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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

NOTE 8 - COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

 

Government Grants:

 

Microbot Israel obtained from the Israeli Innovation Authority (“IIA”) grants for participation in research and development for the years 2013 through December 31, 2021 in the total amount of approximately $1,500 and, in return, Microbot Israel is obligated to pay royalties amounting to 3%-3.5% of its future sales up to the amount of the grant. The grant is linked to the exchange rate of the dollar to the New Israeli Shekel and bears interest of Libor per annum.

 

The repayment of the grants is contingent upon the successful completion of the Company’s research and development programs and generating sales. The Company has no obligation to repay these grants, if the project fails, is unsuccessful or aborted or if no sales are generated. The financial risk is assumed completely by the Government of Israel. The grants are received from the Government on a project-by-project basis.

 

TRDF Agreement:

 

Microbot Israel signed an agreement with the Technion Research and Development Foundation (“TRDF”) in June 2012 by which TRDF transferred to Microbot Israel a global, exclusive, royalty-bearing license. As partial consideration for the license, Microbot Israel shall pay TRDF royalties on net sales (between 1.5%-3%) and on sublicense income as detailed in the agreement.

 

 

MICROBOT MEDICAL INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

U.S. dollars in thousands

(Except share and per share data)

 

Agreement with CardioSert Ltd.:

 

On January 4, 2018, Microbot Israel entered into an agreement with CardioSert Ltd. (“CardioSert”) to acquire certain patent-protected technology owned by CardioSert (the “Technology”). Pursuant to the Agreement, Microbot Israel made an initial payment of $50 to CardioSert and had 90-days to elect to complete the acquisition. At the end of the 90-day period, at Microbot Israel’s sole option, CardioSert shall assign and transfer the Technology to Microbot Israel and Microbot Israel shall pay to CardioSert additional amounts and securities as determined in the agreement.

 

On May 25, 2018, Microbot delivered an Exercise Notice to CardioSert Ltd., notifying it that Microbot elected to exercise the option to acquire the Technology owned by CardioSert and therefore made an additional cash payment of $250 and 6,738 shares of common stock estimated at $74.

 

The agreement may be terminated by Microbot Israel at any time for convenience upon 90-days’ notice. The agreement may be terminated by CardioSert in case the first commercial sale does not occur by the third anniversary of the date of signing of the agreement except if Microbot Israel has invested more than $2,000 in certain development stages, or the first commercial sale does not occur within 50 months. In each of the above termination events, or in case of breach by Microbot Israel, CardioSert shall have the right to buy back the Technology from Microbot Israel for $1.00, upon 60 days prior written notice, but only 1 year after such termination. Additionally, the agreement may be terminated by either party upon breach of the other (subject to cure). CardioSert agreed to assist Microbot Israel in the development of the Technology for a minimum of one year, for a monthly consultation fee of NIS 40,000 (or approximately US$12.86, based on an exchange rate of NIS 3.11 to the dollar) covering up to 60 consulting hours per month.

 

ATM Agreement:

 

On June 10, 2021, the Company entered into an At-the-Market Offering Agreement (the “ATM Agreement”) with H.C. Wainwright & Co. LLC (“Wainwright”), as sales agent, in connection with an “at the market offering” under which the Company may offer and sell, from time to time in its sole discretion, shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share, having an aggregate offering price of up to $10,000 at market prices or as otherwise agreed with Wainwright. Any shares sold under the ATM Agreement from time to time will be offered and sold pursuant to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3, which was initially filed on November 25, 2020 and which was declared effective by the SEC on December 4, 2020, and the related prospectus as supplemented by a prospectus supplement that the Company filed on June 10, 2021. To date, we have not sold any shares of common stock pursuant to the ATM Agreement

 

The offer and sale of the shares pursuant to the ATM Agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (a) the issuance and sale of all of the shares of common stock subject to the ATM Agreement or (b) the termination of the ATM Agreement by Wainwright or the Company pursuant to the terms thereof. The Company has no obligation to sell any of the shares and may at any time suspend offers under the ATM Agreement or terminate the ATM Agreement.

 

Strategic collaboration agreement with Stryker

 

On December 22, 2021, the Company entered into a strategic collaboration agreement for technology co-development with Stryker Corporation, acting through its Neurovascular Division. Pursuant to the Agreement, the collaborative development program between the Company and Stryker aims to integrate certain of Stryker’s instruments with the Company’s LIBERTY Robotic System to address certain neurovascular procedures.

 

The activities contemplated by the Agreement shall be specified in one or more development plans derived from the terms and conditions set forth in the Agreement. Each party bears its own costs and expenses in connection with the performance of the Agreement and its assigned development activities.

 

Each of the Company and Stryker shall retain its right, title and interest to its existing intellectual property. Jointly developed intellectual property shall be owned by a party, based on the nature of the intellectual property as it relates to each parties’ respective business, and licensed back to the other party pursuant to a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free, paid-up, nonexclusive, sub-licensable license. Jointly developed intellectual property that is not exclusively pertaining to one party’s business shall be jointly and equally owned by both the Company and Stryker.

 

The term of the Agreement continues until the completion of the last development plan agreed upon, unless earlier terminated pursuant to the terms of the Agreement. The activities with Striker expected to start in the first quarter of 2022.

 

Each of the Company and Stryker are subject to customary terms regarding non-disclosure of the other’s confidential information, and are further subject to mutual indemnification obligations.

 

 

MICROBOT MEDICAL INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

U.S. dollars in thousands

(Except share and per share data)

 

Litigation:

 

Litigation Resulting from 2017 Financing

 

The Company lost its appeal of an adverse judgment in the lawsuit captioned Sabby Healthcare Master Fund Ltd. and Sabby Volatility Warrant Master Fund Ltd., Plaintiffs, against Microbot Medical Inc., Defendant, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York (Index No. 654581/2017). As a result, the Securities Purchase Agreement (the “SPA”) related to the Company’s June 8, 2017 equity financing (the “Financing”) was rescinded as it related to Sabby Healthcare Master Fund Ltd. and Sabby Volatility Warrant Master Fund Ltd. (“Sabby”), and the Company paid approximately $3,700 to Sabby in return for the 83,333 shares of common stock Sabby purchased pursuant to the SPA. Soon after, the Company was named as the defendant in a lawsuit captioned Empery Asset Master Ltd., Empery Tax Efficient, LP, Empery Tax Efficient II, LP, Hudson Bay Master Fund Ltd., Plaintiffs, against Microbot Medical Inc., Defendant, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York (the “Court”) (Index No. 651182/2020). The complaint alleges, among other things, that the Company breached multiple representations and warranties contained in the SPA, of which the Plaintiffs participated, and fraudulently induced Plaintiffs into signing the SPA.

 

The complaint seeks rescission of the SPA and return of the Plaintiffs’ $6,750 purchase price with respect to the Financing. The Company filed a Motion to Dismiss on March 16, 2020, which was denied by decision and order entered on February 17, 2021. At this time no estimation of the potential outcome of the litigation can be made and as such, no allowance was recorded.

 

The Company’s management is unable to assess the likelihood that it would be successful in any trial with respect to the SPA or the Financing, having previously lost the Sabby lawsuit. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that if the Company goes to trial and ultimately loses, or if the Company decides to settle at any time, such an adverse outcome would not be material to the Company’s consolidated financial position.

 

Alliance Litigation

 

On April 28, 2019, the Company brought an action against Alliance Investment Management, Ltd. (“Alliance”), later amended to include Joseph Mona (“Mona”) as a defendant, in the Southern District of New York under Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. 78p(b), to compel Alliance and Mona to disgorge short swing profits realized from purchases and sales of the Company’s securities within a period of less than six months. The amount of profits was estimated in the complaint to be approximately $468. Mona answered the 16(b) claim the Company asserted against him by claiming various equitable defenses, and filed a counterclaim against the Company under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, claiming a net loss on trading Microbot stock of $151.

 

On December 18, 2020, the Magistrate Judge recommended that: (i) judgment of $485 be entered in the Company’s favor on its Section 16(b) claim against Mona; and (ii) Mona’s Section 10(b) claim be dismissed with prejudice (except as to allegations regarding statements purportedly made by employees of Integra Consulting, an outside investor relations firm, which the Magistrate recommended be dismissed without prejudice).

 

On March 30, 2021, the Court issued an Order adopting the Magistrate Judge’s Report & Recommendation; and on March 31, 2021, the Clerk entered Judgement against Joseph Mona and in favor of the Company in the amount of $484. On April 27, 2021, Mona filed an appeal of the Court’s Judgment, which is pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

 

 

MICROBOT MEDICAL INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

U.S. dollars in thousands

(Except share and per share data)