In March 2001, Lumera paid $200,000 to the University of Washington for an exclusive royalty-bearing license relating to the Optical Material technology. In addition Lumera issued 802,414 shares of Class A Common Stock to the University of Washington pursuant to a Sponsored Research Agreement (the "Research Agreement"). The total value of the stock of $3.0 million will be amortized over the three-year life of the Research Agreement. The total amortization expense relating to the Research Agreement during the three months ended March 31, 2001 was $92,000. In addition, in March 2001, Lumera paid $750,000, of which $250,000 was recognized as expense during the three months end March 31, 2001, to the University of Washington as the first quarterly payment for the Optical Materials Research Agreement. Lumera is required to make additional equal quarterly payments to the University of Washington over the three-year term of the Research Agreement. Total research and product developement expense for Lumera was approximately $1.8 million during the three months ended March 31, 2001.
The Company believes that a substantial level of continuing research and development expense will be required to develop commercial products using the retinal scanning display technology and the Optical Materials technology. Accordingly, the Company anticipates that a high level of research and development spending will continue. These expenses will be incurred as a result of:
The Company expects that the amount of spending on research and product development will continue to grow, compared to prior years, in future quarters as the Company:
Marketing, general and administrative expenses in the three months ended March 31, 2001 increased by $1.4 million, or 58%, to $3.7 million from $2.3 million in the same period in 2000. The increase includes increases in compensation expenses and support costs for employees and contractors. The Company expects marketing, general and administrative expenses to increase substantially in future periods as the Company:
• Adds to its sales and marketing staff,
• Makes additional investments in sales and marketing activities, and
• Increases the level of corporate and administrative activity.
Non-Cash Compensation Expense. Non-cash compensation expense in the three months ended March 31, 2001 increased by $310,000 or 207% to $460,000 from $150,000 in the same period in 2000. Non-cash compensation expense includes:
• The amortization of the value of stock options granted to individuals who are not employees or directors of the Company.
• The amortization of the excess of fair market value over the strike price for shares issued to employees and the Board of Directors
Non-cash compensation expense in 2001 includes the cost of two five-year consulting agreements that the Company entered into with two independent consultants in August 2000 to provide strategic business and financial consulting services. Compensation expense of approximately $200,000 related to these agreements was recorded in the three months ended March 31, 2001.
Interest Income and Expense. Interest income in the three months ended March 31, 2001 increased by $250,000, or 56%, to $700,000 from $450,000 in the same period in 2000. This increase resulted primarily from higher average cash and investment securities balances in the three months ended March 31, 2001 than the average cash and investment securities balances in the same period of the prior year.
Interest expense in the three months ended March 31, 2001 was consistent with the same period in 2000.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Company has funded operations to date primarily through the sale of common stock, convertible preferred stock and, to a lesser extent, contract revenue. At March 31, 2001, the Company had $54.1 million in cash, cash equivalents and investment securities.
Cash used in operating activities totaled $9.0 million during the three months ended March 31, 2001 compared to $4.3 million during the same period in 2000. Cash used in operating activities for each period resulted primarily from the net loss for the period.
Cash provided by investing activities totaled $2.6 million during the three months ended March 31, 2001, compared to $3.0 million during the same period of 2000. The decrease resulted from less activity in the Company’s available-for-sale investment security portfolio.
The Company used $500,000 for capital expenditures during the three months ended March 31, 2001 compared to $300,000 during the same period in 2000. Historically, capital expenditures have been used to make leasehold improvements to leased office space and to purchase computer hardware and software, laboratory equipment and furniture and fixtures to support growth. The Company expects capital expenditures to continue to increase substantially as the Company continues to expand operations.
Cash provided by financing activities totaled $21.4 million during the three months ended March 31, 2001, compared to $2.3 million during the same period in 2000. During the three months ended March 31, 2001 Lumera raised $21.4 million, before issuance costs, from the issuance of 2,136,000 shares of manditorily redeemable convertible preferred stock.
Future operating expenditures and capital requirements will depend on numerous factors, including the following:
• The progress of research and development programs,
• The progress in commercialization activities and arrangements,
• The cost of filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing any patent claims and other intellectual property rights,
• Competing technological and market developments, and
• The Company’s ability to establish cooperative development, joint venture and licensing arrangements.
In order to maintain exclusive rights under its license agreements with the University of Washington, the Company is obligated to make royalty payments to the University of Washington. If the Company is successful in establishing OEM co-development and joint venture arrangements, the Company expects that its partners will fund a portion of non-recurring engineering costs for product development. Nevertheless, the Company expects cash requirements to increase significantly each year as the Company expands its activities and operations to commercialize its technologies.
The Company believes that its cash, cash equivalents and investment securities balances at March 31, 2001 will satisfy its budgeted cash requirements for at least the next 12 months. Actual expenses, however, may be higher than estimated and the Company may require additional capital earlier than anticipated to:
• Accelerate the development of retinal scanning display technology and the Optical Materials technology,
• Respond to competitive pressures, or
• Meet unanticipated development difficulties.
The Company’s operating plan calls for the addition of technical and business staff and the purchase of additional computer and laboratory equipment, and leasehold improvements. The operating plan also provides for the development of strategic relationships with systems and equipment manufacturers. There can be no assurance that additional financing will be available to the Company or that, if available, it will be available on acceptable terms on a timely basis. If adequate funds are not available to satisfy either short-term or long-term capital requirements, the Company may be required to reduce operations significantly. The Company’s capital requirements will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to, the rate at which the Company can, directly or through arrangements with OEMs, introduce products incorporating the retinal scanning display technology and the market acceptance and competitive position of such products.
New Accounting Pronouncements
The Company adopted SFAS No. 133 “Accounting for Derivatives and Hedging Activities” in the quarter ended March 31, 2001. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial positions results of operations or cash flows.
Considerations Relating to the Company’s Business
We cannot be certain that the retinal scanning display technology or products incorporating this technology will achieve market acceptance. If the retinal scanning display technology does not achieve market acceptance, our revenues may not grow.
Our success will depend in part on the commercial acceptance of the retinal scanning display technology. The retinal scanning display technology may not be accepted by manufacturers who use display technologies in their products or by consumers of these products. To be accepted, the retinal scanning display technology must meet the expectations of our potential customers in the defense, medical, industrial and consumer markets. If our technology fails to achieve market acceptance, we may not be able to continue to develop the retinal scanning display technology.
Our lack of the financial and technical resources relative to our competitors may reduce our revenues, potential profits and overall market share.
The retinal scanning display and products that may incorporate this technology will compete with established manufacturers of miniaturized cathode ray tube and flat panel display devices, many of which have substantially greater financial, technical and other resources than us and many of which are also developing miniature displays. Because of their greater resources, our competitors may develop products or technologies that are superior to our own. The introduction of superior competing products or technologies could result in reduced revenues, lower margins or loss of market share, any of which could reduce the value of our business.
We may not be able to keep up with rapid technological change and our financial results may suffer.
The electronic information display industry and the optical switching industries have been characterized by rapidly changing technology, accelerated product obsolescence and continuously evolving industry standards. Our success will depend upon our ability to further develop the retinal scanning display technology and the Optical Materials technology and to introduce new products and features on a cost effective basis in a timely manner to meet evolving customer requirements and compete effectively with competitors’ product advances. We may not succeed in these efforts because of:
• delays in product development,
• lack of market acceptance for our products, or
• lack of funds to invest in development.
The occurrence of any of the above factors could result in decreased revenues and market share.
Our products may be subject to future health and safety regulations that could increase our development and production costs.
Products incorporating retinal scanning display technology could become subject to new health and safety regulations that would reduce our ability to commercialize the retinal scanning display technology. Compliance with any such new regulations would likely increase our cost to develop and produce products using the retinal scanning display technology and adversely affect our financial results.
If we experience delays or failures in developing and producing commercially viable products, we may have lower revenues.
Although we have developed prototype products incorporating the retinal scanning display technology and prototype devices have been built using the Optical Materials technology, we must undertake additional research, development and testing before we are able to produce products for commercial sale. In addition, product development delays or the inability to enter into relationships with potential product development partners may delay or prevent us from introducing commercial products.
If we are unable to adequately protect our patents and other proprietary technology, we may be unable to compete with other companies.
Our success will depend in part on our ability and the ability of the University of Washington and our other licensors to maintain the proprietary nature of the retinal scanning display and related technologies. We also rely on proprietary Optical Materials technology licensed from the University of Washington. Although our licensors have patented various aspects of the retinal scanning display technology and applied for patents on various aspects of Optical Materials technology, and although we continue to file our own patent applications covering retinal scanning display features, Optical Materials technology and related technologies, we cannot be certain as to the degree of protection offered by these patents or as to the likelihood that patents will be issued from the pending patent applications. Moreover, these patents may have limited commercial value or may lack sufficient breadth to protect adequately the aspects of our technology to which the patents relate. We cannot be certain that our competitors, many of which have substantially greater resources than us and have made substantial investments in competing technologies, will not apply for and obtain patents that will prevent, limit or interfere with our ability to make and sell our products.
We also rely on unpatented proprietary technology. Third parties could develop the same or similar technology or otherwise obtain access to our proprietary technology. We cannot be certain that we will be able to adequately protect our trade secrets, know–how or other proprietary information or prevent the unauthorized use, misappropriation or disclosure of such trade secrets, know–how or other proprietary information.
We could face lawsuits related to our use of the retinal scanning display technology. These suits could be costly, time consuming and reduce our revenues.
We are aware of several patents held by third parties that relate to certain aspects of retinal scanning displays. These patents could be used as a basis to challenge the validity of the University of Washington’s patents, to limit the scope of the University of Washington’s patent rights or to limit the University of Washington’s ability to obtain additional or broader patent rights. A successful challenge to the validity of the University of Washington’s patents could limit our ability to commercialize the retinal scanning display technology and, consequently, materially reduce our revenues. Moreover, we cannot be certain that patent holders or other third parties will not claim infringement by us or by the University of Washington with respect to current and future technology. Because U.S. patent applications are held and examined in secrecy, it is also possible that presently pending U.S. applications will eventually be issued with claims that will be infringed by our products or the retinal scanning display technology. The defense and prosecution of a patent suit would be costly and time–consuming, even if the outcome were ultimately favorable to us. An adverse outcome in the defense of a patent suit could subject us to significant cost, require others and us to cease selling products that incorporate retinal scanning display technology, or to cease licensing the retinal scanning display technology, or to require disputed rights to be licensed from third parties. Such licenses would increase our cost or may not be available at all. Moreover, if claims ofinfringement are asserted against our future co–development partners or customers, those partners or customers may seek indemnification from us for damages or expenses they incur.
Our revenues are highly sensitive to developments in the defense and aerospace industries.
Our revenues to date have been derived principally from product development research relating to defense applications of the retinal scanning display technology. We believe that development programs and sales of potential products in this market will represent a significant portion of our future revenues. Developments that adversely affect the defense sector, including delays in government funding and a general economic downturn, could cause our revenues to decline substantially.
If we cannot supply products in commercial quantities, we will not achieve commercial success.
We currently lack the capability to manufacture products in commercial quantities. Our success depends in part on our ability to provide our components and future products in commercial quantities at competitive prices. Accordingly, we will be required to obtain access, through business partners or contract manufacturers, to manufacturing capacity and processes for the commercial production of our expected future products. We cannot be certain that we will successfully obtain access to sufficient manufacturing resources. Future manufacturing limitations of our suppliers could result in a limitation on the number of products incorporating our technology that we are able to produce.
If we cannot manufacture products at competitive prices, our financial results will be adversely affected.
To date, we have produced only prototype products for research, development and demonstration purposes. The cost per unit for these prototypes currently exceeds the level at which we could expect to profitably sell commercial versions of these products to customers. If we cannot lower our cost of production, we may face increased demands on our financial resources, possibly requiring additional equity and/or debt financing to sustain our business operations.
If we lose the exclusive use of the Virtual Retinal Display technology or the Optical Materials technology, our business operations and prospects would be adversely affected.
We acquired the exclusive rights to the Virtual Retinal Display technology and the Optical Materials technology under exclusive license agreements with the University of Washington. If the University of Washington were to violate the terms of the license agreements by providing the technology to another company, our business, operations and prospects would be adversely affected. In addition, we could lose the exclusivity under the license agreement if we fail to challenge, within the designated time limits, claims that other companies are using the Virtual Retinal Display technology in violation of our license agreements.
We need to collaborate with third parties to be able to successfully develop products for commercial sale.
Our strategy for developing, testing, manufacturing and commercializing the retinal scanning display technology and products incorporating the retinal scanning display technology includes entering into cooperative development, sales and marketing arrangements with corporate partners, OEMs and other third parties. We cannot be certain that we will be able to negotiate arrangements on acceptable terms, if at all, or that these arrangements will be successful in yielding commercially viable products. If we cannot establish these arrangements, we would require additional capital to undertake such activities on our own and would require extensive manufacturing, sales and marketing expertise that we do not currently possess and that may be difficult to obtain. In addition, we could encounter significant delays in introducing the retinal scanning display technology or find that the development, manufacture or sale of products incorporating the retinal scanning display technology would not be feasible. To the extent that we enter into cooperative development, sales and marketing or other joint venture arrangements, our revenues will depend upon the efforts of third parties. We cannot be certain that any such arrangements will be successful.
We may require additional capital to continue implementing our business plan. This may lessen the value of current stockholders’ shares.
We may need additional funds in order to, among other requirements:
• further develop retinal scanning display technology and Optical Materials technology,
• add manufacturing capacity,
• add to our sales and marketing staff,
• develop and protect our intellectual property rights, or
• fund long-term business development opportunities.
We cannot be certain that we will be able to obtain financing when needed or that we will be able to obtain financing on satisfactory terms, if at all. If additional funds are raised through the issuance of equity, convertible debt or similar securities, current shareholders will experience dilution and the securities issued to the new investors may have rights or preferences senior to those of the shareholders of common stock. Moreover, if adequate funds were not available to satisfy our short–term or long–term financial needs, we would be required to limit our operations significantly.
Loss of any of our key personnel could have a negative effect on the operation of our business.
Our success depends on our officers and other key personnel and on the ability to attract and retain qualified new personnel. Achievement of our business objectives will require substantial additional expertise in the areas of sales and marketing, research and product development, and manufacturing. Competition for qualified personnel in these fields is intense, and the inability to attract and retain additional highly skilled personnel, or the loss of key personnel, could reduce our revenues and adversely affect our business.
We have a history of operating losses and expect to incur significant losses in the future.
We have had substantial losses since our inception and our operating losses may increase in the future. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that we will ever become or remain profitable.
• As of March 31, 2001, we had an accumulated deficit of $76.4 million.
• We incurred net losses of $22.9 million from inception through 1998, $16.7 million in 1999, $26.6 million in 2000, and $10.2 million during the three months ended March 31, 2001.
Our revenues to date have been generated from development contracts and sales of engineering prototype units. We do not expect to generate significant revenues from product sales in 2001, and possibly thereafter. The likelihood of our success must be considered in light of the expenses, difficulties and delays frequently encountered by companies formed to develop and market new technologies. In particular, our operations to date have focused primarily on research and development of the retinal scanning display technology and development of prototypes. We are unable to accurately estimate future revenues and operating expenses based upon historical performance.
We cannot be certain that we will succeed in obtaining additional development contracts or that we will be able to obtain customer orders for products incorporating the retinal scanning display technology. In light of these factors, we expect to continue to incur substantial losses and negative cash flow at least through 2001 and likely thereafter. We cannot be certain that we will become profitable or achieve positive cash flow at any time in the future.
A substantial number of our shares may be sold into the market in the near future, which could cause the market price of our common stock to drop significantly.
As of April 30, 2001, we had outstanding:
• options to purchase an aggregate of 3,158,000 shares of Microvision common stock, and
• warrants to purchase 463,000 shares of Microvision common stock.
Sales in the public market of common stock issuable upon exercises of stock options or warrants could depress prevailing market prices for our common stock. Even the perception that such sales could occur may adversely impact the market price for our stock. A decrease in market price would decrease the value of an investment in our common stock.
Our quarterly performance may vary substantially and this variance may decrease our stock price.
Our revenues to date have been generated from a limited number of development contracts with U.S. government entities and commercial partners. Our quarterly operating results may vary significantly based on:
• reductions or delays in funding of development programs involving new information display technologies by the U.S. government or our current or prospective commercial partners; or
• the status of particular development programs and the timing of performance under specific development agreements.
In one or more future quarters, our results of operations may fall below the expectations of securities analysts and investors and the trading price of our common stock may decline as a consequence.
If we fail to manage expansion effectively, our revenue and expenses could be adversely affected.
Our ability to successfully offer products and implement our business plan in a rapidly evolving market requires an effective planning and management process. We have significantly expanded the scope of our operations. In addition, we plan to continue to hire a significant number of employees during the next twelve months. The growth in business, head count and relationships with customers and other third parties has placed and will continue to place a significant strain on our management systems and resources. We will need to continue to improve our financial and managerial controls, reporting systems and procedures and will need to continue to expand, train and manage our work force.
It may be difficult for a third party to acquire the Company and this could depress our stock price.
Certain provisions of Washington law and our amended and restated articles of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that create burdens and delays when someone attempts to purchase our Company. As a result, these provisions could limit the price that investors are willing to pay for our stock. These provisions:
• authorize our board of directors, without further shareholder approval, to issue preferred stock that has rights superior to those of the common stock. Potential purchasers may pay less for our Company because the preferred stockholders may use their rights to take value from the Company, and
• provide that written demand of at least 30% of the outstanding capital shares is required to call a special meeting of the shareholders, which may be needed to approve the sale of the Company. The delay that this creates could deter a potential purchaser.
Additional risk associated with the Lumera business
We cannot be certain that our Optical Materials will achieve market acceptance.
Lumera’s success will depend in part on the commercial acceptance of the Optical Materials. The optical switching industry is currently fragmented with many competitors developing different technologies. We expect that only a few of these technologies ultimately will gain market acceptance. The Optical Materials may not be accepted by OEMs and systems integrators of optical switching networks. To be accepted, the Optical Material must meet the technical and performance requirements of our potential customers in the telecommunications industry. If our Optical Materials technology fails to achieve market acceptance, we may not be able to continue to develop the technology.
Our lack of the financial and technical resources relative to our competitors may effect our ability to commercialize the Optical Materials.
The optical switching market is a highly competitive market. Many companies, with substantially greater financial, technical and other resources than us, are working on competitive technologies. Because of their greater resources, our competitors may develop products or technologies that are superior to our own. The introduction of superior competing products or technology could cause our Optical Materials technology not to become commercially viable, which could reduce the value of our business.
Lumera’s revenues are highly sensitive to developments in the telecommunications industry.
Lumera’s expected revenues will be derived from product sales to OEMs and system integrators in the telecommunications industry. We believe that sales of potential products in the telecommunications market could represent a significant portion of our future revenues. Developments that adversely affect the telecommunications sector, including delays in traffic growth, government regulation or a general economic downturn, could slow or halt our revenue growth.
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Substantially all of the Company’s cash equivalents and investment securities are at fixed interest rates and, as such, the fair value of these instruments is affected by changes in market interest rates. Due to the generally short-term maturities of these investment securities, the Company believes that the market risk arising from its holdings of these financial instruments is not significant. A one-percent change in market interest rates would have approximately a $341,000 impact on the fair value of the investment securities.
Presently, all of the Company’s development contract payments are made in U.S. dollars and, consequently, the Company believes it has no foreign currency exchange rate risk. However, in the future the Company may enter into development contracts in foreign currencies which may subject the Company to foreign exchange rate risk. The Company does not have any derivative instruments and does not presently engage in hedging transactions.
The weighted average maturities of cash equivalents and investment securities, available-for-sale, as of March 31, 2001, are as follows.
| | Amount
| Percent
|
| Cash | $19,967 | 37.0% |
| Less than one year | 13,585 | 25.1% |
| One to two years | 18,014 | 33.3% |
| Two to three years | 2,508
| 4.6%
|
| | $54,074
| 100.0%
|
ITEM 6. Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K
(a) Exhibits
10.1 Independent Director Stock Option Plan, as amended.
10.2 Investor Right’s Agreement, dated as of March 14, 2001 by and between Lumera Corporation and certain investors.
(b) Reports on Form 8-K
The Company filed one current report on Form 8-K for the event of March 14, 2001 during the quarterly period ended March 31, 2001.
SIGNATURES
In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, the registrant caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| | MICROVISION, INC. |
| | |
| Date: May 14, 2001 | /s/ Richard F. Rutkowski
|
| | Richard F. Rutkowski |
| | President, Chief Executive Officer |
| | (Principal Executive Officer) |
| | |
| Date: May 14, 2001 | /s/ Jeff Wilson
|
| | Jeff Wilson |
| | Controller |
| | (Principal Accounting Officer) |
EXHIBIT INDEX
The following documents are filed herewith or have been included as exhibits to previous filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are incorporated by reference as indicated below.
Exhibit
Number
| Description
|
| | |
| 10.1 | Independent Director Stock Option Plan, as amended. |
| 10.2 | Investor Right’s Agreement, dated as of March 14, 2001 by and between Lumera Corporation and certain investors. |
