Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) |
3 Months Ended |
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Mar. 31, 2025 | |
| Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | |
| Basis of Presentation | Basis of Presentation The Company’s financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), as determined by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) through the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”). |
| Accounting for the Business Combination | Accounting for the Business Combination The Business Combination is accounted for as a reverse recapitalization, with Mars being treated as the acquired company and the Legacy Company treated as the accounting acquirer for financial reporting purposes. This accounting treatment is equivalent to the Legacy Company issuing stock for the net assets of Mars, accompanied by a recapitalization whereby no goodwill or other intangible assets are recorded. Operations prior to the Business Combination are presented as those of the Legacy Company and the accumulated deficit of the Legacy Company has been carried forward after Closing. All periods prior to the Business Combination have been retrospectively adjusted to reflect the reverse recapitalization. In connection with the reverse recapitalization treatment of the Business Combination, all issued and outstanding securities of Mars upon Closing were treated as issuances of the Company upon the consummation of the Business Combination. |
| Emerging Growth Company | Emerging Growth Company 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 Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (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 election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when an accounting standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised accounting standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. |
| Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements | Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, requiring public entities to disclose information about their reportable segments’ significant expenses and other segment items on an interim and annual basis. Public entities with a single reportable segment are required to apply the disclosure requirements in ASU No. 2023-07, as well as all existing segment disclosures and reconciliation requirements in ASC 280 on an interim and annual basis. The Company adopted ASU No. 2023-07 during the year ended December 31, 2024. See Note 17, Segment and Geographic Information, in these notes to the financial statements for further detail. In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, Income Taxes, which prescribes standardized categories and disaggregation of information in the reconciliation of provision for income taxes, requires disclosure of disaggregated income taxes paid, and modifies other income tax-related disclosure requirements. The updated standard is effective for us beginning with our fiscal year 2026 annual reporting period. In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03, Disaggregation of income statement expenses, which requires disclosures of certain additional expense information on an annual and interim basis, including, among other items, the amounts of purchases of inventory, employee compensation, depreciation and intangible asset amortization included within each income statement expense caption, as applicable. The updated standard is effective for our annual periods beginning in fiscal year 2026 and interim periods beginning in the first quarter of fiscal year 2027. |
| Changes in Accounting Policies | Changes in Accounting Policies The Company has consistently applied the accounting policies described in this Note 2 to all periods presented in these financial statements. |
| Risks and Uncertainties | Risks and Uncertainties The Company is currently in the development stage and has commenced principal operations and generated revenue in the second quarter of 2024. The development of the Company’s projects is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the receipt of the necessary permits and regulatory approvals, the availability and ability to obtain the necessary financing for the manufacturing and development of projects. |
| Use of Estimates | Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience, known or expected trends, and various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable given the quality of information available as of the date of these financial statements. The results of these assumptions provide the basis for making estimates about the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results could differ from these estimates. |
| Cash and Cash Equivalents | Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid temporary cash investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company maintains its cash deposits with major financial institutions over the FDIC limit. There were no cash equivalents as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024. |
| Fair Value Measurement | Fair Value Measurement Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants as of the measurement date. Applicable accounting guidance provides an established hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used when available. Observable inputs are inputs that market participants would use in valuing the asset or liability and are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of us. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect our assumptions about the factors that market participants would use in valuing the asset or liability. There are three levels of input that may be used to measure fair value: Level 1 Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the entity can access. Level 2 Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets and liabilities. Level 3 Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets and liabilities. Assets and liabilities measured at fair value are classified based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company reviews the fair value hierarchy classification on an as needed basis. Changes in the observability of valuation inputs may result in a reclassification of levels for certain securities within the fair value hierarchy. The Company recognizes transfers into and out of levels within the fair value hierarchy in the appropriate period in which the actual event or change in circumstances caused the transfer to occur. |
| Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets | Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets Prepaid expenses consist primarily of prepaid insurance premiums and retainers for services. |
| Property and Equipment | Property and Equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Maintenance, repairs, and minor replacements are charged to expenses as incurred. Depreciation on property and equipment is recorded using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. When assets are retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts, and any resulting gain or loss is reflected in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations in the period realized. We evaluate our long-lived assets each quarter for indicators of potential impairment. Indicators of impairment include current period losses combined with a history of losses, or when changes in other circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. The assets of the Company with indicators of impairment are evaluated for recoverability by comparing its undiscounted future cash flow with its carrying value. If the carrying value is greater than the undiscounted future cash flows, we then measure the asset’s fair value to determine whether an impairment loss should be recognized. If the resulting fair value is less than the carrying value, an impairment loss is recognized for the difference between the carrying value and the estimated fair value. There were no impairment charges for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and for the year ended December 31, 2024. |
| Inventories | Inventories Inventory is valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Costs include materials and direct labor on a first-in-first-out basis. We review inventory quantities on hand and record provisions for estimated excess, slow moving, and obsolete inventory. The evaluation of the carrying value of our inventories takes into consideration such factors as historical and anticipated future sales compared to quantities on hand and the prices we expect to obtain for products. We adjust excess and obsolete inventories to net realizable value, and write-downs of excess and obsolete inventories are recorded as a component of cost of revenues. See Note 8 – Inventories, for further details. |
| Leases | Leases The Company accounts for leases under ASC 842, Leases. The core principle of this standard is that a lessee should recognize the assets and liabilities that arise from leases, by recognizing in the condensed consolidated balance sheets a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. The Company recognizes right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and lease liabilities for leases with terms greater than 12 months. Leases are classified as either finance or operating leases. This classification dictates whether lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. The Company’s leases are capitalized at the present value of the minimum lease payments not yet paid. The Company uses either the rate implicit in the lease, if readily determinable, or the Company’s incremental borrowing rate for a period comparable to the lease term in order to calculate the net present value of the lease liability. Short-term leases (leases with an initial term of 12 months or less or leases that are cancelable by the lessee and lessor without significant penalties) are not capitalized but are expensed on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company has one short term operating lease for the Company’s combined office and warehouse facility located in Buford, Georgia. |
| Revenue Recognition | Revenue Recognition Overview The Company’s sales revenue includes revenues related to deliveries of new CT Sentinel scanning systems, and specific other products and services that meet the definition of a performance obligation under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, including when-and-if-available operating system updates and bins. We recognize revenue from CT Sentinel scanning systems upon customer acceptance. Customer acceptance occurs at the earlier of when the customer provides notice or within 30 days of customer receipt of goods. We recognize revenue on bins once goods are at the shipping points. Revenue attributable to when-and-if-available operating system updates, if material, are recognized on a straight-line basis over the expected ownership life of the CT Sentinel scanning systems, as we have a stand-ready obligation to deliver such services to the customer. All our revenue for the three month periods ended March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2024 was recognized at point-in-time upon customer acceptance. For our performance obligations, we allocate the transaction price using the expected cost plus a margin approach. Standalone selling prices are estimated by considering costs used to develop and deliver the service, third-party pricing of similar options and other information that may be available. The Company recognizes its revenues net of any value-added or sales tax. Payments are received at three milestone dates including at contract inception, upon delivery and after customer acceptance. The Company currently has one customer to whom it sells its baggage scanning systems, which is a distributor. We act as principal in this transaction as we are primarily responsible for fulfilling the contract and have inventory risk, and thus record the gross amount earned within total revenue. Baggage scanning systems including fixed gantry detectors, image-processing units and conveyance systems are sold as a combined baggage scanning system. Training services designed to enable distributor customers to service baggage scanning systems they sell to end users of such systems are deemed to be immaterial in the context of the contract. Restocking fees Restocking fees for goods expected to be returned are included in the estimate of the transaction price at contract inception and recorded as revenue when control of the good transfers. Restocking costs are recorded as a reduction of the amount of return assets when control of the good is transferred to the customer. There were no goods expected to be returned at contract inception. No restocking fees were incurred for the three months ended March 31, 2025 or 2024, respectively. Disaggregation of Revenue The Company has one operating segment. Currently the Company has only one revenue contract, all of which relates to a customer located in North America. Contract Balances Contract liabilities are included within the deferred revenues in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company does not have any material contract assets. Deferred revenue represents the Company’s obligation to transfer goods or services to its customers for which it has already received consideration (or the amount is due) from the customer. The Company’s deferred revenue balance primarily relates to contract advances. Deferred revenue in the amount of $1,256,236 and $1,621,707 were recorded in the Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. The Company recognized revenue, included in the prior year balance, in the amount of $365,471 for the three months ended March 31, 2025. No revenue was recognized for the three months ended March 31, 2024. |
| Research and Development | Research and Development Research and development costs for prototype scanning machines were expensed as incurred because they have no alternative future use beyond their current testing programs and therefore no economic benefit in the future. Labor costs, including salaries, employee benefits, payroll taxes, and third-party contractor expenses, were expensed as incurred. |
| Share-Based Compensation | Share-Based Compensation Following the completion of the Business Combination on January 2, 2025, the Company filed a registration statement with the SEC to register 4,000,000 shares of Common Stock on February 18, 2025, which may be issued pursuant to awards under the Equity Incentive Plan of ScanTech AI Systems Inc. (the “2025 Equity Incentive Plan”). The number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued under the 2025 Equity Incentive Plan is equal to 15% of the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately after the closing of the Business Combination (calculated on a fully diluted basis). The 2025 Equity Incentive Plan provides for noncash equity-based compensation through the grant of Common Stock. Stock-based compensation is based on the fair value of the Common Stock on the grant date, as determined by the daily price movement of the Nasdaq stock market. Compensation expense is recognized over the period from the grant date through the expected vest date. |
| Net Income (Loss) per Share | Net Income (Loss) per Share The Company computes basic net income (loss) per share by dividing net income (loss) attributable to stockholders by the weighted average number of shares outstanding. Diluted income (loss) per unit is computed by giving effect to all potentially dilutive issuances of shares using the treasury stock method for warrants and the if-converted method for convertible notes. When the Company incurs a net loss, the effect of the Company’s outstanding warrants and convertible notes are not included in the calculation of diluted loss per share as the effect would be anti-dilutive. |
| Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit | Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit The Company accounts for Georgia R&D tax credits as current assets on its condensed consolidated balance sheets. Georgia R&D tax credits are calculated at the time of annual state income tax filing, and management considers R&D tax credits to be assets once the Georgia Department of Revenue approves the R&D tax credit calculation. The Company is permitted to elect to apply credits to future state employer payroll withholding or income taxes. When the Company elects to apply R&D tax credits to employer payroll withholding, application of R&D tax credits reduces the liability for employer payroll withholding for the quarter in which such tax credits are applied. |
| Transaction costs | Transaction costs The Company accounts for transaction costs incurred in connection with de-SPAC transactions in accordance with ASC 805, Business Combinations. Costs that are directly attributable to the issuance of equity instruments, such as legal, accounting, and advisory fees related to the merger and recapitalization, are recorded as a reduction to additional paid-in capital. Other costs that are not directly related to the equity issuance, including costs associated with business combination activities, are expensed as incurred. The Company evaluates each cost to determine the appropriate accounting treatment based on its nature and purpose. |
| Debt Issuance Costs | Debt Issuance Costs Debt issuance costs are incremental costs directly attributable to the issuance of a debt instrument, such as legal fees, underwriting fees, registration costs, and other professional services. Under ASC 835 - 30, these costs are not expensed immediately; instead, they are capitalized and presented as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability on the balance sheet (except for revolving credit arrangements, where they are recorded as an asset). The capitalized costs are then amortized over the term of the debt using the effective interest method, and the amortization is recorded as interest expense in the income statement. The only debt issuance costs incurred by the Company during the periods presented relate to the Seaport OPCO debt incurred in the prior year; there were no debt issuance costs incurred in the three months ended March 31, 2025. In accordance with ASC 835 - 30, the Company capitalized these issuance costs as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability. The capitalized costs are being amortized over the term of the respective debt agreements using the effective interest method, with the amortization recorded as interest expense in the condensed consolidated financial statements. |