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Mobilicom Ltd. ADR (MOB)
NASDAQ:MOB
US Market
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Mobilicom Ltd. ADR (MOB) Risk Factors

70 Followers
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.

Mobilicom Ltd. ADR disclosed 68 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Mobilicom Ltd. ADR reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q4, 2023

Risk Distribution
68Risks
38% Finance & Corporate
16% Legal & Regulatory
13% Production
13% Macro & Political
12% Tech & Innovation
7% 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

S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
Risks added
Risks changed
Mobilicom Ltd. ADR 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 Q4, 2023

Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 26 Risks
Finance & Corporate
With 26 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
68
-1
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
68
-1
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
3Risks added
4Risks removed
4Risks changed
Since Dec 2023
3Risks added
4Risks removed
4Risks changed
Since Dec 2023
Number of Risk Changed
4
+4
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
4
+4
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
See the risk highlights of Mobilicom Ltd. ADR 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 68

Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 26/68 (38%)Below Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights14 | 20.6%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
If a United States person is treated as owning at least 10% of our ordinary shares, such holder may be subject to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences.
If a United States person is treated as owning (directly, indirectly or constructively) at least 10% of the value or voting power of our ordinary shares, such person may be treated as a "United States shareholder" with respect to each "controlled foreign corporation" in our group (if any). A United States shareholder of a controlled foreign corporation may be required to annually report and include in its U.S. taxable income its pro rata share of "Subpart F income," "global intangible low-taxed income" and investments in U.S. property by controlled foreign corporations, whether or not we make any distributions, and may be subject to tax reporting obligations. An individual that is a United States shareholder with respect to a controlled foreign corporation generally would not be allowed certain tax deductions or foreign tax credits that would be allowed to a United States shareholder that is a U.S. corporation. A failure to comply with these reporting obligations may subject you to significant monetary penalties and may prevent the statute of limitations with respect to your U.S. federal income tax return for the year for which reporting was due from starting. We cannot provide any assurances that we will assist investors in determining whether any of our non-U.S. subsidiaries are treated as a controlled foreign corporation or whether such investor is treated as a United States shareholder with respect to any of such controlled foreign corporations or furnish to any United States shareholders information that may be necessary to comply with the aforementioned reporting and tax paying obligations. A United States investor should consult their own advisors regarding the potential application of these rules to its investment in our ordinary shares or ADSs.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
ADS holders may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to claims arising under the deposit agreement, which could result in less favorable outcomes to the plaintiff(s) in any such action.
The deposit agreement governing the ADSs provides that holders and beneficial owners of ADSs, including those holders and owners who acquired ADSs in secondary transactions, irrevocably waive the right to a trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to the deposit agreement or the ADSs, including in respect of claims under federal securities laws, against us or the depositary to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. If this jury trial waiver provision is prohibited by applicable law, an action could nevertheless proceed under the terms of the deposit agreement with a jury trial. To our knowledge, the enforceability of a jury trial waiver under the federal securities laws has not been finally adjudicated by a federal court. However, we believe that a jury trial waiver provision is generally enforceable under the laws of the State of New York, which govern the deposit agreement, by a court of the State of New York or a federal court, which have non-exclusive jurisdiction over matters arising under the deposit agreement, applying such law. In determining whether to enforce a jury trial waiver provision, New York courts and federal courts will consider whether the visibility of the jury trial waiver provision within the agreement is sufficiently prominent such that a party has knowingly waived any right to trial by jury. We believe that this is the case with respect to the deposit agreement and the ADSs. In addition, New York courts will not enforce a jury trial waiver provision in order to bar a viable setoff or counterclaim sounding in fraud or one which is based upon a creditor's negligence in failing to liquidate collateral upon a guarantor's demand, or in the case of an intentional tort claim (as opposed to a contract dispute), none of which we believe are applicable in the case of the deposit agreement or the ADSs. No condition, stipulation or provision of the deposit agreement or ADSs serves as a waiver by any holder or beneficial owner of ADSs or by us or the depositary of compliance with any provision of the federal securities laws. If you or any other holder or beneficial owner of ADSs brings a claim against us or the depositary in connection with such matters, you or such other holder or beneficial owner may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to such claims, which may have the effect of limiting and discouraging lawsuits against us and/or the depositary. If a lawsuit is brought against us and/or the depositary under the deposit agreement, it may be heard only by a judge or justice of the applicable trial court, which would be conducted according to different civil procedures and may result in different outcomes than a trial by jury would have had, including results that could be less favorable to the plaintiff(s) in any such action, depending on, among other things, the nature of the claims, the judge or justice hearing such claims, and the venue of the hearing. As the jury trial waiver relates to claims arising out of or relating to the ADSs or the deposit agreement, we believe that the waiver would likely continue to apply to ADS holders or beneficial owners who withdraw the ordinary shares from the ADS facility with respect to claims arising before the cancellation of the ADSs and the withdrawal of the ordinary shares, and the waiver would likely not apply to ADS holders or beneficial owners who subsequently withdraw the ordinary shares represented by ADSs from the ADS facility with respect to claims arising after the withdrawal. However, to our knowledge, there has been no case law on the applicability of the jury trial waiver to ADS holders or beneficial owners who withdraw the ordinary shares represented by the ADSs from the ADS facility.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
We are an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act and the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies may make our ADSs less attractive to investors and, as a result, adversely affect the price of our ADSs and result in a less active trading market for our ADSs.
We are an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. For example, we have elected to rely on an exemption from the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act relating to internal control over financial reporting, and we will not provide such an attestation from our auditors for so long as we qualify as an emerging growth company. We may avail ourselves of these disclosure exemptions until we are no longer an emerging growth company. We cannot predict whether investors will find our ADSs less attractive because of our reliance on some or all of these exemptions. If investors find our ADSs less attractive, it may cause the trading price of the ADSs to decline and there may be a less active trading market for our ADSs. We will cease to be an emerging growth company upon the earliest of: - the end of the fiscal year in which the fifth anniversary of completion of our initial public offering occurs;- the end of the first fiscal year in which the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of the second quarter of such fiscal year;- the end of the first fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenues of at least $1.235 billion; and - the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities in any rolling three-year period.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to file less information with the SEC than a company incorporated in the United States. Accordingly, there may be less publicly available information concerning us than there is for companies incorporated in the United States.
As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from certain rules under the Exchange Act that impose disclosure requirements as well as procedural requirements for proxy solicitations under Section 14 of the Exchange Act. In addition, our officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and "short-swing" profit recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act. Moreover, we are not required to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as a company that files as a U.S. company whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act, nor are we required to comply with the SEC's Regulation FD, which restricts the selective disclosure of material non-public information. Accordingly, there may be less information publicly available concerning us than there is for a company that files as a domestic issuer.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted and we expect to follow certain home country corporate governance practices in lieu of certain Nasdaq requirements applicable to domestic issuers. This may afford less protection to holders of ordinary shares and ADSs.
As a foreign private issuer with ADSs listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, we are permitted to follow certain home country corporate governance practices in lieu of certain Nasdaq requirements. We follow home country practice with regard to the composition of the board of directors, quorum requirements applicable to shareholder meetings, shareholder approval prior to the issuance of securities in connection with certain acquisitions, private placements of securities, or the establishment or amendment of certain stock option, purchase or other compensation plans and the requirement that issuers must maintain charters for certain board committees. As a foreign private issuer we must disclose in our annual reports filed with the SEC the requirements with which it does not comply followed by a description of our applicable home country practice. The Australian home country practices described above may afford less protection to holders of ordinary shares and ADSs than that provided under Nasdaq rules.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6
A shareholder's holding may be diluted if we issue additional shares or other securities in the future.
We may issue additional ordinary shares or other securities in the future, which may dilute your holding in us. Our Constitution permits the issuance of an unlimited number of securities, subject to certain capacity restrictions and security-holders have no pre-emptive rights in connection with further issuances of any securities. Our directors have the discretion to determine if an issuance of ordinary shares or other securities is warranted, the price at which any such securities are issued and the other terms of issue of such securities. In addition, we may issue additional ordinary shares upon the exercise of warrants to acquire ordinary shares under our share incentive plan, which will result in further dilution. In addition, the issuance of ordinary shares or other securities in any potential future acquisitions, if any, may also result in further dilution to your interests.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7
You must act through the depositary to exercise your voting rights and, as a result, you may be unable to exercise your voting rights on a timely basis.
As a holder of ADSs (and not the ordinary shares underlying your ADSs), we will not treat you as one of our shareholders, and you will not be able to exercise shareholder rights. The depositary will be the holder of the ordinary shares underlying your ADSs, and ADS holders will be able to exercise voting rights with respect to the ordinary shares represented by their ADSs only in accordance with the deposit agreement. There are practical limitations on the ability of ADS holders to exercise their voting rights due to the additional procedural steps involved in communicating with these holders. For example, holders of our ordinary shares will receive notice of shareholders' meetings by mail and will be able to exercise their voting rights by either attending the shareholders meeting in person or voting by proxy. ADS holders, by comparison, will not receive notice directly from us. Instead, in accordance with the deposit agreement, we will provide notice to the depositary of any such shareholders meeting and details concerning the matters to be voted upon at least 45 days in advance of the meeting date. If we so instruct, the depositary will mail to holders of ADSs the notice of the meeting and a statement as to the manner in which voting instructions may be given by holders as soon as practicable after receiving notice from us of any such meeting. To exercise their voting rights, ADS holders must then instruct the depositary as to voting the ordinary shares represented by their ADSs. Due to these procedural steps involving the depositary, the process for exercising voting rights may take longer for ADS holders than for holders of ordinary shares. The ordinary shares represented by ADSs with to which the depositary receives no timely voting instructions will not be voted.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8
ADS holders may be subject to additional risks related to holding ADSs rather than ordinary shares.
ADS holders do not hold ordinary shares directly and, as such, are subject to, among others, the following additional risks: - As an ADS holder, we will not treat you as one of our shareholders and you will not be able to exercise shareholder rights, except through the depositary as permitted by the deposit agreement. - Distributions on the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs will be paid to the depositary, and before the depositary makes a distribution to you in respect of your ADSs, any withholding taxes that must be paid will be deducted. Additionally, if the exchange rate fluctuates during a time when the depositary cannot convert the foreign currency, you may lose some or all of the value of the distribution. - We and the depositary may amend or terminate the deposit agreement without ADS holders' consent in a manner that could prejudice ADS holders.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9
Our directors and officers may have conflicts of interest in conducting their duties.
Because our directors and officers are or may become directors or officers of other reporting companies or have significant shareholdings in other technology companies, our directors and officers may have conflicts of interest in conducting their duties. We and our directors and officers will attempt to minimize such conflicts. In the event that such a conflict of interest arises at a meeting of the directors, a director who has such a conflict will abstain from voting for or against a particular matter in which the director has the conflict. In appropriate cases, we will establish a special committee of independent directors to review a particular matter in which several directors, or officers, may have a conflict. In determining whether or not we will participate in a particular program and the interest therein to be acquired by us, the directors will primarily consider the potential benefits to us, the degree of risk to which we may be exposed and our financial position at that time. Other than as indicated, we have no other procedures or mechanisms to deal with conflicts of interest. Executive officers and directors may have rights to indemnification from us, including pursuant to directors' and officers' liability insurance policies that will survive termination of their agreements.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 10
If securities or industry analysts either do not publish research about us or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about us, our business or our market, or if they change their recommendations regarding our securities, the trading price or trading volume of our securities could decline.
The trading market for our securities will be influenced in part by the research and reports that securities or industry analysts may publish about us, our business, our market or our competitors. If one or more of the analysts initiate research with an unfavorable rating or downgrade our securities, provide a more favorable recommendation about our competitors or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the market prices of our securities would likely decline. If any analyst who may cover us were to cease coverage of us or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the trading price or trading volume of our securities to decline.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 11
You may not receive distributions on our ordinary shares represented by ADSs or any value for such distribution if it is illegal or impractical to make it available to holders of ADSs.
While we do not anticipate paying any dividends on our ordinary shares in the foreseeable future, if such a dividend is declared, the depositary for our ADSs has agreed to pay to you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on our ordinary shares or other deposited securities after deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of our ordinary shares your ADSs represent. However, in accordance with the limitations set forth in the deposit agreement, it may be unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to holders of ADSs. We have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of our ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or anything else to holders of our ADSs. This means that you may not receive the distributions we make on our ordinary shares or any value from them if it is unlawful or impractical to make them available to you. These restrictions may have a material adverse effect on the value of your ADSs.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 12
Australian takeover laws may discourage takeover offers being made for us or may discourage the acquisition of a significant position in our ordinary shares.
We are incorporated in Australia and are subject to the takeover laws of Australia. Among other things, we are subject to the Australian Corporations Act 2001, or the Corporations Act. Subject to a range of exceptions, the Corporations Act prohibits the acquisition of a direct or indirect interest in our issued voting shares if the acquisition of that interest will lead to a person's voting power (either alone or in combination with their ‘associates' as that term is defined in the Corporations Act) in us increasing to more than 20%, or increasing from a starting point that is above 20% and below 90%. Australian takeover laws may discourage takeover offers being made for us or may discourage the acquisition of a significant position in our ordinary shares. This may have the ancillary effect of entrenching our board of directors and may deprive or limit our shareholders' or ADS holders' opportunity to sell their ordinary shares or ADSs and may further restrict the ability of our shareholders and ADS holders' ability to obtain a premium from such transactions. Our Constitution, which is included as an exhibit to this Annual Report on Form 20-F, also contains a requirement for our shareholders to approve any proportionate takeover bid (i.e. a bid for a specified proportion of a class of securities in us) without the approval of a majority of our shareholders voting at a general meeting. This may have the effect of discouraging proportionate takeover bids and limit our shareholders' and ADS holders' opportunity to obtain a premium for their securities from such a transaction.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 13
Anti-takeover provisions in our Constitution and our right to issue preference shares could make a third-party acquisition of us difficult.
Some provisions of our Constitution may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including provisions that only require one-third of our board of directors to be elected annually and authorize our board of directors, subject to compliance with the Corporations Act, to issue an unlimited number of shares of capital stock and preference shares in one or more series and to designate the price, rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of such preference shares by amending the Constitution (although it should be noted that the amendment of the Constitution requires the approval of shareholders by a majority of not less than 75% of votes cast (directly or by proxy) at a shareholder meeting).
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 14
Australian companies may not be able to initiate shareholder derivative actions, thereby depriving shareholders of the ability to protect their interests.
Australian companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States. The circumstances in which any such action may be brought, and the procedures and defenses that may be available in respect to any such action, may result in the rights of shareholders of an Australian company being more limited than those of shareholders of a company organized in the United States. Accordingly, shareholders may have fewer alternatives available to them if they believe that corporate wrongdoing has occurred. Australian courts are also unlikely to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts in the United States based on certain liability provisions of U.S. securities law and to impose liabilities against us, in original actions brought in Australia, based on certain liability provisions of U.S. securities laws that are penal in nature. There is no statutory recognition in Australia of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of Australia may recognize and enforce the non-penal judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits, upon being satisfied about all the relevant circumstances in which that judgment was obtained.
Accounting & Financial Operations6 | 8.8%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
We have never declared or paid dividends on our ordinary shares and we do not anticipate paying dividends in the foreseeable future.
We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our ordinary shares. For the foreseeable future, we currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to support our operations and to finance the growth and development of our business. Any future determination to declare cash dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors, subject to compliance with applicable laws and covenants under current or future credit facilities, which may restrict or limit our ability to pay dividends, and will depend on our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements, general business conditions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our ordinary shares in the foreseeable future. As a result, a return on your investment will only occur if the ADS price increases.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
We may not accurately forecast revenues, profitability and appropriately plan our expenses.
We base our current and future expense levels on our operating forecasts and estimates of future income and operating results. Income and operating results are difficult to forecast because they generally depend on the volume sales and timing, which are uncertain. Additionally, our business is affected by general economic and business conditions around the world. A softening in income, whether caused by changes in customer preferences in the drones and robotics platform markets, or a weakening in global economies, may result in decreased net revenue levels, and we may be unable to adjust our expenses in a timely manner to compensate for any unexpected shortfall in income. This inability could cause our (loss)/income after tax in a given quarter to be (higher)/lower than expected. We also make certain assumptions when forecasting the amount of expense we expect related to our share-based payments, which includes the expected volatility of our share price, and the expected life of share options granted. These assumptions are partly based on historical results. If actual results differ from our estimates, our operating results in a given period may be lower than expected.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3
We have a history of losses.
We have incurred net losses since our inception on February 2, 2017. Our net losses were AUD$6,872,000 (approximately $4,700,000) and AUD$341,000 for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 respectively. We cannot assure that we can become profitable or avoid net losses in the future or that there will be any earnings or revenues in any future quarterly or other periods. We expect that our operating expenses will increase as we grow our business, including expending substantial resources for research, development, sales and marketing. As a result, any decrease or delay in generating revenues could result in material operating losses.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 4
We may experience adverse effects on our reported results of operations as a result of adopting new accounting standards or interpretations.
Our implementation of and compliance with changes in accounting rules, including new accounting rules and interpretations, could adversely affect our reported financial position or operating results or cause unanticipated fluctuations in our reported operating results in future periods.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 5
Failure to adhere to our financial reporting obligations and other public company requirements could adversely affect the market price of our ADSs.
The reporting and other obligations related to being a public company will place significant demands on our management, administrative, operational and accounting resources. If we are unable to meet such demands in a timely and effective manner, our ability to comply with our financial reporting obligations and other rules applicable to reporting issuers could be impaired. Moreover, any failure to maintain effective internal controls could cause us to fail to satisfy our reporting obligations or result in material misstatements in our financial statements. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our reputation and operating results could be materially adversely affected which could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could result in a reduction in the trading price of our ADSs. In addition, we do not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting will prevent all errors or fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and implemented, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system's objectives will be met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Due to the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues within an organization are detected. The inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple errors or mistakes. Controls can also be circumvented by individual acts of certain persons, by collusion of two or more people or by management override of the controls. Due to the inherent limitations in a control system, misstatements due to errors or fraud may occur and may not be detected in a timely manner or at all.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 6
If we fail to establish and maintain proper internal financial reporting controls, our ability to produce accurate consolidated financial statements or comply with applicable regulations could be impaired.
Section 404(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that, beginning with our second annual report after the completion of our initial public offering, our management assess and report annually on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting and identify any material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting. Although Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires our independent registered public accounting firm to issue an annual report that addresses the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting, we have opted to rely on the exemptions provided in the JOBS Act, and consequently will not be required to comply with SEC rules that implement Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act until such time as we are no longer an emerging growth company. Our first Section 404(a) assessment will take place beginning with our second annual report after the completion of our initial public offering. The presence of material weaknesses could result in financial statement errors which, in turn, could lead to errors in our financial reports and/or delays in our financial reporting, which could require us to restate our operating results. We might not identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal controls in connection with evaluating our compliance with Section 404(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. In order to maintain and improve the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting, we will need to expend significant resources and provide significant management oversight. Implementing any appropriate changes to our internal controls may require specific compliance training of our directors and employees, entail substantial costs in order to modify our existing accounting systems, take a significant period of time to complete and divert management's attention from other business concerns. These changes may not, however, be effective in maintaining the adequacy of our internal control. If we are unable to conclude that we have effective internal controls over financial reporting, investors may lose confidence in our operating results, the price of our ADSs could decline and we may be subject to litigation or regulatory enforcement actions. In addition, if we are unable to meet the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, our ADSs may not be able to remain listed on Nasdaq.
Debt & Financing4 | 5.9%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
You may be subject to limitations on transfer of our ADSs.
Our ADSs are only transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its transfer books at any time or from time to time when it deems expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. In addition, the depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of ADSs generally when our books or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary deem it advisable to do so because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body, or under any provision of the Deposit Agreement, or for any other reason.
Debt & Financing - Risk 2
The deposit agreement expressly limits our obligations, the obligations of the depositary, and limits liability.
The deposit agreement relating to the ADSs limits the obligations and liability as we and the depositary are only obligated to take the actions specifically set forth in the deposit agreement, and we are not liable if performance of those obligations are prevented or delayed due to circumstances beyond our control. Neither we nor the depositary are liable if we or it exercise discretion as permitted under the deposit agreement. Further, we and the depositary are not liable for the inability of any holder of ADSs to benefit from any distribution or deposited securities that is not made available to holders of ADSs under the terms of the deposit agreement, or for any special consequential or punitive damages for any breach of the terms of the deposit agreement. Neither we nor the depositary have any obligation to become involved in a lawsuit or other proceeding relating to the ADSs or the deposit agreement on your behalf. We are not liable for the acts or omissions of any securities depository, clearing agency or settlement system and we may rely upon any documents we believe to be genuine and duly executed. As a holder of ADSs, your ability to take action, seek damages or otherwise make a claim against us or the depositary are limited.
Debt & Financing - Risk 3
Shortfalls in available external research and development funding could adversely affect us.
We depend on our research and development activities to develop the core technologies used in our cybersecurity and smart solutions and for the research and development of our future products. A portion of our research and development activities depends on funding from the IIA; in the future, we may seek additional funding from the IIA and other governmental organizations. These government organizations' spending levels can be impacted by a number of variables, including general economic conditions, specific companies' financial performance and competition for Israeli government funding with other Israeli government-sponsored programs in the budget formulation and appropriation processes. Any reductions in available research and development funding could harm our business, financial condition and operating results.
Debt & Financing - Risk 4
We expect that we will need to invest significant time and raise substantial additional capital before we can expect to become profitable from sales of our products. This additional capital may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. Failure to obtain this necessary capital when needed may force us to delay, limit or terminate our product development efforts or other operations.
We expect that we will need to invest significant time and require substantial additional capital to commercialize our products. In addition, our operating plans may change as a result of many factors that may currently be unknown to us, and we may need to seek additional funds sooner than planned. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including but not limited to production and manufacturing costs (which are dependent on the costs of mechanical and electronic components of our products), research and development activities, sales activities including compensation for salespersons, development of additional software and hardware products for our current smart solution offerings, and marketing costs related to expansion into the government and commercial drone and robotics markets in the United States and Europe.
Corporate Activity and Growth2 | 2.9%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
We may be subject to the risks associated with future acquisitions or strategic partnerships, which may increase our capital requirements, dilute our shareholders, cause us to incur debt or assume contingent liabilities, and subject us to other risks.
As part of our overall business strategy, we may in the future pursue select strategic acquisitions or strategic partnership that would provide additional product or service offerings, additional industry expertise, and a stronger industry presence in both existing and new jurisdictions. As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 20-F we have no such agreement or understanding. Any such future acquisitions or strategic partnership, if completed, may expose us to additional potential risks, including risks associated with: - increased operating expenses and cash requirements;- the assumption of additional indebtedness or contingent liabilities;- the issuance of our equity securities;- assimilation of operations, intellectual property and products of an acquired company, including difficulties associated with integrating new personnel;- the diversion of our management's attention from our existing product programs and initiatives in pursuing such a strategic merger or acquisition;- retention of key employees, the loss of key personnel and uncertainties in our ability to maintain key business relationships;- risks and uncertainties associated with the other party to such a transaction, including the prospects of that party and their existing products; and - our inability to generate revenue from acquired technology and/or products sufficient to meet our objectives in undertaking the acquisition or even to offset the associated acquisition and maintenance costs.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2
We operate in evolving markets, which makes it difficult to evaluate our business and future prospects.
Our cybersecurity, smart solutions and services are sold in rapidly evolving markets. The commercial drones and robotics market is in early stages of customer adoption. Accordingly, our business and future prospects may be difficult to evaluate. We cannot accurately predict the extent to which demand for our products and services will increase, if at all. The challenges, risks and uncertainties frequently encountered by companies in rapidly evolving markets could impact our ability to do the following: - generate sufficient revenue to reach and maintain profitability;- acquire and maintain market share;- achieve or manage growth in operations;- develop and renew contracts;- attract and retain research and engineering personal and other highly-qualified personnel;- successfully develop and commercially market new products and services;- adapt to new or changing policies and spending priorities of governments and commercial enterprises; and - access additional capital when required and on reasonable terms. If we fail to address these and other challenges, risks and uncertainties successfully, our business, results of operations and financial condition would be materially harmed.
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 11/68 (16%)Below Sector Average
Regulation5 | 7.4%
Regulation - Risk 1
Our Constitution and Australian laws and regulations applicable to us may adversely affect our ability to take actions that could be beneficial to our shareholders.
As an Australian company, we are subject to different corporate requirements than a corporation organized under the laws of the states of the United States. Our Constitution, as well as the Australian Corporations Act, set forth various rights and obligations that are unique to us as an Australian company. These requirements may operate differently than those of many U.S. companies. You should carefully review the summary of these matters set forth in our Constitution, which is included as an exhibit to this Annual Report on Form 20-F, prior to investing in our ADSs.
Regulation - Risk 2
We are subject to certain Israeli, U.S. and foreign anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, export control, sanctions and other trade laws and regulations. We can face serious consequences for violations.
Among other matters, Israeli, U.S. and foreign anticorruption, anti-money laundering, export control, sanctions and other trade laws and regulations, which are collectively referred to as Trade Laws, prohibit companies and their employees, agents, legal counsel, accountants, consultants, contractors and other partners from authorizing, promising, offering, providing, soliciting or receiving, directly or indirectly, corrupt or improper payments or anything else of value to or from recipients in the public or private sector. Violations of Trade Laws can result in substantial criminal fines and civil penalties, imprisonment, the loss of trade privileges, debarment, tax reassessments, breach of contract and fraud litigation, reputational harm, and other consequences. We have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies or government-affiliated entities. We can be held liable for the corrupt or other illegal activities of our personnel, agents or partners, even if we do not explicitly authorize or have prior knowledge of such activities.
Regulation - Risk 3
We may be subject to the risks associated with the Israeli Law for the Encouragement of Industrial Research and Development 5744-1984 (R&D Law).
While our products currently are not required to comply with any regulatory obligations in Israel, the R&D Law, as amended, and related regulations, may restrict our ability to move the production of products developed using grants received from the IIA. We received Israeli government grants from the IIA for certain of our research and development activities, the terms of which may require us to pay royalties and to satisfy specified conditions in order to manufacture products and transfer technologies outside of Israel. If we fail to satisfy these conditions, we may be required to pay penalties and refund grants previously received. As of December 31, 2023, we have received grants of $2.27 million.
Regulation - Risk 4
Failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals from the United States Federal Communication Commission, or FCC, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, or ETSI, Japan's Telecom Engineering Center, or Telec, or other governmental agencies or the inability to obtain CE certification from the European Commission or certifications from various environmental organizations, electronics laboratories, software inspections organization, or aviation or vehicles and robotics authorities may prevent us from selling our hardware products.
The FCC, ETSI, Telec and other regulatory organization worldwide are responsible for establishing, managing, and developing safety and operation standards and regulations for electronics equipment usage in commercial and government market segments. Failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals from the FCC, ETSI and other regulatory organization worldwide may prevent us from marketing, demonstrating and selling our products in North America, Europe and other global markets which could have an adverse impact on our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition. Aviation, vehicular, government and militaries organizations and enterprises set certification standards and requirements for the use of products within their systems or organizations. Some of these requirements are based on internal testing and certification processes and other may requires formal verification and testing laboratories to ensure that products meet those requirements. Failure to pass such testing procedures or obtain necessary laboratories certificates or approval may prevent our products from being chosen, integrated, and sold to or used by government and enterprises customers, which could have an adverse impact on our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.
Regulation - Risk 5
Changed
We may be prohibited from shipping our products to certain countries if we are unable to obtain Israeli or U.S. government authorization regarding the export of our products, or if current or future export laws limit or otherwise restrict our business.
We may be prohibited from shipping our products to certain countries if we are unable to obtain certain governmental authorizations required to comply with Israeli laws regulating the export of our products from Israel and U.S. federal regulation regulating the export of our products from the United States or Israel. The export regulations and the governing policies applicable to our business are subject to change. In some cases, explicit authorization from the U.S. or Israeli government may be needed to export our products. We have received International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR, and Civilian Jurisdictions, or CJ, certifications to allow exports from the United States, and, when exporting to certain countries from Israel, the Defense Export Controls Association, or DECA, regulations may apply, even though to date the DECA has determined that these regulations do not apply to our currently sold products. We cannot provide assurance that such export authorizations will be available in the future for our existing and newly developed products. Compliance with these laws has not significantly limited our operations or sales in the recent past, but could significantly limit them in the future. If and when our operations expand into other markets, we may have to comply with other governments' regulations regarding the export of our products. Non-compliance with applicable export regulations could potentially expose us to fines, penalties and sanctions. If we cannot obtain required government approvals under applicable regulations, we may not be able to sell our products in certain international jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities2 | 2.9%
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1
You will have limited ability to bring an action against us or against our directors and officers, or to enforce a judgment against us or them, because we are incorporated in Australia and certain of our directors and officers reside outside the United States.
We are incorporated in Australia, the majority of our directors and officers reside outside the United States and substantially all of the assets of those persons are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be impracticable or at least more expensive for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in Australia in the event that you believe that your rights have been infringed under the applicable securities laws or otherwise. In addition, as a company incorporated in Australia, the provisions of the Corporations Act regulate the circumstances in which shareholder derivative actions may be commenced, which may be different to the circumstances for companies incorporated in the United States. Further, it may not be possible or practicable for you to effect service of process within the United States upon our officers or directors or to enforce against them or against us judgments obtained in U.S. courts predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States. Even if you are successful in bringing such an action, there is doubt as to whether Australian courts would enforce certain civil liabilities under U.S. securities laws in original actions or judgments of U.S. courts based upon these civil liability provisions. In addition, awards of punitive damages in actions brought in the United States or elsewhere may be unenforceable in Australia or elsewhere outside the United States. An award for monetary damages under U.S. securities laws would be considered punitive if it does not seek to compensate the claimant for loss or damage suffered and is intended to punish the defendant. The enforceability of any judgment in Australia will depend on the particular facts of the case as well as the laws and treaties in effect at the time. The United States and Australia do not currently have a treaty or statute providing for recognition and enforcement of the judgments of the other country (other than arbitration awards) in civil and commercial matters. As a result, ADS holders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests through actions against us, our management or our directors than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a jurisdiction in the United States.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 2
From time to time, we may become involved in legal proceedings, which could adversely affect us.
We may, from time to time in the future, become subject to legal proceedings, claims, litigation and government investigations or inquiries, which could be expensive, lengthy, and disruptive to normal business operations. In addition, the outcome of any legal proceedings, claims, litigation, investigations or inquiries may be difficult to predict and could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, or financial condition.
Taxation & Government Incentives3 | 4.4%
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1
We received Israeli government grants, from the IIA for certain of our research and development activities, the terms of which may require us to pay royalties and to satisfy specified conditions in order to manufacture products and transfer technologies outside of Israel. If we fail to satisfy these conditions, we may be required to pay penalties and refund some grants previously received.
Our research and development efforts were financed in part through royalty-bearing grants from the IIA. With respect to such grants, we are committed to pay royalties at a rate of 3% to 3.5% on sales proceeds from our products that were developed under IIA programs up to the total amount of grants received, linked to the U.S. dollar and bearing interest at an annual rate of LIBOR applicable to U.S. dollar deposits. Regardless of any royalty payment, we are further required to comply with the requirements of the Israeli Encouragement of Industrial Research, Development and Technological Innovation Law, 1984, as amended, and related regulations, or the Research Law, with respect to those past grants. When a company develops know-how, technology or products using IIA grants, the terms of these grants and the Research Law restrict the transfer of such know-how, and the transfer of manufacturing or manufacturing rights of such products, technologies or know-how outside of Israel, without the prior approval of the IIA. We may not receive those approvals. Furthermore, the IIA may impose certain conditions on any arrangement under which it permits us to transfer technology or development. This may restrict our ability to move the production of our products outside of Israel, or to sell intellectual property and other know-how.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 2
We may be or may become classified as a passive foreign investment company. If we are or become classified as a passive foreign investment company, U.S. holders of our ordinary shares or ADSs may suffer adverse tax consequences as a result.
Generally, for any taxable year, if at least 75% of our gross income is passive income, or at least 50% of the value of our assets is attributable to assets that produce passive income or are held for the production of passive income, including cash, we would be characterized as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. For purposes of these tests, passive income includes dividends, interest gains from commodities and securities transactions, the excess of gains over losses from the disposition of assets which produce passive income (including amounts derived by reason of the temporary investment of funds raised in offerings of our shares) and rents and royalties other than rents and royalties which are received from unrelated parties in connection with the active conduct of a trade or business. If we are characterized as a PFIC, U.S. holders of our ordinary shares or ADSs may suffer adverse tax consequences, including having gains realized on the sale of our ordinary shares or ADSs treated as ordinary income, rather than capital gain, the loss of the preferential rate applicable to dividends received on our ordinary shares or ADSs by individuals who are U.S. holders, and having interest charges apply to distributions by us and gains from the sales of our shares. Our status as a PFIC will depend on the nature and composition of our income and the nature, composition and value of our assets (which, assuming we are not a "controlled foreign corporation," or a CFC, under Section 957(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, for the year being tested, may be determined based on the fair market value of each asset, with the value of goodwill and going concern value determined in large part by reference to the market value of our ordinary shares, which may be volatile). Based primarily on the composition of our assets, it is possible that we were a PFIC for our tax year ending December 31, 2023, and for subsequent tax years. Further, because the determination of whether we are a PFIC for any taxable year is a factual determination made annually after the end of each taxable year, there can be no assurance that we will not be considered a PFIC in any taxable year. The tax consequences that would apply if we are classified as a PFIC would also be different from those described above if a U.S. holder of our ordinary shares or ADSs was able to make a valid qualified electing fund, or QEF election. If the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, determines that we are a PFIC for a year with respect to which we have determined that we were not a PFIC, it may be too late for a U.S. taxpayer to make a timely QEF or mark-to-market election. U.S. taxpayers that have held our ADSs or our ordinary shares during a period when we were a PFIC will generally be subject to the foregoing rules unless we cease to be a PFIC and you make a "deemed sale" election with respect our ordinary shares. If we are a PFIC in any year, U.S. taxpayers may be subject to additional IRS filing requirements, including the filing of IRS Form 8621, as a result of directly or indirectly owning stock of a PFIC. We do not intend to notify U.S. taxpayers that hold our ADSs or our ordinary shares if we believe we will be treated as a PFIC for any taxable year in order to enable U.S. taxpayers to consider whether to make a QEF election. In addition, we do not intend to furnish such U.S. taxpayers annually with information needed in order to complete IRS Form 8621 and to make and maintain a valid QEF election for any year in which we are a PFIC. U.S. taxpayers that hold our ADSs or our ordinary shares are strongly urged to consult their tax advisors about the PFIC rules, including tax return filing requirements and the eligibility, manner, and consequences to them of making a QEF or mark-to-market election with respect to our ADSs or our ordinary shares in the event that we are a PFIC. If we are unable to provide this information, the QEF election will not be available to you. Prospective investors should assume that a QEF election will not be available. See also "Item 10.E.-Taxation-Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations-Passive Foreign Investment Companies."
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 3
There are tax risks we may be subject to in carrying on business in the United States, Israel and Australia.
We are incorporated in Australia, with a fully owned subsidiaries in Israel and the United States. Since we are operating in a new and developing industry there is a risk that foreign governments may look to increase their tax revenues or levy additional taxes to level the playing field for perceived disadvantages to traditional brick and mortar businesses. There is no guarantee that governments will not impose such additional adverse taxes in the future.
Environmental / Social1 | 1.5%
Environmental / Social - Risk 1
Increased attention to environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, matters and conservation measures may adversely impact our business or that of our manufacturers.
Public companies are facing increasing scrutiny related to ESG practices and disclosures from certain investors, capital providers, shareholder advocacy groups, other market participants and other stakeholder groups. With this increased focus, public reporting regarding ESG practices is becoming more broadly expected. Such increased scrutiny may result in increased costs, enhanced compliance or disclosure obligations, or other adverse impacts on our business, financial condition or results of operations. If our ESG practices and reporting do not meet investor or other stakeholder expectations, which continue to evolve, we may be subject to investor or regulator engagement regarding such matters. In addition, new sustainability rules and regulations have been adopted and may continue to be introduced in various states and other jurisdictions. For example, the SEC has adopted rules that require companies to provide expanded climate-related disclosures in their periodic reporting, which may require us to incur significant additional costs to comply and impose increased oversight obligations on our management and board of directors. Our failure to comply with any applicable rules or regulations could lead to penalties and adversely impact our reputation, access to capital and employee retention. Such ESG matters may also impact our third-party contract manufacturers and other third parties on which we rely, which may augment or cause additional impacts on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Production
Total Risks: 9/68 (13%)Below Sector Average
Manufacturing4 | 5.9%
Manufacturing - Risk 1
Our products and services are complex and could have unknown defects or errors, which may give rise to legal claims against us, diminish our brand or divert our resources from other purposes.
Our products are comprised of and rely on complex and sensitive electronic hardware, algorithms, software, user-friendly interfaces and tightly integrated, electromechanical designs. Despite testing, our products have contained defects and errors and may in the future contain defects, errors or performance problems when first introduced, when new versions or enhancements are released, or even after these products have been used by our customers for a period of time. These problems could result in expensive and time-consuming design modifications or warranty charges, delays in the introduction of new products or enhancements, significant increases in our service and maintenance costs, exposure to liability for damages, damaged customer relationships and harm to our reputation, any of which could materially harm our results of operations and ability to achieve market acceptance. In addition, increased development and warranty costs could be substantial and could significantly reduce tour operating margins. The existence of any defects, errors, or failures in our products or the misuse of our products could also lead to product liability claims or lawsuits against it. A defect, error or failure in one of our products could result in failure or damage to the products it is embedded in, or property damage, injury, death and/or significant damage our reputation and support for our services in general. We anticipate this risk will grow as more and more products using our products are deployed We cannot provide any assurance that we have or will have insurance adequate to protect us from material judgments and expenses related to potential future claims or that such insurance will be available in the future at economical prices or at all. Even if we are fully insured as it relates to a particular claim, the claim could nevertheless diminish our brand and divert management's attention and resources, which could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Manufacturing - Risk 2
If we release defective products or services, our operating results could suffer.
Products designed and released by us involve extremely complex software programs, hardware testing and verification, assembly processes, and quality and functionality inspection and are difficult to develop and manufacture. While we have quality controls in place to detect and prevent defects in our products and services before they are released, these quality controls are subject to human error, overriding, and reasonable resource constraints. Therefore, these quality controls and preventative measures may not be effective in detecting and preventing defects in our products before they have been released into the marketplace. In such an event, we could be required, or decide voluntarily, to suspend the availability of the product or services, which could significantly harm our business and operating results.
Manufacturing - Risk 3
Our products may be subject to the recall or return.
Manufacturers and distributors of products are sometimes subject to the recall or return of their products for a variety of reasons, including product defects, safety concerns, packaging issues and inadequate or inaccurate labeling disclosure. If any of our products were to be recalled due to an alleged product defect, safety concern or for any other reason, we could be required to incur unexpected expenses of the recall and any legal proceedings that might arise in connection with the recall. We may lose a significant amount of sales and may not be able to replace those sales at an acceptable margin or at all. In addition, a product recall may require significant management time and attention. Additionally, product recalls may lead to increased scrutiny of our products by our customers and regulators, requiring further management time and attention and potential legal fees, costs and other expenses.
Manufacturing - Risk 4
We will be affected by operational risks and may not be adequately insured for certain risks.
We will be affected by a number of operational risks and we may not be adequately insured for certain risks, including: product liability litigation, as we do not have product liability insurance; labor disputes; further workforce reductions; catastrophic accidents; fires; blockades or other acts of social activism; changes in the regulatory environment; impact of non-compliance with laws and regulations; cyber-attacks and ransom requests; natural phenomena, such as inclement weather conditions, floods, earthquakes and ground movements. There is no assurance that the foregoing risks and hazards will not result in damage to, or destruction of, our technologies, personal injury or death, environmental damage, adverse impacts on our operation, costs, monetary losses, potential legal liability and adverse governmental action, any of which could have an adverse impact on our future cash flows, earnings and financial condition. Also, we may be subject to or affected by liability or sustain loss for certain risks and hazards against which we cannot insure or which we may elect not to insure because of the cost. This lack of insurance coverage could have an adverse impact on our future cash flows, earnings, results of operations and financial condition.
Employment / Personnel3 | 4.4%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
A significant growth in the number of personnel would place a strain upon our management and resources.
We may experience a period of significant growth in the number of personnel that could place a strain upon our management systems and resources. Our future will depend in part on the ability of our officers and other key employees to implement and improve financial and management controls, reporting systems and procedures on a timely basis and to expand, train, motivate and manage our workforce. Our current and planned personnel, systems, procedures and controls may be inadequate to support our future operations.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 2
Changed
Our inability to assure retention of management and key employees could impair our future success.
Our future success depends substantially on the continued services of our executive officers and our key development, business and operation personnel. If one or more of our executive officers or key development personnel were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we might not be able to replace them easily or at all. In addition, if any of our executive officers or key employees joins a competitor or forms a competing company, we may lose experience, know-how, key professionals and staff members as well as business partners. These executive officers and key employees could develop drone and robotics cybersecurity and smart solutions technology components and services that could compete with and take customers and market share away from us.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 3
Added
Our operations may be disrupted by the obligations of personnel to perform military service.
As of March 22, 2024, we had 32 employees, 27 of whom were based in Israel. Some of our employees may be called upon to perform up to 36 days (and in some cases more) of annual military reserve duty until they reach the age of 40 (and in some cases, up to 45 or older) and, in emergency circumstances, could be called to immediate and unlimited active duty. In the event of severe unrest or other conflict, individuals could be required to serve in the military for extended periods of time. Since September 2000, in response to increased tension and hostilities, there have been occasional call-ups of military reservists, including in connection with the 2006 conflict in Lebanon, and the December 2008, November 2012 and, July 2014 conflicts with Hamas, and it is possible that there will be additional call-ups in the future. Our operations could be disrupted by the absence of a significant number of our employees related to military service or the absence for extended periods of one or more of our key employees for military service. Such disruption could materially adversely affect our business and results of operations. Additionally, the absence of a significant number of the employees of our Israeli suppliers and contractors related to military service or the absence for extended periods of one or more of their key employees for military service may disrupt their operations.
Supply Chain2 | 2.9%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
If critical components or raw materials used to manufacture our products become scarce or unavailable, then we may incur delays in manufacturing and delivery of our products, which could damage our business.
We obtain materials, mechanical parts, hardware and electronics components, various subsystems and manufacturing and assembly services from a limited group of suppliers and sub-contractors. We do not have long-term agreements with any of these suppliers or sub-contractors that obligate them to continue to sell materials, components, subsystems, or provide manufacturing services to us. Our reliance on these suppliers or sub-contractors involves significant risks and uncertainties, including whether our suppliers or sub-contractors will provide an adequate supply of required components, subsystems, or services of sufficient quality, will increase prices for the components, subsystems or services and will perform their obligations on a timely basis. In addition, certain raw materials and components used in the manufacture of our products are periodically subject to supply shortages, and our business is subject to the risk of price increases and periodic delays in delivery. For example, between 2020 and 2022, the electronics components shortage crisis, a unique result of the COVID-19 pandemic, negatively affected our market segment by increased delivery lead time and increased purchase prices of components used under certain of our products, which resulted in delay in delivery time of our products to our customers, and had negative effect on our revenues and profitability. Please see Risk Factors – Risks Related to our Business and Industry – the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic had some negative effect on our business, operations and financial performance, and similar global health crises could have a negative effect on our business, operations and future financial performance. Similarly, the market for electronic components is subject to cyclical reductions in supply, outside of COVID-19. If we are unable to obtain components from third-party suppliers in the quantities and of the quality that we require, on a timely basis and at acceptable prices, then we may not be able to deliver our products on a timely or cost-effective basis to our customers, which could cause customers to terminate their contracts with us, increase our costs and seriously harm our business, results of operations and financial condition. Moreover, if any of our suppliers or sub-contractors become financially unstable, then we may have to find new suppliers or sub-contractors. It may take several months to locate alternative suppliers or sub-contractors, if required, or to redesign our products to accommodate components from different suppliers. We may experience significant delays in manufacturing and shipping our products to customers and incur additional development, manufacturing and other costs to establish alternative sources of supply if we lose any of these sources or are required to redesign our products. We cannot predict if we will be able to obtain replacement components within the time frames that we require at an affordable cost, if at all.
Supply Chain - Risk 2
We are a supplier for government programs, which subjects us to risks including early termination, audits, investigations, sanctions, penalties and delayed sales.
We have entered into contracts with governments and government contractors, either directly or indirectly. As a result, we are and may in the future be subject to statutes and regulations applicable to companies doing business with the relevant government. Government contracts may contain provisions that give the government substantial rights and remedies, many of which are not typically found in commercial contracts with private sector counterparts and which are unfavorable to the contractors. For example, many government agencies include provisions that allow the government to unilaterally terminate or modify contracts for convenience, and in that event, the counterparty to the contract may generally recover only its incurred or committed costs and settlement expenses and profit on work completed prior to the termination. In addition, government contracts typically contain additional requirements that may increase our costs of doing business, reduce our profits, and expose us to liability for failure to comply with these terms and conditions. These requirements may include, for example: - specialized disclosure and accounting requirements unique to government contracts;- financial and compliance audits that may result in potential liability for price adjustments, recoupment of government funds after such funds have been spent, civil and criminal penalties, or administrative sanctions such as suspension or debarment from doing business with government;- public disclosures of certain contract and company information; and - mandatory socioeconomic compliance requirements, including labor requirements, non-discrimination and affirmative action programs and environmental compliance requirements. If we fail to comply with government contracting laws, regulations and contract requirements, our government contracts may be subject to termination, and we may become subject to financial and/or other liability under our contracts or criminal law. Any penalties, damages, fines, suspension, or damages could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our financial results. We are also vulnerable to delayed sales to the Israeli government and related contractors as a result of the Israeli government's repeated failures to timely approve its annual budgets.
Macro & Political
Total Risks: 9/68 (13%)Above Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment4 | 5.9%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
Political, economic and military instability in Israel may impede our ability to operate and harm our financial results.
Although we are an Australian company, our fully owned subsidiary and main operational, including our principal research and development facilities and sole manufacturing facility, and certain of our key employees, officers and directors are located in Israel. Accordingly, political, economic and military conditions in the Middle East may affect our business directly. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, a number of armed conflicts have occurred between Israel and its neighboring countries and terrorist organizations active in the region, including Hamas (an Islamist militia and political group in the Gaza Strip) and Hezbollah (an Islamist militia and political group in Lebanon). In particular, in October 2023, Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel's southern border from the Gaza Strip and conducted a series of attacks on civilian and military targets. Hamas also launched extensive rocket attacks on the Israeli population and industrial centers located along Israel's border with the Gaza Strip and in other areas within the State of Israel. These attacks resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries, and Hamas additionally kidnapped many Israeli civilians and soldiers. Following the attack, Israel's security cabinet declared war against Hamas and commenced a military campaign against Hamas and these terrorist organizations in parallel continued rocket and terror attacks. As a result of the events of October 7, 2023, the Israeli government declared that the country was at war and the Israeli military began to call-up reservists for active duty. To date, none of our member of management nor employees is in active military reserve duty. Military service call ups that result in absences of personnel from us for an extended period of time may materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, since the commencement of these events, there have been continued hostilities along Israel's northern border with Lebanon (with the Hezbollah terror organization) and southern border (with the Houthi movement in Yemen). It is possible that hostilities with Hezbollah in Lebanon will escalate, and that other terrorist organizations, including Palestinian military organizations in the West Bank as well as other hostile countries, such as Iran, will join the hostilities. Such clashes may escalate in the future into a greater regional conflict. In addition, Iran has threatened to attack Israel and is widely believed to be developing nuclear weapons. Iran is also believed to have a strong influence among extremist groups in the region, such as Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi movement in Yemen and various rebel militia groups in Syria and Iraq. These situations may potentially escalate in the future to more violent events which may affect Israel and us. Any hostilities, armed conflicts, terrorist activities involving Israel or the interruption or curtailment of trade between Israel and its trading partners, or any political instability in the region could adversely affect business conditions and our results of operations and could make it more difficult for us to raise capital and could adversely affect the market price of our ordinary share. An escalation of tensions or violence might result in a significant downturn in the economic or financial condition of Israel, which could have a material adverse effect on our operations in Israel and our business. Parties with whom we do business have sometimes declined to travel to Israel during periods of heightened unrest or tension, forcing us to make alternative arrangements when necessary in order to meet our business partners face to face. In addition, the political and security situation in Israel may result in parties with whom we have agreements involving performance in Israel claiming that they are not obligated to perform their commitments under those agreements pursuant to force majeure provisions in such agreements. Since the war broke out on October 7, 2023, our operations have not been adversely affected by this situation, and we have not experienced disruptions to our business operations. As such, our product research and development and business development activities remain on track. However, the intensity and duration of Israel's current war against Hamas is difficult to predict at this stage, as are such war's economic implications on our business and operations and on Israel's economy in general. If the war extends for a long period of time or expands to other fronts, such as Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank, our operations may be adversely affected. Additionally, political uprisings, social unrest and violence in various countries in the Middle East, including Israel's neighbor Syria, have affected the political stability of those countries. This instability may lead to deterioration of the political relationships that exist between Israel and certain countries and have raised concerns regarding security in the region and the potential for armed conflict. In addition, Iran has threatened to attack Israel. Iran is also believed to have a strong influence among the Syrian government, Hamas and Hezbollah. These situations may potentially escalate in the future into more violent events which may affect Israel and us. These situations, including conflicts which involved missile strikes against civilian targets in various parts of Israel have in the past negatively affected business conditions in Israel. Our insurance does not cover losses that may occur as a result of events associated with war and terrorism. Although the Israeli government currently covers the reinstatement value of direct damages that are caused by terrorist attacks or acts of war, we cannot assure you that this government coverage will be maintained or that it will sufficiently cover our potential damages. Any losses or damages incurred by us could have a material adverse effect on our business. Any armed conflicts or political instability in the region would likely negatively affect business conditions and could harm our results of operations. Finally, political conditions within Israel may affect our operations. Israel has held five general elections between 2019 and 2022, and prior to October 2023, the Israeli government pursued extensive changes to Israel's judicial system, which sparked extensive political debate and unrest. To date, these initiatives have been substantially put on hold. Actual or perceived political instability in Israel or any negative changes in the political environment, may individually or in the aggregate adversely affect the Israeli economy and, in turn, our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 2
Added
Our business, operating results and growth rates may be adversely affected by current or future unfavorable economic and market conditions and adverse developments with respect to financial institutions and associated liquidity risk.
Our business depends on the economic health of the global economies. If the conditions in the global economies remain uncertain or continue to be volatile, or if they deteriorate, including as a result of the impact of military conflict, such as the war between Russia and Ukraine, terrorism or other geopolitical events, our business, operating results and financial condition may be materially adversely affected. Economic weakness, inflation and increases in interest rates, limited availability of credit, liquidity shortages and constrained capital spending have at times in the past resulted, and may in the future result, in challenging and delayed sales cycles, slower adoption of new technologies and increased price competition, and could negatively affect our ability to forecast future periods, which could result in an inability to satisfy demand for our products and a loss of market share. In addition, increases in inflation raise our costs for commodities, labor, materials and services and other costs required to grow and operate our business, and failure to secure these on reasonable terms may adversely impact our financial condition. Additionally, increases in inflation, along with the uncertainties surrounding any resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical developments and global supply chain disruptions, have caused, and may in the future cause, global economic uncertainty and uncertainty about the interest rate environment, which may make it more difficult, costly or dilutive for us to secure additional financing. A failure to adequately respond to these risks could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. There can be no assurance that future credit and financial market instability and a deterioration in confidence in economic conditions will not occur. Our general business strategy may be adversely affected by any such economic downturn, liquidity shortages, volatile business environment or continued unpredictable and unstable market conditions. If the current equity and credit markets deteriorate, or if adverse developments are experienced by financial institutions, it may cause short-term liquidity risk and also make any necessary debt or equity financing more difficult, more costly, more onerous with respect to financial and operating covenants and more dilutive. Failure to secure any necessary financing in a timely manner and on favorable terms could have a material adverse effect on our growth strategy, financial performance and stock price and could require us to alter our operating plans. In addition, there is a risk that one or more of our service providers, financial institutions, manufacturers, suppliers and other partners may be adversely affected by the foregoing risks, which could directly affect our ability to attain our operating goals on schedule and on budget.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 3
Changed
We are currently operating in a period of economic uncertainty and capital markets disruption, which has been significantly impacted by geopolitical instability due to the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East. Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected by any negative impact on the global economy and capital markets resulting from these conflicts or any other geopolitical tensions.
U.S. and global markets are experiencing volatility and disruption following the escalation of geopolitical tensions and the start of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. On February 24, 2022, a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops was reported. Although the length and impact of the ongoing military conflict is highly unpredictable, the conflict in Ukraine could lead to market disruptions, including significant volatility in credit and capital markets. Additionally, Russia's prior annexation of Crimea, recent recognition of two separatist republics in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine and subsequent military interventions in Ukraine have led to sanctions and other penalties being levied by the United States, European Union and other countries against Russia, Belarus, the Crimea Region of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk People's Republic, and the so-called Luhansk People's Republic, including agreement to remove certain Russian financial institutions from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, or SWIFT, payment system. Additional potential sanctions and penalties have also been proposed and/or threatened. Russian military actions and the resulting sanctions could adversely affect the global economy and financial markets. In October 2023, Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel's southern border from the Gaza Strip and conducted a series of attacks on civilian and military targets. Hamas also launched extensive rocket attacks on the Israeli population and industrial centers located along Israel's border with the Gaza Strip and in other areas within the State of Israel. These attacks resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries, and Hamas additionally kidnapped many Israeli civilians and soldiers. Following the attack, Israel's security cabinet declared war against Hamas and commenced a military campaign against Hamas and other terrorist organizations in parallel to their continued rocket and terror attacks, which included call-up reservists for active military duty in the Israel Defense Forces. To date, none of our member of management nor employees is in active military reserve duty. Nevertheless, our product, research and development and business development activities remain on track. See also "Item 3,D - Risk Factors - Risks Related to Israeli Law and our Operations in Israel - Political, economic and military instability in Israel may impede our ability to operate and harm our financial results" for additional information. Any of the abovementioned factors could affect our business, prospects, financial condition, and operating results. The extent and duration of the military action, sanctions and resulting market disruptions are impossible to predict, but could be substantial. Any such disruptions may also magnify the impact of other risks described in this Annual Report on Form 20-F.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 4
We face uncertainty and adverse changes in the economy.
Adverse changes in the economy could negatively impact our business. Future economic distress may result in a decrease in demand for our products, which could have a material adverse impact on our operating results and financial condition. Uncertainty and adverse changes in the economy could also increase costs associated with developing and producing products, increase the cost and decrease the availability of sources of financing, and increase our exposure to material losses from bad debts, any of which could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and operating results.
International Operations1 | 1.5%
International Operations - Risk 1
We are subject to the risks associated with foreign operations in other countries.
Our primary revenues are expected to be achieved in Israel, US and Europe. However, we may expand to additional markets and become subject to risks normally associated with conducting business and manufacturing in other countries. As a result of such expansion, we may be subject to the legal, political, social and regulatory requirements and economic conditions of foreign jurisdictions. We cannot predict government positions on such matters as foreign investment, intellectual property rights or taxation. A change in government positions on these issues could adversely affect our business. If we expand our business and production to foreign markets, we will need to respond to rapid changes in market conditions, including differing legal, regulatory, economic, social and political conditions in these countries. If we are not able to develop and implement policies and strategies that are effective in each location in which we do business, then our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
Natural and Human Disruptions2 | 2.9%
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1
Added
Any resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Public health epidemics or outbreaks could adversely impact our business. In late 2019, a novel strain of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, was reported in Wuhan, China. Initially the outbreak was largely concentrated in China, but it rapidly spread to countries across the globe, including in Israel and the United States. Many countries around the world, including in Israel and the United States, implemented significant governmental measures to control the spread of the virus, including temporary closure of businesses, severe restrictions on travel and the movement of people, and other material limitations on the conduct of business. In response, for several months in 2020 and 2021, we implemented remote working and workplace protocols for our employees in accordance Israeli Ministry of Health requirements to ensure employee safety and all employees have been instructed on and encouraged to practice best social distancing behaviors. If there is a resurgence of COVID-19 its spread may materially affect us economically. While the potential economic impact brought by, and the duration of, any future resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic may be difficult to assess or predict, it has already caused, and could result in further, significant disruption of global financial markets, reducing our ability to access capital, which could in the future negatively affect our liquidity and financial position. In addition, the trading prices for other companies have been highly volatile as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, we may face difficulties raising capital through sales of our ordinary shares or other securities and such sales may be on unfavorable terms. To the extent that future waves of COVID-19 disrupt normal business operations, we may face operational challenges with our services, and we likely will have to adopt remote working and workplace protocols for employees in accordance with government requirements and other measures to minimize such impact. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our operations will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the duration and severity of the outbreak, and the actions that may be required to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact. In particular, the extent to which any resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic may impact our business and financial performance will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence.
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 2
Possible force majeure events could impact our operations and the market price of our ADSs.
Events may occur within or outside the United States, Australia and Israel that could impact the American and/or Australian and/or Israeli economy, our operations and the market price of our ADSs. These events include acts of terrorism, an outbreak of international hostilities, such as the hostilities in Eastern Europe and Ukraine, fires, floods, earthquakes, labor strikes, civil wars, natural disasters, outbreaks of disease or other natural or manmade events or occurrences that can have an adverse effect on the demand for our products and our ability to conduct business. While we seek to maintain insurance in accordance with industry practice to insure against the risks we consider appropriate after consideration of our needs and circumstances, no assurance can be given as to our ability to obtain such insurance coverage in the future at reasonable rates or that any coverage arranged will be adequate and available to cover any and all potential claims. The occurrence of an event that is not covered or fully covered by insurance could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Capital Markets2 | 2.9%
Capital Markets - Risk 1
The market price and trading volume of our ADSs may be volatile and may be affected by economic conditions beyond our control.
The market price of our ADSs may be highly volatile and subject to wide fluctuations. In addition, the trading volume of our ADSs may fluctuate and cause significant price variations to occur. If the market price of our ADSs declines significantly, you may be unable to resell your ADSs at or above the purchase price, if at all. We cannot assure you that the market price of our ADSs will not fluctuate or significantly decline in the future. Some specific factors that could negatively affect the price of our ADSs or result in fluctuations in their price and trading volume include: - actual or expected fluctuations in our operating results;- changes in market valuations of similar companies;- changes in our key personnel;- changes in financial estimates or recommendations by securities analysts;- trading prices of our ADSs on the Nasdaq Capital Market, or Nasdaq;- changes in trading volume of ADSs on Nasdaq;- sales of our ADSs or ordinary shares by us, our executive officers or our shareholders in the future; and - conditions in the financial markets or changes in general economic conditions.
Capital Markets - Risk 2
Exchange rate fluctuations between multiple foreign currencies may negatively affect our earnings, operating cash flow.
Our reporting and functional currency is the Australian Dollar. Our Israeli subsidiary's functional currency is the NIS. Our key expenses and revenues are currently primarily payable in NIS and US$. Certain amounts of our revenues and expenses are also in Euros. In addition, our recent equity raises were received in US$, and our research and development support program and grants are received in NIS. As a result, we are exposed to the currency fluctuation risks relating to the recording of our expenses and revenues in US$, and potential cash flow shortage. We may, in the future, decide to enter into currency hedging transactions. These measures, however, may not adequately protect us from material adverse effects.
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 8/68 (12%)Below Sector Average
Innovation / R&D1 | 1.5%
Innovation / R&D - Risk 1
We expect to incur substantial research and development costs and devote significant resources to identifying and commercializing new products and services, which could significantly reduce its profitability and may never result in revenue to us.
Our future growth depends on penetrating new markets, expansion in current markets, adapting existing products to new applications, and introducing new products and services that achieve market acceptance. We plan to incur substantial research and development costs as part of our efforts to design, develop and commercialize new products for cybersecurity and cloud-based software and enhance our existing products and technology. Because we account for research and development costs as operating expenses, these expenditures will adversely affect our earnings in the future. Further, our research and development programs may not produce successful results, and our new products and services may not achieve market acceptance, create any additional revenue or become profitable, which could materially harm our business, prospects, financial results and liquidity.
Trade Secrets6 | 8.8%
Trade Secrets - Risk 1
You may not be able to participate in rights offerings and may experience dilution of your holdings as a result.
We may from time to time distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire our securities. However, we may not, and under the deposit agreement, the depositary will not, offer those rights to ADS holders unless both the rights and the underlying securities to be distributed to ADS holders are registered under the Securities Act, or the distribution of them to ADS holders is exempted from registration under the Securities Act with respect to all holders of ADSs. We are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to any such rights or underlying securities or to endeavor to cause such a registration statement to be declared effective. In addition, we may not be able to rely on an exemption from registration under the Securities Act to distribute such rights and securities. Accordingly, holders of ADSs may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution in their holdings as a result.
Trade Secrets - Risk 2
We may not be able to protect our intellectual property rights throughout the world.
Filing, prosecuting, and defending patents on all of our products throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive. Therefore, we have filed applications and/or obtained patents only in the United States. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own products and their products may compete with our products.
Trade Secrets - Risk 3
We may be sued by third parties for alleged infringement of their proprietary rights, which could be costly, time-consuming and limit our ability to use certain technologies in the future.
We may become subject to claims that our technologies infringe upon the intellectual property or other proprietary rights of third parties. Any claims, with or without merit, could be time-consuming and expensive, and could divert our management's attention away from the execution of our business plan. Moreover, any settlement or adverse judgment resulting from these claims could require us to pay substantial amounts or obtain a license to continue to use the disputed technology, or otherwise restrict or prohibit our use of the technology. We cannot assure that we would be able to obtain a license from the third party asserting the claim on commercially reasonable terms, if at all, that we would be able to develop alternative technology on a timely basis, if at all, or that we would be able to obtain a license to use a suitable alternative technology to permit us to continue offering, and our customers to continue using, our affected product. An adverse determination also could prevent us from offering our products to others. Infringement claims asserted against us may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
Trade Secrets - Risk 4
Obtaining and maintaining our patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment, and other requirements imposed by governmental patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, and various foreign national or international patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment, and other similar provisions during the patent application process. Periodic maintenance fees on any issued patent are due to be paid to the USPTO and various foreign national or international patent agencies in several stages over the lifetime of the patent. While an inadvertent lapse can in many cases be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules, there are situations in which non-compliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. Non-compliance events that could result in abandonment or lapse of patent rights include, but are not limited to, failure to timely file national and regional stage patent applications based on our international patent application, failure to respond to official actions within prescribed time limits, non-payment of fees, and failure to properly legalize and submit formal documents. If we fail to maintain the patents and patent applications covering our products, our competitors might be able to enter the market, which would have a material adverse effect on our business. While a patent may be granted by a national patent office, there is no guarantee that the granted patent is valid. Options exist to challenge the validity of a patent which, depending upon the jurisdiction, may include re-examination, opposition proceedings before the patent office, and/or invalidation proceedings before the relevant court. Patent validity may also be the subject of a counterclaim to an allegation of patent infringement. Pending patent applications may be challenged by third parties in protest or similar proceedings. Third parties can typically submit prior art material to patentability for review by the patent examiner. Regarding Patent Cooperation Treaty applications, a positive opinion regarding patentability issued by the International. Searching Authority does not guarantee allowance of a national application derived from the Patent Cooperation Treaty application. The coverage claimed in a patent application can be significantly reduced before the patent is issued, and the patent's scope can be modified after issuance. It is also possible that the scope of claims granted may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The grant of a patent does not have any bearing on whether the invention described in the patent application would infringe the rights of earlier filed patents. It is possible to both obtain patent protection for an invention and yet still infringe the rights of an earlier granted patent.
Trade Secrets - Risk 5
If we fail to protect, or incur significant costs in defending, our intellectual property and other know-how or proprietary rights, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially harmed.
Our success depends, in large part, on our ability to protect our intellectual property, know-how and other proprietary rights. We rely primarily on patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets other contractual provisions, to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights. However, a portion of our technology and know-how is not patented, and we may be unable or may not seek to obtain patent protection for this technology. Moreover, existing US legal standards relating to the validity, enforceability and scope of protection of intellectual property rights offer only limited protection, may not provide us with any competitive advantages, and may be challenged by third parties. The laws of countries other than US may be even less protective of intellectual property rights. Accordingly, despite our efforts, we may be unable to prevent third parties from infringing upon or misappropriating our intellectual property or otherwise gaining access to our technology. Unauthorized third parties may try to copy or reverse engineer our products or portions of our products or otherwise obtain and use our intellectual property. Moreover, many of our employees have access to our trade secrets and other intellectual property. If one or more of these employees leave to work for one of our competitors, then they may disseminate this proprietary information, which may as a result damage our competitive position. If we fail to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights, then our business, results of operations or financial condition could be materially harmed. From time to time, we may have to initiate lawsuits to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights. Pursuing these claims is time consuming and expensive and could adversely impact our results of operations. In addition, affirmatively defending our intellectual property rights and investigating whether we are pursuing a product or service development that may violate the rights of others may entail significant expense. Any of our intellectual property rights may be challenged by others or invalidated through administrative processes or litigation. If we resort to legal proceedings to enforce our intellectual property rights or to determine the validity and scope of the intellectual property or other proprietary rights of others, then the proceedings could result in significant expense to us and divert the attention and efforts of our management and technical employees, even if we prevail.
Trade Secrets - Risk 6
We may become subject to claims for remuneration or royalties for assigned service invention rights by our employees, which could result in litigation and adversely affect our business.
A significant portion of our intellectual property and know-how has been developed by our employees in the course of their employment for us. Under the Israeli Patent Law, 1967, or the Patent Law, inventions conceived by an employee in the course and as a result of or arising from his or her employment with a company are regarded as "service inventions," which belong to the employer, absent a specific agreement between the employee and employer giving the employee service invention rights. The Patent Law also provides that if there is no such agreement between an employer and an employee, the Israeli Compensation and Royalties Committee, or the Committee, a body constituted under the Patent Law, will determine whether the employee is entitled to remuneration for his inventions. Recent case law clarifies that the right to receive consideration for "service inventions" can be waived by the employee and that in certain circumstances, such waiver does not necessarily have to be explicit. The Committee will examine, on a case-by-case basis, the general contractual framework between the parties, using interpretation rules of the general Israeli contract laws. Further, the Committee has not yet determined one specific formula for calculating this remuneration (but rather uses the criteria specified in the Patent Law). Although we have entered into assignment-of-invention agreements with our current and former employees pursuant to which such individuals assign to us all rights to any inventions created in the scope of their employment or engagement with us, we may still face claims demanding remuneration in consideration for assigned inventions. If such claims are found to have merit despite our assignment of invention agreements, we could be required to pay additional remuneration or royalties to our current and/or former employees, or be forced to litigate such claims, which could negatively affect our business.
Cyber Security1 | 1.5%
Cyber Security - Risk 1
We may be subject to cybersecurity attacks or electronic communication security risks.
A significant potential vulnerability of electronic communications is the security of transmission of confidential information over public networks, including information pertaining to the identity of our customers, customer orders, customer fleet operations and information managed under our CONTROLiT cloud management software, customer data and information managed and secured by our ICE Cybersecurity solution, as well as current and future hardware and software solutions. Anyone who is able to circumvent our security measures could misappropriate proprietary information or cause interruptions in our operations. We may be required to expend capital and other resources to protect against such security breaches or to alleviate problems caused by such breaches, as well as the exposure of our sites, networks, computers and digital data assets to different cybersecurity attacks. In addition, a significant invasion, interruption, destruction or breakdown of our information technology systems and/or infrastructure by persons with authorized or unauthorized access, or exposure to different cybersecurity attacks could negatively impact our business and operations. We could also experience business interruption, information theft and reputational damage from cyber-attacks, which may compromise our systems and lead to data leakage either internally or at our third-party providers. Our systems may be the target of malware and other cyber-attacks. Although we have invested in measures to reduce these risks, we cannot assure you that these measures will be successful in preventing compromise or disruption of our information technology systems a data which could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 5/68 (7%)Below Sector Average
Competition2 | 2.9%
Competition - Risk 1
The markets in which we compete are characterized by rapid technological change, which requires us to develop new products and product enhancements, and could render our existing products and technologies obsolete.
Continuing technological changes in the market for our products could make our products less competitive or obsolete, either generally or for particular applications. Our future success will depend upon our ability to develop and introduce a variety of new technologies, innovations, capabilities and enhancements to our existing product and service offerings, as well as introduce a variety of new product offerings, to address the changing needs of the markets in which we offer products. Delays in introducing new products, technologies and enhancements, the failure to choose correctly among technical alternatives or the failure to offer innovative products or enhancements at competitive prices may cause existing and potential customers to purchase our competitors' products. If we are unable to devote adequate resources to develop new products or cannot otherwise successfully develop new products or enhancements that meet customer requirements on a timely basis, our products could lose market share, our revenue and profits could decline, and we could experience operating losses.
Competition - Risk 2
We operate in a competitive market.
We face competition from companies such as Silvus, DTC, Persistent Systems, Creao, UXV Technologies, Skygrid and others and new competitors will continue to emerge throughout the world. Services offered by our competitors may take a larger share of our customers' spending than anticipated, which could cause revenue generated from our products to fall below expectations. It is expected that competition in these markets will intensify. If our competitors develop and market more successful products or offer competitive products at lower price points, or if we do not produce consistently high-quality and well-received products our revenues, margins, and profitability will decline. Our ability to compete effectively will depend on, among other things, our pricing of products and equipment, quality of customer service, development of new and enhanced products and services in response to customer demands and changing technology, reach and quality of sales and any potential resale or distribution channels, and capital resources. Competition could lead to a reduction in the rate at which we add new customers, a decrease in the size of our market share and a decline in our customers. Examples include but are not limited to competition from other companies in our industry as well as providers of hardware and software technology components to the industry.
Sales & Marketing1 | 1.5%
Sales & Marketing - Risk 1
Changed
We have commenced marketing and initial sales of our cloud-based software and cybersecurity solutions, which may be marketed and sold to customers using different sales models, including annual or monthly license or software as a service, any of which may not be profitable to us.
Historically our revenues have been derived from the sales of our hardware products. We have recently commenced selling cloud based software and cybersecurity solutions. As our cloud based software and cybersecurity solutions are newly released and only at initial sales phase, we have not definitely determined the sales model for how we plan to market and sell these products. Forecasting our revenues and profitability for these product offerings is inherently uncertain and volatile. Our actual revenues and profits for these new products may be significantly less than our forecasts. Additionally, the new business models could fail for one or more of our products and/or services, resulting in the loss our investment in the development and infrastructure needed to support the new business models, and the opportunity cost of diverting management and financial resources away from more successful businesses.
Brand / Reputation2 | 2.9%
Brand / Reputation - Risk 1
If we fail to successfully promote our product and brand, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
We believe that brand recognition is an important factor to our success. If we fail to promote our brands successfully, or if the expenses of doing so are disproportionate to any increased net sales we achieve, it would have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. This will depend largely on our ability to maintain trust, be a technology leader, and continue to provide high-quality and secure technologies, products and services. Any negative publicity about us or our industry, the quality and reliability of our technologies, products and services, our risk management processes, changes to our technologies, products and services, our ability to effectively manage and resolve customer complaints, our privacy and security practices, litigation, regulatory activity, and the experience of sellers and buyers with our products or services, could adversely affect our reputation and the confidence in and use of our technologies, products and services. Harm to our brand can arise from many sources, including; failure by us or our partners to satisfy expectations of service and quality; inadequate protection of sensitive information; compliance failures and claims; litigation and other claims; employee misconduct; and misconduct by our partners, service providers, or other counterparties. If we do not successfully maintain a strong and trusted brand, our business could be materially and adversely affected.
Brand / Reputation - Risk 2
Negative customer perception regarding our products could have a material adverse effect on the demand for our products and the business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
We believe that our success is highly dependent upon perception regarding the security, effectiveness and quality of our products' technology components and products used. Customer perception of these components and products can be significantly influenced by testing results or findings, regulatory investigations, litigation, media attention, and other publicity. There can be no assurance that future testing results, findings, regulatory proceedings, litigation, media attention, or other research findings will be favorable to our technology components and products or the drone and robotics market in general. Future testing reports, findings, regulatory proceedings, litigation, or media attention that are perceived as less favorable than, or that question, earlier testing reports, findings or publicity could have a material adverse effect on the demand for our products and the business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. The dependence upon customer perceptions means that adverse testing reports, findings, regulatory proceedings, litigation, or media attention, whether or not accurate or with merit, could have a material adverse effect on us, the demand for our products, and the business, our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
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.
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