STXS Stereotaxis Inc

The following uncertainties and factors, among others, could affect future performance and cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward looking statements.

RISK FACTORS SUMMARY

Risks Related to Our Business and Business Operations

Risks Relating to Technology and Intellectual Property Matters

Risks Relating to Regulatory and Legal Matters

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

Risks Related to the February 2021 CEO Performance Stock Unit Grant

Summary of General Risk Factors

Risks Related to Our Business and Business Operations

We may not generate cash from operations or be able to raise the necessary capital to continue operations.

We may require additional funds to meet our operational, working capital and capital expenditure needs in the future. We cannot be certain that we will be able to obtain additional funds on favorable terms or at all. If we cannot raise capital on acceptable terms, we will not be able to, among other things:

Our failure to do any of these things could result in lower revenue and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations, and we may have to curtail or cease operations.

A pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of infectious disease could have an adverse effect our business, operating results or financial condition.

The novel coronavirus COVID-19 (“COVID-19”) pandemic has resulted, and is likely to continue to result, in significant disruptions to the economy, as well as business and capital markets around the world. The full extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on numerous evolving factors that we may not be able to accurately predict.

As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, we have experienced business disruptions, including travel restrictions on us and our third-party distributors, which have negatively affected our complex sales, marketing, installation, distribution and service network relating to our products and services. The COVID-19 pandemic may continue to negatively affect demand for both our systems and our disposable products by limiting the ability of our sales personnel to maintain their customary contacts with customers as governmental authorities institute prolonged quarantines, travel restrictions, and shelter-in-place orders, or as our customers impose limitations on contacts and in-person meetings that go beyond those imposed by governmental authorities.

In addition, many of our hospital customers, for whom the purchase of our system involves a significant capital purchase which may be part of a larger construction project at the customer site (typically the construction of a new building), may themselves be under economic pressures. This may cause delays or cancellations of current purchase orders and other commitments, and may exacerbate the long and variable sales and installation cycles for our robotic magnetic navigation systems. We may also experience significant reductions in demand for our disposable products as our healthcare customers (physicians and hospitals) continue to re-prioritize the treatment of patients and divert resources away from non-coronavirus areas, which we anticipate will lead to the performance of fewer procedures in which our disposable products are used. In addition, patients may consider foregoing or deferring procedures utilizing our products, even if physicians and hospitals are willing to perform them, which could also reduce demand for, and sales of, our disposable products.

As of the date of the filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we believe our manufacturing operations and supply chains have been manageably impacted, but we cannot guarantee that they will not be impacted more severely in the future. If our manufacturing operations or supply chains are materially interrupted, it may not be possible for us to timely manufacture relevant products at required levels, or at all. Changes in economic conditions and supply chain constraints could lead to higher inflation than previously experienced or expected, which could, in turn, lead to an increase in costs. We may be unable to raise the prices of our products sufficiently to keep up with the rate of inflation. A material reduction or interruption to any of our manufacturing processes or a substantial increase in costs would have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition.

As governmental authorities around the world continue to institute prolonged mandatory closures, social distancing protocols and shelter-in-place orders, or as private parties on whom we rely to operate our business put in place their own protocols that go beyond those instituted by relevant governmental authorities, our ability to adequately staff and maintain our operations or further our product development could be negatively impacted.

Any disruption to the capital markets could negatively impact our ability to raise capital. If the capital markets are disrupted for an extended period of time and we need to raise additional capital, such capital may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. Continued disruptions to the capital markets and other financing sources could also negatively impact our hospital customers’ ability to raise capital or otherwise obtain financing to fund their operations and capital projects. Such could result in delayed spending on current projects, a longer sales cycle for new projects where a large capital commitment is required, and decreased demand for our disposable products as well as an increased risk of customer defaults or delays in payments for our systems installation, service contracts and disposable products.

We continue to evaluate and, where appropriate, take actions to reduce costs and spending across our organization. We will continue to actively monitor the situation and may take further actions that alter our business operations that may be required by federal, state, or local governmental authorities that may be implemented by our vendors, supplier or customers, or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees, customers, suppliers and stockholders.

We may not be able to fund our business operations in the same manner as we have done historically if we do not improve the operating performance of the Company or raise additional capital.

The Company has sustained operating losses throughout its corporate history and expects that its 2022 operating expenses will exceed its 2022 gross margin. The Company expects to continue to incur operating losses and negative cash flows until revenues reach a level sufficient to support ongoing operations or expense reductions are in place. The Company’s liquidity needs will be largely determined by the success of clinical adoption within the installed base of our robotic magnetic navigation system as well as by new placements of capital systems. The Company’s plans for improving the liquidity conditions primarily include its ability to control the timing and spending of its operating expenses and raising additional funds through debt or equity financing.

There can be no assurance that any of our plans will be successful or that additional capital will be available to us on reasonable terms, or at all, when needed. If we are unable to improve the operating performance of the Company or if we are unable to obtain sufficient additional capital, it may impair our ability to obtain new customers or hire and retain employees, any of which could force us to substantially revise our business plan or cease operations, which may reduce or negate the value of your investment.

Hospital decision-makers may not purchase our Robotic Magnetic Navigation Systems or related products or may think that such systems and products are too expensive.

To achieve and grow sales, hospitals must purchase our products, and in particular, our robotic magnetic navigation system. The robotic magnetic navigation system is a novel device, and hospitals and physicians are traditionally slow to adopt new products and treatment practices. In addition, hospitals may delay their purchase or installation decision for the robotic magnetic navigation system based on the disposable interventional devices that have received regulatory clearance or approval. Moreover, the robotic magnetic navigation system is an expensive piece of capital equipment, representing a significant portion of the cost of a new or replacement interventional lab. Although priced significantly below a robotic magnetic navigation system, the Odyssey Solution is still an expensive product. If hospitals do not widely adopt our systems, or if they decide that they are too expensive, we may never become profitable. Any failure to sell as many systems as our business plan requires could also have a seriously detrimental impact on our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity position, and cash flow.

If we are unable to fulfill our current purchase orders and other commitments on a timely basis or at all, we may not be able to achieve future sales growth.

Our backlog, which consists of purchase orders and other commitments, is considered by some investors to be a significant indicator of future performance. Consequently, negative changes to this backlog or its failure to grow commensurate with expectations could negatively impact our future operating results or our share price. Our backlog includes those outstanding purchase orders and other commitments that management believes will result in recognition of revenue upon delivery or installation of our systems. We cannot assure you that we will recognize revenue in any particular period or at all because some of our purchase orders and other commitments are subject to contingencies that are outside our control. In addition, these orders and commitments may be revised, modified or cancelled, either by their express terms, as a result of negotiations or by project changes or delays. System installation is, by its nature, subject to the interventional lab construction or renovation process which comprises multiple stages, all of which are outside of our control. Although the actual installation of our robotic magnetic navigation system requires only a few weeks and can be accomplished by either our staff or by subcontractors, successful installation of our system can be subjected to delays related to the overall construction or renovation process. If we experience any failures or delays in completing the installation of these systems, our reputation would suffer and we may not be able to sell additional systems. We have experienced situations in which our purchase orders and other commitments did not result in recognizing revenue from placement of a system with a customer. In addition to construction delays, there are risks that an institution will attempt to cancel a purchase order as a result of subsequent project review by the institution or the departure from the institution of physicians or physician groups who have expressed an interest in purchasing our products.

Decreases in our backlog have occurred in the past and could occur in the future, causing delays in revenue recognition or even removal of orders and other commitments from our backlog. Such events would have a negative effect on our revenue and results of operations.

We will likely experience long and variable sales and installation cycles, which could result in substantial fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations.

We anticipate that our robotic magnetic navigation system will continue to have a lengthy sales cycle because it consists of a relatively expensive piece of capital equipment, the purchase of which requires the approval of senior management at hospitals, inclusion in the hospitals’ interventional lab budget process for capital expenditures, and, in some instances, a certificate of need from the state or other regulatory approval. In addition, historically the majority of our products have been delivered less than one year after the receipt of a purchase order from a hospital, with the timing being dependent on the construction cycle for the new or replacement interventional suite in which the equipment will be installed. In some cases, this time frame has been extended further because the interventional suite construction is part of a larger construction project at the customer site (typically the construction of a new building), which may occur with our existing and future purchase orders. We cannot assure you that the time from purchase order to delivery for systems to be delivered in the future will be consistent with our historical experience. Moreover, a global economic slowdown may cause our customers to further delay construction or significant capital purchases, which could further lengthen our sales cycle. This may contribute to substantial fluctuations in our quarterly operating results. As a result, in future quarters our operating results could fall below the expectations of securities analysts or investors, in which event our stock price would likely decrease.

Physicians may not use our products if they do not believe they are safe, efficient and effective.

We believe that physicians will not use our products unless they determine that our products provide a safe, effective and preferable alternative to interventional methods in general use today. If longer-term patient studies or clinical experience indicate that treatment with our system or products is less effective, less efficient or less safe than our current data suggest, our sales would be harmed, and we could be subject to significant liability. Further, unsatisfactory patient outcomes or patient injury could cause negative publicity for our products, particularly in the early phases of product introduction. In addition, physicians may be slow to adopt our products if they perceive liability risks arising from the use of these new products. It is also possible that as our products become more widely used, latent defects could be identified, creating negative publicity and liability problems for us and adversely affecting demand for our products. If physicians do not use our products, we likely will not become profitable or generate sufficient cash to fund company operations going forward.

Our collaborations with fluoroscopy system manufacturers and providers of catheters and electrophysiology mapping systems or other parties may fail, or we may not be able to enter into additional collaborations in the future.

We have collaborated with and are continuing to collaborate with fluoroscopy system manufacturers and providers of catheters and electrophysiology mapping systems and other parties to make our instrument control technology compatible with their respective imaging products or disposable interventional devices and to co-develop additional disposable interventional devices for use with our products. A significant portion of our revenue from system sales is derived from these integrated products. The maintenance of these collaborations, or the establishment of equivalent alternatives, is critical to our commercialization efforts.

There are no guarantees that any existing strategic relationships will continue, and efforts are ongoing to ensure the availability of integrated next generation systems and/or equivalent alternatives. We cannot provide assurance as to the timeline of the ongoing availability of such compatible systems or our ability to obtain equivalent alternatives on competitive terms or at all.

Our product commercialization plans could be disrupted, leading to lower than expected revenue and a material and adverse impact on our results of operations and cash flow, if:

Some of our collaborators are large, global organizations with diverse product lines and interests that may diverge from our interests in commercializing our products. Accordingly, our collaborators may not devote adequate resources to our products, or may experience financial difficulties, change their business strategy or undergo a business combination that may affect their willingness or ability to fulfill their obligations to us.

The failure of one or more of our collaborations could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow. In addition, if we are unable to enter into additional collaborations in the future, or if these collaborations fail, our ability to develop and commercialize products could be impacted negatively and our revenue could be adversely affected.

The complexity associated with selling, marketing, and distributing products could impair our ability to increase revenue.

We currently market our products in the U.S., Europe and the rest of the world through a direct sales force of senior sales specialists, distributors and sales agents, supported by account managers and clinical specialists who provide training, clinical support, and other services to our customers. If we are unable to effectively utilize our existing sales force or increase our existing sales force in the foreseeable future, we may be unable to generate the revenue we have projected in our business plan. Factors that may inhibit our sales and marketing efforts include:

In addition, if we fail to effectively use distributors or contract sales agents for distribution of our products where appropriate, our revenue and profitability would be adversely affected.

Our marketing strategy is dependent on collaboration with physician “thought leaders.”

Our research and development efforts and our marketing strategy depend heavily on obtaining support, physician training assistance, and collaboration from highly regarded physicians at leading commercial and research hospitals, particularly in the U.S. and Europe. If we are unable to gain and/or maintain such support, training services, and collaboration or if the reputation or standing of these physicians is impaired or otherwise adversely affected, our ability to market our products and, as a result, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow could be materially and adversely affected.

Physicians may not commit enough time to sufficiently learn our system.

In order for physicians to learn to use the robotic magnetic navigation system, they must attend structured training sessions in order to familiarize themselves with a sophisticated user interface and they must be committed to learning the technology. Further, physicians must utilize the technology on a regular basis to ensure they maintain the skill set necessary to use the interface. Continued market acceptance could be delayed by lack of physician willingness to attend training sessions, by the time required to complete this training, or by state or institutional restrictions on our ability to provide training. An inability to train a sufficient number of physicians to generate adequate demand for our products could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and cash flow.

Customers may choose to purchase competing products and not ours.

Our products must compete with traditional interventional methods. These methods are widely accepted in the medical community, have a long history of use and do not require the purchase of an additional expensive piece of capital equipment. In addition, many of the medical conditions that can be treated using our products can also be treated with pharmaceuticals or other medical devices and procedures. Many of these alternative treatments are also widely accepted in the medical community and have a long history of use.

We also face competition from companies that are developing robotic technologies for electrophysiology and non-electrophysiology interventional procedures. We are aware of three companies that commercialized endovascular catheter navigation systems which have been cleared by the FDA for electrophysiology procedures as well as two companies with electromagnetic catheter navigation systems that received CE Mark approval in Europe. None of these companies seem to be active with any current commercial activities. Outside of electrophysiology, there are at least two companies that have commercialized robotic systems for guidewire manipulation and can be viewed as potential competitors as we look to address additional clinical applications.

We face competition from companies that are developing drugs, gene or cellular therapies or other medical devices or procedures to treat the conditions for which our products are intended. The medical device and pharmaceutical industries make significant investments in research and development, and innovation is rapid and continuous. Other companies in the medical device industry continue to develop new devices and technologies for traditional interventional methods.

If these or other new products or technologies emerge that provide the same or superior benefits as our products at equal or lesser cost, it could render our products obsolete or unmarketable. In addition, the presence of other competitors may cause potential customers to delay their purchasing decisions, resulting in a longer than expected sales cycle, even if they do not choose our competitors’ products. We cannot be certain that physicians will use our products to replace or supplement established treatments or that our products will be competitive with current or future products and technologies.

Many of our other competitors also have longer operating histories, significantly greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources, greater name recognition and a larger base of customers than we do. In addition, as the markets for medical devices develop, additional competitors could enter the market. We cannot assure you that we will be able to compete successfully against existing or new competitors. Our revenue would be reduced or eliminated if our competitors develop and market products that are more effective and less expensive than our products.

If the magnetic fields generated by our system are not compatible with, or interfere with, other widely used equipment in the interventional labs, sales of our products would be negatively affected.

Our robotic magnetic navigation system generates magnetic fields that directly govern the motion of the internal, or working, tip of disposable interventional devices. If other equipment in the interventional labs or elsewhere in a hospital is incompatible with the magnetic fields generated by our system, or if our system interferes with such equipment, we may be required to install additional shielding, which may be expensive and which may not solve the problem. If magnetic interference becomes a significant issue at targeted institutions, it would increase our installation costs at those institutions and could limit the number of hospitals that would be willing to purchase and install our systems, either of which would adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

The use of our products could result in product liability claims that could be expensive, divert management’s attention, and harm our reputation and business.

Our business exposes us to significant risks of product liability claims. The medical device industry has historically been litigious, and we could face product liability claims if the use of our products were to cause injury or death. The coverage limits of our product liability insurance policies may not be adequate to cover future claims, and we may be unable to maintain product liability insurance in the future at satisfactory rates or adequate amounts. A product liability claim, regardless of its merit or eventual outcome, could divert management’s attention, and result in significant legal defense costs, significant harm to our reputation and a decline in revenue.

We have incurred substantial losses in the past and may not be profitable in the future.

We have incurred substantial net losses since inception, including incurring an accumulated deficit of $498.7 million as of December 31, 2021, and we expect to incur losses into the future as we continue the commercialization of our products. Moreover, the extent of our future losses and the timing of profitability are highly uncertain. Although we have achieved operating profitability during certain quarters, we may not achieve profitable operations on an annual basis, and if we achieve profitable operations, we may not sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. If we require more time than we expect to generate significant revenue and achieve annual profitability, or if we are unable to sustain profitability once achieved, we may not be able to continue our operations. Our failure to achieve annual profitability or sustain profitability on an annual or quarterly basis could negatively impact the market price of our common stock. Furthermore, even if we achieve significant revenue, we may choose to pursue a strategy of increasing market penetration and presence or expand or accelerate new product development or clinical research activities at the expense of profitability.

Our reliance on contract manufacturers and on suppliers, and in some cases, a single supplier, could harm our ability to meet demand for our products in a timely manner or within budget.

We depend on contract manufacturers to produce and assemble certain of the components of our systems and other products such as our electrophysiology catheter advancement device and other disposable devices. We also depend on various third-party suppliers for the magnets we use in our robotic magnetic navigation system and certain components of our Odyssey Solution. In addition, some of the components necessary for the assembly of our products are currently provided to us by a single supplier, including the magnets for our robotic magnetic navigation system and certain components of our Odyssey Solution, and we generally do not maintain large volumes of inventory. Our reliance on these third parties involves a number of risks, including, among other things, the risk that:

If any of these risks materialize, it could significantly increase our costs and impair product delivery.

Lead times for materials and components ordered by us and our contract manufacturers vary and depend on factors such as the specific supplier, contract terms and demand for a component at a given time. We, and our contract manufacturers, acquire materials, complete standard subassemblies and assemble fully configured systems based on sales forecasts. If orders do not match forecasts, we, as well as our contract manufacturers, may have excess or inadequate inventory of materials and components.

In addition, if these manufacturers or suppliers stop providing us with the components or services necessary for the operation of our business, we may not be able to identify alternate sources in a timely fashion. Any transition to alternate manufacturers or suppliers would likely result in operational problems and increased expenses and could delay the shipment of or limit our ability to provide our products. We cannot assure you that we would be able to enter into agreements with new manufacturers or suppliers on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Additionally, obtaining components from a new supplier may require a new or supplemental filing with applicable regulatory authorities and clearance or approval of the filing before we could resume product sales. Any disruptions in product flow may harm our ability to generate revenue, lead to customer dissatisfaction, damage our reputation and result in additional costs or cancellation of orders by our customers.

We also rely on Biosense Webster and other parties to manufacture a number of disposable interventional devices for use with our robotic magnetic navigation system. If these parties cannot manufacture sufficient quantities of disposable interventional devices to meet customer demand, or if their manufacturing processes are disrupted, our revenue and profitability would be adversely affected.

Risks associated with international manufacturing and trade could negatively impact the availability and cost of our products because materials used to manufacture our magnets, one of our key system components, are sourced from overseas.

We purchase the permanent magnets for our robotic magnetic system from a manufacturer that uses material produced in Japan, and we anticipate that a certain amount of the production work for these magnets will be performed for this manufacturer in China. Given the complex relationships between China and the U.S., political, diplomatic, military, or other events could result in business disruptions, including increased regulatory enforcement against companies, tariffs, trade embargoes, and export restrictions relating to this production work. For example, in 2020, the U.S. government amended the Entity List rules to expand the requirement to obtain a license prior to the export of certain technologies. In addition, in 2020, a new U.S. regulation seeks to prohibit the U.S. government from contracting with companies who use the products or services of certain Chinese companies. While we believe that these regulations do not materially impact our business at this time, we cannot predict the impact that additional regulatory changes may have on our business in the future, which could adversely affect our business operations in China, or may otherwise limit our ability to offer our products and services in China and other parts of the world. In addition, our subcontractor may purchase magnets for our disposable interventional devices directly from a manufacturer in Japan. The relationships with these manufacturers and suppliers are generally on a purchase order basis and do not provide a contractual obligation to provide adequate supply or acceptable pricing on a long-term basis. These vendors could discontinue sourcing or supplying these magnets at any time. If any of our significant vendors were to discontinue their relationship with us or with our subcontractor, or if the factories were to suffer a disruption in their production, we may be unable to replace the vendors in a timely manner, which could result in short-term disruption to our supply of magnets as we transition our orders to new vendors or factories which could, in turn, cause a significant increase in price or a disruption of imports, including the imposition of import restrictions, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The flow of components from our vendors could also be adversely affected by financial or political instability or travel restrictions or bans in any of the countries in which the goods we purchase are manufactured, if the instability or restriction affects the production or export of product components from those countries. Trade restrictions in the form of tariffs or quotas, or both, could also affect the importation of those product components and could increase the cost and reduce the supply of products available to us. For example, the previous administration implemented, or was considering the imposition of, tariffs on certain foreign goods, and we cannot predict the ongoing status of tariffs or any further potential legislation or actions taken by the U.S. federal government that restrict trade, such as additional tariffs, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures taken by governments in Europe, Asia, and other countries, could adversely impact our ability to sell products and services, which could increase the cost of our products and the components and raw materials that go into making them. Countries may also adopt other protectionist measures that could limit our ability to offer our products and services. In addition, decreases in the value of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies, or significant price increase from these suppliers, could increase the cost of products we purchase from overseas vendors.

We may encounter problems at our manufacturing facilities or those of our subcontractors or otherwise experience manufacturing delays that could result in lost revenue.

We subcontract all or part of the manufacture and assembly of components of our products and devices. The products we design may not satisfy all of the performance requirements of our customers and we may need to improve or modify the design or ask our subcontractors to modify their production process in order to do so. In addition, we, or our subcontractors, may experience quality problems, substantial costs and unexpected delays related to efforts to upgrade and expand manufacturing, assembly and testing capabilities. If we incur delays due to quality problems or other unexpected events, our revenue may be impacted.

Our growth may place a significant strain on our resources, and if we fail to manage our growth, our ability to develop, market, and sell our products will be harmed.

Our business plan contemplates a period of substantial growth and business activity. This growth and activity will likely result in new and increased responsibilities for management personnel and place significant strain upon our operating and financial systems and resources. To accommodate our growth and compete effectively, we will be required to improve our information systems, create additional procedures and controls and expand, train, motivate and manage our work force. We cannot be certain that our personnel, systems, procedures, and controls will be adequate to support our future operations. Any failure to effectively manage our growth could impede our ability to successfully develop, market, and sell our products.

Risks Relating to Technology and Intellectual Property Matters

The rate of technological innovation of our products might not keep pace with the rest of the market.

The rate of innovation for the market in which our products compete is fast-paced and requires significant resources and innovation. If other products and technologies are developed that compete with, or may compete with, our products, it could be difficult for us to maintain our advantages associated with being an early developer of this technology. Likewise, the innovation and development cycle of competitors may impact our research and development efforts and ultimately, commercial adoption of viable research and development efforts. In addition, connectivity with other devices in the electrophysiology lab is a key driver of value. If the Company is not able to continue to commit sufficient resources to ensure that its products are compatible with other products within the electrophysiology lab, this could have a negative impact on revenue.

Security breaches and other disruptions to our information technology infrastructure could interfere with our operations, compromise confidential information, and expose us to liability which could materially adversely impact our business and reputation.

Security breaches and other disruptions to our information technology infrastructure could interfere with our operations; compromise information belonging to us, our employees, customers, and suppliers; and expose us to liability which could adversely impact our business and reputation. In the ordinary course of business, we rely on information technology networks and systems, some of which are managed by third parties, to process, transmit, and store electronic information, and to manage or support a variety of business processes and activities. Additionally, we collect and store certain data, including proprietary business information and customer and employee data, and may have access to confidential or personal information in certain of our businesses that is subject to privacy and security laws, regulations, and customer-imposed controls. Despite our cyber security measures (including employee and third-party training, use of user names and passwords for access to information technology systems, monitoring of networks and systems, and maintenance of backup and protective systems) which are continuously reviewed and upgraded, our information technology networks and infrastructure may still be vulnerable to damage, disruptions, or shutdowns due to attack by hackers, breaches, employee error or malfeasance, power outages, computer viruses, telecommunication or utility failures, systems failures, war or other military conflicts, natural disasters, or other catastrophic events. We have programs in place to detect, contain, and respond to data security incidents, and we continually make improvements to our networks and systems in order to minimize or eliminate vulnerabilities. However, because the techniques used to exploit systems change frequently and can be difficult to detect, we may not be able to prevent these intrusions or mitigate them when and if they occur. Additionally, we rely on some information technology networks and systems managed by third parties, and we rely on these third parties to deploy appropriate measures to protect their systems and networks. Vulnerabilities in their systems could compromise the security of our own infrastructure. Any such events could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability or penalties under privacy laws, disruption in operations, and damage to our reputation, which could materially adversely affect our business. While we have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, these types of threats to our information technology networks and infrastructure, to date none of these threats has had a material impact on our business or operations.

We may be unable to protect our technology from use by third parties, which may allow them to compete with us and harm our business.

Our commercial success depends in part on obtaining patent and other intellectual property right protection for the technologies contained in our products and on successfully defending these rights against third party challenges. The patent positions of medical device companies, including ours, can be highly uncertain and involve complex and evolving legal and factual questions. We cannot assure you that we will obtain the patent protection we seek, that any protection we do obtain will be found valid and enforceable if challenged or that it will confer any significant commercial advantage. U.S. patents and patent applications may also be subject to interference proceedings and U.S. patents may be subject to re-examination proceedings in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and foreign patents may be subject to opposition or comparable proceedings in the corresponding foreign patent office, which proceedings could result in either loss of the patent, or denial of the patent application, or loss or reduction in the scope of one or more of the claims of the patent or patent application. In addition, such interference, re-examination, and opposition proceedings may be costly. Thus, any patents that we own or license from others may not provide any protection against competitors. Our pending patent applications, those we may file in the future, or those we may license from third parties may not result in patents being issued and certain foreign patent applications for medical related devices and methods may be found unpatentable. If issued, they may not provide us with proprietary protection or competitive advantages against competitors with similar technology.

Some of our technology was developed in conjunction with third parties, and thus there is a risk that a third party may claim rights in our intellectual property. Outside the U.S., we rely on third-party payment services for the payment of foreign patent annuities and other fees. Non-payment or delay in payment of such fees, whether intentional or unintentional, may result in loss of patents or patent rights important to our business. Many countries, including certain countries in Europe, have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner may be compelled to grant licenses to third parties (for example, the patent owner has failed to “work” the invention in that country, or the third party has patented improvements). In addition, many countries limit the enforceability of patents against government agencies or government contractors. In these countries, the patent owner may have limited remedies, which could materially diminish the value of the patent. We also cannot assure you that we will be able to develop additional patentable technologies. If we fail to obtain adequate patent protection for our technology, or if any protection we obtain becomes limited or invalidated, others may be able to make and sell competing products, impairing our competitive position.

Our trade secrets, nondisclosure agreements and other contractual provisions to protect unpatented technology provide only limited and possibly inadequate protection of our rights. As a result, third parties may be able to use our unpatented technology, and our ability to compete in the market would be reduced. In addition, employees, consultants and others who participate in developing our products or in commercial relationships with us may breach their agreements with us regarding our intellectual property, and we may not have adequate remedies for the breach.

Our competitors may independently develop similar or alternative technologies or products that are equal or superior to our technology and products without infringing any of our patent or other intellectual property rights, or may design around our proprietary technologies. Our competitors may acquire similar or even the same technology components that are utilized in our current offering eroding some differentiation in the marketplace. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent, as do the laws of the U.S., particularly in the field of medical products and procedures.

Third parties may assert that we are infringing their intellectual property rights, and any defense of such assertions may be unsuccessful and expensive, even if we are successful.

Successfully commercializing our products depends in part on not infringing patents held by third parties. It is possible that one or more of our products, including those that we have developed in conjunction with third parties, infringes existing patents. We may also be liable for patent infringement by third parties whose products we use or combine with our own and for which we have no right to indemnification. In addition, because patent applications are maintained under conditions of confidentiality and can take many years to issue, there may be applications now pending of which we are unaware and which may later result in issued patents that our products infringe. Determining whether a product infringes a patent involves complex legal and factual issues and may not become clear until finally determined by a court in litigation. Our competitors may assert that our products infringe patents held by them. Moreover, as the number of competitors in our market grows the possibility of a patent infringement claim against us increases. If we were unsuccessful in obtaining a license or redesigning our products, we could be subject to litigation. If we lose in this kind of litigation, a court could require us to pay substantial damages or prohibit us from using technologies essential to our products covered by third-party patents. An inability to use technologies essential to our products would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow and could undermine our ability to continue our current business operations.

Expensive intellectual property litigation is frequent in the medical device industry and may cause to incur substantial expenses to defend.

Infringement actions, validity challenges and other intellectual property claims and proceedings, whether with or without merit, can be expensive and time-consuming and would divert management’s attention from our business. We have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, substantial costs in obtaining patents and may have to incur substantial costs defending our proprietary rights. Incurring such costs could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

We may not be able to maintain all the licenses or rights from third parties necessary for the development, manufacture, or marketing of new and existing products.

As we develop additional products and improve or maintain existing products, we may find it advisable or necessary to seek licenses or otherwise make payments in exchange for rights from third parties who hold patents covering certain technology. If we cannot obtain or maintain the desired licenses or rights for any of our products, we could be forced to try to design around those patents at additional cost or abandon the product altogether, which could adversely affect revenue and results of operations. If we have to abandon a product, our ability to develop and grow our business in new directions and markets would be adversely affected.

Our products and related technologies can be applied in different medical applications, and we may fail to focus on the most profitable areas.

The robotic magnetic navigation system is designed to have the potential for expanded applications beyond electrophysiology and interventional cardiology, including congestive heart failure, structural heart repair, interventional neurosurgery, interventional neuroradiology, peripheral vascular, pulmonology, urology, gynecology and gastrointestinal medicine. However, we have limited financial and managerial resources and, therefore, may be required to focus on products in selected industries and sites and to forego efforts with regard to other products and industries. Our decisions may not produce viable commercial products and may divert our resources from more profitable market opportunities. Moreover, we may devote resources to developing products in these additional areas but may be unable to justify the value proposition or otherwise develop a commercial market for products we develop in these areas, if any. In that case, the return on investment in these additional areas may be limited, which could negatively affect our results of operations.

We may be subject to damages resulting from claims that our employees or we have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of their former employers.

Many of our employees were previously employed at hospitals, universities or other medical device companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. We could, in the future, be subject to claims that these employees or we have used or disclosed trade secrets or other proprietary information of their former employers. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in defending such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management. Incurring such costs could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

Software errors or other defects may be discovered in our products and the resulting performance issues may damage our business and our reputation in the industry in which we operate.

Our products incorporate many components, including sophisticated computer software. Complex software frequently contains errors, especially when first introduced. Because our products are designed to be used to perform complex interventional procedures, we expect that physicians and hospitals will have an increased sensitivity to the potential for software defects. We cannot assure you that our software or other components will not experience errors or performance problems in the future. If we experience software errors or performance problems, we would likely also experience:

Risks Related to Regulatory and Legal Matters

If we or the parties in our strategic collaborations fail to obtain or maintain necessary FDA clearances or approvals for our medical device products, or if such clearances or approvals are delayed, we will be unable to continue to commercially distribute and market our products.

Our products are medical devices that are subject to extensive regulation in the U.S. and in foreign countries where we do business. Each medical device that we wish to market in the U.S. must be designated as exempt from premarket approval or notification, or first receive either a 510(k) clearance, de novo approval, or a pre-market approval, or PMA, from the U.S. FDA pursuant to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or FD&C Act. The FDA’s 510(k) clearance process usually takes from four to 12 months, but it can take longer. The process of obtaining PMA approval is much more costly, lengthy, and uncertain, generally taking from one to three years or even longer. Although we have 510(k) clearance for many of our products, including disposable interventional devices, and we are able to market these products commercially in the U.S., our business model relies significantly on revenue from new disposable interventional devices, some of which may not achieve FDA clearance or approval. We cannot assure you that any of our devices will not be required to undergo the lengthier and more burdensome PMA process. We cannot commercially market any disposable interventional devices in the U.S. until the necessary clearances or approvals from the FDA have been received. In addition, we are working with third parties to co-develop disposable products. In some cases, these companies are responsible for obtaining appropriate regulatory clearance or approval to market these disposable devices. If these clearances or approvals are not received or are substantially delayed or if we are not able to offer a sufficient array of approved disposable interventional devices, we may not be able to successfully market our system to as many institutions as we currently expect, which could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

Furthermore, obtaining 510(k) clearances, de novo approvals, PMAs or PMA supplement approvals, from the FDA could result in unexpected and significant costs for us and consume management’s time and other resources. The FDA could ask us to supplement our submissions, collect non-clinical data, conduct clinical trials or engage in other time-consuming actions, or it could simply deny our applications. In addition, even if we obtain a 510(k) clearance, de novo approvals, or PMA or PMA supplement approval, the clearance or approval could be revoked or other restrictions imposed if post-market data demonstrates safety issues or lack of effectiveness. We cannot predict with certainty how, or when, the FDA will act on our marketing applications. If we are unable to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals, our financial condition and cash flow may be adversely affected. Also, a failure to obtain approvals may limit our ability to grow domestically and internationally.

If our strategic collaborations elect not to or we fail to obtain regulatory approvals in other countries for products under development, we will not be able to commercialize these products in those countries.

In order to market our products outside of the U.S., we and our strategic collaborations or distributors must establish and comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of other countries regarding safety and efficacy. Approval procedures vary among countries and can involve additional product testing and additional administrative review periods. The time required to obtain approval in other countries might differ from that required to obtain FDA approval. The regulatory approval process in other countries may include all of the risks detailed above regarding FDA approval in the U.S. Regulatory approval in one country does not ensure regulatory approval in another, but a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one country may negatively impact the regulatory process in others. Failure to obtain regulatory approval in other countries or any delay or setback in obtaining such approval could have the same adverse effects described above regarding FDA approval in the U.S. In addition, we may rely on our distributors and strategic collaborations, in some instances, to assist us in this regulatory approval process in countries outside the U.S. and Europe, for example, in Japan.

We may fail to comply with continuing regulatory requirements of the FDA and other authorities and become subject to enforcement action, which may include substantial penalties.

Even after product clearance or approval, we must comply with continuing regulation by the FDA and other authorities, including the FDA’s Quality System Regulation, or QSR, requirements, labeling and promotional requirements and medical device adverse event and other reporting requirements. Any failure to comply with continuing regulation by the FDA or other authorities could result in enforcement action that may include suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approvals, recalling products, ceasing product manufacture and/or marketing, seizure and detention of products, paying significant fines and penalties, criminal prosecution and similar actions that could limit product sales, delay product shipment and harm our profitability. Congress could amend the FD&C Act, and the FDA could modify its regulations promulgated under this law or its policies in a way to make ongoing regulatory compliance more burdensome and difficult.

Additionally, any modification to an FDA 510(k) cleared or de novo-approved device that could significantly affect its safety or effectiveness, or that would constitute a major change in its intended use, requires a new 510(k) clearance. Modifications to a PMA approved device or its labeling may require either a new PMA or PMA supplement approval, which could be a costly and lengthy process. In addition, if we are unable to obtain approval for key applications, we may face product market adoption barriers that we cannot overcome. In the future, we may modify our products after they have received clearance or approval, and we may determine that new clearance or approval is unnecessary. We cannot assure you that the FDA would agree with any of our decisions not to seek new clearance or approval. If the FDA requires us to seek clearance or approval for any modification that we determined to not require clearance or approval in the first instance, we could be subject to enforcement sanctions and we also may be required to cease marketing or recall the modified product until we obtain FDA clearance or approval which could also limit product sales, delay product shipment and harm our profitability.

In many foreign countries in which we market our products, we are subject to regulations affecting, among other things, product standards, packaging requirements, labeling requirements, import restrictions, tariff regulations, duties and tax requirements. Many of these regulations are similar to those of the FDA or other U.S. regulations. In addition, in many countries the national health or social security organizations require our products to be qualified before procedures performed using our products become eligible for reimbursement. Failure to receive, or delays in the receipt of, relevant foreign qualifications could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Due to the movement toward harmonization of standards in Europe, we expect a changing regulatory environment characterized by a shift from a country-by-country regulatory system to a Europe-wide single regulatory system. We cannot predict the timing of this harmonization and its effect on us. Adapting our business to changing regulatory systems could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. If we fail to comply with applicable foreign regulatory requirements, we may be subject to fines, suspension, or withdrawal of regulatory approvals, product recalls, seizure of products, operating restrictions and criminal prosecution.

In addition, we are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, anti-bribery, antitrust and anti-competition laws, and similar laws in foreign countries. Any violation of these laws by our distributors or agents or by us could create a substantial liability for us and also cause a loss of reputation in the market. From time to time, we may face audits or investigations by one or more government agencies, compliance with which could be costly and time-consuming, and could divert our management and key personnel from our business operations. An adverse outcome under any such investigation or audit could subject us to fines or other penalties, which could adversely affect our business and financial results.

Our suppliers, subcontractors, or we may fail to comply with the FDA quality system regulation or other quality standards.

Our manufacturing processes must comply with the FDA’s QSR, which covers the methods and documentation of the design, testing, production, control, quality assurance, labeling, packaging and shipping of our products. The FDA enforces the QSR through inspections. We cannot assure you that we or our suppliers or subcontractors would pass such an inspection. The European Union recently adopted new EN ISO 13485:2016 standards, and we have been certified to these standards. If we or our suppliers or subcontractors fail to comply with the FDA regulation or EN ISO 13485:2016 standards, we or they may be required to cease all or part of our operations for some period of time until we or they can demonstrate that appropriate steps have been taken to comply with such standards or face other enforcement action, such as a public warning letter, untitled letter, fines, injunctions, civil penalties, seizures, operating restrictions, partial suspension or total shutdown of production, refusing requests for 510(k) clearance, de novo petitions, or PMA approval of new products, withdrawing 510(k) clearance, de novo approvals, or PMA approvals already granted, and/or criminal prosecution. We cannot be certain that our facilities or those of our suppliers or subcontractors will comply with the FDA or EN ISO 13485:2016 standards in future audits by regulatory authorities. Failure to pass such an inspection could force a shutdown of manufacturing operations, a recall of our products or the imposition of other enforcement sanctions, which would significantly harm our revenue and profitability. Further, we cannot assure you that our key component suppliers are or will continue to be in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and quality standards and will not encounter any manufacturing difficulties. Any failure to comply with the FDA’s QSR or EN ISO 13485:2016, by us or our suppliers, could significantly harm our available inventory and product sales. Further, any failure to comply with FDA’s QSR, by us or our suppliers, could result in the FDA refusing requests for and/or delays in 510(k) clearance, de novo approval, or PMA approval of new products.

If we fail to comply with health care regulations, we could face substantial penalties and our business, operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

While we do not control referrals of health care services or bill directly to Medicare, Medicaid or other third-party payors, many health care laws and regulations apply to our business. We are subject to health care fraud and patient privacy regulation by the federal government, the states in which we conduct our business, and internationally. The regulations that may affect our ability to operate include:

If our operations are found to be in violation of any of the laws described above or any other governmental laws or regulations that apply to us, we may be subject to penalties, including civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, loss of reimbursement for our products under federal or state government health programs such as Medicare and Medicaid and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. Any penalties, damages, fines, curtailment, or restructuring of our operations could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our financial results. The risk of our being found in violation of these laws is increased by the fact that many of them have not been fully interpreted by the regulatory authorities or the courts, and their provisions are open to a variety of interpretations. Any action against us for violation of these laws, even if we successfully defend against it, could cause us to incur significant legal expense and divert our management’s attention from the operation of our business. Moreover, to achieve compliance with applicable federal and state privacy, security, and electronic transaction laws, we may be required to modify our operations with respect to the handling of patient information. Implementing these modifications may prove costly. At this time, we are not able to determine the full consequences to us, including the total cost of compliance, of these various federal and state laws.

Healthcare policy changes, including the potential repeal or amendment of any existing legislation, may have a material adverse effect on us.

In response to perceived increases in health care costs in recent years, there have been and continues to be proposals by the federal administration, members of Congress, state governments, regulators and third-party payors to control these costs and, more generally, to reform the U.S. healthcare system.

Decisions by both the federal and state governments on funding priorities for various healthcare programs impact the finances of our customers on an ongoing and recurring basis. Such decisions may impact purchasing decisions of a customer.

Changes to, or repeal of, the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which different administrations and certain members of Congress have affirmatively indicated that they will pursue, could materially and adversely affect our business and financial position, and results of operations. Even if the PPACA is not amended or repealed, the administration could propose changes impacting implementation of the PPACA, which could materially and adversely affect our financial position or operations. However, we cannot currently predict the content, timing or impact that any such future legislation will have on our business.

The application of state certificate of need regulations and compliance by our customers with federal and state licensing or other international requirements could substantially limit our ability to sell our products and grow our business.

Some states require health care providers to obtain a certificate of need or similar regulatory approval prior to the acquisition of high-cost capital items such as our products. In many cases, a limited number of these certificates are available. As a result of this limited availability, hospitals and other health care providers may be unable to obtain a certificate of need for the purchase of our systems. Further, the sales and installation cycle of our robotic magnetic navigation systems may be longer in certificate of need states due to the time it takes our customers to obtain the required approvals. In addition, our customers must meet various federal and state regulatory and/or accreditation requirements in order to receive payments from government-sponsored health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, receive full reimbursement from third party payors, and maintain their customers. Our international customers may be required to meet similar or other requirements. Any lapse by our customers in maintaining appropriate licensure, certification or accreditation, or the failure of our customers to satisfy the other necessary requirements under government-sponsored health care programs or other requirements could cause our sales to decline.

Hospitals or physicians may be unable to obtain reimbursement from third-party payors for procedures using our products, or reimbursement for procedures may be insufficient to recoup the costs of purchasing our products.

We expect that U.S. hospitals will continue to bill various third-party payors, such as Medicare, Medicaid and other government programs and private insurance plans, for procedures performed with our products, including the costs of the disposable interventional devices used in these procedures. If, in the future, our disposable interventional devices do not fall within U.S. reimbursement categories and our procedures are not reimbursed, or if the reimbursement is insufficient to cover the costs of purchasing our system and related disposable interventional devices, the adoption of our systems and products would be significantly slowed or halted, and we may be unable to generate sufficient sales to support our business. Our success in international markets also depends upon the eligibility of our products for reimbursement through government-sponsored health care payment systems and third-party payors. In both the U.S. and foreign markets, health care cost-containment efforts are prevalent and are expected to continue. These efforts could reduce levels of reimbursement available for procedures involving our products and, therefore, reduce overall demand for our products as well. A failure to generate sufficient sales could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

Our costs could substantially increase if we receive a significant number of warranty claims or have other significant, uninsured liabilities.

We generally warrant each of our products against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 12 months following the installation of our system. If product returns or warranty claims increase, we could incur unanticipated additional expenditures for parts and service. In addition, our reputation and goodwill in the interventional lab market could be damaged. Unforeseen warranty exposure in excess of our established reserves for liabilities associated with product warranties could materially and adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

Moreover, for certain risks, we do not maintain insurance coverage because of cost and/or availability. In addition, in the future, we may not continue to maintain certain existing insurance coverage or adequate levels of coverage. Premiums for many types of insurance have increased significantly in recent years and, depending on market conditions and our circumstances, in the future, certain types of insurance, such as directors’ and officers’ insurance, may not be available on acceptable terms or at all. Because we retain some portion of our insurable risks and, in some cases, we are entirely self-insured, unforeseen or catastrophic losses in excess of insurance coverage could require us to pay substantial amounts, which may have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

Our principal stockholders continue to own a large percentage of our voting stock, and they have the ability to substantially influence matters requiring stockholder approval.

Certain of our directors and individuals or entities affiliated with them as well as other principal stockholders beneficially own or control a substantial percentage of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Accordingly, these stockholders acting as a group, will have substantial influence over the outcome of corporate actions requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors, any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets or any other significant corporate transaction. These stockholders may also delay or prevent a change of control, even if such a change of control would benefit our other stockholders. This significant concentration of stock ownership may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock due to investors’ perception that conflicts of interest may exist or arise.

Future issuances of our securities could dilute current stockholders’ ownership.

As of December 31, 2021, we had 5.6 million shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of our Series B Convertible Preferred Stock and 45.3 million shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock. Our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock bears dividends at a rate of six percent (6.0%) per annum, which are cumulative and accrue daily from the date of issuance on the $1,000 stated value. Such dividends will not be paid in cash, except in connection with any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company or any redemption of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock. Instead, the value of the accrued dividends is added to the liquidation preference of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and will increase the number of shares of common stock issuable upon conversion, which will dilute the ownership of our common stockholders.

In addition, a significant number of shares of our common stock are subject to issuance under our existing stock incentive plans and we may request the ability to issue additional such securities. We may also decide to raise additional funds through public or private debt or equity financing to fund our operations. While we cannot predict the effect, if any, that future sales of debt, our common stock, other equity securities or securities exercisable for or convertible into our common stock or other equity securities or the availability of any of the foregoing for future sale, will have on the market price of our common stock, it is likely that sales of substantial amounts of our common stock (including shares issued upon the exercise of stock options and stock appreciation rights, the vesting of the CEO Performance Share Unit Award and restricted stock units, or the conversion of any convertible securities outstanding now or in the future, including the Series A and Series B Convertible Preferred Shares), will dilute the ownership of our existing stockholders and that the perception that such sales could occur, will adversely affect prevailing market prices for our common stock.

Further, the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock rank senior to our common stock as to distributions and payments upon the liquidation, dissolution and winding up of the Company. No such distributions or payments upon the liquidation, dissolution and winding up of the Company may be made to holders of common stock unless and until the holders of the Series A Convertible Preferred Shares have received the stated value of $1,000 per share plus any accrued and unpaid dividends. Until all Series A Convertible Preferred Shares have been converted or redeemed, no dividends may be paid on the common stock without the express written consent of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Series A Convertible Preferred Shares. In the event that dividends or other distributions of assets are made or paid by the Company to the holders of the common stock, the holders of Series A Convertible Preferred Shares are entitled to participate in such dividend or distribution on an as-converted basis. Any such distributions or payments upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company may dilute the ownership interests of our existing stockholders.

We have never paid dividends on our common stock, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

We have paid no cash dividends on any of our classes of common stock to date and we currently intend to retain our future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be an investor’s sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, Delaware law, and one of our collaboration agreements contain provisions that could discourage a takeover.

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Delaware law contain provisions that might enable our management to resist a takeover. These provisions may:

In addition, our collaboration agreement with Biosense Webster contains provisions that may similarly discourage a takeover and negatively affect our share price as described above under “Business-Strategic Relationships”.

Evolving regulation of corporate governance and public disclosure may result in additional expenses and continuing uncertainty.

Changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including SEC regulations such as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act have in the past created uncertainty for public companies. We continue to evaluate and monitor developments with respect to new and proposed rules and cannot predict or estimate the amount of the additional compliance costs we may incur or the timing of such costs. These new or changed laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by courts and regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. Maintaining appropriate standards of corporate governance and public disclosure may result in increased general and administrative expense and a diversion of management time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. In addition, if we fail to comply with new or changed laws, regulations and standards, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us and our business and reputation may be harmed.

Our future operating results may be below securities analysts’ or investors’ expectations, which could cause our stock price to decline.

The revenue and income potential of our products and our business model are unproven, and we may be unable to generate significant revenue or grow at the rate expected by securities analysts or investors. In addition, our costs may be higher than we, securities analysts, or investors expect. If we fail to generate sufficient revenue or our costs are higher than we expect, our results of operations will suffer, which in turn could cause our stock price to decline. Our results of operations will depend upon numerous factors, including:

Our operating results in any particular period may not be a reliable indication of our future performance. In some future quarters, our operating results may be below the expectations of securities analysts or investors. If this occurs the price of our common stock will likely decline.

We expect that the price of our common stock could fluctuate substantially, possibly resulting in class action securities litigation.

While our common stock is traded on the NYSE American Market, trading volume may be limited or sporadic. The market price of our common stock has experienced, and may continue to experience, substantial volatility. During 2021, our common stock traded between $4.31 and $10.30 per share, on trading volume ranging from approximately 93,800 to 4.5 million shares per day. The market price of our common stock will be affected by a number of factors, including:

These factors, as well as general economic, credit, political and market conditions, may materially adversely affect the market price of our common stock. As with the stock of many other public companies, the market price of our common stock has been particularly volatile during the recent period of upheaval in the capital markets and world economy. This excessive volatility may continue for an extended period of time following the filing date of this report. Furthermore, the stock prices of many companies in the medical device industry have experienced wide fluctuations that have often been unrelated to the operating performance of these companies. Volatility in the price of our common stock on the NYSE American Market may depress the trading price of our common stock, which could, among other things, allow a potential acquirer of the Company to purchase a significant amount of our common stock at low prices. In addition, the volatility of our stock price could lead to class action securities litigation being filed against us, which could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management resources, which could significantly harm our business.

If we fail to continue to meet all applicable NYSE American Market requirements and the NYSE American determines to delist our common stock, the delisting could adversely affect the market liquidity of our common stock, which would impair the value of your investment and ultimately harm our business by limiting our access to equity markets for capital raising.

Our common stock is currently listed on the NYSE American Market. We currently meet the continued listing standards of NYSE American. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to continue to comply with the required standards in order to maintain a listing of our common stock on the NYSE American. If we fail to continue to meet all applicable NYSE American requirements in the future and the NYSE American determines to delist our common stock, the delisting could adversely affect the market liquidity of our common stock, which would adversely affect our ability to obtain financing for the continuation of our operations, as a result, harming our business. This delisting could also impair the value of your investment.

Risks Related to the February 2021 CEO Performance Stock Unit Grant

We will incur significant additional stock-based compensation expense over the term of the CEO Performance Award regardless of whether or not any of the milestones are achieved.

As described in Note 9 of the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K, on February 23, 2021, the Company`s Board of Directors, upon recommendation of the Compensation Committee, approved the grant of the Performance Share Unit Award (“CEO Performance Award”) pursuant to the CEO Performance Share Unit Award Agreement (the “PSU Agreement”), to David L. Fischel, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. Under the terms of the PSU Agreement, we will incur significant additional stock-based compensation expense over the term of the award regardless of whether or not any of the milestones are achieved as the probability of meeting the ten market capitalization milestones is not considered in determining the timing of expense recognition. The expense will be recognized on an accelerated basis through 2030. Total stock-based compensation recorded as operating expense for the CEO Performance Award was $6.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2021, the Company had approximately $51.3 million of total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense remaining under the CEO Performance Award if Mr. Fischel continues to serve as CEO, or in a similar capacity, through 2030. This additional stock-based compensation expense, incurred regardless of whether or not any milestones are achieved, increases the difficulty for the Company to achieve a profitable position as measured by generally accepted accounting principles.

Our stockholders may experience substantial dilution upon payout of shares under the CEO Performance Award.

If Mr. Fischel achieves all the milestones specified in the CEO Performance Award, by increasing the Company’s market capitalization to $5.5 billion for the specified period, he will receive 13,000,000 shares of common stock subject to the vesting requirements in the agreement. If (i) all 13,000,000 shares of common stock subject to the PSU Agreement were to become fully vested, outstanding and held by Mr. Fischel; (ii) all other shares of common stock and stock units held by Mr. Fischel were fully vested and were outstanding; (iii) estimated dilution as a result of potential exercises or conversions from existing grants to employees and non-employee directors and the outstanding convertible preferred stock were to be considered; and (iv) there were no other dilutive events of any kind, Mr. Fischel would beneficially own approximately 10% of the outstanding shares of Stereotaxis common stock after the dilutive events described above and without considering the impact of any other potential future dilutive events or the potential sale of stock required to pay taxes upon the vesting of the restricted stock units.

Certain provisions in the PSU Agreement may discourage a change in control of the Company even if such a transaction would otherwise be beneficial to our stockholders.

Under the terms of the CEO Performance Award, in the event of a change in control of the Company, the market capitalization formula will be modified to equal the total amount of consideration paid to all equity holders of the Company, with the number of shares to be issued pursuant to the CEO Performance Grant giving effect to such valuation. For all valuations above $1.0 billion in connection with a change in control, partial credit for the next following tranche shall be allocated pro rata based on the market capitalization in such change in control. Any vested shares upon such a change in control will vest and be paid at the time of the consummation of the change in control, and the service component of the CEO Performance Award will otherwise be disregarded. These terms may discourage potential business partners from pursuing a merger or acquisition, even if the merger or acquisition would be viewed favorably by, or be beneficial to, our other stockholders.

We are highly dependent on the services of Mr. Fischel, and our compensation package, including the CEO Performance Award, may fail to retain him.

Since assuming the role of CEO in February 2017, Mr. Fischel has revitalized the Company’s commercial capabilities, strengthened its financial position, and led the development of a robust innovation strategy, and stockholders have benefited substantially, with Stereotaxis’ stock appreciating substantially. However, between February 2017 and December 2020, Mr. Fischel served as CEO without drawing a salary or any other form of cash or equity compensation for his work as CEO, and currently his only compensation is an annual salary of $60,000, which is substantially below market. While the Board believes that the CEO Performance Award provides substantial future benefit to all its stockholders and incentivizes Mr. Fischel to serve as CEO for the long term, there is no assurance that Mr. Fischel will continue as CEO.

General Risk Factors

General economic conditions could materially adversely impact us.

Our operating performance is dependent upon economic conditions in the United States and in other countries in which we operate. Uncertainty about current global economic conditions and future global economic conditions may cause customers to delay purchasing or installation decisions or cancel existing orders. The robotic magnetic navigation systems and Odyssey Solution are typically purchased as part of a larger overall capital project and an economic downturn or the lack of a robust recovery might make it more difficult for our customers, including distributors, to obtain adequate financing to support the project or to obtain requisite approvals. Any delay in purchasing decisions or cancellation of purchasing commitments may result in a decrease in our revenues. A credit crisis could further affect our business if key suppliers are unable to obtain financing to manufacture our products or become insolvent and we are unable to manufacture product to meet customer demand. If the United States and global economy becomes sluggish or deteriorates for a longer period than we anticipate, we may experience a material negative decrease on the demand for our products which may, in turn, have a material adverse effect on our revenue, profitability, financial condition, ability to raise additional capital and the market price of our stock.

We may lose key personnel or fail to attract and retain replacement or additional personnel.

We are highly dependent on the principal members of our management, as well as our scientific and sales staff. Attracting and retaining qualified personnel will be critical to our success, and competition for qualified personnel is intense. We may not be able to attract and retain personnel on acceptable terms given the competition for qualified personnel among technology and healthcare companies and universities. The loss of personnel or our inability to attract and retain other qualified personnel could harm our business and our ability to compete. In addition, the loss of members of our scientific staff may significantly delay or prevent product development and other business objectives. A loss of key sales personnel could result in a reduction of revenue. In addition, if we outsource certain employee functions that were formerly handled in-house, our personnel costs could increase.

We face currency and other risks associated with international operations.

We intend to continue to devote significant efforts to marketing our systems and products outside of the U.S. This strategy will expose us to numerous risks associated with international operations, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition, including the following:

In addition, contracts may be difficult to enforce and receivables may be difficult to collect through a foreign country’s legal system.