Public companies are required to disclose risks that can affect the business and impact the stock. These disclosures are known as “Risk Factors”. Companies disclose these risks in their yearly (Form 10-K), quarterly earnings (Form 10-Q), or “foreign private issuer” reports (Form 20-F). Risk factors show the challenges a company faces. Investors can consider the worst-case scenarios before making an investment. TipRanks’ Risk Analysis categorizes risks based on proprietary classification algorithms and machine learning.
Microbot Medical disclosed 46 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Microbot Medical reported the most risks in the “Tech & Innovation” category.
Risk Overview Q3, 2024
Risk Distribution
30% Tech & Innovation
22% Finance & Corporate
15% Macro & Political
13% Production
11% Legal & Regulatory
9% Ability to Sell
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
This chart displays the stock's most recent risk distribution according to category. TipRanks has identified 6 major categories: Finance & corporate, legal & regulatory, macro & political, production, tech & innovation, and ability to sell.
Risk Change Over Time
2020
Q4
S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
Risks added
Risks changed
Microbot Medical Risk Factors
New Risk (0)
Risk Changed (0)
Risk Removed (0)
No changes from previous report
The chart shows the number of risks a company has disclosed. You can compare this to the sector average or S&P 500 average.
The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.
Risk Highlights Q3, 2024
Main Risk Category
Tech & Innovation
With 14 Risks
Tech & Innovation
With 14 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
46
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
46
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
0Risks added
0Risks removed
1Risks changed
Since Sep 2024
0Risks added
0Risks removed
1Risks changed
Since Sep 2024
Number of Risk Changed
1
-9
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
1
-9
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
See the risk highlights of Microbot Medical in the last period.
Risk Word Cloud
The most common phrases about risk factors from the most recent report. Larger texts indicate more widely used phrases.
Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 46
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 14/46 (30%)Above Sector Average
Innovation / R&D9 | 19.6%
Innovation / R&D - Risk 1
Unsuccessful animal studies, clinical trials or procedures relating to product candidates under development could have a material adverse effect on Microbot's prospects.
The regulatory approval process for new products and new indications for existing products requires extensive data and procedures, including the development of regulatory and quality standards and, potentially, certain clinical studies. Unfavorable or inconsistent data from current or future clinical trials or other studies conducted by Microbot or third parties, or perceptions regarding such data, could adversely affect Microbot's ability to obtain necessary device clearance or approval and the market's view of Microbot's future prospects.
Failure to successfully complete the studies or trials in a timely and cost-effective manner could have a material adverse effect on Microbot's prospects with respect to the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System or other product candidates. Because animal trials, clinical trials and other types of scientific studies are inherently uncertain, there can be no assurance that these trials or studies will be completed in a timely or cost-effective manner or result in a commercially viable product. Clinical trials or studies may experience significant setbacks even if earlier preclinical or animal studies have shown promising results. Furthermore, preliminary results from clinical trials may be contradicted by subsequent clinical analysis. Results from clinical trials may also not be supported by actual long-term studies or clinical experience. If preliminary clinical results are later contradicted, or if initial results cannot be supported by actual long-term studies or clinical experience, Microbot's business could be adversely affected. Clinical trials also may be suspended or terminated by us, the FDA or other regulatory authorities at any time if it is believed that the trial participants face unacceptable health risks. The FDA may disagree with our interpretation of the data from our clinical trials, or may find the clinical trial design, conduct or results inadequate to demonstrate safety and effectiveness of the product candidate. The FDA may also require additional preclinical studies or clinical trials which could further delay approval of our product candidates.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 2
Microbot's business depends heavily on the success of its sole lead product candidate, the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System. If Microbot is unable to commercialize the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System, or experiences significant delays in doing so, Microbot's business will be materially harmed.
Generally, after all necessary clinical and performance data supporting the safety and effectiveness of the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System, or any other product candidate, are collected, Microbot must still obtain FDA clearance or approval to market the system and those regulatory processes can take several months to several years to be completed. Therefore, Microbot's ability to generate product revenues will not occur for at least the next few years, if at all, and will depend heavily on the successful commercialization of the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System, or any of our other product candidates from time to time. The success of commercializing any of our product candidates, include the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System, will depend on a number of factors, including the following:
- our ability to obtain additional capital; - successful completion of animal studies and human clinical trials and the collection of sufficient data to demonstrate that the device is safe and effective for its intended use; - receipt of marketing approvals or clearances from the FDA and other applicable regulatory authorities, which we continue to seek; - establishing commercial manufacturing arrangements with one or more third parties; - obtaining and maintaining patent and trade secret protections; - protecting Microbot's rights in its intellectual property portfolio; - establishing sales, marketing and distribution capabilities; - generating commercial sales, if and when approved, whether alone or in collaboration with other entities; - acceptance of our product candidates, if and when commercially launched, by the medical community, patients and third-party payors; - effectively competing with existing and competitive products on the market and any new competing products that may enter the market; and - maintaining quality and an acceptable safety profile of our products following clearance or approval.
We recently suspended our research and development programs for all of our product candidates and platforms other than the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System as a result of, among other things, some of the above factors, and our short and medium term success is no longer tied to multiple product candidates but rather just the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System. If Microbot does not achieve one or more of these factors in a timely manner or at all, it could experience significant delays or an inability to successfully commercialize the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System or any other product candidate, which would materially harm its business.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 3
The results of Microbot's research and development efforts are uncertain and there can be no assurance of the commercial success of Microbot's product candidates.
Microbot believes that its success will depend in part on its ability to expand its product offerings and continue to improve its existing product candidates in response to changing technologies, customer demands and competitive pressures. As such, Microbot expects to continue dedicating significant resources in research and development. The product candidates and services being developed by Microbot may not be technologically successful. In addition, the length of Microbot's product candidates and service development cycle may be greater than Microbot originally expected.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 4
Microbot may not meet its development and commercialization objectives in a timely manner or at all.
Microbot has established internal goals, based upon expectations with respect to its technologies, which Microbot has used to assess its progress toward developing its product candidates. These goals relate to technology and design improvements as well as to dates for achieving specific development results. If the product candidates exhibit technical defects or are unable to meet cost or performance goals, Microbot's commercialization schedule could be delayed and potential purchasers of its initial commercialized products may decline to purchase such products or may opt to pursue alternative products, which would materially harm its business.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 5
Microbot has a limited operating history outside of being a research and development-stage company, which may make it difficult to evaluate the prospects for the Company's future viability.
Microbot has a limited operating history upon which an evaluation of its business plan or performance and prospects can be made. The business and prospects of Microbot must be considered in the light of the potential problems, delays, uncertainties and complications that may be encountered in connection with a newly established business. The risks include, but are not limited to, the possibility that Microbot will not be able to develop functional and scalable products, or that although functional and scalable, its products will not be economical to market; that its competitors hold proprietary rights that may preclude Microbot from marketing such products; that its competitors market a superior or equivalent product; that Microbot is not able to upgrade and enhance its technologies and products to accommodate new features and expanded service offerings; or the failure to receive necessary regulatory clearances or approvals for its products. To successfully introduce and market its products at a profit, Microbot must establish brand name recognition and competitive advantages for its products. There are no assurances that Microbot can successfully address these challenges. If it is unsuccessful, Microbot and its business, financial condition and operating results could be materially and adversely affected.
Microbot's operations to date have been limited to organizing the company, entering into licensing arrangements to initially obtain rights to its technologies, developing and securing its technologies, raising capital, developing regulatory and reimbursement strategies for its product candidates, preparing for preclinical and clinical trials of product candidates from time to time and, most recently, commencing pre-commercialization planning for the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System. Microbot has not yet demonstrated its ability to successfully complete development of any product candidate, obtain marketing clearance or approval, manufacture a commercial-scale product or arrange for a third-party to do so on its behalf, or conduct sales and marketing activities necessary for successful product commercialization. Consequently, any predictions made about Microbot's future success or viability may not be as accurate as they could be if Microbot had a longer operating history.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 6
At this time, Microbot does not know the extent of the clinical trial that the FDA will require it to submit in support of its future marketing applications for the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System, which creates uncertainty for Microbot as well as the possibility of increased product development costs and time to market.
Microbot has identified a predicate device for the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System, which it intended to use in its 510(k) application. However, there is no guarantee that the FDA will agree with the Company's determination or that the FDA would accept the predicate device that Microbot intends to submit in its 510(k). The FDA also may request additional data in response to a 510(k) or require Microbot to conduct further testing or compile more data in support of its 510(k). It is unclear at this time whether and how various activities initiated or announced by the FDA to modernize the U.S. medical device regulatory system could affect the marketing pathway or timeline for our product candidate, given their nature.
The FDA requires clinical data to be submitted as part of the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System marketing submission, any type of clinical study performed in humans will require the investment of substantial expense, professional resources and time. In order to conduct a clinical investigation involving human subjects for the purpose of demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of a medical device, a company must, among other things, apply for and obtain Institutional Review Board, or IRB, approval of the proposed investigation. In addition, the sponsor of the investigation must also submit and obtain FDA approval of an Investigational Device Exemption, or IDE, application , which we have submitted and are continuing the submission process with the FDA. Microbot may not be able to obtain FDA and/or IRB approval to undertake clinical trials in the United States for any new devices Microbot intends to market in the United States in the future. Moreover, the timing of the commencement, continuation and completion of any future clinical trial may be subject to significant delays attributable to various causes, including scheduling conflicts with participating clinicians and clinical institutions, difficulties in identifying and enrolling patients who meet trial eligibility criteria, failure of patients to complete the clinical trial, delay in or failure to obtain IRB approval to conduct a clinical trial at a prospective site, and shortages of supply in the investigational device.
Thus, the addition of one or more mandatory clinical trials to the development timeline for the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System or any other product candidate would significantly increase the costs associated with developing and commercializing the product and delay the timing of U.S. regulatory authorization. The current uncertainty regarding near-term medical device regulatory changes by the FDA could further affect our development plans for the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System or any other product candidate, depending on their nature, scope and applicability. Microbot and its business, financial condition and operating results could be materially and adversely affected as a result of any such costs, delays or uncertainty.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 7
If Microbot's product candidates are not considered to be a safe and effective alternative to existing technologies, Microbot will not be commercially successful.
The LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System and any other of our product candidates from time to time rely or are expected to rely on new technologies, and Microbot's success will depend on acceptance of these technologies by the medical community as safe, clinically effective, cost effective and a preferred device as compared to products of its competitors. Microbot does not have long-term data regarding efficacy, safety and clinical outcomes associated with the use of the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System or any other product candidates. Any data that is generated in the future may not be positive or may not support the product candidates' regulatory dossiers, which would negatively affect market acceptance and the rate at which its product candidates are adopted. Equally important will be physicians' perceptions of the safety of Microbot's product candidates because Microbot's technologies are relatively new. If, over the long term, Microbot's product candidates do not meet surgeons' expectations as to safety, efficacy and ease of use, they may not become widely adopted.
Market acceptance of Microbot's product candidates will also be affected by other factors, including Microbot's ability to convince key opinion leaders to provide recommendations regarding its product candidates; convince distributors that its technologies are attractive alternatives to existing and competing technologies; supply and service sufficient quantities of products directly or through marketing alliances; and price products competitively in light of the current macroeconomic environment, which is increasingly price sensitive.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 8
Clinical outcome studies for the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System may not provide sufficient data to make such product candidate the standard of care.
Microbot's business plan with respect to the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System relies on the broad adoption by surgeons of the product for its planned applications.
Clinical studies may not show an advantage in the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System based procedures in a timely manner, or at all, and outcome studies have not been designed at this time, and may be too large and too costly for Microbot to conduct. Both situations could prevent broad adoption of the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System and materially impact Microbot's business.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 9
Our business strategy in part relies on identifying, acquiring and developing complementary technologies and products, which entails risks which could negatively affect our business, operations and financial condition.
We have in the past and may again in the future pursue other acquisitions of businesses and technologies. Acquisitions entail numerous risks, including:
- difficulties in the integration of acquired operations, services and products; - failure to achieve expected synergies; - diversion of management's attention from other business concerns; - assumption of unknown material liabilities of acquired companies; - amortization of acquired intangible assets, which could reduce future reported earnings; - Lack of funding to properly and adequately develop and commercialize the technologies acquired; - potential loss of clients or key employees of acquired companies; and - dilution to existing stockholders.
As part of our growth strategy, we may consider, and from time to time may engage in, discussions and negotiations regarding transactions, such as acquisitions, mergers and combinations within our industry. The purchase price for possible acquisitions could be paid in cash, through the issuance of common stock or other securities, borrowings or a combination of these methods.
We cannot be certain that we will be able to identify, consummate and successfully integrate acquisitions, and no assurance can be given with respect to the timing, likelihood or business effect of any possible transaction. For example, we could begin negotiations that we subsequently decide to suspend or terminate for a variety of reasons. Similarly, we could acquire a technology or asset, and later determine that such technology or asset no longer fits in our business strategy or goals or do not have the capital to advance its development or commercialization. However, opportunities may arise from time to time that we will evaluate. Any transactions that we consummate would involve risks and uncertainties to us. These risks could cause the failure of any anticipated benefits of an acquisition to be realized, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Trade Secrets4 | 8.7%
Trade Secrets - Risk 1
Microbot's technology acquired from CardioSert and part of its One & Done feature is subject to a buy-back clause which was triggered, causing us to lose rights to the technology.
Pursuant to the agreement with CardioSert we entered into in January 2018 to acquire its technology, we were required to meet certain commercialization deadlines or CardioSert may terminate the agreement and buy back the technology for $1.00, subject to certain limited exceptions. One of the exceptions in the agreement is if "The First Commercial Sale does not occur within 50 months of the Effective Date" of the contract. 50 months have expired in 2022 and Microbot did not meet the commercialization deadlines.
As a result of our failure to meet the applicable commercialization deadline, and as a result of our May 2023 core-business focus program and cost reduction plan which resulted in our terminating the January 2018 agreement with CardioSert effective as of August 17, 2023 and ceasing development and maintenance of the technology, CardioSert exercised its right to re-acquire the technology for nominal consideration. Such sale would materially adversely affect our ability to develop and commercialize, or materially delay the development and commercialization of, our One & Done feature, as, if and when we restart that feature with our Nitiloop technology.
Trade Secrets - Risk 2
Intellectual property litigation and infringement claims could cause Microbot to incur significant expenses or prevent Microbot from selling certain of its product candidates.
The medical device industry is characterized by extensive intellectual property litigation. From time to time, Microbot might be the subject of claims by third parties of potential infringement or misappropriation. Regardless of outcome, such claims are expensive to defend and divert the time and effort of Microbot's management and operating personnel from other business issues. A successful claim or claims of patent or other intellectual property infringement against Microbot could result in its payment of significant monetary damages and/or royalty payments or negatively impact its ability to sell current or future products in the affected category and could have a material adverse effect on its business, cash flows, financial condition or results of operations.
Trade Secrets - Risk 3
If Microbot or TRDF are unable to protect the patents or other proprietary rights relating to Microbot's product candidates, or if Microbot infringes on the patents or other proprietary rights of others, Microbot's competitiveness and business prospects may be materially damaged.
Microbot's success depends on its ability to protect its intellectual property (including its licensed intellectual property) and its proprietary technologies. Microbot's commercial success depends in part on its ability to obtain and maintain patent protection and trade secret protection for its product candidates, proprietary technologies, and their uses, as well as its ability to operate without infringing upon the proprietary rights of others.
Microbot currently holds, through licenses or otherwise, an intellectual property portfolio that includes U.S. and international patents and pending patents, and other patents under development. Microbot intends to continue to seek legal protection, primarily through patents, including the remaining TRDF licensed patents that relate to the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System technology, for its proprietary technology. Seeking patent protection is a lengthy and costly process, and there can be no assurance that patents will be issued from any pending applications, or that any claims allowed from existing or pending patents will be sufficiently broad or strong to protect its proprietary technology. There is also no guarantee that any patents Microbot holds, through licenses or otherwise, will not be challenged, invalidated or circumvented, or that the patent rights granted will provide competitive advantages to Microbot. Microbot's competitors have developed and may continue to develop and obtain patents for technologies that are similar or superior to Microbot's technologies. In addition, the laws of foreign jurisdictions in which Microbot develops, manufactures or sells its product candidates may not protect Microbot's intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws of the United States.
Adverse outcomes in current or future legal disputes regarding patent and other intellectual property rights could result in the loss of Microbot's intellectual property rights, subject Microbot to significant liabilities to third parties, require Microbot to seek licenses from third parties on terms that may not be reasonable or favorable to Microbot, prevent Microbot from manufacturing, importing or selling its product candidates, or compel Microbot to redesign its product candidates to avoid infringing third parties' intellectual property. As a result, Microbot may be required to incur substantial costs to prosecute, enforce or defend its intellectual property rights if they are challenged. Any of these circumstances could have a material adverse effect on Microbot's business, financial condition and resources or results of operations.
Microbot has the first right, but not the obligation, to control the prosecution, maintenance or enforcement of the remaining licensed patents from TRDF. However, there may be situations in which Microbot will not have control over the prosecution, maintenance or enforcement of the patents that Microbot licenses, or may not have sufficient ability to consult and input into the patent prosecution and maintenance process with respect to such patents. If Microbot does not control the patent prosecution and maintenance process with respect to the remaining TRDF licensed patents, TRDF may elect to do so but may fail to take the steps that are necessary or desirable in order to obtain, maintain and enforce the licensed patents.
Microbot's ability to develop intellectual property depends in large part on hiring, retaining and motivating highly qualified design and engineering staff and consultants with the knowledge and technical competence to advance its technology and productivity goals. To protect Microbot's trade secrets and proprietary information, Microbot has entered into confidentiality agreements with its employees, as well as with consultants and other parties. If these agreements prove inadequate or are breached, Microbot's remedies may not be sufficient to cover its losses.
Trade Secrets - Risk 4
Dependence on patent and other proprietary rights and failing to protect such rights or to be successful in litigation related to such rights may result in Microbot's payment of significant monetary damages or impact offerings in its product portfolios.
Microbot's long-term success largely depends on its ability to market technologically competitive product candidates. If Microbot fails to obtain or maintain adequate intellectual property protection, it may not be able to prevent third parties from using its proprietary technologies or may lose access to technologies critical to our product candidates. Also, Microbot currently pending or future patent applications may not result in issued patents, and issued patents are subject to claims concerning priority, scope and other issues.
Furthermore, Microbot has not filed applications for all of our patents internationally and it may not be able to prevent third parties from using its proprietary technologies or may lose access to technologies critical to its product candidates in other countries.
Technology1 | 2.2%
Technology - Risk 1
Microbot's ability to expand its technology platforms for other uses may be limited.
Microbot has decided to focus on expanding all of its technology platforms for use in segments of the endovascular, cardiovascular and neurosurgery markets. Microbot's ability to expand its technology platforms for use in such markets will be limited by its ability to develop and/or refine the necessary technology, obtain the necessary regulatory approvals for their use on humans, and the marketing of its products and otherwise obtaining market acceptance of its product in the United States and in other countries.
Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 10/46 (22%)Below Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights7 | 15.2%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
Changed
There can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with the continued listing standards of Nasdaq. If we are not able to comply with the applicable continued listing requirements or standards of the Nasdaq Capital Markets, Nasdaq could delist our common stock.
Our common stock is currently listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market. In order to maintain that listing, we must satisfy minimum financial and other continued listing requirements and standards, including those regarding minimum stockholders' equity, minimum market value, minimum share price, and certain corporate governance requirements.
On October 9, 2024, we received a deficiency letter from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications department of The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC, notifying us that we are not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) (the "Minimum Bid Price Requirement") for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, as the minimum bid price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market was below $1.00 for 30 consecutive business days, from August 26, 2024 to October 7, 2024.
We may not be in a position to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement or remain in compliance with any other listing requirements or standards.
If Nasdaq delists our common stock from trading on its exchange for failure to meet the listing standards, we and our stockholders could face significant material adverse consequences including:
- a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; - reduced liquidity for our securities; - a determination that common stock is "penny stock" which will require brokers trading in the common stock to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities; - a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and - a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as "covered securities." To the extent our common stock are listed on Nasdaq, they are covered securities. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of our securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. Further, if we were no longer listed on Nasdaq, our securities would not be covered securities and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities.
Upon delisting from Nasdaq, our common stock may be traded, if at all, in the over-the-counter inter-dealer quotation system, more commonly known as the OTC. OTC transactions involve risks in addition to those associated with transactions in securities traded on securities exchanges such as Nasdaq. Many OTC stocks trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than exchange-listed stocks. Accordingly, our stock would be less liquid than it would be otherwise. Also, the values of OTC stocks are often more volatile than exchange-listed stocks. Additionally, institutional investors are often prohibited from investing in OTC stocks, and it might be more challenging to raise capital when needed.
In addition, if our common stock is delisted, your ability to transfer or sell your shares of our common stock may be limited and the value of those securities will be materially adversely affected.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
There is substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern.
As stated elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we have not generated any revenues, have sustained losses and have accumulated a significant deficit since our inception. Also, we estimate that our cash resources are only sufficient to fund our operations for less than one year from the filing date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. As a result, our continued existence is dependent upon our ability to obtain additional debt or equity financing and to ultimately become a commercially viable organization. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of approximately $6.4 million. This does not include the approximately $2.4 million in net proceeds we received in our warrant reset transaction that closed on January 3, 2024.
We will need to raise additional capital to fund our operations and continue to support our planned development and commercialization activities. There can be no assurance that the additional necessary debt or equity financing will be available, or will be available on terms acceptable to us, in which case we may be unable to meet our obligations or fully implement our business plan, if at all. Additionally, should we be unable to realize our assets and discharge our liabilities in the normal course of business, the net realizable value of our assets may be materially less than the amounts recorded in our financial statements. As a result of the foregoing and our current cash position, these conditions raise substantial doubt about Microbot's ability to continue as a going concern, which could adversely affect our ability to raise capital, expand our business and develop our planned products.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
It may be difficult to enforce a non-Israeli judgment against Microbot or its officers and directors.
The operating subsidiary of the Company is incorporated in Israel. Some of Microbot's executive officers and directors are not residents of the United States, and a substantial portion of Microbot's assets and the assets of its executive officers and directors are located outside the United States. Therefore, a judgment obtained against Microbot, 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 U.S. securities laws in Israel. Israeli courts may refuse to hear a claim based on an alleged violation of U.S. 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 U.S. law is applicable to the claim. If U.S. law is found to be applicable, the content of applicable U.S. law often involves the testimony of 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 Microbot in Israel, it may be impossible to collect any damages awarded by either a U.S. or foreign court.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
Anti-takeover provisions in the Company's charter and bylaws under Delaware law may prevent or frustrate attempts by stockholders to change the board of directors or current management and could make a third-party acquisition of the Company difficult.
Provisions in the Company's certificate of incorporation and bylaws may delay or prevent an acquisition or a change in management. These provisions include a classified board of directors. In addition, because the Company is incorporated in Delaware, it is governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which generally prohibits stockholders owning in excess of 15% of outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with the Company unless the Company meets the requirements of such section. Although the Company believes these provisions collectively will provide for an opportunity to receive higher bids by requiring potential acquirers to negotiate with the Company's board of directors, they would apply even if the offer may be considered beneficial by some stockholders. In addition, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by the Company's stockholders to replace or remove then current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of the board of directors, which is responsible for appointing members of management.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
Raising additional capital may cause dilution to the Company's investors, restrict its operations or require it to relinquish rights to its technologies or product candidates.
Until such time, if ever, as the Company can generate substantial product revenues, it expects to finance its cash needs through a combination of equity offerings, including possibly through its existing but currently suspended At-the-Market offering, licensing, collaboration or similar arrangements, grants and debt financings. The Company does not have any committed external source of funds. To the extent that the Company raises additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the ownership interest of its stockholders will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of holder of the Company's common stock. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting the Company's ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures, declaring dividends or other distributions, selling or licensing intellectual property rights, and other operating restrictions that could adversely affect the Company's ability to conduct its business.
If the Company raises additional funds through licensing, collaboration or similar arrangements, it may have to relinquish valuable rights to its technologies, future revenue streams, research and development programs or product candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to the Company. If the Company is unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings or other arrangements when needed, it may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate its product development or future commercialization efforts or grant rights to develop and market product candidates that it would otherwise prefer to develop and market itself.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6
The market price for our common stock may be volatile.
The market price for our common stock may be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to factors including the following:
- actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly or annual operating results; - changes in financial or operational estimates or projections;- conditions in markets generally; - changes in the economic performance or market valuations of companies similar to ours; - announcements by us or our competitors of new products, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments; - our intellectual property position; and - general economic or political conditions in the United States, Israel or elsewhere.
In addition, the securities market has from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are not related to the operating performance of particular companies. These market fluctuations may also materially and adversely affect the market price of shares of our common stock.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7
The issuance of shares upon exercise of outstanding warrants and options could cause immediate and substantial dilution to existing stockholders.
The issuance of shares upon exercise of outstanding warrants and options could result in substantial dilution to the interests of other stockholders since the holders of such securities may ultimately convert and sell the full amount issuable on conversion.
Accounting & Financial Operations2 | 4.3%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
We do not expect to pay cash dividends on our common stock.
We anticipate that we will retain our earnings, if any, for future growth and therefore do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our common stock in the future. Investors seeking cash dividends should not invest in our common stock for that purpose.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
Microbot has had no revenue and has incurred significant operating losses since inception and is expected to continue to incur significant operating losses for the foreseeable future. The Company may never become profitable or, if achieved, be able to sustain profitability.
Microbot has incurred significant operating losses since its inception and expects to incur significant losses for the foreseeable future as Microbot continues its preclinical and clinical development programs for its existing product candidates, primarily the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System; its research and development of any other future product candidates; and all other work necessary to obtain regulatory clearances or approvals for its product candidates in the United States and other markets. In the future, Microbot intends to continue conducting micro-robotics research and development; performing necessary animal and clinical testing; working towards medical device regulatory compliance; and, if the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System or other future product candidates are approved or cleared for commercial distribution, engaging in appropriate sales and marketing activities that, together with anticipated general and administrative expenses, will likely result in Microbot incurring further significant losses for the foreseeable future.
Microbot is a development-stage medical device company and currently generates no revenue from product sales, and may never be able to commercialize the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System or other future product candidates. Microbot does not currently have the required approvals or clearances to market or test in humans the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System or any other future product candidates and Microbot may never receive them. Microbot does not anticipate generating significant revenues until it can successfully develop, commercialize and sell products derived from its product pipeline, of which Microbot can give no assurance. Even if Microbot or any of its future development partners succeed in commercializing any of its product candidates, Microbot may never generate revenues significant enough to achieve profitability.
Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with its product development pipeline and strategy, Microbot cannot accurately predict when it will achieve profitability, if ever. Failure to become and remain profitable would depress the value of the Company and could impair its ability to raise capital, which may force the Company to curtail or discontinue its research and development programs and/or day-to-day operations. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that profitability, if achieved, can be sustained on an ongoing basis.
Debt & Financing1 | 2.2%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
Microbot will need additional funding. If Microbot is unable to raise capital when needed, it could be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate its product development programs or commercialization efforts.
To date, Microbot has funded its operations primarily through offerings of debt and equity securities and grants. Microbot does not know when, or if, it will generate any revenue, but does not expect to generate significant revenue unless and until it obtains regulatory clearance or approval of and commercializes one of its current or future product candidates. It is anticipated that the Company will continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future, and that losses will increase as it continues the development of, and seeks regulatory review of, its product candidates, and begins to commercialize any approved or cleared products following a successful regulatory review.
Microbot expects the research and development expenses of the Company to continue to increase substantially in future periods as it conducts preclinical studies in large animals and potentially clinical trials for the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System, and especially if it initiates additional research programs for future product candidates. This is the case even with the recent suspension and termination of the research and development programs relating to the SCS device, One & Done and other programs. In addition, if the Company obtains marketing clearance or approval for any of its product candidates, it expects to incur significant commercialization expenses related to product manufacturing, marketing and sales. Furthermore, Microbot incurs substantial costs associated with operating as a public company in the United States. Accordingly, the Company may need to obtain substantial additional funding in connection with its continuing operations through its projected profitability, of which it can give no assurance of success. If the Company is unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, it could be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate its research and development programs or any future commercialization efforts.
The Company intends to continue to opportunistically strengthen its balance sheet by raising additional funds through equity offerings, including possibly through its existing but currently suspended At-the-Market offering, or otherwise in order to meet expected future liquidity needs, including the introduction of the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System. The Company's future capital requirements, generally, will depend on many factors, including:
- the timing and outcomes of the product candidates' regulatory reviews, subsequent approvals or clearances, or other regulatory actions; - the costs, design, duration and any potential delays of the clinical trials that could be conducted at the FDA's request using Microbot's product candidates; - the costs of acquiring, licensing or investing in new and existing businesses, product candidates and technologies; - the costs to maintain, expand and defend the scope of Microbot's intellectual property portfolio; - the costs to secure or establish sales, marketing and commercial manufacturing capabilities or arrangements with third parties regarding same; - the Company's need and ability to hire additional management and scientific and medical personnel; and - the costs to operate as a public company in the United States.
Macro & Political
Total Risks: 7/46 (15%)Above Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment4 | 8.7%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
Existing and historical risks relating to our operations in Israel are being exacerbated by the current military actions and operations, and related activities, that commenced with the surprise attack on the State of Israel on October 7, 2023.
The ongoing risks of operating in Israel are being exacerbated as a result of the October 7, 2023 surprise attack by hostile forces from Gaza, which led to the declaration by Israel of the "Iron Swords" military operation. These include security and economic risks, risks relating to our ability to sell or buy internationally, risk of economic instability, risk of exchange rate fluctuation negatively affecting operating costs, and the risk of employees leaving to perform military service. This military operation and related activities are on-going as of the filing date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The Company has considered various ongoing risks relating to the military operation and related matters, including:
- That some of the Company's Israeli subcontractors, vendors, suppliers and other companies in which the Company relies, are currently only partially active, as instructed by the relevant authorities; and - A slowdown in the number of international flights in and out of Israel.
The Company is closely monitoring how the military operation and related activities could adversely effect its anticipated milestones and its Israel-based activities to support future clinical and regulatory milestones, including the Company's ability to import materials that are required to construct the Company's devices and to ship them outside of Israel. As of the filing date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Company has determined that there have not been any materially adverse effects on its business or operations, but it continues to monitor the situation, as any future escalation or change could result in a material adverse effect on the ability of the Company's Israeli office to support the Company's clinical and regulatory activities. The Company does not have any specific contingency plans in the event of any such escalation or change.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 2
Microbot has facilities located in Israel, and therefore, political conditions in Israel may affect Microbot's operations and results.
Microbot has facilities located in Israel. In addition, one of its seven directors, its General Manager and Chief Technology Officer, and its Chief Financial Officer, as well as substantially all of its research and development team and non-management employees, are residents of Israel. Accordingly, political, economic and military conditions in Israel will directly or indirectly affect Microbot's operations and results. Most recently, for example, the current political situation in Israel where the ruling parties are attempting to implement laws that essentially allow the parliament to enact laws that are preemptively immune to judicial review could adversely affect our business and results of operations. In addition, since the establishment of the State of Israel, a number of armed conflicts have taken place between Israel and its Arab neighbors. An ongoing state of hostility, varying in degree and intensity has led to security and economic problems for Israel. For a number of years there have been continuing hostilities between Israel and the Palestinians. This includes hostilities with the Islamic movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which have adversely affected the peace process and at times resulted in armed conflicts, including the current armed conflict. Such hostilities have negatively influenced Israel's economy as well as impaired Israel's relationships with several other countries. Israel also faces threats from Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, from ISIS and rebel forces in Syria, from the government of Iran and other potential threats from additional countries in the region. Moreover, some of Israel's neighboring countries have recently undergone or are undergoing significant political changes. These political, economic and military conditions in Israel could have a material adverse effect on Microbot's business, financial condition, results of operations and future growth.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 3
Political relations could limit Microbot's ability to sell or buy internationally.
Microbot could be adversely affected by the interruption or reduction of trade between Israel and its trading partners. Some countries, companies and organizations continue to participate in a boycott of Israeli firms and others doing business with Israel, with Israeli companies or with Israeli-owned companies operating in other countries. Foreign government defense export policies towards Israel could also make it more difficult for us to obtain the export authorizations necessary for Microbot's activities. Also, over the past several years there have been calls in the United States, Europe and elsewhere to reduce trade with Israel. There can be no assurance that restrictive laws, policies or practices directed towards Israel or Israeli businesses will not have an adverse impact on Microbot's business.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 4
Israel's economy may become unstable.
From time to time, Israel's economy may experience inflation or deflation, low foreign exchange reserves, fluctuations in world commodity prices, military conflicts and civil unrest. For these and other reasons, the government of Israel has intervened in the economy employing fiscal and monetary policies, import duties, foreign currency restrictions, controls of wages, prices and foreign currency exchange rates and regulations regarding the lending limits of Israeli banks to companies considered to be in an affiliated group. The Israeli government has periodically changed its policies in these areas. Reoccurrence of previous destabilizing factors could make it more difficult for Microbot to operate its business and could adversely affect its business.
International Operations1 | 2.2%
International Operations - Risk 1
Microbot operations in international markets involve inherent risks that Microbot may not be able to control.
Microbot's business plan includes the marketing and sale of its proposed product candidates internationally, and specifically in Europe and Israel. Accordingly, Microbot's results could be materially and adversely affected by a variety of factors relating to international business operations that it may or may not be able to control, including:
- adverse macroeconomic conditions affecting geographies where Microbot intends to do business; - closing of international borders, including as a result of biohazards or pandemics; - foreign currency exchange rates; - political or social unrest or economic instability in a specific country or region; - higher costs of doing business in certain foreign countries; - infringement claims on foreign patents, copyrights or trademark rights; - difficulties in staffing and managing operations across disparate geographic areas; - difficulties associated with enforcing agreements and intellectual property rights through foreign legal systems; - trade protection measures and other regulatory requirements, which affect Microbot's ability to import or export its product candidates from or to various countries; - adverse tax consequences; - unexpected changes in legal and regulatory requirements; - military conflict, terrorist activities, natural disasters and medical epidemics; and - Microbot's ability to recruit and retain channel partners in foreign jurisdictions.
Capital Markets2 | 4.3%
Capital Markets - Risk 1
Microbot's financial results may be affected by fluctuations in exchange rates and Microbot's current currency hedging strategy may not be sufficient to counter such fluctuations.
Microbot's financial statements are denominated in U.S. dollars and the financial results of the Company are denominated in U.S. dollars, while a significant portion of Microbot's business is conducted, and a substantial portion of its operating expenses are payable, in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Exchange rate fluctuations may have an adverse impact on Microbot's future revenues or expenses as presented in the financial statements. Microbot may in the future use financial instruments, such as forward foreign currency contracts, in its management of foreign currency exposure. These contracts would primarily require Microbot to purchase and sell certain foreign currencies with or for U.S. dollars at contracted rates. Microbot may be exposed to a credit loss in the event of non-performance by the counterparties of these contracts. In addition, these financial instruments may not adequately manage Microbot's foreign currency exposure. Microbot's results of operations could be adversely affected if Microbot is unable to successfully manage currency fluctuations in the future.
Capital Markets - Risk 2
Exchange rate fluctuations between the U.S. dollar and the NIS currencies may negatively affect Microbot's operating costs.
A significant portion of Microbot's expenses are paid in New Israeli Shekels, or NIS, but its financial statements are denominated in U.S. dollars. As a result, Microbot is exposed to the risks that the NIS may appreciate relative to the U.S. dollar, or the NIS instead devalues relative to the U.S. dollar, and the inflation rate in Israel may exceed such rate of devaluation of the NIS, or that the timing of such devaluation may lag behind inflation in Israel. In any such event, the U.S. dollar cost of Microbot's operations in Israel would increase and Microbot's U.S. dollar-denominated results of operations would be adversely affected. Microbot cannot predict any future trends in the rate of inflation in Israel or the rate of devaluation (if any) of the NIS against the U.S. dollar.
Microbot's primary expenses paid in NIS that are not linked to the U.S. dollar are employee expenses in Israel and lease payments on its Israeli facility. As Microbot does not hedge against its position in NIS, a change in the value of the NIS compared to the U.S. dollar could increase Microbot's research and development expenses, labor costs and general and administrative expenses, and as a result, have a negative impact on Microbot's financial condition.
Production
Total Risks: 6/46 (13%)Above Sector Average
Manufacturing1 | 2.2%
Manufacturing - Risk 1
Microbot products may in the future be subject to mandatory product recalls that could harm its reputation, business and financial results.
The FDA and similar foreign governmental authorities have the authority to require the recall of commercialized products in the event of material deficiencies or defects in design or manufacture that could pose a risk of injury to patients. In the case of the FDA, the authority to require a recall must be based on an FDA finding that there is a reasonable probability that the device would cause serious injury or death, although in most cases this mandatory recall authority is not used because manufacturers typically initiate a voluntary recall when a device violation is discovered. In addition, foreign governmental bodies have the authority to require the recall of Microbot products in the event of material deficiencies or defects in design or manufacture. Manufacturers may, under their own initiative, recall a product if any material deficiency in a device is found. A government-mandated or voluntary recall by Microbot or one of its distributors could occur as a result of component failures, manufacturing errors, design or labeling defects or other deficiencies and issues. Recalls of any Microbot products would divert managerial and financial resources and have an adverse effect on Microbot's financial condition and results of operations, and any future recall announcements could harm Microbot's reputation with customers and negatively affect its sales. In addition, the FDA could take enforcement action, including any of the following sanctions for failing to timely report a recall to the FDA:
- untitled letters, warning letters, fines, injunctions, consent decrees and civil penalties; - detention or seizure of Microbot products; - operating restrictions or partial suspension or total shutdown of production; - refusing or delaying requests for 510(k) clearance or premarket approval of new products or modified products; - withdrawing 510(k) clearances or other types of regulatory authorizations -that have already been granted; - refusing to grant export approval for Microbot products; or - criminal prosecution.
Employment / Personnel2 | 4.3%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
Some of Microbot's employees are obligated to perform military reserve duty in Israel.
Generally, Israeli adult male citizens and permanent residents are obligated to perform annual military reserve duty up to a specified age. They also may be called to active duty at any time under emergency circumstances, which could have a disruptive impact on Microbot's workforce.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 2
If Microbot fails to retain certain of its key personnel and attract and retain additional qualified personnel, Microbot might not be able to pursue its growth strategy effectively.
Microbot is dependent on its senior management, in particular Harel Gadot, Microbot's Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Simon Sharon, its General Manager and Chief Technology Officer. Although Microbot believes that its relationship with members of its senior management is positive, there can be no assurance that the services of any of these individuals will continue to be available to Microbot in the future. In particular, as part of our May 2023 cost reduction program, we reduced all executive officers' salaries by between 30%-50%. Although the salaries of all executives have since been reinstated, we can give no assurance that any of our executives will remain with our company in light of such reductions. Microbot's future success will depend in part on its ability to retain its management and scientific teams, to identify, hire and retain additional qualified personnel with expertise in research and development and sales and marketing, and to effectively provide for the succession of senior management, when necessary. Competition for qualified personnel in the medical device industry is intense and finding and retaining qualified personnel with experience in the industry is very difficult. Microbot believes that there are only a limited number of individuals with the requisite skills to serve in key positions at Microbot, particularly in Israel, and it competes for key personnel with other medical equipment and technology companies, as well as research institutions.
Microbot does not carry, and does not intend to carry, any key person life insurance policies on any of its existing executive officers.
Supply Chain3 | 6.5%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
Microbot will depend upon the ability of third parties, including contract research organizations, collaborative academic groups, future clinical trial sites and investigators, to conduct or to assist the Company in conducting clinical trials for its product candidates, if such trials become necessary.
As a development-stage, preclinical company, Microbot has no prior experience in designing, initiating, conducting and monitoring human clinical trials. Microbot will depend upon its ability and/or the ability of future collaborators, contract research organizations, clinical trial sites and investigators to successfully design, initiate, conduct and monitor such clinical trials.
Failure by Microbot or by any of these future collaborating parties to timely and effectively initiate, conduct and monitor a future clinical trial could significantly delay or materially impair Microbot's ability to complete those clinical trials and/or obtain regulatory clearance or approval of its product candidates and, consequently, could delay or materially impair its ability to generate revenues from the commercialization of those products.
Supply Chain - Risk 2
Our research and development program is dependent on the availability of certain components from suppliers, the delay in delivery of which could materially adversely affect our ongoing development and ability to manufacture and package devices in the timeframes currently expected.
Our research and development program is dependent on the availability of the component parts that we use to manufacture our LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System and packaging. Our business, therefore, could be adversely impacted by factors affecting our suppliers (such as the lack of employees due to military actions, a work stoppage or strike by our suppliers' employees or the failure of our suppliers to provide materials of the requisite quality).
As a result of the Israel-Hamas war, we are currently experiencing delays in the supply for certain components from Israeli-based vendors. We cannot determine with any certainty as to whether these shortages will continue and if so, for how long. Consequently, our operational and development timeline could be adversely affected if we were unable to obtain these components from our suppliers in the quantities or based on the timeline we require. Although we believe in most cases that we could identify alternative suppliers, we can give no assurance that our research and development timelines will not be delayed while we identify and retain replacement suppliers. Accordingly, any material delay in delivery of any component parts or packaging could materially adversely affect our ability to obtain FDA approval and otherwise meet our expected timeframes.
Supply Chain - Risk 3
Microbot has relied on, and intends to continue to rely on, third-party manufacturers to produce its product candidates.
Microbot currently relies, and expects to rely for the foreseeable future, on third-party manufacturers to produce and supply its product candidates, and it expects to rely on third parties to manufacture the commercialized products as well, should they receive the necessary regulatory clearance or approval. Reliance on third-party manufacturers entails risks to which Microbot would not be subject if Microbot manufactured its product candidates or future commercial products itself, including:
- limitations on supply availability resulting from capacity, internal operational problems or scheduling constraints of third parties; - potential regulatory non-compliance or other violations by the third-party manufacturer that could result in quality assurance; - the possible breach of manufacturing agreements by third parties because of various factors beyond Microbot's control; and - the possible termination or non-renewal of manufacturing agreements by third parties for various reasons beyond Microbot's control, at a time that is costly or inconvenient to Microbot.
If Microbot is not able to maintain its key manufacturing relationships, Microbot may fail to find replacement manufacturers or develop its own manufacturing capabilities, which could delay or impair Microbot's ability to obtain regulatory clearance or approval for its product candidates and could substantially increase its costs or deplete profit margins, if any. If Microbot does find replacement manufacturers, Microbot may not be able to enter into agreements with them on terms and conditions favorable to it and there could be a substantial delay before new facilities could be qualified and registered with the FDA and other foreign regulatory authorities.
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 5/46 (11%)Below Sector Average
Regulation3 | 6.5%
Regulation - Risk 1
Microbot may be subject to penalties and may be precluded from marketing its product candidates if Microbot fails to comply with extensive governmental regulations.
Microbot believes that its medical device product candidates will be categorized as Class II devices, which typically require a 510(k) or 510(k) de-novo premarket submission to the FDA. However, the FDA has not made any determination about whether Microbot's medical product candidates are Class II medical devices and may disagree with that classification. If the FDA determines that Microbot's product candidates should be reclassified as Class III medical devices, Microbot could be precluded from marketing the devices for clinical use within the United States for months, years or longer, depending on the specifics of the change in classification. Reclassification of any of Microbot's product candidates as Class III medical devices could significantly increase Microbot's regulatory costs, including the timing and expense associated with required clinical trials and other costs.
The FDA and non-U.S. regulatory authorities require that Microbot product candidates be manufactured according to rigorous standards. These regulatory requirements significantly increase Microbot's production costs, which may prevent Microbot from offering products within the price range and in quantities necessary to meet market demands. If Microbot or one of its third-party manufacturers changes an approved manufacturing process, the FDA may need to review the process before it may be used. Failure to comply with applicable pre-market and post-market regulatory requirements could subject Microbot to enforcement actions, including warning letters, fines, injunctions and civil penalties, recall or seizure of its products, operating restrictions, partial suspension or total shutdown of its production, and criminal prosecution.
Regulation - Risk 2
If Microbot's future commercialized products cause or contribute to a death or a serious injury, Microbot will be subject to Medical Device Reporting regulations, which can result in voluntary corrective actions or agency enforcement actions.
Under FDA regulations, Microbot will be required to report to the FDA any incident in which a marketed medical device product may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury or in which a medical device malfunctioned and, if the malfunction were to recur, would likely cause or contribute to death or serious injury. In addition, all manufacturers placing medical devices in European Union markets are legally bound to report any serious or potentially serious incidents involving devices they produce or sell to the relevant authority in whose jurisdiction the incident occurred.
Microbot anticipates that in the future it is likely that we may experience events that would require reporting to the FDA pursuant to the Medical Device Reporting (MDR) regulations. Any adverse event involving a Microbot product could result in future voluntary corrective actions, such as product actions or customer notifications, or agency actions, such as inspection, mandatory recall or other enforcement action. Any corrective action, whether voluntary or involuntary, as well as defending Microbot in a lawsuit, will require the dedication of our time and capital, distract management from operating our business, and may harm our reputation and financial results.
Regulation - Risk 3
If Microbot fails to obtain regulatory clearances in other countries for its product candidates under development, Microbot will not be able to commercialize these product candidates in those countries.
In order for Microbot to market its product candidates in countries other than the United States, it must comply with the safety and quality regulations in such countries.
In Europe, these regulations, including the requirements for approvals, clearance or grant of Conformité Européenne, or CE, Certificates of Conformity and the time required for regulatory review, vary from country to country. Failure to obtain regulatory approval, clearance or CE Certificates of Conformity (or equivalent) in any foreign country in which Microbot plans to market its product candidates may harm its ability to generate revenue and harm its business. Approval and CE marking procedures vary among countries and can involve additional product testing and additional administrative review periods. The time required to obtain approval or CE Certificate of Conformity in other countries might differ from that required to obtain FDA clearance. The regulatory approval or CE marking process in other countries may include all of the risks detailed above regarding FDA clearance in the United States. Regulatory approval or the CE marking of a product candidate in one country does not ensure regulatory approval in another, but a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval or a CE Certificate of Conformity in one country may negatively impact the regulatory process in others. Failure to obtain regulatory approval or a CE Certificate of Conformity in other countries or any delay or setback in obtaining such approval could have the same adverse effects described above regarding FDA clearance in the United States.
Although we engaged with a leading notified body to secure a CE Mark for sales of the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System in Europe, it is not yet certain as to when we will secure the CE Mark, and we cannot be certain that we will be successful in complying with the requirements of the CE Certificate of Conformity and receiving a CE Mark for the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System or other product candidates or in continuing to meet the requirements of the Medical Devices Directive in the European Economic Area (EEA).
Israel's Medical Devices Law generally requires the registration of all medical products with the Ministry of Health, or MOH, Registrar through the submission of an application to the Ministry of Health Medical Institutions and Devices Licensing Department, or AMAR. If the application includes a certificate issued by a competent authority of a "recognized" country, which includes Australia, Canada, the European Community Member States, Japan or the United States, the registration process is expedited, but is generally still expected to take 6 to 9 months for approval. If certification from a recognized country is not available, the registration process takes significantly longer and a license is rarely issued under such circumstances, as the MOH may require the presentation of significant additional clinical data. Once granted, a license (marketing authorization) for a medical device is valid for five years from the date of registration of the device, except for implants with a life-supporting function, for which the validity is for only two years from the date of registration. Furthermore, the holder of the license must meet several additional requirements to maintain the license. Microbot cannot be certain that it will be successful in applying for a license from the MOH for its product candidates.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 2.2%
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1
Microbot could be exposed to significant liability claims if Microbot is unable to obtain insurance at acceptable costs and adequate levels or otherwise protect itself against potential product liability claims.
The testing, manufacture, marketing and sale of medical devices entail the inherent risk of liability claims or product recalls. Product liability insurance is expensive and may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. A successful product liability claim or product recall could inhibit or prevent the successful commercialization of Microbot's products, cause a significant financial burden on Microbot, or both, which in any case could have a material adverse effect on Microbot's business and financial condition.
Taxation & Government Incentives1 | 2.2%
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1
Funding and other benefits provided by Israeli government programs may be terminated or reduced in the future and the terms of such funding may have a significant impact on future corporate decisions.
Microbot participates in programs under the auspices of the Israeli Innovation Authority, for which it receives funding for the development of its technologies and product candidates. If Microbot fails to comply with the conditions applicable to this program, it may be required to pay additional penalties or make refunds and may be denied future benefits. From time to time, the government of Israel has discussed reducing or eliminating the benefits available under this program, and therefore these benefits may not be available in the future at their current levels or at all.
Microbot's research and development efforts from inception until now have been financed in part through such Israeli Innovation Authority royalty bearing grants in an aggregate amount of approximately $1.8 million through December 31, 2023. During 2023, total grants approved from the Israeli Innovation Authority was in the amount of approximately NIS 1.6 million, to further finance the development of the Company's manufacturing process of the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System.
Furthermore the Company received approval for a grant from the Ministry of Economy of the State of Israel in the amount of approximately NIS 300,000, to further finance the marketing activities of the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System in the U.S. market.
In addition, as a result of our 2018 agreement with CardioSert and our 2022 agreement with Nitiloop, we took over the liability to repay CardioSert's and Nitiloop's IIA grants in the aggregate amount of approximately $530,000 and $925,000, respectively, although we expect that we will cease to have any obligations under the CardioSert grants once that technology is returned.
With respect to such grants Microbot is committed to pay royalties at a rate of between 3% to 3.5% on sales proceeds up to the total amount of grants received, linked to the dollar, plus interest at an annual rate of SOFR, a benchmark interest rate which replaced LIBOR. In addition, as a recipient of Israeli Innovation Authority grants, Microbot must comply with the requirements of the Israeli Encouragement of Industrial Research and Development Law, 1984, or the R&D Law, and related regulations. Under the terms of the grants and the R&D Law, Microbot is restricted from transferring any technologies, know-how, manufacturing or manufacturing rights developed using Israeli Innovation Authority grants outside of Israel without the prior approval of Israeli Innovation Authority. Therefore, if aspects of its technologies are deemed to have been developed with Israeli Innovation Authority funding, the discretionary approval of an Israeli Innovation Authority committee would be required for any transfer to third parties outside of Israel of the technologies, know-how, manufacturing or manufacturing rights related to such aspects. Furthermore, the Israeli Innovation Authority may impose certain conditions on any arrangement under which it permits Microbot to transfer technology or development outside of Israel or may not grant such approvals at all.
If approved, the transfer of Israeli Innovation Authority-supported technology or know-how outside of Israel may involve the payment of significant fees, which will depend on the value of the transferred technology or know-how, the total amount Israeli Innovation Authority funding received by Microbot, the number of years since the funding and other factors. These restrictions and requirements for payment may impair Microbot's ability to sell its 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 amount of consideration available to Microbot's shareholders in a transaction involving the transfer of technology or know-how developed with Israeli Innovation Authority funding outside of Israel (such as through a merger or other similar transaction) may be reduced by any amounts that Microbot is required to pay to the Israeli Innovation Authority.
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 4/46 (9%)Above Sector Average
Competition1 | 2.2%
Competition - Risk 1
Microbot operates in a competitive industry and if its competitors have products that are marketed more effectively or develop products, treatments or procedures that are similar, more advanced, safer or more effective, its commercial opportunities will be reduced or eliminated, which would materially harm its business.
Our competitors may develop products, treatments or procedures that directly compete with our products and potential products and which are similar, more advanced, safer or more effective than ours. The medical device industry is very competitive and subject to significant technological and practice changes. Microbot expects to face competition from many different sources with respect to the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System and any other products that it may from time to time seek to develop or commercialize in the future.
Competing against large established competitors with significant resources may make establishing a market for any products that it develops difficult which would have a material adverse effect on Microbot's business. Microbot's commercial opportunities could also be reduced or eliminated if its competitors develop and commercialize products, treatments or procedures quicker, that are safer, more effective, are more convenient or are less expensive than the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System or any other product that Microbot may develop. Many of Microbot's potential competitors have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, preclinical testing, conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and marketing approved products than Microbot may have. Mergers and acquisitions in the medical device industry market may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of Microbot's potential competitors.
Demand1 | 2.2%
Demand - Risk 1
If the commercial opportunity for the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System and any other commercial products that may be developed by Microbot is smaller than Microbot anticipates, Microbot's future revenue from the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System and such other products will be adversely affected and Microbot's business will suffer.
If the size of the commercial opportunities in any of Microbot's target markets is smaller than it anticipates, Microbot may not be able to achieve profitability and growth. It is difficult to predict the penetration, future growth rate or size of the market for Microbot's product candidate.
The commercial success of the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System or any other product candidates will require broad acceptance of the devices by the doctors and other medical professionals who specialize in the procedures targeted by each device, a limited number of whom may be able to influence device selection and purchasing decisions. If Microbot's technologies are not broadly accepted and perceived as having significant advantages over existing medical devices, then it will not meet its business objectives. Such perceptions are likely to be based on a determination by medical facilities and physicians that Microbot's product candidates are safe and effective, are cost-effective in comparison to existing devices, and represent acceptable methods of treatment. Microbot cannot assure that it will be able to establish the relationships and arrangements with medical facilities and physicians necessary to support the market uptake of its product candidates. In addition, its competitors may develop new technologies for the same markets Microbot is targeting that are more attractive to medical facilities and physicians. If doctors and other medical professionals do not consider Microbot product candidates to be suitable for application in the procedures we are targeting and an improvement over the use of existing or competing products, Microbot's business goals will not be realized.
Sales & Marketing2 | 4.3%
Sales & Marketing - Risk 1
Customers will be unlikely to buy the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System or any other product candidates unless Microbot can demonstrate that they can be produced for sale to consumers at attractive prices.
To date, Microbot has focused primarily on research and development of the LIBERTY Endovascular Robotic Surgical System and first generation versions of other current and former product candidates. Consequently, Microbot has no experience in manufacturing its product candidates, and intends to manufacture its product candidates through third-party manufacturers. Microbot can offer no assurance that either it or its manufacturing partners will develop efficient, automated, low-cost manufacturing capabilities and processes to meet the quality, price, engineering, design and production standards or production volumes required to successfully mass produce its commercial products. Even if its manufacturing partners are successful in developing such manufacturing capability and quality processes, including the assurance of good manufacturing practice (GMP) compliant device manufacturing, there can be no assurance that Microbot can timely meet its product commercialization schedule or the production and delivery requirements of potential customers. A failure to develop such manufacturing processes and capabilities could have a material adverse effect on Microbot's business and financial results.
The proposed price of Microbot's product candidates, once approved for sale, will be dependent on material and other manufacturing costs. Microbot cannot offer any assurances that its manufacturing partner will be able manufacture its product candidates at a competitive price or that achieving cost reductions will not cause a reduction in the performance, reliability and longevity of its product candidates.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 2
If Microbot is not able to both obtain and maintain adequate levels of third-party reimbursement for procedures involving its product candidates after they are approved for marketing and launched commercially, it would have a material adverse effect on Microbot's business.
Healthcare providers and related facilities are generally reimbursed for their services through payment systems managed by various governmental agencies worldwide, private insurance companies, and managed care organizations. The manner and level of reimbursement in any given case may depend on the site of care, the procedure(s) performed, the final patient diagnosis, the device(s) utilized, available budget, or a combination of these factors, and coverage and payment levels are determined at each payor's discretion. The coverage policies and reimbursement levels of these third-party payors may impact the decisions of healthcare providers and facilities regarding which medical products they purchase and the prices they are willing to pay for those products. Microbot cannot assure you that its sales will not be impeded and its business harmed if third-party payors fail to provide reimbursement for Microbot products that healthcare providers view as adequate.
In the United States, Microbot expects that its product candidates, once approved, will be purchased primarily by medical institutions, which then bill various third-party payors, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, which administers the Medicare program through Medicare Administrative Contractors, and other government health care programs and private insurance plans, for the healthcare products and services provided to their patients. The process involved in applying for coverage and incremental reimbursement from CMS is lengthy and expensive. Moreover, many private payors look to CMS in setting their reimbursement policies and amounts. If CMS or other agencies limit coverage for procedures utilizing Microbot's products or decrease or limit reimbursement payments for doctors and hospitals utilizing Microbot's products, this may affect coverage and reimbursement determinations by many private payors.
If a procedure involving a medical device is not reimbursed separately by a government or private insurer, then a medical institution would have to absorb the cost of Microbot's products as part of the cost of the procedure in which the products are used. At this time, Microbot does not know the extent to which medical institutions would consider insurers' payment levels adequate to cover the cost of its products. Failure by hospitals and surgeons to receive an amount that they consider to be adequate reimbursement for procedures in which Microbot products are used could deter them from purchasing Microbot products and limit sales growth for those products.
Microbot has no control over payor decision-making with respect to coverage and payment levels for its medical device product candidates, once they are approved. Additionally, Microbot expects many payors to continue to explore cost-containment strategies (e.g., comparative and cost-effectiveness analyses, so-called "pay-for-performance" programs implemented by various public government health care programs and private third-party payors, and expansion of payment bundling initiatives, and other such methods that shift medical cost risk to providers) that may potentially impact coverage and/or payment levels for Microbot's current product candidates or products Microbot develops in the future.
As Microbot's product offerings are used across diverse healthcare settings, they will be affected to varying degrees by the different payment systems.
See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.
FAQ
What are “Risk Factors”?
Risk factors are any situations or occurrences that could make investing in a company risky.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that publicly traded companies disclose their most significant risk factors. This is so that potential investors can consider any risks before they make an investment.
They also offer companies protection, as a company can use risk factors as liability protection. This could happen if a company underperforms and investors take legal action as a result.
It is worth noting that smaller companies, that is those with a public float of under $75 million on the last business day, do not have to include risk factors in their 10-K and 10-Q forms, although some may choose to do so.
How do companies disclose their risk factors?
Publicly traded companies initially disclose their risk factors to the SEC through their S-1 filings as part of the IPO process.
Additionally, companies must provide a complete list of risk factors in their Annual Reports (Form 10-K) or (Form 20-F) for “foreign private issuers”.
Quarterly Reports also include a section on risk factors (Form 10-Q) where companies are only required to update any changes since the previous report.
According to the SEC, risk factors should be reported concisely, logically and in “plain English” so investors can understand them.
How can I use TipRanks risk factors in my stock research?
Use the Risk Factors tab to get data about the risk factors of any company in which you are considering investing.
You can easily see the most significant risks a company is facing. Additionally, you can find out which risk factors a company has added, removed or adjusted since its previous disclosure. You can also see how a company’s risk factors compare to others in its sector.
Without reading company reports or participating in conference calls, you would most likely not have access to this sort of information, which is usually not included in press releases or other public announcements.
A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.
What are all the risk factor categories?
TipRanks has identified 6 major categories of risk factors and a number of subcategories for each. You can see how these categories are broken down in the list below.
1. Financial & Corporate
Accounting & Financial Operations - risks related to accounting loss, value of intangible assets, financial statements, value of intangible assets, financial reporting, estimates, guidance, company profitability, dividends, fluctuating results.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights – risks related to things that impact share prices and the rights of shareholders, including analyst ratings, major shareholder activity, trade volatility, liquidity of shares, anti-takeover provisions, international listing, dual listing.
Debt & Financing – risks related to debt, funding, financing and interest rates, financial investments.
Corporate Activity and Growth – risks related to restructuring, M&As, joint ventures, execution of corporate strategy, strategic alliances.
2. Legal & Regulatory
Litigation and Legal Liabilities – risks related to litigation/ lawsuits against the company.
Regulation – risks related to compliance, GDPR, and new legislation.
Environmental / Social – risks related to environmental regulation and to data privacy.
Taxation & Government Incentives – risks related to taxation and changes in government incentives.
3. Production
Costs – risks related to costs of production including commodity prices, future contracts, inventory.
Supply Chain – risks related to the company’s suppliers.
Manufacturing – risks related to the company’s manufacturing process including product quality and product recalls.
Human Capital – risks related to recruitment, training and retention of key employees, employee relationships & unions labor disputes, pension, and post retirement benefits, medical, health and welfare benefits, employee misconduct, employee litigation.
4. Technology & Innovation
Innovation / R&D – risks related to innovation and new product development.
Technology – risks related to the company’s reliance on technology.
Cyber Security – risks related to securing the company’s digital assets and from cyber attacks.
Trade Secrets & Patents – risks related to the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and to infringement claims against the company as well as piracy and unlicensed copying.
5. Ability to Sell
Demand – risks related to the demand of the company’s goods and services including seasonality, reliance on key customers.
Competition – risks related to the company’s competition including substitutes.
Sales & Marketing – risks related to sales, marketing, and distribution channels, pricing, and market penetration.
Brand & Reputation – risks related to the company’s brand and reputation.
6. Macro & Political
Economy & Political Environment – risks related to changes in economic and political conditions.
Natural and Human Disruptions – risks related to catastrophes, floods, storms, terror, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic/COVID-19.
International Operations – risks related to the global nature of the company.
Capital Markets – risks related to exchange rates and trade, cryptocurrency.