22nd Century Group (XXII) investor relations material

Executive summary

• Executed a strategic shift toward higher-margin branded and VLN® products, moving away from legacy contract manufacturing and low-priced export customers to focus on profitability and brand relevance.

• Expanded retail distribution of Pinnacle VLN and VLN® products, including launches in New York, New Jersey, California, and new Pinnacle Pure introductions, targeting premium categories.

• Broadened retail presence to 2,000 stores across 20 states, with a goal of reaching 5,000 stores in 35 states by year-end 2026.

• Prioritized profitable growth, pricing discipline, and commercial execution to drive recurring revenue and margin improvement.

• Operating expenses rose to $2.99M in Q2 2026, mainly due to higher compensation, benefits, and legal costs.

Financial highlights

• Net revenues for Q2 2026 were $2.9 million, down 29.9% year-over-year and sequentially from $4.1 million in Q1 2026; first half 2026 net revenue was $7 million, down from $10 million in the first half of 2025.

• Gross loss for Q2 2026 was $0.3 million, improved from $0.6 million in Q2 2025, aided by cost savings and a one-time excise tax recovery.

• Operating loss for Q2 2026 was $3.3 million; net loss from continuing operations was $3.3 million; adjusted EBITDA was negative $3.5 million.

• Ended the quarter with $6.1 million in cash and no outstanding debt.

• Accumulated deficit reached $405.53M as of June 30, 2026.

Outlook and guidance

• Focus for the remainder of 2026 is on expanding distribution to 5,000 retail outlets and improving gross margin, with a second-half inflection expected.

• Management expresses substantial doubt about the ability to continue as a going concern for the next year without additional capital.

• Strategies under evaluation include expense reduction, raising funds through debt or equity, asset sales, and strategic partnerships.