UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.
20549
FORM 10-K
☒ ANNUAL
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal
year ended December 31 , 2022
or
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF 1934
For the transition
period from ________ to _________
Commission File
No. 001-35526
NEONODE INC.
(Exact name of
Registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware 94-1517641
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
Karlavägen
100 , 115 26 Stockholm , Sweden
(Address of Principal
Executive Office and Zip Code)
+46 (0) 8 667
17 17
(Registrant’s
Telephone Number, including Area Code)
Securities registered
pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class Trading Symbol Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share NEON The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Securities registered
pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant
is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No
☒
Indicate by check mark if the registrant
is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No
☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant:
(1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12
months (or such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements
for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during
the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company.
See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,”
and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐ Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☒ Smaller reporting company ☒
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate
by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial
accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial
reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or
issued its audit report. ☐
If securities are registered pursuant
to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect
the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of
those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s
executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act. Yes ☐ No
☒
The aggregate market value of voting
and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based on the closing price for the registrant’s common stock
on June 30, 2022 (the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter) as reported on the Nasdaq
Stock Market, was $ 50,079,949 .
The number of shares of the registrant’s
common stock outstanding as of March 3, 2023 was 15,359,481 .
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED
BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrant’s definitive
proxy statement for the registrant’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference as set forth in Part III
of this Annual Report. The registrant intends to file such definitive proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission within
120 days of the registrant’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
NEONODE INC.
2022 ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SPECIAL NOTE ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
ii
PART I
Item 1.
BUSINESS
1
Item 1A.
RISK FACTORS
7
Item 1B.
UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
14
Item 2.
PROPERTIES
14
Item 3.
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
14
Item 4.
MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
14
PART II
Item 5.
MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
15
Item 6.
[RESERVED]
15
Item 7.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
15
Item 7A.
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
27
Item 8.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
F-1
Item 9.
CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
28
Item 9A.
CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
28
Item 9B.
OTHER INFORMATION
28
Item 9C.
DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS
28
PART III
Item 10.
DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
29
Item 11.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
29
Item 12.
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
29
Item 13.
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
29
Item 14.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
29
PART IV
Item 15.
EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
30
Item 16.
FORM 10-K SUMMARY
31
SIGNATURES
32
i
SPECIAL NOTE ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report of Form 10-K (“Annual
Report”) contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, adopted pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly
relate to any historical or current fact. For example, statements in this Annual Report regarding our plans, strategy and focus areas,
expectations regarding future sales and customers, and the potential future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and results
of operations are forward-looking statements. You can identify some forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “believe,”
“anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “goal,” “plan” and similar expressions.
Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties regarding events, conditions and financial trends that may affect
our future plans of operation, business strategy, results of operations and financial position. A number of important factors could cause
actual results to differ materially from those included within or contemplated by such forward-looking statements, including, but not
limited to risks relating to our history of losses since inception, our dependence on a limited number of customers, our reliance on our
customers’ ability to develop and sell products that incorporate our touch technology, the length of a product development and release
cycle, our and our customers’ reliance on component suppliers, the difficulty in verifying royalty amounts owed to us, our limited
experience manufacturing hardware devices, our ability to remain competitive in response to new technologies, our dependence on key members
of our management and development team, the costs to defend, as well as risks of losing, patents and intellectual property rights, and
our ability to obtain adequate capital to fund future operations. For a discussion of these and other factors that could cause actual
results to differ from those contemplated in the forward-looking statements, please see “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere
in this Annual Report, and in our publicly available filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements reflect
our analysis only as of the date of this Annual Report. Because actual events or results may differ materially from those discussed in
or implied by forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement.
We do not undertake responsibility to update or revise any of these factors or to announce publicly any revision to forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
ii
PART I
Neonode Inc., collectively with its subsidiaries,
is referred to in this Annual Report as “Neonode”, “we”, “us”, “our”, “registrant”,
or “Company”.
We use Neonode, our logo, zForce, MultiSensing,
AirBar and other marks as trademarks. This Annual Report contains references to our trademarks and service marks and to those belonging
to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this Annual Report, including logos, artwork and
other visual displays, may appear without the ® or ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate in any way that
we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the applicable licensor to these trademarks
and trade names.
ITEM
1. BUSINESS
Our company provides advanced optical sensing solutions
for contactless touch, touch, and gesture sensing. We also provide software solutions for machine perception that feature advanced machine
learning algorithms to detect and track persons and objects in video streams from cameras and other types of imagers. We base our contactless
touch, touch, and gesture sensing products and solutions using our zForce technology platform and our machine perception solutions on
our MultiSensing technology platform. zForce (zero force) is the name for our patented optical sensing technology built on infrared light,
invisible to the human eye. Our MultiSensing platform was designed to provide advanced, safe and traceable software applications to provide
situational context. We market and sell our solutions to customers in many different markets and segments including, but not limited to,
office equipment, automotive, industrial automation, medical, military and avionics.
In 2010, we began licensing to Original Equipment
Manufacturers (“OEMs”) and Tier 1 suppliers who embed our technology into products they develop, manufacture, and sell. Since
2010, our licensing customers have sold approximately 90 million devices that use our technology. In October 2017, we augmented our licensing
business and began manufacturing and shipping touch sensor modules (“TSMs”) that incorporate our patented technology. We sell
these TSMs to OEMs, Original Design Manufacturers (“ODMs”), and systems integrators for use in their products.
As of December 31, 2022, we had 10 agreements with
value added resellers (“VARs”) for integration of our TSMs in the products they offer to global OEMs, ODMs and systems integrators.
In addition to this, we distribute our TSMs through Digi-Key Corporation, Serial Microelectronics HK Ltd, and Nexty Electronics Corporation.
In our operations, we have
since the beginning of 2020 focused on three different business areas, HMI Solutions, HMI Products and Remote Sensing Solutions (“HMI”
is short for Human-Machine Interaction). On May 4, 2021, we announced a new strategy and organizational update targeting an increased
focus on our contactless touch business and on current market opportunities in North America (“AMER”), Asia-Pacific (“APAC”),
and Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”). As a result, we transitioned from a business area organization to a regional
sales organization going forward. Revenues are however primarily monitored for each of our revenue streams consisting of license fees,
product sales and non-recurring engineering (“NRE”) services.
During 2022 and 2021 we continued
to focus our efforts on maintaining our current licensing customers and achieving design wins for new products both with current and future
customers. We made investments enhancing the design and improving the production yield of our TSMs and improving the related firmware
and configuration tools software platforms. We also made investments to expand our partner networks for sales and distribution of TSMs.
We intend to continue expanding our TSM product offerings in 2023 and beyond, including new TSM variants and new sensor products for delivery
to our key markets. We expect that over time the sales of HMI products and Remote Sensing Solutions may constitute the majority of our
revenue.
1
License fees
We license our zForce technology
to OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers who embed our technology into products they develop, manufacture and sell. Since 2010, our licensing customers
have sold approximately 90 million devices that use our patented technology.
As of December 31, 2022, we
had 35 valid technology license agreements with global OEMs, ODMs and Tier 1 suppliers.
Our licensing customer base is primarily in the
automotive and printer segments. Eleven of our licensing customers are currently shipping products that embed our technology. We anticipate
current customers will continue to ship products with our technology in 2023 and in future years. We also expect to expand our customer
base with a number of new customers who will be looking to ship new products incorporating our zForce and MultiSensing technologies as
they complete final product development and release cycles. We typically earn our license fees on a per unit basis when our customers
ship products using our technology, but in the future we may use other business models as well.
Product sales
In addition to our technical
solutions business, we design and manufacture TSMs that incorporate our patented technology. We sell our TSMs to OEMs, ODMs and systems
integrators for use in their products. We also sell our Neonode branded AirBar product that incorporates one of our TSMs through distributors.
We utilize a robotic manufacturing
process designed specifically for our components. Our TSMs are commercial-off-the-shelf products based on our patent-protected zForce
technology platform and can support the development of contactless touch, touch, gesture and object sensing solutions that, paired with
our technology licensing offering, give us a full range of options to enter and compete in key markets.
In October 2017, we began selling
our TSMs to customers in the industrial and consumer electronics segments. Over time, we expect a significant portion of our revenues
will be derived from TSM sales.
Non-recurring engineering services
We also offer NRE services
related to application development linked to our TSMs and our zForce and MultiSensing technology platforms on a flat rate or hourly rate
basis.
Typically, our licensing customers require engineering
support during the development and initial manufacturing phase for their products using our technology, while our TSM customers require
hardware or software modifications to our standard products or support during the development and initial manufacturing phases of their
products using our technology. In both cases we can offer NRE services and earn NRE revenues.
Our Organization
Neonode Inc. was incorporated in the State of Delaware
on September 4, 1997. Our principal executive office is located in Stockholm, Sweden. Our office in the United States is located in San
Jose, California.
We have the following wholly owned subsidiaries:
Neonode Technologies AB (Sweden) (established in 2008 to develop and license touchscreen technology); Neonode Japan Inc., (Japan) (established
in 2013); and Neonode Korea Ltd. (South Korea) (established in 2014). In 2015, we established a 51% majority owned consolidated subsidiary,
Pronode Technologies AB (Sweden). On October 1, 2022, we acquired the remaining shares in Pronode Technologies AB.
Strategy and Focus Areas
Our customers use contactless touch, touch, gesture
sensing, and computer vision technologies to grow their businesses, drive efficiencies, and seek competitive advantages. Our strategy
is to deliver value-adding human-machine interaction (“HMI”) and machine perception solutions and products that enable our
customers to achieve these targets. We offer specialized NRE services related to the integration of our solutions and products into customer
systems and products to ensure that optimal functionality and performance is achieved.
Our goal is to become a market leader in the area of contactless touch
interfaces, expanding our TSM sales in the elevator and interactive kiosk segments where our contactless touch technology provides end-customer
value and increased competitiveness for our customers, value-added resellers, and technology partners, while continuing to be a leader
in optical touch and gesture sensing by licensing our zForce technology to customers in the printer, automotive, and other sectors. We
also aim to capture a share of the growing automotive driver and in-cabin monitoring market by developing our machine perception business.
We are innovators in the HMI and machine perception areas and our goal is to introduce next-generation products in these areas that offer
better price and performance and architectural advantages compared to our current offers and those of our competitors. We intend to execute
on this strategy through portfolio transformation, internal innovation, and co-development of products with our customers and the building
of strategic partnerships with other technology companies.
2
Markets
Automotive
The Automotive value chain consists of OEMs (vehicle
manufacturers) and tiered suppliers (Tier 1 system suppliers, Tier 2 component suppliers etc.). In this market, we mainly act as a Tier
2 technology provider to Tier 1 suppliers who license our technology and deliver different types of systems to OEMs (e.g. infotainment
system displays featuring our touch technology). In some cases, we are also engaged directly by OEMs, following the trend that OEMs are
insourcing more and more of their systems and software development directly.
During each of 2022 and 2021, our Automotive customers
shipped approximately 0.8 million products.
Printers and Office Equipment
Multi-function printers typically feature touch
displays for user interaction with feature-rich menus and settings. We have operational license agreements with three of the leading global
printers and office equipment OEMs. During 2022 our customers shipped approximately 4 million printers using our touch technology and
since mid-2014 they have shipped approximately 51 million printers using our touch technology.
Military and Avionics
Mechanical switches and buttons and older types
of touch displays in airplane cockpits are increasingly being replaced with larger touch displays with higher performance capabilities.
Our zForce technology has demonstrable advantages for these types of applications, as it provides low latency, superior image clarity,
can be operated by pilots wearing gloves, has excellent electro-magnetic interference and electro-magnetic compatibility properties, and
works well with night vision systems. zForce is also suitable for other military applications for these reasons.
Industrial Automation
We see interesting opportunities for our optical
touch and gesture control solutions in the rugged industrial touchscreen market. We also see potential demand for our machine perception
solutions in industrial settings.
Medical
We sell our TSMs to customers manufacturing and
selling medical imaging systems with touch screens. Looking to the future, we see interesting opportunities for our TSMs to be incorporated
into similar touch applications, and for various contactless touch applications, and opportunities for our zForce-based optical touch
and gesture control solutions in the medical touchscreen market.
Elevators and Interactive Kiosks
The COVID-19 pandemic has created strong consumer demand
for technologies that eliminate direct physical contact between users and different types of machines and systems in public environments
such as self-service kiosks, vending machines, and elevators. Using our TSMs, OEMs can easily create safe, intuitive, and easy-to-use
contactless touch interfaces for their elevator and kiosk products. Our TSMs are also very suitable for retrofit applications and many
of our OEM customers, value-added resellers, and technology partners have or are developing such solutions and marketing and selling them
in their respective markets. We have a strong and increasing demand for our TSMs from customers in these markets and expect to grow this
business significantly in the coming years.
Product Backlog
Our TSM product backlog as of December 31, 2022
was approximately $224,000. The product backlog includes orders confirmed for products planned to be shipped within 12 months to one customer.
Our cycle time between order and shipment is generally short and customers occasionally change delivery schedules. Additionally, orders
can be cancelled without significant penalties. As a result of these factors, we do not believe that our product backlog, as of any particular
date, is necessarily indicative of actual product revenue for any future period.
Customers
As of December 31, 2022 we had 35 valid technology
license agreements. As of December 31, 2021, that number was 34. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we had 11 customers using our
touch technology in products that were being shipped to their customers. The products related to these license agreements include e-readers,
tablets, commercial and consumer printers, automotive infotainment system displays, and global positioning system (GPS) devices.
Our customers are primarily located in North America,
Europe and Asia.
As of December 31, 2022, five of our customers represented
approximately 83% of our consolidated accounts receivable and unbilled revenues.
As of December 31, 2021, four of our customers represented
approximately 76% of our consolidated accounts receivable and unbilled revenues.
3
Customers who accounted for 10% or more of our revenues
during the year ended December 31, 2022 are as follows.
●
Hewlett-Packard Company – 27%
●
Seiko Epson – 19%
●
LG – 12%
●
Alpine Electronics – 10%
Customers who accounted for 10% or more of our revenues
during the year ended December 31, 2021 are as follows.
●
Hewlett-Packard Company – 32%
●
Seiko Epson – 18%
●
LG – 13%
Customers by Market
The following table presents our revenues by market
as a percentage of total revenues for the years ended December 31:
2022
2021
Automotive (license fees)
27 %
27 %
Consumer electronics (license fees)
51 %
55 %
TSMs (products)
18 %
16 %
Non-recurring engineering
4 %
2 %
Total
100 %
100 %
Geographical Data
The following table presents our revenues by geographic
region as a percentage of total revenues for the years ended December 31:
2022
2021
U.S.
33 %
39 %
Japan
31 %
33 %
South Korea
15 %
15 %
Switzerland
7 %
1 %
Germany
5 %
5 %
Other
9 %
7 %
Total
100 %
100 %
The following table presents our total assets by
geographic region as of December 31 (in thousands):
2022
2021
U.S.
$ 15,630
$ 17,589
Sweden
5,511
5,353
Asia
57
50
Total
$ 21,198
$ 22,992
Competition
There are various technologies for touch and gesture
control solutions available that compete with our optical zForce technology. The competing technologies have differing profiles such as
performance, power consumption, level of maturity and cost. For touch solutions, the main competition comes from resistive and capacitive
touch solutions. For touch displays, projective capacitive technology is the prevalent standard in mobile phones and tablets and therefore
an important competing technology to ours that many suppliers offer with price being a major differentiation point. This means we must
continuously develop our technology and improve our offers to defend and grow our market share. For gesture control the main competition
comes from other optical technologies and from both ultrasonic and radar technologies. Examples of competitors active in the area of gesture
sensing include Ultraleap and suppliers of radar and ultrasonic sensor chips, for instance Texas Instruments and Acconeer. Detection range,
resolution and cost are the main differentiators.
4
For contactless touch opportunities, competing technologies
include camera-based technologies for detecting finger placement and gestures in the airspace in front of a kiosk or button panel, capacitive
sensors capable of detecting a finger hovering above a display or button, as well as voice-activated interfaces and interfaces using one’s
mobile phone to interact with a kiosk or button panel.
There are various driver and in-cabin monitoring solutions that compete
with our MultiSensing technology. Our competitors among Tier 2 software providers include SmartEye, Cipia, Xperi, EyeSight, Seeing Machines,
PUX and Jungo.
Intellectual Property
We rely on a combination of intellectual property
laws and contractual provisions to establish and protect the proprietary rights in our technology. The number of our issued and pending
patents and patents filed in each jurisdiction as of December 31, 2022 is set forth in the following table:
Jurisdiction
No. of Reg.
Designs
No. of
Issued Patents
No. of Patents Pending
United States
5
48
9
Europe
2
11
5
Japan
-
7
1
China
-
6
1
South Korea
-
6
1
Australia
1
-
-
Singapore
2
-
-
Patent Convention Treaty
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1
Total:
10
78
18
Our patents cover optical blocking technologies for
touchscreens and head-up displays, optical reflective technologies for contactless interaction with kiosks and elevators, as well as machine
perception solutions for driver and in-cabin monitoring.
Our software may also be protected by copyright laws
in most countries, including Sweden and the European Union, if the software is deemed new and original. Protection can be claimed from
the date of creation.
In 2022 we filed six new patent applications and had
two new patent grants issued; certain other patents have lapsed.
The duration of our patent protection for utility patents
is generally 20 years. The duration of our patent protection for design patents varies throughout the world between 10 and 25 years, depending
on the jurisdiction. We believe the duration of our intellectual property rights is adequate relative to the expected lives of our products.
We also protect and promote our brand by registering
trademarks in key markets around the world. Our trademarks include: Neonode (29 registrations, 5 pending applications), the Neonode logo
(15 registrations), zForce (11 registrations), and MultiSensing (7 registrations).
Research and Development
In fiscal years 2022 and 2021, we incurred $4.0
million and $3.5 million, respectively, on research and development activities. Our research and development is performed predominantly
in-house, but may also be performed in collaboration with external partners and specialists.
5
Human Capital
We recognize that the development, attraction and
retention of employees is critical to our success. For this reason, we strive to provide a positive work culture for our employees.
We focus on skills enhancement, leadership development,
innovation excellence and professional growth throughout our employees’ careers. Our leadership program provides leadership trainings
to our high-potential emerging leaders.
We provide market competitive compensation aligned
with company performance. We provide a comprehensive benefits package to our employees, including healthcare and retirement plans. We
have a dedicated human resources (HR) person to ensure clear and beneficial HR-related processes and strategy. We work proactively against
all discrimination, harassment and other abusive behavior to ensure the work environment at Neonode is good and healthy. We believe that
a diverse workforce provides different viewpoints on business strategy, risk and innovation.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided we have
adopted a hybrid workplace. While we encourage employees to come into the office as much as possible, employees are permitted to work
from home a few days each week
As of December 31, 2022, we had 55 employees (including
45 full-time employees) and 7 consultants. There was a total of 13 employees in our general and administrative team, 8 in our sales and
marketing team, 26 in our engineering team, and 8 in our production team at Pronode Technologies AB. We have employees and/or consultants
located in the United States, Sweden, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. None of our employees are represented by a labor
union. We have experienced no work stoppages. We believe our employee relations are positive.
Additional Information
We are subject to the informational requirements
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and we file or furnish reports, proxy statements,
and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The reports and other information filed by us with
the SEC are available free of charge on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Our website is www.neonode.com . We make available
free of charge through our website all of our filings with the SEC, including our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form
10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K as well as Form 3, Form 4, and Form 5 reports for our directors, officers, and principal
stockholders, together with amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Sections 13(a), 15(d), or 16 under the Exchange
Act. These reports are available as soon as reasonably practicable after their electronic filing or furnishing with the SEC. Our website
also includes corporate governance information, such as our Code of Business Conduct (including a Code of Ethics for the Chief Executive
Officer and Senior Financial Officers) and our Board of Directors’ Committee Charters. The information contained on our website
is not a part of, nor is it incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report.
6
ITEM
1A. RISK FACTORS
An investment in our common stock involves a
high degree of risk. Before deciding to purchase, hold, or sell our common stock, you should consider carefully the risks described below
in addition to the cautionary statements and risks described elsewhere in this Annual Report and in our other filings with the SEC, including
subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks
and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. If any of these
known or unknown risks or uncertainties actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows could be
seriously harmed. This could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Business
We have had a history of losses and may require additional capital
to fund our operations, which may not be available to us on commercially attractive terms or at all.
We have experienced substantial net losses in each
fiscal period since our inception. These net losses have resulted from a lack of substantial revenues and the significant costs incurred
in the development and commercial acceptance of our technologies. Our ability to continue as a going concern is dependent on our ability
to implement our business plan. If our operations do not become cash flow positive, we may be forced to seek sources of capital to continue
operations. No assurances can be given that we will be successful in obtaining such additional financing on reasonable terms, or at all.
If adequate funds are not available when needed on acceptable terms, or at all, we may be unable to adequately fund our business plan,
which could have a negative effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We may, in the short and long-term, seek to raise
capital through the issuance of equity securities or through other financing sources. To the extent that we raise additional funds by
issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience significant dilution. Any debt financing, if available, may include financial
and other covenants that could restrict our use of the proceeds from such financing or impose other business and financial restrictions
on us. In addition, we may consider alternative approaches such as licensing, joint venture, or partnership arrangements to provide long-term
capital.
We are dependent on a limited number of customers.
Our license revenues for the year ended December
31, 2022 were earned from 11 OEM, ODM and Tier 1 customers. We generated NRE revenues from five customers for the year ended December
31, 2022. During the year ended December 31, 2022, four customers represented approximately 68% of our consolidated net revenues. Our
customer concentration may change significantly from period-to-period depending on a customer’s product cycle and changes in our
industry. In addition, our customer composition may change as we transition to selling more sensor modules in parallel to our licensing
business. The response of customers to our sensor products, loss of a major customer, a reduction in net revenues of a major customer
for any reason, or a failure of a major customer to fulfill its financial or other obligations due to us could have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition, and future revenue stream.
We rely on the ability of our customers to design, manufacture
and sell their products that incorporate our touch technology.
We have historically generated revenue through technology
licensing agreements with companies that design, manufacture, and sell their own products incorporating our touch technology. The majority
of our license fees earned in 2022 and 2021 were from customer shipments of printer products and automotive infotainment systems. Although
we have broadened our business model to selling sensors in addition to licensing our technology, we expect to continue to rely on licensing
revenue from current and new customers whose products are still in the development cycle. If our customers are not able to design, manufacture
and sell their products, or are delayed in producing and selling their products, our revenues, profitability, and liquidity, as well as
our brand image, may be adversely affected.
7
The length of a customer’s product development and release
cycle depends on many factors outside of our control and any delays could cause us to incur significant expenses without offsetting revenues,
or revenues that vary significantly from quarter to quarter.
The development and release cycle for customer products is lengthy
and unpredictable. Our customers often undertake significant evaluation and design in the qualification of our products, which contributes
to a lengthy product release cycle. The typical product development and release cycle is 18 to 36 months. The development and release
cycle may be longer in some cases, particularly for automotive vehicle products. There is no assurance that a customer will adopt our
technology after the evaluation or design phase, in which case we would not be entitled to any revenues from the customer moving forward.
The lengthy and variable development and release cycle for products may also have a negative impact on the timing of our revenues, causing
our revenues and results of operations to vary significantly from quarter to quarter.
We and our license customers rely upon component suppliers to
manufacture and sell products containing our technology and limited availability of components, including as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic, may adversely affect our and our customers’ businesses.
Under our licensing model, OEMs, ODMs and Tier 1
suppliers manufacture or contract to manufacture products that include Neonode’s special Application Specific Integrated Circuits
(“ASICs”) that incorporate our patented technology. The Neonode ASICs are manufactured by Texas Instruments and ST Microelectronics.
Texas Instruments manufactures two ASIC components that both we and our license customers buy. As part of their product development process,
our customers must qualify these components for use in their products, thus making the components difficult to replace. Under our sensor
model, we use a similar ASIC component supplied by ST Microelectronics in our TSM products. If the components provided by Texas Instruments,
ST Microelectronics or other suppliers experience quality control or availability problems, our technology may be disqualified by one
or more of our customers and our supply chain may be disrupted.
Our dependence on third parties to supply core components that incorporate
our patented technology exposes us to a number of risks including the risk that these suppliers will not be able to obtain an adequate
supply of raw materials or components, the risk that these suppliers will not be able to meet our customer requirements, and the risk
that these suppliers will not be able to remain in business or adjust to market conditions. If we and our customers are unable to obtain
ASICs that incorporate our patented technology, we may not be able to meet demand, which could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in extended shutdown of businesses
all over the world causing general delays in the supply of components. We have not suffered from a supply shortage, but it is possible
that the component shortage has caused delays and/or increased cost of components impacting our customers’ ability to manufacture
and sell products on a cost-effective basis.
It can be difficult for us to verify royalty amounts owed to
us under licensing agreements, and this may cause us to lose potential revenue.
Our license agreements typically require our licensees
to document the sale of licensed products and report this data to us on a quarterly basis. Although our standard license terms give us
the right to audit books and records of our licensees to verify this information, audits can be expensive, time consuming, incomplete,
and subject to dispute. From time to time, we audit certain of our licensees to verify independently the accuracy of the information contained
in their royalty reports in an effort to decrease the likelihood that we will not receive the royalty revenues to which we are entitled
under the terms of our license agreements, but we can give no assurances that these audits will be effective.
We have limited experience in manufacturing products and our
entry into the hardware market may not be successful.
Our business model has historically focused on licensing
touch technology. In October 2017, we began to manufacture and sell sensor touch components. There can be no assurance that our hardware
manufacturing and sales will result in market acceptance or meaningful revenues. The commercial success of our sensor modules will depend
on customer response and our management’s execution. The commercial success of our sensor modules is subject to numerous risks,
including:
●
the quality and reliability of product components that we source from third-party suppliers and incorporate in our sensor modules;
●
our ability to secure product components in a timely manner, in sufficient quantities or on commercially reasonable terms;
●
our ability to increase production capacity or volumes to meet demand;
●
our ability to identify and qualify alternative suppliers for product components in a timely manner; and
●
our ability to establish and maintain effective sales channels.
8
In addition, if demand for our products increases,
we will have to invest additional resources to purchase product components, hire and train employees and enhance our manufacturing processes.
If we fail to increase our production capacity efficiently, our sales may not increase in line with our expectations and our operating
margins could fluctuate or decline.
If we fail to develop and introduce new technology successfully,
and in a cost-effective and timely manner, we will not be able to compete effectively and our ability to generate revenues will suffer .
We operate in a highly competitive, rapidly evolving
environment, and our success depends on our ability to develop and introduce new technology that our customers and end users choose to
buy. If we are unsuccessful at developing new technologies that are appealing to our customers and end users, with acceptable functionality,
quality, prices, and terms, we will not be able to compete effectively and our ability to generate revenues will suffer. The development
of new technology is very difficult and requires high levels of innovation and competence. The development process is typically also very
lengthy and costly. If we fail to anticipate our end users’ needs or technological trends accurately or if we are unable to complete
development in a cost effective and timely fashion, we will be unable to introduce new technology into the market or successfully compete
with other providers. As we introduce new or enhanced technology or integrate new technology into new or existing customer products, we
face risks including, among other things, disruption in customers’ ordering patterns, inability to deliver new technology to meet
customers’ demand, possible product and technology defects, and potentially unfamiliar sales and support environments. Premature
announcements or leaks of new products, features, or technologies may exacerbate some of these risks. Our failure to manage the transition
to newer technology or the integration of newer technology into new or existing customer products could adversely affect our business,
results of operations, and financial condition.
Our operating results may fluctuate significantly as a result
of a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control.
As a result of the unpredictability of our customer
product development and the nature of the markets in which we compete, it is very difficult for us to forecast accurately. We base our
current and future expense estimates largely on our investment plans and estimates of future needs, although some of our expenses are,
to a large extent, fixed. We may be unable to adjust spending in a timely manner to compensate for any unexpected revenue shortfall. Accordingly,
any significant shortfall in revenues relative to our planned expenditures would have an immediate adverse effect on our business, results
of operations and financial condition.
In addition, the following factors, among others,
may negatively affect and cause fluctuations in our operating results:
●
the announcement or introduction of new products or technologies by our competitors;
●
our ability to upgrade and develop our infrastructure to accommodate growth;
●
our ability to attract and retain key personnel in a timely and cost-effective manner;
●
technical difficulties;
●
the amount and timing of operating costs and capital expenditures relating to the expansion of our business, operations, and infrastructure;
●
economic conditions specific to the industries and segments where we are active, for instance printers, automotive, elevators, and interactive kiosks; and
●
general economic conditions including as a result of the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic or future pandemics or epidemics, or geopolitical conflicts such as the ongoing war in Ukraine.
9
Further, as a strategic response to changes in the
competitive environment, we may from time to time make certain pricing, service, or marketing decisions that could have a material and
adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Due to the foregoing factors, our revenues and operating
results are and will remain difficult to forecast.
We must enhance our sales and technology development organizations.
If we are unable to identify, hire, or retain qualified sales, marketing, and technical personnel, our ability to achieve future revenue
may be adversely affected.
We continually monitor and enhance the effectiveness
and breadth of our sales efforts in order to increase market awareness and sales of our technology, especially as we expand into new market
areas. Competition for qualified sales personnel is intense, and we may not be able to hire the kind and number of sales personnel we
are targeting. Likewise, our efforts to improve and refine our technology require skilled engineers and programmers. Competition for professionals
capable of expanding our research and development efforts is intense due to the limited number of people available with the necessary
technical skills. If we are unable to identify, hire, or retain qualified sales, marketing, and technical personnel, our ability to achieve
future revenue may be adversely affected.
We may make acquisitions and strategic investments that are dilutive
to existing stockholders, result in unanticipated accounting charges or otherwise adversely affect our results of operations.
We may decide to grow our business through business
combinations or other acquisitions of businesses, products or technologies that allow us to complement our existing touch technology offerings,
expand our market coverage, increase our workforce, or enhance our technological capabilities. If we make any future acquisitions, we
could issue stock that would dilute our stockholders’ percentage ownership, or we may incur substantial debt, reduce our cash reserves
and/or assume contingent liabilities. Further, acquisitions and strategic investments may result in material charges, adverse tax consequences,
substantial depreciation, deferred compensation charges, in-process research and development charges, and the amortization of amounts
related to deferred compensation and identifiable purchased intangible assets or impairment of goodwill. Any of these could negatively
impact our results of operations.
We are dependent on the services of our key personnel.
We are highly dependent on our senior management
team, including Dr. Urban Forssell, our Chief Executive Officer, and Fredrik Nihlén, our Chief Financial Officer. Changes in our
senior management team or the unplanned loss of the services of either member of our senior management team could have a material adverse
effect on our operations and future prospects.
If we are unable to obtain and maintain patent or other intellectual
property protection for any products we develop or for our technologies, or if the scope of the patents and other intellectual property
protection obtained is not sufficiently broad, our competitors could develop and commercialize products and technologies similar or identical
to ours, and our ability to successfully commercialize any products we may develop, and our technologies, may be harmed.
Our success depends in large part on our proprietary
technology and other intellectual property rights. We rely on a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets, confidentiality
provisions, and licensing arrangements to establish and protect our proprietary rights. Our intellectual property, particularly our patents,
may not provide us with a significant competitive advantage. If we fail to protect or to enforce our intellectual property rights successfully,
our competitive position could suffer, which could harm our results of operations. Our pending patent applications for registration may
not be allowed, or others may challenge the validity or scope of our patents. Even if our patent registrations are issued and maintained,
these patents may not be of adequate scope or benefit to us or may be held invalid and unenforceable against third parties. We may need
to expend significant resources to secure and protect our intellectual property. The loss of intellectual property rights may adversely
impact our ability to generate revenues and expand our business.
We may not be successful in our strategic efforts around patent
monetization.
Our success depends in part on our ability to effectively utilize our
intellectual property. Our policy is to always try to protect our innovations using patents. Our patent portfolio is an important prerequisite
for our licensing business and also protects our investments in product development. From time to time, we also explore opportunities
to monetize our patents per se. As an example of this, on May 6, 2019, we assigned a portfolio of patents to Aequitas Technologies LLC
to license or otherwise monetize those patents. In the future we may enter into additional alternative patent monetization strategies,
including the sale of patents. Our patent monetization strategies may negatively impact our financial condition, revenues, and results
of operations. No assurance can be given that we will enter into agreements related to our patent portfolio or that we will be successful
in any strategic efforts around patent monetization.
10
If third parties infringe upon our intellectual property, we
may expend significant resources enforcing our rights or suffer competitive injury.
Existing laws, contractual provisions and remedies
afford only limited protection for our intellectual property. We may be required to spend significant resources to monitor and police
our intellectual property rights. Effective policing of the unauthorized use of our technology or intellectual property is difficult and
litigation may be necessary in the future to enforce our intellectual property rights. Intellectual property litigation is not only expensive,
but time-consuming, regardless of the merits of any claim, and could divert attention of our management from operating the business. Intellectual
property lawsuits are subject to inherent uncertainties due to, among other things, the complexity of the technical issues involved, and
we cannot assure you that we will be successful in asserting our intellectual property rights. Attempts may be made to copy or reverse
engineer aspects of our technology or to obtain and use information that we regard as proprietary. We may not be able to detect infringement
and may lose competitive position in the market as a result. In addition, competitors may design around our technology or develop competing
technologies. We cannot assure you that we will be able to protect our proprietary rights against unauthorized third party copying or
use. The unauthorized use of our technology or of our proprietary information by competitors could have an adverse effect on our ability
to sell our technology.
The laws of certain foreign countries may not provide sufficient
protection of our intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States, which may make it more difficult for
us to protect our intellectual property.
As part of our business strategy, we target customers
and relationships with suppliers and OEMs in countries with large populations and propensities for adopting new technologies. However,
many of these countries do not address misappropriation of intellectual property nor deter others from developing similar, competing technologies
or intellectual property. Effective protection of patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and other intellectual property may be
unavailable or limited in some foreign countries. In particular, the laws of some foreign countries in which we do business may not protect
our intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. As a result, we may not be able to effectively prevent
competitors in these regions from infringing our intellectual property rights, which could reduce our competitive advantage and ability
to compete in those regions and negatively impact our business.
We have an international presence in countries and must manage
currency risks.
A significant portion of our business is conducted
in currencies other than the U.S. dollar (the currency in which our consolidated financial statements are reported), primarily the Swedish
Krona and, to a lesser extent, the Euro, Japanese Yen, Korean Won, and Taiwan dollar. For the year ended December 31, 2022, our revenues
from Asia, North America and Europe were 49%, 33%, and 18%, respectively. We incur a significant portion of our expenses in Swedish Krona,
including a significant portion of our research and development expenses and a substantial portion of our general and administrative expenses.
As a result, appreciation of the value of the Swedish Krona relative to the other currencies, particularly the U.S. dollar, could adversely
affect operating results. We do not currently undertake hedging transactions to cover our currency exposure, but we may choose to hedge
a portion of our currency exposure in the future as we deem appropriate.
Security breaches and other disruptions to our information technology
infrastructure could interfere with our operations, compromise confidential information, and expose us to liability which could materially
adversely impact our business and reputation.
In the normal course of business, we rely on information
technology networks and systems to process, transmit, and store electronic information, and to manage or support a variety of business
processes and activities. Additionally, we collect and store certain data, including proprietary business information and customer and
employee data, and may have access to confidential or personal information in certain of our businesses that is subject to privacy and
security laws, regulations, and customer-imposed controls. Despite our cybersecurity measures, our information technology networks and
infrastructure may be vulnerable to damage, disruptions, or shutdowns due to attack by hackers or breaches, employee error or malfeasance,
power outages, computer viruses, telecommunication or utility failures, systems failures, natural disasters, or other catastrophic events.
Any such events could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability or penalties under privacy laws, disruption in operations, and
damage to our reputation, which could materially adversely affect our business.
11
Third parties that maintain our confidential and proprietary
information could experience a cybersecurity incident.
We rely on third parties to provide or maintain
some of our information technology and related services. We do not exercise direct control over these systems. Despite the implementation
of security measures at third party locations, these services are also vulnerable to security breaches or other disruptions. Despite assurances
from third parties to protect this information and, where we believe appropriate, our monitoring of the protections employed by these
third parties, there is a risk that the confidentiality of the data held by these third parties on our behalf may be compromised and expose
us to liability for any security breach or disruption.
If we are unable to detect material weaknesses in our internal
control, our financial reporting and our business may be adversely affected.
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires
us to evaluate the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting as of the end of each fiscal year, and to include a
management report assessing the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting in our annual report on Form 10-K for
that fiscal year. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, 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. Because of the inherent limitations in all control
systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud involving a company have
been, or will be, detected. The design of any system of controls is based in part on certain assumptions about the likelihood of future
events, and we cannot assure you that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Over
time, controls may become ineffective because of changes in conditions or deterioration in the degree of compliance with policies or procedures.
Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
We cannot assure you that we or our independent registered public accounting firm will not identify a material weakness in our internal
controls in the future. A material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting would require management and our independent
registered public accounting firm to consider our internal controls as ineffective. If our internal controls over financial reporting
are not considered effective, we may experience a loss of public confidence, which could have an adverse effect on our business and on
the market price of our common stock.
Risks Related to Owning Our Stock
Future sales of our common stock by us or our insiders could
adversely affect the trading price of our common stock and dilute your investment.
Our long-term success is dependent on us obtaining
sufficient capital to fund our operations, develop our touch technology and bring our technology to the worldwide market in order to generate
sufficient sales volume to be profitable. We may sell securities in the public or private equity markets if and when conditions are favorable,
even if we do not have an immediate need for additional capital at that time. We may also issue additional common stock in future financing
transactions or as incentive compensation for our executive management and other key personnel, consultants and advisors.
Sales of substantial amounts of common stock by
us or by our insiders or large stockholders, or the perception that such sales could occur, could adversely affect the prevailing market
price of our common stock and our ability to raise capital. Issuing equity securities would also be dilutive to the equity interests represented
by our then-outstanding shares of common stock. The market price for our common stock could decrease as the market takes into account
the dilutive effect of any of these issuances. Furthermore, we may enter into financing transactions at prices that represent a substantial
discount to the market price of our common stock. A negative reaction by investors and securities analysts to any discounted sale of our
equity securities could result in a decline in the trading price of our common stock.
12
We currently have fewer than 300 stockholders of record
and, therefore, are eligible to terminate the registration of our common stock under the Exchange Act and cease being a U.S. public company
with reporting obligations.
Section 12(g)(4) of the Exchange Act allows for the registration of
any class of securities to be terminated after a company files a certification with the SEC that the number of holders of record of such
class of security is fewer than 300 persons. As of February 9, 2023, there were 37 stockholders of record of our common stock.
This does not include the number of shareholders that hold shares in “street name” through banks, brokers and other financial
institutions. Accordingly, we are eligible to deregister our common stock and suspend our reporting obligations under the Exchange
Act. If we were to terminate our registration and suspend our reporting obligations under the Exchange Act, we would no longer be required
to comply with U.S. public company disclosure requirements under the Exchange Act, including, but not limited to, annual and quarterly
report filings, proxy statement filings and filings by insiders to disclose the acquisition and disposition of our securities.
Our stock price has been volatile, and your investment in our
common stock could suffer a decline in value.
There has been significant volatility in the market
price and trading volume of equity securities, which is unrelated to the financial performance of the companies issuing the securities.
These broad market fluctuations may negatively affect the market price of our common stock. You may not be able to resell your shares
at or above the price you pay for those shares due to fluctuations in the market price of our common stock caused by changes in our operating
performance or prospects, and other factors.
Some factors that may have a significant effect
on our common stock market price include:
●
actual or anticipated fluctuations in our operating results or future prospects;
●
our announcements or our competitors’ announcements of new technology;
●
the public’s reaction to our press releases, our other public announcements, and our filings with the SEC;
●
strategic actions by us or our competitors, such as acquisitions or restructurings;
●
new laws or regulations or new interpretations of existing laws or regulations applicable to our business;
●
changes in accounting standards, policies, guidance, interpretations, or principles;
●
changes in our growth rates or our competitors’ growth rates;
●
developments regarding our patents or proprietary rights or those of our competitors;
●
the public’s reaction to news concerning Aequitas Technologies LLC’s
patent litigations against Apple and Samsung;
●
our inability to raise additional capital as needed;
●
concern as to the efficacy of our technology;
●
changes in financial markets or general economic conditions, including as a result of war, terrorism, pandemics or other catastrophes;
●
sales of common stock by us or members of our management team; and
●
changes in stock market analyst recommendations or earnings estimates regarding our common stock, other comparable companies, or our industry generally.
A limited number of stockholders, including directors, hold a
significant number of shares of our outstanding common stock.
Our two largest stockholders, who both are members
of our Board of Directors, hold approximately one-fourth of the shares of our outstanding voting stock. This concentration of ownership
could impact the outcome of stockholder votes, including votes concerning the election of directors, the adoption or amendment of provisions
in our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws, and the approval of mergers and other significant corporate transactions. These factors
may also have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in our management or our voting control.
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and the Delaware
General Corporation Law contain provisions that could delay or prevent a change in control.
Our Board of Directors has the authority to issue
up to 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock and to determine the price, rights, preferences and privileges of those shares without any further
vote or action by the stockholders. The rights of the holders of common stock will be subject to, and may be materially adversely affected
by, the rights of the holders of any preferred stock that may be issued in the future. The issuance of preferred stock could have the
effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire a majority of our outstanding voting stock. Furthermore, certain other
provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may have the effect of delaying or preventing changes in control or management,
which could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. In addition, we are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the
Delaware General Corporation Law, an anti-takeover law.
13
If securities analysts do not publish research or if securities
analysts or other third parties publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about us, the price of our common stock could decline.
The trading market for our common stock may rely
in part on the research and reports that securities analysts and other third parties choose to publish about us. We do not control these
analysts or other third parties. The price of our common stock could be negatively impacted by insufficient analyst coverage or if one
or more analysts or other third parties publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about us.
ITEM
1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM
2. PROPERTIES
As of December 31, 2022, we leased office facilities
of approximately 6,700 square feet for our corporate headquarters in Stockholm. In addition, our subsidiary Pronode Technologies AB leases
a workshop of approximately 9,000 square feet in Kungsbacka, Sweden.
We believe our facilities are adequate and suitable
for our current needs and that suitable additional or alternative space will be available to accommodate our operations if needed.
ITEM
3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
We are not a party to any pending legal proceedings.
From time to time, we may become subject to legal proceedings, claims, and litigation arising in the ordinary course of business, including,
but not limited to, employee, customer and vendor disputes.
ITEM
4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
14
PART II
ITEM
5. MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information
Our common stock is quoted on the Nasdaq Stock Market
under the symbol “NEON.”
Holders
As of February 8, 2023, there were 37 stockholders
of record of our common stock. This does not include the number of stockholders that hold shares in “street name” through
banks, brokers and other financial institutions.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
See Part III, Item 12.
“Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters” for information relating
to our equity compensation plans.
Recent Sale of Unregistered Securities and Use of Proceeds
None.
Purchases of Equity Securities By the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
None.
ITEM
6. [RESERVED]
ITEM
7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis should be
read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report.
Overview
Our company provides advanced optical sensing solutions
for contactless touch, touch, and gesture sensing. We also provide software solutions for machine perception that feature advanced machine
learning algorithms to detect and track persons and objects in video streams for cameras and other types of imagers. We base our contactless
touch, touch, and gesture sensing products and solutions using our zForce technology platform and our machine perception solutions on
our MultiSensing technology platform. We market and sell our solutions to customers in many different markets and segments including,
but not limited to, office equipment, automotive, industrial automation, medical, military and avionics.
In 2010, we began licensing to Original Equipment Manufacturers (“OEMs”)
and Tier 1 suppliers who embed our technology into products they develop, manufacture, and sell. Since 2010, our licensing customers have
sold approximately 90 million devices that use our technology. In October 2017, we augmented our licensing business and began manufacturing
and shipping touch sensor modules (“TSMs”) that incorporate our patented technology. We sell these TSMs to OEMs, Original
Design Manufacturers (“ODMs”), and systems integrators for use in their products.
As of December 31, 2022 we had 35 valid technology license agreements
with global OEMs, ODMs and Tier 1 suppliers. As of December 31, 2021, that number was 34. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we
had 11 customers using our touch technology in products that were being shipped to their customers. The majority of our license fees earned
in 2022 and 2021 were from customer shipments of printers.
As of December 31, 2022, we had 10 agreements with value added resellers
(“VARs”) for integration of our TSMs in the products they offer to global OEMs, ODMs and systems integrators. In addition
to this, we distribute our TSMs through Digi-Key Corporation, Serial Microelectronics HK Ltd, and Nexty Electronics Corporation. During
2022, our three distributors sold and shipped 4,834 TSMs and related development kits.
15
During 2022 and 2021, we continued to focus our efforts on maintaining
our current licensing customers and achieving design wins for new products both with current and future customers. We made investments
enhancing the design and improving the production yield of our TSMs and improving the related firmware and configuration tools software
platforms. We also made investments to expand our partner networks for sales and distribution of TSMs. We intend to continue expanding
our TSM product offerings in 2023 and beyond, including new TSM variants and new sensor products for delivery to our key markets. We expect
that over time the sales of HMI products and Remote Sensing Solutions may constitute the majority of our revenue.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements have been
prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and include
the accounts of Neonode Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, as well as Pronode Technologies AB (Sweden), wholly owned subsidiary of
Neonode Technologies AB, one of our wholly owned subsidiaries. The non-controlling interests are reported below net loss including non-controlling
interests under the heading “Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests” in the consolidated statements of operations,
below comprehensive loss under the heading “Comprehensive loss attributable to non-controlling interests” in the consolidated
statements of comprehensive loss, and shown as a separate component of stockholders’ equity in the consolidated balance sheets.
See “Non-controlling Interests” below for further discussion. All inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated
in consolidation.
The accounting policies affecting our financial
condition and results of operations are more fully described in Note 2 of our consolidated financial statements. Certain of our accounting
policies require the application of judgment by management in selecting appropriate assumptions for calculating financial estimates, which
inherently contain some degree of uncertainty. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions that
are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The historical experience and assumptions form the basis for making judgments about
the reported carrying values of assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses that may not be readily apparent
from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We believe the following
are critical accounting policies and related judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.
Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity
with U.S. GAAP requires making estimates and judgments that affect, at the date of the financial statements, the reported amounts of assets
and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses. Actual results could
differ from these estimates and judgments.
Significant estimates and judgments include, but
are not limited to: for revenue recognition, determining the nature and timing of satisfaction of performance obligations, the standalone
selling price of performance obligations, and transaction prices and assessing transfer of control; measuring variable consideration and
other obligations such as product returns and refunds, and product warranties; provisions for uncollectible receivables; determining the
net realizable value of inventory; recoverability of long-lived asset; for leases, determining whether a contract contains a lease, allocating
consideration between lease and non-lease components, determining incremental borrowing rates, and identifying reassessment events, such
as modifications; the valuation allowance related to our deferred tax assets; and the fair value of options issued for stock-based compensation.
16
Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue when control of products is
transferred to our customers, and when services are completed and accepted by our customers; the amount of revenue we recognize reflects
the consideration we expect to receive for those products or services. Our contracts with customers may include combinations of products
and services (e.g., a contract that includes products and related engineering services). We structure our contracts such that distinct
performance obligations, such as product sales or license fees, and related engineering services, are clearly defined in each contract.
License fees and sales of our AirBars and TSMs
are on a per-unit basis. Therefore, we generally satisfy performance obligations as units are shipped to our customers. Non-recurring
engineering service performance obligations are satisfied as work is performed and accepted by our customers.
We recognize revenue net of allowances for returns
and any taxes collected from customers, which are subsequently remitted to governmental authorities. We treat all product shipping and
handling charges (regardless of when they occur) as activities to fulfill the promise to transfer goods. Therefore, we treat all shipping
and handling charges as expenses.
License fees
We earn revenue from licensing our internally developed
intellectual property (“IP”). We enter into IP licensing agreements that generally provide licensees the right to incorporate
our IP components into their products, with terms and conditions that vary by licensee. Fees under these agreements may include license
fees relating to our IP, and royalties payable to us following the distribution by our licensees of products incorporating the licensed
technology. The license for our IP has standalone value and can be used by the licensee without maintenance and support.
For technology license arrangements that do not
require significant modification or customization of the underlying technology, we recognize technology license revenue when the license
is made available to the customer and the customer has a right to use that license. At the end of each reporting period, we record unbilled
license fees, using prior royalty revenue data by customer to make estimates of those royalties.
Explicit return rights are not offered to customers.
There have been no returns through December 31, 2022.
Product sales
We earn revenue from sales of TSM hardware products
to our OEM, ODM and Tier 1 supplier customers, who embed our hardware into their products, and from sales of branded consumer products
that incorporate our TSMs that are sold through distributors or directly to end users. These distributors are generally given business
terms that allow them to return unsold inventory, receive credits for changes in selling prices, and participate in various cooperative
marketing programs. Our sales agreements generally provide customers with limited rights of return and warranty provisions.
The timing of revenue recognition related to AirBar
modules depends upon how each sale is transacted - either point-of-sale or through distributors. We recognize revenue for AirBar modules
sold point-of-sale (online sales and other direct sales to customers) when we provide the promised product to the customer.
Because we use distributors to provide AirBar TSMs
to our customers, we must analyze the terms of our distributor agreements to determine when control passes from us to our distributors.
For sales of AirBar and TSMs sold through distributors, we recognize revenues when our distributors obtain control over our products.
Control passes to our distributors when we have a present right to payment for products sold to the distributors, the distributors have
legal title to and physical possession of products purchased from us, and the distributors have significant risks and rewards of ownership
of products purchased.
Distributors participate in various cooperative
marketing and other incentive programs, and we maintain estimated accruals and allowances for these programs. If actual credits received
by distributors under these programs were to deviate significantly from our estimates, which are based on historical experience, our revenue
could be adversely affected.
Under U.S. GAAP, companies may make reasonable
aggregations and approximations of returns data to accurately estimate returns. Our AirBar and TSM returns and warranty experience to
date has enabled us to make reasonable returns estimates, which are supported by the fact that our product sales involve homogenous transactions.
The reserve for future sales returns is recorded as a reduction of our accounts receivable and revenue and was $9,000 and $69,000 as of
December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The warranty reserve is recorded as an accrued expense and cost of sales and was $49,000 and
$36,000 as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. If the actual future returns were to deviate from the historical data on which
the reserve had been established, our revenue could be adversely affected.
Non-Recurring Engineering
For technology license or TSM contracts that require
modification or customization of the underlying technology to adapt the technology to customer use, we determine whether the technology
license or TSM, and required engineering consulting services represent separate performance obligations. We perform our analysis on a
contract-by-contract basis. If there are separate performance obligations, we determine the standalone selling price (“SSP”)
of each separate performance obligation to properly recognize revenue as each performance obligation is satisfied. We provide engineering
consulting services to our customers under a signed Statement of Work (“SOW”). Deliverables and payment terms are specified
in each SOW. We generally charge an hourly rate for engineering services, and we recognize revenue as engineering services specified in
contracts are completed and accepted by our customers. Any upfront payments we receive for future non-recurring engineering are recorded
as unearned revenue until that revenue is earned.
17
We believe that recognizing revenue from non-recurring
engineering as progress towards completion of engineering services and customer acceptance of those services occurs best reflects the
economics of those transactions, because engineering services as tracked in our systems correspond directly with the value to our customers
of our performance completed to date. Hours performed for each engineering project are tracked and reflect progress made on each project
and are charged at a consistent hourly rate.
Revenues from non-recurring engineering contracts
that are short-term in nature are recorded when those services are complete and accepted by customers.
Revenues from non-recurring engineering contracts
with substantive defined deliverables for which payment terms in the SOW are commensurate with the efforts required to produce such deliverables
are recognized as they are completed and accepted by customers.
Estimated losses on all SOW projects are recognized
in full as soon as they become evident. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, we recorded no losses.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful
Accounts
Our accounts receivable is stated at net realizable
value. Our policy is to maintain allowances for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to make the required payments.
Inventory
Our inventory
consists primarily of components that will be used in the manufacturing of our TSMs. We classify inventory for reporting purposes as raw
materials, work-in-process, and finished goods.
Inventory
is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, using the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) valuation method. Net realizable
value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and
transportation. Any adjustments to reduce the cost of inventories to their net realizable value are recognized in earnings in the current
period.
Due to the
low sell-through of our AirBar products, management has decided to fully reserve work-in-process for AirBar components, as well as AirBar
related raw materials and finished goods. The AirBar inventory reserve was $0.3 million
and $0.8 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Management decided to reserve for
TSM inventory related to a quality issue in production. The TSM inventory reserve was $0.2 million as of December 31, 2021. During
2022 the affected inventory was scrapped and as of December 31, 2022 the inventory reserve was zero.
Research and Development
Research and development (“R&D”)
costs are expensed as incurred. R&D costs consist mainly of personnel related costs in addition to some external consultancy costs
such as testing, certifying and measurements.
Stock-Based Compensation Expense
We measure the cost of employee services received
in exchange for an award of equity instruments, including share options, based on the estimated fair value of the award on the grant date,
and recognize the value as compensation expense over the period the employee is required to provide services in exchange for the award,
usually the vesting period, net of estimated forfeitures.
18
We account for equity instruments issued to non-employees
at their estimated fair value.
When determining stock-based compensation expense
involving options and warrants, we determine the estimated fair value of options and warrants using the Black-Scholes option pricing model.
Non-controlling Interests
We recognize any non-controlling interest, also
known as a minority interest, as a separate line item in equity in the consolidated financial statements. A non-controlling interest represents
the portion of equity ownership in a less-than-wholly owned subsidiary not attributable to us. Generally, any interest that represents
less than 50% of the outstanding voting shares is deemed to be a non-controlling interest; however, there are other factors, such as decision-making
rights, that are considered as well. We include the amount of net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests in consolidated
net income (loss) on the face of the consolidated statements of operations.
We provide either in the consolidated statement
of stockholders’ equity, if presented, or in the notes to consolidated financial statements, a reconciliation at the beginning and
the end of the period of the carrying amount of total equity (net assets), equity (net assets) attributable to the parent, and equity
(net assets) attributable to the non-controlling interest that separately discloses:
(1)
Net income or loss;
(2)
Transactions with owners acting in their capacity as owners, showing separately contributions from and distributions to owners; and
(3)
Each component of other comprehensive income or loss.
Net Loss per Share
Net loss per share amounts have been computed based
on the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Net loss per share, assuming dilution amounts from
common stock equivalents, is computed based on the weighted-average number of shares of common stock and potential common stock equivalents
outstanding during the period. The weighted-average number of shares of common stock and potential common stock equivalents used in computing
the net loss per share for years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 exclude the potential common stock equivalents, as the effect would
be anti-dilutive.
Deferred Revenues
Deferred revenues consist primarily of prepayments
for license fees, and other products or services that we have been paid in advance. We earn this revenue when we transfer control of the
product or service. Deferred revenues may also include upfront payments for consulting services to be performed in the future, such as
non-recurring engineering services.
We defer license fees until we have met all accounting
requirements for revenue recognition, which is when a license is made available to a customer and that customer has a right to use the
license. Engineering development fee revenues are deferred until engineering services have been completed and accepted by our customers.
We defer sensor modules revenues until distributors sell the products to their end customers.
The following table presents our deferred revenues
by source (in thousands);
Years ended
December 31,
2022
2021
Deferred revenues license fees
$ 20
$ 28
Deferred revenues products
9
70
Deferred non-recurring engineering
7
8
$ 36
$ 106
19
Results of Operations
A summary of our financial results for the years
ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 is as follows (in thousands, except percentages):
2022
2021
Variance in
Dollars
Variance in
Percent
Revenue:
License fees
$ 4,470
$ 4,787
$ (317 )
(6.6 )%
Percentage of revenue
78.8 %
82.0 %
Products
995
955
40
4.2 %
Percentage of revenue
17.5 %
16.4 %
Non-recurring engineering
205
94
111
118.1 %
Percentage of revenue
3.6 %
1.6 %
Total Revenue
$ 5,670
$ 5,836
$ (166 )
(2.8 )%
Cost of Sales:
Products
$ 776
$ 922
$ (146 )
(15.8 )%
Percentage of revenue
13.7 %
15.8 %
Non-recurring engineering
28
33
(5 )
(15.2 )%
Percentage of revenue
0.5 %
0.6 %
Total Cost of Sales
$ 804
$ 955
$ (151 )
(15.8 )%
Total Gross Margin
$ 4,866
$ 4,881
$ (15 )
(0.3 )%
Operating Expense:
Research and development
$ 3,963
$ 3,546
$ 417
11.8 %
Percentage of revenue
69.9 %
60.8 %
Sales and marketing
2,034
2,839
(805 )
(28.4 )%
Percentage of revenue
35.9 %
48.6 %
General and administrative
4,155
5,603
(1,448 )
(25.8 )%
Percentage of revenue
73.3 %
96.0 %
Total Operating Expenses
$ 10,152
$ 11,988
$ (1,836 )
(15.3 )%
Percentage of revenue
179.0 %
205.4 %
Operating Loss
$ (5,286 )
$ (7,107 )
$ 1,821
(25.6 )%
Percentage of revenue
(93.2 )%
(121.8 )%
Interest income (expense)
100
(15 )
115
(766.7 )%
Percentage of revenue
1.8 %
(0.3 )%
Other income
21
-
21
- %
Percentage of revenue
0.4 %
- %
Provision for income taxes
118
146
(28 )
(19.2 )%
Percentage of revenue
2.1 %
2.5 %
Less: net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests
400
818
(418 )
(51.1 )%
Percentage of revenue
7.1 %
14.0 %
Net loss attributable to Neonode Inc.
(4,883 )
(6,450 )
1,567
(24.3 )%
Percentage of revenue
(86.1 )%
(110.5 )%
Net loss per share attributable to Neonode Inc. per share
$ (0.36 )
$ (0.54 )
$ 0.18
(33.3 )%
20
Revenues
All of our sales for the years ended December 31,
2022 and 2021 were to customers located in the United States, Europe and Asia.
The decrease in total gross revenues by 2.8% for
the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to 2021 was primarily caused by lower license fees, offset by higher product sales and NRE.
The following tables present the net revenues distribution
by geographical area and revenue stream for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (dollars in thousands):
2022
2021
Amount
Percentage
Amount
Percentage
AMER
License fees
$ 1,812
98.5 %
$ 2,102
93.6 %
Products
27
1.5 %
144
6.4 %
Non-recurring engineering
-
- %
-
- %
$ 1,839
100.0 %
$ 2,246
100.0 %
APAC
License fees
$ 2,369
85.7 %
$ 2,394
77.2 %
Products
348
12.6 %
661
21.3 %
Non-recurring engineering
46
1.7 %
48
1.5 %
$ 2,763
100.0 %
$ 3,103
100.0 %
EMEA
License fees
$ 289
27.1 %
$ 291
59.8 %
Products
620
58.0 %
150
30.8 %
Non-recurring engineering
159
14.9 %
46
9.4 %
$ 1,068
100.0 %
$ 487
100.0 %
21
The following table presents disaggregated revenues
by revenue stream for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (dollars in thousands):
Year ended
December 31, 2022
Year ended
December 31, 2021
Amount
Percentage
Amount
Percentage
Net license revenues from automotive (license fees)
$ 1,551
27.4 %
$ 1,602
27.5 %
Net license revenues from consumer electronics (license fees)
2,919
51.5 %
3,185
54.5 %
Net revenues from TSMs (products)
995
17.5 %
955
16.4 %
Net revenues from non-recurring engineering services
205
3.6 %
94
1.6 %
$ 5,670
100.0 %
$ 5,836
100.0 %
License fees decreased by 6.6% in 2022 as compared
to 2021. The decrease is primarily the result of component shortages within the printer and automotive markets related to the COVID-19
pandemic, which in turn impacted our license revenues for 2022. However, we saw a recovery of license revenues for the second half of
2022 compared to the same period in 2021.
Revenues from product sales were $1.0 million,
the same as for 2021. We saw a recovery for the second half of 2022 compared to same period in 2021, but our product sales continue to
be negatively impacted by COVID-19 driven lock-downs in Asia. We are also affected by the comparatively long development and launch periods,
often 12 to 18 months, or longer, for our customers’ new equipment solutions, which slows our sales growth.
Revenues from NRE services increased 118.1% in
2022 as compared to 2021. Revenues from NRE is associated with customer application development projects and typically fluctuates from
quarter to quarter and year to year and is entirely dependent on specific customer driven development activities. We expect to continue
to earn NRE fees in 2023 and future years.
Gross Margin
Our total gross margin was 85.8% in 2022 compared
to 83.6% in 2021. Gross margin related to product sales was 22.0% in 2022 compared to 3.5% in 2021. In 2022 and 2021 product sales gross
margin was impacted by one-time adjustments related to TSMs stock write-downs.
Our cost of revenues includes the direct cost of
production of certain customer prototypes, costs of engineering personnel, engineering consultants to complete the engineering design
contracts and cost of goods sold for sensor modules includes fully burdened manufacturing costs, outsourced final assembly costs, and
component costs of sensor modules.
Research and Development
Product R&D expenses for 2022 were 69.9% of
total revenue compared to 60.8% in 2021. R&D in 2022 increased 11.8% compared to 2021 primarily due to higher cost for personnel and
related costs. The cost was also affected by favorable exchange rate from Swedish Krona to US Dollar. There were 26 employees and zero
consultants in our R&D department as of December 31, 2022 compared to 25 employees and 2 consultants as of December 31, 2021.
Our R&D groups are primarily tasked with developing
technology and software platforms to support our TSMs and our customer integration activities for both our sensor hardware and license
agreements.
Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing expenses for 2022 were 35.9%
of total revenue compared to 48.6% in 2021. Sales and marketing expenses in 2022 decreased 28.4% compared to 2021 primarily due to lower
cost for personnel and related costs in 2022. The decrease was also result of favorable exchange rate from Swedish Krona to US Dollar.
We had eight employees and five consultants in our sales and marketing department as of December 31, 2022 compared to eight employees
and six consultants as of December 31, 2021. There is approximately $8,000 of stock-based compensation expense included in sales and marketing
expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $50,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Our sales activities focus on OEM, ODM and Tier
1 customers, directly or through VARs, who license our technology or purchase and embed our touch sensor modules into their products.
22
General and Administrative
General and administrative (“G&A”)
expenses were 73.3% of revenue in 2022 compared to 96.0% in 2021. Total G&A expenses in 2022 decreased 25.8% from 2021 and was primarily
due to lower cost for personnel and related, depreciation and amortization, and professional fees. The decrease was also result of favorable
exchange rate from Swedish Krona to US Dollar. As of December 31, 2022, we had 13 full-time employees and zero consultants in our G&A
department fulfilling management, IT, HR and accounting responsibilities compared to seven full-time employees and three consultants as
of December 31, 2021. There is approximately $114,000 of non-cash stock-based compensation included in G&A expenses for the year ended
December 31, 2022 compared to $107,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Other Income (Expense)
Other income (expense) for the year ended December
31, 2022 was $121,000 compared to $(15,000) for the year ended December 31, 2021. The other income for 2022 was related to interest income
earned and gain from recovery of bad debt offset by primarily finance leases. The other expense for 2021 was primarily related to finance
leases.
Foreign Currency Translation and Transaction
Gains and Losses
The functional currency of our foreign subsidiaries
is the applicable local currency, the Swedish Krona, the Japanese Yen, the South Korean Won and the Taiwan Dollar. The translation from
Swedish Krona, Japanese Yen, South Korean Won or the Taiwan Dollar to U.S. Dollars is performed for balance sheet accounts using current
exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date and for income statement accounts using a weighted average exchange rate during the
period. Gains or (losses) resulting from translation are included as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).
Gains or (losses) resulting from foreign currency transactions are included in general and administrative expenses in the accompanying
consolidated statements of operations were $35,000 and $(66,000) during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Foreign
currency translation gains (losses) were $68,000 and $(4,000) during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively
Income Taxes
Our effective tax rate was (2)% for the year ended
December 31, 2022 and (2)% for the year ended December 31, 2021. We recorded valuation allowances in 2022 and 2021 for deferred tax assets
related to net operating losses due to the uncertainty of realization.
Net Loss
As a result of the factors discussed above, we
recorded a net loss of $4.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to a net loss of $6.5 million for the year ended December
31, 2021.
Contractual Obligation
We previously agreed to secure the value of inventory
purchased by one of our AirBars manufacturing partners. At December 31, 2021, the guaranteed amount was decreased from $100,000 to $0.
We do not have any other transactions, arrangements, or other relationships with unconsolidated entities that are reasonably likely to
affect our liquidity or capital resources other than the operating leases incurred in the normal course of business.
We have no special purpose or limited purpose entities
that provide off-balance sheet financing, liquidity, or market or credit risk support. We do not engage in leasing, hedging, research
and development services, or other relationships that expose us to liability that is not reflected on the face of the consolidated financial
statements.
Operating Leases
We did not renew our lease for the office space
located at 2880 Zanker Road, San Jose, California 95134 in August 2020 and Neonode Inc. now operates solely through a virtual office in
California.
23
On December 1, 2020, Neonode Technologies AB entered
into a lease for 6,684 square feet of office space located at Karlavägen 100, Stockholm, Sweden. The lease agreement has been extended
and is valid through November 2023. It is extended on a yearly basis unless written notice is provided nine months prior to the expiration
date.
On December 1, 2015, Pronode Technologies AB entered
into a lease agreement for 9,040 square feet of workshop located at Faktorvägen 17, Kungsbacka, Sweden. The lease agreement has been
extended and is valid through September 2024. It is extended on a three-year basis unless written notice is given nine months prior to
the expiration date.
On September 1, 2019 we entered into a lease of
office space located at the NishiShinjuku Takagi Building, 1203 NishiShinjuku, Shinjukuku, Tokyo, Japan. The lease was valid through August
31, 2021 and was not renewed. We now operate through a virtual office in Japan.
For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021,
we recorded approximately $577,000 and $661,000, respectively, for rent expense.
Equipment Subject to
Finance Leases
In April 2014, we entered into a lease for certain
specialized milling equipment. Under the terms of the lease agreement we are obligated to purchase the equipment at the end of the original
six-year lease term for 10% of the original purchase price of the equipment. In accordance with relevant accounting guidance the lease
is classified as a finance lease. The lease payments and depreciation period began on July 1, 2014 when the equipment went into service.
On July 1, 2020 the lease contract was extended for one year. The implicit interest rate of the extended lease period is 9.85% per annum.
The lease expired July 1, 2021 and we paid the residual value.
Between the second and fourth quarters of 2016,
we entered into six leases for component production equipment. Under the terms of five of the lease agreements we are obligated to purchase
the equipment at the end of the original 3-5 year lease terms for 5-10% of the original purchase price of the equipment. In accordance
with relevant accounting guidance the leases are classified as finance leases. The lease payments and depreciation periods began between
June and November 2016 when the equipment went into service. The implicit interest rate of the leases is currently approximately 3% per
annum. One of the leases is a hire-purchase agreement where the equipment is required to be paid off after five years. In accordance with
relevant accounting guidance, the lease is classified as a finance lease. The lease payments and depreciation period began on July 1,
2016 when the equipment went into service. The implicit interest rate of the lease is currently approximately 3% per annum. On April 1,
2022, one of lease contracts was extended for three years. The implicit interest rate of the extended lease period is 2.7% per annum.
In 2017, we entered into a lease for component
production equipment. Under the terms of the lease agreement the lease will be renewed within one year of the end of the original four-year
lease term. In accordance with relevant accounting guidance, the lease is classified as a finance lease. The lease payments and depreciation
periods began in May 2017 when the equipment went into service. The implicit interest rate of the lease is currently approximately 1.5%
per annum. On November 1, 2021 the lease contract was extended for two years. The implicit interest rate of the extended lease period
is 1.5% per annum.
In 2018, we entered into a lease for component
production equipment. Under the terms of the agreement, the lease will be renewed within one year of the original four-year lease term.
In accordance with relevant accounting guidance, the lease is classified as a finance lease. The lease payments and depreciation periods
began in August 2018 when the equipment went into service. The implicit interest rate of the lease is currently approximately 1.5% per
annum.
In 2021 we terminated one finance lease by purchasing
the related equipment and extended one finance lease for an additional two years.
During 2022, we entered into
a lease for soundproof office pods. Under the terms of the agreement, the lease will be renewed within one year of the original three-year
lease term. In accordance with relevant accounting guidance the lease is classified as a finance lease. The lease payments and depreciation
periods began in May 2022 when the equipment went into service. The implicit interest rate of the lease is currently approximately 3.0%
per annum.
Non-Recurring Engineering
Development Costs
On April 25, 2013, we entered into an Analog Device
Development Agreement (the “NN1002 Agreement”) with Texas Instruments (“TI”), with an effective date of December
6, 2012, pursuant to which TI agreed to integrate our intellectual property into an ASIC. Under the terms of the NN1002 Agreement, we
agreed to pay TI $500,000 of non-recurring engineering costs at the rate of $0.25 per ASIC for each of the first two million ASICs sold.
As of December 31, 2022, we had made no payments to TI under the NN1002 Agreement.
24
Liquidity and Capital
Resources
Our liquidity is dependent on many factors, including
sales volume, operating profit and the efficiency of asset use and turnover. Our future liquidity will be affected by, among other things:
●
licensing of our technology;
●
purchases of our TSMs and AirBars;
●
operating expenses;
●
timing of our OEM customer product shipments;
●
timing of payment for our technology licensing agreements;
●
gross profit margin; and
●
ability to raise additional capital, if necessary.
As of December 31, 2022, we had cash of $14.8 million,
as compared to $17.4 million as of December 31, 2021.
Working capital (current assets less current liabilities)
was $19.1 million as of December 31, 2022, compared to working capital of $19.1 million as of December 31, 2021.
Net cash used in operating activities for the year
ended December 31, 2022 was $6.8 million and was primarily the result of a net loss including noncontrolling interests of approximately
$5.3 million. Cash used to fund net losses is offset by approximately $0.6 million in non-cash operating expenses, mainly comprised
of depreciation, amortization and stock-based compensation.
Accounts receivable and unbilled revenues increased
by approximately $136,000 as of December 31, 2022 compared to December 31, 2021.
Inventory increased by approximately $1,133,000
as of December 31, 2022 compared to December 31, 2021.
Accounts payable and accrued expenses decreased
approximately $460,000 as of December 31, 2022 compared to December 31, 2021.
Net cash used in operating activities for the year
ended December 31, 2021 was $7.7 million and was primarily the result of a net loss including noncontrolling interests of approximately
$7.3 million. Cash used to fund net losses is offset by approximately $1.3 million in non-cash operating expenses, mainly comprised of
depreciation, amortization and stock-based compensation.
25
Net cash provided by financing activities for the
year ended December 31, 2022 was $4.5 million and was mainly the result of the issuance of common stock, partly offset by principal payments
on finance leases.
Net cash provided by financing activities for the
year ended December 31, 2021 was $14.6 million and was mainly the result of the issuance of common stock, partly offset by principal payments
on finance leases.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, we purchased
$52,000 of fixed assets, consisting primarily of office equipment. For the year ended December 31, 2021, we purchased $67,000 of fixed
assets, consisting primarily of engineering equipment.
Registered Direct Offering
On October 21, 2021, we entered into a placement
agency agreement with Pareto Securities Inc. and Pareto Securities AB pursuant to which we sold to certain Swedish and other European
investors an aggregate of 1,808,000 shares of our common stock at a price of $7.75 per share in a registered direct offering that closed
on October 26, 2021 (the “Offering”). We received net proceeds of approximately $13.1 million from the Offering after deducting
placement agent fees and offering expenses.
At-the-Market Offering
Program
On May 10, 2021, we entered into an At Market Issuance
Sales Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with B. Riley Securities, Inc. (“B. Riley Securities”) with respect to
an “at the market” offering program (the “ATM Facility”), under which we may, from time to time, in our sole discretion,
issue and sell through B. Riley Securities, acting as sales agent, up to $25 million of shares of our common stock.
Pursuant to the Sale Agreement, we may sell the
shares through B. Riley Securities by any method permitted that is deemed an “at the market” offering as defined in Rule 415
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. B. Riley Securities will use commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal
trading and sales practices to sell the shares from time to time, based upon instructions from us (including any price or size limits
or other customary parameters or conditions we may impose). We will pay B. Riley Securities a commission of 3.0% of the gross sales price
per share sold under the Sales Agreement.
We are not obligated to sell any shares under the
Sale Agreement. The offering of shares pursuant to the Sale Agreement will terminate upon the earlier to occur of (i) the issuance and
sale, through B. Riley Securities, of all of the shares subject to the Sales Agreement and (ii) termination of the Sale Agreement in accordance
with its terms.
During the twelve months ended December 31, 2022, we sold an aggregate
of 886,065 shares of common stock under the ATM Facility, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $4,686,000 after payment of commissions
to B. Riley Securities and other expenses of $167,000.
During the twelve months ended December 31, 2021,
we sold an aggregate of 235,722 shares of common stock under the ATM Facility, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $1,984,000 after
payment of commissions to B. Riley Securities and other expenses of $66,000.
During January 2023, we sold an aggregate of 903,716
shares of our common stock under the ATM Facility with aggregate net proceeds to us of $7,868,000, after payment of commissions to B.
Riley Securities and other expenses of $244,000.
26
Future Sources of Liquidity
In the future, we may require sources of capital
in addition to cash on hand and our ATM Facility to continue operations and to implement our strategy. If our operations do not become
cash flow positive, we may be forced to seek equity investments or debt arrangements. Historically, we have been able to access the capital
markets through sales of common stock and warrants to generate liquidity. Our management believes it could raise capital through public
or private offerings if needed to provide us with sufficient liquidity.
No assurances can be given, however, that we will
be successful in obtaining such additional financing on reasonable terms, or at all. If adequate funds are not available on acceptable
terms, or at all, we may be unable to adequately fund our business plans and it could have a negative effect on our business, results
of operations and financial condition. In addition, no assurance can be given that stockholders will approve an increase in the number
of our authorized shares of common stock if needed. The issuance of equity securities or securities convertible into equity could dilute
the value of shares of our common stock and cause the market price to fall, and the issuance of debt securities could impose restrictive
covenants that could impair our ability to engage in certain business transactions.
The functional currency of our foreign subsidiaries
is the applicable local currency, the Swedish Krona, the Japanese Yen, the South Korean Won and the Taiwan Dollar. They are subject to
foreign currency exchange rate risk. Any increase or decrease in the exchange rate of the U.S. Dollar compared to the Swedish Krona, Japanese
Yen, South Korean Won or Taiwan Dollar will impact our future operating results.
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Not applicable.
27
ITEM
8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Index to the Consolidated Financial Statements Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 170 ) F-2
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 F-4
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 F-5
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 F-6
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 F-7
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 F-8
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements F-9
F- 1
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
FIRM
Board of Directors and Stockholders
Neonode Inc.
Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Neonode
Inc. (a Delaware corporation) and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the related consolidated
statements of operations, comprehensive loss, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended
December 31, 2022, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion,
the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31,
2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2022,
in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of
the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits.
We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and
are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules
and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB.
Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements
are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform,
an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal
control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal
control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material
misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those
risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial
statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well
as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis
for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from
the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee
and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially
challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on
the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing
a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
F- 2
Accounting for Licensing Revenues
Critical Audit Matter Description
As described further in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements,
the Company earns revenue from licensing its internally developed intellectual property (“IP”) by entering into IP licensing
agreements that generally provide licensees the right to incorporate IP components in their products, with terms and conditions that
vary by licensee. Fees under these agreements may include license fees relating to the Company’s IP, and royalties payable to the
Company following the distribution by the licensees of products incorporating the licensed technology. At the end of each reporting period,
the Company records unbilled license revenues, using prior royalty revenue data by customer to make estimates of those royalties.
Auditing management’s evaluation of unbilled license revenues
was challenging due to the lack of objectively verifiable evidence used in the estimation process. As a result, there is a high degree
of auditor judgment involved in performing procedures on the Company’s estimates.
How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed
in the Audit
The primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit
matter included assessing the accuracy of royalty estimates made in prior reporting periods as compared to the actual royalties subsequently
determined for all significant licensing customers and inquiring of management as to the reasons for any significant differences between
actual and estimated royalties, determining that the Company has had no significant revenue reversals as a result of these past differences,
and inquiring as to the basis of the current period estimates of royalties, including the Company’s considerations of the overall
economic environment, past royalty experience and the specific circumstances and trends of the license customers’ royalty-based
business based on the Company’s knowledge of and discussions with customers’ representatives.
/s/ KMJ Corbin & Company LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2009.
Irvine, California
March 9, 2023
F- 3
NEONODE INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)
As of
December 31,
2022
As of
December 31,
2021
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash
$ 14,816
$ 17,383
Accounts receivable and unbilled revenues, net
1,448
1,293
Inventory
3,827
2,520
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
707
836
Total current assets
20,798
22,032
Property and equipment, net
282
376
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net
118
584
Total assets
$ 21,198
$ 22,992
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
$ 334
$ 776
Accrued payroll and employee benefits
951
1,037
Accrued expenses
200
371
Contract liabilities
36
106
Current portion of finance lease obligations
95
258
Current portion of operating lease obligations
83
425
Total current liabilities
1,699
2,973
Finance lease obligations, net of current portion
46
65
Operating lease obligations, net of current portion
35
117
Total liabilities
1,780
3,155
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, 25,000,000 shares authorized, with par value of $ 0.001 ; 14,455,765 and 13,575,952 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively
14
14
Additional paid-in capital
227,235
226,880
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
( 340 )
( 408 )
Accumulated deficit
( 207,491 )
( 202,608 )
Total Neonode Inc. stockholders’ equity
19,418
23,878
Noncontrolling interests
-
( 4,041 )
Total stockholders’ equity
19,418
19,837
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
$ 21,198
$ 22,992
The accompanying notes are an integral part of
these consolidated financial statements.
F- 4
NEONODE INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Years Ended
December 31,
2022
December 31,
2021
Revenues:
License fees
$ 4,470
$ 4,787
Products
995
955
Non-recurring engineering
205
94
Total revenues
5,670
5,836
Cost of revenues:
Products
776
922
Non-recurring engineering
28
33
Total cost of revenues
804
955
Total gross margin
4,866
4,881
Operating expenses:
Research and development
3,963
3,546
Sales and marketing
2,034
2,839
General and administrative
4,155
5,603
Total operating expenses
10,152
11,988
Operating loss
( 5,286 )
( 7,107 )
Other income (expense):
Interest income (expense), net
100
( 15 )
Other income
21
-
Total other income (expense)
121
( 15 )
Loss before provision for income taxes
( 5,165 )
( 7,122 )
Provision for income taxes
118
146
Net loss including noncontrolling interests
( 5,283 )
( 7,268 )
Less: net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests
400
818
Net loss attributable to Neonode Inc.
( 4,883 )
( 6,450 )
Loss per common share:
Basic and diluted loss per share
$ ( 0.36 )
$ ( 0.54 )
Basic and diluted – weighted average number of common shares outstanding
13,632
11,907
The accompanying notes are an integral part of
these consolidated financial statements.
F- 5
NEONODE INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(In thousands)
Years Ended
December 31,
2022
December 31,
2021
Net loss including noncontrolling interests
$ ( 5,283 )
$ ( 7,268 )
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustments
68
( 4 )
Comprehensive loss
( 5,215 )
( 7,272 )
Less: Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests
400
818
Comprehensive loss attributable to Neonode Inc.
$ ( 4,815 )
$ ( 6,454 )
The accompanying notes are an integral part of
these consolidated financial statements.
F- 6
NEONODE INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’
EQUITY
(In thousands)
Common
Stock
Shares
Issued
Common
Stock
Amount
Additional
Paid-in
Capital
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
Accumulated
Deficit
Total
Neonode Inc.
Stockholders’
Equity
Noncontrolling
Interests
Total
Stockholders’
Equity
Balances, January 1, 2021
11,504
$ 12
$ 211,663
$ ( 404 )
$ ( 196,158 )
$ 15,113
$ ( 3,223 )
$ 11,890
Issuance of shares for cash, net of offering costs
2,044
2
15,060
-
-
15,062
-
15,062
Stock-based compensation
28
-
157
-
-
157
-
157
Foreign currency translation adjustment
-
-
-
( 4 )
-
( 4 )
-
( 4 )
Net loss
-
-
-
-
( 6,450 )
( 6,450 )
( 818 )
( 7,268 )
Balances, December 31, 2021
13,576
14
226,880
( 408 )
( 202,608 )
23,878
( 4,041 )
19,837
Issuance of shares for cash, net of offering costs
886
-
4,686
-
-
4,686
-
4,686
Stock-based compensation
4
-
122
-
-
122
-
122
Repurchase and retirement of stock
( 10 )
-
( 12 )
-
-
( 12 )
-
( 12 )
Acquisition of remaining shares Pronode
-
-
( 4,441 )
-
-
( 4,441 )
4,441
-
Foreign currency translation adjustment
-
-
-
68
-
68
-
68
Net loss
-
-
-
-
( 4,883 )
( 4,883 )
( 400 )
( 5,283 )
Balances, December 31, 2022
14,456
$ 14
$ 227,235
$ ( 340 )
$ ( 207,491 )
$ 19,418
$ -
$ 19,418
The accompanying notes are an integral part of
these consolidated financial statements.
F- 7
NEONODE INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)
Years Ended
December 31,
2022
December 31,
2021
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss (including noncontrolling interests)
$ ( 5,283 )
$ ( 7,268 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Stock-based compensation expense
122
157
Depreciation and amortization
120
632
Amortization of operating lease right-of-use assets
399
505
Recoveries of bad debt
( 46 )
-
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable and unbilled revenue, net
( 136 )
434
Projects in process
-
-
Inventory
( 1,133 )
( 1,440 )
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
37
247
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
( 460 )
( 406 )
Deferred revenues
( 65 )
( 28 )
Operating lease obligations
( 363 )
( 511 )
Net cash used in operating activities
( 6,808 )
( 7,678 )
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment
( 52 )
( 67 )
Net cash used in investing activities
( 52 )
( 67 )
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of offering costs
4,686
15,062
Repurchase of common stock
( 12 )
-
Principal payments on finance lease obligations
( 165 )
( 487 )
Net cash provided by financing activities
4,509
14,575
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash
( 216 )
80
Net change in cash
( 2,567 )
6,910
Cash at beginning of year
17,383
10,473
Cash at end of year
$ 14,816
$ 17,383
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest
$ 9
$ 15
Cash paid for income taxes
$ 132
$ 146
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financial activities:
Right-of-use asset obtained in exchange for finance lease
obligations
$ 24
$ 239
Acquisition of Pronode shares
$ 4,441
$ -
The accompanying notes are an integral part of
these consolidated financial statements.
F- 8
NEONODE INC.
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
1.
Nature of the Business and Operations
Background and Organization
Neonode Inc. (“we”, “us”,
“our”, or the “Company”) was incorporated in the State of Delaware in 1997 as the parent of Neonode AB, a company
founded in February 2004 and incorporated in Sweden. We have the following wholly owned subsidiaries: Neonode Technologies AB (Sweden)
(established in 2008 to develop and license touchscreen technology); Neonode Japan Inc. (Japan) (established in 2013); Neonode Korea Ltd.
(South Korea) (established in 2014). In 2015, we established Pronode Technologies AB, a subsidiary of Neonode Technologies AB. Since October
1, 2022, Pronode Technologies AB is a wholly owned subsidiary of Neonode Technologies AB.
Operations
Neonode Inc., which is collectively with its subsidiaries
referred to as “Neonode” or the “Company” in this report, develops advanced optical sensing solutions for contactless
touch, touch, gesture sensing, and object detection and machine perception solutions using advanced machine learning algorithms to detect
and track persons and objects in video streams for cameras and other types of imagers. We market and sell our contactless touch, touch,
gesture sensing, and object detection products and solutions based on our zForce technology platform, and our machine perception solutions
based on our MultiSensing technology platform. We offer our solutions to customers in many different markets and segments including,
but not limited to, office equipment, automotive, industrial automation, medical, military and avionics.
Liquidity
We incurred net losses of approximately $ 4.9 million
and $ 6.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and had an accumulated deficit of approximately $ 207.5
million as of December 31, 2022. In addition, we used cash in operating activities of approximately $ 6.8 million and $ 7.7 million for
the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
On October 21, 2021, we entered into a placement
agency agreement with Pareto Securities Inc. and Pareto Securities AB pursuant to which we sold to certain Swedish and other European
investors an aggregate of 1,808,000 shares of our common stock at a price of $ 7.75 per share in a registered direct offering that closed
on October 26, 2021 (the “Offering”). We received net proceeds of approximately $ 13.1 million from the Offering after deducting
placement agent fees and offering expenses.
On May 10, 2021, we entered into an At Market
Issuance Sales Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with B. Riley Securities, Inc. (“B. Riley Securities”) with
respect to an “at the market” offering program (the “ATM Facility”), under which we may, from time to time, in
our sole discretion, issue and sell through B. Riley Securities, acting as sales agent, up to $ 25 million of shares of our common stock.
Pursuant to the Sale Agreement, we may sell the
shares through B. Riley Securities by any method permitted that is deemed an “at the market” offering as defined in Rule
415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. B. Riley Securities will use commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal
trading and sales practices to sell the shares from time to time, based upon instructions from us (including any price or size limits
or other customary parameters or conditions we may impose). We will pay B. Riley Securities a commission of 3.0 % of the gross sales price
per share sold under the Sales Agreement.
We are not obligated to sell any shares under
the Sale Agreement. The offering of shares pursuant to the Sale Agreement will terminate upon the earlier to occur of (i) the issuance
and sale, through B. Riley Securities, of all of the shares subject to the Sales Agreement and (ii) termination of the Sale Agreement
in accordance with its terms.
During the twelve months ended December 31, 2022, we sold an aggregate
of 886,065 shares of common stock under the ATM Facility, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $ 4,686,000 after payment of commissions
to B. Riley Securities and other expenses of $ 167,000 .
During the twelve months ended December 31, 2021,
we sold an aggregate of 235,722 shares of common stock under the ATM Facility, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $ 1,984,000
after payment of commissions to B. Riley Securities and other expenses of $ 66,000 .
During January 2023, we sold an aggregate of 903,716 shares of our
common stock under the ATM Facility with aggregate net proceeds to us of $ 7,868,000 , after payment of commissions to B. Riley Securities
and other expenses of $ 244,000 .
F- 9
The consolidated financial statements included
herein have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates continuity of operations and the realization of assets and the
repayment of liabilities in the ordinary course of business. Management evaluated the significance of the Company’s operating loss
and determined that the Company’s cash position following the Offering and considering the Company’s current operating plan
and other sources of potential capital, including the ATM Facility, would be sufficient to alleviate concerns about the Company’s
ability to continue as a going concern.
We expect our revenues from our three business
areas will enable us to reduce our operating losses in coming years. In addition, we intend to continue to implement various measures
to improve our operational efficiencies. No assurances can be given that management will be successful in meeting its revenue targets
and reducing its operating loss.
In the future, we may require sources of capital
in addition to cash on hand and our ATM Facility (described below) to continue operations and to implement our strategy. If our operations
do not become cash flow positive, we may be forced to seek equity investments or debt arrangements. Historically, we have been able to
access the capital markets through sales of common stock and warrants to generate liquidity. Our management believes it could raise capital
through public or private offerings if needed to provide us with sufficient liquidity.
No assurances can be given, however, that we will
be successful in obtaining such additional financing on reasonable terms, or at all. If adequate funds are not available on acceptable
terms, or at all, we may be unable to adequately fund our business plans and it could have a negative effect on our business, results
of operations and financial condition. In addition, no assurance can be given that stockholders will approve an increase in the number
of our authorized shares of common stock if needed. The issuance of equity securities or securities convertible into equity could dilute
the value of shares of our common stock and cause the market price to fall, and the issuance of debt securities could impose restrictive
covenants that could impair our ability to engage in certain business transactions.
2.
Summary of Significant Accounting policies
Principles of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements have been
prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and include
the accounts of Neonode Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, as well as Pronode Technologies AB, a 51 % majority owned subsidiary of
Neonode Technologies AB, through September 30, 2022. On October 1, 2022, the remaining 49 % of Pronode Technologies AB was acquired from
Propoint AB, located in Gothenburg, Sweden. All inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Neonode consolidates entities in which it has
a controlling financial interest. We consolidate subsidiaries in which we hold, directly or indirectly, more than 50 % of the voting rights.
The consolidated balance sheets at December 31,
2022 and 2021 and the consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive loss, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the years
ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 include our accounts and those of our wholly owned subsidiaries.
Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity
with U.S. GAAP requires making estimates and judgments that affect, at the date of the financial statements, the reported amounts of
assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses. Actual results
could differ from these estimates and judgments.
Significant estimates and judgments include, but
are not limited to: for revenue recognition, determining the nature and timing of satisfaction of performance obligations, the standalone
selling price of performance obligations, and transaction prices and assessing transfer of control; measuring variable consideration and
other obligations such as product returns and refunds, and product warranties; provisions for uncollectible receivables; determining the
net realizable value of inventory; recoverability of long-lived assets; for leases, determining whether a contract contains a lease, allocating
consideration between lease and non-lease components, determining incremental borrowing rates, and identifying reassessment events, such
as modifications; the valuation allowance related to our deferred tax assets; and the fair value of shares and options issued for stock-based
compensation.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
We have not had any liquid investments other than
normal cash deposits with bank institutions to date. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of
three months of less to be cash equivalents.
Concentration of Cash Balance Risks
Cash balances are maintained at various banks
in the U.S., Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Sweden. For deposits held with financial institutions in the U.S., the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation, provides basic deposit coverage with limits up to $250,000 per owner. The Swedish government provides insurance coverage
up to 100,000 Euro per customer and covers deposits in all types of accounts. The Japanese government provides insurance coverage up
to 10,000,000 Yen per customer. The Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation provides insurance coverage up to 50,000,000 Won per customer.
The Central Deposit Insurance Corporation in Taiwan provides insurance coverage up to 3,000,000 Taiwan Dollar per customer. At times,
deposits held with financial institutions may exceed the amount of insurance provided.
F- 10
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful
Accounts
Accounts receivable is stated at net realizable
value. Our policy is to maintain allowances for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to make the required payments.
Credit limits are established through a process of reviewing the financial history and stability of each customer. Should all efforts
fail to recover the related receivable, we will write off the account. We also record an allowance for all customers based on certain
other factors including the length of time the receivables are past due and historical collection experience with customers. Our allowance
for doubtful accounts was approximately $ 30,000 and $ 79,000 as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Projects in Process
Projects in process consist of costs incurred
toward the completion of various projects for certain customers. These costs are primarily comprised of direct engineering labor costs
and project-specific equipment costs. These costs are capitalized on our consolidated balance sheet as an asset and deferred until revenue
for each project is recognized in accordance with our revenue recognition policy. There were no costs capitalized in projects in process
as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Inventory
The Company’s inventory
consists primarily of components that will be used in the manufacturing of our touch sensor modules (“TSMs”). We classify
inventory for reporting purposes as raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods.
Inventory is stated at the
lower of cost or net realizable value, using the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) valuation method. Net realizable value is the
estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation.
Any adjustments to reduce the cost of inventories to their net realizable value are recognized in earnings in the current period.
Due to the low sell-through of our AirBar products,
management has decided to fully reserve work-in-process for AirBar components, as well as AirBar related raw materials and finished goods.
The AirBar inventory reserve was $ 0.3 million and $ 0.8 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Management decided to reserve for TSM inventory related to a quality
issue in production. The TSM inventory reserve was $ 0.2 million as of December 31, 2021. During 2022 the affected inventory was scrapped
and as of December 31, 2022 the inventory reserve was zero .
Raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods
are as follows (in thousands):
December 31,
December 31,
2022
2021
Raw materials
$ 3,177
$ 1,446
Work-in-process
414
10
Finished goods
236
1,064
Ending inventory
$ 3,827
$ 2,520
F- 11
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost, net
of accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization are computed using the straight-line method based upon estimated
useful lives of the assets as follows:
Estimated
useful lives
Computer equipment
3 years
Furniture and fixtures
5 years
Equipment
10 years
Equipment purchased under a finance lease is depreciated
over the term of the lease, if that lease term is shorter than the estimated useful life.
Upon retirement or sale of property and equipment,
cost and accumulated depreciation and amortization are removed from the accounts and any gains or losses are reflected in the consolidated
statement of operations. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred.
Right-of-Use Assets
A right-of-use asset represents a lessee’s
right to use a leased asset for the term of the lease. Our right-of-use assets generally consist of operating leases for buildings.
Right-of-use assets are measured initially at
the present value of the lease payments, plus any lease payments made before a lease began and any initial direct costs, such as commissions
paid to obtain a lease.
Right-of-use assets are subsequently measured
at the present value of the remaining lease payments, adjusted for incentives, prepaid or accrued rent, and any initial direct costs
not yet expensed.
Long-Lived Assets
We assess any impairment by estimating the future
cash flow from the associated asset in accordance with relevant accounting guidance. If the estimated undiscounted future cash flow related
to these assets decreases or the useful life is shorter than originally estimated, we may incur charges for impairment of these assets. As
of December 31, 2022, we believe there was no impairment of our long-lived assets. There can be no assurance, however, that market conditions
will not change or sufficient demand for our products and services will continue, which could result in impairment of long-lived assets
in the future.
Foreign Currency Translation and Transaction
Gains and Losses
The functional currency of our foreign subsidiaries
is the applicable local currency, the Swedish Krona, the Japanese Yen, the South Korean Won and the Taiwan Dollar. The translation from
Swedish Krona, Japanese Yen, South Korean Won or the Taiwan Dollar to U.S. Dollars is performed for balance sheet accounts using current
exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date and for income statement accounts using a weighted average exchange rate during the
period. Gains or (losses) resulting from translation are included as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).
Gains or (losses) resulting from foreign currency transactions are included in general and administrative expenses in the accompanying
consolidated statements of operations and were $ 35,000 and $( 66,000 ) during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Foreign currency translation gains (losses) were $ 68,000 and $( 4,000 ) during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Concentration of Credit and Business Risks
Our customers are located in the United States,
Europe and Asia.
As of December 31, 2022, five of our customers
represented approximately 83 % of our consolidated accounts receivable and unbilled revenues.
As of December 31, 2021, four of our customers
represented approximately 76 % of our consolidated accounts receivable and unbilled revenues.
F- 12
Customers who accounted for 10 % or more of our
revenues during the year ended December 31, 2022 are as follows.
● Hewlett-Packard Company – 27 %
● Seiko Epson – 19 %
● LG – 12 %
● Alpine Electronics – 10 %
Customers who accounted for 10 % or more of our
revenues during the year ended December 31, 2021 are as follows.
● Hewlett-Packard Company – 32 %
● Seiko Epson – 18 %
● LG – 13 %
The Company conducts business in the United States,
Europe and Asia. As of December 31, 2022, the Company maintained approximately $ 15,535,000 , $ 3,857,000 and $ 26,000 of its net assets in
the United States, Europe and Asia, respectively. As of December 31, 2021, the Company maintained approximately $ 17,198,000 , $ 2,611,000
and $ 28,000 of its net assets in the United States, Europe and Asia, respectively.
Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue when control of products
is transferred to our customers, and when services are completed and accepted by our customers; the amount of revenue we recognize reflects
the consideration we expect to receive for those products or services. Our contracts with customers may include combinations of products
and services (e.g., a contract that includes products and related engineering services). We structure our contracts such that distinct
performance obligations, such as product sales or license fees, and related engineering services, are clearly defined in each contract.
License fees and sales of our AirBar and TSMs
are on a per-unit basis. Therefore, we generally satisfy performance obligations as units are shipped to our customers. Non-recurring
engineering service performance obligations are satisfied as work is performed and accepted by our customers.
We recognize revenue net of allowances for returns
and any taxes collected from customers, which are subsequently remitted to governmental authorities. We treat all product shipping and
handling charges (regardless of when they occur) as activities to fulfill the promise to transfer goods, therefore we treat all shipping
and handling charges as expenses.
License Fees
We earn revenue from licensing our internally
developed intellectual property (“IP”). We enter into IP licensing agreements that generally provide licensees the right
to incorporate our IP components in their products, with terms and conditions that vary by licensee. Fees under these agreements may
include license fees relating to our IP, and royalties payable to us following the distribution by our licensees of products incorporating
the licensed technology. The license for our IP has standalone value and can be used by the licensee without maintenance and support.
For technology license arrangements that do not
require significant modification or customization of the underlying technology, we recognize technology license revenue when the license
is made available to the customer and the customer has a right to use that license. At the end of each reporting period, we record unbilled
license fees using prior royalty revenue data by customer to make estimates of those royalties.
Explicit return rights are not offered to customers.
There have been no returns through December 31, 2022.
Product Sales
We earn revenue from sales of TSM hardware products
to our OEM, ODM and Tier 1 supplier customers, who embed our hardware into their products, and from sales of branded consumer products
that incorporate our TSMs that are sold through distributors or directly to end users. These distributors are generally given business
terms that allow them to return unsold inventory, receive credits for changes in selling prices, and participate in various cooperative
marketing programs. Our sales agreements generally provide customers with limited rights of return and warranty provisions.
The timing of revenue recognition related to AirBar
modules depends upon how each sale is transacted - either point-of-sale or through distributors. We recognize revenue for AirBar modules
sold point-of-sale (online sales and other direct sales to customers) when we provide the promised product to the customer.
Because we generally use distributors to provide
AirBar and TSMs to our customers, we must analyze the terms of our distributor agreements to determine when control passes from us to
our distributors. For sales of AirBar and TSMs sold through distributors, we recognize revenues when our distributors obtain control
over our products. Control passes to our distributors when we have a present right to payment for products sold to the distributors,
the distributors have legal title to and physical possession of products purchased from us, and the distributors have significant risks
and rewards of ownership of products purchased.
F- 13
Distributors participate in various cooperative
marketing and other incentive programs, and we maintain estimated accruals and allowances for these programs. If actual credits received
by distributors under these programs were to deviate significantly from our estimates, which are based on historical experience, our
revenue could be adversely affected.
Under U.S. GAAP, companies may make reasonable
aggregations and approximations of returns data to accurately estimate returns. Our AirBar and TSM returns and warranty experience to
date has enabled us to make reasonable returns estimates, which are supported by the fact that our product sales involve homogenous transactions.
The reserve for future sales returns is recorded as a reduction of our accounts receivable and revenue and was $ 9,000 and $ 69,000 as
of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The warranty reserve is recorded as an accrued expense and cost of sales and was $ 49,000
and $ 36,000 as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. If the actual future returns were to deviate from the historical data on
which the reserve had been established, our revenue could be adversely affected.
Non-Recurring Engineering
For technology license or TSM contracts that require
modification or customization of the underlying technology to adapt the technology to customer use, we determine whether the technology
license or TSM, and required engineering consulting services represent separate performance obligations. We perform our analysis on a
contract-by-contract basis. If there are separate performance obligations, we determine the standalone selling price (“SSP”)
of each separate performance obligation to properly recognize revenue as each performance obligation is satisfied. We provide engineering
consulting services to our customers under a signed Statement of Work (“SOW”). Deliverables and payment terms are specified
in each SOW. We generally charge an hourly rate for engineering services, and we recognize revenue as engineering services specified
in contracts are completed and accepted by our customers. Any upfront payments we receive for future non-recurring engineering services
are recorded as unearned revenue until that revenue is earned.
We believe that recognizing non-recurring engineering
services revenues as progress towards completion of engineering services and customer acceptance of those services occurs best reflects
the economics of those transactions, because engineering services as tracked in our systems correspond directly with the value to our
customers of our performance completed to date. Hours performed for each engineering project are tracked and reflect progress made on
each project and are charged at a consistent hourly rate.
Revenues from non-recurring engineering contracts
that are short-term in nature are recorded when those services are complete and accepted by customers.
Revenues from non-recurring engineering contracts
with substantive defined deliverables for which payment terms in the SOW are commensurate with the efforts required to produce such deliverables
are recognized as they are completed and accepted by customers.
Estimated losses on all SOW projects are recognized
in full as soon as they become evident. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we recorded no losses.
The following tables present the net revenues
distribution by geographical area and market for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (dollars in thousands):
2022
2021
Amount
Percentage
Amount
Percentage
AMER
Net revenues from consumer electronics
$ 1,812
98.5 %
$ 2,097
93.4 %
Net revenues from distributors and other
27
1.5 %
149
6.6 %
$ 1,839
100.0 %
$ 2,246
100.0 %
APAC
Net revenues from automotive
$ 1,295
46.9 %
$ 1,330
42.9 %
Net revenues from consumer electronics
1,127
40.8 %
1,088
35.0 %
Net revenues from distributors and other
341
12.3 %
685
22.1 %
$ 2,763
100.0 %
$ 3,103
100.0 %
EMEA
Net revenues from automotive
$ 493
46.1 %
$ 313
64.3 %
Net revenues from medical
398
37.3 %
73
15.0 %
Net revenues from distributors and other
177
16.6 %
101
20.7 %
$ 1,068
100.0 %
$ 487
100.0 %
F- 14
Significant Judgments
Our contracts with customers may include promises
to transfer multiple products and services to a customer, particularly when one of our customers contracts with us for a product and
related engineering services fees for customizing that product for our customer. Determining whether products and services are considered
distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately may require significant judgment. Judgment may also be required
to determine the SSP for each distinct performance obligation identified, although we generally structure our contracts such that performance
obligations and pricing for each performance obligation are specifically addressed. We currently have no outstanding contracts with multiple
performance obligations; however, we recently negotiated a contract that may include multiple performance obligations in the future.
Judgment is also required to determine when control
of products passes from us to our distributors, as well as the amounts of product that may be returned to us. Our products are sold with
a right of return, and we may provide other credits or incentives to our customers, which could result in variability when determining
the amount of revenue to recognize. At the end of each reporting period, we use product returns history and additional information that
becomes available to estimate returns and credits. We do not recognize revenue if it is probable that a significant reversal of any incremental
revenue would occur.
Finally, judgment is required to determine the
amount of unbilled license fees at the end of each reporting period.
Contract Balances
Timing of revenue recognition may differ from
the timing of invoicing to customers. We record a receivable when we have an unconditional right to receive future payments from customers,
and we record unearned deferred revenue when we receive prepayments or upfront payments for goods or services from our customers.
The following table presents accounts receivable,
unbilled revenues and deferred revenues as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands):
December 31,
2022
December 31,
2021
Accounts receivable and unbilled revenues
$ 1,448
$ 1,293
Contract liabilities (deferred revenues)
$ 36
$ 106
The timing of revenue recognition, billings and
cash collections results in billed accounts receivable, unbilled revenues (contract assets), and customer advances and deposits or deferred
revenue (contract liabilities) on the consolidated balance sheets. Generally, billing occurs subsequent to revenue recognition, resulting
in contract assets; contract assets are generally classified as current. The Company sometimes receives advances or deposits from its
customers before revenue is recognized, which are reported as contract liabilities and are generally classified as current. These assets
and liabilities are reported on the consolidated balance sheets on a contract-by-contract basis at the end of each reporting period.
F- 15
We do not anticipate impairment of our contract
assets related to license fee revenues, given the creditworthiness of our customers whose invoices comprise the balance in that asset
account. We will continue to monitor the timeliness of receipts from those customers to assess whether the contract assets have been
impaired.
The allowance for doubtful accounts reflects our
best estimate of probable losses inherent in the accounts receivable balance. We determine the allowance based on known troubled accounts,
historical experience, and other currently available evidence.
Payment terms and conditions vary by the type
of contract; however, payments generally occur 30-60 days after invoicing for license fees and sensor modules to our resellers and distributors.
Where revenue recognition timing differs from invoice timing, we have determined that our contracts do not include a significant financing
component. Our intent is to provide our customers with consistent invoicing terms for the convenience of our customers, not to receive
financing from our customers.
Costs to Obtain Contracts
We record the incremental costs of obtaining a
contract with a customer as a contract asset, if we expect the benefit of those costs to cover a period greater than one year. We currently
have no incremental costs that must be capitalized.
We expense as incurred costs of obtaining a contract
when the amortization period of those costs would have been less than or equal to one year.
Product Warranty
The following table summarizes the activity related
to the product warranty liability (in thousands):
Years ended
December 31,
2022
December 31,
2021
Balance at beginning of period
$ 36
$ 25
Provisions for warranty issued
13
11
Balance at end of period
$ 49
$ 36
The Company accrues for warranty costs as part
of its cost of sales of TSMs based on estimated costs. The Company’s products are generally covered by a warranty for a period of
12 months from the customer receipt of the product included as a component of accrued expenses on the consolidated balance sheet.
F- 16
Contract Liabilities
Contract liabilities (deferred revenues) consist
primarily of prepayments for license fees, and other products or services that we have been paid in advance. We earn the revenue when
we transfer control of the product or service. Deferred revenues may also include upfront payments for consulting services to be performed
in the future, such as non-recurring engineering services.
We defer license fees until we have met all accounting
requirements for revenue recognition, which is when a license is made available to a customer and that customer has a right to use the
license. Non-recurring engineering fee revenues are deferred until engineering services have been completed and accepted by our customers.
The following table presents our deferred revenues
by source (in thousands):
As of
December 31,
2022
2021
Deferred revenues license fees
$
20
$
28
Deferred revenues products
9
70
Deferred non-recurring engineering
7
8
$
36
$
106
Deferred revenue not yet recognized was $ 36,000
as of December 31, 2022. We expect to recognize 100 % of that revenue over the next twelve months. The Company recognized revenues of approximately
$24,000 and $ 41,000 , for 2022 and 2021, respectively, related to contract liabilities outstanding at the beginning of the year.
Advertising
Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising
costs amounted to approximately $ 158,000 and $ 208,000 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Research and Development
Research and development (“R&D”)
costs are expensed as incurred. R&D costs consist primarily of personnel related costs in addition to external consultancy costs
such as testing, certifying and measurements.
Stock-Based Compensation Expense
We measure the cost of employee services received
in exchange for an award of equity instruments, including share options, based on the estimated fair value of the award on the grant
date, and recognize the value as compensation expense over the period the employee is required to provide services in exchange for the
award, usually the vesting period.
We account for equity instruments issued to non-employees
at their estimated fair value.
When determining stock-based compensation expense
involving options and warrants, we determine the estimated fair value of options and warrants using the Black-Scholes option pricing
model.
F- 17
Noncontrolling Interests
We recognize any noncontrolling interest, also
known as a minority interest, as a separate line item in stockholders’ equity in the consolidated financial statements. A noncontrolling
interest represents the portion of equity ownership in a less-than-wholly owned subsidiary not attributable to us. Generally, any interest
that holds less than 50 % of the outstanding voting shares is deemed to be a noncontrolling interest; however, there are other factors,
such as decision-making rights, that are considered as well. We include the amount of net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling
interests in consolidated net income (loss) on the face of the consolidated statements of operations.
The Company provides either in the consolidated
statement of stockholders’ equity, if presented, or in the notes to consolidated financial statements, a reconciliation at the beginning
and the end of the period of the carrying amount of total equity (net assets), equity (net assets) attributable to the parent, and equity
(net assets) attributable to the noncontrolling interest that separately discloses:
(1)
Net income or loss;
(2)
Transactions with owners acting in their capacity as owners, showing separately contributions from
and distributions to owners; and
(3)
Each component of other comprehensive income or loss.
Income Taxes
We recognize deferred tax liabilities and assets
for the expected future tax consequences of items that have been included in the consolidated financial statements or tax returns. We
estimate income taxes based on rates in effect in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities
are determined based upon differences between the financial statement and income tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax
rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The realization of deferred tax assets is based on historical
tax positions and expectations about future taxable income. Valuation allowances are recorded against net deferred tax assets when, in
our opinion, realization is uncertain based on the “more likely than not” criteria of the accounting guidance.
Based on the uncertainty of future pre-tax income,
we fully reserved our net deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2022 and 2021. In the event we were to determine that we would be able
to realize our deferred tax assets in the future, an adjustment to the deferred tax asset would increase income in the period such determination
was made. The provision for income taxes represents the net change in deferred tax amounts, plus income taxes paid or payable for the
current period.
We follow U.S. GAAP related accounting for uncertainty
in income taxes, which provisions include a two-step approach to recognizing, de-recognizing and measuring uncertainty in income taxes.
As a result, we did not recognize a liability for unrecognized tax benefits. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had no unrecognized
tax benefits.
Net Loss per Share
Net loss per share amounts have been computed
based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. Net loss
per share, assuming dilution amounts from common stock equivalents, is computed based on the weighted-average number of shares of common
stock and potential common stock equivalents outstanding during the period. The weighted-average number of shares of common stock and
potential common stock equivalents used in computing the net loss per share for years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 exclude the potential
common stock equivalents, as the effect would be anti-dilutive (see Note 14).
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Our other comprehensive income (loss) includes
foreign currency translation gains and losses. The cumulative amount of translation gains and losses are reflected as a separate component
of stockholders’ equity in the consolidated balance sheets.
F- 18
Cash Flow Information
Cash flows in foreign currencies have been converted
to U.S. Dollars at an approximate weighted-average exchange rate for the respective reporting periods. The weighted-average exchange
rate for the consolidated statements of operations was as follows:
Years ended
December 31,
2022
2021
Swedish Krona
10.12
8.58
Japanese Yen
131.72
109.82
South Korean Won
1,292.25
1,144.95
Taiwan Dollar
29.81
27.93
Exchange rates for the consolidated balance sheets
were as follows:
As of
December 31,
2022
2021
Swedish Krona
10.43
9.03
Japanese Yen
131.12
115.12
South Korean Won
1,261.91
1,190.75
Taiwan Dollar
30.66
27.71
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
We disclose the estimated fair values for all
financial instruments for which it is practicable to estimate fair value. Financial instruments including cash, accounts receivable,
accounts payable and accrued expenses are deemed to approximate fair value due to their short maturities.
New Accounting Pronouncements
In September 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13,
Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326)-Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments , (“ASU 2016-13”),
supplemented by subsequent accounting standards updates. The new standard requires entities to measure all expected credit losses for
financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts.
ASU 2016-13, as amended, is scheduled to become effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, with early adoption permitted.
In the future, we will evaluate the impact that ASU 2016-13, as amended, will have on our consolidated financial statements, specifically
regarding our trade receivables; however, we do not expect any significant impact from implementation of the new standard.
Reclass of Presentation in our Consolidated Statements
of Operations
On May 4, 2021, we announced a new strategy and
organizational update targeting an increased focus on the Company’s contactless touch business and on current market opportunities
in North America (“AMER”), Asia-Pacific (“APAC”), and Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”). We
thereby changed from a business area organization to a regional sales organization going forward. Revenues are however primarily monitored
for each of our revenue streams consisting of license fees, product sales and non-recurring engineering fees.
F- 19
3.
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets
Prepaid expense and other current assets consist
of the following (in thousands):
As of
December 31,
2022
2021
Prepaid insurance
$ 140
$ 189
Prepaid rent
91
6
VAT receivable
297
345
Advances
-
3
Advances to suppliers
-
38
Other
179
255
Total prepaid expenses and other current assets
$ 707
$ 836
4.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment, net consist of the following
(in thousands):
As of
December 31,
2022
2021
Computers, software, furniture and fixtures
$ 1,336
$ 1,484
Equipment
2,639
3,463
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization
( 3,693 )
( 4,571 )
Property and equipment, net
$ 282
$ 376
Depreciation and amortization expense was $ 0.1
million and $ 0.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
5.
Accrued Expenses
Accrued expenses consist of the following (in
thousands):
As of
December 31,
2022
2021
Accrued returns and warranty
$ 49
$ 36
Accrued consulting fees and other
151
335
Total accrued expenses
$ 200
$ 371
F- 20
6.
Fair Value Measurements
Accounting guidance defines fair value, establishes
a framework for measuring fair value, and expands disclosure requirements about fair value measurements. The accounting guidance does
not mandate any new fair value measurements and is applicable to assets and liabilities that are required to be recorded at fair value
under other accounting pronouncements.
The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are
described as follows:
Level 1: Applies to assets or liabilities for
which there are observable quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.
Level 2: Applies to assets or liabilities for
which there are inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1.
Level 3: Applies to assets or liabilities for
which inputs are unobservable, and those inputs that are significant to the measurement of the fair value of the assets or liabilities.
There were no assets or liabilities recorded at
fair value on a recurring basis in 2022 and 2021.
7.
Stockholders’ Equity
Common Stock
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, our Restated Certificate of Incorporation,
as amended (our “Certificate of Incorporation”), authorized us to issue up to 25,000,000 shares of common stock, par value
$ 0.001 per share.
On August 12, 2021, we issued 12,830 shares of
our common stock to key employees pursuant to our 2020 long-term incentive program (“2020 LTIP”) (see Note 8).
F- 21
On December 29, 2021, we issued 14,735 shares
of our common stock to key employees pursuant to our 2020 long-term incentive program (“2020 LTIP”) (see Note 8).
On October 21, 2021, we entered into a placement
agency agreement with Pareto Securities Inc. and Pareto Securities AB pursuant to which we sold to certain Swedish and other European
investors an aggregate of 1,808,000 shares of our common stock at a price of $ 7.75 per share in a registered direct offering that closed
on October 26, 2021 (the “Offering”). We received net proceeds of approximately $ 13.1 million from the Offering after deducting
placement agent fees and offering expenses.
During the twelve months ended December 31, 2021,
we sold an aggregate of 235,722 shares of common stock under the ATM Facility, resulting in net proceeds to us of approximately $ 1,984,000
after payment of commissions to B. Riley and other expenses of $ 66,000 .
During the twelve months ended December 31, 2022, we sold an aggregate
of 886,065 shares of common stock under the ATM Facility, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $ 4,686,000 after payment of commissions
to B. Riley Securities and other expenses of $ 167,000 .
Warrants and Other Common Stock Activity
During the year ended December 31, 2022, 431,368
warrants expired and no warrants were exercised. During the year ended December 31, 2021, no warrants expired and no warrants were exercised.
A summary of all warrant activity is set forth
below:
Outstanding and exercisable
Warrants
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
January 1, 2021
431,368
$ 11.20
0.13
Expired/forfeited
-
-
-
December 31, 2021
431,368
$ 11.20
0.13
Issued
-
-
-
Expired/forfeited
( 431,368 )
( 11.20 )
-
Exercised
-
-
-
December 31, 2022
-
$ -
-
We have no outstanding warrants to purchase common
stock as of December 31, 2022.
Preferred Stock
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, our Certificate of Incorporation
authorized us to issue up to 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $ 0.001 per share.
There were no transactions in our preferred stock
during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. No shares of preferred stock were issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022.
F- 22
8.
Stock-Based Compensation
We have adopted equity incentive plans for which
stock options and restricted stock awards are available for grants to employees, consultants and directors. Except for certain options
granted to certain Swedish employees, all employee, consultant and director stock options granted under our stock option plans have an
exercise price equal to the market value of the underlying common stock on the grant date. There are no vesting provisions tied to performance
conditions for any options. Vesting for all outstanding option grants is based solely on continued service as an employee, consultant
or director. All of our outstanding stock options and restricted stock awards are classified as equity instruments.
Stock Options / Stock Awards
During the year ended December 31, 2020, our stockholders
approved the 2020 Plan which replaced our 2015 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2015 Plan”), which in turn replaced our Neonode
Inc. 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2006 Plan”). Although no new awards may be made under the 2006 Plan or 2015 Plan, the
2015 Plan is still operative for awards previously granted under such plan. There are no awards outstanding under the 2006 Plan. Under
the 2020 Plan, 750,000 shares of common stock have been reserved for awards, including nonqualified stock option grants and restricted
stock grants to officers, employees, non-employee directors and consultants. The terms of the awards granted under the 2020 Plan are
set by our compensation committee at its discretion.
In 2020, we established the 2020 LTIP to provide
eligible persons with the opportunity to acquire an equity interest, or otherwise increase their equity interest, in the Company as an
incentive for them to remain in the service of the Company. Through the 2020 LTIP, eligible employees of Neonode may waive between 50 %
to 67 % of future unearned bonuses that may be awarded to them under the Company’s annual bonus arrangement in exchange for the
grant of shares of the Company’s common stock.
On December 29, 2020, we issued 37,288 shares
of common stock to key employees pursuant to the 2020 LTIP. The shares were immediately vested but subject to a two-year lock-up period
after issuance. In the event the participant’s employment with Neonode is terminated by the participant during the two-year lock-up
period, the Company will repurchase the shares at a price equal to 30 % of the lower of market value at issuance and termination date.
Neonode has reported and paid Swedish social charges of $ 75,000 for the issued shares but only 30 % of the stock-based compensation (totaling
$ 77,000 ) was recognized immediately in the consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020, with the remainder
to be recognized ratably over the two-year lock-up period.
On August 12, 2021, we issued 12,830 shares of
common stock to a key employee pursuant to the 2020 LTIP. The shares were immediately vested but subject to a two-year lock-up period
after issuance. In the event the participant’s employment with the Company is terminated by the participant during the two-year
lock-up period, the Company will repurchase the shares at a price equal to 30 % of the lower of market value at issuance and the termination
date. The Company has reported and paid Swedish social charges of $ 21,000 for the issued shares but only 30 % of the stock-based compensation
(totaling $ 25,000 ) was recognized immediately in the consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021, with
the remainder to be recognized ratably over the two-year lock-up period.
F- 23
On December 29, 2021, we issued 14,735 shares
of common stock to key employees pursuant to the 2020 LTIP. The shares were immediately vested but subject to a two-year lock-up period
after issuance. In the event the participant’s employment with Neonode is terminated by the participant during the two-year lock-up
period, the Company will repurchase the shares at a price equal to 30 % of the lower of market value at issuance and termination date.
Neonode has reported and paid Swedish social charges of $ 46,000 for the issued shares but only 30 % of the stock-based compensation (totaling
$ 38,000 ) was recognized immediately in the consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021, with the remainder
to be recognized ratably over the two-year lock-up period.
On May 20, 2022, we issued 4,000 shares of common
stock to a director pursuant to the 2020 Plan. The shares were immediately vested but subject to a two-year lock-up period after issuance.
In the event the participant’s employment with the Company is terminated by the participant during the two-year lock-up period,
the Company will repurchase the shares at a price equal to 30 % of the lower of market value at issuance and the termination date. The
Company has reported and paid Swedish social charges of $ 5,000 for the issued shares but only 30 % of the stock-based compensation (totaling
$ 5,000 ) was recognized immediately in the consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022, with the remainder
to be recognized ratably over the two-year lock-up period.
On September 15, 2022, we repurchased 10,252 shares
of common stock from an employee who resigned during the two-year lock up period associated with such shares for $ 12,000 , pursuant to
the terms of the 2020 LTIP.
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we recognized $ 122,000
and $ 157,000 , respectively, of stock-based compensation for the amortization of the LTIP over the respective lock-up periods.
The following table summarizes information with
respect to all options to purchase shares of common stock outstanding under the 2006 Plan, the 2015 Plan and the 2020 Plan at December
31, 2022:
Options Outstanding
Range of Exercise Price
Number
Outstanding
and
Exercisable
at 12/31/22
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
(years)
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
$ 0 - $ 15.00
2,500
0.59
$ 14.40
2,500
0.59
$ 14.40
A summary of the combined activity under all of
the stock option plans is set forth below:
Options Outstanding
Weighted-
Average
Weighted-
Remaining
Average
Contractual
Aggregate
Number of
Exercise
Life
Intrinsic
Shares
Price
(in years)
Value
Options outstanding – January 1, 2021
10,500
$ 29.61
1.40
$ -
Options granted
-
-
-
Options exercised
-
-
-
Options cancelled or expired
( 1,000 )
62.10
-
Options outstanding – December 31, 2021
9,500
$ 26.19
0.54
-
Options granted
-
-
-
Options exercised
-
-
-
Options cancelled or expired
( 7,000 )
30.40
-
Options outstanding and vested – December 31, 2022
2,500
$ 14.40
0.59
$ -
No stock options were granted during the years
ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021,
we recorded no stock-based compensation expense related to the vesting of stock options. The estimated fair value of the stock options
will be calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model as of the grant date of the stock option.
Stock options granted under the 2006 and 2015
Plans are exercisable over a maximum term of ten years from the date of grant, vest in various installments over a one to four-year period
and have exercise prices reflecting the market value of the shares of common stock on the date of grant.
F- 24
Stock-Based Compensation
The stock-based compensation expense for the years
ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 reflects the estimated fair value of the vested portion of common stock granted to directors and employees
(in thousands):
Years ended
December 31,
2022
2021
(In thousands)
Sales and marketing
$ 8
$ 50
General and administrative
114
107
Stock-based compensation expense
$ 122
$ 157
There is no remaining unrecognized compensation
expense related to stock options as of December 31, 2022. Unrecognized compensation expense related to the 2020 LTIP as of December 31,
2022 was $ 60,000 , which will be recognized over two years.
9.
Commitments and Contingencies
Litigation
On September 2, 2020, a putative stockholder of
Neonode filed a purported class action lawsuit (Case No. 1:20-cv-01174-UNA) in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware
against Neonode, the Board of Directors of Neonode, and the Chief Executive Officer of Neonode for alleged violation of Sections 14(a)
and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, in connection with disclosure of information concerning Proposal 5 and
Proposal 6 in the proxy statement filed with the SEC by Neonode on August 20, 2020 for the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Neonode
(the “Proxy Statement”). These proposals for shareholder approval related to the Private Placement by Neonode on August 5,
2020 in which two directors and the chief executive officer of Neonode participated. The relief sought by the plaintiff included a preliminary
injunction to enjoin the stockholder votes on Proposal 5 and Proposal 6. On October 20, 2020, the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the
lawsuit in the United States District Court. However, on February 11, 2021, the plaintiff’s counsel informed Neonode that they
would file a fee petition as a result of Neonode filing the definitive additional materials to the Proxy Statement on September 18, 2020.
On September 9, 2021, the plaintiff’s counsel filed a complaint in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Nassau,
to recover plaintiff’s attorneys’ fees and expenses in the amount of $ 400,000 incurred in connection with the Proceeding.
On November 3, 2021, the Company entered into a settlement agreement with plaintiff’s counsel, which was accrued for as of September
30, 2021. On November 4, 2021, the case was dismissed with prejudice.
Operating expenses for the year ended December
31, 2021 include costs in relation to the above-referenced lawsuits.
F- 25
Indemnities and Guarantees
Our bylaws require that we indemnify each of our
executive officers and directors for certain events or occurrences arising because of the officer or director serving in such capacity.
The term of the indemnification period is for the officer’s or director’s lifetime. The maximum potential amount of future
payments we could be required to make under these indemnification agreements is unlimited. However, we have a directors’ and officers’
liability insurance policy that should enable us to recover a portion of any future amounts paid. As a result of our insurance policy
coverage, we believe the estimated fair value of these indemnification agreements is minimal and we have no liabilities recorded for
these agreements as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021.
We enter into indemnification provisions under
our agreements with other companies in the ordinary course of business, typically with business partners, contractors, customers and
landlords. Under these provisions we generally indemnify and hold harmless the indemnified party for losses suffered or incurred by the
indemnified party as a result of our activities or, in some cases, as a result of the indemnified party’s activities under the
agreement. These indemnification provisions often include indemnifications relating to representations made by us regarding intellectual
property rights. These indemnification provisions generally survive termination of the underlying agreement. The maximum potential amount
of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification provisions is unlimited. We have not incurred material costs
to defend lawsuits or settle claims related to these indemnification agreements. As a result, we believe the estimated fair value of
these agreements is minimal. Accordingly, we have no liabilities recorded for these indemnification provisions as of December 31, 2022
and December 31, 2021.
One of our manufacturing partners has previously
purchased material for the final assembly of AirBars. To protect the manufacturer from losses in relation to AirBar production, we agreed
to secure the value of the inventory in a bank guarantee. In December 2021, the bank guarantee was cancelled.
Patent Assignment
On May 6, 2019, the Company assigned a portfolio
of patents to Aequitas Technologies LLC. The assignment provides the Company the right to share the potential net proceeds generated from
a licensing and monetization program. Net proceeds shall here be understood as gross proceeds less out of pocket expenses and legal fees.
On June 8, 2020, Neonode Smartphone LLC, a subsidiary
of Aequitas Technologies LLC filed complaints against Apple and Samsung in the Western District of Texas for infringing two patents.
The case against Apple was subsequently transferred to the Northern District of California. Both matters are still ongoing.
Non-Recurring Engineering Development Costs
On April 25, 2013, we entered into an Analog Device
Development Agreement with an effective date of December 6, 2012 (the “NN1002 Agreement”) with Texas Instruments (“TI”)
pursuant to which TI agreed to integrate our intellectual property into an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (“ASIC”).
Under the terms of the NN1002 Agreement, we agreed to pay TI $500,000 of non-recurring engineering costs at the rate of $0.25 per ASIC
for each of the first 2,000,000 ASICs sold. As of December 31, 2022, we had made no payments to TI under the NN1002 Agreement.
F- 26
10.
Leases
We have operating leases for our corporate offices
and our manufacturing facility, and finance leases for equipment. Our leases have remaining lease terms of one month to three years.
One of our primary operating leases includes options to extend the lease for one to three years and the other primary lease includes
an option to annually prolong; those operating leases also include options to terminate the leases within one year. Future renewal options
that are not likely to be executed as of the balance sheet date are excluded from right-of-use assets and related lease liabilities.
Our operating leases represent building leases
for our Stockholm corporate offices and our Kungsbacka manufacturing facility. Our Stockholm corporate office lease has a remaining lease
term of under one year and both of our leases are automatically renewed at a cost increase of 2 % on an annual basis, unless we provide
written notice nine months prior to the respective expiration dates.
We report operating lease right-of-use assets,
as well as current and noncurrent operating lease obligations on our consolidated balance sheets for the right to use those buildings
in our business. Our finance leases represent manufacturing equipment; we report the manufacturing equipment, as well as current and noncurrent
finance lease obligations on our consolidated balance sheets.
Generally, interest rates are stated in our leases
for equipment. When no interest rate is stated in a lease, however, we review the interest rates implicit in our recent finance leases
to estimate our incremental borrowing rate. We determine the rate implicit in a lease by using the most recent finance lease rate, or
other method we think most closely represents our incremental borrowing rate.
The components of lease expense
were as follows (in thousands):
Years ended
December 31,
2022
2021
Operating lease cost (1)
$ 596
$ 662
Finance lease cost:
Amortization of leased assets
$ 66
$ 585
Interest on lease liabilities
8
14
Total finance lease cost
$ 74
$ 599
(1) Includes short term lease costs of $ 180,000 and $ 127,000 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Supplemental cash flow information
related to leases was as follows (in thousands):
Years ended
December 31,
2022
2021
Cash paid for amounts included in leases:
Operating cash flows from operating leases
$ ( 399 )
$ ( 505 )
Operating cash flows from finance leases
( 8 )
( 14 )
Financing cash flows from finance leases
( 165 )
( 487 )
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations:
Operating leases
-
239
Finance leases
24
-
F- 27
Supplemental balance sheet
information related to leases was as follows (in thousands):
As of
December 31,
2022
2021
Operating leases
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net
$ 118
$ 584
Current portion of operating lease obligations
$ 83
$ 425
Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion
35
117
Total operating lease liabilities
$ 118
$ 542
Finance leases
Property and equipment, at cost
$ 2,622
$ 3,463
Accumulated depreciation
( 2,418 )
( 3,199 )
Property and equipment, net
$ 204
$ 264
Current portion of finance lease obligations
$ 95
$ 258
Finance lease liabilities, net of current portion
46
65
Total finance lease liabilities
$ 141
$ 323
Year ended
December 31,
2022
Weighted-Average Remaining Lease Term
Operating leases
1.8 years
Finance leases
1.5 years
Weighted-Average Discount Rate
Operating leases (2)
5 %
Finance leases
2 %
(2) Upon adoption of the new lease standard, discount rates used for existing leases were established at January 1, 2019.
A summary of future minimum payments under non-cancellable
operating lease commitments as of December 31, 2022 is as follows (in thousands):
Years ending December 31,
Total
2023
$ 71
2024
53
Total minimum payments required:
124
Less imputed interest
( 6 )
Total lease liabilities
118
Less current portion
( 83 )
$ 35
The following is a schedule of minimum future
rentals on the non-cancelable finance leases as of December 31, 2022 (in thousands):
Year ending December 31,
Total
2023
$
98
2024
28
2025
19
Total minimum payments required:
145
Less amount representing interest:
( 4
)
Present value of net minimum lease payments:
141
Less current portion
( 95
)
$
46
F- 28
11.
Segment Information
Our Company has one reportable segment, which
is comprised of the touch technology licensing and sensor module business.
We report revenues from external customers based
on the country where the customer is located. The following table presents revenues by geographic region for the years ended December
31, 2022 and 2021 (dollars in thousands):
2022
2021
Amount
Percentage
Amount
Percentage
United States
$ 1,839
33 %
$ 2,241
39 %
Japan
1,742
31 %
1,894
33 %
South Korea
861
15 %
894
15 %
Switzerland
398
7 %
73
1 %
Germany
298
5 %
303
5 %
France
193
3 %
7
- %
Sweden
155
3 %
22
- %
China
130
2 %
311
5 %
Other
54
1 %
91
2 %
Total
$ 5,670
100 %
$ 5,836
100 %
12.
Income Taxes
Loss before provision for income taxes was distributed
geographically for the years ended December 31, as follows (in thousands):
2022
2021
Domestic
$ ( 4,453 )
$ ( 5,570 )
Foreign
( 712 )
( 1,552 )
Total
$ ( 5,165 )
$ ( 7,122 )
The provision (benefit) for income taxes is as
follows for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):
2022
2021
Current
Federal
$ -
$ -
State
-
-
Foreign
118
146
Change in deferred
Federal
( 186 )
( 1,177 )
Federal valuation allowance
186
1,177
State
( 3 )
-
State valuation allowance
3
-
Foreign
( 3,517 )
( 1,842 )
Foreign valuation allowance
3,517
1,842
Total current
$ 118
$ 146
F- 29
The differences between our effective income tax
rate and the U.S. federal statutory federal income tax rate for the years ended December 31, are as follows:
2022
2021
Amounts at statutory tax rates
21 %
21 %
Foreign losses taxed at different rates
( 1 )%
( 1 )%
Stock-based compensation
( 1 )%
( 1 )%
GILTI inclusion
( 16 )%
- %
Other
( 2 )%
( 1 )%
Total
1 %
18 %
Valuation allowance
( 3 )%
( 20 )%
Effective tax rate
( 2 )%
( 2 )%
Significant components of the deferred tax asset
balances at December 31 are as follows (in thousands):
2022
2021
Deferred tax assets:
Accruals
$ ( 13 )
$ ( 87 )
Stock compensation
4
38
Net operating losses
25,608
21,943
Total deferred tax assets
25,599
21,894
Valuation allowance
( 25,599 )
( 21,894 )
Total net deferred tax assets
$ -
$ -
Valuation allowances are recorded to offset certain deferred tax assets
due to management’s uncertainty of realizing the benefits of these items. Management applies a full valuation allowance for the
accumulated losses of Neonode Inc. and its subsidiaries, since it is not determinable using the “more likely than not” criteria
that there will be any future benefit of our deferred tax assets. This is mainly due to our history of operating losses. As of December
31, 2022, we had federal, state and foreign net operating losses of $ 75.6 million, $ 20.1 million and $ 40.4 million, respectively. The
federal loss carryforward begins to expire in 2028, and the California loss carryforward begins to expire in 2030. The foreign loss carryforward,
which is generated in Sweden, does not expire.
Utilization of the net operating loss and tax credit
carryforwards is subject to an annual limitation due to the ownership percentage change limitations provided by Section 382 of the
Internal Revenue Code and similar state provisions. The annual limitation may result in the expiration of the net operating losses and
tax credit carryforwards before utilization. As of December 31, 2022, we had not completed the determination of the amount to be
limited under the provision.
We follow the provisions of accounting guidance
which includes a two-step approach to recognizing, derecognizing and measuring uncertain tax positions. There were no unrecognized tax
benefits for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
We follow the policy to classify accrued interest
and penalties as part of the accrued tax liability in the provision for income taxes. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 we
did not recognize any interest or penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits.
As of December 31, 2022, we had no uncertain tax
positions that would be reduced as a result of a lapse of the applicable statute of limitations.
We file income tax returns in the U.S. federal
jurisdiction, California, Sweden, and Japan. The 2008 through 2021 tax years are open and may be subject to potential examination in one
or more jurisdictions. We are not currently under any federal, state or foreign income tax examinations.
F- 30
13. Employee Benefit Plans
We participate in a number of individual defined
contribution pension plans for our employees in Sweden. We contribute between 4.5 % and 30 % of the employee’s annual salary to these
pension plans depending on age and salary level. Contributions relating to these defined contribution plans for the years ended December
31, 2022 and 2021 were $ 555,000 and $ 587,000 , respectively. We match U.S. employee contributions to a 401(K) retirement plan up to a maximum
of six percent ( 6 %) of an employee’s annual salary. Contributions relating to the matching 401(K) contributions for the years ended
December 31, 2022 and 2021 were $ 6,000 and $ 10,000 , respectively. In Taiwan, we contribute six percent ( 6 %) of the employee’s annual
salary to a pension fund which agrees with Taiwan’s Labor Pension Act. Contributions relating to the Taiwanese pension fund for
the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were $ 4,000 and $ 2,000 , respectively.
14. Net Loss Per Share
Basic net loss per common share for the years ended
December 31, 2022 and 2021 was computed by dividing the net loss attributable to common shareholders of Neonode Inc. for the relevant
period by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the year. Diluted loss per common share is computed
by dividing net loss attributable to common shareholders of Neonode Inc. for the relevant period by the weighted average number of shares
of common stock and common stock equivalents outstanding during the year.
The Company had no potential common stock equivalents as of December
31, 2022 or 2021.
Years ended
December 31,
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
2022
2021
BASIC AND DILUTED
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding
13,632
11,907
Net loss attributable to common shareholders of Neonode Inc.
$ ( 4,883 )
$ ( 6,450 )
Net loss per share basic and diluted
$ ( 0.36 )
$ ( 0.54 )
15. Subsequent Events
During January 2023, we sold an aggregate of 903,716
shares of our common stock under the ATM Facility with aggregate net proceeds to us of $ 7,868,000 , after payment of commissions to B.
Riley Securities and other expenses of $244,000.
No other subsequent events have occurred that would
require recognition in the consolidated financial statements or disclosure in the notes thereto other than as discussed elsewhere in the
accompanying notes.
F- 31
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.
ITEM
9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Under the supervision of and with the participation
of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, we evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure
controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of December 31, 2022. Based
upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures
are designed at a reasonable assurance level and are effective as of December 31, 2022 to provide reasonable assurance that information
we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported
within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our
management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding
required disclosure.
In designing and evaluating disclosure controls
and procedures, our management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only
reasonable, not absolute, assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and management necessarily was required to apply its
judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over
financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2022 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect,
our internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial
Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing
and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange
Act.
A control system, no matter how well designed and
operated, 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. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems,
no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within our Company have
been detected.
Under the supervision and with the participation
of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over
financial reporting as of December 31, 2022. In making their assessment, our management used criteria established in the framework
on Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission
(COSO). Based upon that assessment, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December
31, 2022.
This report does not include an attestation report
of our independent registered public accounting firm regarding our internal control over financial reporting in accordance with applicable
SEC rules that permit us to provide only management´s report in this report.
ITEM
9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None
ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS
Not applicable.
28
PART III
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The information required by this Item will be included
in our definitive proxy statement for the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 11 . EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The information required by this Item will be included
in our definitive proxy statement for the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The information required by this Item will be included
in our definitive proxy statement for the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The information required by this Item will be included
in our definitive proxy statement for the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 14. Principal AccountING Fees and Services
The information required by this Item will be included
in our definitive proxy statement for the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and is incorporated herein by reference.
29
PART IV
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Financial Statements
The consolidated financial statements of the registrant
are listed in the index to the consolidated financial statements and filed under Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Financial Statement Schedules
Not Applicable.
30
Exhibits
Number
Description
3.1
Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Neonode Inc., ( incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the registrant’s current report on Form 8-K filed on December 11, 2020)
3.2
Amended and Restated Bylaws ( incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the registrant’s current report on Form 8-K filed on July 27, 2022 )
4.1
Description of registrant’s Common Stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the registrant’s Form S-3 (No. 333-255964), filed on May 10, 2021)
10.1
Assignment Agreement with Aequitas Technologies LLC, dated May 6, 2019 ( incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the registrant’s current report on Form 8-K filed May 8, 2019 )
10.2
Form of Purchase Warrant ( incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the registrant’s current report on Form 8-K filed on August 16, 2016 )
10.3
Form of Warrant, dated as of August 8, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the registrant’s current report on Form 8-K, filed on August 8, 2017)
10.4
Employment Agreement of Urban Forssell, dated October 20, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 of the registrant’s annual report on Form 10-K filed on March 10, 2021) +
10.5
Employment Agreement of Fredrik Nihlén, dated March 30, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the registrant’s current report on Form 8-K, filed on March 31, 2021) +
10.6
Neonode Inc. 2015 Stock Incentive Plan ( incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 of the registrant’s annual report on Form 10-K filed on March 11, 2016 )
10.7
Form of Notice of Grant of Stock Option used in connection with the 2015 Stock Incentive Plan ( incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of the registrant’s annual report on Form 10-K filed on March 11, 2016 )
10.8
Form of Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock used in connection with the 2015 Stock Incentive Plan ( incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 of the registrant’s annual report on Form 10-K filed on March 11, 2016 )
10.9
Form of Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock Units used in connection with the 2015 Stock Incentive Plan ( incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 of the registrant’s annual report on Form 10-K filed on March 11, 2016 )
10.10
Form of Notice of Grant of Stock Option to Swedish residents used in connection with the 2015 Stock Incentive Plan ( incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 of the registrant’s annual report on Form 10-K filed on March 11, 2016 )
10.11
Neonode Inc. 2020 Stock Incentive Plan ( incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to the registration statement on Form S-8 (No. 333-249806) filed on November 2, 2020).
10.12
Placement
Agency Agreement, dated October 21, 2021, by and among the registrant and Pareto Securities Inc. and Pareto Securities AB (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the registrant's current report on Form 8-K filed on October 21, 2021).
21
Subsidiaries of the registrant
23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
31.1
Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act Of 2002
31.2
Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act Of 2002
32
Certifications pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
101.INS
Inline XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
104
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)
+ Management contract or compensatory
plan or arrangement
ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
None.
31
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized.
NEONODE INC.
(Registrant)
Date: March 9, 2023
By:
/s/ Fredrik Nihlén
Fredrik Nihlén
Chief Financial Officer
Pursuant to the requirements for the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacity and dates indicated.
Name
Title
Date
/s/ Urban Forssell
President and Chief Executive Officer
March 9, 2023
Urban Forssell
(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Fredrik Nihlén
Chief Financial Officer
March 9, 2023
Fredrik Nihlén
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
/s/ Ulf Rosberg
Chairman of the Board of Directors
March 9, 2023
Ulf Rosberg
/s/ Per Löfgren
Director
March 9, 2023
Per Löfgren
/s/ Peter Lindell
Director
March 9, 2023
Peter Lindell
/s/ Cecilia Edström
Director
March 9, 2023
Cecilia Edström
32
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.