PART
I
ITEM
1.
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IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS,
SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS
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Not
applicable.
ITEM
2.
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OFFER
STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE
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Not
applicable.
A.
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Selected Financial
Data.
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[Removed
and reserved]
B.
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Capitalization
and Indebtedness.
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Not
applicable.
C.
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Reasons for the
Offer and Use of Proceeds.
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Not
applicable.
You
should carefully consider the risks described below, together with all of the other information in this annual report on Form
20-F. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business and financial condition could suffer and the price of the ADSs could
decline.
Risks
Related to Our Financial Condition and Capital Requirements
We
are a development-stage company and have a limited operating history on which to assess the prospects for our business, have incurred
significant losses since the date of our inception, and anticipate that we will continue to incur significant losses until we
are able to successfully commercialize our products.
Our
significant shareholder, Magna B.S.P. Ltd., or Magna, was incorporated in Israel in 2001. Starting in 2011, Magna began to develop
technology devoted to vehicle safety. Magna operated its vehicle safety segment of operations as a separate division for accounting
purposes. On October 11, 2015, we entered into a merger agreement, or the Merger, with Magna and Foresight Automotive, whereby
we acquired 100% of the share capital of Foresight Automotive from Magna. Since the date of the Merger, we have been operating
as a development-stage company and have a limited operating history on which to assess the prospects for our business, have incurred
significant losses, and anticipate that we will continue to incur significant losses for the foreseeable future.
Since the date of the
Merger, and as of December 31, 2020, we have incurred net losses of approximately $64.8 million.
We
have devoted substantially all of our financial resources to develop our products. We have financed our operations primarily through
the issuance of equity securities. The amount of our future net losses will depend, in part, on completing the development of
our products, the rate of our future expenditures and our ability to obtain funding through the issuance of our securities, strategic
collaborations or grants. We expect to continue to incur significant losses until we are able to successfully commercialize our
products. We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially if and as we:
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continue the development
of our products;
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establish a sales,
marketing, distribution and technical support infrastructure to commercialize our products;
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seek to identify,
assess, acquire, license, and/or develop other products and subsequent generations of our current products;
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seek to maintain,
protect, and expand our intellectual property portfolio;
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seek to attract
and retain skilled personnel; and
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create additional
infrastructure to support our operations as a public company and our product development and planned future commercialization
efforts.
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We
have not generated any significant revenue from the sale of our current products and may never be profitable.
We
have not yet commercialized any of our products and have not generated any significant revenue since the date of the Merger. Our
ability to generate revenue and achieve profitability depends on our ability to successfully complete the development of, and
to commercialize, our products. Our ability to generate future revenue from product sales depends heavily on our success in many
areas, including but not limited to:
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completing development
of our products;
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establishing and
maintaining supply and manufacturing relationships with third parties that can provide adequate (in amount and quality) products
to support market demand for our products;
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launching and commercializing
products, either directly or with a collaborator or distributor;
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addressing any competing
technological and market developments;
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identifying, assessing,
acquiring and/or developing new products;
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negotiating favorable
terms in any collaboration, licensing or other arrangements into which we may enter;
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maintaining, protecting
and expanding our portfolio of intellectual property rights, including patents, trade secrets and know-how; and
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attracting, hiring
and retaining qualified personnel.
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We
expect that we will need to raise substantial additional capital before we can expect to become profitable from sales of our products.
This additional capital may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. Failure to obtain this necessary capital when needed
may force us to delay, limit or terminate our product development efforts or other operations.
We
expect that we will require substantial additional capital to commercialize our products. In addition, our operating plans may
change as a result of many factors that may currently be unknown to us, and we may need to seek additional funds sooner than planned.
Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including but not limited to:
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the scope, rate
of progress, results and cost of product development, and other related activities;
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the cost of establishing
commercial supplies of our products;
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the cost and timing
of establishing sales, marketing, and distribution capabilities; and
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the terms and timing
of any collaborative, licensing, and other arrangements that we may establish.
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Any
additional fundraising efforts may divert our management from their day-to-day activities, which may adversely affect our ability
to develop and commercialize our products. In addition, we cannot guarantee that future financing will be available in sufficient
amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. Moreover, the terms of any financing may adversely affect the holdings or the
rights of our shareholders and the issuance of additional securities, whether equity or debt, by us, or the possibility of such
issuance, may cause the market price of the ADSs and Ordinary Shares to decline. The incurrence of indebtedness could result in
increased fixed payment obligations, and we may be required to agree to certain restrictive covenants, such as limitations on
our ability to incur additional debt, limitations on our ability to acquire, sell or license intellectual property rights and
other operating restrictions that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. We could also be required to seek
funds through arrangements with collaborative partners or otherwise at an earlier stage than otherwise would be desirable, and
we may be required to relinquish rights to some of our technologies or products or otherwise agree to terms unfavorable to us,
any of which may have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and prospects. Even if we believe that we have
sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans, we may seek additional capital if market conditions are favorable
or if we have specific strategic considerations.
If
we are unable to obtain funding on a timely basis, we may be required to significantly curtail, delay or discontinue one or more
of our research or development programs or the commercialization of our products or be unable to expand our operations or otherwise
capitalize on our business opportunities, as desired, which could materially affect our business, financial condition and results
of operations.
Risks
Related to Our Business and Industry
Defects
in products could give rise to product returns or product liability, warranty or other claims that could result in material expenses,
diversion of management time and attention, and damage to our reputation.
Even
if we are successful in introducing our products to the market, our products may contain undetected defects or errors that, despite
testing, are not discovered until after a product has been used. This could result in delayed market acceptance of those products,
claims from distributors, end-users or others, increased end-user service and support costs and warranty claims, damage to our
reputation and business, or significant costs to correct the defect or error. We may from time to time become subject to warranty
or product liability claims that could lead to significant expenses as we need to compensate affected end-users for costs incurred
related to product quality issues.
Any
claim brought against us, regardless of its merit, could result in material expense, diversion of management time and attention,
and damage to our reputation, and could cause us to fail to retain or attract customers. Currently, we do not maintain product
liability insurance, which will be necessary prior to the commercialization of our products. It is likely that any product liability
insurance that we will have in the future will be subject to significant deductibles and there is no guarantee that such insurance
will be available or adequate to protect against all such claims, or we may elect to self-insure with respect to certain matters.
Costs or payments made in connection with warranty and product liability claims and product recalls or other claims could materially
affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Furthermore,
the automotive industry in general is subject to litigation claims due to the nature of personal injuries that result from traffic
accidents. The emerging technologies of advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS, and autonomous driving have not yet been
litigated or legislated to a point whereby their legal implications are well documented. As a potential provider of such products,
we may become liable for losses that exceed the current industry and regulatory norms. In addition, if any of our products are,
or are alleged to be, defective, we may be required to participate in a recall of such products if the defect or the alleged defect
relates to motor vehicle safety. Depending on the terms under which we supply our products, an auto manufacturer or other ADAS
developers to whom we sell our software may hold us responsible for some or all of the entire repair or replacement costs of these
products.
Our
future success depends in part on our ability to retain our executive officers and to attract, retain and motivate other qualified
personnel.
We
are highly dependent on the services of both Mr. Haim Siboni and Mr. Levy Zruya. The loss of their services without proper replacement
may adversely impact the achievement of our objectives. Messrs. Siboni and Zruya may leave our employment at any time subject
to contractual notice periods, as applicable. Also, our performance is largely dependent on the talents and efforts of highly
skilled individuals, particularly our software engineers and computer vision professionals. Recruiting and retaining qualified
employees, consultants, and advisors for our business, including scientific and technical personnel, will also be critical to
our success. There is currently a shortage of skilled personnel in our industry, which is likely to continue. As a result, competition
for skilled personnel is intense and the turnover rate can be high. We may not be able to attract and retain personnel on acceptable
terms given the competition in the industry in which we operate. Moreover, certain of our competitors or other technology businesses
may seek to hire our employees. The inability to recruit and retain qualified personnel, or the loss of the services of our executive
officers, without proper replacement, may impede the progress of our development and commercialization objectives.
Under
applicable employment laws, we may not be able to enforce covenants not to compete and therefore may be unable to prevent our
competitors from benefiting from the expertise of some of our former employees.
We
generally enter into non-competition agreements with our employees. These agreements prohibit our employees from competing directly
with us or working for our competitors or clients for a limited period after they cease working for us. We may be unable to enforce
these agreements under the laws of the jurisdictions in which our employees work and it may be difficult for us to restrict our
competitors from benefiting from the expertise that our former employees or consultants developed while working for us. For example,
Israeli courts have required employers seeking to enforce non-compete undertakings of a former employee to demonstrate that the
competitive activities of the former employee will harm one of a limited number of material interests of the employer that have
been recognized by the courts, such as the secrecy of a company’s confidential commercial information or the protection
of its intellectual property. If we cannot demonstrate that such interests will be harmed, we may be unable to prevent our competitors
from benefiting from the expertise of our former employees or consultants and our ability to remain competitive may be diminished.
We
depend entirely on the success of our current products in development, and we may not be able to successfully introduce these
products and commercialize them.
We
have invested almost all of our efforts and financial resources in the research and development of our products in development.
As a result, our business is entirely dependent on our ability to complete the development of, and to successfully commercialize,
our product candidates. The process of development and commercialization is long, complex, costly and uncertain of outcome.
We
may not be able to introduce products acceptable to customers and we may not be able to improve the technology used in our current
systems in response to changing technology and end-user needs.
The
markets in which we operate are subject to rapid and substantial innovation, regulation and technological change, mainly driven
by technological advances and end-user requirements and preferences, as well as the emergence of new standards and practices.
Even if we are able to complete the development of our products in development, our ability to compete in the ADAS, semi-autonomous
and autonomous vehicle markets will depend, in large part, on our future success in enhancing our existing products and developing
new systems that will address the varied needs of prospective end-users, and respond to technological advances and industry standards
and practices on a cost-effective and timely basis to otherwise gain market acceptance.
Even
if we successfully introduce our existing products in development, it is likely that new systems and technologies that we develop
will eventually supplant our existing systems or that our competitors will create systems that will replace our systems. As a
result, any of our products may be rendered obsolete or uneconomical by our or others’ technological advances.
We
may not be able to successfully manage our planned growth and expansion.
We
expect to continue to make investments in our products in development. We expect that our annual operating expenses will continue
to increase as we invest in business development, marketing, research and development, manufacturing and production infrastructure,
and develop customer service and support resources for future customers. Failure to expand operational and financial systems timely
or efficiently may result in operating inefficiencies, which could increase costs and expenses to a greater extent than we anticipate
and may also prevent us from successfully executing our business plan. We may not be able to offset the costs of operation expansion
by leveraging the economies of scale from our growth in negotiations with our suppliers and contract manufacturers. Additionally,
if we increase our operating expenses in anticipation of the growth of our business and this growth falls short of our expectations,
our financial results will be negatively impacted.
If
our business grows, we will have to manage additional product design projects, materials procurement processes, and sales efforts
and marketing for an increasing number of products, as well as expand the number and scope of our relationships with suppliers,
distributors and end customers. If we fail to manage these additional responsibilities and relationships successfully, we may
incur significant costs, which may negatively impact our operating results. Additionally, in our efforts to be first to market
with new products with innovative functionality and features, we may devote significant research and development resources to
products and product features for which a market does not develop quickly, or at all. If we are not able to predict market trends
accurately, we may not benefit from such research and development activities, and our results of operations may suffer.
As
our future development and commercialization plans and strategies develop, we expect to need additional managerial, operational,
sales, marketing, financial and legal personnel. Our management may need to divert a disproportionate amount of its attention
away from our day-to-day activities and devote a substantial amount of time to managing these growth activities. We may not be
able to effectively manage the expansion of our operations, which may result in weaknesses in our infrastructure, operational
mistakes, loss of business opportunities, failure to deliver and timely deliver our products to customers, loss of employees and
reduced productivity among remaining employees. Our expected growth could require significant capital expenditures and may divert
financial resources from other projects, such as the development of additional new products. If our management is unable to effectively
manage our growth, our expenses may increase more than expected, our ability to generate and/or grow revenue could be reduced,
and we may not be able to implement our business strategy.
Our
operating results and financial condition may fluctuate.
Even
if we are successful in introducing our products to the market, the operating results and financial condition of our company may
fluctuate from quarter to quarter and year to year and are likely to continue to vary due to several factors, many of which will
not be within our control. If our operating results do not meet the guidance that we provide to the marketplace or the expectations
of securities analysts or investors, the market price of the ADS will likely decline. Fluctuations in our operating results and
financial condition may be due to several factors, including those listed below and those identified throughout this “Risk
Factors” section:
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the degree of market
acceptance of our products and services;
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the mix of products
and services that we sell during any period;
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changes in the amount
that we spend to develop, acquire or license new products, technologies or businesses;
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changes in the amounts
that we spend to promote our products and services;
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changes in the cost
of satisfying our warranty obligations and servicing our installed base of systems;
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delays between our
expenditures to develop and market new or enhanced systems and consumables and the generation of sales from those products;
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development of new
competitive products and services by others;
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difficulty in predicting
sales patterns and reorder rates that may result from a multi-tier distribution strategy associated with new product categories;
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litigation or threats
of litigation, including intellectual property claims by third parties;
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changes in accounting
rules and tax laws;
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changes in regulations
and standards;
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the geographic distribution
of our sales;
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our responses to
price competition;
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general economic
and industry conditions that affect end-user demand and end-user levels of product design and manufacturing;
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changes in interest
rates that affect returns on our cash balances and short-term investments;
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changes in dollar-shekel
exchange rates that affect the value of our net assets, future revenues and expenditures from and/or relating to our activities
carried out in those currencies; and
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the level of research
and development activities by our company.
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Due
to all of the foregoing factors, and the other risks discussed herein, you should not rely on quarter-to-quarter comparisons of
our operating results as an indicator of our future performance.
The
markets in which we participate are competitive. Even if we are successful in completing the development of our products in development,
our failure to compete successfully could cause any future revenues and the demand for our products not to materialize or to decline
over time.
We
aim to sell our products to auto manufacturers that incorporate ADAS, semi-autonomous and autonomous technologies in their automobiles
and other companies that market or develop component parts of these systems. Many of our competitors have extensive track records
and relationships within the automotive industry.
Many
of our current and potential competitors have longer operating histories and more extensive name recognition than we have and
may also have greater financial, marketing, manufacturing, distribution and other resources than we have. Current and future competitors
may be able to respond more quickly to new or emerging technologies and changes in customer demands and to devote greater resources
to the development, promotion and sale of their products than we can. Our current and potential competitors may develop and market
new technologies that render our existing or future products obsolete, unmarketable or less competitive (whether from a price
perspective or otherwise). We cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain a competitive position or to compete successfully
against current and future sources of competition.
If
our relationships with suppliers for our products and services were to terminate or our manufacturing arrangements were to be
disrupted, our business could be interrupted.
Our
products depend on certain third-party technology and we purchase component parts that are used in our products from third-party
suppliers, some of whom may compete with us. While there are several potential suppliers of most of these component parts that
we use, we currently choose to use only one or a limited number of suppliers for several of these components. Our reliance on
a single or limited number of vendors involves several risks, including:
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potential shortages
of some key components;
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product performance
shortfalls, if traceable to particular product components, since the supplier of the faulty component cannot readily be replaced;
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discontinuation
of a product on which we rely;
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potential insolvency
of these vendors; and
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reduced control
over delivery schedules, manufacturing capabilities, quality and costs.
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In
addition, we require any new supplier to become “qualified” pursuant to our internal procedures. The qualification
process involves evaluations of varying durations, which may cause production delays if we were required to qualify a new supplier
unexpectedly. We generally assemble our systems and parts based on our internal forecasts and the availability of assemblies,
components and finished goods that are supplied to us by third parties, which are subject to various lead times. If certain suppliers
were to decide to discontinue production of an assembly, component that we use, the unanticipated change in the availability of
supplies, or unanticipated supply limitations, could cause delays in, or loss of, sales, increased production or related costs
and consequently reduced margins, and damage to our reputation. If we were unable to find a suitable supplier for a particular
component, we could be required to modify our existing products or the end-parts that we offer to accommodate substitute components
or compounds.
Discontinuation
of operations at our manufacturing sites could prevent us from timely filling customer orders and could lead to unforeseen costs
for us.
We
plan to assemble and test the systems that we sell at subcontractors’ facilities in various locations that are specifically
dedicated to separate categories of systems and consumables. Because of our reliance on all of these production facilities, a
disruption at any of those facilities could materially damage our ability to supply our products to the marketplace in a timely
manner. Depending on the cause of the disruption, we could also incur significant costs to remedy the disruption and resume product
shipments. Such disruptions may be caused by, among other factors, pandemics, earthquakes, fire, flood and other natural disasters.
Accordingly, any such disruption could result in a material adverse effect on our revenue, results of operations and earnings,
and could also potentially damage our reputation.
Our
planned international operations will expose us to additional market and operational risks, and failure to manage these risks
may adversely affect our business and operating results.
We
expect to derive a substantial percentage of our sales from international markets. Accordingly, we will face significant operational
risks from doing business internationally, including:
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fluctuations in
foreign currency exchange rates;
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potentially longer
sales and payment cycles;
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potentially greater
difficulties in collecting accounts receivable;
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potentially adverse
tax consequences;
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reduced protection
of intellectual property rights in certain countries, particularly in Asia and South America;
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difficulties in
staffing and managing foreign operations;
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laws and business
practices favoring local competition;
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costs and difficulties
of customizing products for foreign countries;
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compliance with
a wide variety of complex foreign laws, treaties and regulations;
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an outbreak of a
contagious disease, such as coronavirus, which may cause us, third party vendors and manufacturers and/or customers to temporarily
suspend our or their respective operations in the affected city or country;
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export license constraints
or restrictions due to the unique technology of our products, some of which are dual use (defense and industry);
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tariffs, trade barriers
and other regulatory or contractual limitations on our ability to sell or develop our products in certain foreign markets;
and
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being subject to
the laws, regulations and the court systems of many jurisdictions.
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Our
failure to manage the market and operational risks associated with our international operations effectively could limit the future
growth of our business and adversely affect our operating results.
We
face business disruption and related risks resulting from the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which could have a material
adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Our
operations and business have been disrupted and could be materially adversely affected by the outbreak of COVID-19. The pandemic
has caused states of emergency to be declared in various countries, travel restrictions imposed globally, quarantines established
in certain jurisdictions and various institutions and companies being closed. The COVID-19 has also adversely affected our ability
to conduct our business effectively due to disruptions to our capabilities, availability and productivity of personnel, while
we simultaneously attempt to comply with rapidly changing restrictions, such as travel restrictions, curfews and others. In particular,
in January 2021, the Government of Israel announced that non-Israeli residents or citizens, except for non-nationals whose lives
are based in Israel, are not allowed to enter Israel, and the number of Israeli citizens permitted to enter the country per day
will be capped at 3,000. In addition, the Ministry of Health in the State of Israel issued guidelines in March 2020, which were
most recently updated in March 2021, recommending people avoid gatherings in one space and providing that no gathering of more
than 20 people should be held under any circumstances.
Employers
(including us) are also required to prepare and increase as much as possible the capacity and arrangement for employees to work
remotely. In addition, the U.S. government has restricted travel to the United States from foreign nationals who have recently
been in China, Iran, South Africa, and certain European and Latin America countries. Although to date these restrictions have
not materially impacted our operations other than the ability to travel which resulted with some delays in our trials, demonstrations
and installations, the effect on our business, from the spread of COVID-19 and the actions implemented by the governments of the
State of Israel, the United States and elsewhere across the globe, may worsen over time.
Authorities
around the world have and may continue implementing similar restrictions on business and individuals in their jurisdictions. We
are still assessing our business operations and system supports and the impact COVID-19 may have on our results and financial
condition. To date, we have taken action to reduce our operating expenses in the short term, to enable our employees to work remotely
from home and taken steps to ensure support continuity to our customers, but there can be no assurance that this analysis or remedial
measures will enable us to avoid part or all of any impact from the spread of COVID-19 or its consequences, including downturns
in business sentiment generally or in our sector in particular.
Significant
disruptions of our information technology systems or breaches of our data security could adversely affect our business.
A
significant invasion, interruption, destruction or breakdown of our information technology systems and/or infrastructure by persons
with authorized or unauthorized access could negatively impact our business and operations. We could also experience business
interruption, information theft and/or reputational damage from cyber-attacks, which may compromise our systems and lead to data
leakage either internally or at our third-party providers. Our systems have been, and are expected to continue to be, the target
of malware and other cyber-attacks. Although we have invested in measures to reduce these risks, we cannot assure you that these
measures will be successful in preventing compromise and/or disruption of our information technology systems and related data.
Our
products will be subject to automotive regulations due to the global quality requirements, which could prevent us from marketing
our products to vehicle manufacturers.
The
automotive regulations are dynamic and changing and effected by the final customer quality requirements as well. Even if we are
successful in completing the development of our products, our failure to comply with the different types of regulations and requirements
could delay the transfer to production schedule and eventually time to market.
In
order to market our products to vehicle manufacturers we will be required to accomplish different type of regulations requirements
such as ISO 26262 Functional Safety Regulations (ASIL), IAFT 16949 and Auto Spice or other common quality management methodologies.
In order to meet the quality requirements, we will have to cooperate with vehicle manufacturers, to receive their customers’
quality requirements that meet the requisite regulation of such customers and implement tools, processes and methodologies. Such
processes and tools will require resources and funds and will consume significant time effort until fully fulfilled. We are already
investing time and efforts in order to study the global quality and regulations requirements, but we cannot assure, at this time,
that we will be able to meet the regulations requirements on time.
Our
products are cost sensitive and subject to customers’ aggressive target costs. Our products are subsystems of modules as
part of full semi-autonomous or autonomous systems with low cost product expectations and we may therefore be forced to lower
or costs or have lower margins.
The
automotive industry is one that continuously strives for cost reduction goals and optimizing the vehicle cost to meet the end
customers’ expectations. For example, the target cost of ADAS, semi-autonomous and autonomous systems are being continuously
reduced and while our products are cost sensitive to various costs factors, we may fail to meet these reduced market targets costs.
We are working to build a robust supply chain network to support our cost reduction efforts and optimize our hardware and software
costs, but may not be successful in doing so. If we are unable to reduce our costs in line with industry target cost, our results
of operations may be adversely impacted.
Risks
Related to Our Intellectual Property
If
we are unable to obtain and maintain effective intellectual property rights for our products, we may not be able to compete effectively
in our markets.
Historically,
we have relied on trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements to protect the intellectual property related to our technologies
and products. Since December 2015, we have also sought patent protection for certain of our products. Our success depends in large
part on our ability to obtain and maintain patent and other intellectual property protection in the United States and in other
countries with respect to our proprietary technology and new products.
We
have sought to protect our proprietary position by filing patent applications in Israel, the United States and in other countries,
with respect to our novel technologies and products, which are important to our business. Patent prosecution is expensive and
time consuming, and we may not be able to file and prosecute all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost
or in a timely manner. It is also possible that we will fail to identify patentable aspects of our research and development output
before it is too late to obtain patent protection.
We
have a growing portfolio of two granted U.S. patents and two full U.S. applications, three full applications with the Israeli
Patent Office, three applications in China, four applications in Europe, four U.S. provisional applications and one application
in Japan. We cannot offer any assurances about which, if any, patent applications will issue, the breadth of any such patent or
whether any issued patents will be found invalid and unenforceable or will be threatened by third parties. Any successful opposition
to these patents or any other patents owned by or licensed to us after patent issuance could deprive us of rights necessary for
the successful commercialization of any new products that we may develop.
Further,
there is no assurance that all potentially relevant prior art relating to our patent applications has been found, which can invalidate
a patent or prevent a patent from issuing from a pending patent application. Even if patents do successfully issue, and even if
such patents cover our products, third parties may challenge their validity, enforceability, or scope, which may result in such
patents being narrowed, found unenforceable or invalidated. Furthermore, even if they are unchallenged, our patent applications
and any future patents may not adequately protect our intellectual property, provide exclusivity for our new products, or prevent
others from designing around our claims. Any of these outcomes could impair our ability to prevent competition from third parties,
which may have an adverse impact on our business.
If
we cannot obtain and maintain effective patent rights for our products, we may not be able to compete effectively, and our business
and results of operations would be harmed.
If
we are unable to maintain effective proprietary rights for our products, we may not be able to compete effectively in our markets.
In
addition to the protection afforded by any patents that may be granted, historically, we have relied on trade secret protection
and confidentiality agreements to protect proprietary know-how that is not patentable or that we elect not to patent, processes
that are not easily known, knowable or easily ascertainable, and for which patent infringement is difficult to monitor and enforce
and any other elements of our product candidate discovery and development processes that involve proprietary know-how, information
or technology that is not covered by patents. However, trade secrets can be difficult to protect. We seek to protect our proprietary
technology and processes, in part, by entering into confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, scientific advisors,
and contractors. We also seek to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of our data, trade secrets and intellectual property
by maintaining physical security of our premises and physical and electronic security of our information technology systems. Agreements
or security measures may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any breach. In addition, our trade secrets and
intellectual property may otherwise become known or be independently discovered by competitors.
We
cannot provide any assurances that our trade secrets and other confidential proprietary information will not be disclosed in violation
of our confidentiality agreements or that competitors will not otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or independently develop
substantially equivalent information and techniques. Also, misappropriation or unauthorized and unavoidable disclosure of our
trade secrets and intellectual property could impair our competitive position and may have a material adverse effect on our business.
Additionally, if the steps taken to maintain our trade secrets and intellectual property are deemed inadequate, we may have insufficient
recourse against third parties for misappropriating any trade secret.
Intellectual
property rights of third parties could adversely affect our ability to commercialize our products, and we might be required to
litigate or obtain licenses from third parties in order to develop or market our product candidates. Such litigation or licenses
could be costly or not available on commercially reasonable terms.
It
is inherently difficult to conclusively assess our freedom to operate without infringing on third party rights. Our competitive
position may be adversely affected if existing patents or patents resulting from patent applications issued to third parties or
other third-party intellectual property rights are held to cover our products or elements thereof, or our manufacturing or uses
relevant to our development plans. In such cases, we may not be in a position to develop or commercialize products or our product
candidates unless we successfully pursue litigation to nullify or invalidate the third-party intellectual property right concerned
or enter into a license agreement with the intellectual property right holder, if available on commercially reasonable terms.
There may also be pending patent applications that if they result in issued patents, could be alleged to be infringed by our new
products. If such an infringement claim should be brought and be successful, we may be required to pay substantial damages, be
forced to abandon our new products or seek a license from any patent holders. No assurances can be given that a license will be
available on commercially reasonable terms, if at all.
It
is also possible that we have failed to identify relevant third-party patents or applications. For example, certain U.S. patent
applications that will not be filed outside the United States remain confidential until patents issue. Patent applications in
the United States and in most of the other countries are published approximately 18 months after the earliest filing for which
priority is claimed, with such earliest filing date being commonly referred to as the priority date. Therefore, patent applications
covering our new products or platform technology could have been filed by others without our knowledge. Additionally, pending
patent applications which have been published can, subject to certain limitations, be later amended in a manner that could cover
our platform technologies, our new products or the use of our new products. Third party intellectual property right holders may
also actively bring infringement claims against us. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to successfully settle or otherwise
resolve such infringement claims. If we are unable to successfully settle future claims on terms acceptable to us, we may be required
to engage in or continue costly, unpredictable and time-consuming litigation and may be prevented from or experience substantial
delays in pursuing the development of and/or marketing our new products. If we fail in any such dispute, in addition to being
forced to pay damages, we may be temporarily or permanently prohibited from commercializing our new products that are held to
be infringing. We might, if possible, also be forced to redesign our new products so that we no longer infringe the third party’s
intellectual property rights. Any of these events, even if we were ultimately to prevail, could require us to divert substantial
financial and management resources that we would otherwise be able to devote to our business.
Patent
policy and rule changes could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and
the enforcement or defense of any issued patents.
Changes
in either the patent laws or interpretation of the patent laws in the United States and other countries may diminish the value
of any patents that may issue from our patent applications or narrow the scope of our patent protection. The laws of foreign countries
may not protect our rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Publications of discoveries in the scientific
literature often lag behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the United States and other jurisdictions are typically
not published until 18 months after filing, or in some cases not at all. We therefore cannot be certain that we were the first
to file the invention claimed in our owned and licensed patent or pending applications, or that we or our licensor were the first
to file for patent protection of such inventions. Assuming all other requirements for patentability are met, in the United States
prior to 2013, the first to make the claimed invention without undue delay in filing, is entitled to the patent, while outside
the United States, the first to file a patent application is entitled to the patent. After 2013, the Leahy-Smith America the United
States has moved to a first to file system. Changes to the way patent applications will be prosecuted could increase the uncertainties
and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of any issued patents, all of
which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
We
may be involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our intellectual property, which could be expensive, time consuming, and unsuccessful.
Competitors
may infringe our intellectual property. If we were to initiate legal proceedings against a third party to enforce a patent covering
one of our new products, the defendant could counterclaim that the patent covering our product candidate is invalid and/or unenforceable.
In patent litigation in the United States, defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity and/or unenforceability are commonplace.
Grounds for a validity challenge could be an alleged failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, including lack of
novelty, obviousness, or non-enablement. Grounds for an unenforceability assertion could be an allegation that someone connected
with prosecution of the patent withheld relevant information from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, or
made a misleading statement, during prosecution. The validity of U.S. patents may also be challenged in post-grant proceedings
before the USPTO. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable.
Derivation
proceedings initiated by third parties or brought by us may be necessary to determine the priority of inventions and/or their
scope with respect to our patent or patent applications or those of our licensors. An unfavorable outcome could require us to
cease using the related technology or to attempt to license rights to it from the prevailing party. Our business could be harmed
if the prevailing party does not offer us a license on commercially reasonable terms. Our defense of litigation or interference
proceedings may fail and, even if successful, may result in substantial costs and distract our management and other employees.
In addition, the uncertainties associated with litigation could have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise the funds
necessary to continue our research programs, license necessary technology from third parties, or enter into development partnerships
that would help us bring our new products to market.
Furthermore,
because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that
some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during this type of litigation. There could also be public
announcements of the results of hearings, motions, or other interim proceedings or developments. If securities analysts or investors
perceive these results to be negative, it could have a material adverse effect on the price of the ADSs or Ordinary Shares.
We
may be subject to claims challenging the inventorship of our intellectual property.
We
may be subject to claims that former employees, collaborators or other third parties have an interest in, or right to compensation,
with respect to our current patent and patent applications, future patents or other intellectual property as an inventor or co-inventor.
For example, we may have inventorship disputes arise from conflicting obligations of consultants or others who are involved in
developing our products. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging inventorship or claiming
the right to compensation. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable
intellectual property rights, such as exclusive ownership of, or right to use, valuable intellectual property. Such an outcome
could have a material adverse effect on our business. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could
result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees.
We
may not be able to protect our intellectual property rights throughout the world.
Filing,
prosecuting, and defending patents on products, as well as monitoring their infringement in all countries throughout the world
would be prohibitively expensive, and our intellectual property rights in some countries can be less extensive than those in the
United States. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent
as federal and state laws in the United States.
Competitors
may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own products and may also
export otherwise infringing products to territories where we have patent protection, but enforcement is not as strong as that
in the United States. These products may compete with our products. Future patents or other intellectual property rights may not
be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing.
Many
companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions.
The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents, trade
secrets, and other intellectual property protection, which could make it difficult for us to stop the marketing of competing products
in violation of our proprietary rights generally. Proceedings to enforce our patent rights in foreign jurisdictions, whether or
not successful, could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business, could
put our future patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and our patent applications at risk of not issuing
and could provoke third parties to assert claims against us. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate, and the damages
or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful. Accordingly, our efforts to monitor and enforce our intellectual
property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property
that we develop or license.
Risks
Related to the Ownership of the ADSs or Our Ordinary Shares
Our
principal shareholders, officers and directors beneficially own over 13.53% of our outstanding Ordinary Shares. They will therefore
be able to exert significant control over matters submitted to our shareholders for approval.
As
of March 21, 2021, our principal shareholders, officers and directors beneficially own approximately 13.53% of our Ordinary Shares.
This significant concentration of share ownership may adversely affect the trading price for our Ordinary Shares because investors
often perceive disadvantages in owning shares in companies with controlling shareholders. As a result, these shareholders, if
they acted together, could significantly influence or even unilaterally approve matters requiring approval by our shareholders,
including the election of directors and the approval of mergers or other business combination transactions. The interests of these
shareholders may not always coincide with our interests or the interests of other shareholders.
Holders
of ADSs must act through the depositary to exercise their rights as our shareholders.
Holders
of the ADSs do not have the same rights of our shareholders and may only exercise the voting rights with respect to the underlying
Ordinary Shares in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement for the ADSs. Under Israeli law, the minimum notice
period required to convene a shareholders meeting is generally no less than 35 calendar days, but in some instances, 21 or 14
calendar days. When a shareholder meeting is convened, holders of the ADSs may not receive sufficient notice of a shareholders’
meeting to permit them to withdraw their Ordinary Shares to allow them to cast their vote with respect to any specific matter.
In addition, the depositary and its agents may not be able to send voting instructions to holders of the ADSs or carry out their
voting instructions in a timely manner. We will make all reasonable efforts to cause the depositary to extend voting rights to
holders of the ADSs in a timely manner, but we cannot assure holders that they will receive the voting materials in time to ensure
that they can instruct the depositary to vote their ADSs. Furthermore, the depositary and its agents will not be responsible for
any failure to carry out any instructions to vote, for the manner in which any vote is cast or for the effect of any such vote.
As a result, holders of the ADSs may not be able to exercise their right to vote and they may lack recourse if their ADSs are
not voted as they requested. In addition, in the capacity as a holder of ADSs, they will not be able to call a shareholders’
meeting unless they first withdraw their Ordinary Shares from the ADS program and convert them into the underlying Ordinary Shares
held in the Israeli market in order to allow them to submit to us a request to call a meeting with respect to any specific matter,
in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Israeli Companies Law 5759-1999, or the Companies Law, and our amended and
restated articles of association.
The
Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or the JOBS Act, allows us to postpone the date by which we must comply with some of the
laws and regulations intended to protect investors and to reduce the amount of information we provide in our reports filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, which could undermine investor confidence in our company and adversely affect
the market price of the ADSs or our Ordinary Shares.
For
so long as we remain an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend to take advantage of certain
exemptions from various requirements that are applicable to public companies that are not “emerging growth companies”
including:
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the provisions of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requiring that our independent registered public accounting firm provide an attestation report on the
effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting;
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Section 107 of the
JOBS Act, which provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period
provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, for complying with new or
revised accounting standards. This means that an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting
standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to delay such adoption of new
or revised accounting standards. As a result of this adoption, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies
that comply with the public company effective date; and
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any rules that may
be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board requiring mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the
auditor’s report on the financial statements.
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We
intend to take advantage of these exemptions until we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” We will remain an
emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the date
of our first sale of equity securities pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, (b) in which
we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which
means the market value of our Ordinary Shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30, and
(2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period.
We
cannot predict if investors will find the ADSs or our Ordinary Shares less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions.
If some investors find the ADSs or our Ordinary Shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market
for the ADSs or our Ordinary Shares, and our market prices may be more volatile and may decline.
As
a “foreign private issuer” we are permitted to and follow certain home country corporate governance practices instead
of otherwise applicable SEC and Nasdaq requirements, which may result in less protection than is accorded to investors under rules
applicable to domestic U.S. issuers.
Our
status as a foreign private issuer also exempts us from compliance with certain SEC laws and regulations and certain regulations
of the Nasdaq Stock Market, including the proxy rules, the short-swing profits recapture rules, and certain governance requirements
such as independent director oversight of the nomination of directors and executive compensation. In addition, we are not required,
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, to file current reports and financial statements with
the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. domestic companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act and we
are generally exempt from filing quarterly reports with the SEC. Also, although the Companies Law requires us to disclose the
annual compensation of our five most highly compensated senior officers on an individual basis, this disclosure is not as extensive
as that required of a U.S. domestic issuer. For example, the disclosure required under Israeli law would be limited to compensation
paid in the immediately preceding year without any requirement to disclose option exercises and vested stock options, pension
benefits or potential payments upon termination or a change of control. Furthermore, as a foreign private issuer, we are also
not subject to the requirements of Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure) promulgated under the Exchange Act.
These
exemptions and leniencies will reduce the frequency and scope of information and protections to which you are entitled as an investor.
We
may be a “passive foreign investment company”, or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes in the current taxable
year or may become one in any subsequent taxable year. There generally would be negative tax consequences for U.S. taxpayers that
are holders of the ADSs or our Ordinary Shares if we are or were to become a PFIC.
Based
on the projected composition of our income and valuation of our assets, we do not expect to be a PFIC for 2020, and we do not
expect to become a PFIC in the future, although there can be no assurance in this regard. The determination of whether we are
a PFIC is made on an annual basis and will depend on the composition of our income and assets from time to time. We will be treated
as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes in any taxable year in which either (1) at least 75% of our gross income is “passive
income” or (2) on average at least 50% of our assets by value produce passive income or are held for the production of passive
income. Passive income for this purpose generally includes, among other things, certain dividends, interest, royalties, rents
and gains from commodities and securities transactions and from the sale or exchange of property that gives rise to passive income.
Passive income also includes amounts derived by reason of the temporary investment of funds, including those raised in a public
offering. In determining whether a non-U.S. corporation is a PFIC, a proportionate share of the income and assets of each corporation
in which it owns, directly or indirectly, at least a 25% interest (by value) is taken into account. The tests for determining
PFIC status are applied annually and it is difficult to make accurate projections of future income and assets which are relevant
to this determination. In addition, our PFIC status may depend in part on the market value of the ADSs or our Ordinary Shares.
Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we currently are not or will not become a PFIC in the future. If we are a PFIC in
any taxable year during which a U.S. taxpayer holds the ADSs or our Ordinary Shares, such U.S. taxpayer would be subject to certain
adverse U.S. federal income tax rules. In particular, if the U.S. taxpayer did not make an election to treat us as a “qualified
electing fund”, or QEF, or make a “mark-to-market” election, then “excess distributions” to the
U.S. taxpayer, and any gain realized on the sale or other disposition of the ADSs or our Ordinary Shares by the U.S. taxpayer:
(1) would be allocated ratably over the U.S. taxpayer’s holding period for the ADSs or Ordinary Shares; (2) the amount allocated
to the current taxable year and any period prior to the first day of the first taxable year in which we were a PFIC would be taxed
as ordinary income; and (3) the amount allocated to each of the other taxable years would be subject to tax at the highest rate
of tax in effect for the applicable class of taxpayer for that year, and an interest charge for the deemed deferral benefit would
be imposed with respect to the resulting tax attributable to each such other taxable year. In addition, if the U.S. Internal Revenue
Service, or the IRS, determines that we are a PFIC for a year with respect to which we have determined that we were not a PFIC,
it may be too late for a U.S. taxpayer to make a timely QEF or mark-to-market election. U.S. taxpayers that have held the ADSs
or our Ordinary Shares during a period when we were a PFIC will be subject to the foregoing rules, even if we cease to be a PFIC
in subsequent years, subject to exceptions for U.S. taxpayer who made a timely QEF or mark-to-market election. A U.S. taxpayer
can make a QEF election by completing the relevant portions of and filing IRS Form 8621 in accordance with the instructions thereto.
We do not intend to notify U.S. taxpayers that hold the ADSs or our Ordinary Shares if we believe we will be treated as a PFIC
for any taxable year in order to enable U.S. taxpayers to consider whether to make a QEF election. In addition, we do not intend
to furnish such U.S. taxpayers annually with information needed in order to complete IRS Form 8621 and to make and maintain a
valid QEF election for any year in which we or any of our subsidiaries are a PFIC. U.S. taxpayers that hold the ADSs or our Ordinary
Shares are strongly urged to consult their tax advisors about the PFIC rules, including tax return filing requirements and the
eligibility, manner, and consequences to them of making a QEF or mark-to-market election with respect to the ADSs or our Ordinary
Shares in the event that we are a PFIC. See “Taxation—U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Passive Foreign
Investment Companies” for additional information.
ADSs
holders may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to claims arising under the deposit agreement, which could result in
less favorable results to the plaintiff(s) in any such action.
The
deposit agreement governing the ADSs representing our Ordinary Shares provides that holders and beneficial owners of ADSs irrevocably
waive the right to a trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to the deposit agreement or the ADSs, including
claims under federal securities laws, against us or the depositary to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. If this
jury trial waiver provision is prohibited by applicable law, an action could nevertheless proceed under the terms of the deposit
agreement with a jury trial. To our knowledge, the enforceability of a jury trial waiver under the federal securities laws has
not been finally adjudicated by a federal court. However, we believe that a jury trial waiver provision is generally enforceable
under the laws of the State of New York, which govern the deposit agreement, by a court of the State of New York or a federal
court, which have non-exclusive jurisdiction over matters arising under the deposit agreement, applying such law. In determining
whether to enforce a jury trial waiver provision, New York courts and federal courts will consider whether the visibility of the
jury trial waiver provision within the agreement is sufficiently prominent such that a party has knowingly waived any right to
trial by jury. We believe that this is the case with respect to the deposit agreement and the ADSs. In addition, New York courts
will not enforce a jury trial waiver provision in order to bar a viable setoff or counterclaim sounding in fraud or one which
is based upon a creditor’s negligence in failing to liquidate collateral upon a guarantor’s demand, or in the case
of an intentional tort claim (as opposed to a contract dispute), none of which we believe are applicable in the case of the deposit
agreement or the ADSs. No condition, stipulation or provision of the deposit agreement or ADSs serves as a waiver by any holder
or beneficial owner of ADSs or by us or the depositary of compliance with any provision of the federal securities laws. If you
or any other holder or beneficial owner of ADSs brings a claim against us or the depositary in connection with matters arising
under the deposit agreement or the ADSs, you or such other holder or beneficial owner may not be entitled to a jury trial with
respect to such claims, which may have the effect of limiting and discouraging lawsuits against us and / or the depositary. If
a lawsuit is brought against us and / or the depositary under the deposit agreement, it may be heard only by a judge or justice
of the applicable trial court, which would be conducted according to different civil procedures and may result in different results
than a trial by jury would have had, including results that could be less favorable to the plaintiff(s) in any such action, depending
on, among other things, the nature of the claims, the judge or justice hearing such claims, and the venue of the hearing.
Risks
Related to Israeli Law and Our Incorporation, Location and Operations in Israel
We
are exposed to fluctuations in currency exchange rates.
A
major portion of our business is conducted, and a material portion of our operating expenses is incurred, outside the United States,
mainly in NIS. Therefore, we are exposed to currency exchange fluctuations in other currencies, particularly in NIS and the risks
related thereto. Our primary expenses paid in NIS are employee salaries, fees for consultants and subcontractors and lease payments
on our Israeli facilities. As a result, we are affected by foreign currency exchange fluctuations through both translation risk
and transaction risk. Thus, we are exposed to the risks that: (a) the NIS may appreciate relative to the dollar; (b) the NIS devalue
relative to the dollar; (c) the inflation rate in Israel may exceed the rate of devaluation of the NIS; or (d) the timing of such
devaluation may lag behind inflation in Israel. In any such event, the dollar cost of our operations in Israel would increase
and our dollar-denominated results of operations would be adversely affected. Our operations also could be adversely affected
if we are unable to effectively hedge against currency fluctuations in the future.
Provisions
of Israeli law and our amended and restated articles of association may delay, prevent or otherwise impede a merger with, or an
acquisition of, our company, which could prevent a change of control, even when the terms of such a transaction are favorable
to us and our shareholders.
Israeli
corporate law regulates mergers, requires tender offers for acquisitions of shares above specified thresholds, requires special
approvals for transactions involving directors, officers or significant shareholders and regulates other matters that may be relevant
to such types of transactions. For example, a merger may not be consummated unless at least 50 days have passed from the date
on which a merger proposal is filed by each merging company with the Israel Registrar of Companies and at least 30 days have passed
from the date on which the shareholders of both merging companies have approved the merger. In addition, a majority of each class
of securities of the target company must approve a merger. Moreover, a tender offer for all of a company’s issued and outstanding
shares can only be completed if the acquirer receives positive responses from the holders of at least 95% of the issued share
capital. Completion of the tender offer also requires approval of a majority of the offerees that do not have a personal interest
in the tender offer, unless, following consummation of the tender offer, the acquirer would hold at least 98% of the company’s
outstanding shares. Furthermore, the shareholders, including those who indicated their acceptance of the tender offer, may, at
any time within six months following the completion of the tender offer, claim that the consideration for the acquisition of the
shares does not reflect their fair market value, and petition an Israeli court to alter the consideration for the acquisition
accordingly, unless the acquirer stipulated in its tender offer that a shareholder that accepts the offer may not seek such appraisal
rights, and the acquirer or the company published all required information with respect to the tender offer prior to the tender
offer’s response date.
Israeli
tax considerations also may make potential transactions unappealing to us or to our shareholders whose country of residence does
not have a tax treaty with Israel exempting such shareholders from Israeli tax. See “Taxation—Israeli Tax Considerations
and Government Programs” for additional information.
It
may be difficult to enforce a judgment of a United States court against us and our officers and directors in Israel or the United
States, to assert United States securities laws claims in Israel or to serve process on our officers and directors.
We
were incorporated in Israel. All of our executive officers and directors reside outside of the United States, and all of our assets
and most of the assets of these persons are located outside of the United States. Therefore, a judgment obtained against us, or
any of these persons, including a judgment based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws, may not
be collectible in the United States and may not necessarily be enforced by an Israeli court. It also may be difficult to affect
service of process on these persons in the United States or to assert U.S. securities law claims in original actions instituted
in Israel. Additionally, it may be difficult for an investor, or any other person or entity, to initiate an action with respect
to United States securities laws in Israel. Israeli courts may refuse to hear a claim based on an alleged violation of United
States securities laws reasoning that Israel is not the most appropriate forum in which to bring such a claim. In addition, even
if an Israeli court agrees to hear a claim, it may determine that Israeli law and not United States law is applicable to the claim.
If United States law is found to be applicable, the content of applicable United States law must be proven as a fact by expert
witnesses, which can be a time consuming and costly process. Certain matters of procedure will also be governed by Israeli law.
There is little binding case law in Israel that addresses the matters described above. As a result of the difficulty associated
with enforcing a judgment against us in Israel, you may not be able to collect any damages awarded by either a United States or
foreign court.
Our
headquarters, research and development and other significant operations are located in Israel, and, therefore, our results may
be adversely affected by political, economic and military instability in Israel.
Our
executive offices and research and development facilities are located in Israel. In addition, all of our key employees, officers
and directors are residents of Israel. Accordingly, political, economic and military conditions in Israel may directly affect
our business. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, a number of armed conflicts have taken place between Israel
and its neighboring Arab countries, the Hamas (an Islamist militia and political group that controls the Gaza strip) and the Hezbollah
(an Islamist militia and political group based in Lebanon). Any hostilities involving Israel or the interruption or curtailment
of trade between Israel and its trading partners could negatively affect business conditions in Israel in general and our business
in particular, and adversely affect our product development, operations and results of operations. Ongoing and revived hostilities
or other Israeli political or economic factors, such as, an interruption of operations at the Tel Aviv airport, could prevent
or delay shipments of our components or products.
Any
armed conflicts, terrorist activities or political instability in the region could adversely affect business conditions, could
harm our results of operations and the market price of our Ordinary Shares, and could make it more difficult for us to raise capital.
Parties with whom we do business may sometimes decline to travel to Israel during periods of heightened unrest or tension, forcing
us to make alternative arrangements when necessary in order to meet our business partners face to face. Several countries, principally
in the Middle East, still restrict doing business with Israel and Israeli companies, and additional countries may impose restrictions
on doing business with Israel and Israeli companies if hostilities in Israel or political instability in the region continues
or increases. Similarly, Israeli companies are limited in conducting business with entities from several countries. For instance,
in 2008, the Israeli legislature passed a law forbidding any investments in entities that transact business with Iran. In addition,
the political and security situation in Israel may result in parties with whom we have agreements involving performance in Israel
claiming that they are not obligated to perform their commitments under those agreements pursuant to force majeure provisions
in such agreements.
Our
commercial insurance does not cover losses that may occur as a result of an event associated with the security situation in the
Middle East. Although the Israeli government has in the past covered the reinstatement value of certain damages that were caused
by terrorist attacks or acts of war, we cannot assure you that this government coverage will be maintained or, if maintained,
will be sufficient to compensate us fully for damages incurred. Any losses or damages incurred by us could have a material adverse
effect on our business.
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 conditions or the expansion of our business. Similarly, Israeli corporations are limited in conducting
business with entities from several countries.
In
addition, Israel is experiencing a level of unprecedented political instability. The Israeli government has been in a transitionary
phase since December 2018, when the Israeli Parliament, or the Knesset, first resolved to dissolve itself and call for new general
elections. Since then, Israel held general elections three times – in April and September of 2019 and in March of 2020.
A fourth election took place on March 23, 2021. The Knesset has not passed a budget for the year 2021, and certain government
ministries, which may be critical to the operation of our business, are without necessary resources and may not receive sufficient
funding moving forward. In the event that the current political stalemate is not resolved during 2021, our ability to conduct
our business effectively may be adversely affected.
Your
rights and responsibilities as a shareholder will be governed by Israeli law, which differs in some material respects from the
rights and responsibilities of shareholders of U.S. companies.
The
rights and responsibilities of the holders of our Ordinary Shares (and therefore indirectly, the ADSs) are governed by our amended
and restated articles of association and by Israeli law. These rights and responsibilities differ in some material respects from
the rights and responsibilities of shareholders in typical U.S.-based corporations. In particular, a shareholder of an Israeli
company has certain duties to act in good faith and fairness toward the company and other shareholders and to refrain from abusing
its power in the company, including, among other things, in voting at the general meeting of shareholders on certain matters,
such as an amendment to the company’s articles of association, an increase of the company’s authorized share capital,
a merger of the company, and approval of related party transactions that require shareholder approval. See “Item 6. C. Board
Practices—Duties of Shareholders” for additional information. In addition, a shareholder who is aware that it possesses
the power to determine the outcome of a shareholder vote or to appoint or prevent the appointment of a director or executive officer
in the company has a duty of fairness toward the company with regard to such vote or appointment. There is limited case law available
to assist us in understanding the nature of this duty or the implications of these provisions. These provisions may be interpreted
to impose additional obligations on holders of our Ordinary Shares that are not typically imposed on shareholders of U.S. corporations.
Our
significant shareholder received Israeli government grants for certain of its research and development activities. In course of
the Merger with Magna and Foresight Automotive, we assumed, jointly with Magna, certain of its obligations related to such grants.
The terms of those grants may require us to pay royalties and to satisfy specified conditions in order to manufacture products
and transfer technologies outside of Israel. We may be required to pay penalties in addition to repayment of the grants.
Magna’s
research and development efforts related to the technology assigned to Foresight Automotive have been financed in part through
royalty-bearing grants in an aggregate amount of approximately $646,000 received from the Israel Innovation Authority, or the
IIA, as of March 21, 2021. As of December 31, 2020, our contingent liabilities regarding IIA grants received by us were in an
aggregate amount of $661,000. In course of the Merger with Magna and Foresight Automotive, we were required by the IIA to assume,
jointly with Magna, its obligations related to such grants. With respect to the royalty-bearing grants we are committed to pay
royalties at a rate of 3% to 5% on sales proceeds from our products that were developed under IIA programs up to the total amount
of grants received, linked to the U.S. dollar and bearing interest at an annual London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, applicable
to U.S. dollar deposits. Regardless of any royalty payment, we are further required to comply with the requirements of the Israeli
Encouragement of Research, Development and Industrial Initiative Technology Law, 5744-1984, as amended, and related regulations,
or the Research Law, with respect to those past grants. When a company develops know-how, technology or products using IIA grants,
the terms of these grants and the Research Law restrict the transfer of such know-how, and the transfer of manufacturing or manufacturing
rights of such products, technologies or know-how outside of Israel, without the prior approval of the IIA. Therefore, the discretionary
approval of an IIA committee would be required for any transfer to third parties inside or 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 outside of Israel may involve the payment of significant amounts, depending upon
the value of the transferred technology or know-how, our research and development expenses, 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 or otherwise transfer 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.
Our
operations may be disrupted as a result of the obligation of management or key personnel to perform military service.
Our
employees and consultants in Israel, including members of our senior management, may be obligated to perform one month, and in
some cases longer periods, of military reserve duty until they reach the age of 40 (or older, for citizens who hold certain positions
in the Israeli armed forces reserves) 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 similar large-scale military reserve duty call-ups in the future. Our operations could be disrupted by the absence of a significant
number of our officers, directors, employees and consultants. Such disruption could materially adversely affect our business and
operations.
General
Risk Factors
Raising
additional capital would cause dilution to our existing shareholders and may affect the rights of existing shareholders.
We
may seek additional capital through a combination of private and public equity offerings, debt financings and collaborations and
strategic and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the issuance of equity or convertible
debt securities, your ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely
affect your rights as a holder of the ADSs and Ordinary Shares.
Sales
of a substantial number of the ADSs or our Ordinary Shares in the public market by our existing shareholders could cause our share
price to fall.
Sales
of a substantial number of the ADSs or our Ordinary Shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales might occur,
could depress the market price of the ADSs or our Ordinary Shares and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale
of additional equity securities. We are unable to predict the effect that sales may have on the prevailing market price of the
ADSs or our Ordinary Shares.
If
securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about us, our business or our market, or
if they adversely change their recommendations or publish negative reports regarding our business or our shares, our ADSs or Ordinary
Shares price and trading volume could decline.
The
trading market for the ADSs or our Ordinary Shares will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities
analysts may publish about us, our business, our market or our competitors. We do not have any control over these analysts and
we cannot provide any assurance that analysts will cover us or provide favorable coverage. If any of the analysts who may cover
us adversely change their recommendation regarding our ADSs or Ordinary Shares, or provide more favorable relative recommendations
about our competitors, our ADSs or Ordinary Shares price would likely decline. If any analyst who may cover us were to cease coverage
of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could
cause our ADSs or Ordinary Shares price or trading volume to decline.
ITEM
4.
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INFORMATION
ON THE COMPANY
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A.
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History and Development
of the Company.
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We
were incorporated in the State of Israel in September 1977 under the name Golan Melechet Machshevet (1997) Ltd. In April 1987,
we became a public company in Israel, and our shares were listed for trade on the TASE. On May 16, 2010, we changed our name to
Asia Development (A.D.B.M.) Ltd., and on January 12, 2016, we changed our name to Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd. Our Ordinary
Shares are currently traded on the TASE, and ADSs representing our Ordinary Shares currently trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market,
both under the symbol “FRSX.”
Our significant shareholder,
Magna, was incorporated in Israel in 2001. Starting in 2011, Magna began to develop technology devoted to vehicle safety. Magna
operated its vehicle safety segment of operations as a separate division for accounting purposes. On October 11, 2015, and pursuant
to the Merger, we acquired 100% of the share capital of Foresight Automotive from Magna. On January 5, 2016, we entered into an
asset transfer agreement with Magna whereby Magna transferred to us its vehicle safety segment of operations. The asset transfer
agreement became effective retroactively on October 11, 2015.
Prior
to the Merger, and from July 2015, until October 2015, we did not have any business activity, excluding administrative management.
In
January 2019, we spun out our cellular-based V2X accident prevention solution to our wholly owned subsidiary, Eye-Net Mobile.
Our
principal executive offices are located at 7 Golda Meir St., Ness Ziona 7403650, Israel. Our telephone number in Israel is +972-077-9709030.
Our website address is www.foresightauto.com. The information contained on our website or available through our website is not
incorporated by reference into and should not be considered a part of this annual report on Form 20-F, and the reference to our
website in this annual report on Form 20-F is an inactive textual reference only. Sullivan & Worcester LLP is our agent in
the United States, and its address is 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.
We
are an emerging growth company, as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as implemented under the JOBS Act. As such,
we are eligible to, and intend to, take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other
public companies that are not emerging growth companies including but not limited to not being required to comply with the auditor
attestation requirements of the SEC rules under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We could remain an emerging growth company
until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the date of our first sale of
common equity securities pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, (b) in which we have total
annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the
market value of our Ordinary Shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the
date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period.
We
are a foreign private issuer as defined by the rules under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act. Our status as a foreign private
issuer also exempts us from compliance with certain laws and regulations of the SEC and certain regulations of the Nasdaq Stock
Market, including the proxy rules, the short-swing profits recapture rules, and certain governance requirements such as independent
director oversight of the nomination of directors and executive compensation. In addition, we are not required to file annual,
quarterly and current reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. domestic companies registered
under the Exchange Act.
In
2020, 2019 and 2018, our capital expenditures amounted to $50,000, $103,000 and $733,000, respectively. Our current capital expenditures
are primarily for computers, software, research and development equipment and office improvements, and we expect to finance these
expenditures primarily from cash on hand.
We
are a technology company engaged in development of smart multi-spectral vision software solutions and cellular-based applications.
Through our wholly owned subsidiaries, Foresight Automotive Ltd., or Foresight Automotive, and Eye-Net Mobile Ltd., or Eye-Net
Mobile, we develop both “in-line-of-sight” vision systems and “beyond-line-of-sight” accident-prevention
solutions.
Our
vision solutions include modules of automatic calibration, sensor fusion and dense 3D point cloud that can be applied to different
markets such as automotive, defense, autonomous vehicles and heavy industrial equipment. Eye-Net Mobile’s cellular-based
solution suite provides real-time pre-collision alerts to enhance road safety and situational awareness for all road users in
the urban mobility environment by incorporating cutting-edge AI technology and advanced analytics.
Vision-Based
Solutions – Foresight Automotive
Our
vision solutions are based on stereoscopic vision technology. Stereo technology is an image processing concept which uses two
synchronized cameras to mimic human depth perception in order to obtain a 3D view. Our unique solutions include modules of automatic
calibration, sensor fusion and dense 3D point cloud that can be applied to different markets such as automotive, defense, autonomous
vehicles and heavy industrial equipment. Our QuadSight® four-camera based vision system creates and analyzes a
3D image, which foresees possible collisions with road users and other obstacles inherent to roadway (both urban and highway)
and off-road environments. This system provides highly accurate real-time detection with a low rate of false alerts and enables
a 24/7 operation in harsh weather and lighting conditions for a complete 3D image of the driving environment in front of the vehicle.
Our
powerful proprietary stereoscopic and four-camera technology is based in part on intellectual property that we acquired from Magna
in 2016. Magna’s field-proven security technology has been deployed for almost two decades in critical facilities worldwide,
including borders, nuclear plants and airports.
Autonomous
Driving Overview
In
recent years, there has been increasing awareness surrounding “autonomous,” “automated” and “self-driving”
vehicles. Self-driving vehicles operate without direct driver input while controlling steering, acceleration and braking, and
are designed to relieve the driver from having to constantly monitor the roadway while operating in self-driving mode. Self-driving
vehicles range from single applications where the driver is required to continuously monitor traffic, to semi-autonomous or fully
autonomous driving where the driver increasingly relinquishes control.
There
are five different levels of automated driving:
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Level 1: Assisted
– The driver stays in full control of the vehicle, and the automated driving system assists only with adaptive cruise
control and lane keeping assistance.
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Level 2: Partial
Automation – Uses partially automated longitudinal and lateral guidance in the driving lane. Mostly seen with parking
assist features, which allow the vehicle to park itself under certain conditions.
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Level 3: Conditional
Automation – Partly automated longitudinal and lateral guidance in an urban environment. The driver’s full awareness
of his or her surroundings is still required.
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Level 4: High Automation
– Highly automated longitudinal and lateral guidance with lane changing capabilities. Reliable environment recognition,
including in complex environmental situations.
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Level 5: Auto-pilot
– Door-to-door commuting used primarily in an urban environment, with no driver supervision.
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Vehicle
automation started off in the form of ADAS; however, recent technology advancements have paved the way for partially automated
systems. Acceleration in development strategies that drive the acceleration of vehicle autonomy has taken place over the last
couple of years in the form of technological advancements, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships and collaborations.
Market
Opportunity
A
MarketsandMarkets research published in June 2020 titled “ADAS Market by System, Component, Vehicle, Level of Autonomy,
Offering, EV, and Region - Global Forecast to 2030” states that the global ADAS market size is projected to grow from USD
27.0 billion in 2020 to USD 83.0 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 11.9%. The growth of this market can be attributed to the increasing
stringency of vehicle safety regulations and growing demand for driver assistance systems. In addition, the report estimates that
innovative product launches would offer lucrative opportunities for market players in the next 10 years.
The
evolution of camera-based systems in the automotive industry started with the use of monocular camera systems, which are
expected to be replaced by stereo and tri-focal camera systems for Level 3, 4 and 4/5 vehicles. According to a report
published in September 2020, by the leading market research and advisory company, Technavio, the automotive stereo camera
market size has the potential to grow by $425.68 million over the course of 2020 to 2024. The report claims that 35% of the
market’s growth will originate from North America during the forecast period.
While
fully autonomous driving is not expected in the near future, we believe that there will be a gradual evolution and ongoing introductions
of semi-autonomous driving capabilities in order to reach more advanced levels. Such capabilities will begin with hands-free highway
driving, which will gradually extend to other types of roadways, such as country and city driving, and ultimately encompass all
weather and lighting conditions. The key contributions to the growth of autonomous driving will include increased safety, the
development of fail-safe systems, consumer demand, and economic and social benefits.
The
Importance of Camera Technology for Semi and Fully Autonomous Vehicles
The
vast majority of partial autonomous vehicles employ multiple sensors and imaging devices, including radar, laser detectors, or
LiDAR, and cameras. Radar-based sensors compare microwaves of emitted and reflected signals and are generally unaffected
by weather. Unlike cameras, radar is not as sensitive to non-metal objects and cannot detect lane markings and traffic signs.
LiDAR is a sensor that measures distance by illuminating a target with lasers and analyzing the reflected light. A camera,
similar to the human eye, gathers a richer amount of data than either a radar or a LiDAR sensor. For that reason, most ADASs
rely more heavily on cameras than on other sensors. Relying only on reflected light may reduce performance under certain
lighting or weather conditions. For example, LiDAR pulse can be scattered in the fog, whereas infrared cameras are not affected
by fog. Also, a 2019 publication by Cornell University argues that the accuracy of a stereo camera is superior and can be a viable
and low-cost alternative to LiDAR.
Camera-based
systems are the most intuitive to understand as they are similar to human vision. As the current driving environment is designed
for human vision without any consideration for automation, it is believed that camera-based systems will always have an important
role in semi or fully autonomous driving.
According
to a report by Frost & Sullivan published in early 2018, it is predicted that Level 3 vehicles will be equipped with an average
of 25 sensors, Level 4 vehicles will be equipped with an average of 27 sensors, and Level 5 vehicles will be equipped with an
average of 30 sensors. For each of these levels, stereo cameras and infrared cameras will be used to enable autonomous driving.
In
July 2020, a report by Frost & Sullivan titled “Next-generation Perception Sensors for Autonomous Driving in North America
and Europe, Forecast to 2030”, considers Foresight Automotive as one of the key disruptor camera sensor providers that tackles
the main challenges vision sensor start-ups are addressing, namely, to enable superior sensor performance in challenging weather
and lighting conditions. In addition, the report stresses the importance of the use of thermal camera technology for enhanced
detection capabilities in harsh weather and lighting conditions for applications such as Autonomous Emergency Braking Forward
Collusion Warning, and Adaptive Cruise Control.
In
March 2021, VSI Labs, a leading technology research company that examines the building blocks for autonomous vehicle technologies,
reviewed several vision-based companies, including Foresight Automotive, and highlighted Foresight’s unique automatic calibration
module which allows stereo camera separation. VSI Labs’ review states that “Stereo vision is not new, but the methods
for automatic calibration are….Stereo cameras (non-active) are able to provide better 3D vision which improves the distance
estimation versus mono cameras.” The review further maintains that “By using both visible-light and thermal cameras,
Foresight’s stereo system capabilities allow obstacle detection in different harsh weather and lighting conditions, where
LiDAR performance is compromised.” The article concludes Foresight’s technology review by stating that “Foresight’s
software creates dense 3D point clouds....Foresight’s software product appears to be one of the best current options.”
According
to a market research by ResearchInChina, published in April 2019, active safety (including night vision and stereo cameras) is
the fastest growing segment of automotive equipment, and the market size is expected to reach $30 billion in 2025.
Automobile
manufacturers today have already commercialized vehicles with Level 1 and Level 2 features, and some have even commenced commercializing
Level 3 ADAS systems.
Challenges
of Autonomous Driving
We
believe that in order to achieve Level 4 and Level 5 capabilities, among others, the following developments are required: (i)
a robust all-weather, day and night 3D environment sensor; (ii) combined software and algorithms that can handle multiple sensor
inputs together producing the best possible decision when encountering complex road situations; and (iii) the capability to accurately
position a vehicle, specifically in an urban environment, where GPS localization is not sufficiently accurate.
Autonomous
driving is based on three main pillars: sensory, processing, and execution.
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Sensory -
Achieved by using different sensory technologies, including cameras, ultrasonic sensors, radars, and LiDARs. For partial autonomous
solutions, vehicle manufacturers are using cameras, radars, and ultrasonic sensors. However, higher levels of automation vehicle
manufacturers will require accurate and robust sensors designed for harsh weather conditions thus enabling autonomous driving.
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Processing -
Processing of the information received from the sensors is then performed by the processors and microcontrollers using artificial
intelligence, advanced analytics and machine to machine communication.
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Execution -
Handled by the electronic control unit attached to the actuators, brakes, steering system, gear box, and suspensions.
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Our
vision-based solution meets both sensing and processing requirements of the autonomous solution.
In
the race towards achieving full autonomy, the automotive industry is facing many technological challenges. However, when assessing
such challenges within the sensory context, there are two predominant challenges:
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The ability to
detect any type of obstacle – as autonomous vehicles will need to drive in any possible scenario and face any type
of obstacle (including vehicles, pedestrians or unusual obstacles such as animals, trees, rocks, etc.), the ability to detect
any obstacle is paramount.
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The ability to
detect obstacles under harsh weather and lighting conditions – most testing of autonomous vehicles today is performed
under ideal weather conditions (e.g. during the daytime with sunny weather conditions). An autonomous vehicle will have to
endure any type of weather, including glare, fog, heavy snow or any other extreme weather and lighting conditions.
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The
QuadSight® Automotive Vision System
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Our QuadSight system,
a quad-camera multi-spectral vision system, consists of software, based on a chip, and hardware (camera and processors) that
we can customize to a customer’s needs. QuadSight is powered by advanced and proven image processing algorithms and
sensor fusion. The system uses a four-camera technology that combines two sets of stereoscopic infrared and visible-light
cameras, enabling highly accurate and reliable obstacle detection. We offer our QuadSight solution in different configurations
to meet customer needs: (i) as a complete system; (ii) software license or (iii) system on chip, or SoC.
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The
system is designed to achieve near 100% obstacle detection with the lowest rates of false alerts, under harsh weather and lighting
conditions, including complete darkness, rain, haze, fog and glare.
In
contrast to other technologies, QuadSight is a passive sensor that does not emit any energy during operation. As a result, the
QuadSight system does not interfere with other systems and is hazard-free.
In
January 2020, we announced the development of significant advanced features for our QuadSight vision system. The new features
include automatic calibration, 3D point cloud and multispectral sensor fusion. The features were developed to meet customer requirements
following successful evaluation of several QuadSight system prototypes purchased over the course of 2019.
We
believe that our QuadSight multispectral vision system is the key component that will solve the two main challenges of detecting
any obstacle and allowing autonomous vehicles to safely endure extreme weather and lighting conditions.
For
Level 3, 4 and 5 automated vehicles, we plan to introduce our QuadSight system to autonomous vehicle manufacturers and Tier One
automotive system integrators.
Our
QuadSight vision solution includes software modules of automatic calibration, sensor fusion and dense 3D point cloud. These modules
can be applied to different markets such as automotive, defense, autonomous vehicles and heavy industrial equipment.
Automatic
Calibration Solution
Stereoscopic
vision systems require continuous camera calibration in order to create an accurate stereoscopic 3D perception. External factors,
such as small vibrations or temperature changes, trigger miscalibration. A
miscalibrated system may lead to inaccurate 3D perception of the environment and affect the decision-making mechanism of any automated
system.
We
have developed a proprietary automatic calibration software solution designed to ensure that stereo cameras remain calibrated
at all times regardless of their configuration or position on a vehicle, in order to create accurate and continuous depth perception.
In
September 2020, we announced the completion of a commercial version of our groundbreaking automatic calibration software, which
allows us to offer this software also as a standalone product. The automatic calibration solution allows vehicle manufacturers
flexible placement of sensors, whether on a rigid base or as separate units, while ensuring accurate perception and improving
the sensors’ detection capabilities. In addition, this solution is suitable for different levels of autonomy and can be
deployed even on vehicles equipped with level 1 or level 2 autonomy levels, as well as within existing vehicles equipped with
stereo vision sensors.
In
addition to applications of the automatic calibration solution in the automotive world, we are looking into different markets
that can benefit from our proprietary innovation such as unmanned ground systems, aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles and drones,
medical robotics, manufacturing, and mobile phones.
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Calibrated
depth map using Foresight’s automatic calibration solution
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Real
scene captured by visible-light cameras
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Competition
Semi
and fully autonomous vehicle markets are considered relatively new markets with increasing competition and a great potential for
sensor module and system providers. For our QuadSight system, we believe that our main competitors are dedicated, large companies
focusing on technologies that enable detection in adverse weather conditions such as radar and LiDAR technologies. As the automotive
industry comes to understand the value that thermal cameras have to offer to autonomous vehicles, the number of thermal cameras
manufacturers and providers are expected to increase. To the best of our knowledge, Foresight is still the only company that uses
thermal imaging in a stereoscopic configuration, allowing us to generate an accurate depth map and offer a unique dense 3D point
cloud based on thermal cameras. Additionally, as the world of stereo vision is moving towards enhancing existing stereo systems,
there are a few companies that offer extended stereo capabilities, similar to our automatic calibration solution.
Many
of our competitors, either on their own or through their strategic partners, enjoy better brand recognition and have substantially
greater financial, technical, manufacturing, marketing and human resources than we do. These competitors also have significantly
greater experience in the research and development of automotive sensors and a better infrastructure and are already commercializing
those products around the world.
Sales
and Marketing
We
launched our QuadSight demo system in the first quarter of 2018 at the Consumers Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The proof
of concept of the system was completed by the third quarter of 2018 and we have performed numerous live technological demonstrations
to potential customers and collected data from road trials.
A
typical sales cycle of our QuadSight vision system, or of the different modules we offer, consists primarily of the following
steps:
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Technological demonstrations
– We perform real-time demonstrations of the QuadSight system to offer potential strategic partners the chance to experience
the QuadSight system in real time and gain a better understanding of its outstanding detection capabilities. The demonstrations
consist of testing the QuadSight system in different predefined scenarios on the customer’s premises. The scenarios
simulate obstacle detection in challenging weather and lighting conditions. Other forms of demonstrations may include performing
tests and calculations on data received from potential prospects in order to prove our system’s capabilities
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Purchase of a QuadSight
prototype - The QuadSight prototype is an evaluation kit comprised of four cameras, a monitor and a mini PC. The purpose of
this evaluation kit is for customers to test the capabilities and performance of our unique stereoscopic technology. Sales
of prototype systems allow us to gain a deeper understanding of the customers’ main requirements. Where software modules
are concerned, we provide extensive technological analytics and software demonstrations that may replace the need to purchase
a prototype system.
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Co-Development project
- Once a prototype system or a software module is tested and evaluated, the customer provides feedback and both parties enter
a co-development project in which our QuadSight software is modified to meet the specific requirements of the specific customer.
Revenues from a co-development stage can reach hundreds of thousands of US$, depending on the size and scope of the co-development
project
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Design win stage
– entering an agreement for commercial production with volume ranging in the tens of thousands all the way to hundreds
of thousands of units/software licenses per year over a period of 8-10 years
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The
QuadSight solution is offered in different configurations to meet customer needs:
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1.
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Software license
for generating accurate object detection in harsh weather and lighting conditions based on visible-light cameras and the long-wave
infrared camera configuration. Our software modules, such as the automatic calibration, sensor fusion and dense 3D point cloud
software, are also offered as a software license.
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2.
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SoC: consists of
an automotive graded board and image processing software.
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3.
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A complete system:
consists of image processing software, SoC, and four cameras.
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To
date, we have sold eleven prototype systems and demonstrated our products to many leading passenger and commercial manufacturers
in Europe, Japan, the United States and China, as well as to Elbit Systems Land Ltd., a leading defense company in Israel, which
we have already signed a commercial agreement with. We aim to sell additional prototype systems and make additional technical
demonstrations in 2021. These systems and demonstrations allow the customers to test and evaluate the performance of our technology.
Following the testing and evaluation of our technology, we will tailor the products to each customer’s individual needs.
We intend to build a global commercial infrastructure to effectively support the commercialization of our products. Meaningful
commercialization efforts will commence when we believe that the completion of a release-candidate version of a given product
is imminent.
We
achieved a number of significant milestones in 2020. For example, in April 2020, we signed a strategic cooperation agreement with
FLIR Systems, Inc., the world’s largest and leading commercial company specializing in the design and production of thermal
imaging cameras, components, and imaging sensors. According to the agreement, FLIR will develop, market and distribute our QuadSight
vision system, combined with FLIR Systems’ infrared cameras, to a wide range of prospective customers. In May 2020, we joined
the All Weather Autonomous Real logistics operations and Demonstrations (AWARD) Consortium. The AWARD Consortium, which also includes
participants, such as Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG, Terberg Benschop BV. and EasyMile, among others, applied to the European
Commission to win funding for a large-scale project aimed to develop and safely operate autonomous heavy-duty vehicles in harsh
weather conditions. In December 2020, the European Commission awarded a grant of nearly 20 million Euros for the AWARD consortium.
Foresight will provide its QuadSight® multispectral vision solution to the project and is expected to receive approximately
$1 million, out of which approximately $0.5 million has been received.
Additionally,
in May 2020, we announced the sale of a prototype of our QuadSight system to a leading, multi-billion-dollar European Tier One
supplier of subsystems for rail and commercial vehicles. The sale took place following successful technological demonstrations
in Germany. The global self-driving commercial market is expected to be valued at $1 billion in 2020. Two more QuadSight system
prototypes were ordered in July 2020 by the automotive solutions business unit of a multi-billion-dollar global Chinese technology
company. The technology company may use our technology to improve its autonomous vehicle and safety solutions, and the prototype
sales could result in future collaboration.
In
July 2020, we received two orders for product development and customization from Elbit Systems Land Ltd., a subsidiary of the
leading Israeli defense company Elbit Systems. According to the orders, we have supplied a QuadSight prototype system with wide-angle
field-of-view detection capabilities to meet Elbit Systems’ specific requirements. The modified prototype enhances the QuadSight
system’s ability to detect objects in a wider area of the road ahead.
In
November 2020, we completed integration of our QuadSight® software on the NVIDIA® Jetson AGX Xavier™ platform, enabling
shuttles, agriculture equipment and heavy equipment machines to operate Foresight’s stereoscopic obstacle detection software.
We also joined the NVIDIA Inception program, providing go-to-market support, technological assistance and expertise to AI startups
using NVIDIA processing units.
In
December 2020, we announced that we will join the 2021 startup cohort at the University of Michigan’s TechLab at MCity.
During the one-year program, we will work with students from the University of Michigan to further develop our automotive vision
system designed for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and autonomous vehicles. The team will be mentored by our Head of Algorithm
and other leading employees.
While
we are completing the development of the QuadSight system, our focus remains on increasing public awareness of our company by
showcasing our unique technology. We participated in several leading exhibitions and conferences worldwide and have dedicated
substantial efforts and resources to public relations.
The
QuadSight system also gained industry recognition by winning several prestigious technology and innovation awards:
|
○
|
2019
CES Innovation Awards Honoree in the Vehicle Intelligence and Self-driving Technology
category;
|
|
○
|
2019
Edison Awards Gold winner in the Autonomous Vehicle category; and
|
|
○
|
2020
BIG Innovation Awards winner, presented by the Business Intelligence Group.
|
Over
the course of 2021, we will continue to seek opportunities that will allow us to enter into commercial agreements with vehicle
manufacturers and Tier One automotive suppliers and system integrators for our QuadSight system.
Additional
Markets
In
2020, we identified new markets suitable for our unique technology that enables obstacle detection in harsh weather and terrain
conditions, including the defense market, the heavy industrial equipment market and the agriculture market. Compared to the traditional
automotive market, these markets have an immediate potential in terms of commercialization, and we believe they can be a source
of relatively short-term revenues. Although the defense, heavy equipment and agriculture markets differ from the main market that
we are targeting, the QuadSight system is also suitable for these markets and does not require dedicated development. We believe
that entering these new markets will allow us to expand and improve our current product capabilities and open new opportunities.
Defense
Market
ADAS
and autonomous technology offer many advantages on the battlefield. Defense vehicles must be able to adapt to complex conflict
zones and operate in the harshest environmental conditions, including off-road driving and zero-visibility sandstorms. One major
advantage of our QuadSight technology over other sensors is the ability to provide high detection capabilities while remaining
passive (without emitting energy), allowing vehicles to be undetected by enemies in the battlefield, in contrast to other systems
that use radar and LIDAR that can be easily detected. According to a recent report from Global Fire Power, as of 2020, the defense
vehicle market size includes over 300,000 armored fighting vehicles and 100,000 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) in service worldwide.
Heavy
Industrial Equipment Market
Adding
ADAS and autonomous capabilities to heavy industrial equipment vehicles brings a host of benefits. These vehicles require significant
investments, enabling them to operate during inclement weather and poor lighting conditions. These vehicles must be able to sense
and avoid specific objects, including people, animals and other machinery, at all times.
According
to a report from Zion Market Research in March 2019, the global heavy construction equipment market was valued at $145 billion
in 2018 and is expected to reach $231.3 billion by 2025. According to Preco, a leading vendor for collision mitigation technology
optimized for heavy-duty equipment, 18% of the users of heavy industrial equipment vehicles already have a system for collision
mitigation and 48% of the users would consider installing such a system.
Agricultural
Equipment Market
Stereoscopic
vision technology can add advanced capabilities to existing agricultural stereo systems. The strong interest in precision agriculture
has led to a growing interest in stereo technology for generating 3D maps of agriculture equipment surroundings. Our stereo vision
solution provides 3D raw data for obstacle detection, creating 3D terrain maps for precision agriculture, enabling autonomous
navigation and automated grain loading. In addition, Foresight’s automatic calibration solution optimizes existing stereo
systems used in agriculture vehicles by overcoming miscalibration challenges caused by changes in temperature and equipment vibrations.
According
to a March 2020 report by MarketsandMarkets, the precision farming market is estimated to be USD 7.0 billion in 2020 and is projected
to reach USD 12.8 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 12.7% between 2020 and 2025.
COVID-19
Symptom Detection Mass Screening Solution
The
COVID-19 pandemic caused us to consider ways in which our technology can help society overcome the crisis. Because our products
make use of sophisticated thermal cameras, artificial intelligence and advanced algorithms, we believe that we were well positioned
to create a mass screening solution for COVID-19 symptoms. In June 2020, we submitted a U.S. patent application for fast and accurate
detection of six COVID-19 symptoms.
We
believe that a mass screening solution is essential to allow the world to safely return to events and services with large population
flows, including concerts, sporting events, and public transportation.
Over
the past six months, we conducted several successful pilot projects in Israel and presented our solution at the SEECAT 2020 exhibition
in Japan and at the GITEX Future Stars 2020 conference in the United Arab Emirates.
Currently
we are continuing the commercialization efforts for our COVID-19 symptom detection solution, despite the fact that the world is
slowly returning to pre-pandemic activities thanks to active vaccination campaigns.
Vehicle-to
Everything (V2X) Solution – Eye-Net Mobile
Vehicle-to-everything,
or V2X, communication is a wireless technology that enables communication between vehicles, infrastructure, grid, home, and network.
This revolutionary technology promises to transform the automotive industry in the future. V2X technology enables better traffic
management and is expected to improve traffic congestion, thereby enhancing the active performance of vehicles. V2X technology
may also lead to more efficient gas consumption and improvements in location accuracy and positioning.
V2X
technology can be segmented based on the communication medium: vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-pedestrian
(V2P), vehicle-to-grid (V2G), vehicle-to-cloud (V2C), and vehicle-to-device (V2D). The rapid technological advancements that have
recently transpired have paved the way for semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicles, which have a wide range of applications in
V2X communication technology domain.
V2X
technology optimizes traffic flow, increases traffic safety, saves time, reduces emissions, maximizes the benefits of transportation
for both commercial users and the general public, and increases the convenience factor of the driver and passengers. Automated
driver assistance systems and intelligent traffic systems are the major application areas of V2X technology.
Market
Opportunity
According
to a February 2020 report released by the World Health Organization, approximately 1.35 million people die each year as a result
of road traffic crashes.
V2X
communication provides features such as intersection collision warning, obstacle detection, lane change assistance, lane departure
warning, rollover warning, road departure warning, forward collision warning and rear impact warning. The increasing demand for
real-time traffic and incident alerts that help to increase public safety is driving the growth of the automotive V2X market in
automated driver assistance. On the other hand, restraints such as lack of cellular connectivity coverage in developing countries
and the growing costs imposed on consumers can hinder market growth.
According
to a January 2021 Industry Forecast by Allied Market Research, covering the period of 2020 to 2027, the global automotive V2X
market was valued at $2.57 billion in 2019, and is projected to reach $11.72 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 28.4%. Europe
was the highest revenue contributor, accounting for $851.8 million in 2019, and is estimated to reach $3.03 billion by 2027, with
a CAGR of 24.4%.
Factors
such increased adoption of connected cars and a rise in urbanization & industrialization are expected to drive the market
growth. In addition, future potential of 5G & artificial intelligence (AI) technology coupled with the advancements in cellular-V2X
technology and developments in semi-autonomous & autonomous vehicles are expected to offer profitable opportunities for the
automotive V2X market growth during the forecast period.
Available
technology and challenges for V2X communication
The
V2X landscape is divided into two main segments:
|
●
|
Hardware-based solutions,
which uses either Dedicated Short-Range Communications, or DSRC, or cellular-based communication, or CV2X; and
|
|
●
|
Software-based cellular
V2X solutions.
|
Hardware-based
solutions require costly and complex designated hardware. As the technology is not fully certified, there are standardization
concerns. Hardware-based solutions are intended primarily to be installed in vehicles, providing only partial coverage, leaving
vulnerable users (pedestrians, cyclists, etc.) unprotected. The use of DSRC technology increases the number of emitting units
on the road (in addition to vehicle sensors and mobile phones), as it requires a separate communication band which emits additional
energy. In addition, the market penetration cycle time is long due to regulatory concerns.
Software-based
cellular V2X solutions rely on existing infrastructure and do not require special certification. Using intuitive applications
for smartphones and SIM-based car infotainment systems, software-based solutions have a short market penetration cycle.
The
above-mentioned industry forecast also claims that cellular V2X technology is designed to be compatible with upcoming 5G network
technologies which will be used as the ultimate platforms to enable cooperative intelligent transport systems services and technology.
Cellular V2X can be applied in use cases such as autonomous driving, platooning, vehicle safety and traffic efficiency which require
efficient communication technology and is expected to offer profitable growth opportunities for automotive V2X market.
The
Eye-Net Products
|
|
Eye-Net
Protect is an intuitive and easy-to-use cellular-based V2X solution that provides real-time pre-collision alerts to drivers
and vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, scooter drivers, etc., by using smartphones and relying on
existing cellular networks.
The
solution calculates user location and collision probability 10 times per second and utilizes a sophisticated probability
analysis for spatial cross-correlation of bearing, velocity and acceleration to determine an imminent collision, with
near zero false alarm rate.
Eye-Net’s
unique V2X collision prediction and prevention software-based platform incorporates AI-powered algorithms that enhance
accuracy, predict collisions, reduce latency and optimize device resource consumption.
Designed
to provide a complementary layer of protection beyond traditional ADAS, Eye-Net Protect extends protection to road users who are
not in direct line of sight, and not covered by other alerting systems and sensors.
|
The
Eye-Net Protect solution aims to solve three main limitations of conventional ADAS systems:
|
●
|
Conventional ADAS
systems analyze threats and monitor potential hazards that are within the sensor’s field of view. Eye-Net is the first
available solution today that aims to foresee collisions much before any sensor, when the threat is still beyond line of sight.
|
|
●
|
Conventional ADAS
systems alert the driver and provide autonomous indications to the vehicle. Eye-Net alerts the driver and other vulnerable
road users (pedestrians, cyclists, scooter drivers) that have no available real-time safety aids about oncoming vehicles and
allows them to take an active part in preventing accidents.
|
|
●
|
While conventional
ADAS sensor performance is compromised by harsh weather conditions (snow, fog, rain, etc.), Eye-Net uses robust cellular infrastructure
that is not affected by any weather or lighting conditions, thus allowing uninterrupted operation and continuous road-user
protection.
|
Eye-Net
Mobile develops three software-based products:
Eye-Net
Protect (Market penetration – ready for commercial deployment)
A
mobile client or mobile software development kit, or SDK, providing real-time pre-collision alerts to vulnerable road users and
vehicles by using smartphones, relying on existing cellular networks. This is the core development of Eye-Net Mobile. Eye-Net
Protect’s unique features and capabilities include:
|
●
|
Protects
most road users - vulnerable & drivers
|
|
●
|
Works
under all weather and lighting conditions
|
|
●
|
Exceptionally
accurate design with near zero false alerts
|
|
●
|
Identifies
threats outside the field of view
|
|
●
|
Runs
as a background process on iOS & Android mobile phones
|
|
●
|
Compatible
with 3.5G, 4G, LTE, 4.5G networks and is 5G ready
|
|
●
|
Relies
on existing cellular infrastructures
|
|
●
|
GDPR
compliant - Anonymous service. No registration required.
|
Eye-Net
Analyze:
A
standalone application tailored for infotainment systems providing real-time alerts and notifications about road safety events
and enhanced map information.
Eye-Net
Predict:
A
state-of-the-art artificial intelligence system predicting safety trends and providing actionable insights based on big data collected
from Eye-Net users.
In
December 2019, we completed the SDK configuration of the Eye-Net Protect solution. An SDK configuration indicates commercial engagement
readiness and will allow Eye-Net Mobile to integrate its solution with leading location-based applications, such as navigation,
ridesharing, parking and fitness applications. This configuration will enable rapid market penetration, providing a life-saving
accident prevention solution that is readily available for deployment.
Competition
There
are many companies competing in the V2X communication market, including vehicle manufacturers and automotive Tier One suppliers,
the majority of which are pushing for CV2X (hardware-based) protocols. To the best of our knowledge, there are only a few other
companies that have attempted to develop a V2X cellular-based solution similar to Eye-Net Mobile that relies on application and
cellular infrastructure. As far as we know, none of our competitors has reached product completion and deployment readiness stage
for a V2X product.
Sales
and Marketing
Eye-Net
Mobile focuses on increasing public awareness of its products and technology by conducting controlled public trials and participating
in conferences worldwide. The Eye-Net Protect solution was first launched in February 2019 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona,
the world’s largest mobile conference.
In
2020, Eye-Net Mobile identified several markets that may benefit from its unique accident prevention solution suite:
Micro
mobility - The shared urban mobility landscape creates numerous safety concerns for riders and pedestrians. Micro mobility
riders, unlike cars, lack any kind of safety warning system to avoid accidents. Eye-Net’s collision prediction and prevention
solution answers a real need for a simple, hands-free, camera-free situational awareness and road safety solution that can be
incorporated on any micro mobility vehicle, shared or owned. Relying on communication between smartphones through a dedicated
app, the all-around solution is accessible to anyone and with any vehicle, for real-time pre-collision alerts anywhere, at any
time.
Motorcycles
- Among the most vulnerable road users, motorcyclists lack warning systems and are especially vulnerable to side impact collisions.
Particularly common at intersections, T-bone accidents are often caused by distracted driving and the motorcycle’s low visibility
on the road.
The
increasing demand for integration of safety systems in motorcycles aligns with the critical need to protect these vulnerable road
users from serious motor vehicle crashes. Eye-Net’s collision prediction and prevention solution provides real-time alerts
that meet the unique safety needs of motorcyclists. Featuring beyond line-of-sight capabilities, Eye-Net gives a highly accurate
road picture, capable of foreseeing potential side-impact collisions, and ultimately – saving lives.
Automotive
- Sophisticated ADAS systems improve driver safety– but none of them can see what’s coming from around the corner.
Eye-Net’s solution brings a new paradigm in road safety, with an anytime, anywhere collision detection system that extends
the field of view beyond line-of-sight, accurately identifying potential collisions and sending an alert in real time, to complement
commonly used ADAS solutions. Cars equipped with in-vehicle infotainment systems integrated with beyond line-of-sight warning
capability enhance all-around protection for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
Smart
City - The ability to interconnect between smart mobility and smart cities is key to improving road safety for all road users
in the urban ecosystem, and in planning for a sustainable Vision Zero future. Infrastructure optimization has the added benefit
of enabling effective smart city planning for smarter mobility, to shorten “last mile” distances and achieve a safer,
more efficient and environmentally friendly urban landscape.
Eye-Net’s
cellular-based collision prediction and prevention solution interconnects smart mobility and smart cities, to achieve city-wide
road safety. The scalable and flexible solution seamlessly connects to the city infrastructure and relies on communication between
smartphones through a dedicated app.
Mobile
Network Operators
The
interconnection of vehicles, micro mobility devices, infrastructure and vulnerable road users represents a unique opportunity
for mobile network operators to enhance road safety. Eye-Net’s anytime, anywhere, and all-around collision detection system
utilizes interconnected cellular-based V2X communication to provide comprehensive protection for vulnerable road users and pedestrians.
The solution uses existing cellular infrastructures and is compatible with 3G, 4G and 5G networks.
Mobile
network operators can enhance the service offered to subscribers without the need for a dedicated device – built-in as part
of a cellular offering to incorporate as part of the infrastructure for safe cities to residents, in cooperation with road authorities,
and for all transportation markets – micro mobility, motorcycle, and automotive.
In
2020, Eye-Net Mobile achieved several significant milestones:
In
March 2020, Eye-Net Mobile signed a collaboration agreement with NoTraffic Ltd. NoTraffic developed a proprietary Autonomous Traffic
Management Platform solution that enables cities to intelligently implement their traffic policy in order to maximize traffic
flow, reduce congestion, prioritize different types of vehicles, and prevent accidents. According to the agreement, the companies
will collaborate to develop and optimize the technological abilities of Eye-Net Mobile’s cellular-based V2X accident prevention
solution and NoTraffic’s intelligent traffic management solution. Following the completion of joint development, the companies
will promote the integration and commercialization of the combined solution with various municipalities in North America and throughout
the world.
In
August 2020, Eye-Net Mobile announced the launch of two pilot projects with leading Japanese multinational companies: the first
pilot project is with a global Japanese technology company, and the second pilot project is with a multinational Japanese electronics
company. These pilot project pursue the company’s strategy of achieving a critical mass of users in a single geographic
area to demonstrate the technology’s potential for preventing accidents and saving lives.
In
October 2020, Eye-Net Mobile announced a distribution agreement with Cornes Technologies, a leading Japanese trading house. According
to the agreement, Cornes Technologies will promote the Eye-Net™ cellular-based accident prevention suite in products and
applications of third parties in Japan. The distribution agreement follows multiple successful pilot projects with Japanese multinational
companies, as well as ongoing interest from additional Japanese companies.
In
January 2021 another pilot project was announced with the intelligent transport system division of a multi-billion-dollar global
Japanese vehicle manufacturer. The pilot project will be used to validate and evaluate the software development kit (SDK) configuration
of the Eye-Net solution for possible integration into the vehicle manufacturer’s smart city project. In March 2021, Eye-Net
successfully completed a controlled trial of its Eye-Net Protect solution which is part of the pilot project with the Japanese
vehicle manufacturer. The vehicle manufacturer reviewed the performance of the Eye-Net Protect solution and subsequently concluded
it is a valid option for the safety traffic system of its smart city project. Following the results of the first phase, the vehicle
manufacturer will initiate technical discussions between Eye-Net and the smart city constructor, progressing towards possible
integration into its smart city project.
In
February 2021, Eye-Net Mobile signed an agreement with WunderCar Mobility Solutions, a German-based software, vehicles and service
provider that enables companies and cities worldwide to launch and scale new mobility services. According to the agreement, Eye-Net
will be included in Wunder Mobility’s Marketplace online platform and will introduce its Eye-Net Protect accident prevention
solution to potential global corporate customers seeking mobility tech-focused applications.
Eye-Net
Mobile also announced in February 2021 that it will conduct technological demonstrations over the 5G cellular network in collaboration
with the innovation labs of a top multinational European cellular provider to test its Eye-Net™ Protect cellular-based vehicle-to-everything
(V2X) accident prevention solution. The demonstrations will be used to test the software development kit (SDK) configuration and
performance of the Eye-Net solution in controlled environment scenarios. Successful demonstrations of Eye-Net Protect’s
V2X capabilities may lead to a pilot project with the cellular provider.
In
March 20201, Eye-Mobile signed a commercial cooperation agreement with SaverOne 2014 Ltd., a leader in providing an effective
solution for cell phone distracted driving. According to the agreement, Eye-Net will integrate its Eye-Net™ Protect solution
in SaverOne’s product designed to prevent the use of texting applications by the driver while the vehicle is in motion.
The agreement also contemplates that SaverOne will introduce Eye-Net to certain companies with which it has business relationships,
in consideration for 10% of the revenues received by Eye-Net under a commercial transaction with a third party introduced by SaverOne.
In turn, Eye-Net will introduce SaverOne to Japanese vehicle manufacturers and business entities with which Eye-Net has business
relationships.
Investment
in Railway Safety
We
are leveraging our unique expertise in advanced image processing algorithms and Computer vision technology into the rail industry. As
of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F, we hold a 19.34% stake (15.83% fully diluted) in Rail Vision Ltd., or Rail Vision, a
development stage company focused on train safety, accident prevention and enhanced efficiency in the rail industry. Rail Vision develops a unique system for railway safety, based on image processing technology, to provide early
warning to drivers of hazards on and around the railway track, in severe weather conditions and all lighting conditions.
Rail Vision develops
solutions for a number of segments in the railway market, such as:
|
§
|
Main Line traffic (passenger and freight trains);
|
|
§
|
Shunting Yard Operation; and
|
|
§
|
Light Rail Vehicles (LRV) operating in urban
environments.
|
Rail Vision’s Main Line
System is specially designed to detect and classify obstacles – i.e. humans, animals, vehicles, signals, and infrastructure components
– on and along rail tracks at a distance of up to 2,000 meters and helps preventing train accidents and increases safety.
For the shunting yard application,
Rail Vision solution enables railway operators to safeguard and automate the shunting yard operation, and can also have the ability to
predict when maintenance on the railway is required.
For LRV application, Rail
Vision’s Urban Rail Vehicle System is specifically designed to identify potentially dangerous situations in urban traffic, on the
track or on station platforms. The system detects and classifies obstacles within the predefined area of interest at a range of typically
up to 200 meters. In case of a potentially dangerous situation, it generates visual and acoustic alerts and is also appliable on remotely
controlled and autonomous vehicles.
In addition, Rail Vision’s
systems can be integrated into the train’s other sub systems, and can be scale up based on its existing components which allow to
facilitate emergency autonomous actions, such as halting acceleration, braking once an obstacle is detected, sounding a horn and flashing
lights.
In
April 2020, Rail Vision Ltd received its first commercial order from affiliate of Knorr-Bremse AG in Switzerland to supply an
Assisted Remote Shunting (ARS) prototype system and an Operational Functional Test (OFT) for a total value of approximately 500,000
Euro to a leading European train operator. A successful testing of Rail Vision’s
ARS prototype could entail the purchase of approximately 30 ARS systems for an additional 2.5 million Euro. In September 2020, Rail
Vision signed a commercial agreement with an affiliate of Knorr-Bremse AG (KB) to supply Rail Vision’s ARS systems to the
leading European train operator. According to the terms of the agreement, the train operator may choose to purchase 30 ARS systems,
and may then exercise the option to purchase an additional 45 ARS systems.
In
December 2020, Rail Vision entered the multi-billion-dollar electrically powered light rail market with an order for two system
samples from KB. Additionally, KB ordered the customization of system features according to its requirements. Revenue from the
sale is expected to total approximately 400,000 Euro.
In
October 2020, KB made a follow-on investment of $10 million in Rail Vision. Following the additional investment, KB owns 36.79%
of Rail Vision’s outstanding capital. The investment reflected Rail Vision’s post-money valuation of approximately
$50 million.
Intellectual
Property
We
seek patent and trademark protection as well as other effective intellectual property rights for our products and technologies
in the United States and internationally. Our policy is to pursue, maintain and defend intellectual property rights developed
internally and to protect the technology, inventions and improvements that are commercially important to the development of our
business. We have a growing portfolio of two granted U.S. patents and two full U.S. applications, three full applications with
the Israeli Patent Office, three applications in China, four applications in Europe, four U.S. provisional applications and one
application in Japan. A provisional patent application is a preliminary application that establishes a priority date for the patenting
process for the invention concerned and provides certain provisional patent rights. We cannot be certain that patents will be
granted with respect to any of our pending patent applications or with respect to any patent applications filed by us in the future,
nor can we be sure that any of our existing patents or any patents granted to us in the future will be commercially useful in
protecting our technology. Despite our efforts to protect our intellectual property, any of our intellectual property and proprietary
rights could be challenged, invalidated, circumvented, infringed or misappropriated, or such intellectual property and proprietary
rights may not be sufficient to permit us to take advantage of current market trends or otherwise to provide competitive advantages.
For more information, please see “Risks Related to our Intellectual Property.”
On
January 5, 2016, we entered into an asset transfer agreement with Magna whereby Magna transferred to us certain intellectual property
rights and assets in the field of vehicle safety. The asset transfer agreement became effective retroactively on October 11, 2015.
In addition, and since the date of our Merger, Magna has provided us with certain services, primarily with respect to the design
and development of algorithms and ADAS designated computer vision software.
In
addition to patent protection, we have also filed trademark applications for the purpose of preserving rights to the identity
of our products. Three trademark applications were filed in Israel two of them have already been granted and the third one is
waiting for examination. Three additional applications were filed under the Madrid protocol, one of them has been granted in the
United States, Europe and Japan. The second and the third applications have been granted in Europe only. While we pay great attention
to its trademark rights and to the avoidance of disputes relating to its products, there is no assurance that third parties may
not allege that a use of our trademarks constitutes infringement of third-party trademark rights or other rights. However, when
registration of our trademarks is perfected we expect that the danger of any such adverse occurrence will be minimized or avoided
entirely.
Research
and Development
For
the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, we incurred approximately $8,563,000, $10,209,891 and $8,637,947, respectively,
of research and development expense.
Through
Foresight Automotive, we have a development services agreement with Magna, pursuant to which Magna provides Foresight Automotive
with software development services in consideration of monthly payments at agreed upon rates for each of Magna’s employees,
not to exceed the aggregate monthly consideration of NIS 235,000 (NIS 200,000 until January 1, 2019) plus VAT. We expect that
the services provided by Magna will decrease as we hire additional employees and expand our in-house capabilities.
Grants
from the Israel Innovation Authority
Our
research and development efforts are financed in part through royalty-bearing grants from the IIA. As of December 31, 2020, we
have received the aggregate amount of approximately $661,000 from the IIA for the development of our technology. With respect
to such grants we are committed to pay certain royalties up to the total grant amount. Regardless of any royalty payment, we are
further required to comply with the requirements of the Research Law, with respect to those past grants. When a company develops
know-how, technology or products using IIA grants, the terms of these grants and the Research Law restrict the transfer of such
know-how, and the transfer of manufacturing or manufacturing rights of such products, technologies or know-how outside of Israel,
without the prior approval of the IIA. We do not believe that these requirements will materially restrict us in any way.
C.
|
Organizational
Structure.
|
Magna
B.S.P. Ltd., a private company incorporated in Israel, holds approximately 11.14% of our issued and outstanding share capital
as of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F. We currently have one wholly owned subsidiary: Foresight Automotive. In addition,
Foresight Automotive has one wholly owned subsidiary, Eye-Net Mobile, which are private companies incorporated in the State of
Israel.
D.
|
Property, Plant
and Equipment.
|
Our
offices and research and development facility are located at the Science Industrial Park in Ness Ziona, Israel, where we currently
occupy approximately 11,000 square feet. We lease our facilities, and our lease ends on March 31, 2024. Our monthly rent payment
is NIS 72,260 (approximately $22,000).
ITEM
4A.
|
UNRESOLVED
STAFF COMMENTS
|
Not
applicable.
ITEM
5.
|
OPERATING
AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The
following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our
consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this annual report on Form 20-F. The discussion
below contains forward-looking statements that are based upon our current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes
in circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to inaccurate assumptions and known or unknown
risks and uncertainties, including those identified in “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and
under “Risk Factors” elsewhere in this annual report on Form 20-F. Our discussion and analysis for the year ended
December 31, 2019 can be found in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC
on March 31, 2020.
Overview
We
are a technology company engaged in the design, development and commercialization of sensor systems for the automotive industry.
Through our wholly owned subsidiaries, Foresight Automotive and Eye-Net Mobile, we develop both “in-line-of-sight”
vision systems and “beyond-line-of-site” cellular-based applications. Our vision sensor is a four-camera system based
on 3D video analysis, advanced algorithms for image processing and sensor fusion. Our cellular-based application is a V2X (vehicle-to-everything)
accident prevention solution based on real-time multi-agents positioning algorithms. Our systems are designed to increase safety
by enabling highly accurate and reliable threat detection while ensuring the lowest rates of false alerts. Each of our systems
is designed, developed and commercialized by one of our subsidiaries. Our subsidiaries, all of which are located in our corporate
headquarters, benefit from our collective engineering, operating, regulatory and marketing infrastructure to support their respective
activities.
Operating
Expenses
Our
current operating expenses consist of three components — research and development expenses, marketing and sales
expenses and general and administrative expenses.
Research
and development expenses, net
Our
research and development expenses consist primarily of salaries and related personnel expenses, subcontracted work and consulting
and other related research and development expenses.
The
following table discloses the breakdown of research and development expenses:
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|
U.S. dollars in thousands
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
Payroll and related expenses
|
|
|
5,922
|
|
|
|
5,679
|
|
Subcontracted work and consulting
|
|
|
1,534
|
|
|
|
3,123
|
|
Share-based payment to service provider
|
|
|
67
|
|
|
|
37
|
|
Rent and office maintenance
|
|
|
671
|
|
|
|
720
|
|
Travel expenses
|
|
|
54
|
|
|
|
236
|
|
Other
|
|
|
415
|
|
|
|
492
|
|
Sales of prototypes
|
|
|
(100
|
)
|
|
|
(77
|
)
|
Total
|
|
|
8,563
|
|
|
|
10,210
|
|
We
expect that our research and development expenses will increase as we will need to recruit more employees as we move closer to
commercialization of our products.
Marketing
and sales
Our
marketing and sales expenses consist primarily of salaries and related personnel expenses, consultants, exhibitions and travel
expenses and other marketing and sales expenses.
The
following table discloses the breakdown of marketing and sales expenses:
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|
U.S. dollars in thousands
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
Payroll and related expenses
|
|
|
833
|
|
|
|
870
|
|
Exhibitions, conventions and travel expenses
|
|
|
175
|
|
|
|
172
|
|
Consultants
|
|
|
178
|
|
|
|
212
|
|
Other
|
|
|
82
|
|
|
|
96
|
|
Total
|
|
|
1,268
|
|
|
|
1,350
|
|
General
and administrative
General
and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and related personnel expenses, professional service fees (for accounting,
legal, bookkeeping, intellectual property and facilities), directors fees and insurance and other general and administrative expenses.
The
following table discloses the breakdown of general and administrative expenses:
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|
U.S. dollars in thousands
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
Payroll and related expenses
|
|
|
1,342
|
|
|
|
1,534
|
|
Share-based payment to service providers
|
|
|
128
|
|
|
|
75
|
|
Professional services
|
|
|
926
|
|
|
|
1,151
|
|
Directors fees and insurance
|
|
|
348
|
|
|
|
404
|
|
Travel expenses
|
|
|
14
|
|
|
|
41
|
|
Rent and office maintenance
|
|
|
146
|
|
|
|
195
|
|
Other
|
|
|
101
|
|
|
|
69
|
|
Total
|
|
|
3,005
|
|
|
|
3,469
|
|
Comparison
of the year ended December 31, 2020 to the year ended December 31, 2019.
Results
of Operations
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|
U.S. dollars in thousands
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
Research and development expenses, net
|
|
|
8,563
|
|
|
|
10,210
|
|
Marketing and sales
|
|
|
1,268
|
|
|
|
1,350
|
|
General and administrative
|
|
|
3,005
|
|
|
|
3,469
|
|
Operating loss
|
|
|
12,836
|
|
|
|
15,029
|
|
Equity in net loss of affiliated companies
|
|
|
2,718
|
|
|
|
839
|
|
Financial income, net
|
|
|
(179
|
)
|
|
|
(429
|
)
|
Net loss
|
|
|
15,375
|
|
|
|
15,439
|
|
Loss attributable to holders of Ordinary Shares
|
|
|
15,375
|
|
|
|
15,439
|
|
Research
and development expenses, net
Our
research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 amounted to $8,563,000, representing a decrease of $1,647,000
or 16.1%, compared to approximately $10,210,000 for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily attributable
to decrease in subcontracted services of approximately $1,589,000 and a decrease of approximately $182,000 in travel expenses,
offset by an increase in payroll and related expenses of approximately $243,000. The decrease in research and development expenses
is a result of the reduction in the monthly operating expenses made by the Company during the second quarter of 2020 due to the
COVID-19 outbreak.
Marketing
and sales
Our
marketing and sales expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 amounted to approximately $1,268,000, representing a decrease
of approximately $82,000, or 6%, compared to approximately $1,350,000 for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily
attributable to a decrease in payroll and related expenses of approximately $37,000 and by a decrease of approximately $34,000
in consulting services.
General
and administrative
Our
general and administrative expenses totaled approximately $3,005,000 for the year ended December 31, 2020, a decrease of approximately
$464,000, or 13.4%, compared to approximately $3,469,000 for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily attributable
to a decrease of approximately $192,000 in payroll and related expenses and a decrease in professional services of approximately
$225,000.
Operating
loss
As
a result of the foregoing, our operating loss for the year ended December 31, 2020 was approximately $12,836,000, as compared
to an operating loss of approximately $15,029,000 for the year ended December 31, 2019, a decrease of approximately $2,193,000,
or 14.6%.
Financial
expense and income, net
Financial
expense and income mainly consist of exchange rate differences, bank fees and other transactional costs.
We
recognized a financial income of approximately $179,000 for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to financial income of
$429,000 for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in exchange rate differences
of approximately $601,000 offset by an increase in reevaluation of securities of approximately $85,000 and of other investments
of approximately $324,000.
Net
loss
As
a result of the foregoing, our loss for the year ended December 31, 2020 was approximately $15,375,000, as compared to approximately
$15,439,000 for the year ended December 31, 2019, a decrease of approximately $64,000.
Critical
Accounting Policies and Estimate
We
describe our significant accounting policies more fully in Note 2 to our financial statements for the year ended December 31,
2020. We believe that the accounting policies below are critical in order to fully understand and evaluate our financial condition
and results of operations.
We
prepare our financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. At the time of the preparation of the financial statements, our
management is required to use estimates, evaluations, and assumptions which affect the application of the accounting policy and
the amounts reported for assets, obligations, income, and expenses. Any estimates and assumptions are continually reviewed. The
changes to the accounting estimates are credited during the period in which the change to the estimate is made.
Use
of estimates in the preparation of financial statements:
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect
the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Our management believes that the estimates, judgment
and assumptions used are reasonable based upon information available at the time they are made. These estimates, judgment and
assumptions can affect reported amounts and disclosures made. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Non-Marketable
equity securities:
Equity
investments without readily determinable fair value are carried at cost minus impairment, if any. When an observable price change
in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer has occurred, the Company elects to carry
those equity investments at fair value as of the date that the observable transaction occurred.
Investment
in Affiliate Company
Investment
in common stock of an entity in which we can exercise significant influence but do not own a majority equity interest or otherwise
control is accounted for using the equity method and is included as an investment in an affiliate company in the consolidated
balance sheets. We record our share in undistributed earnings and losses since acquisition in the consolidated statements of operations.
We
review our investment for other-than-temporary impairment whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate that the
carrying value of the investment may not be fully recoverable.
Share-based
compensation
We
apply ASC 718-10, “Share-Based Payment,” or ASC 718-10, which requires the measurement and recognition of compensation
expenses for all share-based payment awards made to employees and directors including employee share options under our share plan
based on estimated fair values.
ASC
718-10 requires companies to estimate the fair value of equity-based payment awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing
model. The value of the portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized as an expense over the requisite
service periods in our statement of operations.
Prior
to the adoption of ASU 2018-07, Compensation – share Compensation (Topic 718), Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment
Accounting, on January 1, 2019, we accounted for share options issued to non-employees under ASC 505-50 Equity: Equity-Based Payments
to Non-Employees, which required the fair value of such non-employee awards to be re-measured at each quarter-end over the vesting
period. After the adoption of ASU 2018-07, the accounting guidance is consistent with accounting for employee share-based compensation.
We
estimate the fair value of share options granted using a Black-Scholes Merton options pricing model. The option-pricing model
requires a number of assumptions, of which the most significant are Ordinary Shares price, expected volatility and the expected
option term (the time from the grant date until the options are exercised or expire). Expected volatility was calculated based
upon actual historical Ordinary Shares price movements over the period, equal to the expected option term. We have historically
not paid dividends and have no foreseeable plans to issue dividends. The risk-free interest rate is based on the yield from Israeli
governmental debentures with an equivalent term. The expected option term is calculated for options granted to employees and directors
using the “simplified” method. Grants to non-employees are based on the contractual term. Changes in the determination
of each of the inputs can affect the fair value of the options granted and our results of operations. During 2020, our Board of
Directors approved the grant of options to purchase 14,628,000 of our Ordinary Shares, subject to the terms and condition of each
specific grant.
B.
|
Liquidity and
Capital Resources.
|
Overview
Since
our inception through December 31, 2020, we have funded our operations principally with approximately $99.8 million, in the aggregate,
from funding from Magna, the issuance of Ordinary Shares or ADSs and exercise of warrants and options. As of December 31, 2020,
we had approximately $43.9 million in cash and cash equivalents and short-term bank deposits.
The
table below presents our cash flows for the periods indicated:
|
|
December 31,
|
|
U.S. dollars in thousands
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
Operating activities
|
|
|
(11,495
|
)
|
|
|
(11,861
|
)
|
Investing activities
|
|
|
85
|
|
|
|
7,191
|
|
Financing activities
|
|
|
45,280
|
|
|
|
6,521
|
|
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
75
|
|
|
|
(182
|
)
|
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
33,945
|
|
|
|
1,669
|
|
Operating
Activities
Net
cash used in operating activities of approximately $11,495,000 during the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily used for
payment of payroll and related expenses, payments for professional services, subcontracted work and travel, patent, directors’
fees, rent and other miscellaneous expenses.
Net
cash used in operating activities of approximately $11,861,000 during the year ended December 31, 2019 was primarily used for
payment of subcontracted work, salaries and related personnel expenses, payments for professional services and travel, patent,
directors’ fees, rent and other miscellaneous expenses.
Investing
Activities
Net
cash provided by investing activities of approximately $85,000 during the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily provided
from proceeds of short-term deposits of approximately $67,000 and from the proceed from sales of marketable equity securities
of approximately $68,000, offset by purchases of fixed assets of approximately $50,000.
Net
cash used in investing activities of approximately $7,191,000 during the year ended December 31, 2019 was primarily provided from
proceeds of short-term deposits of approximately $7,273,000 and offset by purchases of fixed assets of approximately $103,000.
Financing
Activities
Net
cash provided by financing activities in the year ended December 31, 2020 consisted of approximately $45,017,000 provided from
net proceeds from the issuance of Ordinary Shares and from exercise of options of approximately $263,000.
Net
cash provided by financing activities in the year ended December 31, 2019 consisted of approximately $6,521,000 primarily provided
from net proceeds from the issuance of Ordinary Shares.
On
April 28, 2020, we entered into securities purchase agreements with U.S. institutional investors to purchase 5,300,000 of our
ADSs, representing 26,500,000 Ordinary Shares, at a purchase price of $0.50 per ADS in a registered direct offering, with the
total gross proceeds of approximately $2.65 million.
On
April 30, 2020, pursuant to a private placement agreement with certain qualified investors in Israel, we sold an aggregate of
3,500,000 Ordinary Shares (equivalent to 700,000 ADSs) at a price per Ordinary Share equal to $0.50 per ADSs. The total gross
proceeds to us from the sale of Ordinary Shares was approximately $0.35 million.
On
May 19, 2020, we entered into securities purchase agreements with U.S. institutional investors and Israeli qualified investors
to purchase 8,333,334 of our ADSs, representing 41,666,670 Ordinary Shares, at a purchase price of $0.60 per ADS in a registered
direct offering. The total gross proceeds to us from the sale of our ADSs was approximately $5 million.
On
June 9, 2020, we entered into securities purchase agreements with U.S. institutional investors and Israeli qualified investors
to purchase 6,400,000 of our ADSs, representing 32,000,000 Ordinary Shares, at a purchase price of $1.00 per ADS in a registered
direct offering. The total gross proceeds to us from the sale of our ADSs was approximately $6.4 million.
On
October 2, 2020, we entered into a sales agreement with A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners pursuant to which we issued and sold,
during the year ended December 31, 2020, an aggregate of 4,371,131 ADSs for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $8.1 million.
On
December 28, 2020, pursuant to securities purchase agreements with U.S. institutional investors and qualified Israeli investors,
we sold an aggregate of 6,265,063 of our ADSs, representing 31,325,315 Ordinary Shares at a purchase price of $4.15 per ADS in
a registered direct offering. The total gross proceeds to us from the registered direct offering was approximately $26 million.
On
January 22, 2021, we entered into a subsequent sales agreement with AGP pursuant to which we may offer and sell, from time to
time, our ADSs. In that regard, we registered up to $60,000,000 of our ADSs on a Registration Statement on Form F-3 (File No.
333-252334) for the sale under such sales agreement. Through March 21, 2021, we have sold an aggregate of 1,378,344 ADSs for aggregate
gross proceeds of approximately $14 million under such subsequent sales agreement.
Current
Outlook
We
have financed our operations to date primarily through proceeds from sales of our Ordinary Shares and ADSs and warrants. We have
incurred losses and generated negative cash flows from operations since January 2011. Since January 2011, we have not generated
any revenue from the sale of products, and we do not expect to generate revenues from sale of our products in the next few years.
As
of December 31, 2020, our cash and cash equivalents including short-term bank deposits were approximately $43,938,000. We expect
that our existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term bank deposits will be sufficient to fund our current operations until
December 2023.
Until
we can generate significant recurring revenues and achieve profitability, we may need to seek additional sources of funds through
the sale of additional equity securities, debt or other securities. Any required additional capital, whether forecasted or not,
may not be available on reasonable terms, or at all. If we are unable to obtain additional financing or are unsuccessful in commercializing
our products and securing sufficient funding, we may be required to reduce activities, curtail or even cease operations.
In
addition, our operating plans may change as a result of many factors that may currently be unknown to us, and we may need to seek
additional funds sooner than planned. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:
|
●
|
the progress and
costs of our research and development activities;
|
|
●
|
the costs of manufacturing
our products;
|
|
●
|
the costs of filing,
prosecuting, enforcing and defending patent claims and other intellectual property rights;
|
|
●
|
the potential costs
of contracting with third parties to provide marketing and distribution services for us or for building such capacities internally;
and
|
|
●
|
the magnitude of
our general and administrative expenses.
|
Until
we can generate significant recurring revenues, we expect to satisfy our future cash needs through debt or equity financings.
We cannot be certain that additional funding will be available to us on acceptable terms, if at all. If funds are not available,
we may be required to delay, reduce the scope of, or eliminate research or development plans for, or commercialization efforts
with respect to our products.
Our
operations and business have been disrupted and could be materially adversely affected by the recent outbreak of COVID-19. We
are still assessing our business operations and system supports and the impact COVID-19 may have on our results and financial
condition. To date, we have taken action to reduce our operating expenses in the short term, to enable our employees to work remotely
from home and taken steps to ensure support continuity to our customers, but there can be no assurance that this analysis or remedial
measures will enable us to avoid part or all of any impact from the spread of COVID-19 or its consequences, including downturns
in business sentiment generally or in our sector in particular. For additional information, see “Risks Related to Our Business
and Industry—We face business disruption and related risks resulting from the recent outbreak of the novel Coronavirus 2019
(COVID-19), which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.”
5.C
|
Research and
development, patents and licenses, etc.
|
For
a description of our research and development programs and the amounts that we have incurred over the last two years pursuant
to those programs, please see “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects— A. Operating Results— Operating
Expenses— Research and Development Expenses, net” and “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—
A. Operating Results— Comparison of the year ended December 31, 2020 to the year ended December 31, 2019— Research
and Development Expenses, Net.”
The
COVID-19 pandemic has impacted companies in Israel and around the world, and as its trajectory remains highly uncertain, we cannot
predict the duration and severity of the outbreak and its containment measures. Further, we cannot predict impacts, trends and
uncertainties involving the pandemic’s effects on economic activity, the size of our labor force, and the extent to which
our income, profitability, liquidity, or capital resources may be materially and adversely affected. See also “Item
3.D. – Risk Factors– Risks Related to Our Business and Industry – We face business disruption and related risks
resulting from the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results
of operations.”
E.
|
Off-Balance Sheet
Arrangements.
|
We
currently do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.
F.
|
Tabular Disclosure
of Contractual Obligations.
|
The
following table summarizes our contractual obligations at December 31, 2020:
U.S. dollars
|
|
Total
|
|
|
Less than
1 year
|
|
|
1-3 years
|
|
|
3-5 years
|
|
|
More than
5 years
|
|
Facility (1)
|
|
|
1,207,600
|
|
|
|
371,600
|
|
|
|
743,200
|
|
|
|
92,800
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
Cars Rental (2)
|
|
|
136,900
|
|
|
|
60,800
|
|
|
|
76,100
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
Development Agreement with Magna (3)
|
|
|
877,000
|
|
|
|
877,000
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
Total
|
|
|
2,221,500
|
|
|
|
1,309,400
|
|
|
|
819,300
|
|
|
|
92,800
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
(1)
|
As of December 31,
2020, we had contractual obligations with respect to our lease, parking and maintenance fees payments for our offices and
research and development facility, in the amount of NIS 99,560 (approximately $30,970) per month.
|
(2)
|
As of December
31, 2020, we had contractual obligations with respect to our lease payments for our cars, in the amount of NIS 16,290 (approximately
$5,060) per month.
|
|
|
(3)
|
As of December 31,
2020, we had contractual obligations with respect to our development agreement with Magna for research and development services,
in the amount of up to NIS 235,000 (approximately $73,095) per month.
|
ITEM
6.
|
DIRECTORS,
SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES
|
A.
|
Directors and
Senior Management.
|
The
following table sets forth information regarding our executive officers, key employees and directors as of the date of this annual
report on Form 20-F:
Name
|
|
Age
|
|
Position
|
Michael Gally (2)
|
|
63
|
|
Chairman of the
Board of Directors
|
Haim Siboni
|
|
61
|
|
Chief Executive
Officer, Director
|
Eli Yoresh
|
|
50
|
|
Chief Financial
Officer
|
Levy Zruya
|
|
71
|
|
Chief Technology
Officer
|
Oren Bar-on
|
|
49
|
|
Vice President of
Global Operations and Business Strategy
|
Doron Cohadier
|
|
46
|
|
Vice President of
Business Development
|
Nisso Moyal
|
|
42
|
|
Vice President of
Business Development Non-Automotive
|
Sivan Siboni Scherf
|
|
34
|
|
Vice President of
Human Resources
|
Dror Elbaz
|
|
42
|
|
Eye-Net Mobile’s
Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer
|
David Lempert
|
|
35
|
|
Vice President of
Research and Development
|
Ehud Aharoni (1)
(2)
|
|
63
|
|
Director
|
Daniel Avidan (1)
(2) (3)
|
|
58
|
|
Director
|
Zeev Levenberg (1)
(2) (3)
|
|
56
|
|
Director
|
Vered Raz-Avayo
(2)
|
|
51
|
|
Director
|
(1)
|
Member of our Audit,
Compensation and Financial Statements Examination Committee.
|
|
|
(2)
|
Independent director
under Nasdaq Stock Market rules.
|
|
|
(3)
|
External director
under Israeli law.
|
Michael
Gally, Chairman of the Board of Directors
Mr.
Michael Gally has served on our Board of Directors since January 2016, and as our Chairman since March 2016. Mr. Gally serves
as the manager and owner of MG Business Development, a leading consulting practice. From 2011 Mr. Gally served as a lecturer at
the Tel Aviv University Faculty of Management - The Graduate School of Business Administration and since 2018 as a lecturer at
the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology. Mr. Gally teaches several advanced marketing elective courses in the M.B.A. and
E.M.B.A. programs. Mr. Gally takes an active part as an expert in export activities initiated by the State of Israel. Mr. Gally
holds an M.B.A. from Tel Aviv University Faculty of Management – The Graduate School of Business Administration.
Haim
Siboni, Chief Executive Officer, Director
Mr.
Haim Siboni has served as our Chief Executive Officer and on our Board of Directors since December 2015. Mr. Siboni has also
served as the chief executive officer and as a director of Magna, our significant shareholder, since January 2001. Mr. Siboni
has many years of professional experience, as well as a broad skillset, in fields such as engineering, marketing and business
management of electronics, video, TV, multimedia, computerized systems, line and wireless telecommunication, design and development
of systems and devices – including electro-optic radar systems.
Eli
Yoresh, Chief Financial Officer
Mr.
Eli Yoresh has served as our Chief Financial Officer since March 2010, and was on our Board of Directors from October 2010
until August 2019. Mr. Yoresh is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of executive and financial management experience, mainly
with companies from the financial, technology and industrial sectors. Since September 2018, Mr. Yoresh has been serving as a director
at Medigus Ltd. (Nasdaq: MDGS), as a director of Matomy Media Group Ltd. since June 2020 and as a director of Gix Internet Ltd.
since November 2020. Mr. Yoresh served as a director at Nano Dimension Ltd. (Nasdaq: NNDM). Mr. Yoresh’s previous directorships
include several companies listed on the TASE. Mr. Yoresh served as the chief executive officer of Tomcar Global Holdings Ltd.,
a global manufacturer of off-road vehicles, from 2005 to 2008. Mr. Yoresh holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the College
of Management and an M.A. in Law from Bar-Ilan University. Mr. Yoresh is a Certified Public Accountant in Israel.
Levy
Zruya, Chief Technology Officer
Mr.
Levy Zruya has served as our Chief Technology Officer since January 2019. Mr. Zruya is a co-founder of Magna, our significant
shareholder. Mr. Zruya also continues to serve as Magna’s Chief Technology Officer, a position he has held since 2001. Mr.
Zruya has extensive experience in the electro-optics, electronics, software and communication fields. He was involved in several
projects mainly with the Israel Defense Force and Israel Aerospace Industries, among them, night vision systems, infra-red sensor
simulations, targets detecting and tracking. Mr. Zruya holds a B.Sc. in Engineering from the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology.
Oren
Bar-On, Vice President of Global Operations and Business Strategy
Mr.
Oren Bar-On has served as our Vice President of Operations since October 2017. Mr. Bar-on is a seasoned executive with over
17 years of executive and managerial experience, mainly in the fields of global operations, supply chain, quality and regulations,
product engineering, business excellence and information Technology. Mr. Bar-on served as Director of Global Supply chain for
Lumenis Medical Systems Ltd., one of the world’s leading medical laser equipment manufacturers, from January 2016 to October
2017. Mr. Bar-on also served as Director of Global Operations for Philips Healthcare, one of the world’s leading developers
and manufacturers of diagnostic and imaging systems in the medical field, from April 2011 to January 2016. Mr. Bar-on holds a
B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from the Israeli Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. with Honors, from Haifa University.
Doron
Cohadier, Vice President of Business Development
Mr.
Doron Cohadier has served as our Vice President of Business Development since January 2017. Mr. Cohadier has more than 16
years of managerial experience, mainly in the field of business development. From 2011 to 2017, Mr. Cohadier served as a
Director Business Development and Marketing of Elbit Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq, TASE: ESLT). Mr. Cohadier holds a B.Sc. in Industrial
Engineering from Brunel University, London, and an Executive M.B.A. from the Recanati School of Business Administration of the
Tel Aviv University.
Nisso
Moyal, Vice President of Business Development Non-Automotive
Mr.
Nisso Moyal has served as our Vice President of Business Development Non-Automotive since December 2020. Mr. Moyal has more
than 15 years of managerial experience, mainly in the field of business development and marketing. From 2012 to 2018, Mr. Moyal
served as a Director Business Development and Marketing of Mobileye Vision Technologies Ltd. (NYSE: MBLY). From 2018 to 2019,
Mr. Moyal served as Vice President of Business Development of Rail Vision Ltd. Mr. Moyal holds a B.A. in Business Administration
from Ruppin Academic Center, Israel.
Sivan
Siboni Scherf, Vice President of Human Resources
Mrs.
Sivan Siboni Scherf has served as our Vice President of Human Resources since January 2019. Prior to that Mrs. Scherf served
as our head of human resources since 2015. Mrs. Scherf is a certified attorney, and a member of the Israel Bar Association since
2014. Mrs. Scherf holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law and Business Management.
Dror
Elbaz, Eye-Net Mobile’s Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Mr.
Dror Elbaz has served as Eye-Net Mobile’s Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer since January 2019
and prior to that as Vice President of Research and Development of Foresight Automotive since December 2016. Mr. Elbaz has more
than 15 years of research and development experience with multidisciplinary and highly engineered electro-optical systems, image
acquisition, image processing and 3D reconstruction. From 2009 to 2015, Mr. Elbaz served as an R&D Projects Manager and as
an Application Product Team Leader at Orbotech Ltd. (Nasdaq: ORBK). From 2015 to 2016, Mr. Elbaz served as a Technical Projects
Manager and as Vice President of Engineering at Replay Video Technologies Ltd. Mr. Elbaz holds a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering
from Bar Ilan University, Israel, and an M.B.A. in Technological Companies Management from the College of Management.
David
Lempert, Vice President of Research and Development
Mr.
David Lempert has served as our Vice President of Research and Development since June 2020, and prior to that as Director
of Research and Development since August 2019, and prior to that as project manager of Foresight Automotive since April 2017.
Mr. Lempert has over 12 years of research and development global project management. From 2014 to 2017, Mr. Lempert served as
the chief executive officer and co-founder of Led-Swim Ltd. a start-up company developing technology for swimming workout monitoring.
From 2012 to 2014 Mr. Lempert served as project manager and QA team leader in IronSource Ltd. an advertising technology company
focuses on developing technologies for app monetization. Mr. Lempert holds a B.Sc in Computer Science from the MLA collage in
Israel.
Ehud
Aharoni, Director
Mr.
Ehud Aharoni has served on our Board of Directors as an independent director since January 2016. Mr. Aharoni has also
served on our Audit and Compensation Committee since January 2016. Since 2001, Mr. Aharoni has lectured to MBA and EMBA students
at the Tel-Aviv University, Coller School of Management in a variety of strategic courses, and holds a number of senior administrative
positions, including the chief executive officer & academic director of Lahav Executive Education, Coller School of Management,
since 2006, and the former Executive Director of the Eli Hurvitz Institute of Strategic Management, from 2004-2018. Before joining
Lahav Executive Education, Mr. Aharoni served as an independent strategic consultant to leading Israeli firms and organizations.
Mr. Aharoni holds a bachelor’s degree in statistics and operations research, an M.B.A. in Finance and a Continuing Studies,
and an M.B.A. specializing in International Management, all from the Tel Aviv University.
Daniel
Avidan, Director
Mr.
Daniel Avidan has served on our Board of Directors as an external director since July 2017. From 2019 Mr. Avidan is serving
as chief financial officer in MRR Thirteen Ltd. Mr. Avidan served as the chief executive officer of Sapir Corp Ltd. from 2014
to 2018. From 2012 to 2014, Mr. Avidan served in several positions in the Meuhedet Health Fund. From 2010 to 2012, Mr. Avidan
served as the chief executive officer of Adumim A.D. Holdings Ltd. Between the years 1989 to 2010, Mr. Avidan held senior finance
positions in four public companies in Israel and abroad. Mr. Avidan holds a B.A. in Economics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Zeev
Levenberg, Director
Mr.
Zeev Levenberg has served on our Board of Directors as an external director since July 2011. Mr. Levenberg served as the co-founder,
director and chief executive officer of My Connecting Group Ltd from 2015 to 2020. Mr. Levenberg has served as a director at Panaxia
Labs Israel Ltd. since 2009 till the end of 2018, and as an external director in Alon Blue Square from 2016 till November 2019.
Mr. Levenberg Also served as Director on Kardan Israel Ltd. from 2016 till 2018, when the company delisted from the Tel Aviv Stock
Exchange. Between 2012 and 2017 Mr. Levenberg served as a director at MySize Inc., a dual listed company that traded at the Nasdaq
and TASE. Mr. Levenberg holds an M.B.A. in Financial Management from Bar-Ilan University Business School, M.A. in Law studies
from Bar-Ilan University and a B.Sc. in Life Science from the Hebrew University.
Vered
Raz-Avayo, Director
Mrs.
Vered Raz-Avayo has served on our Board of Directors as an independent director since July 2017. Ms. Raz-Avayo has over 20
years of managerial and consulting experience in finance encompassing a wide range of industries in Israel and overseas, including
real estate investment, diamonds, jewelry and aviation. During the years 1999 to 2010, Mrs. Raz-Avayo served as chief financial
officer at one of the companies under the Leviev group. In addition, during the last 13 years Ms. Raz-Avayo has been an external
director of several publicly traded companies. Currently, Ms. Raz-Avayo is an external director at Apollo Power Ltd., Africa Israel
Residences Ltd. and a director at Save Foods Inc. Ms. Raz-Avayo is a certified public accountant in Israel, and holds a B.A. in
Business Administration – Accounting and Finance, from the College of Management, and an M.F.A. in Film, TV and Screenwriting,
from the Faculty of Arts of the Tel Aviv University.
Family
Relationships
Ms.
Siboni Scherf is the daughter of Mr. Haim Siboni. Mr. Levy Zruya was married to Mr. Haim Siboni’s sister. Otherwise, there
are no family relationships between any members of our executive management and our directors.
The
following table presents in the aggregate all compensation we paid to all of our directors and senior management from January
1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. The table does not include any amounts we paid to reimburse any of such persons for costs incurred
in providing us with services during this period.
All
amounts reported in the tables below reflect our cost, in thousands of U.S. dollars. Amounts paid in NIS are translated into U.S.
dollars at the rate of NIS 3.4424 = U.S. $1.00, based on the average representative rate of exchange between the NIS and the U.S.
dollar as reported by the Bank of Israel during such period of time.
|
|
Salary
and Related
Benefits
|
|
|
Pension,
Retirement
and Other
Similar
Benefits
|
|
|
Share Based
Compensation(1)
|
|
All directors and senior management as a group, consisting of 14 persons as of December 31, 2020
|
|
$
|
1,366,911
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
606,774
|
|
(1)
|
The Company estimates
the fair value of share options granted as equity awards using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model.
|
In
accordance with the Companies Law, we are required to disclose the compensation granted to our five most highly compensated officers.
The table below reflects the compensation granted during or with respect to the year ended December 31, 2020.
Executive Officer
|
|
Salary and Related Benefits
|
|
|
Share Based Compensation
|
|
|
Total
|
|
Haim Siboni
|
|
$
|
317,623
|
|
|
$
|
222,126
|
|
|
$
|
539,749
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oren Bar-on
|
|
$
|
169,662
|
|
|
$
|
82,500
|
|
|
$
|
252,162
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eli Yoresh
|
|
$
|
181,036
|
|
|
$
|
69,312
|
|
|
$
|
250,348
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Doron Cohadier
|
|
$
|
171,554
|
|
|
$
|
21,564
|
|
|
$
|
193,118
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dror Elbaz
|
|
$
|
178,985
|
|
|
$
|
13,332
|
|
|
$
|
192,317
|
|
The
following table sets forth information regarding options granted to our executive officers and directors during the year ended
December 31, 2020:
Name
|
|
Grant Date
|
|
Share Options
|
|
|
Average Exercise Price
|
|
|
Expiration Date
|
|
Haim Siboni
|
|
7/16/2020
|
|
|
4,113,000
|
|
|
$
|
0.31
|
|
|
7/16/2027
|
|
Daniel Avidan
|
|
7/16/2020
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
|
$
|
0.31
|
|
|
1/1/2025
|
|
Zeev Levenberg
|
|
7/16/2020
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
|
$
|
0.31
|
|
|
1/1/2025
|
|
Eli Yoresh
|
|
6/9/2020
|
|
|
2,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
0.31
|
|
|
6/9/2027
|
|
Doron Cohadier
|
|
6/9/2020
|
|
|
700,000
|
|
|
$
|
0.31
|
|
|
6/9/2027
|
|
David Lempert
|
|
6/9/2020
|
|
|
700,000
|
|
|
$
|
0.31
|
|
|
6/9/2027
|
|
Sivan Siboni Scherf
|
|
7/16/2020
|
|
|
700,000
|
|
|
$
|
0.31
|
|
|
7/16/2027
|
|
Oren Bar-on
|
|
8/19/2020
|
|
|
700,000
|
|
|
$
|
0.33
|
|
|
8/19/2027
|
|
Levy Zruya
|
|
7/16/2020
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
|
$
|
0.31
|
|
|
7/16/2027
|
|
Dror Elbaz (*)
|
|
8/19/2020
|
|
|
1,500
|
|
|
$
|
100
|
|
|
6/30/2025
|
|
(*)
|
Represents
options to purchase Ordinary Shares of Eye-Net Mobile.
|
Employment
Agreements
We
have entered into written employment or services agreements with each of our executive officers. All of these agreements contain
customary provisions regarding noncompetition, confidentiality of information and most of them contain also customary provisions
regarding assignment of inventions. However, the enforceability of the noncompetition provisions may be limited under applicable
law. In addition, we have entered into agreements with each executive officer and director pursuant to which we have agreed to
indemnify each of them up to a certain amount and to the extent that these liabilities are not covered by directors and officers
insurance, subject to certain exclusions. Members of our senior management may be eligible for bonuses in accordance with our
compensation policy and as set forth by our Board of Directors.
For
a description of the terms of our options and option plans, see “Item 6. E. Share Ownership” below.
Directors’
Service Contracts
Other
than with respect to our directors that are also executive officers, we do not have written agreements with any director providing
for benefits upon the termination of his or her engagement with our company.
On
September 23, 2019, following the approval of our audit and compensation committee and the Board of Directors, our shareholders
approved an increase from NIS 10,000 to NIS 15,000 (approximately $4,665) in the monthly retainer to Mr. Michael Gally for his
services as an active chairman of our Board of Directors.
Introduction
Our
Board of Directors presently consists of six members, including two external directors required to be appointed under the Companies
Law. We believe that Ehud Aharoni, Daniel Avidan, Zeev Levenberg, Vered Raz-Avayo and Michael Gally are “independent”
for purposes of the Nasdaq Stock Market rules. Our amended and restated articles of association provide that the number of Board
of Directors’ members (including external directors) shall be set by the general meeting of the shareholders, provided that
it will consist of not less than three and not more than ten members. Pursuant to the Companies Law, the management of our business
is vested in our Board of Directors. Our board of directors may exercise all powers and may take all actions that are not specifically
granted to our shareholders or to management. Our executive officers are responsible for our day-to-day management and have individual
responsibilities established by our Board of Directors. Our Chief Executive Officer is appointed by, and serves at the discretion
of, our Board of Directors, subject to the services agreement that we have entered into with him. All other executive officers
are appointed by our Chief Executive Officer. Their terms of employment are subject to the approval of the Board of Directors’
compensation committee and of the Board of Directors and are subject to the terms of any applicable employment or services agreements
that we may enter into with them.
Each
director, except external directors, will hold office until the next annual general meeting of our shareholders following his
or her appointment, or until he or she resigns or unless he or she is removed by a majority vote of our shareholders at a general
meeting of our shareholders or upon the occurrence of certain events, in accordance with the Companies Law and our amended and
restated articles of association.
In
addition, under certain circumstances, our amended and restated articles of association allow our Board of Directors to appoint
directors to fill vacancies on our Board of Directors or in addition to the acting directors (subject to the limitation on the
number of directors), until the next annual general meeting or special general meeting in which directors may be appointed or
terminated. External directors may be elected for up to two additional three-year terms after their initial three-year term under
the circumstances described below, with certain exceptions as described in “External Directors” below. External directors
may be removed from office only under the limited circumstances set forth in the Companies Law. See “Item 6. C. Board Practices—External
Directors” below.
Under
the Companies Law, any shareholder holding at least one percent of our outstanding voting power may nominate a director. However,
any such shareholder may make such a nomination only if a written notice of such shareholder’s intent to make such nomination
has been given to our Board of Directors. Any such notice must include certain information, including the consent of the proposed
director nominee to serve as our director if elected, and a declaration that the nominee signed declaring that he or she possess
the requisite skills and has the availability to carry out his or her duties. Additionally, the nominee must provide details of
such skills, and demonstrate an absence of any limitation under the Companies Law that may prevent his or her election, and affirm
that all of the required election-information is provided to us, pursuant to the Companies Law.
Under
the Companies Law, our Board of Directors must determine the minimum number of directors who are required to have accounting and
financial expertise. In determining the number of directors required to have such expertise, our Board of Directors must consider,
among other things, the type and size of the company and the scope and complexity of its operations. Our Board of Directors has
determined that the minimum number of directors of our company who are required to have accounting and financial expertise is
two.
The
board of directors may elect one director to serve as the chairman of the board of directors to preside at the meetings of the
board of directors and may also remove that director as chairman. Pursuant to the Companies Law, neither the chief executive officer
nor any of his or her relatives is permitted to serve as the chairman of the board of directors, and a company may not vest the
chairman or any of his or her relatives with the chief executive officer’s authorities. In addition, a person who reports,
directly or indirectly, to the chief executive officer may not serve as the chairman of the board of directors; the chairman may
not be vested with authorities of a person who reports, directly or indirectly, to the chief executive officer; and the chairman
may not serve in any other position in the company or a controlled company, but he or she may serve as a director or chairman
of a controlled company. However, the Companies Law permits a company’s shareholders to determine, for a period not exceeding
three years from each such determination, that the chairman or his or her relative may serve as chief executive officer or be
vested with the chief executive officer’s authorities, and that the chief executive officer or his or her relative may serve
as chairman or be vested with the chairman’s authorities. Such determination of a company’s shareholders requires
either: (1) the approval of at least a majority of the shares of those shareholders present and voting on the matter (other than
controlling shareholders and those having a personal interest in the determination) (shares held by abstaining shareholders shall
not be considered); or (2) that the total number of shares opposing such determination does not exceed 2% of the total voting
power in the company. Currently, we have a separate chairman and chief executive officer.
The
board of directors may, subject to the provisions of the Companies Law, delegate any or all of its powers to committees of the
board, and it may, from time to time, revoke such delegation or alter the composition of any such committees, subject to certain
limitations. Unless otherwise expressly provided by the board of directors, the committees shall not be empowered to further delegate
such powers. The composition and duties of our audit committee, financial statements examination committee and compensation committee
are described below.
The
board of directors oversees how management monitors compliance with our risk management policies and procedures and reviews the
adequacy of the risk management framework in relation to the risks faced by us. The board of directors is assisted in its oversight
role by an internal auditor. The internal auditor undertakes both regular and ad hoc reviews of risk management controls and procedures,
the results of which are reported to our audit committee and our Board of Directors.
External
Directors
Under
the Companies Law, an Israeli company whose shares have been offered to the public or whose shares are listed for trading on a
stock exchange in or outside of Israel is required to appoint at least two external directors to serve on its board of directors.
External directors must meet stringent standards of independence. As of the date hereof, our external directors are Messrs. Zeev
Levenberg and Daniel Avidan.
According
to regulations promulgated under the Companies law, at least one of the external directors is required to have “financial
and accounting expertise,” unless another member of the audit committee, who is an independent director under the Nasdaq
Stock Market rules, has “financial and accounting expertise,” and the other external director or directors are required
to have “professional expertise.” An external director may not be appointed unless: (1) such director has “accounting
and financial expertise;” or (2) he or she has “professional expertise,” and on the date of appointment for
another term there is another external director who has “accounting and financial expertise” and the number of “accounting
and financial experts” on the board of directors is at least equal to the minimum number determined appropriate by the board
of directors. We have determined that Messrs. Zeev Levenberg and Daniel Avidan have accounting and financial expertise.
A
director with accounting and financial expertise is a director who, due to his or her education, experience and skills, possesses
a high degree of proficiency in, and an understanding of, business - accounting matters and financial statements, such that he
or she is able to understand the financial statements of the company in depth and initiate a discussion about the manner in which
financial data is presented. A director is deemed to have “professional expertise” if he or she holds an academic
degree in certain fields or has at least five years of experience in certain senior positions.
External
directors are elected by a special majority vote at a shareholders’ meeting. The term “Special Majority” is
defined in the Companies Law as:
|
●
|
at least a majority
of the shares held by shareholders who are not controlling shareholders and do not have personal interest in the appointment
(excluding a personal interest that did not result from the shareholder’s relationship with the controlling shareholder)
have voted in favor of the proposal (shares held by abstaining shareholders shall not be considered); or
|
|
●
|
the total number
of shares voted against the election of the external director, does not exceed 2% of the aggregate voting rights of the company.
|
The
Companies Law provides for an initial three-year term for an external director. Thereafter, an external director may be reelected
by shareholders to serve in that capacity for up to two additional three-year terms, provided that:
|
(1)
|
his or her service
for each such additional term is recommended by one or more shareholders holding at least one percent of the company’s
voting rights and is approved at a shareholders meeting by a disinterested majority, where the total number of shares held
by non-controlling, disinterested shareholders voting for such reelection exceeds two percent of the aggregate voting rights
in the company and such external director is not an interested shareholder or a competitor or relative of such shareholder,
at the time of appointment, and is not affiliated with or related to an interested shareholder or competitor, at the time
of appointment or the two years prior to the date of appointment. An “Interested shareholder or a competitor”
is a shareholder who recommended the appointment for each such additional term or a substantial shareholder, if at the time
of appointment, it, its controlling shareholder or a company controlled by any of them, has business relations with the company
or any of them are competitors of the company;
|
|
(2)
|
his or her service
for each such additional term is recommended by the board of directors and is approved at a shareholders meeting by the same
disinterested majority required for the initial election of an external director (as described above); or
|
|
(3)
|
the external director
offered his or her service for each such additional term and was approved in accordance with the provisions of section (1)
above.
|
The
term of office for external directors for Israeli companies traded on certain foreign stock exchanges, including the Nasdaq Stock
Market, may be extended indefinitely in increments of additional three-year terms, in each case provided that the audit committee
and the board of directors of the company confirm that, in light of the external director’s expertise and special contribution
to the work of the board of directors and its committees, the reelection for such additional period(s) is beneficial to the company,
and provided that the external director is reelected subject to the same shareholder vote requirements as if elected for the first
time (as described above). Prior to the approval of the reelection of the external director at a general shareholders meeting,
the company’s shareholders must be informed of the term previously served by him or her and of the reasons why the board
of directors and audit committee recommended the extension of his or her term.
External
directors may be removed only by a special general meeting of shareholders called by the board of directors after the board has
determined that circumstances allow such dismissal, at the same Special Majority of shareholders required for their election or
by a court, and in both cases only if the external directors cease to meet the statutory qualifications for their appointment
or if they violate their duty of loyalty to our company. In the event of a vacancy created by an external director which causes
the company to have fewer than two external directors, the board of directors is required under the Companies Law to call a shareholders
meeting as soon as possible to appoint such number of new external directors in order that the company thereafter has two external
directors.
Each
committee of the board of directors that exercises the powers of the board of directors must include at least one external director,
except that the audit committee and the compensation committee must include all external directors then serving on the board of
directors and an external director must serve as the chair thereof. Under the Companies Law, external directors of a company are
prohibited from receiving, directly or indirectly, any compensation from the company other than for their services as external
directors pursuant to the Companies Law and the regulations promulgated thereunder. Compensation of an external director is determined
prior to his or her appointment and may not be changed during his or her term subject to certain exceptions.
The
Companies Law provides that a person is not qualified to be appointed as an external director if (i) the person is a relative
of a controlling shareholder of the company, or (ii) if that person or his or her relative, partner, employer, another person
to whom he or she was directly or indirectly subordinate, or any entity under the person’s control, has or had, during the
two years preceding the date of appointment as an external director: (a) any affiliation or other disqualifying relationship with
the company, with any person or entity controlling the company or a relative of such person, or with any entity controlled by
or under common control with the company; or (b) in the case of a company with no shareholder holding 25% or more of its voting
rights, had at the date of appointment as an external director, any affiliation or other disqualifying relationship with a person
then serving as chairman of the board or chief executive officer, with a holder of 5% or more of the issued share capital or voting
power in the company or with the most senior financial officer.
The
term “relative” is defined in the Companies Law as a spouse, sibling, parent, grandparent or descendant; spouse’s
sibling, parent or descendant; and the spouse of each of the foregoing persons.
Under
the Companies Law, the term “affiliation” and the similar types of disqualifying relationships, as used above, include
(subject to certain exceptions):
|
●
|
an employment relationship;
|
|
●
|
a business or professional
relationship even if not maintained on a regular basis (excluding insignificant relationships);
|
|
●
|
service as an office
holder, excluding service as a director in a private company prior to the initial public offering of its shares if such director
was appointed as a director of the private company in order to serve as an external director following the initial public
offering.
|
The
term “office holder” is defined in the Companies Law as a general manager, chief business manager, deputy general
manager, vice general manager, any other person assuming the responsibilities of any of these positions regardless of that person’s
title, a director and any other manager directly subordinate to the general manager.
In
addition, no person may serve as an external director if that person’s position or professional or other activities create,
or may create, a conflict of interest with that person’s responsibilities as a director or otherwise interfere with that
person’s ability to serve as an external director or if the person is an employee of the Israel Securities Authority, or
the ISA, or of an Israeli stock exchange. A person may furthermore not continue to serve as an external director if he or she
received direct or indirect compensation from the company including amounts paid pursuant to indemnification or exculpation contracts
or commitments and insurance coverage, other than for his or her service as an external director as permitted by the Companies
Law and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
Following
the termination of an external director’s service on a board of directors, such former external director and his or her
spouse and children may not be provided a direct or indirect benefit by the company, its controlling shareholder or any entity
under its controlling shareholder’s control. This includes engagement as an office holder of the company or a company controlled
by its controlling shareholder or employment by, or provision of services to, any such company for consideration, either directly
or indirectly, including through a corporation controlled by the former external director. This restriction extends for a period
of two years with regard to the former external director and his or her spouse or child and for one year with respect to other
relatives of the former external director.
If
at the time at which an external director is appointed all members of the board of directors who are not controlling shareholders
or relatives of controlling shareholders of the company are of the same gender, the external director to be appointed must be
of the other gender. A director of a company may not be appointed as an external director of another company if at the same time
a director of such other company is acting as an external director of the first company.
In
addition, under regulations promulgated pursuant to the Companies Law, a company with no controlling shareholder whose shares
are listed for trading on specified exchanges outside of Israel, including the Nasdaq Capital Market, may adopt exemptions from
various corporate governance requirements of the Companies Law so long as such company satisfies the requirements of applicable
foreign country laws and regulations, including applicable stock exchange rules, that apply to companies organized in that country
and relating to the appointment of independent directors and the composition of audit and compensation committees. Such exemptions
include an exemption from the requirement to appoint external directors and the requirement that an external director be a member
of certain committees, as well as the exemption from limitations on directors’ compensation. We may use these exemptions
in the future if we do not have a controlling shareholder.
Fiduciary
Duties of Office Holders
The
Companies Law imposes a duty of care and a duty of loyalty on all office holders of a company.
The
duty of care requires an office holder to act with the level of care with which a reasonable office holder in the same position
would have acted under the same circumstances. The duty of care of an office holder includes a duty to use reasonable means to
obtain:
|
●
|
information on the
advisability of a given action brought for his approval or performed by him by virtue of his position; and
|
|
●
|
all other important
information pertaining to these actions.
|
The
duty of loyalty of an office holder requires an office holder to act in good faith and for the benefit of the company, and includes
a duty to:
|
●
|
refrain from any
conflict of interest between the performance of his duties in the company and his performance of his other duties or personal
affairs;
|
|
●
|
refrain from any
action that is competitive with the company’s business;
|
|
●
|
refrain from exploiting
any business opportunity of the company to receive a personal gain for himself or others; and
|
|
●
|
disclose to the
company any information or documents relating to the company’s affairs which the office holder has received due to his
position as an office holder.
|
Approval
of Related Party Transactions under Israeli Law
General
Under
the Companies Law, we may approve an action by an office holder from which the office holder would otherwise have to refrain,
as described above, if:
|
●
|
the office holder
acts in good faith and the act or its approval does not cause harm to the company; and
|
|
●
|
the office holder
disclosed the nature of his or her interest in the transaction (including any significant fact or document) to the company
at a reasonable time before the company’s approval of such matter.
|
Disclosure
of Personal Interests of an Office Holder
The
Companies Law requires that an office holder disclose to the company, promptly, and, in any event, not later than the board meeting
at which the transaction is first discussed, any direct or indirect personal interest that he or she may have and all related
material information known to him or her relating to any existing or proposed transaction by the company. If the transaction is
an extraordinary transaction, the office holder must also disclose any personal interest held by:
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the office holder’s
relatives; or
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any corporation
in which the office holder or his or her relatives holds 5% or more of the shares or voting rights, serves as a director or
general manager or has the right to appoint at least one director or the general manager.
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Under
the Companies Law, an extraordinary transaction is a transaction:
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not in the ordinary
course of business;
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not on market terms;
or
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that is likely to
have a material effect on the company’s profitability, assets or liabilities.
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The
Companies Law does not specify to whom within us nor the manner in which required disclosures are to be made. We require our office
holders to make such disclosures to our Board of Directors.
Under
the Companies Law, once an office holder complies with the above disclosure requirement, the board of directors may approve a
transaction between the company and an office holder, or a third party in which an office holder has a personal interest, unless
the articles of association provide otherwise and provided that the transaction is in the company’s interest. If the transaction
is an extraordinary transaction in which an office holder has a personal interest, first the audit committee and then the board
of directors, in that order, must approve the transaction. Under specific circumstances, shareholder approval may also be required.
A director who has a personal interest in an extraordinary transaction, which is considered at a meeting of the board of directors
or the audit committee, may not be present at this meeting or vote on this matter, unless a majority of the board of directors
or the audit committee, as the case may be, has a personal interest. If a majority of the board of directors has a personal interest,
then shareholder approval is generally also required.
Under
the Companies Law, all arrangements as to compensation and indemnification or insurance of office holders require approval of
the compensation committee and board of directors, and compensation of office holders who are directors must be also approved,
subject to certain exceptions, by the shareholders, in that order.
Disclosure
of Personal Interests of a Controlling Shareholder
Under
the Companies Law, the disclosure requirements that apply to an office holder also apply to a controlling shareholder of a public
company. Extraordinary transactions with a controlling shareholder or in which a controlling shareholder has a personal interest,
including a private placement in which a controlling shareholder has a personal interest, as well as transactions for the provision
of services whether directly or indirectly by a controlling shareholder or his or her relative, or a company such controlling
shareholder controls, and transactions concerning the terms of engagement of a controlling shareholder or a controlling shareholder’s
relative, whether as an office holder or an employee, require the approval of the audit committee or the compensation committee,
as the case may be, the board of directors and a majority of the shares voted by the shareholders of the company participating
and voting on the matter in a shareholders’ meeting, in that order. In addition, the shareholder approval must fulfill one
of the following requirements:
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at least a majority
of the shares held by shareholders who have no personal interest in the transaction and are voting at the meeting must be
voted in favor of approving the transaction, excluding abstentions; or
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the shares voted
by shareholders who have no personal interest in the transaction who vote against the transaction represent no more than 2%
of the voting rights in the company.
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In
addition, any extraordinary transaction with a controlling shareholder or in which a controlling shareholder has a personal interest
with a term of more than three years requires the abovementioned approval every three years; however, such transactions not involving
the receipt of services or compensation can be approved for a longer term, provided that the audit committee determines that such
longer term is reasonable under the circumstances.
The
Companies Law requires that every shareholder that participates, in person, by proxy or by voting instrument, in a vote regarding
a transaction with a controlling shareholder, must indicate in advance or in the ballot whether or not that shareholder has a
personal interest in the vote in question. Failure to so indicate will result in the invalidation of that shareholder’s
vote.
The
term “controlling shareholder” is defined in the Companies Law as a shareholder with the ability to direct the activities
of the company, other than by virtue of being an office holder. A shareholder is presumed to be a controlling shareholder if the
shareholder holds 50% or more of the voting rights in a company or has the right to appoint the majority of the directors of the
company or its general manager. In the context of a transaction involving a related party, a controlling shareholder also includes
a shareholder who holds 25% or more of the voting rights in the company if no other shareholder holds more than 50% of the voting
rights in the company. For this purpose, the holdings of all shareholders who have a personal interest in the same transaction
will be aggregated.
Duties
of Shareholders
Under
the Companies Law, a shareholder has a duty to refrain from abusing its power in the company and to act in good faith and in an
acceptable manner in exercising its rights and performing its obligations toward the company and other shareholders, including,
among other things, voting at general meetings of shareholders (and at shareholder class meetings) on the following matters:
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amendment of the
articles of association;
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increase in the
company’s authorized share capital;
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the approval of
related party transactions and acts of office holders that require shareholder approval.
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A
shareholder also has a general duty to refrain from oppressing other shareholders.
The
remedies generally available upon a breach of contract will also apply to a breach of the above-mentioned duties, and in the event
of oppression of other shareholders, additional remedies are available to the injured shareholder.
In
addition, any controlling shareholder, any shareholder that knows that its vote can determine the outcome of a shareholder vote
and any shareholder that, under a company’s articles of association, has the power to appoint or prevent the appointment
of an office holder, or has another power with respect to a company, is under a duty to act with fairness towards the company.
The Companies Law does not describe the substance of this duty except to state that the remedies generally available upon a breach
of contract will also apply in the event of a breach of the duty to act with fairness, taking the shareholder’s position
in the company into account.
Committees
of the Board of Directors
Our
Board of Directors has originally established three standing committees, the audit committee, the compensation committee and the
financial statements examination committee. To date, our audit committee also serves a compensation and a financial statements
examination committee, in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Law and the regulations promulgated thereunder allowing
same in certain exceptions, as set forth herein.
Audit
Committee
Under
the Companies Law, we are required to appoint an audit committee. The audit committee must be comprised of at least three directors,
including all of the external directors (one of whom must serve as chair of the committee). The audit committee may not include
the chairman of the board; a controlling shareholder of the company or a relative of a controlling shareholder; a director employed
by or providing services on a regular basis to the company, to a controlling shareholder or to an entity controlled by a controlling
shareholder; or a director who derives most of his or her income from a controlling shareholder.
In
addition, under the Companies Law, a majority of the members of the audit committee of a publicly traded company must be unaffiliated
directors. In general, an “unaffiliated director” under the Companies Law is defined as either (i) an external director,
or (ii) an individual who has not served as a director of the company for a period exceeding nine consecutive years and who meets
the qualifications for being appointed as an external director, except that he or she need not meet the requirement being an Israeli
resident (which does not apply to companies such as ours whose securities have been offered outside of Israel or are listed outside
of Israel) and for accounting and financial expertise or professional qualifications.
Our
audit committee, acting pursuant to a written charter, is comprised of Messrs. Zeev Levenberg, Daniel Avidan and Ehud Aharoni.
Under
the Companies Law, our audit committee is responsible for:
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(i)
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determining whether
there are deficiencies in the business management practices of our company, and making recommendations to the board of directors
to improve such practices;
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(ii)
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determining whether
to approve certain related party transactions (including transactions in which an office holder has a personal interest and
whether such transaction is extraordinary or material under Companies Law) and establishing the approval process for certain
transactions with a controlling shareholder or in which a controlling shareholder has a personal interest (see “Item
6 C.—Board Practices—Approval of Related Party Transactions under Israeli Law”);
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(iii)
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examining our internal
controls and internal auditor’s performance, including whether the internal auditor has sufficient resources and tools
to dispose of its responsibilities;
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(iv)
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examining the scope
of our auditor’s work and compensation and submitting a recommendation with respect thereto to our Board of Directors
or shareholders, depending on which of them is considering the appointment of our auditor;
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(v)
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establishing procedures
for the handling of employees’ complaints as to the management of our business and the protection to be provided to
such employees; and
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(vi)
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where the board
of directors approves the working plan of the internal auditor, examining such working plan before its submission to the board
of directors and proposing amendments thereto; and
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(vii)
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determining the
approval process for transactions that are “non-negligible” (i.e., transactions with a controlling shareholder
that are classified by the audit committee as non-negligible, even though they are not deemed extraordinary transactions),
as well as determining which types of transactions would require the approval of the audit committee, optionally based on
criteria which may be determined annually in advance by the audit committee.
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Our
audit committee may not conduct any discussions or approve any actions requiring its approval (see “Item 6.C. Board Practices—Approval
of Related Party Transactions under Israeli Law”), unless at the time of the approval a majority of the committee’s
members are present, which majority consists of unaffiliated directors including at least one external director.
Nasdaq
Stock Market Requirements for Audit Committee
Under
the Nasdaq Stock Market rules, we are required to maintain an audit committee consisting of at least three members, all of whom
are independent and are financially literate and one of whom has accounting or related financial management expertise.
As
noted above, the members of our audit committee include Mr. Levenberg and Mr. Avidan who are external directors, and Mr. Aharoni
who is an independent director, each of whom is “independent,” as such term is defined in under Nasdaq Stock Market
rules. Mr. Levenberg serves as the chairman of our audit committee. All members of our audit committee meet the requirements for
financial literacy under the Nasdaq Stock Market rules. Our Board of Directors has determined that that each member of our audit
committee is an audit committee financial expert as defined by the SEC rules and has the requisite financial experience as defined
by the Nasdaq Stock Market rules.
Financial
Statements Examination Committee
Under
the Companies Law, the board of directors of a public company in Israel must appoint a financial statements examination committee,
which consists of members with accounting and financial expertise or the ability to read and understand financial statements.
Our financial statements examination committee is comprised of Messrs. Zeev Levenberg, Daniel Avidan and Ehud Aharoni. The function
of a financial statements examination committee is to discuss and provide recommendations to its board of directors (including
the report of any deficiency found) with respect to the following issues: (1) estimations and assessments made in connection with
the preparation of financial statements; (2) internal controls related to the financial statements; (3) completeness and propriety
of the disclosure in the financial statements; (4) the accounting policies adopted and the accounting treatments implemented in
material matters of the company; and (5) value evaluations, including the assumptions and assessments on which evaluations are
based and the supporting data in the financial statements. Our independent registered public accounting firm and our internal
auditor are invited to attend all meetings of our financial statements examination committee.
Under
the Companies Law, an audit committee that meets the requirements set forth for financial statements examination committee in
certain regulation promulgated under the Companies Law, may serve also as a financial statements examination committee. In May
2020, our Board of Directors has determined that our audit committee shall serve also as a financial statements examination committee.
Compensation
Committee
Under
the Companies Law, the board of directors of any public company must establish a compensation committee. The compensation committee
must be comprised of at least three directors, including all of the external directors, who must constitute a majority of the
members of the compensation committee. However, subject to certain exceptions, Israeli companies whose securities are traded on
stock exchanges such as the Nasdaq Stock Market, and who do not have a shareholder holding 25% or more of the company’s
share capital, do not have to meet this majority requirement; provided, however, that the compensation committee meets other Companies
Law composition requirements, as well as the requirements of the jurisdiction where the company’s securities are traded.
Each compensation committee member that is not an external director must be a director whose compensation does not exceed an amount
that may be paid to an external director. The compensation committee is subject to the same Companies Law restrictions as the
audit committee as to (a) who may not be a member of the committee and (b) who may not be present during committee deliberations
as described above.
Our
compensation committee is acting pursuant to a written charter, and consists of Messrs. Zeev Levenberg, Daniel Avidan and Ehud
Aharoni, each of whom is “independent,” as such term is defined under the Nasdaq Stock Market rules. Our compensation
committee complies with the provisions of the Companies Law, the regulations promulgated thereunder, and our articles of association,
on all aspects referring to its independence, authorities and practice. Our compensation committee follows home country practice
as opposed to complying with the compensation committee membership and charter requirements prescribed under the Nasdaq Stock
Market rules.
Our
compensation committee reviews and recommends to our Board of Directors: (1) the annual base compensation of our executive officers
and directors; (2) annual incentive bonus, including the specific goals and amount; (3) equity compensation; (4) employment agreements,
severance arrangements, and change in control agreements/provisions; (5) retirement grants and/or retirement bonuses; and (6)
any other benefits, compensation, compensation policies or arrangements.
The
duties of the compensation committee include the recommendation to the company’s board of directors of a policy regarding
the terms of engagement of office holders, to which we refer as a compensation policy. Such policy must be adopted by the company’s
board of directors, after considering the recommendations of the compensation committee. The compensation policy is then brought
for approval by our shareholders, which requires a Special Majority. Under the Companies Law, the board of directors may adopt
the compensation policy if it is not approved by the shareholders, provided that after the shareholders oppose the approval of
such policy, and that the compensation committee and the board of directors revisit the matter and determine that adopting the
compensation policy would be beneficial to the company. Our compensation policy was approved by our shareholders in December 2015
and June 2017, and an amendment thereto was approved by our shareholders in January 2019 and July 2020.
The
compensation policy must serve as the basis for decisions concerning the financial terms of employment or engagement of executive
officers and directors, including exculpation, insurance, indemnification or any monetary payment or obligation of payment in
respect of employment or engagement. The compensation policy must relate to certain factors, including advancement of the company’s
objectives, the company’s business and its long-term strategy, and creation of appropriate incentives for executives. It
must also consider, among other things, the company’s risk management, size and the nature of its operations. The compensation
policy must furthermore consider the following additional factors:
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the education, skills,
expertise and accomplishments of the relevant director or executive;
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the director’s
or executive’s roles and responsibilities and prior compensation agreements with him or her;
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the relationship
between the terms of service of an office holder and the cost of compensation of the other employees of the company;
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the impact of disparities
in salary upon work relationships in the company;
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the possibility
of reducing variable compensation at the discretion of the board of directors; and the possibility of setting a limit on the
exercise value of non-cash variable compensation; and
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as to severance
compensation, the period of service of the director or executive, the terms of his or her compensation during such service
period, the company’s performance during that period of service, the person’s contribution towards the company’s
achievement of its goals and the maximization of its profits, and the circumstances under which the person is leaving the
company.
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The
compensation policy must also include the following principles:
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the link between
variable compensation and long-term performance and measurable criteria;
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the relationship
between variable and fixed compensation, and the ceiling for the value of variable compensation;
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the conditions under
which a director or executive would be required to repay compensation paid to him or her if it was later shown that the data
upon which such compensation was based was inaccurate and was required to be restated in the company’s financial statements;
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the minimum holding
or vesting period for variable, equity-based compensation; and
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maximum limits for
severance compensation.
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The
compensation policy must also consider appropriate incentives from a long-term perspective.
The
compensation committee is responsible for (1) recommending the compensation policy to a company’s board of directors for
its approval (and subsequent approval by the shareholders) and (2) duties related to the compensation policy and to the compensation
of a company’s office holders, including:
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recommending whether
a compensation policy should continue in effect, if the then-current policy has a term of greater than three years (approval
of either a new compensation policy or the continuation of an existing compensation policy must in any case occur every three
years);
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recommending to
the board of directors periodic updates to the compensation policy;
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assessing implementation
of the compensation policy;
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determining whether
the terms of compensation of certain office holders of the company need not be brought to approval of the shareholders; and
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determining whether
to approve the terms of compensation of office holders that require the committee’s approval.
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Our
compensation policy is designed to promote our long-term goals, work plan and policy, retain, motivate and incentivize our directors
and executive officers, while considering the risks that our activities involve, our size, the nature and scope of our activities
and the contribution of an officer to the achievement of our goals and maximization of profits, and align the interests of our
directors and executive officers with our long-term performance. To that end, a portion of an executive officer compensation package
is targeted to reflect our short and long-term goals, as well as the executive officer’s individual performance. On the
other hand, our compensation policy includes measures designed to reduce the executive officer’s incentives to take excessive
risks that may harm us in the long-term, such as limits on the value of cash bonuses and equity-based compensation, limitations
on the ratio between the variable and the total compensation of an executive officer and minimum vesting periods for equity-based
compensation.
Our
compensation policy also addresses our executive officers’ individual characteristics (such as his or her respective position,
education, scope of responsibilities and contribution to the attainment of our goals) as the basis for compensation variation
among our executive officers, and considers the internal ratios between compensation of our executive officers and directors and
other employees. Pursuant to our compensation policy, the compensation that may be granted to an executive officer may include:
base salary, annual bonuses, equity-based compensation, benefits and retirement and termination of service arrangements. All cash
bonuses are limited to a maximum amount linked to the executive officer’s base salary. In addition, our compensation policy
provides for maximum permitted ratios between the total variable (cash bonuses and equity-based compensation) and non-variable
(base salary) compensation components, in accordance with an officer’s respective position with the company.
An
annual cash bonus may be awarded to executive officers upon the attainment of pre-set periodic objectives and individual targets.
The annual cash bonus that may be granted to executive officers other than our chairman or Chief Executive Officer may be based
entirely on a discretionary evaluation. Our Chief Executive Officer is entitled to determine performance objectives to such executive
officers.
The
performance measurable objectives of our chairman and Chief Executive Officer will be determined annually by our compensation
committee and Board of Directors. A less significant portion of the chairman’s and/or the Chief Executive Officer’s
annual cash bonus may be based on a discretionary evaluation of the chairman’s or the Chief Executive Officer’s respective
overall performance by the compensation committee and the Board of Directors based on qualitative criteria.
The
equity-based compensation under our compensation policy for our executive officers (including members of our Board of Directors)
is designed in a manner consistent with the underlying objectives in determining the base salary and the annual cash bonus, with
its main objectives being to enhance the alignment between the executive officers’ interests with our long-term interests
and those of our shareholders and to strengthen the retention and the motivation of executive officers in the long term. Our compensation
policy provides for executive officer compensation in the form of share options or other equity-based awards, such as restricted
shares and phantom, options, in accordance with our share incentive plan then in place. Share options granted to executive officers
shall be subject to vesting periods in order to promote long-term retention of the awarded executive officers. The equity-based
compensation shall be granted from time to time and be individually determined and awarded according to the performance, educational
background, prior business experience, qualifications, role and the personal responsibilities of the executive officer.
In
addition, our compensation policy contains compensation recovery provisions which allow us under certain conditions to recover
bonuses paid in excess on basis of results which were discovered as incorrect or restated in the our financial statements enable
our Chief Executive Officer to approve an immaterial change in the terms of employment of an executive officer (provided that
the changes of the terms of employment are in accordance our compensation policy) and allow us to exculpate, indemnify and insure
our executive officers and directors subject to certain limitations set forth thereto.
Our
compensation policy also provides for compensation to the members of our Board of Directors either: (i) in accordance with the
amounts provided in the Companies Regulations (Rules Regarding the Compensation and Expenses of an External Director) of 2000,
as amended by the Companies Regulations (Relief for Public Companies Traded in Stock Exchange Outside of Israel) of 2000, as such
regulations may be amended from time to time; or (ii) for those members who are also executive officers of the Company - in accordance
with the amounts determined in our compensation policy.
Under
the Companies Law, an audit committee that meets the requirements set forth for compensation committee in the Companies Law may
serve also as a compensation committee. In February 2017, our Board of Directors has determined that our audit committee shall
serve also as a compensation committee.
Internal
Auditor
Under
the Companies Law, the board of directors of an Israeli public company must also appoint an internal auditor nominated by the
audit committee. Our internal auditor is Mr. Ido Cnaan. The role of the internal auditor is to examine, among other things, whether
a company’s actions comply with the law and proper business procedure. The audit committee is required to oversee the activities,
and to assess the performance of the internal auditor as well as to review the internal auditor’s work plan. An internal
auditor may not be an interested party or office holder, or a relative of any interested party or office holder and may not be
a member of the company’s independent accounting firm or its representative. The Companies Law defines an interested party
as a holder of 5% or more of the outstanding shares or voting rights of a company, any person or entity that has the right to
nominate or appoint at least one director or the general manager of the company or any person who serves as a director or as the
general manager of a company. Our internal auditor is not our employee, but the managing partner of a firm which specializes in
internal auditing.
Remuneration
of Directors
Under
the Companies Law, remuneration of directors is subject to the approval of the compensation committee, thereafter by the board
of directors and thereafter, unless exempted under the regulations promulgated under the Companies Law, by the general meeting
of the shareholders. In case the remuneration of the directors is in accordance with regulations applicable to remuneration of
the external directors then such remuneration shall be exempt from the approval of the general meeting. Where the director is
also a controlling shareholder, the requirements for approval of transactions with controlling shareholders apply.
Insurance
Under
the Companies Law, a company may obtain insurance for any of its office holders against the following liabilities incurred due
to acts he or she performed as an office holder, if and to the extent provided for in the company’s articles of association:
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a breach of his
or her duty of care to the company or to another person, to the extent such a breach arises out of the negligent conduct of
the office holder;
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a breach of his
or her duty of loyalty to the company, provided that the office holder acted in good faith and had reasonable cause to assume
that his or her act would not prejudice the company’s interests; and
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a financial liability
imposed upon him or her in favor of another person concerning an act performed by such office holder in his or her capacity
as an officer holder.
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We
currently have directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, providing total coverage of $20,000,000 for the benefit
of all of our directors and officers, in respect of which we paid a twelve-month premium of $127,450, which expires on June 14,
2021.
Indemnification
The
Companies Law provides that a company may indemnify an office holder against the following liabilities and expenses incurred for
acts performed by him or her as an office holder, either pursuant to an undertaking made in advance of an event or following an
event, provided its articles of association include a provision authorizing such indemnification:
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a financial liability
imposed on him or her in favor of another person by any judgment concerning an act performed in his or her capacity as an
office holder, including a settlement or arbitrator’s award approved by a court. However, if an undertaking to indemnify
an office holder with respect to such liability is provided in advance, then such an undertaking must be limited to events
which, in the opinion of the board of directors, can be foreseen based on the company’s activities when the undertaking
to indemnify is given, and to an amount or according to criteria determined by the board of directors as reasonable under
the circumstances, and such undertaking shall detail the abovementioned foreseen events and amount or criteria;
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reasonable litigation
expenses, including attorneys’ fees, expended by the office holder (a) as a result of an investigation or proceeding
instituted against him or her by an authority authorized to conduct such investigation or proceeding, provided that (1) no
indictment (as defined in the Companies Law) was filed against such office holder as a result of such investigation or proceeding;
and (2) no financial liability as a substitute for the criminal proceeding (as defined in the Companies Law) was imposed upon
him or her as a result of such investigation or proceeding, or, if such financial liability was imposed, it was imposed with
respect to an offense that does not require proof of criminal intent; and (b) in connection with a monetary sanction;
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reasonable litigation
expenses, including attorneys’ fees, expended by the office holder or imposed on him or her by a court: (1) in proceedings
that the company institutes, or that another person institutes on the company’s behalf, against him or her; (2) in a
criminal proceedings of which he or she was acquitted; or (3) as a result of a conviction for a crime that does not require
proof of criminal intent; and
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expenses incurred
by an office holder in connection with an Administrative Procedure under the Israeli Securities Law, 1968, or Securities Law,
including reasonable litigation expenses and reasonable attorneys’ fees. An “Administrative Procedure” is
defined as a procedure pursuant to chapters H3 (Monetary Sanction by the Israeli Securities Authority), H4 (Administrative
Enforcement Procedures of the Administrative Enforcement Committee) or I1 (Arrangement to prevent Procedures or Interruption
of procedures subject to conditions) to the Securities Law.
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Our
amended and restated articles of association allow us to indemnify our office holders up to a certain amount. The Companies Law
also permits a company to undertake in advance to indemnify an office holder, provided that if such indemnification relates to
financial liability imposed on him or her, as described above, then the undertaking should be limited and shall detail the following
foreseen events and amount or criterion:
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to events that in
the opinion of the board of directors can be foreseen based on the Company’s activities at the time that the undertaking
to indemnify is made; and
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in amount or criterion
determined by the board of directors, at the time of the giving of such undertaking to indemnify, to be reasonable under the
circumstances.
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Exculpation
Under
the Companies Law, an Israeli company may not exculpate an office holder from liability for a breach of his or her duty of loyalty,
but may exculpate in advance an office holder from his or her liability to the company, in whole or in part, for damages caused
to the company as a result of a breach of his or her duty of care (other than in relation to distributions), but only if a provision
authorizing such exculpation is included in its articles of association. Our amended and restated articles of association provide
that we may exculpate, in whole or in part, any office holder from liability to us for damages caused to the Company as a result
of a breach of his or her duty of care, but prohibit an exculpation from liability arising from a Company’s transaction
and/or decision in which our controlling shareholder or officer has a personal interest.
Limitations
The
Companies Law provides that we may not exculpate or indemnify an office holder nor enter into an insurance contract that would
provide coverage for any liability incurred as a result of any of the following: (1) a breach by the office holder of his or her
duty of loyalty unless (in the case of indemnity or insurance only, but not exculpation) the office holder acted in good faith
and had a reasonable basis to believe that the act would not prejudice us; (2) a breach by the office holder of his or her duty
of care if the breach was carried out intentionally or recklessly (as opposed to merely negligently); (3) any act or omission
committed with the intent to derive an illegal personal benefit; or (4) any fine, monetary sanction, penalty or forfeit levied
against the office holder.
Under
the Companies Law, exculpation, indemnification and insurance of office holders in a public company must be approved by the compensation
committee and the board of directors and, with respect to certain office holders or under certain circumstances, also by the shareholders.
We
have entered into indemnification and exculpation agreements with all of our directors and members of our senior management. Each
such agreement provides the office holder with indemnification permitted under applicable law and up to a certain amount, and
to the extent that these liabilities are not covered by directors and officers insurance. In addition, under such indemnification
and exculpation agreements we may not exculpate our directors or members of our senior management with regard to a decision and/or
a transaction in which our controlling shareholder and/or any our office holder has personal interest in.
The
foregoing descriptions summarize the material aspects and practices of our Board of Directors. For additional details, we also
refer you to the full text of the Companies Law, as well as of our amended and restated articles of association, which are attached
as an exhibit to this annual report on Form 20-F, and are incorporated herein by reference.
There
are no service contracts between us or our subsidiaries, on the one hand, and our directors in their capacity as directors, on
the other hand, providing for benefits upon termination of service.
On
December 31, 2018, we had 47 full-time employees and three part-time employees. On December 31, 2019, we had 61 full-time employees
and nine part-time employees. On December 31, 2020, we had 59 full-time employees and 5 part-time employees.
As
of March 25, 2021, we had six full-time senior management employees, including our Chief Executive Officer, Vice President of
Business Development, Vice President of Operations, Vice President of Research and Development, Vice President of Business Development
non-automotive, and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Eye-Net Ltd., and an additional two part-time senior managers – our
Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Human Resources. All of our employees are located in Israel. None of our employees
are represented by labor unions or covered by collective bargaining agreements. We believe that we maintain good relations with
all of our employees. However, in Israel, we are subject to certain Israeli labor laws, regulations and national labor court precedent
rulings, as well as certain provisions of collective bargaining agreements applicable to us by virtue of extension orders issued
in accordance with relevant labor laws by the Israeli Ministry of Economy and which apply such agreement provisions to our employees
even though they are not part of a union that has signed a collective bargaining agreement.
All
of our employment and consulting agreements include employees’ and consultants’ undertakings with respect to non-competition,
assignment to us of intellectual property rights developed in the course of employment, and confidentiality. The enforceability
of such provisions is limited by Israeli law.
See
“Item 7.A. Major Shareholders” below.
2016
Equity Incentive Plan
We
maintain one equity incentive plan – our 2016 Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2016 Plan. As of March 21, 2021, the number
of Ordinary Shares reserved for the exercise of options granted under the 2016 Plan was 36,903,634. In addition, as of March 21,
2021, options to purchase 25,092,765 Ordinary Shares were issued and outstanding, out of which options to purchase 5,971,219 Ordinary
Shares were vested as of that date, with an exercise price of NIS 1.95 (approximately $0.59) per share, options to purchase 2,150,000
Ordinary Shares were vested as of that date, with an exercise price of NIS 2.31 (approximately $0.70) per share, options to purchase
100,000 Ordinary Shares were vested as of that date, with an exercise price of NIS 3.78 (approximately $1.15) per share, options
to purchase 41,667 Ordinary Shares were vested as of that date, with an exercise price of NIS 6.96 (approximately $2.116) per
share, options to purchase 3,143,713 Ordinary Shares were vested as of that date, with an average exercise price of NIS 1.06 (approximately
$0.32) per share, options to purchase 58,334 Ordinary Shares were vested as of that date, with an average exercise price of NIS
1.13 (approximately $0.34) per share, options to purchase 14,584 Ordinary Shares were vested as of that date, with an exercise
price of NIS 1.33 (approximately $0.40) per share and options to purchase 700,000 Ordinary Shares were vested as of that date,
with an exercise price of NIS 6.13 (approximately $1.86) per share. Exercise prices in NIS are translated into U.S. dollars at
the rate of NIS 3.289 = U.S. $1.00, based on the closing rate of exchange between the NIS and the U.S. dollar as
reported by the Bank of Israel on March 21, 2021.
Our
2016 Plan was adopted by our Board of Directors in November 2015 and expires in November 2025. Our employees, directors, officers,
and services providers, including those who are our controlling shareholders, if any, as well as those of our affiliated companies,
are eligible to participate in this plan.
Our
2016 Plan is administered by our Board of Directors, regarding the granting of options and the terms of option grants, including
exercise price, method of payment, vesting schedule, acceleration of vesting and the other matters necessary in the administration
of this plan. Eligible Israeli employees, officers and directors, would qualify for provisions of Section 102(b)(2) of the Israeli
Income Tax Ordinance, 1961, or the Tax Ordinance. Pursuant to such Section 102(b)(2), qualifying options and shares issued upon
exercise of such options are held in trust and registered in the name of a trustee selected by the board of directors. The trustee
may not release these options or shares to the holders thereof for two years from the date of the registration of the options
in the name of the trustee. Under Section 102, any tax payable by an employee from the grant or exercise of the options is deferred
until the transfer of the options or Ordinary Shares by the trustee to the employee or upon the sale of the options or Ordinary
Shares, and gains may qualify to be taxed as capital gains at a rate equal to 25%, subject to compliance with specified conditions.
Our Israeli non-employee service providers and controlling shareholders may only be granted options under Section 3(9) of the
Tax Ordinance, which does not provide for similar tax benefits. The 2016 Plan also permits granting options to Israeli grantees
who do not qualify under Section 102(b)(2).
As
a default, our 2016 Plan provides that upon termination of employment for any reason, other than in the event of death or disability,
all unvested options will expire and all vested options will generally be exercisable for 6 months following such termination,
or such other period as determined by the plan administrator, subject to the terms of the 2016 Plan and the governing option agreement.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event the employment is terminated for cause (including, inter alia, a breach of confidentiality
or non-compete obligations to us, and commission of an act involving moral turpitude or an act that causes harm to us) all
options granted to such employee, whether vested or unvested, will not be exercisable and will terminate on the date of the termination
of his employment.
Upon
termination of employment due to death or disability, all the options vested at the time of termination will generally be exercisable
for 12 months, or such other period as determined by the plan administrator, subject to the terms of the 2016 Plan and the governing
option agreement.
ITEM
7.
|
MAJOR
SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
|
The
following table sets forth information regarding beneficial ownership of our Ordinary Shares as of March 21, 2021 by:
|
●
|
each person, or
group of affiliated persons, known to us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our voting securities.
|
|
●
|
each of our directors
and executive officers; and
|
|
●
|
all of our directors
and executive officers as a group.
|
Except
as indicated in footnotes to this table, we believe that the shareholder named in this table has sole voting and investment power
with respect to all shares shown to be beneficially owned by it, based on information provided to us by such shareholder. The
shareholder listed below does not have any different voting rights from any of our other shareholders.
|
|
No. of Shares Beneficially
Owned (1)
|
|
|
Percentage
Owned (2)
|
|
Holders of more than 5% of our voting securities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Haim Siboni (3)
|
|
|
39,597,866
|
|
|
|
12.15
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Directors and executive officers:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ehud Aharoni (4)
|
|
|
475,000
|
|
|
|
0.15
|
%
|
Daniel Avidan (11)
|
|
|
349,000
|
|
|
|
0.11
|
%
|
Doron Cohadier (7)
|
|
|
213,944
|
|
|
|
0.07
|
%
|
Dror Elbaz (6)
|
|
|
259,467
|
|
|
|
0.08
|
%
|
Michael Gally (8)
|
|
|
475,000
|
|
|
|
0.15
|
%
|
Zeev Levenberg (9)
|
|
|
175,000
|
|
|
|
0.05
|
%
|
Eli Yoresh (10)
|
|
|
937,500
|
|
|
|
0.29
|
%
|
Vered Raz-Avayo (5)
|
|
|
325,000
|
|
|
|
0.1
|
%
|
Oren Baron (12)
|
|
|
816,667
|
|
|
|
0.25
|
%
|
Levi Zruya (13)
|
|
|
275,000
|
|
|
|
0.09
|
%
|
Sivan Siboni Sherf (14)
|
|
|
441,666
|
|
|
|
0.14
|
%
|
David Lempert (15)
|
|
|
441,933
|
|
|
|
0.14
|
%
|
All directors and executive officers as a group (13 persons)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13.53
|
%
|
(1)
|
Beneficial ownership
is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC. Under these rules, a person is deemed to be a beneficial owner of a
security if that person, even if not the record owner, has or shares the underlying benefits of ownership. These benefits
include the power to direct the voting or the disposition of the securities or to receive the economic benefit of ownership
of the securities. A person also is considered to be the “beneficial owner” of securities that the person has
the right to acquire within 60 days by option or other agreement. Beneficial owners include persons who hold their securities
through one or more trustees, brokers, agents, legal representatives or other intermediaries, or through companies in which
they have a “controlling interest,” which means the direct or indirect power to direct the management and policies
of the entity.
|
(2)
|
The percentages
shown are based on 322,186,318 Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding as of March 21, 2021.
|
(3)
|
Includes (i) 35,884,116 Ordinary
Shares held by Magna – B.S.P. Ltd.; and (ii) options to purchase 2,000,000 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within
60 days of March 21, 2021, at an exercise price of NIS 2.31 (approximately $0.70) per share. and (ii) options to purchase
1,713,750 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2021, at an average exercise price of NIS 1.06
(approximately $0.32). Mr. Siboni is the chief executive officer and a director of Magna. Mr. Siboni’s options have
expiration dates ranging from 4/5/2024 to 16/4/2027.
|
(4)
|
Includes options
to purchase 475,000 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2021, at an exercise price of NIS 1.95
(approximately $0.59) per share. Mr. Aharoni’s options have expiration dates ranging from 20/2/2024 to 23/9/2026.
|
(5)
|
Includes (i) options
to purchase 300,000 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2021, at an exercise price of NIS 6.13
(approximately $1.86) per share; and (ii) options to purchase 25,000 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days of
March 21, 2021, at an exercise price of NIS 1.95 (approximately $0.59) per share. Ms. Raz-Avayo’s options have expiration
dates ranging from 27/8/2024 to 23/9/2026.
|
(6)
|
Includes options
to purchase 259,467 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2021, at an exercise price of NIS 1.95
(approximately $0.59) per share. Mr. Elbaz’s options have expiration dates until 5/4/2024.
|
(7)
|
Includes options
to purchase 140,000 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2021, at an exercise price of NIS 1.95
(approximately $0.59) per share. and (ii) options to purchase 73,944 Ordinary Shares at an average exercise price of NIS 1.06
(approximately $0.32). Mr. Cohadier’s options have expiration dates ranging from 4/5/2024 to 9/6/2027.
|
(8)
|
Includes options
to purchase 375,000 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2021, at an exercise price of NIS 1.95
(approximately $0.59) per share. and (ii) options to purchase 100,000 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days
of March 21, 2021, at an exercise price of NIS 3.78 (approximately $1.15) per share. Mr. Gally’s options have expiration
dates ranging from 20/2/2024, to 23/9/2026.
|
(9)
|
Includes options
to purchase 150,000 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2021, at an exercise price of NIS 6.13
(approximately $1.86) per share. and (ii) options to purchase 25,000 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days of
March 21, 2021, at an average exercise price of NIS 1.06 (approximately $0.32) per share. Mr. Levenberg’s options have
expiration dates ranging from 30/6/2021 to 1/1/2026.
|
(10)
|
Includes options
to purchase 937,500 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2021, at an average exercise price of
NIS 1.06 (approximately $0.32) per share. Mr. Yoresh’s options have expiration dates ranging until 9/6/2027.
|
(11)
|
Includes options
to purchase 225,000 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2021, at an exercise price of NIS 6.13
(approximately $1.86) per share. and (ii) options to purchase 124,000 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days
of March 21, 2021, at an average exercise price of NIS 1.06 (approximately $0.32) per share. Mr. Avidan’s options have
expiration dates ranging from 17/7/2021 to 1/1/2026.
|
(12)
|
Includes options
to purchase 700,000 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2021, at an exercise price of NIS 1.95
(approximately $0.59) per share. and (ii) options to purchase 116,667 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days
of March 21, 2021, at an average exercise price of NIS 1.125 (approximately $0.34) per share. Mr. Baron’s options have
expiration dates ranging from 30/11/2024 to 19/8/2027.
|
(13)
|
Includes options
to purchase 150,000 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2021, at an exercise price of NIS 1.95
(approximately $0.59) per share. and (ii) options to purchase 125,000 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days
of March 21, 2021, at an average exercise price of NIS 1.06 (approximately $0.32) per share. Mr. Zruya’s options have
expiration dates ranging from 27/8/2024 to 16/7/2027.
|
(14)
|
Includes options
to purchase 150,000 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2021, at an exercise price of NIS 2.31
(approximately $0.70) per share. and (ii) options to purchase 291,666 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days
of March 21, 2021, at an average exercise price of NIS 1.06 (approximately $0.32) per share. Ms. Siboni Sherf’s options
have expiration dates ranging from 4/5/2024 to 16/7/2027.
|
(15)
|
Includes options
to purchase 258,333 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2021, at an exercise price of NIS 1.95
(approximately $0.59) per share. and (ii) options to purchase 183,600 Ordinary Shares that are exercisable within 60 days
of March 21, 2021, at an average exercise price of NIS 1.06 (approximately $0.32) per share. Mr. Lempert’s options have
expiration dates ranging from 30/11/2024 to 9/6/2027.
|
Changes
in Percentage Ownership by Major Shareholders
Over
the course of 2020, there were no increases in the percentage ownership of our major shareholders. On the other hand, there were
decreases in the percentage ownership of entities affiliated with (i) Magna from 23.2% to 11.47%, which was due to the dilution
of their ownership as a result of equity offerings (ii) Ionic Ventures LLC (from 9.98% to 0%), which was due to the sale of their
holdings. and (iii) Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. (from 6.3% to 3.8%), which was due to the dilution
of their ownership as a result of equity offerings.
Over
the course of 2019, there were no increases in the percentage ownership of our major shareholders. On the other hand, there were
decreases in the percentage ownership of entities affiliated with (i) Magna from 27.2% to 23.2%, which was due to the dilution
of their ownership as a result of equity offerings (ii) Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd (from 10.5% to
6.3%) and (iii) Meitav Dash Investments Ltd. (from 5.4% to 4.65%), which was due to the dilution of their ownership as a result
of equity offerings.
Over
the course of 2018, there were increases in the percentage ownership of our major shareholders with (i) Harel Insurance Investments
& Financial Services Ltd (from 0% to 10.5%) and (ii) Meitav Dash Investments Ltd. (from 0% to 5.4%). On the other hand, there
were decreases in the percentage ownership of entities affiliated with (i) Magna from 32.3% to 27.2%, which was due to the dilution
of their ownership as a result of equity offerings
Record
Holders
Based
upon a review of the information provided to us by our registrar in Israel, as of March 21, 2021, there were a total of 13 holders of record of our Ordinary Shares, of which all record holders had registered addresses in Israel. Based upon a review
of the information provided to us by The Bank of New York Mellon, the depositary of the ADSs, as of March 19, 2021, there were
97 holders of record of the ADSs on record with the Depository Trust Company. These numbers are not representative of the number
of beneficial holders of our shares nor is it representative of where such beneficial holders reside, since many of these shares
were held of record by brokers or other nominees.
We
are not controlled by another corporation, by any foreign government or by any natural or legal persons except as set forth herein,
and there are no arrangements known to us which would result in a change in control of us at a subsequent date.
B.
|
Related Party
Transactions.
|
See
“Item 6.B. Compensation” for compensation to our directors and officers.
Options
Since
our inception we have granted options to purchase our Ordinary Shares to our officers and our directors. Such option agreements
may contain acceleration provisions upon certain merger, acquisition, or change of control transactions. We describe our option
plan under “Item 6.E. Share Ownership—2016 Equity Incentive Plan.” If the relationship between us and an executive
officer or a director is terminated, except for cause (as defined in the various option plan agreements), options that are vested
will generally remain exercisable for six months after such termination.
Services
Agreement
Following
the Merger, on January 5, 2016, Magna entered into a services agreement with Foresight Automotive, which provided that, for a
period of 12 months following the Merger, Magna shall provide Foresight Automotive with certain services, primarily with
respect to the design and development of algorithms and ADAS designated computer vision software in consideration of monthly payments
at agreed upon rates for each of Magna’s workers, not to exceed the aggregate monthly consideration of NIS 200,000 plus
VAT. Furthermore, Foresight Automotive may extend the agreement by two additional 12 month periods, which right has been exercised
by Foresight Automotive on two occasions. On January 28, 2019, the Company’s shareholders approved the extension of the
services agreement with Magna for 12 additional months with an option to extend the agreement for two additional 12 month periods,
which right has been exercised by Foresight Automotive for the two additional 12 month periods. According to the updated agreement,
the monthly payment to Magna for the research and development services will not exceed NIS 235,000 (approximately $73,000) plus
VAT. In addition, our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Haim Siboni, and our Chief Technology Officer, Mr. Levi Zruya, serve as Magna’s
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer, respectively.
C.
|
Interests of
Experts and Counsel.
|
None.
ITEM
8.
|
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION.
|
A.
|
Consolidated
Statements and Other Financial Information.
|
See
“Item 18. Financial Statements.”
Legal
Proceedings
We
are not currently subject to any material legal proceedings.
Dividends
We
have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our Ordinary Shares and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable
future. Payment of cash dividends, if any, in the future will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on
then-existing conditions, including our financial condition, operating results, contractual restrictions, capital requirements,
business prospects and other factors our Board of Directors may deem relevant.
The
Companies Law imposes further restrictions on our ability to declare and pay dividends.
Payment
of dividends may be subject to Israeli withholding taxes. See “Item 10. E. Taxation” for additional information.
No
significant change, other than as otherwise described in this annual report on Form 20-F, has occurred in our operations since
the date of our consolidated financial statements included in this annual report on Form 20-F.
ITEM
9.
|
THE
OFFER AND LISTING
|
A.
|
Offer and Listing
Details.
|
Our
Ordinary Shares have been trading on the TASE since 1987. From July 2015 until October 2015, we did not have any business activity,
excluding administrative management. On October 11, 2015, we entered into the Merger with Magna and Foresight Automotive. The
ADSs have been trading under the symbol “FRSX” on the Nasdaq Capital Market since June 15, 2017.
Not
applicable.
Our
Ordinary Shares have been trading on the TASE since 1987. The ADSs are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
Not
applicable.
Not
applicable.
F.
|
Expenses of the
Issue.
|
Not
applicable.
ITEM
10.
|
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
|
Not
applicable.
B.
|
Memorandum and
Articles of Association.
|
A
copy of our amended and restated articles of association is attached as Exhibit 1.1 to this annual report on Form 20-F. The information
called for by this Item is set forth in Exhibit 2(d) to this annual report on Form 20-F and is incorporated by reference into
this annual report on Form 20-F.
The
following is a summary of each material contract, other than material contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business,
to which we are or have been a party, for the two years immediately preceding the date of this annual report on Form 20-F:
|
●
|
Merger Agreement
dated October 11, 2015, by and among Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd., Magna B.S.P. Ltd. and Foresight Automotive Ltd. (unofficial
English translation from Hebrew original), filed as Exhibit 4.1 to form 20-F (File No. 001-38094) filed on July 1, 2017. See
Item 4.A “History and Development of the Company” for more information about this document.
|
|
●
|
Asset
Transfer Agreement dated January 5, 2016, by and between Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd. and Magna B.S.P. Ltd. (unofficial
English translation from Hebrew original), filed as Exhibit 4.2 to form 20-F (File No. 001-38094) filed on July 1, 2017, and
incorporated herein by reference. See Item 4.A “History and Development of the Company” for more information
about this document.
|
|
●
|
Service
Agreement dated January 5, 2016, by and between Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd. and Magna B.S.P. Ltd. (unofficial English
translation from Hebrew original), filed as exhibit 4.3 to form 20-F (File No. 001-38094) filed on July 1, 2017, as amended
on January 28, 2019. See Item 6.B “Related Party Transactions” for more information about this document.
|
|
●
|
Foresight Autonomous
Holdings Ltd. (2016) Equity Incentive Plan (unofficial English translation from Hebrew original), filed as Exhibit 4.6 to
form 20-F (File No. 001-38094) filed on July 1, 2017. See Item 6.E “Share Ownership” for more information
about this document.
|
|
●
|
Share
Purchase Agreement dated August 4, 2016, by and among Rail Vision Ltd, Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd. and the other investors
listed therein, filed as Exhibit 4.10 to form 20-F (File No. 001-38094) filed on July 1, 2017.
|
|
●
|
Amended
Compensation Policy, filed as Exhibit 99.1 to form 6-K (File No. 001-38094) filed on
July 16, 2020.
|
|
●
|
Sales
Agreement by and between Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd. and A.G.P./Alliance Global
Partners, dated October 2, 2020, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to form 6-K (File No. 001-38094)
filed on October 2, 2020.
|
|
●
|
Sales
Agreement by and between Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd. and A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, dated January 22, 2021, filed
as Exhibit 10.1 to form F-3 (File No. 333-252334) filed on January22, 2021.
|
There
are currently no Israeli currency control restrictions on payments of dividends or other distributions with respect to our Ordinary
Shares or the proceeds from the sale of the shares, except for the obligation of Israeli residents to file reports with the Bank
of Israel regarding certain transactions. However, legislation remains in effect pursuant to which currency controls can be imposed
by administrative action at any time.
The
ownership or voting of our Ordinary Shares by non-residents of Israel, except with respect to citizens of countries that are in
a state of war with Israel, is not restricted in any way by our memorandum of association or amended and restated articles of
association or by the laws of the State of Israel.
Israeli
Tax Considerations and Government Programs
The
following is a description of the material Israeli income tax consequences of the ownership of our Ordinary Shares. The following
also contains a description of material relevant provisions of the current Israeli income tax structure applicable to companies
in Israel, with reference to its effect on us. To the extent that the discussion is based on new tax legislation which has not
been subject to judicial or administrative interpretation, there can be no assurance that the tax authorities will accept the
views expressed in the discussion in question. The discussion is not intended, and should not be taken, as legal or professional
tax advice and is not exhaustive of all possible tax considerations.
The
following description is not intended to constitute a complete analysis of all tax consequences relating to the ownership or disposition
of our Ordinary Shares and ADSs. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors concerning the tax consequences of their particular
situation, as well as any tax consequences that may arise under the laws of any state, local, foreign or other taxing jurisdiction.
General
Corporate Tax Structure in Israel
Israeli
companies are generally subject to corporate tax. As of January 2016, the corporate tax rate was 25%. As of January 1, 2017, the
corporate tax rate was reduced to 24% and as of January 1, 2018, the corporate tax rate is 23%. However, the effective tax rate
payable by a company that derives income from a Preferred Enterprise (as discussed below) may be considerably less. Capital gains
derived by an Israeli company are generally subject to the prevailing corporate tax rate.
Capital
gains derived by an Israeli resident company are subject to tax at the prevailing corporate tax rate. Under Israeli tax legislation,
a corporation will be considered as an “Israeli resident company” if it meets one of the following: (i) it was incorporated
in Israel; or (ii) the control and management of its business are exercised in Israel.
Law
for the Encouragement of Industry (Taxes), 5729-1969
The
Law for the Encouragement of Industry (Taxes), 5729-1969, generally referred to as the Industry Encouragement Law, provides several
tax benefits for “Industrial Companies.”
The
Industry Encouragement Law defines an “Industrial Company” as an Israeli resident-company, of which 90% or more of
its income in any tax year, other than income from defense loans, is derived from an “Industrial Enterprise” owned
by it. An “Industrial Enterprise” is defined as an enterprise whose principal activity in a given tax year is industrial
production.
The
following corporate tax benefits, among others, are available to Industrial Companies:
|
●
|
amortization of
the cost of purchased a patent, rights to use a patent, and know-how, which are used for the development or advancement of
the company, over an eight-year period, commencing on the year in which such rights were first exercised;
|
|
●
|
under limited conditions,
an election to file consolidated tax returns with related Israeli Industrial Companies; and
|
|
●
|
expenses related
to a public offering are deductible in equal amounts over three years.
|
Eligibility
for benefits under the Industry Encouragement Law is not contingent upon approval of any governmental authority.
Tax
Benefits and Grants for Research and Development
Under
the Research Law, research and development programs which meet specified criteria and are approved by the IIA are eligible for
grants of up to 50% of the project’s expenditure, as determined by the research committee, in exchange for the payment of
royalties from the revenues generated from the sale of products and related services developed, in whole or in part pursuant to,
or as a result of, a research and development program funded by the IIA. The royalties are generally at a range of 3.0% to 5.0%
of revenues until the entire IIA grant is repaid, together with an annual interest generally equal to the 12 month LIBOR applicable
to dollar deposits that is published on the first business day of each calendar year.
The
terms of the Research Law also require that the manufacture of products developed with government grants be performed in Israel.
The transfer of manufacturing activity outside Israel may be subject to the prior approval of the IIA. Under the regulations of
the Research Law, assuming we receive approval from the IIA to manufacture our IIA-funded products outside Israel, we may be required
to pay increased royalties. The increase in royalties depends upon the manufacturing volume that is performed outside of Israel
as follows:
Manufacturing Volume Outside of Israel
|
|
Royalties to the IIA as a Percentage of Grant
|
|
Up to 50%
|
|
|
120
|
%
|
Between 50% and 90%
|
|
|
150
|
%
|
90% and more
|
|
|
300
|
%
|
If
the manufacturing is performed outside of Israel by us, the rate of royalties payable by us on revenues from the sale of products
manufactured outside of Israel will increase by 1% over the regular rates. If the manufacturing is performed outside of Israel
by a third party, the rate of royalties payable by us on those revenues will be equal to the ratio obtained by dividing the amount
of the grants received from the IIA and our total investment in the project that was funded by these grants. The transfer of no
more than 10% of the manufacturing capacity in the aggregate outside of Israel is exempt under the Research Law from obtaining
the prior approval of the IIA. A company requesting funds from the IIA also has the option of declaring in its IIA grant application
an intention to perform part of its manufacturing outside Israel, thus avoiding the need to obtain additional approval. On January
6, 2011, the Research Law was amended to clarify that the potential increased royalties specified in the table above will apply
even in those cases where the IIA approval for transfer of manufacturing outside of Israel is not required, namely when the volume
of the transferred manufacturing capacity is less than 10% of total capacity or when the company received an advance approval
to manufacture abroad in the framework of its IIA grant application.
The
know-how developed within the framework of the IIA plan may not be transferred to third parties outside Israel without the prior
approval of a governmental committee charted under the Research Law. The approval, however, is not required for the export of
any products developed using grants received from the IIA. The IIA approval to transfer know-how created, in whole or in part,
in connection with an 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 Research 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. 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 the aggregate IIA grants to the total financial investments in the company, multiplied by the
transaction consideration. According to the January 2011 amendment, the redemption fee in case of transfer of know-how to a party
outside Israel will be based on the ratio between the aggregate IIA grants received by the company and the company’s aggregate
research and development expenses, multiplied by the transaction consideration. According to regulations promulgated following
the 2011 amendment, the maximum amount payable to the IIA in case of transfer of know how outside Israel shall not exceed 6 times
the value of the grants received plus interest, and in the event that the receiver of the grants ceases to be an Israeli corporation
such payment shall not exceed six times the value of the grants received plus interest, with a possibility to reduce such payment
to up to three times the value of the grants received plus interest if the research and development activity remains in Israel
for a period of three years after payment to the IIA.
Transfer
of know-how within Israel is subject to an undertaking of the recipient Israeli entity to comply with the provisions of the Research
Law and related regulations, including the restrictions on the transfer of know-how and the obligation to pay royalties, as further
described in the Research Law and related regulations.
These
restrictions may impair our ability to outsource manufacturing, engage in change of control transactions or otherwise transfer
our know-how outside Israel and may require us to obtain the approval of the IIA for certain actions and transactions and pay
additional royalties to the IIA. In particular, any change of control and any change of ownership of our Ordinary Shares that
would make a non-Israeli citizen or resident an “interested party,” as defined in the Research Law, requires a prior
written notice to the IIA in addition to any payment that may be required of us for transfer of manufacturing or know-how outside
Israel. If we fail to comply with the Research Law, we may be subject to criminal charges.
Tax
Benefits for Research and Development
Israeli
tax law allows, under certain conditions, a tax deduction for expenditures, including capital expenditures, for the year in which
they are incurred. Expenditures are deemed related to scientific research and development projects, if:
|
●
|
The expenditures
are approved by the relevant Israeli government ministry, determined by the field of research;
|
|
●
|
The research and
development must be for the promotion of the company; and
|
|
●
|
The research and
development is carried out by or on behalf of the company seeking such tax deduction.
|
The
amount of such deductible expenses is reduced by the sum of any funds received through government grants for the finance of such
scientific research and development projects. No deduction under these research and development deduction rules is allowed if
such deduction is related to an expense invested in an asset depreciable under the general depreciation rules of the Tax Ordinance.
Expenditures not so approved are deductible in equal amounts over three years.
From
time to time we may apply to the IIA for approval to allow a tax deduction for all research and development expenses during the
year incurred. There can be no assurance that such application will be accepted.
Law
for the Encouragement of Capital Investments, 5719-1959
The
Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investments, 5719-1959, generally referred to as the Investment Law, provides certain incentives
for capital investments in production facilities (or other eligible assets).
Tax
Benefits
The
Investment Law grants tax benefits for income generated by a “Preferred Company” through its “Preferred Enterprise”
(as such terms are defined in the Investment Law) The definition of a Preferred Company includes a company incorporated in Israel
that is not fully owned by a governmental entity, and that has, among other things, Preferred Enterprise status and is controlled
and managed from Israel. A Preferred Company is entitled to a reduced corporate tax rate of 16% with respect to its income derived
by its Preferred Enterprise, unless the Preferred Enterprise is located in a specified development zone, in which case the rate
will be 9%.
Dividends
paid out of income attributed to a Preferred Enterprise are generally subject to withholding tax at source at the rate of 20%
or such lower rate as may be provided in an applicable tax treaty. However, if such dividends are paid to an Israeli company,
no tax is required to be withheld.
Taxation
of our Shareholders
Capital
Gains Taxes Applicable to Non-Israeli Resident Shareholders. A non-Israeli resident who derives capital gains from the sale of
shares in an Israeli resident company will be exempt from Israeli tax so long as the shares were not held through a permanent
establishment that the non-resident maintains in Israel. However, non-Israeli corporations will not be entitled to the foregoing
exemption if Israeli residents: (i) have a controlling interest of 25% or more in such non-Israeli corporation or (ii) are the
beneficiaries of, or are entitled to, 25% or more of the revenues or profits of such non-Israeli corporation, whether directly
or indirectly.
Additionally,
a sale of securities by a non-Israeli resident may be exempt from Israeli capital gains tax under the provisions of an applicable
tax treaty. For example, under Convention Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the State
of Israel with respect to Taxes on Income, as amended, or the United States-Israel Tax Treaty, the sale, exchange or other disposition
of shares by a shareholder who is a United States resident (for purposes of the treaty) holding the shares as a capital asset
and is entitled to claim the benefits afforded to such a resident by the U.S.-Israel Tax Treaty, or a Treaty U.S. Resident, is
generally exempt from Israeli capital gains tax unless: (i) the capital gain arising from such sale, exchange or disposition is
attributed to real estate located in Israel; (ii) the capital gain arising from such sale, exchange or disposition is attributed
to royalties; (iii) the capital gain arising from the such sale, exchange or disposition is attributed to a permanent establishment
in Israel, under certain terms; (iv) such Treaty U.S. Resident holds, directly or indirectly, shares representing 10% or more
of the voting capital during any part of the 12-month period preceding the disposition, subject to certain conditions; or (v)
such Treaty U.S. Resident is an individual and was present in Israel for 183 days or more during the relevant taxable year.
In
some instances where our shareholders may be liable for Israeli tax on the sale of their Ordinary Shares, the payment of the consideration
may be subject to the withholding of Israeli tax at source. Shareholders may be required to demonstrate that they are exempt from
tax on their capital gains in order to avoid withholding at source at the time of sale.
Taxation
of Non-Israeli Shareholders on Receipt of Dividends. Non-Israeli residents are generally subject to Israeli income tax on the
receipt of dividends paid on our Ordinary Shares at the rate of 25%, which tax will be withheld at source, unless relief is provided
in a treaty between Israel and the shareholder’s country of residence. With respect to a person who is a “substantial
shareholder” at the time of receiving the dividend or on any time during the preceding twelve months, the applicable tax
rate is 30%. A “substantial shareholder” is generally a person who alone or together with such person’s relative
or another person who collaborates with such person on a permanent basis, holds, directly or indirectly, at least 10% of any of
the “means of control” of the corporation. “Means of control” generally include the right to vote, receive
profits, nominate a director or an executive officer, receive assets upon liquidation, or order someone who holds any of the aforesaid
rights how to act, regardless of the source of such right. However, a distribution of dividends to non-Israeli residents is subject
to withholding tax at source at a rate of 20% if the dividend is distributed from income attributed to a Preferred Enterprise,
unless a reduced tax rate is provided under an applicable tax treaty. For example, under the United States-Israel Tax Treaty,
the maximum rate of tax withheld at source in Israel on dividends paid to a holder of our Ordinary Shares who is a Treaty U.S.
Resident is 25%. However, generally, the maximum rate of withholding tax on dividends, not generated by a Preferred Enterprise,
that are paid to a United States corporation holding 10% or more of the outstanding voting capital throughout the tax year in
which the dividend is distributed as well as during the previous tax year, is 12.5%, provided that not more than 25% of the gross
income for such preceding year consists of certain types of dividends and interest. Notwithstanding the foregoing, dividends distributed
from income attributed to a Preferred Enterprise are not entitled to such reduction under the tax treaty but are subject to a
withholding tax rate of 15% for a shareholder that is a U.S. corporation, provided that the condition related to our gross income
for the previous year (as set forth in the previous sentence) is met. If the dividend is attributable partly to income derived
from a Preferred Enterprise, and partly to other sources of income, the withholding rate will be a blended rate reflecting the
relative portions of the two types of income. We cannot assure you that we will designate the profits that we may distribute in
a way that will reduce shareholders’ tax liability.
U.S.
Tax Considerations
U.S.
Federal Income Tax Considerations
THE
FOLLOWING SUMMARY IS INCLUDED HEREIN FOR GENERAL INFORMATION AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED TO BE, LEGAL
OR TAX ADVICE. EACH U.S. HOLDER SHOULD CONSULT WITH HIS OR HER OWN TAX ADVISOR AS TO THE PARTICULAR U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND SALE OF ORDINARY SHARES AND AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES, INCLUDING THE EFFECTS OF APPLICABLE STATE,
LOCAL, FOREIGN OR OTHER TAX LAWS AND POSSIBLE CHANGES IN THE TAX LAWS.
Subject
to the limitations described in the next paragraph, the following discussion summarizes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences
to a “U.S. Holder” arising from the purchase, ownership and sale of the Ordinary Shares and ADSs. For this purpose,
a “U.S. Holder” is a holder of Ordinary Shares or ADSs that is: (1) an individual citizen or resident of the United
States, including an alien individual who is a lawful permanent resident of the United States or meets the substantial presence
residency test under U.S. federal income tax laws; (2) a corporation (or entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income
tax purposes) or a partnership (other than a partnership that is not treated as a U.S. person under any applicable U.S. Treasury
regulations) created or organized under the laws of the United States or the District of Columbia or any political subdivision
thereof; (3) an estate, the income of which is includable in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of source;
(4) a trust if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and
one or more U.S. persons have authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust; or (5) a trust that has a valid election
in effect to be treated as a U.S. person to the extent provided in U.S. Treasury regulations.
This
summary is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all of the U.S. federal
income tax considerations that may be relevant to a decision to purchase our Ordinary Shares or ADSs. This summary generally considers
only U.S. Holders that will own our Ordinary Shares or ADSs as capital assets. Except to the limited extent discussed below, this
summary does not consider the U.S. federal tax consequences to a person that is not a U.S. Holder, nor does it describe the rules
applicable to determine a taxpayer’s status as a U.S. Holder. This summary is based on the provisions of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, final, temporary and proposed U.S. Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, administrative
and judicial interpretations thereof, and the U.S./Israel Income Tax Treaty, all as in effect as of the date hereof and all of
which are subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis, and all of which are open to differing interpretations. We will
not seek a ruling from the IRS with regard to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of an investment in our Ordinary Shares or
ADSs by U.S. Holders and, therefore, can provide no assurances that the IRS will agree with the conclusions set forth below.
This
discussion does not address all of the aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to a particular U.S. holder
based on such holder’s particular circumstances and in particular does not discuss any estate, gift, generation-skipping,
transfer, state, local, excise or foreign tax considerations. In addition, this discussion does not address the U.S. federal income
tax treatment of a U.S. Holder who is: (1) a bank, life insurance company, regulated investment company, or other financial institution
or “financial services entity;” (2) a broker or dealer in securities or foreign currency; (3) a person who acquired
our Ordinary Shares or ADSs in connection with employment or other performance of services; (4) a U.S. Holder that is subject
to the U.S. alternative minimum tax; (5) a U.S. Holder that holds our Ordinary Shares or ADSs as a hedge or as part of a hedging,
straddle, conversion or constructive sale transaction or other risk-reduction transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes;
(6) a tax-exempt entity; (7) real estate investment trusts or grantor trusts; (8) a U.S. Holder that expatriates out of the United
States or a former long-term resident of the United States; or (9) a person having a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar.
This discussion does not address the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a U.S. Holder that owns, directly or constructively,
at any time, Ordinary Shares or ADSs representing 10% or more of our voting power. Additionally, the U.S. federal income tax treatment
of partnerships (or other pass-through entities) or persons who hold Ordinary Shares or ADSs through a partnership or other pass-through
entity are not addressed.
Each
prospective investor is advised to consult his or her own tax adviser for the specific tax consequences to that investor of purchasing,
holding or disposing of our Ordinary Shares or ADSs, including the effects of applicable state, local, foreign or other tax laws
and possible changes in the tax laws.
Taxation
of Dividends Paid on Ordinary Shares or ADSs
We
do not intend to pay dividends in the foreseeable future. In the event that we do pay dividends, and subject to the discussion
under the heading “Passive Foreign Investment Companies” below and the discussion of “qualified dividend income”
below, a U.S. Holder, other than certain U.S. Holder’s that are U.S. corporations, will be required to include in gross
income as ordinary income the amount of any distribution paid on Ordinary Shares or ADSs (including the amount of any Israeli
tax withheld on the date of the distribution), to the extent that such distribution does not exceed our current and accumulated
earnings and profits, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The amount of a distribution which exceeds our earnings
and profits will be treated first as a non-taxable return of capital, reducing the U.S. Holder’s tax basis for the Ordinary
Shares to the extent thereof, and then capital gain. We do not expect to maintain calculations of our earnings and profits under
U.S. federal income tax principles and, therefore, U.S. Holders should expect that the entire amount of any distribution generally
will be reported as dividend income.
In
general, preferential tax rates for “qualified dividend income” and long-term capital gains are applicable for U.S.
Holders that are individuals, estates or trusts. For this purpose, “qualified dividend income” means, inter alia,
dividends received from a “qualified foreign corporation.” A “qualified foreign corporation” is a corporation
that is entitled to the benefits of a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States which includes an exchange of information
program. The IRS has stated that the Israel/U.S. Tax Treaty satisfies this requirement and we believe we are eligible for the
benefits of that treaty.
In
addition, our dividends will be qualified dividend income if our Ordinary Shares or ADSs are readily tradable on the Nasdaq Capital
Market or another established securities market in the United States. Dividends will not qualify for the preferential rate if
we are treated, in the year the dividend is paid or in the prior year, as a PFIC, as described below under “Passive Foreign
Investment Companies.” A U.S. Holder will not be entitled to the preferential rate: (1) if the U.S. Holder has not held
our Ordinary Shares or ADSs for at least 61 days of the 121 day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before the ex-dividend
date, or (2) to the extent the U.S. Holder is under an obligation to make related payments on substantially similar property.
Any days during which the U.S. Holder has diminished its risk of loss on our Ordinary Shares or ADSs are not counted towards meeting
the 61-day holding period. Finally, U.S. Holders who elect to treat the dividend income as “investment income” pursuant
to Code section 163(d)(4) will not be eligible for the preferential rate of taxation.
The
amount of a distribution with respect to our Ordinary Shares or ADSs will be measured by the amount of the fair market value of
any property distributed, and for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the amount of any Israeli taxes withheld therefrom. Cash distributions
paid by us in NIS will be included in the income of U.S. Holders at a U.S. dollar amount based upon the spot rate of exchange
in effect on the date the dividend is includible in the income of the U.S. Holder, and U.S. Holders will have a tax basis in such
NIS for U.S. federal income tax purposes equal to such U.S. dollar value. If the U.S. Holder subsequently converts the NIS into
U.S. dollars or otherwise disposes of it, any subsequent gain or loss in respect of such NIS arising from exchange rate fluctuations
will be U.S. source ordinary exchange gain or loss.
Taxation
of the Disposition of Ordinary Shares or ADSs
Except
as provided under the PFIC rules described below under “Passive Foreign Investment Companies,” upon the sale, exchange
or other disposition of our Ordinary Shares or ADSs, a U.S. Holder will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the
difference between such U.S. Holder’s tax basis for the Ordinary Shares or ADSs in U.S. dollars and the amount realized
on the disposition in U.S. dollar (or its U.S. dollar equivalent determined by reference to the spot rate of exchange on the date
of disposition, if the amount realized is denominated in a foreign currency). The gain or loss realized on the sale, exchange
or other disposition of Ordinary Shares or ADSs will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder has a holding period
of more than one year at the time of the disposition. Individuals who recognize long-term capital gains may be taxed on such gains
at reduced rates of tax. The deduction of capital losses is subject to various limitations.
Passive
Foreign Investment Companies
Special
U.S. federal income tax laws apply to U.S. taxpayers who own shares of a corporation that is a PFIC. We will be treated as a PFIC
for U.S. federal income tax purposes for any taxable year that either:
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●
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75% or more of our
gross income (including our pro rata share of gross income for any company, in which we are considered to own 25% or more
of the shares by value), in a taxable year is passive; or
|
|
●
|
At least 50% of
our assets, averaged over the year and generally determined based upon fair market value (including our pro rata share of
the assets of any company in which we are considered to own 25% or more of the shares by value) are held for the production
of, or produce, passive income.
|
For
this purpose, passive income generally consists of dividends, interest, rents, royalties, annuities and income from certain commodities
transactions and from notional principal contracts. Cash is treated as generating passive income.
We
believe that we will not be a PFIC for the current taxable year, although we have not determined whether we will be a PFIC in
the foreseeable future. The tests for determining PFIC status are applied annually, and it is difficult to make accurate projections
of future income and assets which are relevant to this determination. In addition, our PFIC status may depend in part on the market
value of our Ordinary Shares. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we currently are not or will not become a PFIC.
If
we currently are or become a PFIC, each U.S. Holder who has not elected to mark the shares to market (as discussed below), would,
upon receipt of certain distributions by us and upon disposition of our Ordinary Shares or ADSs at a gain: (1) have such
distribution or gain allocated ratably over the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Ordinary Shares or ADSs, as the case
may be; (2) the amount allocated to the current taxable year and any period prior to the first day of the first taxable year in
which we were a PFIC would be taxed as ordinary income; and (3) the amount allocated to each of the other taxable years would
be subject to tax at the highest rate of tax in effect for the applicable class of taxpayer for that year, and an interest charge
for the deemed deferral benefit would be imposed with respect to the resulting tax attributable to each such other taxable year.
In addition, when shares of a PFIC are acquired by reason of death from a decedent that was a U.S. Holder, the tax basis of such
shares would not receive a step-up to fair market value as of the date of the decedent’s death, but instead would be equal
to the decedent’s basis if lower, unless all gain were recognized by the decedent. Indirect investments in a PFIC may also
be subject to these special U.S. federal income tax rules.
The
PFIC rules described above would not apply to a U.S. Holder who makes a QEF election for all taxable years that such U.S. Holder
has held the Ordinary Shares or ADSs while we are a PFIC, provided that we comply with specified reporting requirements. Instead,
each U.S. Holder who has made such a QEF election is required for each taxable year that we are a PFIC to include in income such
U.S. Holder’s pro rata share of our ordinary earnings as ordinary income and such U.S. Holder’s pro rata share of
our net capital gains as long-term capital gain, regardless of whether we make any distributions of such earnings or gain. In
general, a QEF election is effective only if we make available certain required information. The QEF election is made on a shareholder-by-shareholder
basis and generally may be revoked only with the consent of the IRS. We do not intend to notify U.S. Holders if we believe we
will be treated as a PFIC for any tax year. In addition, we do not intend to furnish U.S. Holders annually with information needed
in order to complete IRS Form 8621 and to make and maintain a valid QEF election for any year in which we or any of our subsidiaries
are a PFIC. Therefore, the QEF election will not be available with respect to our Ordinary Shares or ADSs.
In
addition, the PFIC rules described above would not apply if we were a PFIC and a U.S. Holder made a mark-to-market election. A
U.S. Holder of our Ordinary Shares or ADSs which are regularly traded on a qualifying exchange, including the Nasdaq Capital Market,
can elect to mark the Ordinary Shares or ADSs to market annually, recognizing as ordinary income or loss each year an amount equal
to the difference as of the close of the taxable year between the fair market value of the Ordinary Shares or ADSs and the U.S.
Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the Ordinary Shares or ADSs. Losses are allowed only to the extent of net mark-to-market
gain previously included income by the U.S. Holder under the election for prior taxable years.
U.S.
Holders who hold our Ordinary Shares or ADSs during a period when we are a PFIC will be subject to the foregoing rules, even if
we cease to be a PFIC. U.S. Holders are strongly urged to consult their tax advisors about the PFIC rules.
Tax
on Net Investment Income
U.S.
Holders who are individuals, estates or trusts will generally be required to pay a 3.8% Medicare tax on their net investment income
(including dividends on and gains from the sale or other disposition of our Ordinary Shares or ADSs), or in the case of estates
and trusts on their net investment income that is not distributed. In each case, the 3.8% Medicare tax applies only to the extent
the U.S. Holder’s total adjusted income exceeds applicable thresholds.
Tax
Consequences for Non-U.S. Holders of Ordinary Shares or ADSs
Except
as provided below, an individual, corporation, estate or trust that is not a U.S. Holder referred to below as a non-U.S. Holder,
generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax on the payment of dividends on, and the proceeds from
the disposition of, our Ordinary Shares or ADSs.
A
non-U.S. Holder may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a dividend paid on our Ordinary Shares or ADSs or gain from the disposition
of our Ordinary Shares or ADSs if: (1) such item is effectively connected with the conduct by the non-U.S. Holder of a trade or
business in the United States and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty is attributable to a permanent establishment
or fixed place of business in the United States; or (2) in the case of a disposition of our Ordinary Shares or ADSs, the individual
non-U.S. Holder is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the disposition and other specified
conditions are met.
In
general, non-U.S. Holders will not be subject to backup withholding with respect to the payment of dividends on our Ordinary Shares
or ADSs if payment is made through a paying agent, or office of a foreign broker outside the United States. However, if payment
is made in the United States or by a U.S. related person, non-U.S. Holders may be subject to backup withholding, unless the non-U.S.
Holder provides an applicable IRS Form W-8 (or a substantially similar form) certifying its foreign status, or otherwise establishes
an exemption.
The
amount of any backup withholding from a payment to a non-U.S. Holder will be allowed as a credit against such holder’s U.S.
federal income tax liability and may entitle such holder to a refund, provided that the required information is timely furnished
to the IRS.
Information
Reporting and Withholding
A
U.S. Holder may be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 24% with respect to cash dividends and proceeds from a disposition
of Ordinary Shares or ADSs. In general, backup withholding will apply only if a U.S. Holder fails to comply with specified identification
procedures. Backup withholding will not apply with respect to payments made to designated exempt recipients, such as corporations
and tax-exempt organizations. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and may be claimed as a credit against the U.S. federal
income tax liability of a U.S. Holder, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Pursuant
to recently enacted legislation, a U.S. Holder with interests in “specified foreign financial assets” (including,
among other assets, our Ordinary Shares or ADSs, unless such Ordinary Shares or ADSs are held on such U.S. Holder’s
behalf through a financial institution) may be required to file an information report with the IRS if the aggregate value of all
such assets exceeds $50,000 on the last day of the taxable year or $75,000 at any time during the taxable year (or such higher
dollar amount as may be prescribed by applicable IRS guidance); and may be required to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial
Accounts, or FBAR, if the aggregate value of the foreign financial accounts exceeds $10,000 at any time during the calendar year.
You should consult your own tax advisor as to the possible obligation to file such information report.
F.
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Dividends and
Paying Agents.
|
Not
applicable.
Not
applicable.
We
are subject to the information reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, applicable to foreign private issuers and under those
requirements file reports with the SEC. The SEC maintains an Internet website that contains reports and other information regarding
issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Our filings with the SEC are also available to the public through the SEC’s
website at www.sec.gov.
As
a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from the rules under the Exchange Act related to the furnishing and content of proxy statements,
and our officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions
contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition, we are not be required under the Exchange Act to file annual, quarterly
and current reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. domestic companies whose securities
are registered under the Exchange Act. However, we file with the SEC, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, or such
applicable time as required by the SEC, an annual report on Form 20-F containing financial statements audited by an independent
registered public accounting firm, and may submit to the SEC, on a Form 6-K, unaudited quarterly financial information.
In
addition, since our Ordinary Shares are traded on the TASE, we have filed Hebrew language periodic and immediate reports with,
and furnish information to, the TASE and the ISA, as required under Chapter Six of the Israel Securities Law, 1968. Copies of
our filings with the ISA, can be retrieved electronically through the MAGNA distribution site of the ISA (www.magna.isa.gov.il)
and the TASE website (www.maya.tase.co.il).
We
maintain a corporate website www.foresightauto.com. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website and
the other websites referenced above do not constitute a part of this annual report on Form 20-F. We have included these website
addresses in this annual report on Form 20-F solely as inactive textual references.
I.
|
Subsidiary Information.
|
Not
applicable.
ITEM
11.
|
QUANTITATIVE
AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
|
In
the ordinary course of our operations, we are exposed to certain market risks, primarily changes in foreign currency exchange
rates and interest rates.
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk
We
are exposed to market risks in the ordinary course of our business. Market risk represents the risk of loss that may impact our
financial position due to adverse changes in financial market prices and rates. Our current investment policy is to invest available
cash in bank deposits with banks that have a credit rating of at least A-minus. Accordingly, a substantial majority of our cash
and cash equivalents is held in deposits that bear interest. Given the current low rates of interest we receive, we will not be
adversely affected if such rates are reduced. Our market risk exposure is primarily a result of NIS/U.S. dollar exchange rates,
which is discussed in detail in the following paragraph.
Foreign
Currency Exchange Risk
Our
results of operations and cash flow are subject to fluctuations due to changes in NIS/U.S. dollar currency exchange rates. The
vast majority of our liquid assets is held in NIS, and a certain portion of our expenses is denominated in U.S. dollars. Changes
of 5% and 10% in the U.S. dollar/NIS exchange rate would increase/decrease our operating expenses for 2019 by 4.8% and 9.1%, respectively.
However, these historical figures may not be indicative of future exposure, as we expect that the percentage of our NIS denominated
expenses will materially decrease in the near future, therefore reducing our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations.
We
do not hedge our foreign currency exchange risk. In the future, we may enter into formal currency hedging transactions to decrease
the risk of financial exposure from fluctuations in the exchange rates of our principal operating currencies. These measures,
however, may not adequately protect us from the material adverse effects of such fluctuations.
ITEM
12.
|
DESCRIPTION
OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES
|
Not
applicable.
Not
applicable.
Not
applicable.
D.
|
American Depositary
Shares.
|
Fees
and Expenses
The
following table shows the fees and expenses that a holder of the ADSs may have to pay, either directly or indirectly:
Persons
depositing or withdrawing shares or ADS holders must pay:
|
|
For:
|
$5.00 (or less)
per 100 ADSs (or portion of 100 ADSs).
|
|
Issuance of ADSs,
including issuances resulting from a distribution of shares or rights or other property.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cancellation of
ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal, including if the deposit agreement terminates.
|
|
|
|
$.05 (or less) per
ADS.
|
|
Any cash distribution
to ADS holders.
|
|
|
|
A fee equivalent
to the fee that would be payable if securities distributed to you had been shares and the shares had been deposited for issuance
of ADSs.
|
|
Distribution of
securities distributed to holders of deposited securities (including rights) that are distributed by the depositary to ADS
holders.
|
|
|
|
$.05 (or less) per
ADS per calendar year.
|
|
Depositary services.
|
|
|
|
Registration or
transfer fees.
|
|
Transfer and registration
of shares on our share register to or from the name of the depositary or its agent when you deposit or withdraw shares.
|
|
|
|
Expenses of the
depositary.
|
|
Cable
and facsimile transmissions (when expressly provided in the deposit agreement).
Converting
foreign currency to U.S. dollars.
|
|
|
|
Taxes and other
governmental charges the depositary or the custodian has to pay on any ADSs or shares underlying ADSs, such as stock transfer
taxes, stamp duty or withholding taxes.
|
|
As necessary.
|
|
|
|
Any charges incurred
by the depositary or its agents for servicing the deposited securities.
|
|
As necessary.
|
The
depositary collects its fees for delivery and surrender of ADSs directly from investors depositing shares or surrendering ADSs
for the purpose of withdrawal or from intermediaries acting for them. The depositary collects fees for making distributions to
investors by deducting those fees from the amounts distributed or by selling a portion of distributable property to pay the fees.
The depositary may collect its annual fee for depositary services by deduction from cash distributions or by directly billing
investors or by charging the book-entry system accounts of participants acting for them. The depositary may collect any of its
fees by deduction from any cash distribution payable (or by selling a portion of securities or other property distributable) to
ADS holders that are obligated to pay those fees. The depositary may generally refuse to provide fee-attracting services until
its fees for those services are paid.
From
time to time, the depositary may make payments to us to reimburse us for costs and expenses generally arising out of establishment
and maintenance of the ADS program, waive fees and expenses for services provided to us by the depositary or share revenue from
the fees collected from ADS holders. In performing its duties under the deposit agreement, the depositary may use brokers, dealers,
foreign currency dealers or other service providers that are owned by or affiliated with the depositary and that may earn or share
fees, spreads or commissions.
The
depositary may convert currency itself or through any of its affiliates and, in those cases, acts as principal for its own account
and not as agent, advisor, broker or fiduciary on behalf of any other person and earns revenue, including, without limitation,
transaction spreads, that it will retain for its own account. The revenue is based on, among other things, the difference between
the exchange rate assigned to the currency conversion made under the deposit agreement and the rate that the depositary or its
affiliate receives when buying or selling foreign currency for its own account. The depositary makes no representation that the
exchange rate used or obtained in any currency conversion under the deposit agreement will be the most favorable rate that could
be obtained at the time or that the method by which that rate will be determined will be the most favorable to ADS holders, subject
to the depositary’s obligations under the deposit agreement. The methodology used to determine exchange rates used in currency
conversions is available upon request.
Foresight Ltd. was established
in July 2015 by Magna in order to transfer all of Magna’s three-dimensional (3D) computer vision research and development
technology and business in the area of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (“ADAS”) to a separate entity. As part of
the reorganization, Magna transferred to Foresight Ltd. all of the intellectual assets comprised mostly of know-how, software
and algorithms developed by Magna.
The Company is a technology
company developing smart multi-spectral vision software solutions and cellular-based applications. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries,
Foresight Ltd. and Eye-Net, the Company develops both “in-line-of-sight” vision systems and “beyond-line-of-sight”
accident-prevention solutions.
The Company’s vision
solutions include modules of automatic calibration, sensor fusion and dense 3D point cloud that can be applied to different markets
such as automotive, defense, autonomous vehicles and heavy industrial equipment. Eye-Net’s cellular-based solution suite
provides real-time pre-collision alerts to enhance road safety and situational awareness for all road users in the urban mobility
environment by incorporating cutting-edge artificial intelligence (“AI”) technology.
The Group activities are subject
to significant risks and uncertainties, including failing to secure additional funding to operationalize its technology before
competitors develop similar technology. In addition, the Group is subject to risks from, among other things, competition associated
with the industry in general, other risks associated with financing, liquidity requirements, rapidly changing customer requirements
and limited operating history.
The financial statements have
been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in United Sates of America (“US GAAP”).
The preparation of financial
statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in
the financial statements and accompanying notes. The Company’s management believes that the estimates, judgment and assumptions
used are reasonable based upon information available at the time they are made. These estimates, judgments and assumptions can
affect reported amounts and disclosures made. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
The functional currency of
the Company is the U.S. dollar (“dollar” or “USD”) since the dollar is the currency of the primary economic
environment in which the Company has operated and expects to continue to operate in the foreseeable future.
Transactions and balances
denominated in dollars are presented at their original amounts. Transactions and balances denominated in foreign currencies have
been re-measured to dollars in accordance with the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 830-10,
“Foreign Currency Translation.”
All transaction gains and
losses from re-measurement of monetary balance sheet items denominated in non-dollar currencies are reflected in the statement
of comprehensive loss as financial income or expenses, as appropriate.
Cash equivalents are short-term
highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to cash with maturities of three months or less as of the date acquired.
Property and equipment are
stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated
useful lives of the assets, at the following annual rates:
The carrying values of cash
and cash equivalents, short term deposits, other current receivables, marketable equity securities, trade payables and other accounts
payable approximate their fair value due to the short-term maturity of these instruments.
Marketable equity securities
classified as trading are recorded at fair value. The fair value is based on the current market value. Unrealized gains and losses
before the securities are sold are reported in the statement of comprehensive loss.
Equity investments without
readily determinable fair value are carried at cost minus impairment, if any. When an observable price change in orderly transactions
for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer has occurred, the Company elects to carry those equity investments
at fair value as of the date that the observable transaction occurred.
Investment in ordinary shares
of an entity in which the Company can exercise significant influence but does not own a majority equity interest or otherwise
control is accounted for using the equity method and is included as an investment in an affiliate company in the consolidated
balance sheet. The Company records its share in undistributed earnings and losses since acquisition in the consolidated statements
of operations.
The Company reviews its investment
for other-than-temporary impairment whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the
investment may not be fully recoverable.
Operating leases are included
in operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and operating lease liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance
sheet. ROU assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent
the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities were recognized
based on the present value of the remaining lease payments over the lease term. When the Company’s lease did not provide an implicit
rate, the Company used its incremental borrowing rate in determining the present value of lease payments. The Company used the
implicit rate when readily determinable. The operating lease ROU asset excludes lease incentives. The lease terms may include
options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. Lease expense
for lease payments are recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
The Company has lease agreements
with lease and non-lease components, which are generally accounted for separately. For certain equipment leases, such as cars,
the Company accounts for the lease and non-lease components as a single lease component. Additionally, for certain equipment leases,
the Company applies a portfolio approach to effectively account for the operating lease ROU assets and liabilities.
The Company has made an accounting
policy election not to recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities that arise from short-term leases for facilities and equipment.
Instead, the Company recognizes the lease payments in the consolidated statement of operations on a straight-line basis over the
lease term and variable lease payments in the period in which the obligation for those payments is incurred.
The Company accounts for stock-based
compensation expense based on estimated grant date fair value, using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair value is
recognized as an expense in the consolidated financial statements over the requisite service periods. The determination of fair
value and the timing of expense using option pricing models such as the Black-Scholes model require the input of subjective assumptions,
including the expected term and the expected price volatility of the underlying stock. The Company estimates the expected term
assumption using the “simplified” method. In determining the Company’s expected stock price volatility assumption,
the Company reviews the historical and implied volatility of the Company’s Ordinary Shares. The Company has historically
not paid dividends and has no foreseeable plans to issue dividends. The risk-free interest rate is based on the yield from governmental
zero-coupon bonds with an equivalent term.
Basic loss per share is calculated
by dividing the net loss by the weighted average number of Ordinary Shares outstanding during the year. Diluted loss per share
is calculated by dividing the net loss by the weighted average number of Ordinary Shares outstanding plus the number of additional
Ordinary Shares that would have been outstanding if all potentially dilutive Ordinary Shares had been issued, using the treasury
stock method, in accordance with ASC 260-10, “Earnings per Share.” Potentially dilutive Ordinary Shares were excluded
from the diluted loss per share calculation because they were anti-dilutive.
The weighted average number of Ordinary Shares outstanding has been retroactively restated for the equivalent number of shares
received by the accounting acquirer as a result of the reverse recapitalization as if these shares had been outstanding as of
the beginning of the earliest period presented.
The following table present
summarized basic and diluted per Ordinary Share and per ADS:
Research and development expenses
are charged to the statement of comprehensive loss as incurred.
Certain amounts in prior years
consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation.
In June 2016, the Financial
Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued a new standard, Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016
-13, “Financial Instruments—Credit Losses,” requiring measurement and recognition of expected credit losses
on certain types of financial instruments. It also modifies the impairment model for available-for-sale debt securities and provides
for a simplified accounting model for purchased financial assets with credit deterioration since their origination. The Company
adopted this ASU, effective January 1, 2020, using the modified retrospective approach, and the effect on the Company’s consolidated
condensed financial statements and related disclosures was not material.
In December 2019, the FASB
issued ASU 2019-12, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes,” which is intended to
simplify various aspects related to accounting for income taxes. ASU 2019-12 removes certain exceptions to the general principles
in Topic 740 and also clarifies and amends existing guidance to improve consistent application. This guidance is effective for
fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted.
The adoption of this ASU did not have a significant impact on its financial position or results of operations.
In January 2020, the FASB
issued ASU 2020-01, Investments—Equity Securities (Topic 321), Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic
323), and Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815)—Clarifying the Interactions between Topic 321, Topic 323, and Topic 815. The
ASU is based on a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force and is expected to increase comparability in accounting for these
transactions. ASU 2016-01 made targeted improvements to accounting for financial instruments, including providing an entity the
ability to measure certain equity securities without a readily determinable fair value at cost, less any impairment, plus or minus
changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same
issuer. Among other topics, the amendments clarify that an entity should consider observable transactions that require it to either
apply or discontinue the equity method of accounting. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020,
and interim periods within those fiscal years. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial
position, results of operations, cash flows, or presentation thereof.
Rail Vision Ltd. (“Rail
Vision”) was incorporated in Israel on April 18, 2016 and is a development stage company that is focused on train safety,
accident prevention and enhanced efficiency in the rail industry. During 2016, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement
to acquire 32% of the share capital of Rail Vision at an average price per share of $60 and three types of warrants to purchase
ordinary shares of Rail Vision: Warrant 1, Warrant 2 and Warrant 3 exercisable within 18 months, 30 months and 24 months following
their issuance, at an exercise price of $189, $270 and $216, respectively.
On November 7, 2016, the Company
and other investors completed the investment in Rail Vision. As a result, the Company purchased a total of 23,692 ordinary shares
of Rail Vision at an average price per share equal to $60 and 23,692 of Warrants 1, 23,692 of Warrants 2 and 2,704 of Warrants
3. The Company’s total investment in Rail Vision amounted to $1,422 and was allocated to warrants investment and investment
in the ordinary shares based on the relative fair value, as of the date of investment completion. Since the Company had a
significant influence in Rail Vision but did not own a majority equity interest or otherwise a control in it, the Company accounted
the investment in Rail Vision using the equity method, and included as an investment in an affiliate company in the consolidated
balance sheet. From 2017 through 2018 the Company exercised 26,396 Warrants 1 and 2,704 Warrants 3, following those exercises along
with other capital raises in Rail Vision, as of December 31, 2018 the Company increased its holdings in Rail Vision to 35.91% (and
33.81% on a fully diluted basis).
Following KB’s investment
in Rail Vision, and exercise of warrants by KB and third parties during the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company’s holdings
in Rail Vision, as of December 31, 2019, decreased from 35.91% as of December 31, 2018, to 24.12%. As a result, during 2019 the
Company recorded a gain of $1,941 from issuance to third parties in “Equity in net loss (gain) of affiliated company.”
As of December 30, 2020, following
an agreement with other investors in Rail Vision, which reduced the Company’s right to nominate only one director (instead
of two directors) out of eight directors on Rail Vision Board of Directors. Consequently, the Company has lost its significate
influence over Rail Vision as of this date. The loss of significate influence over Rail Vision does not have a material impact
on the Company’s consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. The Company presented the remaining equity interest in Rail
Vision as an investment in equity securities without readily determined fair value since that date.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company
held 19.34% of the issued and outstanding capital (and 15.83% on a fully diluted basis) of Rail Vision.
Depreciation expenses for the
years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 were $254 and $259, respectively.
Israeli labor law generally
requires payment of severance pay upon dismissal of an employee or upon termination of employment in certain other circumstances.
Pursuant to section 14 of the Israeli
Severance Pay Law, 5723-1963, the Company’s employees covered under this section are entitled to monthly deposits, at a rate of
8.33% of their monthly salary, made in their name with pension companies. Payments in accordance with section 14 relieve the Company
from any future severance payments in respect of those employees.
On January 28, 2019, the Company’s
shareholders approved the extension of the research and development services agreement with Magna for software development in the
area of ADAS. Subject to the conditions prescribed in the agreement, Magna will provide Foresight Ltd. with research and development
services for a 12-month period with an option to extend the agreement for two additional periods. According to the agreement, the
monthly payment to Magna for the research and development services will not exceed NIS 235 (approximately $73). The Company has
decided to extend the two additional periods.
Through the years ended December
31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 total grants obtained amounted to $661, $615 and $567, respectively.
The Company leases certain property
and equipment under operating and finance leases. The Company’s leases have remaining lease terms ranging from less than 1 year
to 30 years, some of which include options to extend the lease for up to 5 years, and some of which include options to terminate
the lease within 1 year. The Company has no finance leases.
Supplemental
cash flow information related to operating leases was as follows:
The Ordinary Shares confer upon
the holders the right to receive notice to participate and vote in general meetings of shareholders of the Company, the right to
receive dividends, if declared, and the right to participate in a distribution of the surplus of assets upon liquidation of the
Company.
During 2019, the Series A warrants
were exercised in full. On June 30, 2020, the outstanding balance of Series B warrants and Series E warrants, consisting of an
aggregate of 11,781,552 and 2,687,197, respectively, fully expired.
During 2018, the outstanding
balance of Series G warrants, consisting of an aggregate of 1,001,665, fully expired. On June 30, 2020, the outstanding balance
of Series F warrants, consisting of an aggregate of 18,917,985, fully expired.
After deducting closing costs
and fees, the Company received net proceeds of approximately $11,208. 22,067,679 Series F-1 warrants expired on June 30, 2020.
On March 19, 2019, the Company
raised $6,150 (gross) through a public offering of its ADSs. The Company issued a total of 4,100,000 ADSs (20,500,000 Ordinary
Shares) at $1.50 per ADS. After deducting closing costs and fees, the Company received net proceeds of approximately $5,521, net
of issuance expenses.
On April
30, 2020, the Company raised $2,650 (gross) through a registered direct offering of its ADSs. The Company issued a total of 5,300,000
ADSs (26,500,000 Ordinary Shares) at $0.50 per ADS. After deducting closing costs and fees, the Company received net proceeds of
approximately $2,294, net of issuance expenses.
On May 19, 2020, the Company
raised $5,000 (gross) through a registered direct offering of its ADSs. The Company issued a total of 8,333,334 ADSs (41,666,670
Ordinary Shares) at $0.60 per ADS. After deducting closing costs and fees, the Company received net proceeds of approximately $4,498,
net of issuance expenses.
On June 9, 2020, the Company
raised $6,400 (gross) through a registered direct offering of its ADSs. The Company issued a total of 6,400,000 ADSs (32,000,000
Ordinary Shares) at $1.00 per ADS. After deducting closing costs and fees, the Company received net proceeds of approximately $5,816,
net of issuance expenses.
On October 2, 2020, the Company
entered into a sales agreement pursuant to which the Company raised $8,085 (gross). From October through December 2020, The Company
issued a total of 4,371,131 ADSs (21,855,655 Ordinary Shares) at a weighted average price of $1.85 per ADS. After deducting closing
costs and fees, the Company received net proceeds of approximately $7,752, net of issuance expenses.
On December 30, 2020, the Company
raised $26,000 (gross) through a registered direct offering of its ADSs. The Company issued a total of 6,265,063 ADSs (31,325,315 Ordinary
Shares) at $4.15 per ADS. After deducting closing costs and fees, the Company received net proceeds of approximately $24,026, net of
issuance expenses.
On February 14, 2018, the Company
granted 25,000 Ordinary Shares to a service provider. The Company recorded in its 2018 statement of comprehensive loss an expense
of $19 in respect of such grant, included in general and administrative expenses.
On July 2, 2019, the Company
granted 130,342 Ordinary Shares to a service provider. The Company recorded in its 2019 statement of comprehensive loss an expense
of $50 in respect of such grant, included in general and administrative expenses.
During 2020, the Company granted
575,000 Ordinary Shares to several service providers. The Company recorded in its 2020 statement of comprehensive loss an expense
of $124 in respect of such grant included in general and administrative expenses.
In November 2015, the Board
of Directors of the Company authorized a share option plan (“2016 Equity Incentive Plan”). The 2016 Equity Incentive
Plan provides for the grant of share options to service provider, employees and office holders of the Company. Awards may be granted
under the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan until November 2025, when the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan expires.
According to the 2016 Equity
Incentive Plan, the aggregate number of Ordinary Shares that may be granted pursuant to awards will not exceed 15% of the Company’s
capital on a fully diluted basis.
The following table summarizes the
option activity for the year ended December 31, 2020 for options granted to employees, officers and directors:
As of December 31, 2020, there
was $1,723 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested share-based compensation arrangements granted under the
Plan. This cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.21 years.
On June 18, 2018, the Company granted
options to purchase 100,000 Ordinary Shares to its chairman of the Board of Directors at an exercise price of NIS 3.78 (approximately
$1.06 per share at the grant date). One third of the options vested after one year and the balance of the remaining options vest over
eight quarters until fully vested on March 31, 2021.
During 2018, the Company granted
options to purchase 2,640,000 Ordinary Shares to its employees at an average exercise price of NIS 3.78 (approximately $1.06 per
share at the grant date). One third of the options vested after one year and the balance of the remaining options vest over eight
quarters until fully vested.
On March 20, 2019, in accordance
with the terms of the Company’s 2016 Equity Incentive Plan, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a modification
of outstanding options held by officers and employees that had an exercise price of NIS 3.78 per share (approximately $1.05 per
share at the grant date) and reduced the exercise price to NIS 1.95 per share (approximately $0.54 per share at the grant date).
This resolution was effective from May 6, 2019, after receiving approval from the Israeli Tax Authorities. The Company calculated
the fair value of such options immediately before and after the modification. The Company immediately recognized the additional
fair value attributable to vested options, approximately $27, as stock compensation expenses. The additional fair value resulting
from the modification, approximately $54, is being expensed over the remaining vesting period of the modified options.
On September 23, 2019, the
Company granted to four members of its Board of Directors options to purchase an aggregate of 300,000 Ordinary Shares, each, at
an exercise price of NIS 1.95 (approximately $0.56 per share at the grant date). The options vest over 12 quarters until fully
vested on July 31, 2022.
On March 12, 2020 and on July
16, 2020, the Company extended the exercise period of 3,194,205 and of 2,150,000 outstanding options granted during 2017 to employees
and to the Chief Executive Officer and to the Vice President of Human Resources, respectively, for one additional year. As a result,
the Company recorded in its 2020 statement of comprehensive loss a total expense of $33.
On June 9, 2020, the Company
granted to three of its senior officers options to purchase an aggregate of 3,650,000 Ordinary Shares, at an exercise price of
NIS 0.787 (approximately $0.23 per share at the grant date) for one third of the options, an exercise price of NIS 1.06 (approximately
$0.31 per share at the grant date) for the second third of the options and an exercise price of NIS 1.33 (approximately $0.38 per
share at the grant date) for the last third of the options. The options vest over 12 quarters until fully vested on March 31, 2023.
The Company recorded in its 2020 statement of comprehensive loss an expense of $108, in respect of such grant.
On July 16, 2020, the Company’s
shareholders approved, among others, a grant of options to two members of the Company’s Board of Directors, to the Company’s
Chief Executive Officer and to the Vice President of Human Resources to purchase 300,000 each, 4,113,000, and 700,000, respectively,
of the Company’s Ordinary Shares at an exercise price of NIS 0.787 (approximately $0.23 per share at the grant date) for
one third of the options, an exercise price of NIS 1.06 (approximately $0.31 per share at the grant date) for the second third
of the options and an exercise price of NIS 1.33 (approximately $0.38 per share at the grant date) for the last third of the options.
The options vest over 12 quarters until fully vested on December 31, 2022. The Company recorded in its 2020 statement of comprehensive
loss an expense of $292, in respect of such grants, included in general and administrative expenses.
On August 19, 2020, the Company
granted to its Vice President of Operations options to purchase an aggregate of 700,000 Ordinary Shares, at an exercise price of
NIS 0.986 (approximately $0.29 per share at the grant date) for one third of the options, an exercise price of NIS 1.06 (approximately
$0.31 per share at the grant date) for the second third of the options and an exercise price of NIS 1.33 (approximately $0.38 per
share at the grant date) for the last third of the options. The options vest over 12 quarters until fully vested on June 30, 2023.
The Company recorded in its 2020 statement of comprehensive loss an expense of $11, in respect of such grant, included in research
and development expenses.
On August 19, 2020, the Company’s
subsidiary, Eye-net, granted options to purchase 8,700 Ordinary Shares of Eye-net to its employees at an exercise price of $100
per share. The options vest over 12 quarters until fully vested on June 30, 2023. The Company recorded in its 2020 statement of
comprehensive loss an expense of $74, in respect of such grant.
The total share-based compensation
expense, related to Ordinary Shares, options granted to employees, directors and service providers was comprised, at each period, as
follows:
The Israeli corporate tax
rate was 23% in 2020, 2019 and 2018. Such tax rate changes had no significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE 1 - GENERAL
|
A.
|
Rail Vision Ltd. (the “Company”) was incorporated on April 18, 2016 in Israel. The Company
is engaged in the design, development and manufacture of a safety, security and track scanning system for the railway industry.
The Company’s proprietary Automated Early Warning System (“AEWS”) has been designed to solve challenges in railway operational
safety, efficiency and predictive maintenance. The AEWS provides visual data of a train’s surrounding environment by utilizing
real-time algorithmic analysis of the input received from various advanced onboard sensors, including thermal infrared sensors
and high definition video sensors.
|
The Company’s activities are
subject to significant risks and uncertainties. The Company is a development-stage company and has a limited operating history
on which to assess the prospects for its business, has incurred significant losses since the date of its inception, and anticipates
that it will continue to incur significant losses until it will be able to successfully commercialize its products. Failure to
obtain this necessary capital when needed may force the Company to delay, limit or terminate its product development efforts or
other operations. In addition, the Company is subject to risks from, among other things, competition associated with the industry
in general, other risks associated with financing, liquidity requirements, rapidly changing customer requirements, the loss of
key personnel and the effect of planned expansion of operations on the future results of the Company.
To date, the Company has not
generated revenues from its activities and has incurred substantial operating losses. Management expects the Company to continue
to generate substantial operating losses and to continue to fund its operations primarily through utilization of its current financial
resources and through additional raises of capital.
Such conditions raise substantial
doubts about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plan includes raising funds from outside
potential investors. However, there is no assurance such funding will be available to the Company or that it will be obtained on
terms favorable to the Company or will provide the Company with sufficient funds to meet its objectives. These financial statements
do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of assets, carrying amounts or the amount and
classification of liabilities that may be required should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.
|
C.
|
The Corona virus (COVID-19):
|
Since the beginning of 2020,
an event with macroeconomic consequences originating from the spread of the Corona virus (COVID-19) has been affecting the world.
The outbreak of the Corona virus has caused shocks in global financial markets and the economic world has entered a period of uncertainty.
The Israeli government, like other governments around the world, has taken various measures to prevent the outbreak of the virus,
including preventing movement during certain periods, restrictions on opening businesses and other restrictions.
The Corona crisis has affected
the Company’s operations in several ways, as follows:
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●
|
Raising capital – The shocks in the global financial markets and the uncertainty in the economic
world have made it difficult for the Company to raise capital during this period.
|
|
●
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Employment of workers – At the beginning of the Corona crisis, some of the Company’s employees
were given unpaid leave and the rest of the Company’s employees worked full time (at a reduced salary for a period of 6 months).
As of the date of this report, the Company is operating according to the Corona routing format (“Purple Badge”), according
to which about half of the employees work from home on any given day, the number of in-person meetings has been reduced and a routine
of video meetings has been introduced instead of in-person meetings, guests are restricted from entering offices, etc., while requiring
its employees to adhere to the Ministry of Health guidelines.
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Rail Vision Ltd.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE 1 - GENERAL (Cont.)
|
C.
|
The Corona virus (COVID-19)
(Cont.)
|
|
●
|
Restrictions on movement – Restrictions on movement imposed in Israel and around the world
led to delays and postponements in the conducting of demonstrations for potential customers, limiting the Company’s employees’
ability to provide support services at a potential customer’s site where the Company has a prototype system in a long-term
trial, as well as the cancellation of business and marketing trips.
|
At this stage, it is not possible
to assess whether this is a short-term event or an ongoing crisis that could lead to a global recession. Since this is an event
that is not under the Company’s control, such as the continued spread of the virus, the Company is continuously monitoring
changes in the markets in Israel and around the world and examining the implications for its medium- and long-term business activities
in order to address issues and events related to the crisis and its possible consequences.
As of the date of this report,
the Company estimates that its long-term operations are not expected to be significantly impaired, given the potential for future
engagements with potential customers in the markets in which it operates as well as in other markets. Nevertheless, there is a
concern that the continuation of the crisis may make it difficult for the Company to continue developing its products and carry
out projects and demonstrations for potential customers.
NOTE 2 - SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING
POLICIES
|
A.
|
Basis of Presentation:
|
The financial statements have
been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in United Sates of America (“US GAAP”).
|
B.
|
Use of estimates in the preparation of financial
statements:
|
The preparation of financial
statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in
the financial statements and accompanying notes. The Company’s management believes that the estimates, judgments and assumptions
used are reasonable based upon information available at the time they are made. These estimates, judgments and assumptions can
affect reported amounts and disclosures made. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
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C.
|
Financial statement in U.S. dollars:
|
The functional currency of
the Company is the U.S. dollar (“dollar” or “$”) since the dollar is the currency of the primary economic
environment in which the Company has operated and expects to continue to operate in the foreseeable future.
Transactions and balances denominated
in dollars are presented at their original amounts. Transactions and balances denominated in foreign currencies have been re-measured
to dollars in accordance with the provisions of ASC 830-10, “Foreign Currency Translation”.
All transaction gains and losses
from re-measurement of monetary balance sheet items denominated in non-dollar currencies are reflected in the statement of comprehensive
loss as financial income or expenses, as appropriate.
|
D.
|
Cash and cash equivalents:
|
Cash equivalents are short-term
highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to cash with maturities of three months or less as of the date acquired.
Rail Vision Ltd.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE 2 - SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING
POLICIES (Cont.)
Certain amounts in prior years
financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation.
|
F.
|
Fair value of financial instruments:
|
The carrying values of cash
and cash equivalents, other receivables, trade accounts payable and other accounts payable approximate their fair value due to
the short-term maturity of these instruments.
ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” defines fair value as the price that would be received from selling
an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining
the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities required to be recorded at fair value, the Company considers the principal
or most advantageous market in which it would transact and considers assumptions that market participants would use when pricing
the asset or liability, such as inherent risk, transfer restrictions and risk of nonperformance.
|
G.
|
Property and equipment:
|
Property
and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated by the straight-line method over the
estimated useful lives of the assets. The annual depreciation rates are as follows:
|
%
|
Office furniture and equipment
|
7-15
|
Computer software and electronic equipment
|
33
|
Laboratory equipment
|
7-15
|
Leasehold improvements
|
Over the shorter of the lease term (including the option) or useful life
|
|
H.
|
Impairment of long-lived assets:
|
The
Company’s long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment in accordance with ASC 360-10, “Accounting for the Impairment
or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets,” whenever events or changes
in
circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used
is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of the assets to the future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated
by the assets. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which
the carrying amount of the assets exceeds their fair value. During 2017 and 2016, no impairment losses were identified.
|
I.
|
Accrued post-employment benefit:
|
Under Israeli employment laws,
employees of the Company are included under Section 14 of the Severance Compensation Act, 1963 (“Section 14”) for a portion
of their salaries. According to Section 14, these employees are entitled to monthly deposits (payments) made by the Company on
their behalf with insurance companies.
Payments in accordance with
Section 14 release the Company from any future severance payments (under the Israeli Severance Compensation Act, 1963) with respect
of those employees. The obligation to make the monthly deposits is expensed as incurred. In addition, the aforementioned deposits
are not recorded as an asset in the Company’s balance sheet, and there is no liability recorded as the Company does not have a
future obligation to make any additional payments.
Rail Vision Ltd.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE 2 - SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING
POLICIES (Cont.)
|
J.
|
Share-based compensation:
|
The
Company applies ASC 718-10, “Share-Based Payment,” which requires the measurement and recognition of compensation
expenses for all share-based payment awards made to employees and directors including share options granted under the Company’s
incentive share option plan based on estimated fair values.
ASC 718-10 requires companies
to estimate the fair value of share-based payment awards on the date of grant using a Black-Scholes option pricing model. The value
of the portion of the share-based payment award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized as an expense over the requisite
service periods in the Company’s statements of comprehensive loss.
The Company estimates the fair
value of share options granted as share-based payment awards using a Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Black-Scholes option
pricing model requires a number of assumptions, of which the most significant are share price, expected volatility and the expected
option term (the time from the grant date until the options are exercised or expire). Expected volatility is estimated based
on volatility of similar companies in the technology sector. The Company has historically not paid dividends and has no foreseeable
plans to pay dividends. The risk-free interest rate is based on the yield from governmental zero-coupon bonds with an equivalent
term. The expected option term is calculated for options granted to employees and directors using the “simplified” method.
Grants to non-employees are based on the contractual term. Changes in the determination of each of the inputs can affect the
fair value of the share options granted and the results of operations of the Company.
Operating leases are included
in operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and operating lease liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance
sheet. ROU assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the
Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities were recognized
based on the present value of the remaining lease payments over the lease term. When the Company’s lease did not provide an implicit
rate, the Company used its incremental borrowing rate in determining the present value of lease payments. The Company used the
implicit rate when readily determinable. The operating lease ROU asset excludes lease incentives. The lease terms may include options
to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. Lease expense for lease
payments are recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
The Company has made an accounting
policy election not to recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities that arise from short-term leases for facilities and equipment.
Instead, the Company recognizes the lease payments in the consolidated statement of operations on a straight-line basis over the
lease term and variable lease payments in the period in which the obligation for those payments is incurred.
Rail Vision Ltd.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE 2 - SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING
POLICIES (Cont.)
|
L.
|
Basic and diluted net loss per share:
|
Basic loss per share is computed
by dividing the net loss by the weighted average number of Ordinary Shares outstanding during the year. Diluted loss per share
is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted average number of Ordinary Shares outstanding plus the number of additional
Ordinary Shares that would have been outstanding if all potentially dilutive Ordinary Shares had been issued, using the treasury
stock method, in accordance with ASC 260-10, “Earnings per Share.” Potentially dilutive Ordinary Shares were excluded
from the diluted loss per share calculation because they were anti-dilutive.
|
M.
|
Research and development expenses, net:
|
Research and development expenses,
net, are charged to the statement of comprehensive loss as incurred.
|
N.
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Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
|
In June 2016, the Financial
Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued a new standard, Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016
-13, “Financial Instruments—Credit Losses,” requiring measurement and recognition of expected credit losses on
certain types of financial instruments. It also modifies the impairment model for available-for-sale debt securities and provides
for a simplified accounting model for purchased financial assets with credit deterioration since their origination. The Company
adopted this ASU, effective January 1, 2020, using the modified retrospective approach, and the effect on the Company’s consolidated
condensed financial statements and related disclosures was not material.
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O.
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Recent Accounting Standards
|
In December 2019, the FASB
issued ASU 2019-12, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes,” which is intended to simplify
various aspects related to accounting for income taxes. ASU 2019-12 removes certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic
740 and also clarifies and amends existing guidance to improve consistent application. This guidance is effective for fiscal years,
and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of
this ASU did not have a significant impact on its financial position or results of operations.
In January 2020, the FASB issued
ASU 2020-01, Investments—Equity Securities (Topic 321), Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323), and
Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815)—Clarifying the Interactions between Topic 321, Topic 323, and Topic 815. The ASU is based
on a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force and is expected to increase comparability in accounting for these transactions.
ASU 2016-01 made targeted improvements to accounting for financial instruments, including providing an entity the ability to measure
certain equity securities without a readily determinable fair value at cost, less any impairment, plus or minus changes resulting
from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer. Among other
topics, the amendments clarify that an entity should consider observable transactions that require it to either apply or discontinue
the equity method of accounting. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods within
those fiscal years. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of
operations, cash flows, or presentation thereof.
Rail Vision Ltd.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE 3 - OTHER CURRENT ASSETS
Composition:
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Governmental institutes
|
|
$
|
128
|
|
|
$
|
180
|
|
Prepaid expenses
|
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
Other
|
|
|
27
|
|
|
|
9
|
|
|
|
|
167
|
|
|
|
189
|
|
NOTE 4 - FIXED ASSETS, NET
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
Cost:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Computers and software
|
|
$
|
565
|
|
|
$
|
475
|
|
Laboratory equipment
|
|
|
181
|
|
|
|
174
|
|
Furniture and office equipment
|
|
|
114
|
|
|
|
111
|
|
Leasehold improvement
|
|
|
134
|
|
|
|
132
|
|
|
|
|
994
|
|
|
|
892
|
|
Accumulated depreciation:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Computers and software
|
|
$
|
456
|
|
|
$
|
325
|
|
Laboratory equipment
|
|
|
34
|
|
|
|
15
|
|
Furniture and office equipment
|
|
|
28
|
|
|
|
21
|
|
Leasehold improvement
|
|
|
33
|
|
|
|
20
|
|
|
|
|
551
|
|
|
|
381
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciated cost
|
|
|
443
|
|
|
|
511
|
|
Depreciation
expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were $190 and $183, respectively.
NOTE 5 - OTHER ACCOUNTS PAYABLE
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Employees and related expenses
|
|
$
|
658
|
|
|
$
|
569
|
|
Accrued expenses
|
|
|
307
|
|
|
|
112
|
|
Deferred revenues (*)
|
|
|
634
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
|
|
1,599
|
|
|
|
681
|
|
|
(*)
|
See also Notes 6C and 6D below.
|
Rail Vision Ltd.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE 6 - COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
LIABILITIES
|
A.
|
Collaboration agreement with Israel Railways Ltd.
(hereinafter: “Israel Railways”):
|
In August 2016, the Company
and Israel Railways entered into an agreement for cooperation between the parties, which was replaced by a new amended agreement
in January 2020 (hereinafter: “the Railway Agreement”). Under the Railway Agreement, the Company undertook to fulfill
its functions for the development, marketing, distribution and sale of the system, and Israel Railways undertook to provide the
Company with services and the means to perform tests and experiments, mainly in logistics and manpower, and to provide the Company
with information on certain data that will be given at the discretion of Israel Railways.
According to the Railway Agreement,
the Company committed as follows to Israel Railways:
|
-
|
During the period from 3.8.2016 until the earliest of (a) a period of 5 years from the date of
the first commercial sale or (b) the date of an initial public offering (IPO) or (c) a change of control (as defined in the Railway
Agreement), Israel Railways will be entitled to a payment of royalties in the amount of 2.75% of the Company’s net sales.
|
|
-
|
During the period from 3.8.2016 until the earliest of: (a) the date of an initial public offering
(IPO) or (b) a change of control (as defined in the Railways Agreement) Israel Railways will be entitled to a payment of a total
of 1.5% of the total proceeds from an IPO or consideration, received by the Company or its shareholders, for a change of control
(as defined in the Railway Agreement).
|
|
-
|
Israel Railways will be entitled to purchase the Company’s products and services at a price equal
to half the lowest price charged by the Company for those products and services from a third party that is not related to the Company.
|
As of December 31, 2019, and
2020, the Company has no liability in respect of such royalties.
In addition, as part of the
agreement with the railway, the Company granted Israel Railways (in exchange for services provided by Israel Railways to the Company)
an option to purchase 4,442 of the Company’s common shares in exchange for their par value (hereinafter: “the option”),
which can be exercised by Israel Railways until the IPO or a change of control (as defined in the Railway Agreement), whichever
is earlier.
The Railway Agreement may be
terminated by either party to the agreement, with 60 days’ prior written notice. Also, in the event of a change of control in the
Company, Israel Railways may terminate the agreement with 30 days’ prior written notice.
|
B.
|
Consultation agreement:
|
In December 2020, the Company
entered into a service agreement with Z. Einhorn Holdings Ltd., a private company controlled by Mr. Zvi Oren (hereinafter: “the
Consultant”) according to which the Consultant will lead, supervise and advise the Company’s management in its contacts with
Israel Railways in the homologation process and sale the Company’s systems to Israel Railways.
According to the service agreement,
the homologation process will include presenting the Company’s systems to Israel Railways, defining the required level of safety
(SIL) and defining a work plan to achieve homologation of the Company’s systems with Israel Railways locomotives, including their
installation for commercial use and obtaining all required approvals in Israel and abroad for the systems’ installation on
the Israel Railways locomotives.
The Consultant’s services in
connection with the sale process of the Company’s systems to Israel Railways (the “sale process”) will include involvement
in conducting negotiations with Israel Railways, engagement in sales agreements or orders for the purchase of a minimum quantity
of systems as stipulated in the service agreement, supply and installation of the systems on the Israel Railways locomotives and
receipt of the total consideration for them by the Company.
In return for his services,
the Company will pay the Consultant a monthly remuneration in the amount of approx. $ 3 thousand (plus VAT).
Rail Vision Ltd.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE 6 - COMMITMENTS
AND CONTINGENCIES LIABILITIES (Cont.)
|
B.
|
Consultation agreement (Cont.)
|
If approval is received from
the Israel Railways representatives regarding their agreement to promote the homologation process and, subject to its success,
to purchase the Company’s systems (hereinafter: “the operating event”), the Company will pay the Consultant a bonus of
NIS 150,000 (approx. $ 46,650) (plus VAT) if, within 12 months of the operating event, the homologation process will be successfully
concluded. In addition, the Company will pay the Consultant an amount of NIS 350,000 (approx. $ 108,865) (plus VAT) if, within
18 months of the operating event, the sale process is completed. Moreover, after the operating event, the Company will allot options
to the Consultant for the purchase of 570 of the Company’s common shares at a price of USD 270.13 per share. The consultant
will be eligible to exercise the options upon completion of both the homologation process and the sale process. The exercise period
of the options is until the end of 24 months from the date of their allotment. As of the date of this report, the operating event
has not yet taken place and accordingly, the above options have not yet been allotted to the Consultant.
The service agreement is in
effect from November 1, 2020 until the completion of the services determined in the agreement, as detailed above. Either party
may terminate the engagement between the parties with 30 days’ notice.
|
C.
|
Memorandum of Understanding between the company and Knorr Bremse:
|
On September 17, 2020, a non-binding
Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Company and Knorr Bremse (hereinafter: the “Memorandum of Understanding”)
regarding cooperation between the parties with respect to light rail systems (LRV), carrying out adjustments and completing development
at Knorr Bremse’s request, appointment of Knorr Bremse as a non-exclusive representative of the Company in Germany and its
authorization to act for the business development and promotion of the marketing of the LRV systems in Germany, according to a
detailed cooperation agreement, which will be discussed in good faith and signed between the parties at a later stage.
In the Memorandum of Understanding,
it was agreed that the parties will negotiate a detailed cooperation agreement in good faith, in which they will determine, among
other things, the terms of sale of the LRV systems by the Company to Knorr Bremse, while the general terms of the sale of the systems
will be as is usual in transactions of this type and the specific terms of sale will be agreed between the parties in relation
to each order separately.
The Memorandum of Understanding
will be in effect from the date of its signing until the earliest of: (a) the signing of a binding cooperation agreement between
the parties which will replace the Memorandum of Understanding; (b) a notice by one of the parties that he is interested in terminating
the Memorandum of Understanding and the negotiations between the parties on the cooperation agreement; or (c) 12 months from the
date of signing the Memorandum of Understanding.
In accordance with a work order
that Knorr Bremse sent to the Company in December 2020, the Company is developing two prototypes of the LRV system according to
characteristics required by Knorr Bremse, whose delivery is planned by June 2021. In return for the prototypes, Knorr Bremse is
expected to pay the Company a total of EUR 397 thousand (approx. $ 476). During December 2020, Knorr Bremse paid the Company an
advance in the amount of approx. EUR 320 thousand (approx. $ 382) on account of the above payment and which was recorded as of
December 31, 2020 as income in advance (see Note 5 above).
Rail Vision Ltd.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE 6 - COMMITMENTS
AND CONTINGENCIES LIABILITIES (Cont.)
|
D.
|
Framework agreement with Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems Schweiz AG (hereinafter: “KBCH”):
|
In August 2020, the Company
entered into a framework agreement (hereinafter: the “Framework Agreement”) with KBCH (a subsidiary of Knorr Bremse
operating in Switzerland) regarding the supply of a prototype of the Company’s system for the Shunting Yard of a company operating
cargo trains in Switzerland (hereinafter: “SBBC”). The engagement of the Company and KBCH in the framework agreement
was made with respect to KBCH’s engagement with SBBC in a July 2020 agreement, following a successful pilot of the system by SBBC,
according to which KBCH undertook to serve as the system’s main supplier to SBBC, according to the terms agreed in advance with
the Company.
Under the framework agreement,
the Company provided KBCH with one prototype of the system (the “Prototype”), which will be installed on an operating
locomotive in the SBBC shunting yard, for the purpose of examining the operational performance of the system (the “Operational
Performance Test”). The company undertook to include in the prototype certain features as required by SBBC and to be responsible
for the integrity of the prototype, for a period of one year following its installation.
The prototype was supplied
by the Company in October 2020 and installed in an SBBC operating locomotive. According to the framework agreement, at the end
of three months from the beginning of the operational performance test, which is expected to begin in Q2 of 2021, and after receiving
appropriate regulatory approvals from the regulator, representatives of the three parties will meet to evaluate test results and
system performance.
In consideration for the prototype
provided for the operational performance test, KBCH paid the Company the amount of approx. EUR 244 thousand (approx. $ 292). In
addition, in order to support the operational performance test procedure, the Company undertook to provide various professionals,
as needed, in exchange for payment at the maximum rates and amounts determined in the framework agreement. In addition, the framework
agreement determines a division between the Company and KBCH regarding additional support actions for SBBC, as needed, in the operational
performance testing process. In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, the above revenues have not yet been
recognized in the Company’s financial statements and were recorded as of December 31, 2020 as net income in advance (less specific
costs attributed to the above project) in the amount of approx. $ 218 thousand.
Under the framework agreement,
SBBC may order from the Company, through KBCH, 30 systems, subject to the fulfillment of the conditions determined in the framework
agreement. As of the date of this report, the operational performance test has not yet been completed and there is no certainty
that an order will indeed be received for the Company’s systems as stated.
The period of the framework
agreement is from the date of its signing until the end of ten (10) years from the successful installation of 30 units of the system
in SBBC facilities. Either party will be entitled to terminate the framework agreement immediately in the event of cancellation
of the agreement between KBCH and SBBC for any reason or in the event that the order of the 30 systems is not executed.
Rail Vision Ltd.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE 7 - CONVERTIBLE PREFERED
SHARES
Issuance
of Preferred A Shares
On October 13, 2020, the Company
and Knorr Bremse entered into an investment agreement under which the Company allotted 51,282 Preferred A shares to Knorr Bremse,
in exchange for a total investment of approx. USD 10 million, half of which was paid on October 13, 2020 and the second half will
be paid by April 12, 2021.
Following the above investment,
Knorr Bremse holds approx. 36.8% of the Company’s issued and paid-up share capital.
In addition, the Company was
given, under the agreement, an option to demand that Knorr Bremse implicitly invest an additional USD 5 million (for a total of
USD 15) at the same price per share and in exchange for the same class of shares, provided the existence of circumstances as detailed
in the investment agreement.
Preferred A shares are entitled
to all the rights of the Company’s common shares and additional rights as follows:
|
(1)
|
Liquidation preference: Holders of preferred
shares are entitled to priority, in respect of their preferred shares, in the distribution of the proceeds of a liquidation or
deemed liquidation event over the Company’s common shareholders. The priority of Preferred A shareholders is in the amount
of the return on their investment (the “Priority Amount”). The priority in the distribution to holders of Preferred
A shares is on a non-participating liquidation preference basis, such that holders of Preferred A shares receive the priority
amount in distribution or the amount of in the distribution on a pro rata basis (an ordinary distribution without priority in
the distribution), whichever is higher.
|
|
(2)
|
Listing rights: Holders of Preferred A shares are entitled under a shareholders’ rights
agreement to certain listing rights in the event of an issue in which not all the Company’s shares are listed for trading and/or
in the case of a combination of a sale offer on the listing date.
|
It should be clarified that
holders of Preferred A shares are entitled, at their choice, to convert the preferred shares at any time into the Company’s
common shares in a 1:1 ratio. In addition, prior to the listing of the Company’s securities as part of an initial public offering
of the Company’s shares (IPO), all Preferred A shares will be immediately converted into the Company’s common shares in a
1:1 ratio, and accordingly, all rights stated are revoked upon their conversion into the Company’s common shares.
NOTE 8 - SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
|
A.
|
The rights of Ordinary Shares are as follows:
|
The Ordinary Shares confer
upon the holders the right to receive notice to participate and vote in general meetings of shareholders of the Company, the right
to receive dividends, if declared, and the right to participate in a distribution of the surplus of assets upon liquidation of
the Company.
Rail Vision Ltd.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE
8 - SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (Cont.)
|
B.
|
Issuance of Ordinary shares and warrants:
|
|
(1)
|
At inception, the Company issued 40,000 Ordinary Shares, NIS 0.01 par value per share, to the Company’s
founders for no consideration.
|
|
(2)
|
In August and November 2016, the Company raised $2,000 (gross) through private placements of its
Ordinary Shares. The Company issued 33,318 Ordinary Shares ($60.03 per share) and 71,263 warrants to purchase Ordinary Shares.
The warrants consist of: (i) 33,318 Series A Warrants exercisable within 18 months, at an exercise price per share of $189.09,
(ii) 33,318 Series B Warrants exercisable within 30 months, at an exercise price per share of $270.13, and (iii) 4,627 Series C
Warrants exercisable within 24 months, at an exercise price per share of $216.10. The net proceeds, after deducting closing costs
and fees, amounted to $1,960.In addition a convertible note was converted into 721 Ordinary Shares.
|
During January 10 through
May 2, 2018, 22,502 Series A Warrants were exercised into 22,502 of the Company’s Ordinary Shares at an exercise price per share
of $189.09 and for an aggregate of $4,255 (gross), 292 Series A Warrants expired on May 2, 2018 and for the remaining 10,524 Series
A Warrants that were not exercised, the Company reached with the holder of those options an agreement to postpone their expiration
date until August 3, 2018.
On July 11, 2018. The remaining
10,524 Series A Warrants for an aggregate of $1,990 (gross).
During November 2018, 4,224
Series C Warrants were exercised into 4,224 of the Company’s Ordinary Shares at an exercise price per share of $216.1 and for an
aggregate of $913 (gross) and 403 Series C Warrants expired on November 2, 2018.
|
(3)
|
In September and October 2017, the Company raised $5,843 (gross) through private placements of
its Ordinary Shares. The Company issued 21,629 Ordinary Shares ($270.13 per share) and 21,629 warrants (consisting of 6,339 Series
D Warrants at an exercise price per share of $284.36 and 15,290 Series E Warrants at an exercise price per share of $255.7) to
purchase Ordinary Shares. Both of the warrants are exercisable within 18 months. The net proceeds, after deducting closing costs
and fees, amounted to $5,280. In addition, after deducting share based compensation granted to a finder, which related compensation
costs were recorded in equity, the increase of the Company’s equity amounted to approximately $5,192 (see Note 7D(3)).
|
The Ordinary Share issuances
from September and October 2017 and the related warrants are subject to adjustments in the event of the exercise of Series A, B
and C Warrants (see Note 7B(3)), in which case an applicable number of Ordinary Shares will be issued to purchasers of the Ordinary
Shares to retroactively adjust their effective purchase price to align with the purchase price at which such new securities are
issued and the exercise price of Series D Warrants and Series E Warrants will be reduced accordingly.
Corresponding to the Series
A and C Warrants exercise (see Note 7B(2)), 2,217 Ordinary Shares were issued and the exercise price of Series D Warrants and Series
E Warrants was adjusted to $273.38 and $249.18, respectively.
Rail Vision Ltd.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE
8 - SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (Cont.)
|
B.
|
Issuance of Ordinary shares and warrants (Cont.)
|
|
(4)
|
During February through May 2018, the Company raised $2,700 (gross) through private placements
of its Ordinary Shares (“SPA 2018”). The Company issued 4,201 Ordinary Shares ($642.48 per share). The net proceeds,
after deducting closing costs and fees, amounted to $2,511.
|
The agreements for SPA 2018
include an anti-dilution protection, such that in the event that within a period of 15 months as of the closing date of the share
purchase agreement, the Company will issue new securities, or upon an exit event as defined in the share purchase agreement, an
applicable number of Ordinary Shares will be issued to the purchasers of the Ordinary Shares to retroactively adjust their effective
purchase price to equal a 30% discount of the purchase price of such new securities, or the price per share underlying such exit
event, as applicable, provided that in no event shall the adjusted price per share exceed the original price per share. In the
event an exit event or an issuance of new securities is not consummated during a period of 15 months as of the closing date, an
applicable number of Ordinary Shares will be issued to the purchasers of the Ordinary Shares to retroactively adjust their effective
price per share to $458.92.
The investment transaction
detailed in (5) below, has triggered anti-dilution rights of the SPA 2018 shareholders (as detailed above) and accordingly additional
of 11,608 Ordinary Shares of the Company have been issued to these shareholders.
|
(5)
|
On March 19, 2019 the Company and Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH, an affiliate
of Knorr-Bremse AG (Frankfurt: KBX) (a global market leader for braking systems and a leading supplier of other rail and commercial
vehicle subsystems, “KB”) signed an agreement whereby KB invested $9,930 (after deducting closing costs and fees ( in
the Company in consideration of an issuance of an aggregate number of 40,984 Ordinary Shares of the Company (the “Purchased
Shares”), at a price per share equal to US $244.00 (the “PPS”) reflecting 21.34% of the Company’s issued
and outstanding capital.
|
According to the agreement,
the consideration for the investment was transferred to the company in two installments, $ 5 million was transferred at the closing
and an additional $ 5 million was transferred six months later.
KB
have also been issued an aggregate of 14,903 warrants to purchase up to 14,903 of the Company’s Ordinary Shares at an exercise
price per share equal to the PPS (the “KB Warrants”). These Warrants shall become exercisable (i) only upon an exercise
of warrants of the respective class (i.e. warrants series B, D and E, as the case may be), and (ii) only for the number of additional
Ordinary Shares in accordance with the formula of approximately 20% of the number of issued Ordinary Shares originating from the
exercised Warrants of the respective class, all as specified in the agreement. As of December 31, 2019, all of the KB Warrants
have been exercised (see also (8) - (10) below) or expired.
|
(6)
|
During March 2019, 1,861 Series D Warrants were exercised into 1,861 of the Company’s Ordinary
Shares for an aggregate of $470 (gross) and 4,875 Series D Warrants expired on March 19, 2019.
|
|
(7)
|
During April 2019, 6,898 Series E Warrants were exercised into 6,898 of the Company’s Ordinary
Shares for an aggregate of $1,711 (gross) and 9,864 Series E Warrants expired on April 6, 2019.
|
|
(8)
|
During May 2019, 5,332 Series B Warrants were exercised into 5,332 of the Company’s Ordinary Shares
for an aggregate of $1,411 (gross) and 29,124 Series B Warrants expired on May 1, 2019.
|
Rail Vision Ltd.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE
8 - SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (Cont.)
|
C.
|
Equity Incentive Plan:
|
In January 2017, the Board
of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company authorized an incentive share option plan (“2017 Plan”). The 2017
Plan provides for the grant of incentive share options to employees and service providers of the Company. Awards may be granted
under the 2017 Plan until January 31, 2027.
According to the 2017 Plan,
the aggregate number of Ordinary Shares that may be issued pursuant to awards will not exceed 53,008 Ordinary Shares.
|
D.
|
Shares and options to service providers:
|
The fair value for the warrants
to service providers was estimated on the measurement date determined using a Black-Scholes option pricing model, with the following
weighted-average assumptions: weighted average volatility of 70%, risk free interest rates of 1.4%, dividend yields of 0% and
a weighted average life of the options of up to 5 years.
|
(1)
|
On August 3, 2016, and as amended on January 19, 2020, as part of the cooperation agreement signed
with IR for development, marketing, distribution and sale of the Company’s system services (as described in Note 6A), the
Company issued warrants to purchase up to 4,442 ordinary shares of the Company, with an exercise price of NIS 0.01 (approximately
$0.003) per share. The Company recorded as deferred expenses a total of $303 in 2019 which are amortized over 5 years beginning
August 2016. In respect of such grants, amounts of $331 and $305 were recorded in the Company’s statement of comprehensive loss
for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, included in research and development expenses. See also Note 6 above.
|
|
(2)
|
On November 5, 2017, the Company issued 150 Ordinary Shares to a service provider as part of the
total consideration for tax advisory services. The Company recorded in its statement of comprehensive loss an expense of $43 in
respect of such grant, included in general and administrative expenses.
|
|
(3)
|
On November 9, 2017, the Company granted to a consulting service provider options to purchase 1,481
Ordinary Shares at an exercise price of NIS 0.30 per share (approximately $0.09 at the grant date) as part of the total consideration
in respect of capital raising fees. These options are fully vested and expire 30 months from the grant date. As such options were
granted in connection with an equity transaction, the relating compensation costs were recorded in equity with no impact on the
statements of comprehensive loss. On May 12, 2019 these options were exercised by the service provider into 1,481 of the Company’s
Ordinary Shares.
|
|
(4)
|
On January 4, 2018, the Company granted to three consulting service providers options to purchase
2,230 Ordinary Shares at an exercise price of 270.13 $ per share. Third of the options will vest upon the first year anniversary,
the remainder of the options will vest in 8 quarterly tranches over a period of 2 years. For the years ended December 31, 2019
and 2018, the company recorded an expense of 99 USD, for each year, in respect of such grant included in general and administrative
expenses.
|
|
(5)
|
Regarding the Company’s obligation to allocate options to a consultant in connection with the Company’s
arrangement with Israel Railways, see Note 6B above.
|
Rail Vision Ltd.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE
8 - SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (Cont.)
|
(1)
|
The fair value of options was estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which based
on the following assumptions: weighted average volatility of 70%, risk free interest rates of 0.8%-1.03%, dividend yields of 0%
and expected life of the options of up to 6 years.
|
|
(2)
|
The following table summarizes the option activity for options to employees, officers and directors:
|
|
|
For
the year ended
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2020 (Unaudited)
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
|
Amount of options
|
|
|
Weighted average exercise price
|
|
|
Weighted average remaining contractual life
|
|
|
Amount of options
|
|
|
Weighted average exercise price
|
|
|
Weighted average remaining contractual life
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
Outstanding at beginning of period
|
|
|
16,062
|
|
|
|
270.13
|
|
|
|
4.75-5
|
|
|
|
15,498
|
|
|
|
270.13
|
|
|
|
5.75-6.0
|
|
Granted
|
|
|
34,142
|
|
|
|
270.13
|
|
|
|
5.33-7.87
|
|
|
|
3,001
|
|
|
|
270.13
|
|
|
|
5.0
|
|
Exercised
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forfeited
|
|
|
(12,936
|
)
|
|
|
270.13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2,437
|
)
|
|
|
270.13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Outstanding at end of period
|
|
|
37,268
|
|
|
|
270.13
|
|
|
|
4.75-7.87
|
|
|
|
16,062
|
|
|
|
270.13
|
|
|
|
4.75-5.0
|
|
Exercisable at end of period
|
|
|
13,545
|
|
|
|
270.13
|
|
|
|
4.75-7.87
|
|
|
|
4,136
|
|
|
|
270.13
|
|
|
|
4.75-5.0
|
|
|
a)
|
On January 4, 2018, the Company granted 10,284 options to purchase 10,284 Ordinary Shares to its
employees and directors at an exercise price of $270.13 per share. These options expire 10 years after their grant date and vest
over 3 years in 9 tranches. Third of the options will vest upon the first-year anniversary, the remainder of the options will vest
in 8 quarterly tranches over a period of 2 years. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the company recorded an expense
of USD 358 and USD 469, respectively, in respect for such grant.
|
|
b)
|
On June 24, 2018, the Company granted 4,466 options to purchase 4,466 Ordinary Shares to its employees
and directors at an exercise price of USD 270.13. Third of the options will vest upon the first-year anniversary. The reminder
will vest over 8 quarters until fully vested over a period of 2 years. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company
recorded an expense of USD 191 and USD 368, respectively, in respect for such grant.
|
Rail Vision Ltd.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE
8 - SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (Cont.)
|
E.
|
Options to employees (Cont.)
|
|
c)
|
On March 24, 2019, the Company granted 3,001 options to purchase 3,001 Ordinary Shares to its former
CEO at an exercise price of USD 270.13. Third of the options will vest upon the first -year anniversary. The reminder will vest
over 8 quarters until fully vested over a period of 2 years. During December 2020, the employment of the Company’s former
CEO ended, and the above options were not exercised and expired.
|
|
d)
|
On January 22, 2020, the Company granted 15,257 options (of which 1,695 options to the former CEO
that were not exercised and expired at the end of his employment in December 2020) that can be exercised to 15,257 common shares
to its employees (56 offerees) at an exercise price of USD 270.13. One-third of the options will vest on September 18, 2020 and
the balance during the following two years thereafter over 8 quarters.
|
|
e)
|
In October 2020, the Company granted 12,655 options to the Chairman of the Board and 1,400 options
to the Company CEO, as detailed below. In addition, the Company granted 2,380 options to the former CEO of the company that did
not vested and expired at the end of his employment in December 2020.
|
In accordance with an options
agreement dated October 13, 2020, the Company granted the Chairman 12,655 options exercisable for 12,655 of the Company’s
shares, against payment of an exercise price of USD 270.13 per option. The Chairman’s eligibility to exercise the options will
be established as follows: (1) The eligibility to exercise 3,164 options will vest in one tranche at the end of 12 months from
October 13, 2020; (2) Eligibility to exercise 6,327 additional options will vest in the event that the Company arrives at a cumulative
order backlog (as defined in the agreement) in the amount of not less than USD 7 million by the end of 18 months from October 13,
2020; the eligibility to exercise the balance of 3,164 options will be established in the event that the Company reaches a cumulative
order backlog of USD 15 million by the end of 24 months from October 13, 2020 (including the cumulative order backlog included
in Subsection (2) above); and all subject to him serving as the Active Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors at the
time the eligibility has been established for the exercise of the options.
In accordance with an agreement
dated October 13, 2020 the Company CEO was granted 1,400 options exercisable for 1,400 of the Company’s common shares, against
payment of an exercise price of USD 270.13 per option. The CEO eligibility to exercise the options will vest as follows: (1) Eligibility
to exercise 700 options will be established on the condition that the Company reaches, no later than October 12, 2022 a cumulative
order backlog (as defined above) in an amount not less than USD 10 million; (2) Eligibility to exercise the remaining 700 options
will be established on the condition that the Company reaches, no later than October 12, 2024 a cumulative order backlog (as defined
above) in an amount not less than USD 20 million (including the order backlog counted for Subsection (1) above); and all subject
to him serving in his position at the time the eligibility has been established for the exercise of the options.
|
f)
|
On November 3, 2020, the Company granted 2,450 options exercisable for 2,450 common shares to its
employees at an exercise price of USD 270.13. One-third of the options will vest at the end of one year from the grant date and
the balance during the following two years thereafter over 8 quarters.
|
Rail Vision Ltd.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE
8 - SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (Cont.)
|
F.
|
Share Based Compensation Expense:
|
The total share-based compensation
expense, related to Ordinary Shares, options and warrants granted to employees and service providers comprised, at each period,
as follows:
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Research and development
|
|
$
|
863
|
|
|
$
|
690
|
|
General and administrative
|
|
|
696
|
|
|
|
667
|
|
Total share-based compensation expense
|
|
|
1,559
|
|
|
|
1,357
|
|
NOTE 9 - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation
|
|
$
|
123
|
|
|
$
|
166
|
|
Share-based payment
|
|
|
1,195
|
|
|
|
690
|
|
Payroll and related expenses
|
|
|
5,029
|
|
|
|
4,953
|
|
Subcontracted work and consulting
|
|
|
82
|
|
|
|
194
|
|
Equipment
|
|
|
390
|
|
|
|
635
|
|
Rent and office maintenance
|
|
|
359
|
|
|
|
377
|
|
Travel and other expenses
|
|
|
66
|
|
|
|
141
|
|
|
|
|
7,244
|
|
|
|
7,156
|
|
NOTE 10 - GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Payroll and related expenses
|
|
$
|
1,556
|
|
|
$
|
1,219
|
|
Share-based payment
|
|
|
696
|
|
|
|
667
|
|
Professional services
|
|
|
555
|
|
|
|
736
|
|
Travel expenses
|
|
|
26
|
|
|
|
112
|
|
Rent and office maintenance
|
|
|
120
|
|
|
|
126
|
|
Depreciation
|
|
|
67
|
|
|
|
17
|
|
Marketing
|
|
|
7
|
|
|
|
13
|
|
|
|
|
3,027
|
|
|
|
2,890
|
|
Rail Vision Ltd.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE 11 - TAXES ON INCOME
|
A.
|
The Company is subject to income taxes under Israeli tax laws:
|
|
1.
|
The Israeli corporate tax rate was 23% in 2020, 2019 and 2018.
|
|
2.
|
As of December 31, 2020, the Company generated net operating losses of approximately $25,902, which
may be carried forward and offset against taxable income in the future for an indefinite period.
|
|
3.
|
The Company is still in its development stage and has not yet generated revenues. Therefore, it
is more likely than not that sufficient taxable income will not be available for the tax losses to be utilized in the future. Therefore,
a valuation allowance was recorded to reduce the deferred tax assets to its recoverable amounts.
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
Deferred tax assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deferred taxes due to carryforward losses
|
|
$
|
5,957
|
|
|
$
|
5,380
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Valuation allowance
|
|
|
(5,957
|
)
|
|
|
(5,380
|
)
|
Net deferred tax asset
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
4.
|
The Company has no uncertain tax positions and foreign sources of income.
|
NOTE 12 - TRANSACTIONS AND BALANCES
WITH INTERESTED AND RELATED PARTIES
Parties considered to be related
to the Company if the parties directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, control, are controlled by, or are under
common control with the Company. Related parties also include principal owners of the Company, its management, members of the immediate
families of principal owners of the Company and its management and other parties with which the Company may deal if one party controls
or can significantly influence the management or operating policies of the other to an extent that one of the transacting parties
might be prevented from fully pursuing its own separate interests.
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Professional services
|
|
$
|
69
|
|
|
$
|
90
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Severance payment to former Company CEO (2)
|
|
$
|
234
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
Rail Vision Ltd.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
NOTE 12 - TRANSACTIONS AND BALANCES
WITH INTERESTED AND RELATED PARTIES (Cont.)
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other accounts payable
|
|
$
|
6
|
|
|
$
|
8
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deferred revenues (1)
|
|
$
|
632
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Severance payment to former Company CEO (2)
|
|
$
|
234
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
(1)
|
See Notes 10C and D above.
|
|
(2)
|
This amount is in respect of a severance payment for
the termination of a service agreement with the former Company CEO, which was paid in January 2021.
|
NOTE 13 - LEASES
As of December 31, 2020, the
Company leases office space, which has remaining terms of approximately 3.67 years (which include options to extend the lease for
additional 3 years) and a discount rate of 5%. The period which is subject to an option to extend the lease is included in the
lease term as it is reasonably certain that the option will be exercised. The Company has no finance leases.
For the year ended December
31, 2020 and 2019, operating lease expenses recorded in the Statements of Comprehensive Loss were $373 and $388, respectively.
Future minimum lease payment
for all existing operating lease as of December 31, 2020 are as follows:
2021
|
|
|
345
|
|
2022
|
|
|
433
|
|
2023
|
|
|
433
|
|
2024
|
|
|
281
|
|
Total future lease payments
|
|
|
1,492
|
|
Less imputed interest
|
|
|
(132
|
)
|
Total lease liability balance
|
|
|
1,360
|
|
F-48