Odysight.ai Inc.: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2021
Filed with the SEC on Mar 30, 2022 and accepted by EDGAR at Mar 30, 2022, 16:15 ET.
Business
As filed, 40,005 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
Overview
We are engaged in the development, production and marketing of innovative visual solutions composed of imaging equipment, cloud and software based image processing (artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and additional algorithm methodologies). Some of our products that utilize our micro ScoutCam™ technology are used in medical procedures as well as various applications in other industries. Our current business model is a business-to-business (B2B) approach in which we seek to identify target businesses interested in integrating our micro ScoutCam™ technology, or commissioning individual projects using our technology. We derive a substantial portion of our revenue from applications of our micro ScoutCam™ technology within the medical, defense and aerospace fields. We have recently begun examining additional applications for our visual solutions portfolio (composed of image acquisition, data collection and storage and image processing), including Predictive Maintenance (PdM) and Condition Based Monitoring (CBM), as well as additional industry sectors such as aviation, automotive, industrial non-destructing-testing industries energy and maritime (we refer to these applications and sectors as I4.0) We plan to further expand our activity in these non-medical spaces.
Pictured above (from left to right) are the Company’s micro ScoutCamTM 1.0 Lum and micro ScoutCam™ 1.2.
The Company’s eye-endoscope, which includes a camera at the distal tip, integrated illumination and embedded irrigation, which is only 1.2 mm in outer diameter.
Our Corporate History and Background
We were incorporated as a corporation under the laws of the State of Nevada on March 22, 2013 under the name Intellisense Solutions Inc. We were initially engaged in the business of developing web portals to allow companies and individuals to engage in the purchase and sale of vegetarian food products over the Internet. However, we were unable to execute our original business plan, develop significant operations or achieve commercial sales.
We received initial funding in March 2014 in the aggregate amount of $19,980 through the sale of common stock to two of our former officers and directors, who purchased in the aggregate 1,998,000 shares of our common stock at $0.01 per share.
On January 10, 2019, we formed Canna Patch Ltd., or Canna Patch, an Israeli corporation, of which 90% was initially owned by our Company, and the remaining 10% owned by Rafael Ezra, Canna Patch’s Chief Technology Officer. Canna Patch did not have any operations and on December 4, 2019, we sold 100% of our holdings in Canna Patch.
On September 16, 2019, Intellisense and Medigus Ltd., an Israeli company traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market, entered into an Exchange Agreement (as defined herein). For additional information about the Exchange Agreement, refer to – “ CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE” below.
On December 30, 2019, we acquired ScoutCam Ltd. As a result of our acquisition of ScoutCam Ltd., we now own all of ScoutCam Ltd.’s issued and outstanding share capital and have integrated and adopted ScoutCam Ltd.’s business into our Company as our primary business activity.
ScoutCam Ltd. was formed in the State of Israel on January 3, 2019 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Medigus and commenced operations on March 1, 2019. ScoutCam Ltd. was incorporated as part of a reorganization of Medigus, which was designed to distinguish ScoutCam Ltd.’s miniaturized imaging business, or the micro ScoutCam™ portfolio, from Medigus’ other operations and to enable Medigus to form a separate business unit with dedicated resources focused on the promotion of such technology. On December 1, 2019, Medigus and ScoutCam Ltd. consummated a certain Amended and Restated Asset Transfer Agreement, which transferred and assigned certain assets and intellectual property rights related to its miniaturized imaging business. For additional information about the Amended and Restated Asset Transfer Agreement, refer to – “CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE” below. On May 18, 2020, in connection with the Arkin Transaction (as defined below), the Company and Medigus entered into a certain Side Letter Agreement (the “Letter Agreement”), whereby the parties agreed to amend certain terms of the Amended and Restated Asset Transfer Agreement and the License Agreement. For additional information about the Letter Agreement, refer to – “CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE” below.
On April 20, 2020, ScoutCam Ltd. entered into an Amended and Restated Intercompany Services Agreement with Medigus (the “Intercompany Services Agreement”), which effectively amended and restated an intercompany services agreement dated May 30, 2019. For additional information about the Intercompany Services Agreement, refer to – “CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE” below.
Sales and Marketing
Our vision is to improve the performance of organizations by offering prestigious tools that enhance the visual technological capabilities and maximize AI analysis capabilities for companies across a variety of industries. Our mission is to become a global leader providing innovative, off-the-shelf and custom-tailored visualization and analysis solutions to organizations across a variety of industries based on highly resistant cameras and supplementary technologies. We are currently focused on custom-tailored solutions, and as a result have a very limited offering of off-the-shelf products, which are used mainly as models for new uses of our technology and capabilities rather than as a major source of revenue. Moreover, as we focus only on the visualization apparatus and supporting components, including for example a small camera (that consists of a miniature Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor or CMOS video sensor, optics, filters, electronics, housing and cables), illumination, cleaning methods (e.g., irrigation), and/or a mechanical structure based on the customer’s needs, in most cases our products are components of the customer’s end-user products rather than independent end-user products.
Certain illustrative examples of our component parts that have been previously integrated into our clients’ end-user products include:
The Company’s micro ScoutCam™ 6.5 Lum, pictured above, was integrated into a NASA-commissioned project, and as a result it became the first micro camera utilized in orbit when it was successfully operated outside the International Space Station in May 2015.
Pictured above is a single-use visualization solution that was developed and sold to A.M. Surgical, which was designed to replace expensive and bulky reusable endoscopes used in carpal tunnel surgery by their Stratos surgical device. We prepared both wired and wireless versions. Our wireless device was cleared for marketing by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is compliant with FCC regulations.
Our business model in the medical domain includes engaging companies seeking to add video visualization to their existing or new product(s) or considering the development of new products that include micro video visualization. Accordingly, our customer base is exclusively comprised of businesses, and therefore we are entirely removed from marketing, manufacturing, selling and distributing end-user products to consumers. Our engagement with businesses is ordinarily conducted in two phases. During the first phase, we conduct the research and development that is required in order to specify, design, develop, and produce the designated visualization apparatus, all for an agreed-upon compensation amount (e.g., a non-recurrent engineering fee). During the second phase, we manufacture the apparatus and sell it to the customer for an agreed-upon transfer price. In some cases, by customer request, we offer complete ‘turn-key’ contracts in which we are responsible for most or all product phases, from the specifications phase to the provision of completed components or products that are packaged and ready for sale. In such cases, we may conduct necessary regulatory tests and handle required regulatory approvals. In addition, we may also be responsible, as necessary, for packaging, sterilization, labeling, and shipment.
In the I4.0 domain, which target PdM and CBM applications, we intend to engage with companies who wish to increase the monitoring capabilities of different elements of a device using our visual monitoring solutions (these include build of image acquisition, data collection and storage, and image processing capabilities based on AI, ML and additional algorithm concepts). Based on our product portfolio with customized solutions as needed, this will allow our customers to receive alerts on anomalies and failures as they are occur on the monitored component, analyze and track trends and development of the anomaly and predict any impending failure of the component as a result of such anomaly over time and usage.
As a result, we expect customers to benefit from a reduction in downtime of their monitored equipment, using the prediction capabilities of the platform to efficiently plan maintenance work on future faulty components. Another outcome we expect is more cost effective management of resources, since components will only need to be replaced as a result of their actual condition rather than a strict maintenance schedule.
The use of an image based platform in the fields of PdM and CBM provides richer and more informative data and insights not available with traditional sensing methods. Together with the AI and ML models customized for the relevant use cases, we expect this will provide customers with a clearer view of the status of their equipment, increasing revenues by saving on direct expenses and increasing the uptime of their equipment.
Our customers include technology-based companies and organizations, which are mainly large, well-established, international corporations. Larger corporations provide financial stability, large purchased quantities, recurring revenue, and valid forecasts for extended durations. In addition, we engage customers from various industries, such as biomedical, aerospace, energy, transportation, certain sensitive or classified industries, security and defense, and research.
In order to locate and secure new customers we employ both active and passive marketing strategies. As part of our active approach, we employ three business development managers, in addition to other consultants, who analyze target industries and assess whether visualization solutions may add value to companies operating in those industries. Once we have identified a potentially relevant industry, we approach a variety of target companies and market the benefits of integrating our visualization solutions into their products. In addition, in order to assist us in identifying such industries and target companies, we consult with subject matter experts from various industries.
In addition to the active marketing strategy described above, we also employ a multitude of other marketing channels in order to increase the exposure of our services to relevant industries. These marketing channels include advertising, participating in relevant tradeshows and conferences, web-marketing, which includes a well maintained Company website, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), social media presence, distribution of press-releases in target countries, as well as conventional marketing means, including brochures and presentations. Additionally, we issue industry-specific marketing materials that are tailored to highlight the relevant features of our technology to a specific target industry.
Our marketing measures may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- engaging third party companies as territorial representatives in key markets;
- initiating business engagements based on leads received through our website, through active web based tools for lead generation, or via other methods or means;
- conducting initial technical scopes and discussions together with such prospects in order to evaluate the feasibility of their contemplated projects;
- maintaining an updated and detailed website presenting our core competency, solutions, use cases and proven track record;
- promoting our website in different search engines and other digital forums through SEO campaigning as well as other proactive digital marketing measures;
- employing certain social media platforms for campaigning and advertising;
- reconnecting with our large database, which includes a multitude of past prospects;
- developing and refining marketing communications materials, including digital and printed brochures; and
- participating in major vision technology exhibitions as well as industry specific events.
In addition to our business development efforts that are mainly based on currently existing or future customer needs, we aim to identify new market opportunities. These efforts include systematical analysis of industrial fields as well as medical fields and procedures in order to identify where visualization solutions, including image analysis, might benefit and attract value. When a potential opportunity is identified, we protect our rights by establishing relevant intellectual property safeguards, develop various prototypes that may be relevant for the specific application and engage key opinion leaders in that field to validate the feasibility of our solutions. In the medical domain, given that we are not a business-to-consumer, or B2C, company, our business model does not include commercialization of end-user products; nevertheless, we seek to partner with relevant companies to convert our innovative prototypes into market-ready products, complete the required regulatory clearances, and commercialize them based on revenue share models. Regarding the I4.0 domain, we are in the process of transforming our products and projects into market ready solutions, aiming to commercialize our platform as part of a SaaS model offering with multi-year contracts which include required hardware, software, cloud service and ongoing support and maintenance.
Regarding project based solutions, we have certain internal procedures in place once a potential customer is identified which help provide a roadmap for the ensuing working relationship. Prior to any formal engagement with a potential customer, two of our departments – business development and R&D – work in parallel to define an understanding with the customer that will ordinarily incorporate two phases: (a) an R&D phase, during which the R&D team develops a custom-tailored visualization component that synthesizes our technology and skill with the customer’s stated requirements, specifications, and business constraints, and which phase generally includes a formal agreement with respect to a Non-Recurrent Engineering (NRE) fee that is typically payable according to a pre-defined set of milestones; and (b) a production phase, during which we manufacture and supply the component parts for an agreed upon transfer price.
Over the years, we have offered and implemented tailor-made pricing schemes that allows us to separately price services rendered during the previously described first phase. Pricing of this first phase is typically prepared by the engineering team, which provides an assessment of the anticipated costs associated with the R&D of the project, which price will depend on a given customer’s specifications and project vision. Such costs may include, inter alia, engineering labor, any contracts with sub-contractors, tooling, off-the-shelf and newly designed components, materials, prototypes production, testing, management overhead, and travel costs. Once we have completed our cost estimation for the R&D phase, we issue a quote for such services to the customer.
In order to develop a transfer price in connection with the aforementioned second phase, the expected Bill-Of Material (BOM) and Cost-Of-Good Sold (COGS) are established and we develop a quotation accordingly. Often times there are certain modifications to the original project outlined and agreed upon in the R&D phase, which might necessitate an increase or decrease to the pricing of the overall project. For that reason, we tend to include a certain margin of flexibility in the final target transfer price. In addition, we usually link the end transfer price with both annual and per-order Minimum Order Quantities (MOQ), in order to reflect the actual production quantity of the COGS as well as to commercially incentivize the customer to order larger quantities.
Both the negotiation process and the contract drafting are usually done in collaboration with the customer, such that both sides can verify throughout the process that the final agreement meets their technological and business expectations. Furthermore, we seek to maintain close contact with the customer throughout the two phases of our engagement, including for example, by way of teleconferences, virtual and actual meetings, document exchanges, on-site visits, and reporting of any completion of predefined milestones.
Regarding our off the shelf products, the NRE phase in project based commercial interactions is not relevant, and the pricing model is set up front based on the cost, margin and value that the product creates.
Our Customers
Currently, we have one major customer that is expected to generate most of our forecasted revenue in the near term: a large international bio-med company that is developing a visualization component for its minimally-invasive surgical device. In addition to the foregoing material customer, we are engaged in initial negotiations with multiple potential customers operating in a variety of sectors, including biomedical, aerospace, aviation, automotive, energy, military and security, and others. In the I4.0 segment, aviation industries (both manned and unmanned) are currently the source of our greatest level of interest, with recent growing interest coming from the transportation (specifically railway) and energy (specifically wind turbine) sectors. We are pursuing these potential engagements with the goal of securing proof of concepts and launching commercial pilots that may then materialize into multi-year production contracts. We are in various stages of engagement with a variety of customers in all the above mentioned industries.
In the biomedical space, for example, we generally seek to partner with medical device and pharmaceutical companies that develop endoscopes with or without additional functionality. This variation allows the endoscope to be introduced into anatomical parts that were previously (prior to adopting ScoutCam’s visualization solution) not accessible within the video-endoscope space either because of outer diameter limitations and/or price. To this end, we focus on single-use products that accommodate the global trend to transition from expensive, multi-use products that require a thorough cleaning protocol, but which cannot be sterilized, to single-use products.
Lastly, we have recently mobilized efforts to market the possibility of employing our visualization technology and solutions for the purposes of monitoring sensitive mechanical structures and elements in the aviation sector, engaging on a pilot basis with the Israeli Air Force regarding their helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles and with several defense companies. Such an application complements global market trends associated with Industry 4.0 and Internet of Things, in which machines are programmed to test themselves and their production output, which then automatically alerts the processor of any potential problems at the outset of an endeavor.
Competition
There are currently several companies that offer small cameras, including, but not limited to, Opcom, Fujikura-Picoramedic, Awaiba, Fisba, and Misumi. Unlike these competitors, we offer customized solutions, which include additional components as needed. Other companies, such as IntraVu, Medit, and SPI Engineering, offer complete, small diameter, off-the shelf endoscopes/borescopes. Our focus, however, is on customizing and integrating our solutions into a given customer’s device. Certain companies, such as Enable, Myriad Fiber Imaging Tech., Inc., and Precision Optics, act as our direct competitors, since they offer similar services to those that we offer.
In addition, there are currently many companies that develop and provide monitoring solutions for PdM and CBM. These monitoring solutions can be the sensor itself, data collection and storage, AI processing, or a combination of these capabilities. The CBM and PdM solutions are usually based on traditional sensing solutions such as vibration, temperature, and acoustic sensors. Based on our research and discussions with customers, we believe these traditional sensing methods are limited in their ability to provide an in depth view of the condition of the monitored components and usually alert on the occurrence of an anomaly when component failure has already occurred, which is too late in some cases. From the AI perspective, there are several vendors providing off-the-shelf AI capabilities which then require customization per market, use case, and/or data source. Our more holistic approach and reliance on image based solutions creates richer and more informative data, leveraged by AI and ML algorithms, enabling our customers to deploy predictive maintenance programs.
Proprietary Rights and Technology
As we develop customized components and/or products per market needs or per specific customer requirements, our various projects are constantly in different stages of development, including: planning, early R&D for a proof of concept, R&D for a prototype, final product/component development, engineering necessary for a production-ready version, and production of initial batches.
We currently own a total of six patent families which we consider material to our business and operating success. Our intellectual property rights include patents and patent applications that were transferred to us by Medigus as part of the Addendum No. 1 to Amended and Restated Asset Transfer Agreement (the “Addendum”), the License Agreement and the Letter Agreement, additional patent assets developed by ScoutCam and an asset assigned to us from a third party. For additional information about the License Agreement refer to – “CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE” below. Under the Addendum, and subject to certain limitations as further set forth therein, Medigus transferred to us the following material patent families in exchange for a license in connection with the marketing and sale of the Medigus Ultrasonic Surgical Endostapler:
- Patent family related to Integrated Endoscope Irrigation: this patent family relates to our ability to develop visualization components and endoscopes, which include irrigation with a smaller outer diameter by saving the space of the tube that is required to lead the fluids in a conventional manner. This patent has been granted in Canada, Europe (validated in Germany, Spain, France, Great Britain and Italy), Israel, Japan (original and divisional), and the United States, and has an allowed continuation patent application and an additional pending continuation in the United States. The expiration date for this patent in the United States is December 3, 2033, and in each of the other aforementioned jurisdictions is February 28, 2033;
- Patent family related to Small Diameter Video Camera Heads and Medical Devices and Visualization Probes containing them: this patent family relates to our ability to develop cameras, visualization components, and medical devices with a small diameter, thus enabling the insertion of the camera into smaller cavities or leaving more space in the device for the use and application of other functions, such as a working channel. This patent has been granted in Japan, Korea, Israel, the United States (2 patents, original and continuation in part), and Europe (3 patents, original and 2 divisionals, currently under opposition proceedings, validated in Germany, France, Great Britain, and Italy) and also has patent assets pending an opposition appeal in Europe. The expiration dates for these patents in the United States are April 5, 2032 and March 10, 2031, and in each of the other aforementioned jurisdictions September 16, 2030.
As a result of oppositional proceedings initiated by a third party in 2018, the Opposition Division of the EU Patent Office decided in 2019 to revoke two of the three European patents (EP 2.478.693 and EP 2.621.159) and in 2021 to maintain the third patent (EP 2.621.158). Following appeals by Company and the third party of the 2019 and 2021 decisions, respectively, the Opposition Division of the EU Patent Office is expected to hear and decide these matters in late 2022 or early 2023; and
- Patent family related to Camera Head: this patent family relates to our ability to develop cameras, visualization components, and endoscopes with a smaller total outer diameter, by reducing the outer diameter of the electronic board on which the sensor is mounted, thus enabling the insertion of the camera into smaller cavities or leaving more space in the device for the use and application of other functions, such as a working channel. This patent has been granted in Israel and the United States, and is pending approval in Canada, Europe, Japan (original and divisional applications), and a continuation in part patent application in the United States. The expiration date for this patent in Israel is June 11, 2035, and in each of the other aforementioned jurisdictions is June 9, 2036.
In addition, our intellectual property rights further include the following material patent applications filed by ScoutCam:
- Patent family related to Miniature Precision Medical Device: these pending patent applications relate to our ability to develop a miniature precision medical device comprising an endoscope with at least one camera, where at least one sensor of one camera is distally located at a tip of a shaft of the endoscope. Surrounding or next to the sensor, such shaft has sufficient space to accommodate at least one accessory such as, for example, illumination source, irrigation tool, or suctioning tool. This patent family has pending patent application in the United States and its expected expiry dates, if issued, will be in 2039-2040.
- Patent family related to Medical Ophthalmic Device: this patent family is related to a tool comprising a hand piece having a flattened cannulated tip that is adapted to receive flow from a pumping unit, in order to generate a jet of fluid suitable for procedures such as “hydro-dissecting” cells in the eye. According to a representation of the invention, the tool comprises a visualization probe with at least one camera, wherein the sensor of the camera is distally located at the tip of the tool to be inserted into the eye for imaging from within the eye. This patent family is pending in China, Europe, Japan, Korea, and the United States. The patent application’s expected expiry dates, if issued, will be in 2039-2040.
- Patent family related to AI-Based and/or Electronic-Controlled Miniature Camera Sensor and Detector System this patent family relates to sensor and detector systems for the development of very small size and resilient visualization capabilities. Such systems can be used in extreme conditions and/or in conjunction with diagnostic software/hardware tools to display and analyze changes in critical images that could not have been displayed or analyzed using existing systems. This patent family includes a pending Patent Cooperation Treaty patent application. If ultimately issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, such patent would be expected to expire in early 2042.
Employment
We currently have approximately 35 full-time (or near full-time) employees. This number is expected to grow. We may recruit additional employees to the R&D team.
Research and Development
Our R&D organization is responsible for the design, development, testing, and delivery of new technologies, features, products, and integrations of our component parts. Research and development employees are located primarily in our principal corporate office on Omer, Israel. We currently have approximately 14 employees in our research and development organization. We intend to continue to invest in our research and development capabilities.
Regulation
Our approach to regulation is generally determined based on a given project. In our engagements with customers operating in the biomedical sector, we comply with the medical device standards in that corresponding territory, such as the FDA or International Organization for Standardization (ISO), among others. Compliance with these regulations is achieved through our QA department and the support we receive from highly experienced quality assurance and regulatory affairs consultants. In addition, we are being audited annually by MEDCERT GmbH, a German Notified Body.
For instance, ISO 13485:2016 is a regulatory benchmark that we comply with while working on our medical device projects. ISO 13845:2016 is similar to ISO 9001 in terms of its quality management system (QMS) requirements, however, ISO 13485:2016 is generally considered more rigorous and comprehensive.
Given that we do not manufacture or distribute end-user products to the medical sector, and instead service businesses pursuant to a B2B model, we are subject to far fewer regulatory standards commonly associated with medical device manufacturers or distributors. We develop and manufacture components for other companies, and therefore our involvement in the regulatory submission demands comparatively less responsibility This notwithstanding, we are careful to communicate with the business customer in order to identify certain regulatory dimensions inherent to the project, to which we should pay additional attention. For example, when a component of ours is integrated into a business’s end-user product, such as for the purpose of touching human tissue, we develop and manufacture our parts and components while taking into account certain applicable regulatory standards. These standards might include, inter alia, relevant FDA regulations (e.g. CFR 21 part 820, the medical device reporting requirements (MDR), among others) as well as ISO regulations (e.g. ISO 14644-1, specifically in connection with cleanrooms and associated controlled environments, among other items, or ISO 10993, in connection with the biological evaluation of medical devices). Furthermore, we prioritize our team’s compliance with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directives (RoHS) and REACH (EC 1907/2006).
Similarly, if a component part of ours is incorporated into an electronic device for the purpose of being used inside a human body, we ensure compliance with certain FDA requirements as well as IEC 60601 for safety and Electrostatic discharge, including the heating of parts at more than 42 degrees Celsius, as well as a variety of additional technical standards designed for the safety and essential performance of medical electrical equipment. Moreover, we perform risk management assessments in accordance with EN ISO 14971:2019 and ISO/TR 24971:2020.
In certain instances, our customers prefer that we conduct the testing of its products in internationally certified labs in order to further guarantee our component parts satisfy the applicable regulatory standards. In this scenario, we perform the required tests as a service to the customer and provide the customer with the official test results, specifically in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2017, which the customer can later use in order to apply for the required marketing clearance of its end-user product.
Since we are targeting to sell our products to customers in the aviation sector, we are in the process of implementing the AS9100D Standard to comply with aerospace industry requirements. Once achieved, this standard will allow us to operate with an aerospace compatible quality management system.
Israeli Government Programs
As a result of certain agreements between Medigus and ScoutCam Ltd. (for additional information about these agreements refer to – “CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE” below) the Israel Innovation Authority, or the IIA, approved a transfer of IIA know-how developed by Medigus in the framework of the Bio Medical Photonic Consortium, or the Medigus Consortium, to ScoutCam Ltd.
Accordingly, all rights and obligations with regard to the IIA under the Encouragement of Research, Development and Technological Innovation in the Industry Law, 5744-1984, or the Innovation Law, in connection with such know-how now apply to ScoutCam Ltd.
The following are details regarding the rights and obligations within the framework of ScoutCam Ltd.’s activity in the Medigus Consortium, which continue to apply to ScoutCam Ltd. notwithstanding the termination of the Medigus Consortium:
(i) The property rights to information which has been developed belongs to the Medigus Consortium member that developed it. However, the developing entity is obligated to provide the other members in the Medigus Consortium a license for the use of the new information, without consideration, provided that the other members do not transfer such information to any entity which is not a member of the Medigus Consortium. The provision of a license or of the right to use the new information to a third party is subject to approval by the administration of the MAGNET Program at the IIA;
(ii) The Medigus Consortium member is entitled to register a patent for the new information which has been developed by it within the framework of its activity in the Medigus Consortium. The foregoing registration does not require approval from the administration of the MAGNET Program at the IIA; and
(iii) The know-how and technology developed under the program is subject to the restrictions set forth under the Innovation Law, including restrictions on the transfer of such know-how and any manufacturing rights with respect thereto, without first obtaining the approval of the IIA. Such approval may entail additional payments to the IIA, as determined under the Innovation Law and regulations.
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Obligations relevant to us under the Innovation Law include the following:
- Local Manufacturing Obligation. The terms of the grants under the Innovation Law require that we manufacture the products developed with these grants in Israel. Under the regulations promulgated under the Innovation Law, the products may be manufactured outside Israel by us or by another entity only if prior approval is received from the IIA (such approval is not required for the transfer of less than 10% of the manufacturing capacity in the aggregate, in which case a notice should be provided to the IIA). In general, due to manufacturing outside Israel, with respect to royalties bearing grants we would be required to pay royalties at an increased rate, usually 1% in addition to the standard rate and increased royalties cap (between 120% and 300% of the grants, depending on the manufacturing volume that is performed outside Israel).
- Know-How Transfer Limitation. The Innovation Law restricts the ability to transfer, in any manner, know-how funded directly or indirectly by the IIA (sale of products is not prohibited), unless the IIA approves doing so and subject to the terms of the Innovation Law and of the IIA’s approval. Among other things, transfer of IIA funded know-how outside of Israel requires prior approval of IIA and in certain circumstances is subject to certain payments to the IIA, calculated according to a formula provided under the Innovation Law. If we wish to transfer IIA funded know-how outside of Israel, the terms for approval will be determined according to the character of the transaction and the consideration paid to us for such transfer. The IIA approval to transfer know-how created, in whole or in part, in connection with a IIA-funded project to third party outside Israel where the transferring company remains an operating Israeli entity is subject to payment of a redemption fee to the IIA calculated according to a formula provided under the Innovation Law that is based, in general, on the ratio between the aggregate IIA grants to the company’s aggregate investments in the project that was funded by these IIA grants, multiplied by the transaction consideration, considering statutory depreciation and less royalties already paid to the IIA. The transfer of such know-how to a party outside Israel where the transferring company ceases to exist as an Israeli entity is subject to a redemption fee formula that is based, in general, on the ratio between aggregate IIA grants received by the company and the company’s aggregate research and development expenses, multiplied by the transaction consideration considering statutory depreciation and less royalties already paid to the IIA. The regulations promulgated under the Innovation Law establish a maximum payment of the redemption fee paid to the IIA under the above mentioned formulas and differentiates between two situations: (i) in the event that the company transfers its IIA funded know-how, in whole or in part, or is sold as part of an M&A transaction, and subsequently ceases to conduct business in Israel, the maximum redemption fee under the above mentioned formulas will be no more than six times the amount received (plus annual interest) for the applicable know-how being transferred, or the entire amount received from the IIA, as applicable; (ii) in the event that following the transactions described above (e.g. asset sale of IIA funded know-how or transfer as part of an M&A transaction) the company continues to conduct its research and development activity in Israel (for at least three years following such transfer and maintain staff of at least 75% of the number of research and development employees it had for the six months before the know-how was transferred and keeps the same scope of employment for such research and development staff), then the company is eligible for a reduced cap of the redemption fee of no more than three times the amounts received (plus annual interest) for the applicable know-how being transferred. In addition, special rules and payment formulas apply for certain kinds of transfers of know-how outside of Israel, such as R&D licenses. Transfer of IIA-funded know-how outside of Israel not according to the R&D Law may give rise to financial exposure as well as criminal liability.
- Approval of the transfer of IIA funded technology to another Israeli company may be granted only if the recipient assumes and abides by the provisions of the Innovation Law and related regulations, including the restrictions on the transfer of know-how and manufacturing rights outside of Israel (in addition, there will be an obligation to pay royalties to the IIA from the income of such sale transaction as part of the royalty payment obligation).
- Approval to manufacture products outside of Israel or consent to the transfer of technology, if requested, might not be granted. Furthermore, the IIA may impose certain conditions on any arrangement under which it permits ScoutCam Ltd. to transfer technology or development out of Israel.
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Properties
We do not own property and currently lease our principal corporate office, which is located at Suites 7A and 3B, Industrial Park, P.O. Box 3030, Omer, Israel 8496500. We believe our leased office sufficiently meets our current needs.
Risk factors
As filed, 62,740 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
Risk Factor Summary
Below is a summary of the principal factors that make an investment in the Company speculative or risky. This summary does not address all of the risks that we face. Additional discussion of the risks summarized in this risk factor summary, and other risks that we face, can be found below, after this summary, and should be carefully considered.
Risks Related to Our Business, Operations and Financial Condition
- We have had a limited operating history and may not be able to successfully operate our business or execute our business plan.
- If we are unable to establish sales, marketing and distribution capabilities or enter into successful relationships with business targets and third parties to perform these services, we may not be successful in commercializing our products and technology.
- We may require substantial additional funding, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all.
- Our failure to effectively manage growth could impair our business.
- Our commercial success depends upon the degree of market acceptance by the medical community as well as by other prospective markets and industries.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect, our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations.
Risk Related to Third Parties
- Our reliance on third-party suppliers for most of the components of our products, including miniature video sensors which are suitable for our CMOS technology products mainly in the medical domain, could harm our ability to meet demand for our products in a timely and cost-effective manner.
- We may not be able to manage our strategic partners effectively.
- We may not have sufficient manufacturing capabilities to satisfy any growing demand for our commissioned products. We may be unable to control the availability or cost of producing such products.
Risks Related to Competition
- We expect to face significant competition. If we cannot successfully compete with new or existing technologies or future developed products, our marketing and sales will suffer and we may never be profitable.
- Our customers may develop the capabilities of our solution in-house, which would significantly reduce the demand for our products.
- Failure to comply with anti-bribery, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws could subject us to penalties and other adverse consequences.
Risks Related to Intellectual Property
- We may not be able to obtain patents or other intellectual property rights necessary to protect our proprietary technology and business.
General Risk Factors Related to Our Business
- Our business and operations would suffer in the event of computer system failures, cyber-attacks, or deficiencies in our cyber-security.
- We may be subject to product liability claims, product actions, including product recalls, and other field or regulatory actions that could be expensive, divert management’s attention, and harm our business.
- Testing of our technologies potential applications for our products will be required and there is no assurance of regulatory approval.
- We rely on highly skilled personnel, and, if we are unable to attract, retain, or motivate qualified personnel, we may not be able to operate our business effectively.
- We may be unable to keep pace with changes in technology as our business and market strategy evolves.
Risks Related to this Offering and Our Common Stock
- Although we have filed an application to list our securities on Nasdaq, there can be no assurance that our securities will be so listed or, if listed, that we will be able to comply with the continued listing standards.
- Trading on the OTC Markets is volatile, sporadic and often thin, which could depress the market price of our common stock and make it difficult for our stockholders to resell their common stock.
- Nevada law and provisions in our amended and restated articles of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make a merger, tender offer or proxy contest difficult, thereby depressing the market price of our common stock.
- The market price of our common stock may be highly volatile and such volatility could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.
- Because our common stock may be deemed a “penny stock,” it may be more difficult for investors to sell shares of our common stock, and the market price of our common stock may be adversely affected.
- Compliance with the reporting requirements of federal securities laws can be expensive.
- Our investors’ ownership in the Company may be diluted in the future.
- Directors, executive officers, principal stockholders, and affiliated entities own a significant percentage of our capital stock, and they may make decisions that our stockholders do not consider to be in their best interests.
- We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
Risks Related to our Operations in Israel
- Political, economic and military instability in Israel may impede our ability to operate and harm our financial results.
- It may be difficult for investors in the United States to enforce any judgments obtained against us or some of our directors or officers.
- Exchange rate fluctuations between foreign currencies and the U.S. Dollar may negatively affect our earnings.
- Certain technology developed and used by us received Israeli government grants for certain research and development activities. The terms of those grants require us to satisfy specified conditions in addition to repayment of the grants upon certain events.
- We may become subject to claims for remuneration or royalties for assigned service invention rights by our employees, which could result in litigation and adversely affect our business.
Certain factors may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. You should carefully consider the following risks, together with all of the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the sections titled “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Any of the following risks could materially and adversely affect our business, strategies, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. In such case, the market price of our common stock could decline. Our business, prospects, financial condition, or results of operations could also be harmed by risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently do not believe are material.
Risks Related to Our Business, Operations and Financial Condition
We have had a limited operating history and may not be able to successfully operate our business or execute our business plan.
Given our limited operating history, it is hard to evaluate our proposed business and prospects. Our proposed business operations will be subject to numerous risks, uncertainties, expenses and difficulties associated with early-stage enterprises. Such risks include, but are not limited to, the following:
- the absence of a lengthy operating history;
- expected continual losses for the foreseeable future;
- operating in multiple currencies;
- our ability to anticipate and adapt to a developing market(s);
- acceptance of our products by the medical and industrial (I4.0) markets (and the non-medical community) and consumers;
- limited marketing experience;
- limited experience in developing and implementing full platform solutions including AI and cloud;
- insufficient capital to fully realize our operating plan;
- a competitive environment characterized by well-established and well-capitalized competitors;
- the ability to identify, attract and retain qualified personnel; and
- operating in an environment that is highly regulated by a number of agencies.
Because we are subject to these risks, evaluating our business may be difficult, our business strategy may be unsuccessful and we may be unable to address such risks in a cost-effective manner, if at all. If we are unable to successfully address these risks our business could be harmed.
If we are unable to establish sales, marketing and distribution capabilities or enter into successful relationships with business targets and third parties to perform these services, we may not be successful in commercializing our products and technology.
Given that we are currently as a B2B company, our business is reliant on our ability to successfully attract potential business targets. Furthermore, we have a limited sales and marketing infrastructure and have limited experience in the sale, marketing, or distribution of our technologies beyond the B2B model. To achieve commercial success for our technologies or any future developed product, we will need to establish a sales and marketing infrastructure or to out-license such future products.
In the future, we may consider building a focused sales and marketing infrastructure to market any future developed products and potentially other products in the United States or elsewhere in the world. There are risks involved with establishing our own sales, marketing, and distribution capabilities. For example, recruiting and training a sales force could be expensive and time consuming and could delay any product launch. This may be costly, and our investment would be lost if we cannot retain or reposition our sales and marketing personnel.
Factors that may inhibit our efforts to commercialize any future products on our own include:
- our inability to recruit, train, and retain adequate numbers of effective sales and marketing personnel;
- the inability of sales personnel to obtain access to potential customers;
- the lack of complementary products to be offered by sales personnel or lack of product-market fit, which may put us at a competitive disadvantage relative to companies with more extensive product lines; and
- unforeseen costs and expenses associated with creating an independent sales and marketing organization.
If we are unable to establish our own sales, marketing, and distribution capabilities or enter into successful arrangements with third parties to perform these services, our revenues and our profitability may be materially adversely affected.
In addition, we may not be successful in entering into arrangements with third parties to sell, market, and distribute our products inside or outside of the United States or may be unable to do so on terms that are favorable to us. We likely will have little control over such third parties, and any of them may fail to devote the necessary resources and attention to sell and market our products effectively. If we do not establish sales, marketing, and distribution capabilities successfully, either on our own or in collaboration with third parties, we will not be successful in commercializing our technologies or any future products we may develop.
We may require substantial additional funding, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all.
Our cash and short-term deposit balance as of December 31, 2021 was $19.6 million. We may require additional funding to fund and grow our operations and to develop certain products. There can be no assurance that financing will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. In the event we required additional capital, the inability to obtain such capital will restrict our ability to grow and may reduce our ability to continue to conduct business operations. If we require and are unable to obtain additional financing, we will likely be required to curtail our development plans. In that event, current stockholders would likely experience a loss of most or all of their investment. Additional funding that we do obtain may be dilutive to the interests of existing stockholders.
Our failure to effectively manage growth could impair our business.
Our business strategy contemplates a period of rapid growth which may put a strain on our administrative and operational resources, and our funding requirements. Our ability to effectively manage growth will require us to successfully expand the capabilities of our operational and management systems, and to attract, train, manage, and retain qualified personnel. There can be no assurance that we will be able to do so, particularly if losses continue and we are unable to obtain sufficient financing. If we are unable to appropriately manage growth, our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Our commercial success depends upon the degree of market acceptance by the medical community as well as by other prospective markets and industries.
Our current business model is that of a B2B approach in which we seek to identify target businesses interested in integrating our technology, or commissioning individual projects using our technology. Any product that we commission or that is brought to the market may or may not gain market acceptance by prospective customers. The commercial success of our technologies, commissioned products, and any future product that we may develop depends in part on the medical community as well as other industries for various use cases, depending on the acceptance by such industries of our commissioned products as a useful and cost-effective solution compared to current technologies. During 2021, we commenced proactive market penetration into industries other than the biomedical sector. If our technology or any future product that we may develop does not achieve an adequate level of acceptance, or does not garner significant commercial appeal, we may not generate significant revenue and may not become profitable. The degree of market acceptance will depend on a number of factors, including:
- the cost, safety, efficacy/performance, perceived value and convenience of our technology and any commissioned product and any future product that we may develop in relation to alternative products;
- the ability of third parties to enter into relationships with us without violating their existing agreements;
- the effectiveness of our sales and marketing efforts;
- the strength of marketing and distribution support for, and timing of market introduction of, competing technology and products; and
- publicity concerning our technology or commissioned products or competing technology and products.
Our efforts to penetrate industries and educate the marketplace on the benefits of our technology, and reasons to seek the commissioning of products based on our technology, may require significant resources and may never be successful. Such efforts to educate the marketplace may require more resources than are required by conventional technologies.
The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect, our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations.
To date, the COVID-19 pandemic has not had a material effect on our operations. However, the measures adopted to contain and mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including stay-at-home, business closure, social distancing, capsuled labor, and other restrictive orders, and the resulting changes in consumer behaviors, have disrupted our normal operations and impacted our employees and suppliers. We expect these disruptions and impacts to continue. In addition, certain of our suppliers experienced delays and shut-downs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and we have experienced supply chain disruptions due to multiple factors, such as fulfillment center disruption and limited shipping capacity. This has led to abnormally high transportation delays and shipping costs, which has increased our cost of goods sold. Further, the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased operational and cybersecurity risks, including those related to a number of our employees working remotely. These risks include, among others, increased demand on our information technology resources and systems, the increased risk of phishing, and other cybersecurity attacks as cybercriminals try to exploit an increased number of points of possible attack, such as laptops and mobile devices, both of which are now being used in increased numbers. Any failure to effectively manage these increased operational and cybersecurity demands and risks, including to timely identify, appropriately respond to, and remediate cybersecurity attacks and other security incidents, may materially adversely affect our results of operations and the ability to conduct our business.
Given the continued spread of COVID-19, including the emergence of COVID-19 variants, such as the recent Delta and Omicron variants, and the resultant personal, economic and governmental reactions, we may have to take additional actions in the future that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations, including a return to a fully remote workforce.
These changes could negatively impact our operations, sales, and marketing in particular, which could have longer-term effects on our sales pipeline, or create operational or other challenges as our workforce remains predominantly remote, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, our management team has spent, and will likely continue to spend, significant time, attention, and resources monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and associated global economic uncertainty and seeking to manage its effects on our business and workforce. The degree to which COVID-19 will affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot currently be predicted. These developments include, but are not limited to, the duration, extent, impact and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in different geographies, the effectiveness of our transition from work-from-home arrangements to a gradual return to our offices, actions taken to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the long-term efficacy, global availability and acceptance of vaccines, related restrictions on economic activity and domestic and international trade, and the extent of the impact of these and other factors on our employees, suppliers, and customers. The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions could limit supplier and distributors’ ability to continue to operate (limiting their abilities to obtain inventory, generate sales, ship and dispatch orders, or make timely payments to us). It could disrupt or delay the ability of employees to work because they become sick or are required to care for those who become sick or for dependents for whom external care is not available. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic may also result in reduced consumer spending and adverse or uncertain economic conditions globally, which in turn may impact our revenue.
Risk Related to Third Parties
Our reliance on third-party suppliers for most of the components of our products, including miniature video sensors which are suitable for our CMOS technology products mainly in the medical domain, could harm our ability to meet demand for our products in a timely and cost-effective manner.
We rely on our third-party suppliers to obtain an adequate supply of quality components on a timely basis with favorable terms to manufacture our commissioned products. Some of those components that we sell are provided to us by a limited number of suppliers. We will be subject to disruptions in our operations if our sole or limited supply contract manufacturers decrease or stop production of components or do not produce components and products of sufficient quantity or quality. Alternative sources for our components will not always be available.
Though we attempt to ensure the availability of more than one supplier for each important component in any product that we commission, the number of suppliers engaged in the provision of miniature video sensors which are suitable for our CMOS technology mainly in the medical domain is very limited, and therefore in some cases we engage with a single supplier, which may result in our dependency on such supplier. This is the case regarding sensors for the CMOS type technology that are produced by a single supplier in the United States. As we do not have a contract in place with this supplier, there is no contractual commitment on the part of such supplier for any set quantity of such sensors. The loss of our sole supplier in providing us with miniature sensors for our CMOS technology products mainly in the medical domain, and our inability or delay in finding a suitable replacement supplier, could negatively affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and reputation.
We are also subject to other risks inherent in the manufacturing of our products and their supply chain, including industrial accidents, natural disasters (including as a result of climate change), environmental events, strikes, and other labor disputes, capacity constraints, disruptions in material or packaging supplies, as well as global shortages, disruptions in supply chain or information technology, loss or impairment of key manufacturing sites or suppliers, product quality control, safety, increase in commodity prices and energy costs, licensing requirements and other regulatory issues, as well as other external factors over which we have no control. If such an event were to occur, it could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, we may experience interruptions with our suppliers and other supply chain disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, or any other international disorder. In recent months, global supply chain disruptions have slowed receipt of some of our supplies and delayed some of our deliveries, although as yet not materially, and increased some of our product costs. Although such cost increases have been fully covered by our customers to date, there is no assurance that this will continue in the future.
In addition, if we cannot supply commissioned products or future potentially developed products due to a lack of components, or are unable to utilize other components in a timely manner, our business will be significantly harmed. If inventory shortages occur, they could be expected to have a material and adverse effect on our future revenues and ability to effectively project future sales and operating results.
We may not be able to manage our strategic partners effectively.
We have entered into, and we may continue to enter into, strategic alliances with third parties to gain access to new and innovative technologies and markets. These parties are often large, established companies. Negotiating and performing under these arrangements involves significant time and expense, and we may not have sufficient resources to devote to our strategic alliances, particularly those with companies that have significantly greater financial and other resources than we do. The anticipated benefits of these arrangements may never materialize, and performing under these arrangements may adversely affect our results of operations.
Failure to manage our current partners effectively or enter into new strategic alliances may affect our success in executing our business plan and may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operation. We may not realize the anticipated benefits of any or all partnerships, or may not realize them in the time frame expected.
We may not have sufficient manufacturing capabilities to satisfy any growing demand for our commissioned products. We may be unable to control the availability or cost of producing such products.
Our current manufacturing capabilities may not reach the required production levels necessary in order to meet growing demands for any products we may commission or future products we may develop. There can be no assurance that our commissioned products can be manufactured at our desired commercial quantities, in compliance with our requirements, and at an acceptable cost. Any such failure could delay or prevent us from shipping said products and marketing our technologies in accordance with our target growth strategies.
Risks Related to Competition
We expect to face significant competition. If we cannot successfully compete with new or existing technologies or future developed products, our marketing and sales will suffer and we may never be profitable.
We expect to compete against existing technologies and proven products in different industries. In addition, some of these competitors, either alone or together with their collaborative partners, operate larger research and development programs than we do, and may have substantially greater financial resources than we do, as well as significantly greater experience in obtaining regulatory approvals applicable to the commercialization of relevant competitive technologies and future products.
Our customers may develop the capabilities of our solution in-house, which would significantly reduce the demand for our products.
Our customers may develop the capabilities to manufacture solutions in-house that are currently satisfied by our solutions. In the event our customers, or future customers, develop such capacities, our potential for profitability may be significantly reduced.
Failure to comply with anti-bribery, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws could subject us to penalties and other adverse consequences.
We are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or the FCPA, Chapter 9 (sub-chapter 5) of the Israeli Penal Law, 5737-1977, and the Israeli Prohibition on Money Laundering Law, 5760-2000, collectively, the Israeli Anti-Corruption Laws, and the UK Bribery Act 2010, or UK Bribery Act, and other anticorruption, anti-bribery and anti-money laundering laws in the jurisdictions in which we do business, both domestic and abroad. These laws generally prohibit us and our employees from improperly influencing government officials or commercial parties in order to obtain or retain business, direct business to any person or gain any advantage. The FCPA, the Israeli Anti-Corruption Laws, the UK Bribery Act, and other applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws also may hold us liable for acts of corruption and bribery committed by our third-party business partners, representatives and agents. In addition, we leverage third parties to sell our products and conduct our business abroad. We and our third-party business partners, representatives and agents may have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies or state-owned or affiliated entities and we may be held liable for the corrupt or other illegal activities of these third-party business partners and intermediaries, our employees, representatives, contractors, channel partners and agents, even if we do not explicitly authorize such activities. These laws also require that we keep accurate books and records and maintain internal controls and compliance procedures designed to prevent any such actions. While we have policies and procedures to address compliance with such laws, we cannot assure you that our employees and agents will not take actions in violation of our policies or applicable law, for which we may be ultimately held responsible and our exposure for violating these laws increases as our international presence is established and as we increase sales and operations in foreign jurisdictions. Any violation of the FCPA, the Israeli Anti-Corruption Laws, the UK Bribery Act, or other applicable anti-bribery, anti-corruption laws and anti-money laundering laws could result in whistleblower complaints, adverse media coverage, investigations, imposition of significant legal fees, loss of export privileges, severe criminal or civil sanctions or suspension or debarment from U.S. government contracts, substantial diversion of management’s attention, a decline in the market price of our common stock or overall adverse consequences to our reputation and business, all of which may have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Risks Related to Intellectual Property
We may not be able to obtain patents or other intellectual property rights necessary to protect our proprietary technology and business.
We may seek to patent concepts, components, processes, designs and methods, and other inventions and technologies that we consider to have commercial value or that will likely give us a technological advantage. Despite devoting resources to the research and development of proprietary technology, we may not be able to develop technology that is patentable or protectable. Patents may not be issued in connection with pending patent applications, and claims allowed may not be sufficient to allow them to use the inventions that they create exclusively. Furthermore, any patents issued could be challenged, re-examined, held invalid or unenforceable, or circumvented and may not provide sufficient protection or a competitive advantage. In addition, despite efforts to protect and maintain patents, competitors and other third parties may be able to design around their patents or develop products similar to our work products that are not within the scope of their patents. Finally, patents provide certain statutory protection only for a limited period of time that varies depending on the jurisdiction and type of patent.
Prosecution and protection of the rights sought in patent applications and patents can be costly, lengthy, and uncertain, often involve complex legal and factual issues, and consume significant time and resources. In addition, the breadth of claims allowed in our patents, their enforceability, and our ability to protect and maintain them cannot be predicted with any certainty. The laws of certain countries may not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Even if our patents are held to be valid and enforceable in a certain jurisdiction, any legal proceedings that we may initiate against third parties to enforce such patents will likely be expensive, take significant time, and divert management’s attention from other business matters. We cannot assure that any of our issued patents or pending patent applications provide any protectable, maintainable, or enforceable rights or competitive advantages to us.
In addition to patents, we will rely on a combination of copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and other related laws and confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions to protect, maintain, and enforce our proprietary technology and intellectual property rights in the United States and other countries. However, our ability to protect our brands by registering certain trademarks may be limited. In addition, while we will generally enter into confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements with our employees, consultants, contract manufacturers, distributors and resellers, and with others to attempt to limit access to and distribution of our proprietary and confidential information, it is possible that:
- misappropriation of our proprietary and confidential information, including technology, will nevertheless occur;
- our confidentiality agreements will not be honored or may be rendered unenforceable;
- third parties will independently develop equivalent, superior, or competitive technology or products;
- disputes will arise with our current or future strategic licensees, customers, or others concerning the ownership, validity, enforceability, use, patentability, or registrability of intellectual property; or
- unauthorized disclosure of our know-how, trade secrets, or other proprietary or confidential information will occur.
We cannot assure that we will be successful in protecting, maintaining, or enforcing our intellectual property rights. If we are unsuccessful in protecting, maintaining, or enforcing our intellectual property rights, then our business, operating results, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected, which could:
- adversely affect our reputation with customers;
- be time-consuming and expensive to evaluate and defend;
- cause product shipment delays or stoppages;
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- divert management’s attention and resources;
- subject us to significant liabilities and damages;
- require us to enter into royalty or licensing agreements; or
- require us to cease certain activities, including the sale of products.
If it is determined that we have infringed, violated or are infringing or violating a patent or other intellectual property right of any other person or if we are found liable in respect of any other related claim, then, in addition to being liable for potentially substantial damages, we may be prohibited from developing, using, distributing, selling, or commercializing certain of our technologies unless we obtain a license from the holder of the patent or other intellectual property right. We cannot assure that we will be able to obtain any such license on a timely basis or on commercially favorable terms, or that any such licenses will be available, or that workarounds will be feasible and cost-efficient. If we do not obtain such a license or find a cost-efficient workaround, our business, operating results, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
General Risk Factors Related to Our Business
Our business and operations would suffer in the event of computer system failures, cyber-attacks, or deficiencies in our cyber-security.
Security incidents involving our information technology systems and those of third parties on which we rely have occurred in the past, such as phishing attacks, although none of these incidents have been material to our business. Such security incidents may occur in the future. Despite the implementation of security measures, our internal computer systems, and those of third parties on which we rely, are vulnerable to damage from computer viruses, malware, natural disasters, terrorism, war, telecommunication and electrical failures, cyber-attacks or cyber-intrusions over the Internet, attachments to emails, persons inside our organization, or persons with access to systems inside our organization. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusion, including by computer hackers, foreign governments, and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. If such an event were to occur and cause interruptions in our operations, it could result in a material disruption of our product development programs. To the extent that any disruption or security breach was to result in a loss of or damage to our data or applications, or inappropriate disclosure of confidential or proprietary information, we could incur material legal claims and liability, and damage to our reputation, and the further development of our product candidates could be delayed.
We may be subject to product liability claims, product actions, including product recalls, and other field or regulatory actions that could be expensive, divert management’s attention, and harm our business.
Our business exposes us to potential liability risks, product actions, and other field or regulatory actions that are inherent in the manufacturing, marketing and sale of medical device, or any other products that we may have commissioned for a target business. We may be held liable if such products cause injury or death or are found otherwise unsuitable or defective during usage. Our products incorporate mechanical and electrical parts, complex computer software, and other sophisticated components, any of which can contain errors or failures. Complex computer software is particularly vulnerable to errors and failures, especially when first introduced. In addition, new products or enhancements to our existing products may contain undetected errors or performance problems that, despite testing, are discovered only after installation.
If any of our commissioned products are defective, whether due to design or manufacturing defects, improper use of the product, or other reasons, we may voluntarily or involuntarily undertake an action to remove, repair, or replace the product at our expense. In some circumstances we will be required to notify regulatory authorities of an action pursuant to a product failure.
Testing of our technologies potential applications for our products will be required and there is no assurance of regulatory approval.
The effect of government regulation and the need for compliance may delay marketing of our technologies and future potentially developed products for a considerable period of time, impose costly procedures upon our activities, and provide an advantage to larger companies that compete with us. There can be no assurance that we will be able to achieve regulatory compliance for any of our products. Any such delay in achieving such regulatory compliance would materially and adversely affect the marketing of any contemplated products and the ability to earn product revenue. Further, regulation of manufacturing facilities by state, local, and other authorities is subject to change. Any additional regulation could result in limitations or restrictions on our ability to utilize any of our technologies, thereby adversely affecting our operations. Various federal and foreign statutes and regulations also govern or influence the manufacturing, safety, labeling, storage, record keeping, and marketing of our products. The process of compliance with relevant U.S. and foreign statutes and regulations are time-consuming and require the expenditure of substantial resources. In addition, these requirements and processes vary widely from country to country.
We rely on highly skilled personnel, and, if we are unable to attract, retain, or motivate qualified personnel, we may not be able to operate our business effectively.
Our success depends in large part on continued employment of senior management and key personnel who can effectively operate our business, as well as our ability to attract and retain skilled employees. Competition for highly skilled management, technical, research and development, and other employees is intense and we may not be able to attract or retain highly qualified personnel in the future. In making employment decisions, job candidates often consider the value of the equity awards they would receive in connection with their employment. Our long-term incentive programs may not be attractive enough or perform sufficiently to attract or retain qualified personnel.
If any of our employees leaves us, and we fail to effectively manage a transition to new personnel, or if we fail to attract and retain qualified and experienced professionals on acceptable terms, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Our success also depends on our having highly trained financial, technical, R&D, sales, and marketing personnel. We will need to continue to hire additional personnel as our business grows. A shortage in the number of people with these skills or our failure to attract them to our company could impede our ability to increase revenues from our existing technology and services, ensure full compliance with international and federal regulations, or launch new product offerings and would have an adverse effect on our business and financial results.
We may be unable to keep pace with changes in technology as our business and market strategy evolves.
We will need to respond to technological advances 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.
Risks Related to this Offering and Our Common Stock
Although we have filed an application to list our securities on Nasdaq, there can be no assurance that our securities will be so listed or, if listed, that we will be able to comply with the continued listing standards.
In June 2021 we filed a comprehensive listing application package with The Nasdaq Stock Market, or Nasdaq, to request an uplisting of the Company’s common stock. Nasdaq has not approved our application, and there can be no assurance that Nasdaq will approve us for listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market and, even if our securities are listed, we cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain such listing. In addition, if after listing, Nasdaq delists our securities from trading on its exchange for failure to meet the continued listing standards, we and our shareholders could face significant material adverse consequences including a limited availability of market quotations for our common stock, confirmation that our stock is “penny stock” and subject to increased regulations, and a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
Trading on the OTC Markets is volatile, sporadic and often thin, which could depress the market price of our common stock and make it difficult for our stockholders to resell their common stock.
Our common stock is currently quoted on the OTCQB tier of the OTC Markets. Trading in securities quoted on the OTC Markets is often thin and characterized by wide fluctuations in trading prices due to many factors, some of which may have little to do with our operations or business prospects. This volatility could depress the market price of our common stock for reasons unrelated to operating performance. Moreover, the OTC Markets is not a stock exchange, and trading of securities on the OTC Markets is often more sporadic than the trading of securities listed on a stock exchange like NASDAQ or the NYSE. Our common stock has a history of thin trading. During the 52-week period ended December 31, 2021, trades were only reported on 134 trading days. These factors may result in investors having difficulty reselling any shares of our common stock.
Nevada law and provisions in our amended and restated articles of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make a merger, tender offer or proxy contest difficult, thereby depressing the market price of our common stock.
Some provisions of Nevada law may prohibit or delay mergers or other takeover or change in control attempts and, accordingly, may discourage attempts to acquire us even though such a transaction may offer our stockholders the opportunity to sell their stock at a price above the prevailing market price. In addition, our amended and restated articles of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws contain provisions that may make the acquisition of the Company more difficult, including the following:
- our board of directors is classified into three classes of directors with staggered three-year terms;
- a special meeting of our stockholders may only be called by either our chairman of the board or a majority of our board of directors; and
- advance notice procedures apply for stockholders to nominate candidates for election as directors or to bring matters before an annual meeting of stockholders.
These provisions, alone or together, could discourage, delay or prevent a transaction involving a change in control of the Company. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for stockholders to elect directors of their choosing and to cause us to take other corporate actions they desire, any of which, under certain circumstances, could limit the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common stock, and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our common stock.
The market price of our common stock may be highly volatile and such volatility could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.
The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control, such as:
- the announcement of new products or product enhancements by us or our competitors;
- developments concerning intellectual property rights;
- changes in legal, regulatory, and enforcement frameworks impacting our technology or the application of our technology;
- variations in our and our competitors’ results of operations;
- fluctuations in earnings estimates or recommendations by securities analysts, if our common stock is covered by analysts;
- the results of product liability or intellectual property lawsuits;
- future issuances of common stock or other securities;
- the addition or departure of key personnel;
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- announcements by us or our competitors of acquisitions, investments or strategic alliances;
- current or anticipated impact of military conflict, including the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, terrorism or other geopolitical events;
- sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries in response to such conflicts, including the one in Ukraine, may also adversely impact the financial markets and the global economy, and any economic countermeasures by affected countries and others could exacerbate market and economic instability; and
- general market conditions and other events or factors, many of which are beyond our control.
In addition, the stock market has experienced significant volatility, particularly with respect to pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other life sciences company stocks. The volatility of pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other life sciences company stocks often does not relate to the operating performance of the companies represented by the stock. In the past, securities class action litigation has often been initiated against companies following periods of volatility in their stock price. This type of litigation could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention and resources, and could also require us to make substantial payments to satisfy judgments or to settle litigation.
Because our common stock may be deemed a “penny stock,” it may be more difficult for investors to sell shares of our common stock, and the market price of our common stock may be adversely affected.
Our common stock may be a “penny stock” if, among other things, the stock price is below $5.00 per share, it is not listed on a national securities exchange, or it has not met certain net tangible asset or average revenue requirements. Broker-dealers who sell penny stocks must provide purchasers of these stocks with a standardized risk-disclosure document prepared by the SEC. This risk-disclosure document provides information about penny stocks and the nature and level of risks involved in investing in the penny-stock market. A broker must also give a purchaser, orally or in writing, bid and offer quotations and information regarding broker and salesperson compensation, make a written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and obtain the purchaser’s written agreement to the purchase. Broker-dealers must also provide customers that hold penny stock in their accounts with such broker-dealer a monthly statement containing price and market information relating to the penny stock. If a penny stock is sold to an investor in violation of the penny stock rules, the investor may be able to cancel its purchase and get their money back.
If applicable, the penny stock rules may make it difficult for stockholders to sell their shares of our common stock. Because of the rules and restrictions applicable to a penny stock, there is less trading in penny stocks and the market price of our common stock may be adversely affected. Also, many brokers choose not to participate in penny stock transactions. Accordingly, stockholders may not always be able to resell their shares of our common stock publicly at times and prices that they feel are appropriate.
Compliance with the reporting requirements of federal securities laws can be expensive.
We are a public reporting company in the United States, and accordingly, subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and other federal securities laws. The costs of preparing and filing annual and quarterly reports and other information with the SEC and furnishing audited reports to stockholders are substantial. Failure to comply with the applicable securities laws could result in private or governmental legal action against us or our officers and directors, which could have a detrimental impact on our business and financials, the value of our stock, and the ability of stockholders to resell their stock.
Our investors’ ownership in the Company may be diluted in the future.
In the future, we may issue additional authorized but previously unissued equity securities, resulting in the dilution of ownership interests of our present stockholders. For instance, pursuant to the Securities Exchange Agreement by and between Intellisense and Medigus, dated September 16, 2019, if ScoutCam achieves $33.0 million in sales in the aggregate within the first three years following December 30, 2019, the consummation date of such agreement, we will issue shares of common stock to Medigus representing 10% of our issued and outstanding share capital as of December 30, 2019. Similarly, we may issue a substantial number of shares of common stock or other securities convertible into or exercisable for common stock in connection with capital raising activity, hiring or retaining employees, future acquisitions, raising additional capital in the future to fund our operations, and other business purposes. We expect to authorize in the future a substantial number of shares of our common stock for issuance under a stock option or similar plan, and may issue equity awards to management, employees and other eligible persons. Additional shares of common stock issued by us in the future will dilute an investor’s investment in the Company. In addition, we may seek stockholder approval to increase the amount of the Company’s authorized stock, which would create the potential for further dilution of current investors.
Directors, executive officers, principal stockholders, and affiliated entities own a significant percentage of our capital stock, and they may make decisions that our stockholders do not consider to be in their best interests.
As of March 28, 2022, our directors, executive officers, principal stockholders, and affiliated entities may be deemed to beneficially own, in the aggregate, approximately 76.43% of our outstanding voting securities. As a result, if some or all of such parties acted together, they would have the ability to exert substantial influence over the election of our board of directors and the outcome of issues requiring approval by our stockholders. This concentration of ownership may also have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control of the Company that may be favored by other stockholders. This could prevent transactions in which stockholders might otherwise recover a premium for their shares over current market prices. This concentration of ownership and influence in management and board decision-making could also harm the price of our capital stock by, among other things, discouraging a potential acquirer from seeking to acquire shares of our capital stock (whether by making a tender offer or otherwise) or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our Company.
We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
We have never declared or paid cash dividends, and we do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Therefore, you should not rely on an investment in our common stock as a source for any future dividend income. Our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends. Even if our board of directors decides to declare and pay dividends, the timing, amount, and form of future dividends, if any, will depend on our future results of operations and cash flow, our capital requirements and surplus, the amount of distributions, if any, received by us from our subsidiary, our financial condition, contractual restrictions, and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors.
Risks Related to our Operations in Israel
Political, economic and military instability in Israel may impede our ability to operate and harm our financial results.
Our offices and management team are located in Israel. Accordingly, political, economic, and military conditions in Israel and the surrounding region may directly affect our business and operations. In recent years, Israel has been engaged in sporadic armed conflicts with Hamas, an Islamist terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip, with Hezbollah, an Islamist terrorist group that controls large portions of southern Lebanon, and with Iranian-backed military forces in Syria. In addition, Iran has threatened to attack Israel and may be developing nuclear weapons. Some of these hostilities were accompanied by missiles being fired from the Gaza Strip against civilian targets in various parts of Israel, including areas in which our employees and some of our consultants are located, and negatively affected business conditions in Israel. Any hostilities involving Israel or the interruption or curtailment of trade between Israel and its trading partners could adversely affect our operations and results of operations.
Our commercial insurance does not cover losses that may occur as a result of events associated with war and terrorism. Although the Israeli government currently covers the reinstatement value of direct damages that are caused by terrorist attacks or acts of war, we cannot assure you that this government coverage will be maintained or that it will sufficiently cover our potential damages. Any losses or damages incurred by us could have a material adverse effect on our business. Any armed conflicts or political instability in the region would likely negatively affect business conditions and could harm our results of operations.
Further, in the past, the State of Israel and Israeli companies have been subjected to economic boycotts. Several countries still restrict business with the State of Israel and with Israeli companies. These restrictive laws and policies may have an adverse impact on our operating results, financial condition, or the expansion of our business. A campaign of boycotts, divestment, and sanctions has been undertaken against Israel, which could also adversely impact our business.
In addition, many Israeli citizens are obligated to perform several days, and in some cases more, of annual military reserve duty each year until they reach the age of 40 (or older, for reservists who are military officers or who have certain occupations) and, in the event of a military conflict, may be called to active duty. In response to increases in terrorist activity, there have been periods of significant call-ups of military reservists. It is possible that there will be military reserve duty call-ups in the future. Our operations could be disrupted by such call-ups, which may include the call-up of members of our management. Such disruption could materially adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations.
It may be difficult for investors in the United States to enforce any judgments obtained against us or some of our directors or officers.
It may be difficult to acquire jurisdiction and enforce liabilities against any of our officers and directors who are based in Israel. It may not be possible for United States investors to enforce their legal rights, to effect service of process upon our directors or officers or to enforce judgments of United States courts predicated upon civil liabilities and criminal penalties of our directors and officers under federal securities laws. Moreover, we have been advised that Israel does not have treaties providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments of courts with the United States. Further, it is unclear if extradition treaties now in effect between the United States and Israel would permit effective enforcement of criminal penalties of the federal securities laws. Even if an Israeli court agrees to hear a claim, it may determine that the Israeli law, and not U.S. law, is applicable to the claim. Further, if U.S. law is found to be applicable, certain content of applicable U.S. law must be proved as a fact, which can be a time-consuming and costly process, and certain matters of procedure would still be governed by the Israeli law. Consequently, you may be effectively prevented from pursuing remedies under U.S. federal and state securities laws against us or any of our non-U.S. directors or officers.
Exchange rate fluctuations between foreign currencies and the U.S. Dollar may negatively affect our earnings.
Our reporting and functional currency is the U.S. dollar. Our revenues are currently primarily payable in U.S. dollars and we expect our future revenues to be denominated primarily in U.S. dollars. However, some of our expenses are in NIS and as a result, we are exposed to the currency fluctuation risks relating to the recording of our expenses in U.S. dollars. We may, in the future, decide to enter into currency hedging transactions. These measures, however, may not adequately protect us from material adverse effects.
Certain technology developed and used by us received Israeli government grants for certain research and development activities. The terms of those grants require us to satisfy specified conditions in addition to repayment of the grants upon certain events.
The research and development efforts that contributed to certain technology used by us was financed in part through grants from the IIA to Medigus, which was subsequently transferred to ScoutCam Ltd. (for more information about such agreements, refer to – “CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE” below”). The terms of such grants require ScoutCam Ltd. to comply with the requirements of the Innovation Law. When a company develops know-how, technology or products using IIA grants, the terms of these grants and the Innovation Law restrict the transfer outside of Israel of such know-how, and the manufacturing or manufacturing rights of such products, technologies or know-how, without the prior approval of the IIA. Therefore, if aspects of our technologies are deemed to have been developed with IIA funding, the discretionary approval of an IIA committee would be required for any transfer to third parties outside of Israel of know-how or manufacturing or manufacturing rights related to those aspects of such technologies. We may not receive those approvals. Furthermore, the IIA may impose certain conditions on any arrangement under which it permits us to transfer technology or development out of Israel.
The transfer of IIA-supported technology or know-how or manufacturing or manufacturing rights related to aspects of such technologies outside of Israel may involve the payment of significant penalties and other amounts, depending upon the value of the transferred technology or know-how, the amount of IIA support, the time of completion of the IIA-supported research project and other factors. These restrictions and requirements for payment may impair our ability to sell our technology assets outside of Israel or to outsource or transfer development or manufacturing activities with respect to any product or technology outside of Israel. Furthermore, the consideration available to our shareholders in a transaction involving the transfer outside of Israel of technology or know-how developed with IIA funding (such as a merger or similar transaction) may be reduced by any amounts that we are required to pay to the IIA.
We may become subject to claims for remuneration or royalties for assigned service invention rights by our employees, which could result in litigation and adversely affect our business.
A significant portion of ScoutCam’s intellectual property has been developed by ScoutCam’s employees in the course of their employment for us. Under the Israeli Patent Law, 5727-1967, or the Patent Law, inventions conceived by an employee in the course and as a result of or arising from his or her employment with a company are regarded as “service inventions,” which belong to the employer, absent a specific agreement between the employee and employer giving the employee service invention rights. The Patent Law also provides that if there is no such agreement between an employer and an employee, the Israeli Compensation and Royalties Committee, or the Committee, a body constituted under the Patent Law, will determine whether the employee is entitled to remuneration for his inventions. Recent case law clarifies that the right to receive consideration for “service inventions” can be waived by the employee and that in certain circumstances, such waiver does not necessarily have to be explicit. The Committee will examine, on a case-by-case basis, the general contractual framework between the parties, using interpretation rules of the general Israeli contract laws. Further, the Committee has not yet determined one specific formula for calculating this remuneration (but rather uses the criteria specified in the Patent Law). Although we generally enter into assignment-of-invention agreements with our employees pursuant to which such individuals assign to us all rights to any inventions created in the scope of their employment or engagement with us, we may face claims demanding remuneration in consideration for assigned inventions. As a consequence of such claims, we could be required to pay additional remuneration or royalties to our current and/or former employees, or be forced to litigate such claims, which could negatively affect our business.
Properties
As filed, 235 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
We do not own property and currently lease our principal corporate office, which is located at Omer Industrial Park, No. 7A and 3B, P.O. Box 3030, Omer, Israel 8496500. We believe our leased office sufficiently meets our current needs.
Legal proceedings
As filed, 664 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
Three of our European patents in our patent family related to Small Diameter Video Camera Heads and Medical Devices and Visualization Probes are currently in oppositional proceedings before the Opposition Division of the EU Patent Office. For additional information about these proceedings refer to – “PROPRIETARY RIGHTS AND TECHNOLOGY” above. Other than the above, we are not aware of any pending legal proceedings to which we are a party, or to which any director, officer or affiliate of our Company, or any owner of record or beneficially of more than 5% of any class of our voting securities, is a party adverse to us or has a material interest adverse to us.
Management's discussion and analysis
As filed, 22,508 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and the related notes appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to historical information, the following discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. See “Forward-looking Statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties and assumptions associated with these statements. Our actual results may differ materially from those discussed below. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those identified below, and those discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Overview
We were incorporated under the laws of the State of Nevada on March 22, 2013 under the name Intellisense Solutions Inc. We were initially engaged in the business of developing web portals to allow companies and individuals to engage in the purchase and sale of vegetarian food products over the Internet. However, were not able to execute our original business plan, develop significant operations, or achieve commercial sales.
On December 30, 2019, we acquired all of the issued and outstanding share capital of ScoutCam Ltd. (the “Closing Date”). Following this transaction, we integrated and fully adopted ScoutCam Ltd.’s business into our Company as our primary business activity. On December 31, 2019, we changed our name to ScoutCam Inc.
Through ScoutCam Ltd., we are engaged in the development, production and marketing of innovative visual solutions composed of imaging equipment, cloud and software based image processing (artificial intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and additional algorithm methodologies). Some of our products that utilize our micro ScoutCam™ technology are used in medical procedures as well as various applications in other industries. Our current business model is a business-to-business (B2B) approach in which we seek to identify target businesses interested in integrating our micro ScoutCam™ technology, or commissioning individual projects using our technology. We derive a substantial portion of our revenue from applications of our micro ScoutCam™ technology within the medical, defense and aerospace fields. We have recently begun examining additional applications for our visual solutions portfolio (composed of image acquisition, data collection and storage and image processing), including Predictive Maintenance (PdM) and Condition Based Monitoring (CBM), as well as additional industries outside of the foregoing listed industries, including sectors such as aviation, automotive, industrial non-destructing-testing industries, energy, maritime (we refer to these applications and sectors as I4.0) We plan to further expand our activity in these non-medical spaces.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on global markets and the global economy, including countries in which the Company operates, and we anticipate that it will have a continuing impact on global economies in the near and long-term future. In light of the below mentioned factors, the COVID-19 pandemic had and most likely will continue to have some negative effect on the Company’s operations, and the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will impact the Company’s operations will depend on certain developments, including the duration and spread of the outbreak, future prevention and mitigation measures, as well as the potential for some of these measures to be reinstituted in the event of repeat waves of the virus or future variants of the virus. In particular, COVID-19 has had and most likely will continue to have some adverse impact on the Company’s operations and workforce, including its manufacturing activities, product testing and market penetration and sales, as well as its ability to continue to raise capital. Travel restrictions had and most likely will continue to have a negative impact on our penetration, sales and marketing and research and development efforts.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our financial statements, which we have prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. We evaluate these estimates and judgments on an ongoing basis. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
While our significant accounting policies are more fully described in Note 2 to our financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Form 10-K, we believe that the following accounting policies are the most critical for fully understanding and evaluating our financial condition and results of operations.
Development Services Revenue and Contract Liabilities
We determine at contract inception whether development services are distinct from the performance obligation to manufacture the product under development. Revenues from development services that we determine as distinct from our performance obligation to manufacture the product under development are recognized over the period of the applicable service contract. Revenues from development services that we determine as not distinct from our performance obligation to manufacture the product under development are deferred until commencement of manufacturing and are recognized over the manufacturing term. As a result, during the years ending 2020 and 2021, we have deferred all service revenues billed by us (representing the contract liabilities balance of $2,420,000, as of December 31, 2021) and the respective service costs (representing the contract fulfillment asset balance of $1,675,000 as of December 31, 2021).
Stock-Based Compensation
We apply the fair value recognition provisions of ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation, or ASC 718, for stock-based awards granted to employees, directors and other providers for their services. Determining the amount of stock-based compensation to be recorded requires us to develop estimates of the fair value of stock options as of their grant date. We estimate the fair value of each stock option grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Calculating the fair value of stock-based awards requires that we make subjective assumptions.
Pursuant to ASC 718, we measure stock-based awards granted to employees, members of the board of directors and other providers at fair value on the date of grant and recognize the corresponding stock-based compensation expense of those awards on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period.
The Black-Scholes option-pricing model requires a number of assumptions, of which the most significant are the stock price volatility and the expected option term. Our expected dividend rate is zero since we not currently pay cash dividends and does not anticipate doing so in the foreseeable future. Each of the above factors requires our to use judgment and make estimates in determining the percentages and time periods used for the calculation. If we were to use different percentages or time periods, the fair value of option awards could be materially different. We recognizes stock-based compensation cost for option awards on a accelerated basis over the employee’s requisite service period, net of estimated forfeitures.
Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2021 and the Year Ended December 31, 2020
Overview
The Company’s primary business activity during 2020 was R&D and preparation for production in connection with a customer-specific project for a Fortune 500 multinational healthcare corporation.
The Company’s primary business activities during 2021 were:
- completion of R&D and transition to the serial production in connection with a customer-specific project for a Fortune 500 multinational healthcare corporation; and
- enlarging its focus on R&D activities in the domain of I4.0 (including PdM and CBM in sectors such as the aviation, energy and automotive). The main effect of this activity was an increase in the number of employees to enable the Company to manage the anticipated increased workload and solution development.
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Other major activities were the following:
- Expanding marketing activities, including the recruitment of VP Business Development for Industry 4.0, and launching a multi-platform digital marketing campaign;
- Extensive activity in connection with the Company’s IP, including submissions of new patent applications as well as maintenance, defense, and commercialization efforts of existing patents;
- Increased operation expenses in order to improve the current Company’s R&D capabilities;
- Increase in research and development activities, including the development of new products and the improvement of existing technology, and the examination of additional applications for our visualization solutions, including in the domains of PdM and CBM, as well as additional industries outside of the medical, defense, and aerospace fields, including sectors such as automotive, industrial non-destructing-testing industries, automotive and energy; and
- Investment in capital expenses to provide the necessary facilities, IT, and lab tools for our newly recruited employees and to upgrade the Company’s production and quality control capabilities.
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, together with the changes in those items in dollars and as a percentage:
| 2021 | 2020 | % Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | 387,000 | 491,000 | (21)% |
| Cost of Revenues | 1,108,000 | 994,000 | 11% |
| Gross Loss | (721,000) | (503,000) | 43% |
| Research and development expenses | 2,002,000 | 725,000 | 176% |
| Sales and marketing expense | 908,000 | 443,000 | 105% |
| General and administrative expenses | 5,481,000 | 3,035,000 | 81% |
| Operating Loss | (9,112,000) | (4,706,000) | 94% |
Revenues
As a result of the nature of our target market and the current stage of our development, a substantial portion of our revenue comes from a limited number of customers.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, we generated revenues of $387,000, a decrease of $104,000, or 21%, from 2020 revenues. The decrease in revenues was primarily due to sales of products to A.M. Surgical. Total sales to A.M. Surgical during year ended December 31, 2021 amounted to approximately $199,000, a decrease from approximately $383,000 in 2020. This decrease was partially offset by increase in the sales of our products to other customers.
Remaining performance obligations (“RPO”) represents contracted revenue that has not yet been recognized, which includes deferred revenue and amounts that will be invoiced and recognized as revenue in future periods. As of December 31, 2021, the total RPO amounted to $3.2 million, which we expect to recognize over the expected manufacturing term of the product under development.
Cost of Revenues
Cost of revenue is primarily comprised of cost of personnel includes warehouse personnel costs, inventory write-downs, certain allocated facilities, and expenses associated with logistics and quality control.
Cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $1,108,000, an increase of $114,000, or 11%, compared to cost of revenues of $994,000 for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to an increase in payroll expenses (including stock-based compensation) as a result of hiring additional employees as part of the transition to the production stage with respect to the contract with a Fortune 500 multinational healthcare corporation, partially offset by decrease in materials as a result of a decrease in revenues.
Gross Loss
Gross loss for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $721,000, an increase of $218,000, or 43%, compared to a gross loss of $503,000 for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to a decrease in revenues and an increase in cost of revenues as described above.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development efforts are focused on new product development and on developing additional functionality for our existing products. These expenses primarily consist of employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation expense for personnel engaged in research and development functions, consulting and professional fees related to research and development activities, prototype materials, facility costs and other allocated expenses, which include expenses for rent and maintenance of our facility, utilities, depreciation, and other supplies. We expense research and development costs as incurred.
Research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $2,002,000, an increase of $1,277,000, or 176%, compared to $725,000 for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to an increase in payroll expenses (including stock-based compensation), materials and subcontractors, and because we have recently begun examining additional applications for our micro ScoutCam™ portfolio outside of the medical, defense and aerospace fields, including in sectors such as automotive, industrial non-destructing-testing industries, automotive, and energy.
In addition, there was an increase in R&D payroll expenses in 2021 due to the fact that during 2020 a substantial part of the payroll expenses was capitalized to contract fulfillment asset and was not recognized as expenses in profit and loss.
We expect that our research and development expenses will increase as we continue to develop our products and service and recruit additional research and development employees to the I4.0 domain.
Sales and Marketing Expenses
Sales and marketing expenses primarily consist of personnel costs, consulting services, promotional materials, demonstration equipment and certain allocated facilities infrastructure costs.
Sales and marketing expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $908,000, an increase of $465,000, or 105%, compared to $443,000 for the year ended December 31, 2020.
The increase was primarily due to expanding marketing activity, including the recruitment of a VP Business Development in Industry 4.0, hiring consultants and launching a multi-platform digital marketing campaign.
We expect that our selling and marketing expenses will increase as we continue to increase our selling and marketing efforts.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses primarily consist of salaries and other related costs, including stock-based compensation, for personnel in executive, finance, and administrative functions. General and administrative expenses also include direct and allocated facility-related costs as well as professional fees for legal, patent, consulting, investor, and public relations, accounting, auditing, tax services, and insurance costs.
General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $5,481,000, an increase of $2,446,000, or 81%, compared to $3,035,000 for the year ended December 31, 2020.
The increase was primarily due to:
- an increase of $675,000 in IP expenses due to maintenance, defense, and commercialization efforts of existing patents;
- the provision of $229,000 due to a VAT audit by the Israeli Tax Authority;
- an increase of $528,000 in share based compensation due to new option grants;
- expenses of approx. $206,000 related to our efforts to uplist to Nasdaq;
- an increase in in payroll expenses due to the hiring of additional employees, including a new CEO and controller, and a shift in the position of the CFO from part-time to full-time; and
- an increase in professional services expenses due to the hiring of a financial consultant, HR consultant, the appointment of new directors and additional hires.
Operating loss
We incurred an operating loss of $9,112,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $4,406,000, or 94%, compared to operating loss of $4,706,000 for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in operating loss was primarily due to increases in expenses related to general and administrative, research and development, and sales and marketing, as described above.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2021, we had cash and cash equivalents of $8.6 million and $11 million of short-term deposits compared to cash and cash equivalents $3.4 million and no short-term deposits as of December 31,2020. In addition, as of December 31, 2021 we incurred an accumulated deficit of approximately $15.3 million compared to $6.3 million as of December 31, 2020.
Our primary sources of liquidity to date have been from fund raising and warrant exercises. During 2021, we received $22.6 million from the issuance of our shares and warrants in a private placement and from the exercise of outstanding warrants.
Additional Cash Requirements
We plan to continue to invest for long-term growth, and therefore we expect that our expenses will increase. We currently believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents and short-term deposits will be sufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs for at least the next 12 months and beyond. We expect our expenses will increase in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we continue the research and development and the scale up process of our I4.0 solutions. We expect to incur significant commercialization expenses related to product sales, marketing, manufacturing, and distribution. Furthermore, we will continue to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company. Accordingly, we will need to obtain substantial additional funding in connection with our continuing operations. We may raise these funds through equity financing, debt financing, or other sources, which may result in further dilution in the equity ownership of our common stock. There is no assurance that we will be able to maintain operations at a level sufficient for investors to obtain a return on their investment in our common stock, or that we will be able to raise sufficient capital required to implement our business plan on acceptable terms, if at all. Even if we are successful in raising sufficient capital to implement our business plan, we will, most likely, continue to be unprofitable for the foreseeable future. If we are unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, we would be forced to delay, reduce, or eliminate our research and development programs or future commercialization efforts.
Cash Flows
The following table sets forth the significant sources and uses of cash for the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in dollars):
| 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash used in Operating Activities | (5,886,000) | (4,187,000) |
| Cash used in Investing Activities | (11,595,000) | (276,000) |
| Cash provided by Financing Activities | 22,559,000 | 4,506,000 |
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Operating Activities
Our primary uses of cash from operating activities have been for headcount-related expenditures, research and development costs, manufacturing costs, marketing and promotional expenses, professional services cost and costs related to our facilities. Our cash flows from operating activities will continue to be affected due to the expected increase of spending on our business and our working capital requirements.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, cash used in operating activities was $5.9 million, consisting of net loss of $9 million, partially offset by a non-cash benefit of $2 million and an favorable net change in operating assets and liabilities of $1.1 million. Our non-cash benefit consisted primarily of non-cash charges of $2 million for stock-based compensation. The net change in our operating assets and liabilities primarily reflects cash inflows from changes in contract liability of $1.6 million partially offset by cash outflows from changes in contract fulfillment assets of $0.5 million.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, cash used in operating activities was $4.2 million, consisting of net loss of $4.7 million, non-cash charges of $1.1 million and a unfavorable net change in operating assets and liabilities of $0.6 million. Our non-cash charges consisted primarily of stock-based compensation expense of $1.1 million. The net change in our operating assets and liabilities primarily reflects cash outflows from the changes in contract fulfillment assets of $1.1 million, accrued expenses and other of $0.4 million and other assets of $0.3 million, partially offset by cash inflows from changes in inventory of $0.7 million and change in contract liability of $0.3 million.
Investing Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2021, cash used in investing activities was $11.6 million, consisting of investment in short-term deposits of $11 million and purchases of property and equipment of $0.6 million.
During the year ended December 31, 200, cash used in investing activities was $0.3 million, consisting of purchases of property and equipment.
Financing Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2021, cash provided by financing activities was $22.6 million, consisting primarily of $19.1 million from cash proceeds from issuance of shares and warrants in a private placement and $3.5 million proceeds from exercise of outstanding warrants.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, cash provided by financing activities was $4.5 million, consisting primarily of $2.9 million from cash proceeds from issuance of shares and warrants and $1.8 million proceeds from exercise of warrants.
Controls and procedures
As filed, 3,898 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Disclosure controls and procedures are controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Our internal control over financial reporting has been designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.
Our internal control over financial reporting includes policies and procedures that pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect transactions and dispositions of our assets; provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, and that receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorization of our management and directors; and provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on our financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting on December 31, 2021. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission 2013 framework, in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). Based on that assessment under those criteria, management has determined that, as of December 31, 2021, our internal control over financial reporting was effective.
Attestation Independent Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm
This annual report on Form 10-K does not include an attestation report of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by the Company’s registered public accounting firm pursuant to rules of the SEC that permit the Company to provide only management’s report in this annual report on Form 10-K.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in internal control over financial reporting during the year ended December 31, 2021 that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Figures reported in this filing
Standardized line items from the XBRL in this filing, for the period ended 2021-12-31. Comparative periods it repeats are left out.
| Line item | Period | Value | XBRL concept |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 12 months2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 | $387.0k | us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax |
| Cost of revenue | 12 months2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 | $1.1m | us-gaap:CostOfRevenue |
| Gross profit | 12 months2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 | −$721.0k | us-gaap:GrossProfit |
| Research and development | 12 months2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 | $2.0m | us-gaap:ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense |
| Operating income | 12 months2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 | −$9.1m | us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss |
| Net income | 12 months2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 | −$9.0m | us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss |
| Diluted EPS | 12 months2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 | −$1.44 | us-gaap:EarningsPerShareBasicAndDiluted |
| Operating cash flow | 12 months2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 | −$5.9m | us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities |
| Capital expenditure | 12 months2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 | $595.0k | us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment |
| Cash and equivalents | At period end2021-12-31 | $8.6m | us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue |
| Current assets | At period end2021-12-31 | $20.2m | us-gaap:AssetsCurrent |
| Total assets | At period end2021-12-31 | $23.5m | us-gaap:Assets |
| Current liabilities | At period end2021-12-31 | $1.3m | us-gaap:LiabilitiesCurrent |
| Total liabilities | At period end2021-12-31 | $3.9m | us-gaap:Liabilities |
| Shareholders' equity | At period end2021-12-31 | $19.6m | us-gaap:StockholdersEquity |
Source: SEC EDGAR, the filing index for accession 0001493152-22-008167. Last ingested by Listed: Oct 24, 2026, 15:14 ET. Listed shows no prices and gives no investment advice.