Non-cash Compensation includes the amortization of unearned employee stock-based compensation and expenses for options granted to a related party. Stock-based compensation expenses are amortized over the vesting schedule of the option, typically four years, using the straight-line approach.
During the year ending December 31, 2001, Company recorded an aggregated unearned stock-based compensation of $60,000. Stock-based compensation included in operating expenses totaled $805,000 in the year ending December 31, 2001 compared to $2,408,000 in the year ending December 31, 2000.
Net financial income in the year ending December 31, 2000 and the year ending December 31, 2001 was $167,000 and $175,000, respectively. These items consist of interest earned on bank deposits and gains and losses from a re-measurement of monetary balance sheet items resulting from transactions in non-dollar currencies.
Until September 2000 the Company held 33.6% of the outstanding shares of Speedwise Technologies Ltd (“Speedwise”). In September 2000, Speedwise issued shares to a third party which resulted in a decrease in the Company’s holdings in Speedwise to 19.19% and during February 2001 additional shares were issued to third parties resulting in a further dilution to 14.73%. During the year ending December 31, 2000 the Company followed the equity method and shared in the losses of the affiliate in the amount of $639,000. Effective January 1, 2001, the investment is carried at cost, and therefore, the Company does not share in any losses of the affiliate in the year ending December 31, 2001.
Discontinued Operations
On June 10, 2001, the Company executed an agreement, effective March 31, 2001, to sell, it’s Electrical Business, including certain related liabilities, to Idan Millenium Investments and Assets Ltd, wholly-owned by the Company’s President, Chairman and former Chief Executive Officer and current major stockholder, Dov Strikovsky. The company recorded a loss on the sale in the sum of $2,278,000. The company recorded the loss from the Electrical Business for the first quarter of 2001 as a discontinued operation resulting in a loss of $450,000.
Net Loss
Net loss in the year ending December 31, 2000 and the year ending December 31, 2001 was $3,996,000 and $16,895,000, respectively.
B. Liquidity and Capital Resources
To date, the Company has funded its operations through equity investments and bank credit lines. During the year 2000 Marnetics issued shares in consideration of $7,297,000. On December 31, 2002, the Company had $957,000 of cash and cash equivalents compared to $2,418,000 at December 31, 2001. The decrease is mostly due to cash used to finance the operation activities in the amount of $1,391,000. As of December 31, 2001, the Company had no bank credit lines and is financing its activity based only on cash available.
The Company’s capital requirements have been reduced. Still, cash requirements could exceed cash flow from limited operations. As a result, the Company may become dependent on bank credit lines and sales of its securities to fund its development and activities.
The Company reduced during 2003 its operating expenses in order to reserve enough cash for the anticipated expenses and legal issues.
Net cash used in operating activities in 2,000, 2001, and 2002 was $872,000, $4,120,000, and $1,391,000, respectively. Since the Company has not generated meaningful revenues to date, it must use its working capital to fund its research and development, marketing, sales general and administrative expenses.
The Company had as of December 31, 2002 a working capital of $3,000, compared to a working capital of $1,652,000 as of December 31, 2001.
The Company’s cash and cash equivalents are generally held in short term US dollar bank deposits.
Total shareholder equity on December 31, 2002 was $208,000 compared to $2,437,000 on December 31, 2001.
On May 9, 2001 an agreement (the “Bank Agreement”) was signed between the Company and Bank Hapoalim, Ltd. (the “Bank”) with respect to the Company’s debt to the Bank in the amount of $3,127,000 (the “Debt”). In accordance with the Bank Agreement, the Bank has agreed to release the Company from its obligation to repay the Debt and to cancel the floating charge and liens registered in favor of the Bank on properties of the Company provided that, by May 31, 2001 the Company shall pay $954,000 to the Bank on account of the Debt (the “Repaid Amount”) and in addition the Company shall have assigned to the Bank all its rights with respect to the debt of the municipality of Hod Hasharon to the Company in the amount of $2,173,000. The Company paid the $954,000 and made the assignment in the aforesaid amount.
In addition, the Company has provided the Bank with a guarantee of up to $716,000, which decreases in the ratio of NIS 1:2 paid on account of the outstanding debt of Hod Hasharon, which has been assigned to the Bank (Note 3b). To date Hod-Hasharon has not made any re-payment on account of the debt, and therefore the guarantee has not decreased. According to the terms of the Bank Agreement, following November 30, 2002, the Bank is entitled to exercise the outstanding amount of the guarantee, and since the guarantee has not decreased, the Company decided to establish an allowance for the guarantee in full. Nevertheless, the Company and its representatives are conducting on-going negotiations with Hod-Hasharon for the repayment of the debt to the Bank, although at present the Company cannot assess what portion of the debt will be recovered, if any, (and the guarantee decreased accordingly) as a result of such negotiations, or any future action by the Company. See “Item 8A - Legal Proceedings”.
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Failure to collect the total amounts, or part of it, from Idan Millenium Investments and Assets Ltd., from Mr. Dov Strikovsky or from the municipality of Hod Hasharon, or losing the litigation or a monetary settlement with Ananda Capital Partners could have a severe negative impact on the company future cash flow and liquidity. See “Item 3D – Risk Factors - Risks Relating to Collection of Debt by the Company and Risk Factors – Risks Related to Legal Proceedings.”
C. Research and Development
Research and Development expenses increased from $252,000 in the year ending December 31, 2000 to $812,000 in the year ending December 31, 2001, then decreased to $486,000 in the year ending December 31, 2002. The decrease was primarily due to Marnetics reduction of its research and development activities, reducing staff and hiring additional staff with lower salaries, receiving the OCS grant, and purchase of equipment and software. As of June 2003, the Vice President of R&D, Nr. Hanoch Newman, will no longer be an employee of Marnetics, and possibly be available for consultation dependent on current negotiations the Company is having with him. Present research and development efforts are currently reduced.
The main targets of the research and development department for the year 2002 were to commercialize new versions of the ProsperaTM product line.
In May 2002, Marnetics Ltd. submitted to the OCS a request to obtain research and development funding in the sum of $250,000 from the Office of the Chief Scientist, of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, of the State of Israel (“OCS”) for development of products for the Prospera™ platform which was approved on November 2002. The total amount of grants accrued and received at December 31, 2002 was $ 140,000. Marnetics continued to receive grant funding through the first half of year 2003 as well.
Marnetics is committed to pay royalties to the Office of the Chief Scientist of the Government of Israel on proceeds from sales of products in which the Chief Scientist has participated by way of grants, up to the amount of 100% of the grants received, in dollar terms plus interest at LIBOR. The royalties are payable at a rate of 3% for the first three years of product sales and 3.5% thereafter. No royalty expenses were paid to the Chief Scientist in 2002. The research and development grants are presented in the statements of operations as an offset to research and development costs. The refund of the grant is contingent on future sales and Marnetics has no obligation to refund these grants, if sufficient sales are not generated. Based on the terms established in the agreement with the OCS the Company may not sell its IP to a non-Israeli entity.
D. Trend Information
The market for network capacity enhancement solutions is in an early stage of development and its success is not guaranteed. Therefore, we cannot accurately assess the size of the market, the products needed to address the market, the optimal distribution strategy, or the competitive environment that will develop. In order for this area to be successful, potential customers must invest in traffic management of their networks and improving the performance of mission critical applications. The growth of the network capacity enhancement solutions market also depends upon a number of factors, including the availability of inexpensive bandwidth, especially in international markets, and the growth in complexity of WAN and the CapEx of enterprises.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
In April 2002, the FASB issued SFAS No. 145, “Rescission of FASB Statements SFAS Nos. 4, 44, and 64, Amendment of FASB Statement No. 13 and Technical Corrections.” SFAS No. 145 will impact how companies account for sale-leaseback transactions and how gains or losses on debt extinguishments are presented in financial statements. SFAS No. 145 is effective for fiscal years beginning after May 15, 2002, early application is encouraged. Under the provisions of SFAS 4 gains and losses associated with extinguishments of debts were reclassified as extraordinary item. SFAS No. 145 provides that gains and losses associated with extinguishments of debts will be classified as extraordinary item only if they meet the criteria of APB Opinion No. 30. The application of the requirements of SFAS No. 145 will not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.
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In July 2002, the FASB issued SFAS No.146, “Accounting for Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities.” SFAS No. 146 requires that a liability for costs associated with an exit or disposal activity be recognized and measured initially at fair value only when the liability is incurred. SFAS No. 146 is effective for exit or disposal activities that are initiated after December 31, 2002. The application of the requirements of SFAS No. 146 will not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.
In November 2002, the FASB issued Interpretation No. 45 (FIN 45), “Guarantor’s Accounting and Disclosure Requirements for Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees of Indebtedness of Others”, which clarifies disclosure and recognition/measurement requirements related to certain guarantees. The disclosure requirements are effective for financial statements issued after December 15, 2002 and the recognition/measurement requirements are effective on a prospective basis for guarantees issued or modified after December 31, 2002. The application of the requirements of FIN 45 will not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.
In December 2002, the FASB issued SFAS No. 148, “Accounting for Stock Based Compensation—Transition and Disclosure—as Amendment to FAS 123.” SFAS 148 provides two additional transition methods for entities that adopt the preferable method of accounting for stock based compensation. Further, the statement requires disclosure of comparable information for all companies regardless of whether, when, or how an entity adopts the preferable, fair value based method of accounting. These disclosures are now required for interim periods in addition to the traditional annual disclosure. The amendments to SFAS No. 123, which provides for additional transition methods, are effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2002, although earlier application is permitted. The amendments to the disclosure requirements are required for financial reports containing condensed financial statements for interim periods beginning after December 15, 2002.
E. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We do not have any off-balance-sheet arrangements.
Item 6. Directors, Senior Managers and Employees
A. Directors and Senior Management
The following is a list of our directors and senior management, as of the end of June 2003, 2003 followed by a description of their business background:
Name | | Age | | Position |
Menachem Reinschmidt | | 43 | | Chairman of the Board* |
Moshe Rubin | | 50 | | External Director |
Dr. Ora Setter | | 51 | | External Director |
George Balot | | 61 | | Director and to become Acting Chief Financial Officer* |
David Sheetrit | | 41 | | Director and Acting Chief Executive Officer |
Ilan Hadar | | 38 | | Chief Financial Officer* |
Hanoch Newman | | 37 | | Vice President – Research and Development* |
* | Mr. Jacob Ben-Gur, Chairman of the Board of the Company, announced his resignation from the position of Chairman of the Board of Director at a Company board meeting on January 31, 2002, due to his heavy work load and other duties other than as Chairman and Director of the Company. He officially resigned on June 5, 2002. Mr. Menachem Reinschmidt became Chairman of the Board of the Company on November 2002. Mr. David Sheetrit, who had been the Chief Operating Officer of the Company from January 2001, has become the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Company effective June 22, 2003. Mr. Ilan Hadar the Chief Financial Officer of the Company up until July 26, 2003. Beginning June 27, 2003 Mr. George Balot will share the duties with Mr. Hadar until Mr. Hadar’s leaving the Company at the end of July 2003 at which time Mr. Balot will be the sole Acting Chief Financial Officer of the Company on a part-time basis until September 30, 2003. |
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Menachem Reinschmidt, Chairman of the Board of the Company since November 2002 and Director of the Company since 2001; Mr. Reinschmidt has been Director of Marnetics Ltd., and Director of Marnetics, Inc, since the establishment of both entities. Mr. Reinschmidt established Marnetics in 1998, and was the first Chief Executive Officer of Marnetics. One of the leading data communication experts in Israel, Mr. Reinschmidt has 18 years of experience in the most advanced fields of computer networks, including design, analysis, integration and development. His expertise incorporates advanced networking topics, including frame relay, TCP/IP, Internet architecture, ATM, Local Area Networks, routers and switches, voice-over IP, etc. Prior to founding Marnetics, from 1993 to 1997 Mr. Reinschmidt was President of ATLan, a software development company located in Tel Aviv. He is a lecturer and the author of the Hebrew bestseller Local Area Networks for PC and Compatibles.
Moshe Rubin, External Director of the Company since 1999, currently serves as a Financing Consultant for the Jerusalem branch of Pama Car Financing. For 15 years, he operated the Dihatsu car dealership, which he opened in Herzliya. He has also been involved in businesses in car parts, accessories, and car maintenance.
Dr. Ora Setter, External Director of the Company since November 2002, currently serves also as External Director on the board of directors of Israeli Ligtharege and Supply Ltd. and Ravad Ltd., two publicly traded companies. Dr. Setter has 20 years of experience in performing consulting to variety of large enterprises in Israel including the major industrial companies and as well as political parties. Dr. Setter established few start-up companies in the area of knowledge management and e-learning. She is a very active lecturer in Israel and in international conferences. Dr. Setter has been for 10 years a lecturer in the Business School of Management at Tel Aviv University. Dr. Setter received her doctorate of business from the Business School of Management at Tel Aviv University.
George Balot, Director of the Company since December 2002 and Director of Marnetics Ltd., member of the Audit Committee of the Company until June 2003, and Acting Chief Financial Officer effective as of June 15, 2003. Mr. George Balot has extensive experience in the financial management of medium and large corporations in addition to non-profit organizations in the USA and Israel. Before coming to Israel in 1978, Mr. Balot, a Certified Public Accountant (USA) was a manager with KPMG in NY, USA. In Israel Mr. Balot has held positions as CFO at large high tech companies, a large non-profit educational institution with branches located located throughout the entire country, and also as an independent financial consultant to high tech companies and others. Mr. Balot holds a B.S. from the Rutgers University School of Business Administration, NJ, USA, where he majored in Accounting.
David Sheetrit, Director since April 2003, and Acting Chief Executive Officer since June 22, 2003, has also served as Marnetics Ltd’s President and Director since April 2003. Since January 2001 Mr. Sheetrit was the Chief Operating Officer of the Company and Marnetics Ltd.Mr. Sheetrit serves also as a Director of Marnetics Inc. Before joining Marnetics, Mr. Sheetrit was Head of the Tel Aviv Branch of the College of Management since 1995. In this capacity he supervised the operations, investments, marketing activities and academic programs of the College, which was comprised of 3,000 students and 200 faculty and staff. Mr. Sheetrit has lectured at various colleges and academies and served as an independent organizational and business consultant to various organizations and institutions. He holds a M.Sc. degree in Industrial Management/Business Administration from Ben Gurion University.
Ilan Hadar, Chief Financial Officer of the Company until June 26, 2003. Mr. Hadar is responsible for financial management and control and has been with the Company since May 2002. Mr. Hadar possesses ten years of experience in financial management positions with particular expertise in facilitating IPOs, M & A and maintaining shareholder and investor relationships. Additionally, Mr. Hadar has extensive experience in managing the operations of publicly traded enterprises in various operating sectors. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Hadar served as the Chief Financial Officer of Kardan Technologies Ltd (TASE: KRTC) where he participated in the team that led the IPO of the company. Mr. Hadar was also a member of the investment activities team of the company in the e-commerce sector. Prior to Kardan Technologies Mr. Hadar spent several years with Nessuah Zannex Ltd. (TASE: NESU), a leading Israeli full service brokerage house, the Israeli representative of US Bancorp Piper Jaffray and Invesco. Mr. Hadar led the merger between Nessuah and Zannex to form the current structure of that company. Today Mr. Hadar serves as External Director with the NZ portfolio Management Ltd. Mr. Hadar is a Certified Public Accountant (Israel and USA) and holds M.B.A. in Finance and B.A. in Economics & Accounting from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Beginning the end of July 2003, Mr. Hadar will no longer be an employee of the Company.
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Hanoch Newman, Vice President Research and Development, joined Marnetics in June 2000 as its Vice President of Research and Development. He is a specialist in real-time systems, embedded systems, UNIX/WIN, C++/C communication, and device drivers. He also has vast experience in computer programming, with expertise in TCP/IP and other Internet and Communication protocols, as well as system management. His past experience includes serving as Project Manager at Elron Software NCC from 1999 to 2000, R&D Manager at CT Motion (start-up) from 1998 to 1999, and CTO and MIS in the Israeli Air Force for five years prior thereto. Mr. Newman will be leaving the Company on a full time basis in June 2003 but will possibly be available for consultation dependent on present negotiations with the Company. He holds a B.A. in Computer Sciences.
Changes in the Composition of the Board of Directors during the Year 2002/2003
During 2002 Mr. Jacob Ben Gur, former Chairman of the Board, Mr. Moshe Kessner, Mr. Yossi Shelly, External Director and Mr. Joshua Piasetzky resigned from their office as directors. Each of the above resignations were for personal reasons and none of the directors had disagreements with the Company on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices.
On July 2002 Mr. Pekka Roine joined the Board of Directors and replaced Mr. Ilja Bobbert as a Director. On March 4, 2003, Mr, Roine resigned from the Board of Directors.
On October 13, 2002 Mr. Yossi Shelly resigned from his office as External Director and Dr. Ora Setter was elected as the second External Director on November 26, 2002.
On October 22, 2002 Mr. David Sheetrit, Chief Operating Officer, joined the Board of Directors temporarily until the Annual General Meeting at which time he resigned. As of April, 2003, Mr. Sheetrit rejoined the Board of Directors.
On December 11, 2002 George Balot was appointed as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors and Marnetics Ltd. and Audit Committee of the Company. Upon Mr. Balot’s appointment as Acting Chief Financial Officer, he ceased to be a member of the Audit Committee of the Company.
In April 2003 David Sheetrit was appointed as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors.
Term and Rights to Designate Board Members
The Articles of Association of the Company provide that at the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders, each director is elected for a period of one year and serves until the next such meeting or until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified. Directors may be re-elected annually without limitation.
The Company’s directors, with the exception of two external directors representing the public (who are paid in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Law, as defined below), do not currently receive any compensation for their services as directors except for George Balot whom receives a per meeting attendance fee of US $200. Certain shareholders and option-holders of the Company have the right to nominate and, pursuant to shareholder agreements, have elected their designees for the Company’s Board of Directors.
The former Marnetics Subsidiary shareholders agreed that they will vote in favor of certain nominees for Director of the Company as follows: (i) one nominee designated by ECI Telecom Ltd. (“ECI”) in the event that ECI holds 12.5% of the issued and outstanding share capital of the Company, or two nominees in the event that ECI holds 25% of the issued and outstanding share capital of the Company, (ii) one nominee designated by STI Ventures Investments No. 2 B.V. (“STI”), as long as STI holds not less than 5% of the outstanding share capital of the Company, as well as STI can appoint one member as an observer to the Board of Directors of the Company, (iii) one nominee designated collectively by Prime Technology Ventures NV, Docor International BV and Ronchal Investments NV, as long as the Docor Group holds no less than 5% of the outstanding share capital of the Company, and (iv) one nominee designated by Linkware Ltd. (a company under the control of Mr. Reinschmidt) as based on an agreement between the shareholders. Mr. Pekka Roine represented collectively by Prime Technology Ventures NV, Docor International BV and Ronchal Investments NV and resigned during year 2003. To date, STI has not yet designated a nominee for the Company’s board and ECI has only designated one director nominee Mr. Joshua Piasetzky that served until October 7, 2002.
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Alternate Directors
The Articles of Association of the Company provide that any director may, by written notice to the Company, appoint another director or any other person to serve as an alternate director, and may cancel such appointment. An alternate director has the number of votes equivalent to the number of directors who appointed him. The term of appointment of an alternate director may be for one meeting of the Board of Directors or for a specified period.
External Directors
Under the Israel Companies Law (the “Companies Law”), public companies are required to elect two external directors who must meet specified standards of independence. Companies that are registered under the laws of Israel and whose shares are listed for trading on a stock exchange outside of Israel, such as the Company, are defined as public companies and under such definition are subject to the requirement of electing two external directors. An external director may not have had during the previous two years any economic relationship with the Company. Controlling shareholders of a company, 50% shareholders, and their relatives or employees cannot serve as external directors. External directors are elected by shareholders. No individual shall be appointed as an external director if his other positions or affairs create or are liable to create a conflict of interest with his position as director, or if they are liable to constrain his ability to serve as director. The shareholders voting in favor of their election must include at least one-third of the shares of the non-controlling shareholders of the Company who are present at the meeting. This minority approval requirement need not be met if the total shareholdings of the non-controlling shareholders who vote against their election represent 1% or less of all of the voting rights in the Company. Under the Companies Law, external directors serve for a three-year term, which may be renewed for only one additional three-year term.
One of our two external directors, Moshe Rubin, was appointed on October 4, 1999 before the adoption of the Companies Law and under the previous Israeli corporate laws. Pursuant to the provisions of the Companies Law an external director appointed in accordance with the provisions of the former corporate governance law shall be deemed an external director appointed in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Law however the term of appointment shall be for a five-year period therefore Mr. Rubin shall remain in office until 2004.
Under the Companies law, external directors can be removed from office only by the same special percentage of shareholders as can elect them, or by a court, and then only if the external directors cease to meet the statutory qualifications with respect to their appointment or if they violate their duty of loyalty to the Company. If, when an external director is elected, all members of the board of directors of a company are of one gender, the external director to be elected must be of the other gender. Any committee of the board of directors must include at least one external director. An external director is entitled to compensation as provided in regulations adopted under the Companies Law and is otherwise prohibited from receiving any other compensation, directly or indirectly, in connection with such service.
The Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Association provides that the Board of Directors shall consist of a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of eleven (11) directors. Each director, except for External Directors, shall serve as a director from the time of appointment until the next Annual General Meeting. As mentioned above, External Directors elected after the adoption of the Companies Laws in 2000 shall hold office for 3 year terms and an External Director elected under the previous Israeli corporate statute, the Companies Ordinance, such as the Company’s external director, Moshe Rubin, shall serve for five-year terms, until 2004. Dr. Ora Setter, appointed after the adoption of the Companies Law in 2000, will serve for three-year terms or until 2005.
The Amended and Restated Articles of Association provides that directors may be removed only for cause by a majority of shareholders. The Companies Law also provides that a director shall be removed from office in one of the following events: (i) if he has resigned or removed in accordance with the provisions stated therein; (ii) upon conviction for a criminal offence as detailed therein; (iii) in the event that a court has ordered his removal; (iv) in the event that he has been declared bankrupt.
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Liability of Officers and Directors
The Companies Law provides that an Israeli company cannot exculpate an office holder from liability with respect to a breach of his duty of loyalty, but may exculpate in advance an office holder from his liability to the company, in whole or in part, with respect to a breach of his duty of care. The Company’s Articles of Association provide that, subject to any restrictions imposed by corporate law, the Company may enter into a contract for the insurance of the liability of any of the Company’s office holders with respect to an act performed by him in his capacity as an office holder and regarding:
| • | a breach of his duty of care to the Company or to another person; |
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| • | a breach of his duty of loyalty to the Company, provided that the office holder acted in good faith and had a reasonable basis to assume that his act would not prejudice the Company’s interests; or |
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| • | a financial liability imposed upon him in favor of another person. |
In addition, the Company may indemnify an office holder against:
| • | a financial liability imposed on him in favor of another person by any judgment, including a settlement or an arbitrator’s award approved by a court in respect of an act performed in his capacity as an office holder; and |
| | |
| • | reasonable litigation expenses, including attorneys’ fees, expended by such office holder or charged to him by a court, in proceedings the Company institutes against him or instituted on the Company’s behalf or by another person, or in a criminal charge from which he was acquitted, or a criminal charge for which he was convicted, providing such charge does not require proof of criminal intent. |
These provisions are specifically limited in their scope by the Companies Law, which provides that a company may not indemnify an office holder, nor enter into an insurance contract, which would provide coverage for any monetary liability incurred as a result of any of the following:
| • | a breach by the office holder of his duty of loyalty unless the office holder acted in good faith and had a reasonable basis to believe that the act would not prejudice the company; |
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| • | a breach by the office holder of his duty of care if such breach was done intentionally or in disregard of the circumstances of the breach or our consequences; |
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| • | any act or omission done with the intent to derive an illegal personal benefit; or |
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| • | any fine levied against the office holder. |
Under the Companies Law, the Company’s shareholders may amend the Articles of Association to include either of the following provisions:
| • | A provision authorizing the Company to grant in advance an undertaking to indemnify an office holder, provided that the undertaking is limited to types of events which the board of directors deems to be anticipated and limited to an amount determined by the board of directors to be reasonable under the circumstances; or |
| | |
| • | A provision authorizing the Company to retroactively indemnify an office holder. |
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In addition, pursuant to the Companies Law, approval of the Company’s audit committee and the Company’s Board of Directors and, in specified circumstances, by the Company’s shareholders, must be obtained for the indemnification of, and procurement of insurance coverage for, the Company’s office holders for the following actions:
| • | breach of duty of care by any office holder owed to the Company or any other person; |
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| • | breach of fiduciary duty by any office holder owed to the extent that such office holder acted in good faith and had a reasonable basis to assume that the action would not prejudice the Company; and |
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| • | any financial liability imposed on any office holder for the benefit of a third party as a result of any act or omission such office holder committed as an office holder of the Company. |
As a result of a Shareholders Resolution dated November 26, 2002, the Company has entered into an indemnification agreement with the officers and directors of the Company as of March 13, 2003 and entered into an agreement with each new director. Such agreements contain provisions which endeavor to limit the personal liability of the officers and directors, both to the Company and to our shareholders, for monetary damages resulting from breaches of certain of their fiduciary duties as directors and officers of the Company. In particular, such agreements provide that the Company will indemnify such individuals to the fullest extent permitted by the Companies Law, as such rights shall from time to time be amended or limited, against all expense, liability, and loss reasonably incurred or suffered by the indemnitee as a result of serving as an officer or director or employee of the Company, or any affiliate thereof or any other entity at the request of the Company.
In addition, the Company has obtained reimbursement indemnity insurance to reimburse directors and officers of the Company for losses sustained as a result of any claim arising from a wrongful act, individually or collectively, in the discharge of their duties or in breach of their fiduciary duties solely in their capacity as officers and directors of the Company, and to reimburse the Company for losses sustained as a result of any claim arising from any such wrongful act where an indemnity has been given or lawfully is required to be given to officers or directors of the Company.
Consequently, under the Company’s Amended Articles of Association, the Company may indemnify its officers and directors for financial obligations imposed on them in favor of a third party by a court judgment, including a compromise judgment or a court-approved arbitrator’s decision, as well as for concomitant reasonable legal expenses, including attorney’s fees, as a result of any claim arising from a wrong act in the discharge of their duties in their capacity as officers or directors of the Company which could materially adversely affect the business, prospects, financial condition, or results of operations of the Company.
Furthermore, the ability of United States shareholders to recover monetary damages from officers and directors of the Company for certain breaches of their fiduciary duties may be significantly limited.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to officers, directors, and controlling persons of the Company pursuant to the foregoing provisions or otherwise, the Company has been advised that in the opinion of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable in the United States.
B. Compensation
The Company’s directors do not currently receive any compensation for their services as directors. In addition, under the Companies Law, external directors are entitled to annual compensation plus per meeting attendance fee. The Company currently pays its external directors an annual fee of US $3,100 and per meeting attendance fee of US $200. Every two telephone conference calls are considered one meeting. Mr. Yossi Shelly also received travel expenses of fifty cents per kilometer. The Company granted Mr. Moshe Kessner, who was a member of the board of directors of the Company and in light of his services to the Company, options to purchase 21,000 Ordinary Shares of the Company, which shall vest over a period of 12 months from the date of his nomination. Mr. George Balot receives a per meeting attendance fee of US $200. In addition, upon Mr. Balot assuming the function of Acting Chief Financial Officer of the Company he will receive compensation of $2,000 per month for 70 hours per month of work for the Company.
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Effective December 2, 2001, Marnetics Ltd. entered into a services agreement with Netlogic Ltd., a company under the control of Menachem Reinschmidt, Chairman of the Board of the Company, and provides on a non-exclusive basis, executive managerial and other related services with respect to the Company, Marnetics Ltd. and any of its affiliated companies, as may be prescribed from time to time by the board of directors of Marnetics,
The Board of Director after receiving the approval of the Audit Committee, decided to approve an Addendum to the Netlogic Ltd. Services Agreement (effective December 2, 2002) for six (6) months, from December 2, 2002 to June 2, 2003. The position of Mr. Reinschmidt during the period with the Company was that of Active Chairman of the Board of Directors on a part time basis of fifty percent of his time. Among the duties of the Active Chairman will be to approach companies for potential partnerships, merger and acquisitions investments and selling the Company’s technology and intellectual property. The compensation for such duties will be a monthly gross fee of $5,000 (five thousand dollars) plus Value Added Tax. In addition, the Company will supply Mr. Reinschmidt with a leased car and cellular phone for the duration of the extension of the Netlogic Ltd. Services Agreement.
A Second Addendum to this Services Agreement effective December 2, 2002, was signed on June 2, 2003, subject to shareholder approval, for an additional period from June 3, 2003 and to expire December 2, 2003.
Mr. David Sheetrit who is the Chief Executive Office of the Company as of June 2003, the Chief Operating Officer of the Company since January 2001, and Director in the Company since April 2003, provides services under a services agreement and receives monthly compensation of $4,000 plus a Company car and is supplied with a cellular phone, exactly as when he was the Chief Operating Officer of the Company.
Mr. Ilan Hadar will be leaving the Company effective the end of July 2003.
Based on a signed agreement June 22, 2003, effective June 15, 2003 and in effect until September 30, 2003, Mr. George Balot will be the Acting Chief Financial Officer of the Company on a part-time basis of $2000 a month for 70 hours of work, with an additional $45 per hour for every hour over that time. In addition, Mr. Balot is presently negotiating an agreement with the Company to receive a finder’s fee based only on success in selling the Company’s technology and/or finding an appropriate merger partner for the Company.
Mr. Hanoch Newman who is VP Research and Development of the Company provided services to the Company during 2003 at a reduced rate of 80% of his time. In addition to receiving his salary at an 80% rate, he was entitled to receive from the Company sales commission of 8 percent of sales accomplished through his efforts. Mr. Newman will be leaving the Company in June 2003 and will possibly be available for consultation services dependent on negotiations between the Company and him.
C. Board Practices
See “Item 6A – Director and Senior Management” for period that our directors and senior management are serving.
Committees of the Board of Directors – Audit Committee
The Companies Law also provides that public companies must appoint an audit committee. The responsibilities of the audit committee include identifying irregularities in the management of the Company’s business and approving related-party transactions as required by law. An audit committee must consist of at least three members, and include all of the Company’s external directors. However, the chairman of the board of directors, any director employed by the Company or providing services to the Company on a regular basis, any controlling shareholder and any relative of a controlling shareholder may not be a member of the audit committee. An audit committee may not approve an action or a transaction with a controlling shareholder, or with an office holder, unless at the time of approval two external directors are serving as members of the audit committee and at least one of the external directors was present at the meeting in which an approval was granted.
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In addition, the Companies Law requires the board of directors of a public company to appoint an internal auditor nominated by the audit committee. A person who does not satisfy the Companies Law’s independence requirements may not be appointed as an internal auditor. The role of the internal auditor is to examine, among other things, the compliance of the Company’s conduct with applicable law and orderly business practice. Following the combination transaction between the Company and Marnetics, Ltd., the Company has decided to appoint a new internal auditor whose candidacy will be recommended by the Audit Committee and approved by the Company’s Board of Directors.
The Company has an audit committee that consists of Ora Setter, Moshe Rubin and George Balot. Mr. Balot will be resigning as a member of the audit committee upon his assuming the function of Acting Chief Financial Officer during June 2003. The audit committee exercises the powers of the Board of Directors with respect to the Company’s accounting, reporting and financial control practices.
Advisory Committee
During year 2002 to further the Company’s progress in both marketing and technology, an Advisory Committee comprised of the following persons that represent both the technology and the investments made in the Company was formed: Erez Aluf, representing STI Ventures Investments No. 2 B.V., Moshe Kessner, Joshua Piasetzky representing ECI Telecom Ltd, and Michael Schlesinger representing Docor International BV.These representatives do not have the power of board of director membersbut are advisory in nature to the management of the Company. Since August, 2002 the Advisory Committee has been inactive.
D. Employees
On December 11, 2002 the Board of Directors resolved to authorize management of Marnetics to structure an Employment Stock Option Plan for the year 2003 and to allocate to employees of Marnetics up to 5 (five) per cent of the issued and outstanding share capital of Marnetics on a fully diluted basis. The program has not yet gone into effect.
On March 31, 2003 the Company employed approximately 13 persons, of whom six (6) worked in research and development, two (2) in marketing and sales, and five (5) in general and administrative. As of April 26, 2003, the Company decided to lay off the majority of the employees of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Marnetics Ltd. in the areas of marketing, sales and research and development. The remaining employees are in the area of administration and will be left for the next few months, possibly to the end of the year 2003. A new updated budget was approved that reflects the shut down of the research and development, and marketing and sales operations of the Company and Marnetics Ltd.
A Second Addendum to this Services Agreement effective December 2, 2002, was signed June 2, 2003, subject to shareholder approval, for an additional period from June 3, 2003 and to expire December 2, 2003, whereby Mr. Menachem Reinschmidt through the company Netlogic Ltd. is dedicating 50% of his time to the Company as an active Chairman. The compensation for such duties will be a monthly gross fee of $5,000 (five thousand dollars) plus Value Added Tax. In addition, the Company will supply Mr. Reinschmidt with a leased car and cellular phone for the duration of the extension of the Netlogic Ltd. Services Agreement. See “Item 7.B. Related Party Transactions – Netlogic Ltd.”
Mr. David Sheetrit who is the Acting Chief Executive Officer as of June 2003 of the Company, had been from January 2001 up until this time the Chief Operating Officer of the Company and Director in the Company since April 2003, is providing services to the Company under a services agreement and receives monthly compensation of $4,000 plus a Company car and is supplied with a cellular phone for his use in his work for the Company, exactly as when he was the Chief Operating Officer of the Company.
Mr. Ilan Hadar will be leaving the Company effective the end of July 2003.
Based on a signed agreement June 22, 2003, effective June 15, 2003 and in effect until September 30, 2003, Mr. George Balot will be the Acting Chief Financial Officer of the Company on a part-time basis of $2000 a month for 70 hours of work, with an additional $45 per hour for every hour over that time. In addition, Mr. Balot is presently negotiating an agreement with the Company to receive a finder’s fee based only on success in selling the Company’s technology and/or finding an appropriate merger partner for the Company.
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Mr. Hanoch Newman who is VP Research and Development of the Company provides services to the Company at a reduced rate of 80% of his time. In addition to receiving his salary at an 80% rate, he is entitled to receive from the Company sales commission of 8 percent of sales accomplished through his efforts. Mr. Newman will be leaving the Company in June 2003 and will possibly be available for consultation services dependent on negotiations between the Company and him..
Israeli law, as well as collective bargaining agreements and orders of the Israeli Ministry of Labor and Welfare, contain provisions regarding conditions of employment, including, among other things, the length of the workday, minimum wages, insurance for work-related accidents, the determination of severance pay, and adjustments of wages in accordance with inflation. The Company generally provides our employees with benefits and working conditions at or above the required minimums. Furthermore, Israeli employees and employers are required to pay predetermined sums to the National Insurance Institute, which is similar to the United States Social Security Administration. Since January 1, 1995, such amounts have included payments for national health insurance. The payments to the National Insurance Institute are approximately 14.6% of wages, of which 4.9% are contributed by the Company pursuant to Israeli law requirements, and the rest, 9.7%, by the employee.
Most of the Company’s employees are insured through a Managers’ Insurance Policy, which offers a combination of pension plans, insurance in cases of death and injury, and retirement and severance pay benefits. An amount equal to 5% of an employee’s gross salary is contributed to the Managers’ Insurance Policy by the Company and an additional 5% by the employee. Another component of up to 2.5% paid by the Company covers insurance for damages sustained by employees due to loss of work capability. An additional amount equal to 8.3% is funded by the Company to cover severance liability.
In addition, most of the Company’s employees have an Educational Fund Savings Plan pursuant to which the Company contributes an amount equal to 7.5% of the employee’s salary and the employee contributes an amount equal to 2.5% of his salary.
Obligations of the Company resulting from the termination of employer-employee relationships are primarily accounted for through allocations made on behalf of the employees to various compensation funds, pension funds, and insurance companies within the framework of Managers’ Insurance Policies and the Mivtahim Pension Fund,
The wages of most of the Company’s employees are linked to changes of the Israeli standard of living price index (CPI) as determined by the Israeli Bureau of Statistics.
The total overhead expenses for wages in Israel are usually, approximately 30%.
As of May 31, 2003, the Company had no outstanding loans to employees and officers of the Company except to Mr. Dov Strikovsky, the President, Chairman and former CEO, who is no longer employed by the Company but is a significant shareholder of the Company. See “Item 7B-Related Party Transactions.”
E. Share Ownership
See Item 7: “Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions.”
Stock Option Plan
In connection with the June 1, 2000 share exchange agreement (“the agreement”) signed between the Company and Marnetics, the Board of Directors of the Company adopted an unwritten Option Plan (the “Option Plan”). The Option Plan provides for the grant of options to purchase up to an aggregate of 1,000,000 Ordinary Shares to directors, key employees and consultants of the Company. The Board of Directors of the Company will determine the terms of the grants. Under the Option Plan, the Company granted, to a company under the control of the former CEO and chairman of the board of the Company, 400,000 fully vested options to purchase shares at the exercise price of $3. With respect to these options non-cash compensation expenses totaling $2,000,000 were recorded and charged to earnings in accordance with APB 25 “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees”.
The Company’s board of directors adopted a written stock option plan in its meeting of June 17, 2001. As of May 31, 2003, 279,206 options are allocated to employees on a fully diluted basis. In addition, former employees of Stav, have been allocated 157,143 options, which are fully vested. There remain 552,224 options that are unallocated.
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On December 11, 2002 the Board of Directors resolved to authorize management of Marnetics to structure an Employment Stock Option Plan for the year 2003 and to allocate to employees of Marnetics up to 5 (five) per cent of the issued and outstanding share capital of Marnetics on a fully diluted basis. The program has not yet gone into effect.
Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions
A. Major Shareholders
The following table identifies, as of May 31, 2003, certain information with respect to the beneficial ownership of securities of the Company of each person or entity by the Company to be the beneficial owner of five percent (5%) or more of the Ordinary Shares of the Company:
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner | | Number | | Percent(1) |
| |
| |
|
Linkware Ltd. | | 1,740,575(2) | | 18.77% |
3 Hadror Street | | | | |
P.O. Box 73 | | | | |
Hod Hasharon 45100 Israel | | | | |
| | | | |
Dov Strikovsky | | 985,714(3) | | 10.63% |
83 Akiva Street | | | | |
Ra’anana, Israel | | | | |
| | | | |
ECI Telecommunications Ltd. | | 1,187,439(4) | | 12.81% |
34 Hasivim Street | | | | |
Kiryat Aryeh Industrial Park | | | | |
Petach Tikva Israel | | | | |
| | | | |
STI Ventures Investments No. 2 B.V | | 1,180,907 | | 12.74% |
Hullenbergweg 379 | | | | |
1101 Cr. Amsterdam | | | | |
Zuide – Oost | | | | |
The Netherlands | | | | |
| | | | |
Prime Technology Ventures NV | | 630,550 | | 6.80% |
Stroombaan 6-8 | | | | |
1181 VX Amstelveen, | | | | |
The Netherlands | | | | |
(1) | The number of shares beneficially owned is determined under rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the information is not necessarily indicative of beneficial ownership for any other purpose. Under these rules, beneficial ownership includes any shares as to which the individual has sole or shared voting power or investment power and also any shares that the individual has the right to acquire within 60 days after May 31, 2003, through the exercise of any stock option or other right. The inclusion herein of such shares, however, does not constitute an admission that the named shareholder is a direct or indirect beneficial owner of such shares. Unless otherwise indicated, each person or entity named in the table has sole voting power and investment power, or shares such power with his or her spouse, with respect to all shares of capital stock listed as owned by such person or entity. This does not include an unallocated pool (including prior to merger) of 552,224 options in the calculation of the percentages. |
| |
(2) | Includes 302,266 shares that may be acquired pursuant to options that are presently or will become exercisable within 60 days at an exercise price of par value per share. |
| |
(3) | Includes 550,000 shares that may be acquired pursuant to options with an exercise price of $3.00 per share, which are presently or will become exercisable within 60 days by O.S.I Limited which is controlled by a trust, the beneficiaries of which are family members of Dov Strikovsky. |
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As of May 31, 2003, 1,008,809 Ordinary Shares of the Company were held of record in the United States. Such Ordinary Shares were held by five (5) record holders and represented 13.7% of the total Ordinary Shares then outstanding (10.9% on fully diluted basis). On May 31, 2003, 6,353,581 of the Ordinary Shares were held of record outside of the United States. Such shares were held by seventeen (17) record holders and represented 86.3% (89.1% on a fully diluted basis) of the total Ordinary Shares outstanding. Since 927,546 of these Ordinary Shares were held by brokers or other nominees, the number of record holders in the United States may not be representative of the number of beneficial holders or where the beneficial holders are resident.
The following table sets forth certain information as of May 31, 2003, with respect to the beneficial ownership of shares of Ordinary Shares by each of the Company’s directors and executive officers, individually, and the directors and executive officers of the Company as a group, assuming conversion of all convertible debt or preferred stock and exercise of all warrants and stock options by such person and only by such person.
| | | Amount and Nature of | |
| | | Beneficial Ownership(1) | |
| | |
| |
| Name of Beneficial Owner | | Number of Shares | | Percent of Class(2) | |
|
| |
| |
| |
| | | | | | | | |
| Menachem Reinschmidt, Director and CEO | | | 1,740,575(3 | ) | | 18.7 | % |
| | | | | | | | |
| Moshe Rubin, External Director | | | — | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | |
| David Sheetrit, Director and COO* | | | 31,250(4 | ) | | * | |
| | | | | | | | |
| Ilan Hadar, CFO* | | | 27,500(5 | ) | | * | |
| | | | | | | | |
| Hanoch Newman, VP R&D | | | 53,141 (6 | ) | | * | |
| | | | | | | | |
| All Officers and Directors as a Group (6 individuals) | | | 2,451,356 | | | 26.4 | % |
| | | | | | | | |
| * Less than 1%; also during June 2003 David Sheetrit became acting CEO, and at the end of July 2003 Ilan Hadar will step down as CFO and leave the Company. | |
(1) The number of shares beneficially owned is determined under rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the information is not necessarily indicative of beneficial ownership for any other purpose. Under these rules, beneficial ownership includes any shares as to which the individual has sole or shared voting power or investment power and also any shares that the individual has the right to acquire within 60 days after October 23, 2002, through the exercise of any stock option or other right. The inclusion herein of such shares, however, does not constitute an admission that the named shareholder is a direct or indirect beneficial owner of such shares. Unless otherwise indicated, each person or entity named in the table has sole voting power and investment power, or shares such power with his or her spouse, with respect to all shares of capital stock listed as owned by such person or entity. This does not include an unallocated pool (including prior to merger) of 552,224 options in the calculation of the percentages nor 115,505 unvested options of employees.
(2) Based on in 7,362,390 Ordinary Shares outstanding as of May 31, 2003 and 1,945,593 options which are presently or will become exercisable within 60 days after June 30, 2003.
(3) Menachem Reinschmidt is a controlling shareholder of Linkware Ltd. and, as such, has the ability to control the voting and disposition of the securities owned by such company. Mr. Reinschmidt disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares. It includes 302,266 shares that may be acquired pursuant to options which are presently or will become exercisable within 60 days by Linkware Ltd. at an exercise price of par value per share.
(4) Includes 31,250 shares that may be acquired pursuant to options which are presently or will become exercisable within 60 days. Mr. Sheetrit has an option to acquire 2% of Linkware Ltd. Out of which 1% are presently or will become exercisable within 60 days after October 23, 2002.
(5) Includes 27,500 shares that may be acquired pursuant to options which are presently or will become exercisable within 60 days.
(6) Includes 53,141 shares that may be acquired pursuant to options which are presently or will become exercisable within 60 days.
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B. Related Party Transactions
Sale of Electrical Business
Effective March 2001 the Company sold to Idan Millenium Investments and Assets Ltd. (“IDAN’), a company under the control of Dov Strikovsky, a major shareholder and President, Chairman and former CEO of the Company, all the fixed assets, inventories, other assets and liabilities and related goodwill, in the amount of an appraised value of $2,000,000, relating to the electrical operations for a consideration of $597,000. The consideration is payable in 25 monthly installments of $24,000 commencing February 1, 2002. In May 2002 the Company signed an addendum with IDAN to change the terms of payments to such that the first 11 installment will be reduced to $7,000 each and the remaining 14 installments will be of $37,000. The Company, considering the collectibility probability, decided to establish an allowance on the amount not yet collected. During 2002 $71,000 was repaid on the account of the sale consideration. See “Item 8B – Significant Changes.”
Speedwise Technologies Ltd.
In April 2001, Marnetics Ltd. entered into a software license agreement with Speedwise Technologies Ltd., a company in which Marnetics Ltd. owns 14.7% interest. See “Item 4B – Licensing Arrangements.”
In July 2001, Marnetics Ltd. entered into an OEM agreement with Speedwise Technologies Ltd., a company in which Marnetics owns 14.7% of its outstanding shares. Income of $9,000 was made from Speedwise during year 2002. See “Item 4B – Customers and Distributors.” The OEM agreement was cancelled in November 2001.
Until September 2000 the Company held 33.6% of the outstanding shares of Speedwise Technologies Ltd (“Speedwise”). In September 2000, Speedwise issued shares which resulted in a decrease in the Company’s holdings in Speedwise to 19.19% and during February 2001 additional shares were issued to third parties resulting in a further dilution to 14.73%. In October 2002 Speedwise sold its assets and intellectual property to Orsus Solutions Ltd., (“Orsus”) an Israeli technology company, in consideration of cash and shares. Based on the consideration received by Speedwise, the Company assesses that the recoverable amount of its holdings in Speedwise will be $60,000 and as a result an impairment charge of $522,000 has been recorded.
Netlogic Ltd.
Effective December 2, 2001, Marnetics Ltd. entered into a services agreement with Netlogic Ltd., a company under the control of Menachem Reinschmidt, Chairman of the Board of the Company, and provides on a non-exclusive basis, executive managerial and other related services with respect to the Company, Marnetics Ltd. and any of its affiliated companies, as may be prescribed from time to time by the board of directors of Marnetics.
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The Board of Director after receiving the approval of the Audit Committee, decided to approve an Addendum to the Netlogic Ltd. Services Agreement (effective December 2, 2002) for six (6) months, from December 2, 2002 to June 2, 2003. The role of Mr. Reinschmidt during the period was to hold the office of Active Chairman of the Board of Directors on a part time basis of fifty percent of his time. Among the duties of the Active Chairman will be to approach companies for potential partnerships, merger and acquisitions investments and selling the Company’s technology and intellectual property. The compensation for such duties will be a monthly gross fee of $5,000 (five thousand dollars) plus Value Added Tax. In addition, the Company will supply Mr. Reinschmidt with a leased car and cellular phone for the duration of the extension of the Netlogic Ltd. Services Agreement.
A Second Addendum to this Services Agreement effective December 2, 2002, was signed on June 2, 2003, subject to shareholder approval, for an additional period of a few more months, from June 3, 2003 and to expire December 2, 2003.
Inter Company Loan Agreement
During September 2002 the Company signed a loan agreement with Marnetics Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary, whereby Marnetics Ltd made available to the Company a secured loan of up to $500,000. The principle of the loan will be linked to the changes in the Israeli CPI. The interest was set to 4% annually. The loan will be paid until December 31, 2005. In order to secure the repayment of the loan, the Company agreed to pledge in favor of Marnetics Ltd. the amounts that will be collected from the account of the “Loans to Significant Shareholder and Former Director and Officer” in the amount of $1,228,000.
Combination Transaction
Effective December 31, 2000, Stav Electrical Systems (1994) Ltd. acquired Marnetics Ltd. pursuant to the terms of that certain share exchange agreement among the Company, Marnetics Ltd. and the security holders of Marnetics Ltd. Upon the closing of that transaction, certain entities and individuals affiliated with the Company, including Dov Strikovsky, a principal shareholder and the President, Chairman and former Chief Executive Officer of the Company or entities affiliated with Mr. Strikovsky, received options to purchase up to 400,000 Ordinary Shares of the Company.
Assignment of Bank Debt
On May 9, 2001 an agreement was signed between the Company and Bank Hapoalim Ltd. (“Bank”) with respect to the Company’s debt to the Bank in the amount of $3,127,000 (the “Debt”). In accordance with the Bank agreement, the Bank has agreed to release the Company from its obligation to repay the Debt and to cancel the floating charge and liens registered in favor of the Bank on properties of the Company provided that, by May 31, 2001 the Company shall pay $954,000 to the Bank on account of the Debt (the “Repaid Amount”) and in addition the Company shall have assigned to the Bank all its rights with respect to the debt of the municipality of Hod Hasharon to the Company in the amount of $2,173,000. The Company paid the $954,000 and made the assignment in the aforesaid amount.
In addition, the Company has provided the Bank with a guarantee of up to $716,000, which decreases in the ratio of NIS 1:2 paid on account of the outstanding debt of Hod Hasharon, which has been assigned to the Bank (Note 3b). To date Hod-Hasharon has not made any re-payment on account of the debt, and therefore the guarantee has not decreased. According to the terms of the Bank Agreement, following November 30, 2002, the Bank is entitled to exercise the outstanding amount of the guarantee, and since the guarantee has not decreased, the Company decided to establish an allowance for the guarantee in full. Nevertheless, the Company and its representatives are conducting on-going negotiations with Hod-Hasharon for the repayment of the debt to the Bank, although at present the Company cannot assess what portion of the debt will be recovered, if any, (and the guarantee decreased accordingly) as a result of such negotiations, or any future action by the Company. See “Item 8A - Legal Proceedings”.
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Indemnification by Significant Shareholder
1. Following the Bank agreement, on June 30, 2001 an agreement was signed between Mr. Strikovsky and the Company pursuant to which Strikovsky agreed to reimburse the Company for the Repaid Amount and any additional amount that the Company may have to pay to the Bank if the Bank exercises the guarantee related to the debt of Hod Hasharon. The reimbursement amount of $954,000 is due and payable to the Company and will be paid in monthly installments of $48,000 commencing on June 1, 2004 until paid in full. All amounts due and payable to the Company are linked to the Israeli CPI and bear interest of 4% per annum. The reimbursement amount of $954,000 was not yet recognized as the probability of its realization is in doubt.
2. In connection with the Stav/Marnetics transaction and pursuant to an amendment to the share exchange agreement, Mr. Strikovsky granted an indemnification to the former shareholders of Marnetics Ltd. against certain losses or damages related to the Electrical Business and had deposited 200,000 shares of the Company held by him in escrow as security for his indemnification obligations.
3. During the audit of the financial statements of Stav Electrical Systems (1994) Ltd. for the year ended December 31, 2000, it was discovered that excess advances were paid to certain suppliers in the amount of $0.5 million. On June 30, 2001, Mr. Strikovsky, the Company and the former shareholders of Marnetics Ltd. entered into a separate indemnification agreement that further defined, clarified and expanded the terms of the initial indemnification, added indemnification obligations related to the bank debt assignment (as described above) and provided for an additional 100,000 shares of the Company held by Mr. Strikovsky to be held in escrow as security for such indemnification obligations. Under this indemnification agreement, Mr. Strikovsky agreed to:
| • | Reimburse the Company for US $954,000 which is the amount the Company has paid to the bank pursuant to the debt assignment described above, to be paid in monthly installments of US $48,000 commencing June 1, 2004 until paid in full. All amounts due and payable to the Company are linked to the Israeli CPI and bear interest of 4% per annum. The reimbursement amount of $954,000 was not yet recognized as the probability of its realization is in doubt; and |
| | |
| • | Guaranty the repayment of $0.5 million to the Company by certain suppliers of the Company in connection with excess advances made to such suppliers by the Company in the year-ended December 31, 2000. Such sum was paid to the Company in July 2001 by realization of bank guarantees in favor of the Company. |
| | |
| • | To indemnify the Company for any amount it may pay to Bank Hapoalim in the future under the guarantee granted by the Company in favor of the bank under the debt assignment or for any losses the Company may incur in connection with such debt assignment documents. |
4. The Company and Mr. Strikovsky were named as a defendant in a claim for specific performance of an agreement allegedly entered into by the Company and the plaintiff in April 1999 (the “Agreement”) as well as damages as a result of a breach of the agreement. On July 2, 2001, due to the fact that no defense and/or reply were provided by the Company or Mr. Strikovsky, judgment was entered against the Company and Mr. Strikovsky in the amount of $725,000. On February 7, 2002 the Company filed a motion to vacate the judgment and on February 27, 2002 the court rejected the motion. The Company filed an appeal on the court decision which was accepted by the Supreme Court of the State New York with instructions to allow evidentiary hearing. The hearing was held on May 22, 2003 and the Company is awaiting the court’s decision. The plaintiff proposed to settle the suit for $250,000 and while the Company was willing to further negotiate a substantially lower amount, in light of the plaintiff’s position the Company decided to reject the proposal. In 2001 the Company has established an allowance in the amount of $750,000 to provide for its possible exposure. In light of recent developments the Company decreased the allowance by $500,000 to $250,000 which, in light of the judgment against the Company and the settlement offer proposed, represents a conservative estimate of the probable exposure. See “Item 8A (1) – Financial Information -Legal Proceedings.”
Loans to Significant Shareholder and Former Director and CEO
The Company has, from time-to-time, made loans to Dov Strikovsky during the period of time he was Chairman of the Board of Directors, President, and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. At December 31, 1997, 1998, and 1999 the amount of such loans outstanding was US $1,151,000, US $1,443,000 and US $1,570,000 respectively. Such loans did not bear interest through December 31, 1997. (Such loans currently linked to the Israeli Consumer Price Index and bear interest at the rate per annum equal to LIBOR plus 2 %.) In addition, during 1999 and 2000, the Company inadvertently made excess advances to Mr. Strikovsky. Upon discovery of this error, Mr. Strikovsky repaid to the Company the amount of such excess advances.
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In preparation for its initial public offering, in April 1998, the Company entered into an agreement with Mr. Strikovsky which provided that he would pay interest only on such loans through October 1, 1998 and will amortize the principal amount, and pay interest thereon, commencing on January 1, 2000 and terminating on December 31, 2003. In September 1998, such agreement was superceded by an agreement pursuant to which Mr. Strikovsky agreed to repay such loans together with the interest thereon, on or prior to November 25, 2000, subject to extension in the sole discretion of the disinterested members of the Board of Directors of the Company. Mr. Strikovsky applied the net proceeds of the sale in the Company’s initial public offering of a number of his Ordinary Shares, approximately US $522,000, and also agreed to apply 50% of all dividends paid, net of taxes, on the Ordinary Shares owned by him to the prepayment of such loans. Pursuant to the September 1998 agreement, in 1999, the disinterested members of the Company’s Board of Directors voted to extend the repayment terms of the net loan. The loan is currently payable in eight annual installments, which commenced in December 31, 2000 and shall be repaid in full by December 31, 2007. First payment was made by way of applying Mr. Strikovsky’s net proceeds of the sale in the Company’s initial public offering in the amount of $522,000. In September, 1999 a dividend that was paid to Mr. Strikovsky in the sum of $90,000, and he applied half of this amount, $45,000 towards repayment of the loan.
During August, September 2002 Mr. Strikovsky paid the Company sum of $225,000 including interest. This amount credited first against the balance of its currents account in the sum of $87,000 and the sum of $138,000 was credited against the balance due of the loan.
Mr. Strikovsky did not make further payments towards this loan. The Company notified Mr. Strikovsky of its default and is involved in ongoing legal efforts aimed at collecting amounts due from Mr. Strikovsky and the companies under his control..
At December 31, 2001 the Company reassessed the collectibility of the net loan, in the amount of $1,228,000 granted to Mr. Strikovsky in previous years, in accordance with provisions of SFAS No. 114 “Accounting by Creditors for Impairment of a Loan”, and resolved, considering the probability of its collectibility, to establish a loan loss allowance for the entire amount. Income from impaired loan will be recorded using the cash method.
C. Interests of Experts and Counsel
Not Applicable
Item 8. Financial Information
A. Financial Information
See “Item 18-Financial Statements”.
Legal Proceedings
1. The Company and Mr. Strikovsky was named as a defendant in a claim for specific performance of an agreement entered into by the Company and the plaintiff in April 1999 (the “Agreement”) as well as damages as a result of a breach of the agreement. On July 2, 2001, due to the fact that no defense and/or reply were provided by the Company or Mr. Strikovksy, judgment was entered against the Company in the amount of $725,000. On February 7, 2002 the Company and Mr. Strikovsky filed a motion to vacate the judgment and on February 27, 2002 the court rejected the motion. The Company filed an appeal on the court decision which was accepted by the Supreme Court of the State New York with instructions to allow evidentiary hearing. The hearing was held on May 22, 2003 and the Company is awaiting the court’s decision. The plaintiff proposed to settle the suit for $250,000 and while the Company was willing to further negotiate a substantially lower amount, in light of the plaintiff’s position the Company decided to reject the proposal. In 2001 the Company has established an allowance in the amount of $750,000 to provide for its possible exposure. In light of recent developments the Company decreased the allowance by $500,000 to $250,000 which, in light of the judgment against the Company and the settlement offer proposed, represents a conservative estimate of the probable exposure.
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2. On May 9, 2001 an agreement was signed between the Company and Bank Hapoalim, Ltd. with respect to the Company’s debt to the Bank in the amount of $3,127,000. See Item7 - Related Party Transactions - Assignment of Bank Debt.
After the consummation of the Bank Agreement, the Company was informed that the municipality of Hod Hasharon is delaying the payments due to the Bank. As a consequence the Company is carrying out negotiations with the municipality of Hod Hasharon for the repayment of the debt including interest accrued thereon. The legal advisor of the Company in a letter dated June 6, 2002 wrote that the present negotiations by the lawyers of the Company with the lawyers representing the municipality of Hod Hasharon can be considered to be legal procedures and that the guarantee can be considered extended under the Bank agreement until November 30, 2002.
3. On December 4, 2001, Yossi Tessler and Lavni Krasni, shareholders in the Company sent to Menachem Reinschmidt, CEO of the Company, a demand letter with claims regarding information published by the Company regarding the BITmax Line of Products, in the Proxy Statement filed in November 17, 2000. Menachem has rejected these claims and the so-called damages being claimed. As of the date of June 30, 2002, to the best of the knowledge of the Company no action has been taken by the proposed claimants. On September 14, 2001, by way of a Shareholders Meeting, Marnetics Ltd.’s shareholders approved a resolution to indemnify Menachem Reinschmidt in respect to the demand letter sent by Advocate Yori Nehustan on behalf of Yossi Tessler and Lavie Krasni, in accordance with the provisions and limitations set out in the Companies Law 5759-1999.
4. During March 2003, the Company received letters from the lawyers of Marot Imaging Israel Ltd., the Israeli representative of Getty Images, Inc. that pictures from GETTYIMAGES were incorporated into the Company’s internet site without obtaining the copyright permission of the owner. The Company denied responsibility for the alleged infringement, as the builder of the site retained by the Company was responsible for the incorporation of the images into the site. Upon notification that the images may be infringing rights of third party’s, the Company ceased to use the pictures in question and has so notified the agent of Getty Images. Although Marot Imaging has offered to settle the matter the Company at this time has decided not to accept the settlement offer. To date no action has been filed with the courts by Marot in this matter.
5. During year 2002, the Company resolved an issue with the Israel Airports Authority regarding previous agreements made with the former CEO of the Company whereby the Company had issued in the past a guarantee to provide electrical work to the Israel Airports Authority.
On November 24, 1997 the Company under the previous name Stav Electrical Systems(1994) Ltd signed an agreement to perform services for the Israel Airports Authority and provided a guarantee to perform the services under the agreement. On January 21, 2001 a further agreement was signed regarding changes and additions to such services to be performed. The Company, under its previous name, requested that Stav Lighting Manufacturer Electric Services (Company no. 51-1108128) and Stav Electric Works Ltd. (Company no. 51-1065880) perform the services and manage the work for the Company.
On November 28, 2002 Stav Electric Works Ltd. and Stav Lighting Manufacturer Electric Services joined with the Company, jointly and severally, to perform the services for the Israel Airport Authority, whereby the monies owing under the agreements with the Israel Airports Authority will be paid to the Company.
On December 10, 2002, the Company and the Israeli Airports Authority came to agreement regarding payment to the Company for work provided by the previous companies involved in the previous agreements, upon the Company committing to renew the guarantee by March 2, 2003. Since then the guarantee has been cancelled.
6. The Company received a bill for legal services from the legal offices of Holland and Knight for previous work of approximately $30,000. The Company questioned certain items on the bill and asked the internal auditor of the Company to review the bill. Several of the invoices reviewed included excessive hours billed. The internal auditor in a letter dated March 18, 2003 to the Audit Committee of the Company believes that many of the hours charged are unreasonable and that there were significant over-billings. As such the Company has expanded its review of the Holland and Knight invoices, both current and prior in order to determine the extent of the over billings. In the meanwhile, Holland and Knight has demanded payment for such services which the Company has not paid to date.
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Dividend Policy
Although in 1999 we declared a cash dividend on our Ordinary Shares, we do not anticipate declaring a dividend for the foreseeable future. In addition, the payment of cash dividends in the future (if ever declared by the Board) is limited by the Israeli law to the profits of the Company and could potentially be limited or prohibited by the terms of financing agreements we may enter into (e.g., a bank line of credit or an agreement relating to the issuance of debt securities of the Company). Marnetics has never paid any cash dividends to date on its ordinary shares.
B. Significant Changes
The Company’s operations during 2002 consisted of the core business of developing and marketing network capacity enhancement and network information analysis solutions for IP networks or the Network Business, which is handled through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Marnetics Ltd. During 2002 the Company also dealt with some legal issues and collection of debt relating to the Electrical Business, which was sold during 2001.
Reduction of Marnetics Business and Research and Development Activities
As of April 26, 2003, the Company decided to lay off the majority of the employees of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Marnetics Ltd. in the areas of marketing, sales and research and development The remaining employees are in the area of administration and will be left for the next few months, possibly to the end of the year 2003. A new updated budget was approved that reflects the shut down of the research and development, and marketing and sales operations of the Company and Marnetics Ltd. The Company asked the assistance of several investment bankers and consultants to evaluate, Marnetics Ltd., in order to assist the Board of Directors regarding the possible sale of Marnetics Ltd. or its technology. There is no guarantee the Company will find a buyer for Marnetics Ltd. or its technology.
Delisting of Trading of Shares from the Amex
On February 2, 2003 the AMEX, notified the Company that the Company no longer complies with the Exchange’s continued listing standards and that therefore the Company’s Ordinary Shares are subject to being delisted from the Exchange. The Exchange has also notified the Company of its intention to proceed with the filing of an application with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) to strike the Company’s Ordinary Shares from listing and registration on the Exchange. The notice stated that the Company’s Ordinary Shares are subject to delisting due to falling below Section 1003(b)(i)(C) of the Guide, in that the Company’s aggregate market value of shares publicly held is less than $1,000,000 for more than 90 consecutive days, as well as the substantial period of time at which the Company’s Ordinary Shares have been selling for a low price per share (Section 1003(f)(v)).
On February 9, 2003, the Company submitted a request for an oral hearing before a committee of the Exchange in order to appeal the Exchange’s above determination.
On March 27, 2003 the AMEX, notified the Company of the decision of the Exchange’s Listing Qualification Panel (the “Panel”), which considered a request for review by the Company of the AMEX staff’s determination to prohibit the continued listing of the Company’s ordinary shares on the Exchange and initiate delisting proceedings due to the Company not meeting the market value standard set forth in Section 1003(b)(i)(C) of the Guide, in that the Company’s aggregate market value of shares publicly held is less than $1,000,000 for more than 90 consecutive days, as well as the substantial period of time at which the Company’s Ordinary Shares have been selling for a low price per share (Section 1003(f)(v) of the Guide).
Upon its review, at the request of the Company, the Panel has agreed with the determination of the Amex Staff that the Company’s ordinary shares should be delisted by the Exchange.
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The Amex has notified the Company that pursuant to Section 1204(d) of the Guide, the Exchange will suspend trading in the Company’s ordinary shares as soon as practicable, and will proceed with the filing of an application with the SEC to strike the Company’s ordinary shares from listing and registration on the Exchange when and if authorized, in accordance with Sections 1205(g), 1206(d) and/or Section 1206(e) of the Guide.
The Company may request that the Committee on Securities review the decision of the Panel; however, such a request for review will not operate as a stay of the Panel’s decision. Due to the Company’s assessment of the likelihood of reversing the decision of the Panel, as well as the costs involved, the Company has chosen not to request a review by the Committee on Securities.
Marnetics Broadband Technologies Ltd. recently started trading on the Pink Sheets, which are substantially less liquid and efficient, under the symbol MXBT.PK See Item 9B – Listing – Markets.”
Sale of Electrical Business
Effective March 2001 (executed June 10, 2001) the Company sold to Idan Millenium Investments and Assets Ltd. (“IDAN’), a company under the control of Dov Strikovsky, a major shareholder and President, Chairman and former CEO of the Company, all the fixed assets, inventories, other assets and liabilities and related goodwill, in the amount of an appraised value of $2,000,000, relating to the electrical operations for a consideration of $597,000. The consideration is payable in 25 monthly installments of $24,000 commencing February 1, 2002. In May 2002 the Company signed an addendum with IDAN to change the terms of payments to such that the first 11 installment will be reduced to $7,000 each and the remaining 14 installments will be of $37,000. The Company, considering the collectibility probability, decided to establish an allowance on the amount not yet collected. During 2002 Mr. Strikovsky repaid $71,000 on the account of the sale consideration. See “Item 7B – Related Party Transactions.”
This summary highlights selected information about the Electrical Business purchase agreement and may not contain all of the information that is important to you. To understand the sale of the Electrical Business more fully and for a more complete description of the legal terms, you should read “Item 7B – Related Transactions”, and the agreements, which are attached as Exhibits 10.6 and 10.7 hereto and the other documents referred to herein.
The Company’s operations during 2001 consisted of two lines of business: (1) core business of developing and marketing broadband Internet fortification solutions which shifted to the development and marketing of capacity enhancement and information analysis solutions for IP networks or the Network Business, which is handled through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Marnetics Ltd., and (2) historical business of electrical and lighting contracting and engineering business or the Electrical Business, which was sold during 2001.
During the year 2001, due to the shift of the technology focus of Marnetics, a new CEO was brought into the Company. Menachem Reinschmidt established Marnetics in 1998 and was its first Chief Executive Officer, and oversees all technology development activities of the Company. One of the leading data communication experts in Israel, Mr. Reinschmidt has 17 years of experience in the most advanced fields of computer networks, including design, analysis, integration and development. His expertise incorporates advanced networking topics, including frame relay, TCP/IP, Internet architecture, ATM, Local Area Networks, routers and switches, and voice-over IP.
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Item 9. The Listing
A. Listing Details
The following are the high and low sales prices by fiscal quarter for the quarterly periods in which the Ordinary Shares have been traded on the AMEX.
| | Ordinary Shares Trading Prices | |
| |
| |
| | High | | | Low | |
| |
| | |
| |
1998 | | | | | | | |
| Fourth Quarter (from November, 25, 1998) | | | US $6.12 | | | US $4.87 | |
1999 | | | | | | | |
| First Quarter | | | 5.25 | | | 4.00 | |
| Second Quarter | | | 4.12 | | | 1.75 | |
| Third Quarter | | | 2.50 | | | 1.50 | |
| Fourth Quarter | | | 3.50 | | | 1.33 | |
2000 | | | | | | | |
| First Quarter | | | 24.75 | | | 2.50 | |
| Second Quarter | | | 15.75 | | | 6.75 | |
| Third Quarter | | | 17.50 | | | 14.06 | |
| Fourth Quarter | | | 14.50 | | | 6.31 | |
2001 | | | | | | | |
| First Quarter | | | 7.25 | | | 4.20 | |
| Second Quarter | | | 4.60 | | | 1.10 | |
| Third Quarter | | | 2.20 | | | 0.30 | |
| Fourth Quarter | | | 0.90 | | | 0.35 | |
2002 | | | | | | | |
| First Quarter | | | 0.89 | | | 0.30 | |
| Second Quarter | | | 0.44 | | | 0.20 | |
| Third Quarter | | | 0.25 | | | 0.06 | |
| Fourth Quarter | | | 0.18 | | | 0.06 | |
2003 | | | | | | | |
| First Quarter | | | 0.22 | | | 0.06 | |
| Second Quarter | | | 0.15 | | | 0.01 | |
B. Markets
On February 2, 2003 the AMEX, notified the Company that the Company no longer complies with the Exchange’s continued listing standards and that therefore the Company’s Ordinary Shares are subject to being delisted from the Exchange. The Exchange has also notified the Company of its intention to proceed with the filing of an application with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) to strike the Company’s Ordinary Shares from listing and registration on the Exchange. The notice stated that the Company’s Ordinary Shares are subject to delisting due to falling below Section 1003(b)(i)(C) of the Guide, in that the Company’s aggregate market value of shares publicly held is less than $1,000,000 for more than 90 consecutive days, as well as the substantial period of time at which the Company’s Ordinary Shares have been selling for a low price per share (Section 1003(f)(v)).
On February 9, 2003, the Company submitted a request for an oral hearing before a committee of the Exchange in order to appeal the Exchange’s above determination.
On March 27, 2003 the AMEX, notified the Company of the decision of the Exchange’s Listing Qualification Panel (the “Panel”), which considered a request for review by the Company of the AMEX staff’s determination to prohibit the continued listing of the Company’s ordinary shares on the Exchange and initiate delisting proceedings due to the Company not meeting the market value standard set forth in Section 1003(b)(i)(C) of the Guide, in that the Company’s aggregate market value of shares publicly held is less than $1,000,000 for more than 90 consecutive days, as well as the substantial period of time at which the Company’s Ordinary Shares have been selling for a low price per share (Section 1003(f)(v) of the Guide).
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Upon its review, at the request of the Company, the Panel has agreed with the determination of the Amex Staff that the Company’s ordinary shares should be delisted by the Exchange.
The Amex has notified the Company that pursuant to Section 1204(d) of the Guide, the Exchange will suspend trading in the Company’s ordinary shares as soon as practicable, and will proceed with the filing of an application with the SEC to strike the Company’s ordinary shares from listing and registration on the Exchange when and if authorized, in accordance with Sections 1205(g), 1206(d) and/or Section 1206(e) of the Guide.
The Company may request that the Committee on Securities review the decision of the Panel; however, such a request for review will not operate as a stay of the Panel’s decision. Due to the Company’s assessment of the likelihood of reversing the decision of the Panel, as well as the costs involved, the Company has chosen not to request a review by the Committee on Securities.
Marnetics Broadband Technologies Ltd. recently quoted on the Pink Sheets, which are substantially less liquid and efficient, under the symbol MXBT.PK
C. Plan of Distribution
Not applicable.
D. Selling Shareholders
Not applicable.
E. Dilution
Not applicable.
F. Expenses of the Issue
Not applicable.
Item 10. Additional Information
A. Share Capital
Not applicable.
B. Memorandum and Articles of Association
Marnetics Broadband Technologies Ltd. is an Israeli company registered with the Israel Registrar of Companies, registration no. 520004389-4.
On November 26, 2002, at the annual general meeting of shareholders, the shareholders of the Company amended Article 99 of the Articles of Association of the Company to provide to the fullest extent allowed under Israeli Companies Law a change of language to provide provisions which endeavor to limit personal liability of an office holder towards the Company and shareholders regarding insurance coverage, indemnification and exemption from duty of care. This amendment to the Articles of Association is included as an exhibit as revised articles of association to this annual report on Form 20-F. See “Item 19 – Exhibits”.
Purposes and Objects of the Company
Pursuant to Section 3 of our Articles of Association, the Company’s purpose is to operate according to business considerations for the production of profits.
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Powers of the Directors
The Directors shall formulate the Company’s policy and shall supervise the exercise of the General Manager’s office and his acts, including, but not limited to the determination of the Company’s plans of activity, the principles for financing such plans and the organizational structure of the Company.
The power of our directors to vote on a proposal, arrangement or contract in which the director is materially interested is limited by the relevant provisions of the Companies Law.
Rights Attached to Shares
Our registered share capital consists of a single class of 25,000,000 Ordinary Shares, par value NIS 0.08 per share, of which 7,362,390 Ordinary Shares were issued and outstanding as of June 2003. All outstanding Ordinary Shares are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. The rights attached to the Ordinary Shares are as follows:
Dividend Rights
Subject to the permitted distribution provisions of the Companies Law, the Board of Directors may declare a dividend to be paid to the shareholders according to their rights and interests in the profits, and may fix the record date for eligibility and the time for payment.
Subject to any preferential, deferred, qualified or other rights, privileges or conditions attached to any special class of shares with regard to dividends, the profits of the Company available for dividend and resolved to be distributed shall be applied in payment of dividends upon the shares of the Company in proportion to the amount paid up or credited as paid up per the nominal value thereon respectively.
The Board of Directors may from time to time pay to the shareholders on account of the next forthcoming dividend such interim dividends as, in their judgment, the position of the Company justifies.
Voting Rights
Holders of our Ordinary Shares have one vote for each ordinary share held on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders. Such voting rights may be affected by the grant of any special voting rights to the holders of a class of shares with preferential rights that may be authorized in the future. The quorum required for any meeting of shareholders consists of at least two shareholders present in person or by proxy who hold or represent, in the aggregate, at least one third of the voting rights of the issued share capital. In the event that a quorum is not present within fifteen minutes of the scheduled time, the shareholders’ meeting will be adjourned to the same day in the following week, or such time and place as the board of directors may determine. If at such reconvened meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for holding the meeting, any two shareholders present in person or by proxy will constitute a quorum.
Notwithstanding the aforesaid, if a General Meeting was convened at the demand of shareholders as permitted by Section 63(b) of the Companies Law, then a quorum at such adjourned meeting shall be present only if one or more shareholders are present who held in the aggregate at least 5% of the issued share capital of the Company and at least 1% of the voting rights in the Company or one or more shareholders who hold in the aggregate at least 5% of the voting rights in the Company.
Subject to the Companies Law, except decisions regarding the amendment of Article 101 of our Articles Association and/or the approval of transactions with interested parties (as listed in our Articles of Associations), any resolution at a General Meeting shall be deemed adopted if approved by the holders of a majority of the voting rights in the Company represented at the meeting in person or by proxy and voting thereon.
The Directors of the Company are appointed by the Annual General Meeting, unless appointed by the Board to fill a vacancy, and shall serve as Directors from the time of appointment until the next Annual General Meeting, unless such Director is disqualified for whatever reason.
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Rights in the Event of Liquidation
If the Company shall be liquidated, whether voluntarily or otherwise, the liquidators may, subject to the provision of the Statutes, divide among the shareholders any part of the assets of the Company and may vest any part of the assets of the Company in trustees upon such trusts, for the benefit of the shareholders, as the liquidators deem appropriate.
Changing Rights Attached to Shares
If, at any time, the share capital is divided into different classes of shares, the rights attached to any class may be varied with the sanction of a majority vote at a meeting of the shareholders passed at a separate meeting of the holders of the shares of the class.
General Meetings
An Annual General Meeting shall be held at least once in every calendar year at such time, not being more than fifteen months after the holding of the last preceding Annual General Meeting, and at such time and place as may be determined by the Board of Directors. Such Annual General Meetings shall be called “Annual Meetings”, and all other Meetings of the shareholders shall be called “Extraordinary Meetings”. The Annual Meeting shall receive and consider the Directors’ Report, the Financial Statements, appoint auditors, elect Directors, and transact any other business which, under these Articles or by the Companies Law, may be transacted at a General Meeting of the Company, provided that notice of such other business was given to shareholders in accordance with the provisions of the Articles.
At least twenty-one (21) days and not more than sixty (60)days notice of any General Meeting shall be given, specifying the place, the day and the hour of meeting and, in the case of special business, the nature of such business, shall be given in the manner hereinafter mentioned, to such shareholders as are under the provisions of the Articles, entitled to receive notices from the Company.
An Extraordinary Meeting may be convened by the Board of Directors, whenever they think fit or upon a demand in writing by members holding at least 10% of our issued capital.
Limitations on Foreign Shareholders to Hold or Exercise Voting Rights
There are no limitations on foreign shareholders in our articles of association. Israeli law restricts the ability of citizens of countries that are in a state of war with Israel to hold shares of Israeli companies.
Approval of Transactions under Israeli Law
The Companies Law imposes fiduciary duties that “office holders,” including directors and executive officers, owe to their company. An office holder’s fiduciary duties consist of a duty of care and a duty of loyalty. The duty of care generally requires an office holder to act with the level of care which a reasonable office holder in the same position would have acted under the same circumstances. The duty of loyalty generally requires an office holder to act in good faith and for the good of the company. Specifically, an office holder must avoid any conflict of interest between the office holder’s position in the company and his or her other positions or personal affairs. In addition, an office holder must avoid competing against the company or exploiting any business opportunity of the company for his or her own benefit or the benefit of others. An office holder must also disclose to the company any information or documents relating to the company’s affairs that the office holder has received due to his or her position in the company. The term “office holder” includes any person who, either formally or in substance, serves as a director, general manager or chief executive officer, or who reports directly to the general manager or chief executive officer. Each person listed in the table under “Item 6. Directors, Senior Managers and Employees—A. Directors and Senior Management” above is an “office holder” of the Company.
Under the Companies Law, all arrangements as to compensation of office holders who are not directors require approval of the board of directors and, in certain cases, the prior approval of the audit committee. Arrangements as to compensation of directors also require audit committee and shareholder approval.
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The Companies Law requires that an office holder promptly disclose any personal interest that he or she may have, and all related material information known to him or her, in connection with any existing or proposed transaction by the company. A personal interest of an office holder includes a personal interest of the office holder’s relative or a corporation in which the office holder or the office holder’s relative is a 5% or greater shareholder, director or general manager or has the right to appoint at least one director or the general manager. The office holder’s duty to disclose shall not apply in the event that the personal interest only results from a personal interest of the office holder’s relative in a transaction that is not an extraordinary transaction. An extraordinary transaction is a transaction not in the ordinary course of business, not on market terms, or likely to have a material impact on the company’s profitability, assets or liabilities.
Under the Companies Law, once the office holder complies with the above disclosure requirement, the board of directors is authorized to approve the transaction, unless the articles of association provide otherwise. A transaction that is adverse to the company’s interest may not be approved. If the transaction is an extraordinary transaction, then it also must be approved by the company’s audit committee and board of directors, and, under certain circumstances, by the shareholders of the company. Generally, when an extraordinary transaction is considered by the audit committee and board of directors, the interested directors may not be present or vote.
Duties of Shareholders
Under the Companies Law, the disclosure requirements that apply to an office holder also apply to a controlling shareholder of a public company. A controlling shareholder is a shareholder who has the ability to direct the activities of a company, including a shareholder that owns 25% or more of the voting rights if no other shareholder owns more than 50% of the voting rights, but excluding a shareholder whose power derives solely from his or her position on the board of directors or any other position with the company. Extraordinary transactions with a controlling shareholder or in which a controlling shareholder has a personal interest, and the engagement of a controlling shareholder as an office holder or employee, generally require the approval of the audit committee, the board of directors and the shareholders. The shareholder approval must include at least one-third of the shares of non-interested shareholders voted on the matter. However, the transaction can be approved by shareholders without this one-third approval if the total shares of non-interested shareholders voted against the transaction do not represent more than one percent of the voting rights in the company.
In addition, under the Companies Law, each shareholder has a duty to act in good faith toward the company and other shareholders and to refrain from abusing his or her power in the company, such as in shareholder votes. In addition, specified shareholders have a duty of fairness toward the company. These shareholders include any controlling shareholder, any shareholder who knows that it possesses the power to determine the outcome of a shareholder vote and any shareholder who, pursuant to the provisions of the articles of association, has the power to appoint an office holder or any other power with respect to the company. However, the Companies Law does not define the substance of this duty of fairness.
Increase in Our Capital
The Company may from time to time by a majority vote at a meeting of shareholders, whether all the shares for the time being authorized shall have been issued or all the shares for the time being issued shall have been fully called up or not, increase its share capital by the creation of new shares.
C. Material Contracts
(i) Services agreement with Netlogic Ltd., a company under the control of Mr. Menachem Reinschmidt, Director and Chairman of the Company effective December 2, 2001, dated February 11, 2002, and (ii) an Addendum to the Services agreement dated December 2, 2002 until June 2, 2003, and a Second Addendum to the Services agreement from June 3, 2003 to December 2, 2002. See “Item 7B - Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions – Related Party Transactions.”
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Amendment to the asset purchase agreement dated as of June 10, 2001 (Effective March 31, 2001) between the Company and Idan Millennium Investments and Assetsdated as of May 6, 2002. See “Item 8B – Significant Changes – Sale of Electrical Business.”
Speedwise entered into an agreement to sell all its assets and intellectual property to Orsus Solutions Ltd., (“Orsus”) an Israeli technology company, dated October 2002. Based on the consideration received by Speedwise, the Company assesses that the recoverable amount of its holdings in Speedwise will be $60,000 and as a result an impairment charge of $522,000 has been recorded in the attached “Item 18 - Consolidated Financial Statements December 31, 2002”. See also “Item 7B - Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions – Related Party Transactions.”
InterCompany Loan Agreement between the Company and Marnetics where as Marnetics Ltd will grant the Company a loan of up to $500,000 dated September 2002. See “Item 7B - Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions – Related Party Transactions.”
In March 2002, Marnetics signed a distribution agreement with Magalcom Communications & Computers Ltd. to become a non–exclusive distributor of Marnetics products in Israel. The agreement has terminated during June 2003. See “Item 4.B. - Information on the Company – Business Overview - Marketing, Promotional and Consultants.”
In April 2002, Marnetics signed a distribution agreement with TNN Networks Ltd. to become a non–exclusive distributor of Marnetics products in Israel. The agreement has terminated during June 2003. See “Item 4.B. - Information on the Company – Business Overview - Marketing, Promotional and Consultants”
D. Currency Exchange Controls
Since January 1, 2003, all exchange control restrictions imposed by the State of Israel have been removed, although there are still reporting requirements for foreign currency transactions. However, legislation remains in effect pursuant to which currency controls can be imposed by administrative action at any time. Nonresidents of Israel who purchase our ordinary shares are able to receive any dividends thereon (and any amounts payable upon the dissolution, liquidation and winding up of our affairs) freely repatriable in non-Israeli currency, provided that Israeli income tax has been paid or withheld on such amounts. See “Item 10.E. Additional Information - Taxation - Taxation of Non-Resident Shareholders.”
Non-residents of Israel may freely hold and trade our ordinary shares, and the proceeds of sale thereof are not subject to Israeli currency control restrictions. Neither our Memorandum of Association, Articles of Association nor the laws of the State of Israel restrict in any way the ownership or voting of shares by non-residents, except with respect to subjects of countries that in a state of war with Israel.
Taxation
The following is a summary of the material Israeli and United States tax consequences, Israeli foreign exchange regulations and certain Israeli government programs affecting us. To the extent that the discussion is based on new tax or other legislation that has not been subject to judicial or administrative interpretation, there can be no assurance that the views expressed in the discussion will be accepted by the tax or other authorities in question. The discussion is not intended, and should not be construed, as legal or professional tax advice, is not exhaustive of all possible tax considerations and should not be relied upon for tax planning purposes.
Tax Reform in Israel
On January 1, 2003 a comprehensive tax reform took effect in Israel. Pursuant to the reform, resident companies are subject to Israeli tax on income accrued or derived in Israel or abroad. In addition, the concept of “controlled foreign corporation’’ was introduced according to which an Israeli company may become subject to Israeli taxes on certain income of a non-Israeli subsidiary if the subsidiary’s primary source of income is passive income (such as interest, dividends, royalties, rental income or capital gains). The tax reform also substantially changed the system of taxation of capital gains.
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General Corporate Tax Structure
Israeli companies are generally subject to corporate tax at the rate of 36% of their taxable income. However in our case, the rate is currently effectively reduced, as described below.
Special Provisions Relating to Measurement of Taxable Income
The Income Tax Law (Inflationary Adjustments), 1985, generally referred to as the “Inflationary Adjustments Law,” represents an attempt to overcome the problems presented to a traditional tax system by an economy undergoing rapid inflation. The Inflationary Adjustments Law is highly complex. The material aspects to us can be described as follows:
There is a special tax adjustment for the preservation of equity whereby certain corporate assets are classified broadly into fixed, inflation resistant, assets and non-fixed (soft) assets. Where a company’s equity, as defined in law, exceeds the depreciated cost of fixed assets, a deduction from taxable income that takes into account the effect of the applicable annual rate of inflation on such excess is allowed, up to a ceiling of 70% of taxable income in any single tax year, with the unused portion permitted to be carried forward on a linked basis. If the depreciated cost of fixed assets exceeds a company’s equity, then such excess multiplied by the applicable annual rate of inflation is added to taxable income.
Subject to certain limitations, depreciation deductions on fixed assets and losses carried forward are adjusted for inflation based on the increase in the Israeli consumer price index (CPI).
Capital Gains Tax Applicable to Resident and Non-Resident Shareholders
Israeli law generally imposes a capital gains tax on the sale of capital assets located in Israel, including shares in Israeli resident companies, by both residents and non-residents of Israel, unless a specific exemption is available or unless a treaty between Israel and the country of the non-resident provides otherwise. Regulations promulgated under the Israeli Income Tax Ordinance provided for an exemption from Israeli capital gains tax for gains accrued before January 1, 2003 and derived from the sale of shares of “industrial companies’’ that are traded on specified non-Israeli markets, including The Nasdaq National Market, provided that the sellers purchased their shares either in the company’s initial public offering or in public market transactions thereafter. This exemption does not apply to shareholders who are in the business of trading securities, or to shareholders that are Israeli resident companies subject to the Income Tax (Adjustments for Inflation) Law- 1985.
On January 1, 2003, the Law for Amendment of the Income Tax Ordinance (Amendment No.132), 5762-2002, known as the tax reform, came into effect thus imposing capital gains tax at a rate of 15% on gains derived on or after January 1, 2003 from the sale of shares in Israeli companies publicly traded on a recognized stock exchange outside of Israel. This tax rate does not apply to: (1) dealers in securities; (2) shareholders that report in accordance with the Income Tax Law (Inflationary Adjustment) - 1985; or (3) shareholders who acquired their shares prior to an initial public offering. The tax basis of shares acquired prior to January 1, 2003 will be determined in accordance with the average closing share price in the three trading days preceding January 1, 2003. Non-Israeli residents shall be exempt from Israeli capital gains tax on any gains derived from the sale of shares publicly traded on a stock exchange recognized by the Israeli Ministry of Finance provided such shareholders did not acquire their shares prior to an initial public offering. Notwithstanding the foregoing, dealers in securities in Israel are taxed at regular tax rates applicable to business income. In any event, the provisions of the tax reform shall not affect the exemption from capital gains tax for gains accrued before January 1, 2003, as described in the previous paragraph.
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In addition, pursuant to the Convention Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Israel with Respect to Taxes on Income, as amended (the “United States- Israel Tax Treaty”), the sale, exchange or disposition of ordinary shares by a person who qualifies as a resident of the United States within the meaning of the United States-Israel Tax Treaty and who is entitled to claim the benefits afforded to such person by the United States- Israel Tax Treaty (a “Treaty United States Resident”) generally will not be subject to the Israeli capital gains tax unless such Treaty United States Resident holds, directly or indirectly, shares representing 10% or more of our voting power during any part of the 12- month period preceding such sale, exchange or disposition, subject to certain conditions. A sale, exchange or disposition of ordinary shares by a Treaty United States Resident who holds, directly or indirectly, shares representing 10% or more of our voting power at any time during such preceding 12-month period would be subject to such Israeli tax, to the extent applicable; however, under the United States-Israel Tax Treaty, such Treaty United States Resident would be permitted to claim a credit for such taxes against the United States federal income tax imposed with respect to such sale, exchange or disposition, subject to the limitations in United States laws applicable to foreign tax credits. The United States-Israel Tax Treaty does not relate to United States state or local taxes.
Taxation of Non-Resident Shareholders
Non-residents of Israel are subject to Israeli income tax on income accrued or derived from sources in Israel, including passive income such as dividends, royalties and interest. On distributions of dividends, other than bonus shares and stock dividends, income tax at the rate of 25% (12.5% for dividends not generated by an approved enterprise if the non-resident is a United States corporation and holds 10% or more of our voting power throughout a certain period, and 15% for dividends generated by an approved enterprise) is withheld at the source, unless a different rate is provided in a treaty between Israel and the shareholder’s country of residence. Under the United States- Israel Tax Treaty, the maximum tax on dividends paid to a holder of ordinary shares who is a Treaty United States Resident will be 25%, however, under the Investment Law, dividends generated by an approved enterprise are taxed at the rate of 15%.
Under a recent amendment to the Inflationary Adjustments Law, non-Israeli corporations might be subject to Israeli taxes on the sale of traded securities in an Israeli company, subject to the provisions of any applicable double taxation treaty.
Foreign Exchange Regulations
Dividends, if any, paid to the holders of the ordinary shares, and any amounts payable upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up, as well as the proceeds of any sale in Israel of the ordinary shares to an Israeli resident, may be paid in non-Israeli currency or, if paid in Israeli currency, may be converted into freely repatriable dollars at the rate of exchange prevailing at the time of conversion.
United States Federal Income Taxes
The following summary sets forth the material United States federal income tax consequences applicable to the following persons who purchase, hold or dispose of ordinary shares (“U.S. Shareholders”): (i) citizens or residents (as defined for United States federal income tax purposes) of the United States; (ii) corporations or other entities taxable as corporations created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof; (iii) estates, the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source; and (iv) trusts, if (a) a United States court is able to exercise primary supervision over its administration, and (b) one or more United States persons have the authority to control all its substantial decisions. This discussion is based on the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), United States Treasury Regulations promulgated there under and administrative and judicial interpretations thereof, all as in effect as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 20-F. This discussion generally applies only to U.S. Shareholders that will hold the ordinary shares as capital assets and does not consider (a) all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to particular U.S. Shareholders by reason of their particular circumstances (including potential application of the alternative minimum tax), (b) special treatment under the United States federal income tax laws applicable to such persons as financial institutions, insurance companies, broker-dealers, tax-exempt organizations and foreign individuals or entities, (c) the special rules applicable to U.S. Shareholders owning, directly or by attribution, 10% or more of our outstanding voting shares, (d) the special rules applicable to U.S. Shareholders who hold the ordinary shares as part of a hedging, straddle or conversion transaction, (e) the special rules applicable to U.S. Shareholders who acquire ordinary shares in a compensatory transaction, (f) the special rules applicable to U.S. Shareholders whose functional currency is not the dollar, and (g) any aspect of state, local or non-United States tax law. Accordingly, each investor should consult his or her own tax advisor as to the particular tax consequences to him or her of an investment in ordinary shares, including the effects of applicable state, local or foreign tax laws and possible changes in the tax laws.
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Dividends Paid on Ordinary Shares
A U.S. Shareholder generally will be required to include in gross income as ordinary dividend income the amount of any distributions in respect of ordinary shares (including the amount of any Israeli taxes withheld there from) to the extent that such distributions are paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined for United States federal income tax purposes. Distributions in excess of such earnings and profits will be treated first as a non-taxable return of capital reducing the U.S. Shareholder’s tax basis in his, her or its ordinary shares to the extent of the distributions, and then as capital gain from a deemed sale or exchange of such ordinary shares. Such dividends generally will not qualify for the dividends received deduction available to corporations. The amount of any cash distribution in respect of ordinary shares paid in NIS will equal the United States dollar value of the distribution, calculated by reference to the exchange rate in effect on the date of the distribution.
Subject to certain conditions and limitations, any Israeli tax withheld or paid with respect to dividends on the ordinary shares will be eligible for credit against a U.S. Shareholder’s United States federal income tax liability at such U.S. Shareholder’s election. The Code provides limitations on the amount of foreign tax credits that a U.S. Shareholder may claim, including extensive separate computation rules, under which foreign tax credits allowable with respect to specific categories of income cannot exceed the United States federal income taxes otherwise payable with respect to each such category of income. U.S. Shareholders that do not elect to claim a foreign tax credit may instead claim a deduction for Israeli income tax withheld or paid, but only for a year in which these U.S. Shareholders elect to do so for all foreign income taxes. Dividends with respect to the ordinary shares generally will be classified as foreign-source “passive income” for the purpose of computing a U.S. Shareholder’s foreign tax credit limitations for United States foreign tax credit purposes. The rules relating to foreign tax credits are complex and you should consult your tax advisor to determine whether and if you would be entitled to this credit.
Disposition of Ordinary Shares
The sale or exchange of ordinary shares generally will result in the recognition of capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized on the sale or exchange and the U.S. Shareholder’s tax basis in the ordinary shares. Such gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Shareholder’s holding period of the ordinary shares exceeds one year at the time of the disposition. Gain or loss recognized by a U.S. Shareholder on a sale or exchange of ordinary shares generally will be treated as United States-source income or loss for United States foreign tax credit purposes. Under the tax treaty between the United States and Israel, gain derived from the sale, exchange or other disposition of ordinary shares by a holder who is a resident of the United States for purposes of the treaty and who sells the ordinary shares within Israel may be treated as foreign-source income for United States foreign tax credit purposes.
Passive Foreign Investment Company Status
Generally, a foreign corporation is treated as a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) for United States federal income tax purposes for any tax year if, in such tax year, either (i) 75% or more of its gross income is passive in nature (the “Income Test”), or (ii) the average percentage of its assets during such tax year which produce, or are held for the production of, passive income (determined by averaging the percentage of the fair market value of its total assets which are passive assets as of the end of each quarter of such year) is 50% or more (the “Asset Test”).
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Because less than 75% of our gross income in 2002 and in prior years constituted passive income, as defined for purposes of the Income Test, we do not believe that application of the Income Test would have resulted in our classification as a PFIC for any of such years. In addition, we do not believe that application of the Asset Test would have resulted in our classification as a PFIC for any tax year prior to 2001. For 2001 and 2002, however, it is possible that we could be classified as a PFIC under the Asset Test principally because a significant portion of our assets continued to consist of the cash raised in connection with the two public offerings of our ordinary shares in 1999, coupled with the decline in the public market value of our ordinary shares during 2001 and 2002 and the timing of the required valuations, although there is no definitive method prescribed in the Code, United States Treasury Regulations or administrative or judicial interpretations thereof for determining the value of a foreign corporation’s assets for purposes of the Asset Test. While the legislative history of the United States Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 indicates that “the total value of a publicly-traded foreign corporation’s assets generally will be treated as equal to the sum of the aggregate value of its outstanding stock plus its liabilities”, there remains substantial uncertainty regarding the valuation of a publicly-traded foreign corporation’s assets for purposes of the Asset Test, and it is arguable that under alternative valuation methodologies, the value of our total assets as of the relevant valuation dates in 2001 and/or 2002 would not result in our classification as a PFIC during either or both of such years.
In view of the uncertainty regarding the valuation of our assets for purposes of the Asset Test and the complexity of the issues regarding our treatment as a PFIC for 2001, 2002 and, quite possibly, subsequent years, U.S. Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors for guidance as to our status as a PFIC. For those U.S. Shareholders who determine that we were a PFIC for 2001, 2002 and/or any subsequent years and notify us in writing of their request for the information required in order to effectuate the QEF Election described below, we will promptly make such information available to them.
If we are treated as a PFIC for United States federal income tax purposes for any year during a U.S. Shareholder’s holding period of ordinary shares and the U.S. Shareholder does not make a QEF Election or a “mark-to-market” election (both as described below), any gain recognized by the U.S. Shareholder upon the sale of ordinary shares (or the receipt of certain distributions) would be treated as ordinary income. This income would be allocated over the U.S. Shareholder’s holding period with respect to his ordinary shares and an interest charge would be imposed on the amount of deferred tax on the income allocated to prior taxable years.
Although we generally will be treated as a PFIC as to any U.S. Shareholder if we are a PFIC for any year during the U.S. Shareholder’s holding period, if we cease to satisfy the requirements for PFIC classification, the U.S. Shareholder may avoid the consequences of PFIC classification for subsequent years if he elects to recognize gain based on the unrealized appreciation in the ordinary shares through the close of the tax year in which we cease to be a PFIC. Additionally, if we are treated as a PFIC, a U.S. Shareholder who acquires ordinary shares from a decedent would be denied the normally available step-up in tax basis for these ordinary shares to fair market value at the date of death and instead would have a tax basis equal to the decedent’s tax basis in these ordinary shares.
A U.S. Shareholder who beneficially owns shares of a PFIC must file Form 8621 (Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign Investment Company or Qualified Electing Fund) with the United States Internal Revenue Service for each tax year in which he holds shares in a PFIC. This form describes any distributions received with respect to these shares and any gain realized upon the disposition of these shares.
For any tax year in which we are treated as a PFIC, a U.S. Shareholder may elect to treat his, her or its ordinary shares as an interest in a qualified electing fund (a “QEF Election”), in which case, the U.S. Shareholder would be required to include in income currently his, her or its proportionate share of our earnings and profits in years in which we are a PFIC regardless of whether distributions of our earnings and profits are actually distributed to the U.S. Shareholder. Any gain subsequently recognized upon the sale by the U.S. Shareholder of his ordinary shares, however, generally would be taxed as capital gain and the denial of the basis step-up at death described above would not apply.
As an alternative to a QEF Election, a U.S. Shareholder generally may elect to mark his ordinary shares to market annually, recognizing ordinary income or loss (subject to certain limitations) equal to the difference between the fair market value of his ordinary shares and the adjusted tax basis of his ordinary shares. Losses would be allowed only to the extent of net mark-to-market gain accrued under the election. If a mark-to-market election with respect to ordinary shares is in effect on the date of a U.S. Shareholder’s death, the normally available step-up in tax basis to fair market value will not be available. Rather, the tax basis of the ordinary shares in the hands of a U.S. Shareholder who acquired them from a decedent will be the lesser of the decedent’s tax basis or the fair market value of the ordinary shares.
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The implementation of many aspects of the Code’s PFIC rules requires the issuance of regulations which in many instances have yet to be promulgated and which may have retroactive effect. We cannot be sure that any of these regulations will be promulgated or, if so, what form they will take or what effect they will have on the foregoing discussion. Accordingly, and due to the complexity of the PFIC rules, U.S. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding our status as a PFIC for 2001, 2002 and any subsequent years and the eligibility, manner and advisability of making a QEF Election or a mark-to-market election if we are treated as a PFIC.
For information with respect to the applicability of Israeli capital gains taxes on the sale of ordinary shares by United States residents, see “Capital Gains Tax Applicable to Resident and Non-Resident Shareholders,” above.
E. Dividends and Paying Agents
Not applicable.
F. Statement of Experts
Not applicable.
G. Documents on Display
The Company (formerly named Stav Electrical Systems (1994) Ltd.) is subject to certain of the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules and regulations promulgated there under and in accordance therewith files reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Reports, proxy statements and other information filed by the Company may be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the Commission at 450 Fifth Street, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20549 and at the Regional Offices thereof at 233 Broadway, New York, New York and at 175 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 900, Chicago, Illinois. Copies of such information can be obtained by mail from the Public Reference Section of the Commission at 450 Fifth Street, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20549 at prescribed rates. In addition, beginning in July 2001 the Company began filing its reports with the Commission electronically and any reports, proxy statements and other information filed by the Company after such date may also be inspected the Commission’s web site at www.sec.gov.
You may request a copy of our U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings, at no cost, by writing or calling us at Marnetics Broadband Technologies Ltd., 10 Hayetzira Street, Ra’anana 43000, Israel, Attention: Mr. Ilan Hadar, Chief Financial Officer, telephone: ++ 972-9-7616868. A copy of each report submitted in accordance with applicable United States law is available for public review at our principal executive offices.
A copy of each document (or a translation thereof to the extent not in English) concerning Marnetics Broadband Technologies Ltd. that is referred to in this Annual Report on Form 20-F, is available for public view at our principal executive offices at Marnetics Broadband Technologies Ltd., 10 Hayetzira Street, Ra’anana 43000, Israel.
H. Subsidiary Information
Not Applicable.
Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
The Company is exposed to various market risks, including but not limited to risks deriving from changes in interest rates and inflation rates and changes in the exchange rate of the NIS against foreign currencies.
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Interest Rate Risk. At December 31, 2002, the Company had cash and cash equivalents in the aggregate amount of $957,000 deposited primarily in major Israeli banks. These amounts accrue or bear nominal interest based on U.S. dollar interest rate and NIS interest rate.
Foreign Currency Exchange Risks. At December 31, 2002, 92.3% of the cash and cash equivalent were deposits denominated in NIS and linked to the US dollar exchange rate. Only 7.7% of the Company’s current assets were cash deposits denominated in NIS in the aggregate amount of $76,000. These amounts as presented in U.S. dollars may be affected by changes in the exchange rate between NIS and the U.S. dollars.
Fair value of financial instruments. The financial instruments of the Company consist mainly of cash and cash equivalents, current accounts receivable, accounts payable and accruals. Due to the relatively short period to maturity, the fair value of the financial instruments included in the working capital of the Company approximates their carrying amounts.
Item 12. Description of Securities Other than Equity Securities
Not applicable.
PART II
Item 13. Defaults, Dividend Arrearage and Delinquencies
None.
Item 14. Material Modifications to the Rights of Security Holders and Use of Proceeds
None.
Item 15. Controls and Procedures
(a) We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our periodic filings with the SEC is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms relevant to our Company. Within 90 days prior to the filing date of this Annual Report on Form 20-F, we have carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our active chairman of the board and chief financial officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures. Based upon that evaluation, chief executive officer and chief financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective in assuring that all material information relating to our Company is made known to them.
(b) There have been no significant changes in our internal controls or in other factors, which could significantly affect the internal controls subsequent to the date of their evaluation in connection with the preparation of this Annual Report on Form 20-F.
Item 16A. Audit Committee Financial Report
Reserved.
Item 16B. Code of Ethics.
Reserved.
PART III
Item 17. Financial Statements.
Not applicable. The Company has elected to furnish financial statements pursuant to Item 18 below.
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Item 18. Financial Statements.
The Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes required by this item are found at the end of this Annual Report, F-1 to F-19.
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | | Page |
| | |
Report of Independent Public Accountants | | F-2 |
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2002 and 2001 | | F-3 |
Consolidated Statements of Operations or the years ended December 31, 2002, 2001, and 2000 and for the cumulative period from June 1, 1998 to December 31, 2002 | | F-4 |
Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2002, 2001 and 2000 | | F-5 |
Statements of Consolidated Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2002, 2001 and 2000 and for the cumulative period from June 1, 1998 to December 31, 2002 | | F-6 to F-8 |
Notes to the Financial Statements | | F-9 to F-19 |
Item 19. | EXHIBITS |
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1.1 | Memorandum of Association of the Registrant (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to Form F-1 Registration Statement No. 333-8800 and by this reference incorporated herein). |
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1.2 | Amended and Restated Articles of Associations of the Registrant (including revision for Amendment from November 26, 2002 reflected in amended wording to Article 99). |
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4.1 | 2001 Share Option Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for year ended December 31, 2000). |
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4.2 | Services agreement with Netlogic Ltd., a company under the control of Mr. Menachem Reinschmidt, Director and then Chief Executive Officer of the Company, effective December 2, 2001, dated February 11, 2002 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F for year ended December 31, 2001). |
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4.3 | Addendum to services agreement with Netlogic Ltd., a company under the control of Mr. Menachem Reinschmidt, current Chairman of the Board of the Company, dated December 2, 2002. |
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4.4 | Second addendum to services agreement with Netlogic Ltd., a company under the control of Mr. Menachem Reinschmidt, current Chairman of the Board of the Company dated June 2, 2003. |
8 | List of subsidiaries (incorporated by reference to “Item 4 – Information on the Company – Organizational Structure” in this Annual Report on Form 20-F). |
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10.1 | Form of officers’ and directors’ indemnification agreement (filed as Exhibit 10.3 to Form F-1 Registration Statement No. 333-8800 and by this reference incorporated herein). |
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10.2 | Loan agreement between Bank Hapoalim Ltd. and the Registrant (filed as Exhibit 10.4 to Form F-1 Registration Statement No. 333-8800 and by this reference incorporated herein). |
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10.3 | Promissory Note issued by Dov Strikovsky, the former President, Chairman and CEO of the Company, to the Company (filed as Exhibit 10.5 to Form F-1 Registration Statement No. 333-8800 and by this reference incorporated herein). |
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10.4 | Share exchange agreement among Marnetics Ltd., its Shareholders and the Registrant dated as of May 31, 2000, as amended (filed as Exhibit 10.6 to Form 20-F for the year-ended December 31, 2000 and by this reference incorporated herein) |
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10.5 | Indemnification agreement between Dov Strikovsky, the former President, Chairman and CEO of the Company, the Company and the former shareholders of Marnetics Ltd. dated as of June 30, 2001 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F for year ended December 31, 2000). |
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10.6 | Asset purchase agreement between the Company and Idan Millennium Investments and AssetsLtd. dated as of June 10, 2001 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F for year ended December 31, 2000) |
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10.7 | Amendment to the asset purchase agreement between the Company and Idan Millennium Investments and AssetsLtd. dated as of May 6, 2002 ((incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F for year ended December 31, 2001). |
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10.8 | Agreements to the assignment of debt by and among the Company, Bank Hapoalim Ltd. and Shlavor Systems Ltd. dated as of May 9, 2001 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for year ended December 31, 2000). |
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10.9 | Certification pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
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10.10 | Certification pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
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SIGNATURES
The registrant hereby certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 20-F and that it has duly caused and authorized the undersigned to sign this Annual Report on its behalf.
| MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD. |
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| By: | /s/ Menachem Reinschmidt |
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| | Menachem Reinschmidt, Chairman of the Board |
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| By: | /s/ Ilan Hadar |
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| | Ilan Hadar, Chief Financial Officer |
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Date: June 29, 2003
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CERTIFICATION
I, Menachem Reinschmidt, certify that:
1. | I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F of Marnetics Broadband Technologies Ltd.; |
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2. | Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this annual report; |
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3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this annual report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report; |
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4. | The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and we have: |
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| a. designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this annual report is being prepared; |
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| b. evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this annual report (the “Evaluation Date”); and |
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| c. presented in this annual report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation as of the Evaluation Date; |
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5. | The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function): |
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| a. all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data and have identified for the registrant’s auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and |
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| b. any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal controls; and |
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6. | The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have indicated in this annual report whether or not there were significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses. |
Date: June 29, 2003
| /s/ Menachem Reinschmidt |
|
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| Menachem Reinschmidt, Chairman of the Board |
| | | |
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CERTIFICATION
I, Ilan Hadar, certify that:
1. | I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F of Marnetics Broadband Technologies Ltd.; |
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2. | Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this annual report; |
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3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this annual report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report; |
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4. | The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and we have: |
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| a. designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this annual report is being prepared; |
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| b. evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this annual report (the “Evaluation Date”); and |
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| c. presented in this annual report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation as of the Evaluation Date; |
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5. | The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function): |
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| a. all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data and have identified for the registrant’s auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and |
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| b. any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal controls; and |
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6. | The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have indicated in this annual report whether or not there were significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses. |
Date: June 29, 2003
| /s/ Ilan Hadar |
|
| |
| Ilan Hadar, Chief Financial Officer |
| | | |
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MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
(A Development Stage Company)
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2002
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
CONTENTS
| | Page |
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Report of Independent Public Accountants | 2 |
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| Consolidated Balance Sheets as at December 31, 2002 and 2001 | 3 |
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| Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2002, 2001 and 2000 and for the cumulative period from June 1, 1998 to December 31, 2002 | 4 |
| | |
| Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2002, 2001 and 2000 | 5 |
| | |
| Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2002, 2001 and 2000 and for the cumulative period from June 1, 1998 to December 31, 2002 | 6 |
| | |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 9 |
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
To the Shareholders of Marnetics Broadband Technologies Ltd.
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Marnetics Broadband Technologies Ltd. (“the Company”) (a development - stage company) as of December 31, 2002 and 2001, and the related consolidated statements of operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2002, 2001 and 2000 and the cumulative period from June 1, 1998 (date of commencement of operations) to December 31, 2002. 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 conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by the Company’s management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the aforementioned consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company (a development-stage company) as of December 31, 2002 and 2001, and its consolidated results of operations and its cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2002, 2001 and 2000 and the cumulative period from June 1, 1998 (date of commencement of operations) to December 31, 2002, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1b to the financial statements, the Company’s recurring losses from operations raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans concerning these matters are also described in Note 1b. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Brightman Almagor & Co.
Certified Public Accountants (Israel)
A member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
Tel Aviv, Israel
May 13, 2003
- 2 -
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
(A Development Stage Company)
(U.S$ in thousands)
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
| | December 31, | |
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| | 2 0 0 2 | | 2 0 0 1 | |
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Current assets: | | | | | | | | | |
Cash and cash equivalents | | $ | 957 | | | $ | 2,418 | | |
Receivables: | | | | | | | | | |
| Trade | | | 13 | | | | - | | |
| Related parties (Note 3) | | | 11 | | | | - | | |
| Other (Note 6a) | | | 291 | | | | 248 | | |
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| Total current assets | | | 1,272 | | | | 2,666 | | |
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Investment in affiliate (Note 4) | | | 60 | | | | 582 | | |
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Fixed assets (Notes 2e & 5) | | | | | | | | | |
Cost | | | 287 | | | | 267 | | |
Less - accumulated depreciation | | | 134 | | | | 64 | | |
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| | | 153 | | | | 203 | | |
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| | $ | 1,485 | | | $ | 3,451 | | |
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Current liabilities: | | | | | | | | | |
Short-term bank credit (Note 6b) | | $ | - | | | $ | 50 | | |
Payables: | | | | | | | | | |
| Trade | | | 19 | | | | 135 | | |
| Other (Note 6c) | | | 1,250 | | | | 829 | | |
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| Total current liabilities | | | 1,269 | | | | 1,014 | | |
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Accrued severance pay | | | 8 | | | | - | | |
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Commitments and contingent liabilities (Note 7) | | | | | | | | | |
Shareholders’ equity (Note 8) | | | | | | | | | |
Share capital: Ordinary shares of NIS 0.08 par value (Authorized, 25,000,000 shares, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2002 and 2001 7,362,390) | | | 130 | | | | 130 | | |
Additional paid-in capital | | | 25,203 | | | | 25,203 | | |
Deferred stock based compensation | | | (792 | ) | | | (1,584 | ) | |
Accumulated deficit | | | (24,333 | ) | | | (21,312 | ) | |
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| | | 208 | | | | 2,437 | | |
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| | $ | 1,485 | | | $ | 3,451 | | |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements
- 3 -
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
(A Development Stage Company)
(U.S$ in thousands, except share and per share data)
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
| | Year ended December 31, | | Cumulative from June 1, 1998 (date of commencement of operations) to December 31, | |
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| | 2 0 0 2 | | 2 0 0 1 | | 2 0 0 0 | | 2 0 0 2 | |
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Revenue | | $ | 19 | | | $ | - | | | $ | - | | | $ | 19 | | |
Research and development costs (excluding $702 and $1,585 of non-cash compensation for the year ended December 31, 2002 and cumulative from June 1, 1998 to December 31, 2002, respectively) (Note 10a) | | | 486 | | | | 812 | | | | 252 | | | | 1,714 | | |
Sales and marketing expenses, net (Note 10b) | | | 464 | | | | 310 | | | | 142 | | | | 916 | | |
General and administrative expenses (excluding $90 and $2,420 of non-cash compensation for the year ended December 31, 2002 and cumulative from June 1, 1998 to December 31, 2002, respectively) (Note 10c) | | | 784 | | | | 1,128 | | | | 722 | | | | 2,859 | | |
Provision for legal claim (Note 7c) | | | (500 | ) | | | 750 | | | | - | | | | 250 | | |
Impairment of goodwill (Note 11) | | | - | | | | 9,309 | | | | - | | | | 9,309 | | |
Loss allowance on loan to related party (Note 3) | | | - | | | | 1,228 | | | | - | | | | 1,228 | | |
Collection of loan from related party (Note 3) | | | (266 | ) | | | - | | | | - | | | | (266 | ) | |
Write-down of investment in affiliate | | | 522 | | | | - | | | | - | | | | 522 | | |
Provision for a Bank guarantee (Note 10d) | | | 716 | | | | - | | | | - | | | | 716 | | |
Non-cash compensation expenses | | | 792 | | | | 805 | | | | 2,408 | | | | 4,005 | | |
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Total costs and expenses | | | 2,998 | | | | 14,342 | | | | 3,524 | | | | 21,253 | | |
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Operating loss | | | (2,979 | ) | | | (14,342 | ) | | | (3,524 | ) | | | (21,234 | ) | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Financial income, net | | | 32 | | | | 175 | | | | 167 | | | | 391 | | |
Loss on sale of property and equipment | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | (28 | ) | |
Taxes on income | | | (74 | ) | | | - | | | | - | | | | (74 | ) | |
Share in losses of affiliate | | | - | | | | - | | | | (639 | ) | | | (660 | ) | |
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Loss from continuing operations | | | (3,021 | ) | | | (14,167 | ) | | | (3,996 | ) | | | (21,605 | ) | |
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Discontinued operations: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Loss from operations of electrical division | | | - | | | | (450 | ) | | | - | | | | (450 | ) | |
Loss on sale of electrical division | | | - | | | | (2,278 | ) | | | - | | | | (2,278 | ) | |
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Loss for the period | | $ | (3,021 | ) | | $ | (16,895 | ) | | $ | (3,996 | ) | | $ | (24,333 | ) | |
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Per share data (Note 2g) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Basic and diluted: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Loss per share from continuing operations | | $ | (0.41 | ) | | $ | (2.11 | ) | | $ | (4.15 | ) | | | | | |
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Loss from discontinued operations | | $ | - | | | $ | (0.40 | ) | | $ | - | | | | | | |
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Net loss | | $ | (0.41 | ) | | $ | (2.51 | ) | | $ | (4.15 | ) | | | | | |
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Shares used in computing loss per ordinary share | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Basic and diluted | | | 7,362,390 | | | | 6,725,685 | | | | 962,553 | | | | | | |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements
- 4 -
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
(A Development Stage Company)
(U.S$ in thousands)
STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
| | Number of shares | | Share capital | | Additional paid-in capital | | Deferred compensation | | Deficit accumulated during the development stage | | Total | |
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January 1, 2000 | | | 266,559 | | | $ | 1 | | | $ | 828 | | | $ | — | | | $ | (421 | ) | | $ | 408 | | |
Issuance of share capital | | | 388,237 | | | | 1 | | | | 7,297 | | | | | | | | | | | | 7,298 | | |
Adjustments due to issuance of shares of a development - stage affiliate to a third party | | | | | | | | | | | 1,095 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1,095 | | |
Issuance of options to a related party | | | | | | | | | | | 270 | | | | | | | | | | | | 270 | | |
Deferred compensation related to employee stock option grants | | | | | | | | | | | 631 | | | | (631 | ) | | | | | | | — | | |
Adjustments due to reverse merger - additional compensation due to a new measurement date | | | | | | | | | | | 1,836 | | | | (1,836 | ) | | | | | | | — | | |
Amortization of deferred compensation | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 138 | | | | | | | | 138 | | |
Adjustments due to reverse merger | | | 759,489 | | | | 30 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 30 | | |
Issuance of shares in a reverse merger | | | 4,993,048 | | | | 98 | | | | 11,186 | | | | | | | | | | | | 11,284 | | |
Compensation relating to options granted to former CEO and chairman of the board | | | | | | | | | | | 2,000 | | | | | | | | | | | | 2,000 | | |
Loss for the period | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (3,996 | ) | | | (3,996 | ) | |
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Balance at December 31, 2000 | | | 6,407,333 | | | | 130 | | | | 25,143 | | | | (2,329 | ) | | | (4,417 | ) | | | 18,527 | | |
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Amortization of deferred compensation | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 745 | | | | | | | | 745 | | |
Compensation related to options granted to service providers | | | | | | | | | | | 60 | | | | | | | | | | | | 60 | | |
Issuance of shares for no consideration | | | 955,057 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Loss for the year | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (16,895 | ) | | | (16,895 | ) | |
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Balance at December 31, 2001 | | | 7,362,390 | | | | 130 | | | | 25,203 | | | | (1,584 | ) | | | (21,312 | ) | | | 2,437 | | |
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Amortization of deferred compensation | | | - | | | | | | | | | | | | 792 | | | | | | | | 792 | | |
Loss for the year | | | - | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (3,021 | ) | | | (3,021 | ) | |
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Balance at December 31, 2002 | | | 7,362,390 | | | $ | 130 | | | $ | 25,203 | | | $ | (792 | ) | | $ | (24,333 | ) | | $ | 208 | | |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements
- 5 -
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD
(A Development Stage Company)
(U.S$ in thousands)
STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOWS
| | Year ended December 31, | | Cumulative from June 1, 1998 (date of commencement of operations) to December 31, | |
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| | 2 0 0 2 | | 2 0 0 1 | | 2 0 0 0 | | 2 0 0 2 | |
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Cash flows from operating activities: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Loss for the period | | $ | (3,021 | ) | | $ | (16,895 | ) | | $ | (3,996 | ) | | $ | (24,333 | ) | |
Adjustments to reconcile loss for the period to cash used in operating activities (Appendix A): | | | 1,630 | | | | 12,775 | | | | 3,124 | | | | 17,589 | | |
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| Net cash used in operating activities | | | (1,391 | ) | | | (4,120 | ) | | | (872 | ) | | | (6,744 | ) | |
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Cash flows from investing activities: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Cash acquired in a non-cash reverse merger (Appendix B) | | | - | | | | - | | | | 22 | | | | 22 | | |
Purchase of fixed assets | | | (20 | ) | | | (85 | ) | | | (186 | ) | | | (338 | ) | |
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | 10 | | |
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| Net cash used in investing activities | | | (20 | ) | | | (85 | ) | | | (164 | ) | | | (306 | ) | |
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Cash flows from financing activities: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Short-term debt, net | | | (50 | ) | | | (751 | ) | | | - | | | | (801 | ) | |
Repayment of long-term loan | | | - | | | | 828 | | | | - | | | | 828 | | |
Issuance of share capital | | | - | | | | - | | | | 7,298 | | | | 7,981 | | |
Investment in affiliate | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | (1 | ) | |
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| Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | | | (50 | ) | | | 77 | | | | 7,298 | | | | 8,007 | | |
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Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | | | (1,461 | ) | | | (4,128 | ) | | | 6,262 | | | | 957 | | |
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Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period | | | 2,418 | | | | 6,546 | | | | 284 | | | | — | | |
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Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period | | $ | 957 | | | $ | 2,418 | | | $ | 6,546 | | | $ | 957 | | |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements
- 6 -
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD
(A Development Stage Company)
(U.S$ in thousands)
APPENDICES TO CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
| | Year ended December 31, | | Cumulative from June 1, 1998 (date of commencement of operations) to December 31, | |
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| | 2 0 0 2 | | 2 0 0 1 | | 2 0 0 0 | | 2 0 0 2 | |
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Appendix A | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Adjustments to reconcile loss for the period to net cash used in operating activities: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Depreciation | | $ | 70 | | | $ | 53 | | | $ | 8 | | | $ | 196 | | |
Loss on sale of fixed assets | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | 28 | | |
Accrued severance pay | | | 8 | | | | - | | | | - | | | | 8 | | |
Share in losses of affiliate | | | - | | | | - | | | | 639 | | | | 660 | | |
Loss on sale of discontinued operations (Appendix C) | | | - | | | | 2,278 | | | | - | | | | 2,278 | | |
Impairment of goodwill | | | - | | | | 9,309 | | | | - | | | | 9,309 | | |
Loss allowance on loan to related party | | | - | | | | 1,228 | | | | - | | | | 1,228 | | |
Non cash compensation expenses | | | 792 | | | | 805 | | | | 2,408 | | | | 4,005 | | |
Write-down for decline in value of investees | | | 522 | | | | | | | | | | | | 522 | | |
Provision for a bank guarantee | | | 716 | | | | - | | | | - | | | | 716 | | |
Changes in assets and liabilities: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Decrease (increase) in accounts receivable | | | (13 | ) | | | 303 | | | | (61 | ) | | | 222 | | |
Increase in other receivables | | | (54 | ) | | | (235 | ) | | | - | | | | (345 | ) | |
Decrease in inventories | | | - | | | | 684 | | | | - | | | | 684 | | |
(Decrease) increase in trade payables | | | (116 | ) | | | (1,342 | ) | | | 34 | | | | (1,423 | ) | |
(Decrease) Increase in other payables and accrued expenses | | | (295 | ) | | | (308 | ) | | | 96 | | | | (499 | ) | |
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| | $ | 1,630 | | | $ | 12,775 | | | $ | 3,124 | | | $ | 17,589 | | |
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Supplemental Cash Flow Data | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Appendix B: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase of a subsidiary in a reverse merger: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Current assets | | | | | | | | | | $ | 4,947 | | | $ | 4,947 | | |
Non-current assets | | | | | | | | | | | 1,272 | | | | 1,272 | | |
Fixed assets | | | | | | | | | | | 474 | | | | 474 | | |
Goodwill | | | | | | | | | | | 11,309 | | | | 11,309 | | |
Current liabilities | | | | | | | | | | | (6,497 | ) | | | (6,497 | ) | |
Long-term liabilities | | | | | | | | | | | (213 | ) | | | (213 | ) | |
Cash acquired | | | | | | | | | | | 22 | | | | 22 | | |
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Total non-cash consideration | | | | | | | | | | $ | 11,314 | | | $ | 11,314 | | |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements
- 7 -
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
(A Development Stage Company)
(U.S$ in thousands)
APPENDICES TO CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
| | Year ended December 31, | | Cumulative from June 1, 1998 (date of commencement of operations) to December 31, | |
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| | 2 0 0 2 | | 2 0 0 1 | | 2 0 0 0 | | 2 0 0 2 | |
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Appendix C: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Sale of electrical division: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Current assets | | | | | | $ | 1,076 | | | | | | | $ | 1,076 | | |
Fixed assets | | | | | | | 425 | | | | | | | | 425 | | |
Goodwill | | | | | | | 2,000 | | | | | | | | 2,000 | | |
Current liabilities | | | | | | | (867 | ) | | | | | | | (867 | ) | |
Long-term liabilities | | | | | | | (356 | ) | | | | | | | (356 | ) | |
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Loss on sale of electrical division (see Note 3b) | | | | | | $ | 2,278 | | | | | | | $ | 2,278 | | |
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Information on non-cash transactions | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Extinguishments of a short-term debt to bank in exchange for assignment of a receivable (see Note 3b) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Short-term debt | | | | | | $ | 2,173 | | | | | | | $ | 2,173 | | |
Assignment of a receivable | | | | | | | (2,173 | ) | | | | | | | (2,173 | ) | |
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| | | | | | $ | - | | | | | | | $ | - | | |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements
- 8 -
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Note 1 – General
a. | Marnetics Broadband Technologies Ltd. (formerly Stav Electrical Systems (1994) Ltd.) (“the Company or Stav”) is engaged in the development of capacity enhancement and traffic analysis solutions for IP networks through its wholly owned subsidiary Marnetics Ltd. (“Marnetics”) and was engaged in the manufacture, installation and maintenance of electrical and lighting systems, mainly for public institutions (see below). |
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| On June 1, 2000 a share exchange agreement (“the agreement”) was signed between the Company and Marnetics. The agreement was consummated after final approval of the Company’s shareholders on December 31, 2000. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company issued to the shareholders of Marnetics shares and options in the amounts of 4,993,048 and 1,761,236 respectively, representing 75% of its outstanding shares and options, on a fully diluted basis, in exchange for all shares in Marnetics. |
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| The merger between Marnetics and the Company was accounted for as a reverse merger. As the shareholders of Marnetics (as a group) received the largest ownership interest in the Company, Marnetics was determined to be the “accounting acquirer” in the reverse acquisition. As a result, the historical financial statements of the Company (prior to December 31, 2000) were replaced with the historical financial statements of Marnetics. The statements of operations for 2000 and 1999 include the operations of Marnetics. The December 31, 2000 balance sheet includes the accounts of the Company and Marnetics. The fair value of Stav shares, US$11,314,280 was determined on the basis of the average market price of its outstanding shares US$8.00 per share. Goodwill in the amount of $11,309,000 was recorded accordingly. |
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| The following unaudited pro forma summary present information as if the acquisition of Stav occurred at the beginning of the periodpresented. The pro forma information, which is provided for informational purposes only, is based on historical information and does not necessarily reflect the results that would have occurred, nor is it necessarily indicative of future results of operations of the consolidated entities. |
| | | (Unaudited) | |
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| | | Year ended December 31, | |
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| | | 2 0 0 0 | |
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| Revenues | | $ | 4,498 | | |
| Net income | | | (10,751 | ) | |
| Earnings per share: | | | | | |
| Basic | | | (1.68 | ) | |
| Diluted | | $ | (1.68 | ) | |
| Effective March 2001 the Company sold to Idan Millennium Investments and Assets Ltd (“IDAN”) , a company under the control of Mr. Strikovsky, former CEO and former chairman of the board, all the fixed assets, inventories, other assets and liabilities and goodwill related to the electrical operations for a consideration of $ 597,000. The balance of $ 597,000 was not recognized as the probability of its realization was in doubt (See also Note 3). |
- 9 -
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Note 1 – General (cont.)
b. | The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. |
| The Company has a limited operating history and has sustained losses since its inception. As shown in the accompanying financial statements, the Company incurred a net loss of $ 3,021,000 for the year ended December 31, 2002 and as of that date has accumulated loss of $ 24,333,000. The future of the Company is dependent upon future profitable operations from the commercial success of its operations. Management is seeking additional capital and M&A transactions that will provide funds needed to continue its operations. |
| |
| In April 2003 and in light of the current financial position and liquidity considerations, the Company’s board of directors resolved to decrease its level of operating expenses and to lay-off the majority of the Company’s employees and seek a potential purchaser for the subsidiary or its IP. Management anticipates that its cash balance will be sufficient to finance its operations until September 2003. |
| |
| The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty and these adjustments may be material. |
| |
Note 2 - Significant accounting policies |
|
a. | Development-stage enterprise |
| |
| Since planned principal operations have not yet begun to generate any revenues, the Company is a development-stage company. All pre-operating costs have been expensed as incurred. |
| |
b. | Use of estimates in the preparation of financial statements |
| |
| The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates. |
| |
c. | Financial statements in U.S. dollars |
| |
| The reporting currency of the Company is the U.S. dollar. The currency of the primary economic environment in which the operations of the Company are conducted is the dollar, and the dollar has been determined to be the Company’s functional currency. |
| |
| Transactions and balances originally denominated in dollars are presented at their original amounts. Non-dollar transactions and balances have been remeasured into dollars in accordance with the principles set forth in Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 52 “Foreign Currency Translation”. All exchange gains and losses from remeasurement of monetary balance sheet items resulting from transactions in non-dollar currencies are reflected in the statement of operations as they occur. |
- 10 -
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Note 2 - Significant accounting policies (cont.)
d. | Cash equivalents |
| |
| Cash equivalents consist of short-term, highly liquid investments that are readily convertible into cash with original maturities when purchased of three months or less. |
| |
e. | Fixed assets |
| |
| Property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, as follows: |
| |
| Computers and software | 3 years | |
| Furniture and fixtures | 10-15 years | |
| | | |
| The Company periodically assesses the recoverability of the carrying amount of property and equipment based on expected undiscounted cash flows. If an asset’s carrying amount is determined to be not recoverable, the Company recognizes an impairment loss based upon the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of such assets, in accordance with SFAS No. 144 “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets” (“SFAS No. 144”). |
| |
f. | Research and development costs |
| |
| Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. |
| |
g. | Earnings per share |
| |
| The Company has adopted Statement No. 128 of the FASB “Earnings Per Share” (SFAS 128”). Basic and diluted earnings per ordinary share are computed using the weighted average number of shares outstanding. |
| |
h. | Deferred income taxes |
| |
| Deferred income taxes are provided for temporary differences between the assets and liabilities, as measured for financial statement purposes and for tax purposes, at tax rates expected to be in effect when these differences reverse. |
| |
i. | Fair value of financial instruments |
| |
| The financial instruments of the Company consist mainly of cash and cash equivalents, current accounts receivable, accounts payable and accruals. Due to the relatively short period to maturity, the fair value of the financial instruments included in the working capital of the Company approximates their carrying amounts. |
| |
j. | Reclassification |
| |
| Certain figures from prior years have been reclassified in order to conform to the 2002 presentation. |
- 11 -
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Note 2 - Significant accounting policies (cont.)
k. | Recent accounting pronouncements |
| |
| In April 2002, the FASB issued SFAS No. 145, “Rescission of FASB Statements SFAS Nos. 4, 44, and 64, Amendment of FASB Statement No. 13 and Technical Corrections.” SFAS No. 145 will impact how companies account for sale-leaseback transactions and how gains or losses on debt extinguishments are presented in financial statements. SFAS No. 145 is effective for fiscal years beginning after May 15, 2002, early application is encouraged. Under the provisions of SFAS 4 gains and losses associated with extinguishments of debts were reclassified as extraordinary item. SFAS No. 145 provides that gains and losses associated with extinguishments of debts will be classified as extraordinary item only if they meet the criteria of APB Opinion No. 30. The application of the requirements of SFAS No. 145 will not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations. |
| |
| In July 2002, the FASB issued SFAS No.146, “Accounting for Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities.” SFAS No. 146 requires that a liability for costs associated with an exit or disposal activity be recognized and measured initially at fair value only when the liability is incurred. SFAS No. 146 is effective for exit or disposal activities that are initiated after December 31, 2002. The application of the requirements of SFAS No. 146 will not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations. |
| |
| In November 2002, the FASB issued Interpretation No. 45 (FIN 45), “Guarantor’s Accounting and Disclosure Requirements for Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees of Indebtedness of Others”, which clarifies disclosure and recognition/measurement requirements related to certain guarantees. The disclosure requirements are effective for financial statements issued after December 15, 2002 and the recognition/measurement requirements are effective on a prospective basis for guarantees issued or modified after December 31, 2002. The application of the requirements of FIN 45 will not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations. |
| |
| In December 2002, the FASB issued SFAS No. 148, “Accounting for Stock Based Compensation—Transition and Disclosure—as Amendment to FAS 123.” SFAS 148 provides two additional transition methods for entities that adopt the preferable method of accounting for stock based compensation. Further, the statement requires disclosure of comparable information for all companies regardless of whether, when, or how an entity adopts the preferable, fair value based method of accounting. These disclosures are now required for interim periods in addition to the traditional annual disclosure. The amendments to SFAS No. 123, which provides for additional transition methods, are effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2002, although earlier application is permitted. The amendments to the disclosure requirements are required for financial reports containing condensed financial statements for interim periods beginning after December 15, 2002. |
Note 3 - Related parties
a. | (1) | In prior years the Company granted loan to Mr. Strikovsky in the amount of $1,228,000. The loan was linked to the Israeli CPI and bore interest of 2% per annum and was repayable in eight annual installments each comprised of 1/8 of the principal and the accrued interest thereon commencing December 2000. At December 31, 2001 the Company reassessed the collectibility of the loan in accordance with provisions of SFAS No. 114 “Accounting by Creditors for Impairment of a Loan”, and resolved, considering the probability of its collectibility, to establish a loan loss allowance for the entire amount. Income from impaired loan will be recorded using the cash method. During 2002 $142,000 were repaid on the account of the loan. |
| | |
| (2) | In prior years Mr. Strikovsky withdrew funds from the Company in excess of the maximum allowable amount under the loan agreement. During 2002 $91,000 were repaid, in full return of these excess funds. |
- 12 -
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Note 3 - Related parties (cont.)
| (3) | In prior years advances were paid to certain suppliers in the amount of $478,000. In accordance with the share exchange agreement (see Note 1) the Company asked Mr. Strikovsky for the repayment of such amounts. The excess advances were paid during 2001. |
| | |
b. | (1) | On May 9, 2001 an agreement (the “Bank Agreement”) was signed between the Company and Bank Hapoalim, Ltd.(the “Bank”) with respect to the Company’s debt to the Bank in the amount of $3,127,000 (the “Debt”). |
| | In accordance with the Bank Agreement, the Bank has agreed to release the Company from its obligation to repay the Debt and to cancel the floating charge and liens registered in favor of the Bank on properties of the Company provided that, by May 31, 2001 the Company shall pay $954,000 to the Bank on account of the Debt (the “Repaid Amount”) and in addition the Company shall have assigned to the Bank all its rights with respect to the debt of the municipality of Hod Hasharon to the Company in the amount of $2,173,000. The Company paid the $954,000 and made the assignment in the aforesaid amount. |
| | In addition, the Company has provided the Bank with a guarantee of up to $716,000, which decreases in the ratio of NIS 1:2 paid on account of the outstanding debt of Hod Hasharon (See Note 10d). |
| | |
| (2) | Following the Bank Agreement, on June 30, 2001 an agreement (the “Agreement”) was signed between Mr. Strikovsky and the Company pursuant to which Strikovsky agreed to reimburse the Company for the Repaid Amount and any additional amount that the Company may have to pay to the Bank if the Bank exercises the guarantee related to the debt of Hod Hasharon. The reimbursement amount of $954,000 is due and payable to the Company and will be paid in monthly installments of $48,000 commencing on June 1, 2004 until paid in full. All amounts due and payableto the Company are linked to the Israeli CPI and bear interest of 4% per annum. |
| | The reimbursement amount of $954,000 was not yet recognized as the probability of its realization is in doubt. |
| | |
| (3) | Effective March 2001 the Company sold to IDAN, a company under the control of Strikovsky, all the fixed assets, inventories, other assets and liabilities and related goodwill, in the amount of $2,000,000, relating to the electrical operations for a consideration of $597,000. The consideration is payable in 25 monthly installments of $24,000 commencing February 1, 2002. In May 2002 the Company signed an addendum with IDAN to change the terms of payments to such that the first 11 installment will be reduced to $7,000 each and the remaining 14 installments will be of $37,000. The Company, considering the probability of collection, decided to establish an allowance of $597,000 on the amount not yet collected. As of December 31, 2002 $71,000 were repaid on account of the sale consideration. |
| | |
| (4) | To secure his obligations under the various agreements Mr. Strikovsky has collateralized 300,000 shares that he owns of the Company. No other payments were made by Mr. Strikovski subsequent to December 31, 2002. The Company is involved in ongoing legal efforts aimed at collecting amounts due from Mr. Strikovsky and companies under his control. |
Note 4 – Investment in affiliate
Until September 2000 the Company held 33.6% of the outstanding shares of Speedwise Technologies Ltd (“Speedwise”). In September 2000, Speedwise issued shares to a third party resulting in a decrease in the Company’s holdings in Speedwise to 19.19% and during February 2001 additional shares were issued to third parties resulting in a further dilution to 14.73%. In October 2002 Speedwise sold its assets and intellectual property to a third party in consideration of cash and shares. Based on the consideration received by Speedwise, the Company assesses that the recoverable amount of its investment in Speedwise will be $60,000 and as a result an impairment charge of $522,000 has been recorded.
- 13 -
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Note 5 – Fixed assets
| | December 31, | |
| |
| |
| | 2 0 0 2 | | 2 0 0 1 | |
| |
| |
| |
Cost: | | | | | | | | | |
| Computers and software | | $ | 196 | | | $ | 178 | | |
| Leasehold improvements | | | 51 | | | | 50 | | |
| Furniture and fixtures | | | 40 | | | | 39 | | |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| | $ | 287 | | | $ | 267 | | |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Accumulated depreciation: | | | | | | | | | |
| Computers and software | | $ | (118 | ) | | $ | (62 | ) | |
| Leasehold improvements | | | (10 | ) | | | (1 | ) | |
| Furniture and fixtures | | | (6 | ) | | | (1 | ) | |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| | $ | (134 | ) | | $ | (64 | ) | |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Note 6 - Supplementary balance sheet information
| | | December 31, | |
| | |
| |
| | | 2 0 0 2 | | 2 0 0 1 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| Prepaid expenses | | $ | 60 | | | $ | 13 | | |
| Restricted cash | | | 30 | | | | 30 | | |
| Government authorities | | | 199 | | | | 102 | | |
| Others | | | 2 | | | | 103 | | |
| | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| | | $ | 291 | | | $ | 248 | | |
| | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| | | Interest rates | | December 31, | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | | % | | 2 0 0 2 | | 2 0 0 1 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | | | | | |
| Unlinked shekel credit | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Overdraft | | | 13.7-10.2 | | | | - | | | $ | 50 | | |
| Short-term loans | | | 6.2-10.2 | | | | - | | | | - | | |
| | | | | | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| | | | | | | | - | | | | 50 | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Current maturities of long-term loans | | | | | | | - | | | | - | | |
| | | | | | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| | | | | | | | - | | | $ | 50 | | |
| | | | | | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| | Liens - see Note 7c. |
| | |
| c. | Other payables: |
| | | December 31, | |
| | |
| |
| | | 2 0 0 2 | | 2 0 0 1 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| Wages and related accruals | | $ | 82 | | | $ | 52 | | |
| Government authorities | | | 98 | | | | 27 | | |
| Other accrued expenses (see also Note 7b) | | | 354 | | | | 750 | | |
| Provision for a Bank guarantee | | | 716 | | | | - | | |
| | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| | | $ | 1,250 | | | $ | 829 | | |
| | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
- 14 -
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Note 7 – Commitments and contingent liabilities
a. | Lease agreement |
| | |
| The facilities of the subsidiary are rented under an operating lease. The agreement included a lease extension option to extend the lease for one year period upon prior written notice. The Company exercised the option and extended the lease term for additional year until May 2003. The rent expenses under the operating lease for the year ended December 31, 2002 totaled $ 31,000. |
| |
b. | Liens, security and guarantees |
| |
| 1. | As of December 31, 2002, the Company was contingently liable for bank guarantees under performance obligations to customers related to the electrical operation totaling US$ 87,000. |
| | |
| 2. | The Company has obtained a bank guarantee of $28,000, secured by a restricted deposit, in connection with the Company’sfacilities operating lease agreement in Israel. |
| | |
c. | Legal claim |
| |
| The Company and Mr. Strikovski was named as a defendant in a claim for specific performance of an agreement allegedly entered into by the Company and the plaintiff in April 1999 (the “Agreement”) as well as damages as a result of a breach of the agreement. On July 2, 2001, due to the fact that no defense and/or reply was provided by the Company, judgment was entered against the Company in the amount of $725,000. On February 7, 2002 the Company filed a motion to vacate the judgment and on February 27, 2002 the court rejected the motion. The Company filed an appeal on the court decision which was accepted by the Supreme Court of the State New York with instructions to allow evidentiary hearing. The hearing was held on May 22, 2003 and the Company is awaiting the court’s decision. The plaintiff proposed to settle the suit for $250,000 and while the Company was willing to further negotiate a substantially lower amount, in light of the plaintiff’s position the Company decided to reject the proposal. In 2001 the Company has established an allowance in the amount of $750,000 to provide for its possible exposure. In light of recent developments the Company decreased the allowance by $500,000 to $250,000 which, in light of the judgment against the Company and the settlement offer proposed, represents a conservative estimate of the probable exposure. |
| |
d. | Royalties |
| |
| The Company is committed to pay royalties to the office of the Chief Scientist of the Government of Israel on proceeds from sales of products in the research and development of which the Chief Scientist has participated by way of grants, up to the amount of 100% of the grants received, in dollar terms plus interest at LIBOR. The royalties are payable at a rate of 3% for the first three years of product sales and 3.5% thereafter. No royalties were paid to the Chief Scientist. |
| The total amount of grants accrued at December 31, 2002 was $ 140,000. |
| |
| The research and development grants are presented in the statements of operations as an offset to research and development costs. |
| |
| The refund of the grant is contingent on future sales and the Company has no obligation to refund these grants, if sufficient sales are not generated. |
| |
| Based on the terms established in the agreement with the OCS the Company may not sell its IP to a non-Israeli entity. |
- 15 -
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Note 8 - Share capital
a. | In December 1998 the Company consummated an Initial Public Offering (IPO). |
| |
| Subsequent to the IPO, the Company’s ordinary shares were quoted and listed on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX). In April 2003 the AMEX had notified the Company that it no longer qualify for trading and that its shares would be delisted from trading on the AMEX. The Company’s shares are now traded on the Pink Sheets. |
| |
b. | In January 2000, Marnetics issued 36,318 ordinary shares of NIS 0.01 par value to an investor in consideration for $295,000. In addition, Marnetics granted the investor options to purchase 10,465 outstanding shares of the Company at $8.12 per share. |
| |
c. | In February 2000, Marnetics issued 130,719 ordinary shares of NIS 0.01 par value to ECI Telecom Ltd. for $2,000 thousand. |
| |
d. | Through September 30, 2000, Marnetics had granted to specific employees options to purchase 40,437 ordinary shares of the Company’s subsidiary pursuant to their employment agreements. The exercise price of the options is $1. Most of the options vest over four years. As part of the share exchange agreement these options were replaced with 308,300 options to purchase ordinary shares of the Company (see also Note 8(g) below). |
| |
e. | In October 2000 Marnetics reached an agreement with a group of new investors (the “Investors”). In accordance with the agreement, the Company issued to the Investors 221,200 ordinary shares in consideration of $5,076 thousand. |
| |
f. | On June 1, 2000 a share exchange agreement (“the agreement”) was signed between the Company and Marnetics. The agreement was consummated after final approval of the Company’s shareholders on December 20, 2000. Pursuant to the agreement the Company issued to the shareholders of Marnetics shares and options in the amounts of 4,993,048 and 1,761,236 (including 308,300 options to employees of Marnetics - see 8(g) below) respectively, representing 75% of its outstanding shares and options, on a fully diluted basis, in exchange for all shares in Marnetics. |
| |
g. | Pursuant to the agreement the Company issued newly unvested options to purchase 308,300 ordinary shares of the Company to the employees of Marnetics for their unvested options in Marnetics. In connection with this issuance, the Company recorded a deferred stock compensation expense totaling $1,836,000. |
| |
h. | In connection with the agreement, the Board of Directors of the Company adopted an Option Plan (the “Option Plan”). The Option Plan provides for the grant of options to purchase up to an aggregate of 1,000,000 Ordinary Shares to directors, key employees and consultants of the Company. The Board of Directors of the Company will determine the terms of the grants. Under the Option Plan, the Company granted, to a company under the control of the former CEO and chairman of the board of the Company, 400,000 fully vested options to purchase shares at the exercise price of $3. With respect to these options non-cash compensation expenses totaling $2,000,000 were recorded and charged to earnings in accordance with APB 25 “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees”. |
| |
| The amount of options outstanding as at December 31, 2002 is 2,151,664 of which 268,772 were granted to employees. |
| |
i. | During 2001, option granted to Marnetics certain shareholder in connection with the merger, were expired unexercised. According to the merger agreement such options must be divided pro-ratably between the formers shareholder of Marnetics. In 2001 the Company issued 955,057 shares which were divided pro-ratably according to the agreement. |
- 16 -
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Note 9 – Taxes on income
The Company is assessed under the provisions of the Israeli Income Tax Law (Inflationary Adjustments) 1985, pursuant to which results for tax purposes are measured in new Israeli shekels in real terms in accordance with changes in the Israeli consumer price index.
Income is taxable at the ordinary corporate tax rate of 36%.
Deferred taxes
The main components of the Company’s deferred tax assets are as follows:
| | December 31, | |
| |
| |
| | 2 0 0 2 | | 2 0 0 1 | |
| |
| |
| |
Deferred tax assets: | | | | | | | | | |
Net operating loss carryforwards in Israel | | $ | (2,545 | ) | | $ | (3,507 | ) | |
Less – Valuation allowance | | | 2,545 | | | | 3,507 | | |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Balance | | $ | — | | | $ | — | | |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Under SFAS No. 109, deferred tax assets are to be recognized for the anticipated tax benefits associated with net operating loss carryforwards and deductible temporary differences, unless it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The adjustment is made by a valuation allowance.
Since the realization of the net operating loss carry forwards is less likely than not, a valuation allowance has been established for the amounts of the related tax benefits.
Tax loss carry forwards of the Company and its subsidiary company totaling US$ 7,070 thousand are unlimited in duration, denominated in NIS and linked to the Israeli consumer price index.
Tax assessments
The Company has closed assessments through 1998, inclusive. The Subsidiary has not been assessed for income tax purposes since incorporation.
Note 10 - Supplementary statement of operations information
a. | Research and development costs |
| | | Year ended December 31, | | Cumulative from June 1, 1998 (date of commencement of operations) to December 31, | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | | 2 0 0 2 | | 2 0 0 1 | | 2 0 0 0 | | 2 0 0 2 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| Salaries and related expenses | | | 534 | | | $ | 670 | | | $ | 217 | | | $ | 1,532 | | |
| Sub-contractors | | | - | | | | - | | | | 17 | | | | 60 | | |
| Depreciation | | | 61 | | | | 53 | | | | 6 | | | | 77 | | |
| Other | | | 31 | | | | 89 | | | | 12 | | | | 185 | | |
| | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| | | | 626 | | | | 812 | | | | 252 | | | | 1,854 | | |
| Less - participation of the government of Israel | | | 140 | | | | - | | | | - | | | | 140 | | |
| | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| | | $ | 486 | | | $ | 812 | | | $ | 252 | | | $ | 1,714 | | |
| | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
- 17 -
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Note 10 - Supplementary statement of operations information (cont.)
b. | Sales and marketing expenses, net |
| | | Year ended December 31, | | Cumulative from June 1, 1998 (date of commencement of operations) to December 31, | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | | 2 0 0 2 | | 2 0 0 1 | | 2 0 0 0 | | 2 0 0 2 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| Salaries and related expenses | | $ | 324 | | | $ | 251 | | | $ | 95 | | | $ | 670 | | |
| Subcontractors | | | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | | 64 | | |
| Advertising and marketing Costs | | | 76 | | | | 75 | | | | 61 | | | | 212 | | |
| | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Gross sales and marketing Costs | | | 464 | | | | 326 | | | | 156 | | | | 946 | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Less-participation from the Government of Israel | | | - | | | | (16 | ) | | | (14 | ) | | | (30 | ) | |
| | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| | | $ | 464 | | | $ | 310 | | | $ | 142 | | | $ | 916 | | |
| | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
c. | General and administrative expenses |
| | | Year ended December 31, | | Cumulative from June 1, 1998 (date of commencement of operations) to December 31, | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | | 2 0 0 2 | | 2 0 0 1 | | 2 0 0 0 | | 2 0 0 2 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| Salaries and related expenses | | $ | 194 | | | $ | 472 | | | $ | 242 | | | $ | 1,020 | | |
| Professional services | | | 291 | | | | 321 | | | | 305 | | | | 951 | | |
| Management fee | | | 10 | | | | - | | | | 43 | | | | 53 | | |
| Others | | | 289 | | | | 335 | | | | 132 | | | | 835 | | |
| | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| | | $ | 784 | | | $ | 1,128 | | | $ | 722 | | | $ | 2,859 | | |
| | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
d. | Provision for a Bank guarantee |
| |
| The Company has provided the Bank with a guarantee of up to $716,000, which decreases in the ratio of NIS 1:2 paid on account of the outstanding debt of Hod Hasharon, which has been assigned to the Bank (Note 3b). To date Hod-Hasharon has not made any re-payment on account of the debt, and therefore the guarantee has not decreased. According to the terms of the Bank Agreement, following November 30, 2002, the Bank is entitled to exercise the outstanding amount of the guarantee, and since the guarantee has not decreased, the Company decided to establish an allowance for the guarantee in full. |
| |
| Nevertheless, the Company and its representatives are conducting on-going negotiations with Hod-Hasharon for the repayment of the debt to the Bank, although at present the Company cannot assess what portion of the debt will be recovered, if any, (and the guarantee decreased accordingly) as a result of such negotiations, or any future action by the Company. |
- 18 -
MARNETICS BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Note 11 – Impairment of goodwill
In 2001, in view of the markets decline, the Company assessed the value and future benefit of its enterprise level goodwill pursuant to Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 17, “Intangible Assets” (“APB 17”) (see Note 1). The result of the assessment was a full write-off of the goodwill in the amount of $9,309,000.
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