;

​

➢

348,541 shares, in the aggregate, to be issued in respect of the closing of the IPO Acquisitions; and

​

➢

765,022 shares underlying share options at a weighted average exercise price of $35.72, reserved.

​

 

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SELECTED Combined CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

The following tables set forth summary combined consolidated pro forma financial data for the periods and as of the dates indicated. Genius Group Ltd acquired Entrepreneur Resorts Ltd, a Seychelles Public Listed Company in July 2020, and is acquiring Education Angels; a New Zealand private limited company; E-Square, a South African private limited company; Property Investors Network, a U.K. private limited company; and University of Antelope Valley, a California corporation, simultaneously upon consummation of this initial public offering.

You should read the selected combined consolidated financial data in conjunction with our audited combined consolidated financial statements and related notes beginning on page F-1 of this prospectus, and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this prospectus. Our historical results do not necessarily indicate our expected results for any future periods.

SUMMARY COMBINED UNAUDITED PRO FORMA FINANCIAL DATA FOR GENIUS GROUP
(Including IPO Acquisitions)

The detailed combined pro forma financial data below includes the combined consolidated financials of Genius Group, including the Pre-IPO Group, and the IPO Acquisitions as if they were operating as one group in the periods indicated.

The pro forma financials for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 include: (i) the audited financial data of the Pre-IPO Group, and (ii) the audited financial data of University of Antelope Valley, which is deemed a significant acquisition, and (iii) the unaudited financial data of Education Angels, E-Square and Property Investors Network, which are below the threshold of significant acquisitions.

Management has reviewed the financial statements of the acquisitions that are not prepared under IFRS and has recorded pro forma adjustments for all identified material IFRS differences.

The nature of business activity of the Pre-IPO Group and the IPO Acquisitions are discussed in Our Corporate Structure on page 7 of this prospectus.

This set of tables is for the detailed financial data for the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

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Genius Group (Pre-IPO Group and IPO Acquisitions)

Profit and Loss For The Year Ended December 31, 2019
(USD 000’s)

 

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Genius Group (Pre-IPO Group and IPO Acquisitions)

Balance Sheet As of December 31, 2019
(USD 000’s)